Category Archives: Psychedelics

An upcoming webinar this month is aiming to demystify the complexities associated with the expanding clinical psychedelic industry.

On Wednesday, Xtalks announced that it would be hosting an upcoming online event entitled Psychedelic Research: Demystifying Complex Operations.

The educational webinar provider says the recent resurgence of interest in psychedelics inherently poses new challenges. Conducting responsible science and executing efficient clinical trials with previously researched psychoactive molecules in a modern-day regulatory environment are examples.

Read more:Field Trip facilitates beneficial psychedelic-assisted therapy for cancer patient

Read more:Filament administers psilocybin to 14 participants in Health Canada sanctioned clinical trial

For the upcoming free webinar on September 27, those in attendance will be educated by a panel of psychedelic operational experts from Xtalks partnerWorldwide Clinical Trials on properly navigating the challenging considerations required for undertaking clinical trials.

Xtalks says that attendees will also be taught how to select appropriate participants for clinical research, navigate current regulatory frameworks and acquire mandatory licenses.

For sponsors, investigators and regulators, psychedelics pose new clinical trial considerations. Dosing patients with these investigational products requires careful selection of both the clinical site, supportive therapists, efficacy raters and the patient themselves. Trust and support are paramount in this unique research partnership.

Xtalks specializes in providing informative webinars regarding medical devices, food and global life sciences. The organization says that it helps keep professionals updated on industry trends, regulations and developments.

Its partner for the upcoming webinar, Worldwide Clinical Trials, is a contract research organization (CRO) established in 1986 that specializes in neuroscience, oncology, general medicine and rare diseases.

We are clinicians, scientists, researchers, and tech wizards who facilitate the development of life-changing medicines.

Follow Mugglehead on Twitter

Like Mugglehead on Facebook

Go here to see the original:

Xtalks to host upcoming webinar on psychedelic know-how - Mugglehead

Take a trip to Psychedelics: The Experiential Exhibition,the first immersive art show in Canada to explore the past, present, and future of psychedelics.

Delving into societys complex and controversial relationship with psychedelics, the exhibition utilizes a unique audiovisual edutainment experience.

Set to open on September 30, the show will span three floors within Torontos Lithuanian House. It will feature a 12,000-square-foot collection of curated artifacts and original installations by more than 22 artists.

Were seeing significant change in the way psychedelic substances are used and perceived, said James Drayton, producer of Psychedelics: The Experiential Exhibition.

My goal with the show is to, first and foremost, provide guests with an entertaining and eye-opening experience. My hope is that it also encourages learning, dialogue, and ultimately, destigmatization.

Bioworkz

Visitors will be guided through a series of curated spaces, each devoted to a different psychedelic substance and its historical or traditional uses.

Discover the psychoactive brew consumed in the Eleusinian Mysteries of Ancient Greece, and open your mind to the role of ayahuasca in Indigenous religious ceremonies in South America.

Take a trip through the Acid Tests and experimentation of the psychedelic 60s and explore LSDs current role as a promising therapy for intractable mental health conditions.

Highlights of the exhibition include an immersive peyote installation with massive hypnotic murals by Clandestinos, and a fantastical video triptych by Alex McLeod, which will be projected into a space exploring the history and renewed popularity of psilocybin.

The show will also feature a recreation of a 1960s Bay Area Acid Test, with mesmerizing liquid light visuals by Brotherhood of Light and Liquid Light Lab, former collaborators of the Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead.

The grand finale will be a fully immersive audiovisual installation by director and designer GMUNK.

Psychedelics: The Experiential Exhibition

Visitors are guided through a nine-minute ayahuasca ceremony thats channeled via a shamanic totem. Featuring lights, sounds, lasers, and projection mapping of a fully activated light sculpture, producers note its best experienced rather than described.

Until recently, the lively culture of psychedelic research and experimentation was forced underground, a release for the show reads.

Psychedelics: The Experiential Exhibition celebrates its recent renaissance while contemplating its future potential. Prepare to have your mind expanded.

When:Wednesdays through Sundays from September 30 to October 30

Where:Lithuanian House, 1573 Bloor Street West

Tickets: Available online | Starting at $30

Go here to see the original:

An immersive psychedelic exhibition is opening in Toronto this month | Listed - Daily Hive

Journalist Michael Pollan is the author of How to Change Your Mind. This is a fascinating book on the history of psychedelic drugs. The book follows the rise, fall and recent return of psychedelic research while examining the changing of their public and professional perception.

