Science

Leading scientists say salmonella outbreak tied to kratom may be side-effect of FDA crackdown & underscores need for regulation … not a ban

By imposing an effective ban on importing kratom (including seizures at ports), the FDA forced manufacturers to shift from high-quality sources of the herb to lesser suppliers, thus increasing the potential for issues such as salmonella, which had never previously been an issue with kratom in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)…

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Two ‘deadly’ samples found in pill-testing trial at Canberra music festival

Australia’s first pill-testing trial has been hailed as a “tremendous” success by the Australian Capital Territory’s chief health officer, police commissioner, paramedics and drug reform advocates … Two samples were “red-flagged” for their potential lethality … ‘We’ve just taken a big step towards taking back control of the dangerous black market in drugs in order…

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Could LSD be the newest treatment for depression?

According to a study at the University of Basel, lysergic acid diethylamide, or “LSD,” a psychedelic drug, could be used as a form of treatment for depression and other mood disorders … traditionally, most treatments for depression involve cognitive behavioral therapy or interpersonal therapy paired with medications that moderate levels of serotonin, like serotonin and…

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Mainstreaming psychedelics. Are we there yet?

The biomedical research model has been extraordinarily successful in re-introducing psychedelic drugs to the larger scientific community and popular culture. Moderate doses, strict attention to non-drug factors, and a modest relationship with the media all have contributed to this success. However, the biomedical research model has done less to mainstream the psychedelic experience. Rather, one…

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Changes in global and thalamic brain connectivity in LSD-induced… states of consciousness…

Despite its powerful effects on consciousness, human research on LSD neurobiology stalled in the late 1960s because of a narrow focus on the experiential effects of hallucinogenic drugs, combined with a lack of understanding of its effects on molecular signaling mechanisms in the brain.  However, renewed interest in the potentially beneficial clinical effects of psychedelics…

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Is concern around kratom ‘drug hysteria’?

The limited scientific data on the short-term effects of kratom in humans contrasts with the dire warnings of the DEA and FDA and indicates that no causal relationship has been established between kratom consumption and fatalities or psychosis.[6,7] Kratom is not a classical opioid; however, studies in rodents indicate that alkaloids in kratom bind to…

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Molecular biologist disproves FDA kratom attacks

The FDA has clearly intentionally mischaracterized kratom using these unverified reports as the basis to recommend the effective ban on consumer access to kratom by placing kratom in Schedule I of the CSA. -Jane Babin, Ph.D., Esq. University of San Diego School of Law, J.D. Purdue University, Ph.D., Molecular Biology The FDA recommendation for the…

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