Spirituality

What’s next for psychedelic decriminalization?

The movement to decriminalize entheogenic plants—psychedelics—is young, but has already succeeded in three cities… The force behind this tide is an organization called Decriminalize Nature (DN), who uses an open-source format to help communities all over the world start healing. Believing that entheogens should be legal and the exchange of them regulated, DN reverses the profit model…

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Politics

Psychedelics are making… [themselves known]

Hopefully, we’re not headed for a refried version of legal weed where venture capitalists with listings on world stock exchanges are hell-bent on turning substances that could be the key to personal growth, into a commodity. There are efforts afoot to relax laws around psilocybin [mushroom] use. And a number of court challenges seeking the…

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Spirituality

What the heck happened…

The worlds that open up through psychedelic spirituality are nuanced, and require sensitivity and patience. It’s necessary to put in the time to thoroughly understand what you’re working with. There’s nothing inherently wrong with an educational platform whose purpose is to provide information that is easily absorbed by newcomers without scaring them off with heady…

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Biography/Memoir

Maryland congressman tries to block D.C.’s psychedelics decriminalization ballot measure

The newspaper noted that Harris is “an anesthesiologist and top pharmaceutical donor recipient.” Harris [said] that he will use Congress’s control over D.C.’s budget to block the measure through a House Appropriations Committee amendment next week. Harris famously led congressional efforts to block Washington, D.C.’s local leaders from passing legislation to create a legal system of…

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Spirituality

There’s a case for non-medical [psilocybe mushrooms]

Like marijuana legalization, the case for medical use will no doubt push forward the argument for decriminalization and legalization.  It is far easier to convince lawmakers of a medical case for legislation versus a mystical experience argument. However, [those involved] would be remiss to dismiss the non-medical use for [psilocybe mushrooms]. Original Article (Green Market…

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Biography/Memoir

…official call to decriminalize psychedelics… to be heard…

Highlighting that some psychedelics are already on their way to liberalization, [Member of Parliament] Paul Manly pointed to other North American jurisdictions that have decriminalized. Denver, Colorado, became the first U.S. city to decriminalize magic mushrooms [including decriminalizing home cultivation for personal, non-commodified use] following a narrow vote last May [2019].  Last year, Vancouver city Coun. Melissa…

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Science

Psychedelics [& entheogens/ethnobotanicals] may relieve chronic pain via changes in brain neuroplasticity

…studies have shown that over time, acute pain transforms into chronic pain via neuroplasticity. 5-HT2A receptor activation by psychedelics may lead to rewiring in the brain + reduced inflammation = reduced nociception (the perception of a painful or injurious stimulus). Original Article (Psychedelic Science):Psychedelics may relieve chronic pain via changes in brain neuroplasticityArtwork Fair Use: Borsook…

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Spirituality

[A] sacred-scientific, psychedelic future

Every human culture since prehistory has had experiences with mind-altering substances, which could be one of the earliest indicators of religious formation.  The Tassili n’Ajjer National Park in south-east Algeria is home to ancient rock art carvings (7,000 – 9,000 years old) that point to a lengthy, deep relationship between humans and psychedelic mushrooms. These…

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