Recently, Netflix has also released a documentary series based on Pollans book that includes testimonials from people who have actually undergone the monitored experiment and talk about the various psychedelic benefits, that have changed their lives for the better.

If you were to take a walk down the streets, wouldnt you like to see more happy faces around you? People being calm, minding their own business, no frowns, no one having a panic attack right next to you in the bus Wouldnt that be nice? Most of you would say Of course, but that would happen in an ideal world and we dont live in one.

Some psychiatrists, neuro psychiatrists and psychologists, have studied the effects of psychedelics and their benefits when administered in a controlled environment, strictly for medical purposes. Although most psychedelics remain illegal under federal law, the FDA is weighing potential therapeutic uses for substances like psilocybin, LSD and MDMA (which is also known as Ecstasy).

To give you a broad kind of definition, the term psychedelic comes from the Greek psyche and delos so its translated to mind-manifesting. But not all psychedelics have the same action mechanism.

What if we could change our mindset and see these substances for the benefits that they can have on certain mental disorders? What if mental problems such as PTSD, alcoholism and depression could be cured by substances such as mescaline, psilocybin, MDMA or even LSD?

Lets find out more about these four substances and how they can be used in our advantage.

Probably many of you have heard scary things about LSD use. But the truth is that this is one of the least dangerous or addictive psychoactive drugs. However, this doesnt mean there is no risk in using it for personal entertainment. In fact, all the drugs in this list may have potential benefits but ONLY under monitored sessions where professionals can guide you and administer you the right dose.

More than 60 years ago, Albert Hofmann has first synthesized LSD from a fungus called ergot. LSD was first created with the intention to cure women with postnatal depression

Between 1950-1965, thousands of scientific articles about psychedelics were released, explaining their benefits from a medical point of view. However, like any other drug, LSD got into the hands of the wrong people and was distributed at parties, music festivals, and the results were catastrophic. Needless to say that the drug was soon banned from the market as it was considered an illicit drug.

Although professors from prestigious Universities tried to explain that microdoses of LSD can seriously alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and can help with problem solving issues, the drug has still remained illicit.

However, in the early 2000s, research slowly began to pick back up.

How astounding is that a substance called Psilocybin, found in a little mushroom can ameliorate the suffering of those who have cancer. Psilocybin can have a positive impact on their emotional and psychological distress which takes away from their quality of life.

A research was conducted on participants brains to actually see what happens at a neuro level after ingesting small doses of Psilocybin. Researchers have discovered that psychedelics work on the Default Mode Network the part houses the self and the assumptions about the self, the stories we tell ourselves

There are two kinds of science. The one that wants to look at only what can easily be measured and ignore everything else. And then theres the true science that proves the very frontiers of human knowledge, and that is where psychedelic research is right now.

Another small study on the therapeutic effects of using psychedelics to treat alcoholism found that just two doses of psilocybin magic mushrooms combined with psychotherapy led to an 83% decline in heavy drinking among the participants. After eight months, nearly half of those who received psilocybin had stopped drinking entirely.

The study published in JAMA Psychiatry has also talked about the benefits ofPsilocybin on a range of mental health problems, from depression, anxiety, PTSD and OCD.

MDMA (aka Ecstasy) is a synthetic drug that was first developed in 1912 and it was intended to control bleeding in hospital patients. Later, researchers have found that the drug also helped in enhancing communication in patient sessions and allowed them to achieve insights about their problems.

MDMA causes a flood of serotonin and oxytocin and that creates a feeling of openness, of loving connection to others. These feelings help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Research also shows that in controlled doses paired with therapy, MDMA has positive effects on PTSD and on victims that were sexually abused.

Mescaline is a chemical substance that develops in two types of cactuses.It is said that it treats anxiety, depression and certain addictions such as alcoholism.

Mescaline was first used in the traditional ceremonies of Indigenous American cultures. The Natives have known of the plants hallucinatory and medicinal properties for thousands of years, and peyote still holds a sacred place in their culture. In fact, over 40 tribes in North America and Western Canada still use it in their sacred ceremonies.

Mescaline and peyote are now banned under United States drug laws, but such ceremonial use is exempted.

