Science

The first functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study of psychedelics [was] published in 2012… 

[In December 2024]; a [new] synergistic, multi-level understanding of psychedelics; a novel, synergistic understanding of psychedelics arising from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of three hierarchical levels of analysis: (1) subjective experience (phenomenology), (2) neuroimaging and (3) molecular pharmacology. The Altered States of Consciousness (ASC) scale is one popular questionnaire that captures several of these subjective…

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Modern Culture

Psychedelics group wants to protect Portland… users of… plant- or mushroom-based psychedelics… from cops

Portland advocates for psychedelic drug use are hoping to put an initiative on the city’s 2026 ballot that would protect people who use what they call non-toxic and non-addictive plant- or mushroom-based psychedelic drugs from arrest. Under the proposed initiative, non-toxic and non-addictive psychedelics would be designated police officers’ “lowest priority for enforcement,” according to the initiative…

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Biography/Memoir

2 arrested, psilocybin mushroom cultivation site shut down

Officers seized approximately 10,000 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms in various stages of cultivation. Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies, Santa Rosa [CA] police detectives, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency officers served a search warrant… finding a large psilocybin mushroom cultivation operation inside the warehouses. Original Article (SF Gate):2 arrested, psilocybin mushroom cultivation site shut downArtwork Fair Use: Judgefloro

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Medicine/Healing

Healthcare workers back psychedelics but lack crucial knowledge, study finds

The research… from Johns Hopkins University, surveyed 879 healthcare providers, shedding light on current attitudes, knowledge levels, and concerns… The vast majority of respondents, 93%, endorsed the potential of psilocybin and 76% supported the promise of MDMA in clinical settings. However, self-reported knowledge did not align with objective assessments. While participants rated their understanding of psilocybin’s…

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Biography/Memoir

Ballot question 4 to legalize psychedelics…

If the measure passes, Massachusetts residents over 21 would be able to grow, possess, and use certain natural psychedelics – but the commercial sale of the substances would remain prohibited. Supporters – including the Washington, D.C.-based New Approach PAC and Massachusetts for Mental Health Options – have raised more than $6 million dollars in support…

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Science

Psychedelic mushrooms are getting much, much stronger

Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms, one of the species most commonly consumed, are among the most heavily inbred… Cultivators are using genetic sequencing and are hybridizing cultivars from ever more distant lineages to hunt for improvements, plus sheer aesthetic novelty. Technological advancements have allowed for fungal cells to more easily be manipulated during breeding, and developments in chromatographic…

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Psychology

Over 5 million Americans could benefit if psilocybin approved for depression

In the mid-range of estimates, anywhere from 56% to 62% of Americans currently being treated for depression could be eligible to try psilocybin. The number could even grow higher if people currently untreated for their depression decide they would like to try psilocybin, the investigators noted. Original Article (Newsweek):Over 5 million Americans could benefit if psilocybin…

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Politics

Olympia decriminalizes some psychedelic drugs like mushrooms

“To me, it’s about allowing people to seek healing using things that are available in the world,” City Councilmember Clark Gilman said. The Olympia City Council declared that entheogens/psilocybin-related investigations, arrests, and prosecutions will have the lowest level of priority from law enforcement, meaning some psychedelic drugs like mushrooms will be decriminalized within city limits.…

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Politics

…exploring intentional psychedelic use in the modern world

The rather abrupt legislative overhaul [of Oregon’s Measure 110] demonstrates the fragility of reform efforts that bypass comprehensive public discourse. For those advocating for psychedelic and broader drug reform, this moment could galvanize efforts to engage in more direct, transparent dialogues with policymakers, stakeholders and the public. …underscores the need for nuanced conversation around the…

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Psychology

Psilocybin… the human brain

Psilocybin was supplied by Usona Institute… (Open Science and Praxis Signatories) here we tracked individual-specific brain changes with longitudinal precision functional mapping (roughly 18 magnetic resonance imaging visits per participant). Healthy adults were tracked before, during and for 3 weeks after high-dose psilocybin (25 mg) and methylphenidate (40 mg), and brought back for an additional psilocybin dose 6–12 months…

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