Psychology

FDA science falls short in the case of kratom

The Botanicial Education Alliance had leading toxicologist William R. Sawyer, Ph.D., D-ABFM conduct a full toxicological review of 30 associated deaths when the DEA was attempting to schedule the plant. Dr. Sawyer found no deaths solely attributed to kratom in the TOXNET data network, and determined there was insufficient toxicological evidence to support Schedule I…

READ MORE
Psychology

With the rise of legal weed, drug education moves from ‘don’t’ to ‘delay’

Drug prevention education in schools has evolved significantly since the “Just Say No” days of the ’80s — and now typically takes an approach that’s more appropriate for the era of ubiquitous weed access. It’s one that emphasizes decision-making and critical thinking skills instead of abstinence. One approach is… an evidence-based course of study that…

READ MORE
Psychology

Magic mushroom treatment improves emotional face recognition in depressed patients

The study of 17 patients with treatment-resistant depression found that psilocybin treatment with psychological support was associated with better recognition of emotional faces. Patients who received the treatment were better able to categorizes faces expressing happiness, neutrality, sadness, anger, disgust, or fear. The study also included a control group of 16 participants who did not…

READ MORE
Psychology

How to change your mind

No doubt it’s difficult to make a case for psychedelic drugs without sounding like a kook. One of the defining qualities of a powerful trip is the sense that mere words can’t do justice to it. …[demonstrably] the neuroscience of the drugs and their evident ability to suppress activity in a brain system known as…

READ MORE
Psychology

Might LSD be good for you?

They have done much to shape the world we live in … Yet they are very hard to pin down. ‘Set and setting’ (i.e. circumstance and expectation) profoundly influence what happens when you take them, and their effects are highly subjective. They are an ouroboros of an observer’s paradox, worming their way between the territories of…

READ MORE
Psychology

Replacing alcohol with marijuana may prevent dementia

A separate study published earlier this year from the University of Colorado-Boulder found that alcohol is more of a detriment to brain health than marijuana. Researchers found that booze lowers the levels of grey and white matter tissue, while marijuana does not cause any long-term structural changes in the brain. The study concluded that pot…

READ MORE