Mental health care is in crisis. We have rising rates of depression, suicide, anxiety, eating disorders, addictions, PTSD and OCD.

The studies comprised in Michael Pollans book How to Change Your Mind, suggest that psychedelics may have huge benefits on mental health if used properly and only under medical supervision.

As odd as it seems some of them can be effective for multiple forms of addiction, which is great news for those battling substance abuse.

However, keep in mind that this article is designed to inform. We do not provide medical advice. You should always consult a professional or a doctor before starting any type of treatment.

See original here:

Netflixs How to Change Your Mind Says Drugs Are the Answer Are They Right? - Goalcast

The 2022 NFL season is set to begin on Thursday night with the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams hosting this years odds-on-favorite, the Buffalo Bills.

One thing that doesnt seem to change is Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers saying something wild and outlandish. The back-to-back NFL MVP has been at the center of controversy concerning his unvaccinated status, retirement threats and now his using psychedelics as a way of life.

During a recent interview on his good buddy Pat McAfees popular show, Rodgers made it known that his use of ayahuasca has given him a newfound love for life and the game of football.

Ive been enjoying football since I did ayahuasca. So the last few years have been great.

McAfee then wanted to know more.

Then well talk about ayahuasca, because Ive got a lot of questions. Your love of football though, since ayahuasca, why? New mindset, new vision on things, new look at things? Well, how come?

Rodgers quickly responded:

Yeah, mental health, bro. It starts out self-love, and when you increase that, then youre able to pass that on more easily. And listen, the locker room is where the chemistry takes place. Theres a lot of great things that happen on the practice field, and obviously in the game, and outside the facility is fun, and dinners and different things. But the locker room, thats the core of the connection.

Sounds like Rodgers is really comfortable where he is in life, both on and off the gridiron. He was just singing a different tune a few weeks ago as he complained about his receivers needing to step up and play better.

Rodgers Credits Back-To-Back MVPs From Ayahuasca Use

In early August Rodgers appeared on the Aubrey Marcus Podcast and said he believes its no coincidence that his back-to-back MVP seasons came after he began taking the plant-based psychedelic. He mentioned how his mental health improved and how it played a huge role in his changed mindset.

I dont think its a coincidence. I really dont. I dont really believe in coincidences at this point. Its the universe bringing things to happen when theyre supposed to happen.

Theres signs and synchronicities all around us at all times of were awake enough to see them and to take them in and listen to our intuition when its speaking to us or pounding us in the head saying, Hey, dummy, this is what youre supposed to be doing.

Rodgers proceeded to tell Marcus the decision to take ayahuasca stemmed from his previously delving into psychedelics. Hed go on to say one of the best days of life involved him consuming shrooms on the beach. He said he felt himself merge with the ocean following consumption.

Rodgers Looks For Third Consecutive MVP: But Without Top Target Davante Adams

Over the past two seasons, Rodgers passed for 8,414 yards, 85 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. But hell need to replace the 2,926 yards and 29 touchdowns that Davante Adams took with him to Las Vegas in the March blockbuster trade. While that will be nearly impossible, Rodgers will be forced to lean heavily on his running game and strong defense and maybe some psychedelics

Read More TSL Stories:

Cam Newtons Ex Takes Him To Court, Claims He Reneged On Deal To Pay $20K In Utilities | Them Bills Hits Different When NFL Checks Dry Up The Shadow League

Its Officially Savage Season | Tyreek Hill Becomes Second NFL Player To Slide In Jake Pauls Girlfriends DMs The Shadow League

Follow this link:

Yeah, Mental Health, Bro, It Starts With Self-Love | Aaron Rodgers Says His Use Of Psychedelics Has Increased His Passion For Life And The Game Of...

World Biz Magazine's Top 100 CEOs in Innovation list recognizes individuals who exhibit exceptional leadership and vision while making invaluable contributions to their industries.

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -Delic Holdings Corp ("Delic" or the "Company") (CSE: DELC) (OTCQB: DELCF) (FRA: 6X0), a leader in new medicines and treatments for a modern world, today celebrated Matt Stang, recently named Executive Chairman of Delic Corp, as one of World Biz Magazine's Top 100 CEOs in Innovation in 2022. Stang has been recognized as a champion of creativity who is committed to making a positive environmental and social impact through his work.

Matt Stang, CEO & Co-founder, Delic Corp (CNW Group/Delic Holdings Inc.)

Stang co-founded and grew Delic Corp into the nation's largest ketamine therapy provider. Under his leadership, the Company acquired Ketamine Wellness Centers (KWC), generated more than USD$1.5MM in total revenue in 2021 and more than quadrupled its net assets. Stang's ability to elevate the Company's ability to offer premium quality treatments to patients allowed him to transition from CEO to executive chairman in August 2022. In this position, Stang will continue to lead the Company in its mission to revolutionize healthcare.

"It is an honor to be recognized by World Biz Magazine as one of the foremost innovators in healthcare today. With the help of my talented team at Delic Corp, we continue to make safe, affordable treatments more accessible to patients across the country," Stang commented. "I firmly believe that our company's work is bettering the lives of people and communities every day. I am proud to be a part of this team and am truly excited to see what the future holds."

To learn more about Matt Stang's inclusion on World Biz Magazine's Top 100 CEOs in Innovation list, please visit http://www.worldbizmagazine.net.

About Delic Corp

Delicis a leader in new medicines and treatments for a modern world, improving access to health benefits across the country and reframing the conversation on psychedelics. The company owns and operates an umbrella of related businesses, including the largest chain of psychedelic wellness clinics in the country, Ketamine Wellness Centers; the only licensed entity by Health Canada to focus exclusively on research and development of psilocybin vaporization technology,Delic Labs; the premier psychedelic wellness event, Meet Delic; and trusted media and e-commerce platforms Reality SandwichandDelic Radio. Delic is backed by a team of industry and cannabis veterans and a diverse network, whose mission is to provide education, research, high-quality products, and better access to effective and affordable treatment options.

Story continues

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of Delic's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein may include, but are not limited to: information regarding the timing or terms upon which the Transaction will be completed; potential benefits of the Transaction; anticipated continued growth in the health and wellness sector (and, in particular, related to psychedelics); the ability of Delic to successfully achieve business objectives, and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors.

By identifying such information and statements in this manner, Delic is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Delic to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: risks and uncertainties relating to the Transaction not closing as planned or at all or on terms and conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement; incorrect assessment of the value and potential benefits of the Transaction; direct and indirect material adverse effects from the COVID-19 pandemic; inability to obtain future financing on suitable terms; failure to obtain required regulatory and other approvals; risks inherent in the psychedelic treatment sector; changes in applicable laws and regulations; and failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

In addition, in connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, Delic has made certain assumptions. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: assumptions as to the time required to negotiate a definite agreement and complete matters related to the Transaction; the ability to consummate the Transaction; the ability of the parties to obtain, in a timely manner, the requisite regulatory, corporate and other third party approvals and the satisfaction of other conditions to the consummation of the Transaction on the proposed terms; the potential impact of the announcement or consummation of the Transaction on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; compliance with extensive government regulation; and the diversion of management time on the Transaction.

Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.

Although Delic believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Delic does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to Delic or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice.

Delic Logo (CNW Group/Delic Holdings Inc.)

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/delic-executive-chairman-matt-stang-named-to-world-biz-magazines-top-100-ceos-in-innovation-301619157.html

SOURCE Delic Holdings Inc.

Link:

Delic Executive Chairman Matt Stang Named to World Biz Magazine's Top 100 CEOs in Innovation - Yahoo Finance

A recent study disclosed how younger generations are experimenting with cannabis and hallucinogenic use at the highest levels according to data from previous years.

In a recent piece by NPR (1), it was reported that younger generations are experimenting with cannabis and hallucinogenic use more than ever before. In a study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), participants between the ages of 19 to 30 reported using one or the other, which showed cannabis and hallucinogens at their highest rates since 1988 (2).

"Young adults are in a critical life stage and honing their ability to make informed choices," said Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a NIH subsidiary (2). "Understanding how substance use can impact the formative choices in young adulthood is critical to help position the new generations for success.

According to reports, the most recent data was collected from AprilOctober 2021, as outlined in more detail below.

Cannabis

Young adult users reported in 2021 that they used cannabis in the past month (29%), daily use (11%), or in the past year (43%), which were the uppermost levels ever to be recorded. The study defined daily use to be 20 or more times within 30 days, and this data was up from 8% in 2016. Cannabis vape users who had vaped in the past month reached pre-pandemic levels. In 2017, vaping was reported at 6% which then doubled to 12% in 2021.

Hallucinogens

Over the past few decades, hallucinogenic use for youths had been somewhat consistent. During the pandemic in 2020, those rates began to rise. In 2021, 8% of young adults reported having taken a hallucinogen in the past year. This was the largest spike seen since the survey was created in 1988.

The hallucinogens users reported were lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, peyote, mushrooms (shrooms), phencyclidine (PCP), and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) which is also known as ecstasy or molly. MDMA use was the only hallucinogen to decrease, from 5% in 2020 to 3% in 2021.

Additional Substances

The most popular of substances mentioned in the survey was alcohol. Over the past decade, daily drinking rates have decreased. Binge drinking though (NIH describes binge drinking as consuming five or more drinks in a row in the past 2 weeks) is seeing levels rise despite reaching a historic low in 2020, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (2).

Another form of alcohol use is high-intensity drinking, which the NIH defines as having 10 or more drinks in a row within the past two weeks, has been steadily increasing over the last 10 years. In 2021, high-intensity drinking was at its highest level since 2005.

Although the dangers of vaping are becoming more well-known, nicotine vapes are still gaining popularity with todays youth. It was first measured in 2017 at 6% but has tripled in 2021 to 16%. Interestingly, opioids and nicotine cigarettes have been declining over the last decade (1,3).

Conclusion

Despite concerns, there is valid research going on for the benefits of using these substances, particularly related to mental health concerns brought on by the pandemic. There are many questions still to be addressed, making it clear that more research is needed. Please read our supplemental digital issue on psychedelics to learn more about some of the research efforts taking place: https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/journals/cannabis-science-and-technology/psychedelics-new-frontiers-in-alternative-medicine

If youd like to learn more about this study, please visit: https://www.npr.org/2022/08/24/1119191104/marijuana-hallucinogens-use-young-adults

References

Go here to see the original:

Cannabis and Hallucinogens Are Being Consumed at the Highest Rates on Record by Today's Young Adults - Cannabis Science and Technology

Since 500 BC, humans have been using psychedelics to explore the connection between nature and the divine, to deepen the connection with their community and as a celebration of the natural world.

In the late 1950s, scientists began conducting research on psychedelics for therapeutic use. By the 1960s, it was a burgeoning area of study with significant university-level research showing that psilocybin could address a range of mental health issues with minimal risk and complication, according to the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panels 2021 comprehensive report.

And by 1970, research on over 40,000 patients in clinical studies demonstrated that psilocybin is effective in treating psychosocial distress, anxiety and depression, improving quality of life, changing pain perception, improving plasma markers of stress and immune system functioning, reducing anxiety and fear of death in terminally-ill populations, and more. There are also studies showing non-clinical benefits such as openness, feeling connected to nature and spirituality, according to the Mushroom Panel report.

Just as psilocybin was gaining recognition as a valuable tool for addressing mental health issues in the late 60s, President Richard Nixon passed the Controlled Substances Act in 1970, bringing research to a grinding halt for decades.

In 2006, Roland Griffiths, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University, published the first modern psilocybin research, ending a nearly 40-year-long drought of research on the subject. In recent years, the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research, New York University Langone Health and other institutions have poured more resources into conducting extensive research on the effects of psychedelics.

Though some people have expressed concerns about the safety of hallucinogenic research with drugs such as psilocybin, hallucinogens are not physically toxic and are virtually non-addictive, according to research from Johns Hopkins University.

Currently, federal laws still prohibit scientific research on the social and therapeutic effects of psilocybin.

In May 2019, Denver became the first city in the United States to decriminalize psilocybin, passing Initiative 301 with 50.64% of the vote. Since then, several other municipalities and the state of Oregon have followed suit.

The Denver Psilocybin Initiative decriminalized personal use and possession of psilocybin mushrooms by prohibiting the city from spending resources to impose criminal penalties for anyone over the age of 21. The initiative also created the Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel to assess and report on the effects of the ordinance.

The 2021 report from the panel reviewed data pertaining to the decriminalization of psilocybin to present to Denver City Council.

According to the report, arrests related to psilocybin decreased by more than half since the passage of the initiative, with most of the arrests involving other illicit substances.

According to observational studies done by Unlimited Science in collaboration with Johns Hopkins, the primary reasons for Coloradans consuming psilocybin were for self exploration or mental health purposes. The observational study also found significant improvements in anxiety and depression among users who responded to the survey.

After reviewing data from the 17-month period between the passing of Initiative 301 and the release of the report, the mushroom panel recommended that the Denver City Council implement harm reduction training for first responders. They also recommended that the city produce educational public service announcements and programs, create a data collection system for public safety monitoring, make sharing and communal use of psilocybin a low priority and look into how psychedelic therapy can be used to address mental health issues.

The Right to Heal, Aspen initiative, headed by Martha Hammel, aims to bring the progress being made in Denver and across the nation to the city of Aspen. The initiatives goal is to ensure that Aspen residents have safe access to plant medicines for healing purposes.

Theres so much positive evidence about the efficacy of plant medicines, Hammel said. We want to increase accessibility for Aspenites to use them.

It would do so by preventing any resources from being spent on enforcement for adults over the age of 21 using plant medicines (excluding peyote due to its endangered status and the fact that it is already legal for ceremonial purposes) for therapeutic purposes, effectively decriminalizing plant medicines, and by creating an advisory board to develop educational strategies.

Hammel was inspired to start the initiative by her own experience with psychedelics, which helped her at a time when she was dealing with personal trauma.

Mushrooms saved my life. I feel a calling to give back, Hammel said. Psychedelics have given me the tools to be resilient when anything comes my way. I am more capable of dealing with adversity after doing psychedelics.

The combination of her personal positive experiences with psychedelics and the multitude of research on plant medicines has led Hammel to believe that they can have a positive impact on Aspen residents when used properly.

Safe access includes an emphasis on education, as well as being able to ask for help with the assurance that one will not be arrested. The latter goal would require that the city of Aspen decriminalize plant medicines.

Were shining light on it so people can do these things safely, Hammel said. Safety includes not getting arrested.

Since arrests for psychedelics are not a major concern for Aspenites there has only been one arrest in the past five years, according to City Council member Ward Hauenstein the initiative will devote the majority of its efforts to the education aspect.

To do so, the initiative proposes creating an advisory board to advise the city on how to facilitate education about the drugs and conduct first responder training. The group does not have the authority to make any direct changes to the city of Aspens legislation, since it is a citizen-led ballot initiative.

Hammel likens the education aspect for psychedelics to that of outdoor adventures such as kayaking or backcountry skiing.

We have that culture here of people respecting the mountains, respecting the rivers, getting the mentorship before venturing out into the wilderness, Hammel said. Were trying to create that same culture.

Similar to avalanche and river safety workshops, Hammel envisions a psychedelic citizens safety training led by members of the community who have expertise in how to conduct a safe and effective psychedelic experience.

Under city of Aspen law, plant medicines including psilocybin mushrooms have never been illegal, according to city of Aspen attorney Jim True. Yhe prohibition is specified by federal and state laws. The initiative put forth by Right to Heal would address enforcement rather than decriminalization.

Currently, Right to Heal is in the signature-gathering phase of the initiative. In order to land the initiative on the ballot, 925 valid signatures of support from registered city of Aspen voters must be collected.

In reality, that requires collecting around 1,500 signatures, according to Hammel, since many of them will likely be thrown out. Reasons for discarding signatures include a signature from someone who is not a registered voter in the city of Aspen, an invalid address or a signature that does not match voter registration records.

The 180-day window to collect signatures began when the city of Aspen approved the petition for the initiative on April 11, making the deadline for collecting signatures Oct. 8.

Hammel expressed confidence that the initiative would be able to obtain the required number of signatures by the Oct. 8 deadline. Although it is too late to submit the petition for inclusion on the Nov. 8 ballot, the initiative may appear either on the March 7 ballot for the citys General Election or trigger a special election, depending on when the petition is submitted.

Aspen City Council could decide at any time to pass the ordinance without a ballot initiative, although they have not taken any measures to do so.

These steps can, and in my view, should still be taken locally to increase the upside of psychedelic healing which is profound, and limit the risks, especially for younger people, council member Skippy Mesirow wrote in an email. These guideposts can be adopted by a majority of City Council at anytime, which I would support.

However, Hauenstein disagreed, saying that a decriminalization effort is not needed if law enforcement is not currently pursuing prosecution. Although he supports the use of plant-based therapy in a clinical setting, he believes protocols should be thoroughly investigated and developed before decriminalization takes place.

I thought that the protocol should be in place before we decrim it, Hauenstein said. What their proposed ordinance was is that it would be decriminalized and then they would establish a working group and protocols and I just thought that those protocols should (already) be in place.

Aspen may be neglecting a powerful tool available for battling mental health issues: plant medicines.

As the nation reckons with restrictive legislation left over from the War on Drugs, significant progress is being made on the psychedelics front. The legalization of psychedelics in certain parts of the state and country has enabled research regarding the use of the drugs for therapeutic purposes.

Since modern psychedelic research has resumed, many studies have shown the ability of psychedelics to mitigate mental health issues ranging from substance abuse disorder to depression.

The crisis is so bad that prohibiting options for people to heal is reprehensible, Hammel said. The evidence is pretty clear that plant medicines when used safely and in ceremony and with respect to the medicine with set, setting and a sitter can be transformational in really positive ways.

Psilocybin can promote neurogenesis the growth and repair of brain cells in the hippocampus, according to a 2013 University of South Florida study. Research on the effects of psilocybin shows that it may be effective at treating patients with PTSD, major depressive disorder and addiction.

If you take a psychedelic and drop in and meet god, there might be something where it reprograms your nervous system in order to expect to see wonder and beauty and awe in all things, and that is powerful, Hammel said.

Although mushrooms are certainly not the only solution to mental health issues and plant medicines are not for everyone, Hammel said her experience equipped her with the ability to cope with the complexities of life.

I now look at things like grief as a psychedelic experience, where you have to just be OK with complex emotions and complex situations, Hammel said. It allows you to be more OK with complexity, and we live in a culture that doesnt, in my experience, train us to be present in the face of complexity, complex emotions. Psychedelics have prepared me better to just sit in complex emotions. The best way to get through them is just being and allowing yourself to fully experience the pain and the joy and the discomfort and the pleasure that happens simultaneously.

Aspen Hope Center Executive Director Michelle Muething believes that although psychedelics do have the potential to help treat mental health issues, there is too much that remains unknown. More research should be done before decriminalization happens on a local or state level, she said.

We just have to remember if were going to treat this as an alternative form of treatment for those with a mental illness, if we want to equate mental illness to physical illness and mental wellness to physical wellness, it should be treated in the same manner and done through a physicians office, done through a controlled environment, not in a boutique, Muething said.

In the same way that licensed physicians must go through a rigorous training process and are held to high standards for their practice, administrators of psychedelics should go through a similar process, according to Muething.

She is concerned that decriminalizing psychedelics would open the door to carelessness since there are no Food and Drug Association regulations and no mandates regarding who can administer the drugs.

We do know it is useful with screening, finding the appropriate people to be part of the treatment, doing therapy, following them after their treatments and making sure that theyre cared for in a controlled environment, Muething said. My biggest fear is that all of that will go away instantly.

With the legalization of marijuana, Muething said children started using at much higher rates. She worries that the same would happen with the decriminalization of psychedelics.

Were a town that screams we have addiction issues, Muething said. Every time we turn around, people are talking about the substance use issue in Pitkin County. It would behoove us to hold on, in my opinion, to those cries and screams and complaints and let a little bit more research be done.

Muething suggested that for people with serious, long-term mental health issues who feel strongly that they could be helped by psychedelics, they can enroll in a clinical trial without the need for decriminalization.

On a statewide level, Initiative 58 will be on the ballot in November with a similar goal to the Right to Heal initiative. The measure would create a new licensing pathway for treatment centers where people can consume plant medicines with a licensed practitioner and would prevent municipalities from prohibiting healing centers.

The measure would also create a framework for regulating the growth, distribution and sale of plant medicines and create an advisory board to work with legislators on rules related to the regulated access program.

While Initiative 58 would set up a regulated market for plant medicines, the Right to Heal initiative is only focused on decriminalization and community education.

The Fireside Project provides a psychedelic peer support line staffed by trained volunteers offering active listening, support during psychedelic experiences, integration and support by text message. It can be accessed by calling or texting 62-FIRESIDE.

View original post here:

Aspen considers the value of psychedelics for mental wellness - The Aspen Times

Enter a room and notice the scent of wood. Palo santo, a unique bark that stems from the tropical forest of Ecuador, burns brightly. A statue of a dark-skinned African woman sits in the center, sea shells dangling from her body. A facilitator begins the psychedelic mushroom ceremony with music and prayer.

Amanda De Luz, a vice-president of operations at an automotive company by day, is wearing a white shawl and loose-fitting dress. Shes here at a healing center in the heart of Los Angeles with about 10 other Black mothers and women of color, who regularly gather together to take psilocybin mushrooms.

While it may seem unconventional, the mothers believe taking mushrooms has helped them become better parents, deal with stress and anxiety and heal from racial trauma.

I think Black people need psychedelics. Being a Black person, Ive realized a lot of the traumas I have are intergenerational, said Destiny Rok, a 27-year-old stay-at-home mom. This community is really important because these are women who are not afraid to push the boundaries that have been set in place by non-Black people.

The group originally connected through the Instagram account The Ancestor Project, a Bipoc-run account that encourages holistic healing, and met in person at the California Psychedelic Conference in May. The community began with 15 and has grown to nearly 45 members, and their first ceremony took place in late June this year.

Rok was introduced to the community at the conference. The following month, the women participated in a 24-hour ceremony at a healing center in Los Angeles. Participants brought journals, crystals, feathers, family photos, and flowers. The ceremony took place in one large room, but separate rooms with mats and pillows were available. The ceremony began with prayer and intention setting. Most ceremonies last over six hours and end with a plant-based meal. After participants sleep, breakfast is offered in the morning, and the ceremony is closed with prayer and any final thoughts.

Rok said she had been taking psychedelic mushrooms for 10 years. The mother of four described how her own mom had been short tempered and impatient. Rok said her mother had given up on her easily and yelled at her frequently. She had started to behave similarly when her first child arrived. Mushrooms had become her saving grace after her second child was born, but not everyone was supportive of her microdosing.

In some Black communities, using mushrooms and other psychedelics can be frowned upon, experts say. But this group of mothers sees themselves as bucking a trend.

Drugs have been racialized in the US since the early 20th century. Cocaine was an over-the-counter medicine for 50 or 60 years then it became racialized when Black people started using it, said Dr Jason Ruiz, an American studies associate professor and department chair at the University of Notre Dame. When white people use drugs, those media forms tend to frame white people as the victims of the drug rather than the perpetrators of the drug. Black and brown people get framed as the villains in how we narrate the war on drugs.

Sunumi Jackson, an entheogen educator, wants to change the thinking: Mushrooms have no race, she said.

Jackson, 25, is a member of Village of Mothers, an organization dedicated to birth education. On a typical day, she said, she consumes .1 to .2 grams of mushrooms. She primarily uses mushrooms to decrease symptoms of depression. Jackson believes that microdosing should be used to address intergenerational trauma.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found that 5.3 million African Americans above the age of 18 had a mental illness in 2020.

Were experiencing this differently than a white woman would because we have a different set of traumas, Jackson said. The war on drugs caused the Black community to have a fear towards substances. Because of that fear, we have avoided potential things that could help us, like mushrooms.

Like many women in the Los Angeles-based microdosing community, Mikaela De la myco, 27, initially thought that mushrooms were for white hippies. The mother of a two-and-a-half-year-old first tried mushrooms when a roommate offered some to her in college. She ate 2 grams and knew she had discovered a new way of living.

De la myco started regularly microdosing mushrooms seven years ago. Her first mushroom trip inspired her to look into the positive effects of using mushrooms. De la myco is not on a strict microdosing regimen, and usually participates during celebrations and gatherings with other parents. The more time she spent with what she calls the mushroom, the less shame she felt for microdosing as a Black mother. De la myco believes taking mushrooms has helped her connect with her roots.

Allow Instagram content?

This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'.

Having a relationship with mushrooms contributes to Black joy, she said. It breaks chains of systemic trauma. There is happiness to be found when you know who you are. Especially with Black people who have been so divorced from where we are from.

Psilocybin, the psychoactive chemical found in psychedelic mushrooms, has been found to produce feelings of euphoria and serenity. For example, last year a study in the New England Journal of Medicine compared the effects of escitalopram (Lexapro) to those of psychedelic mushrooms. Although escitalopram is an antidepressant with no psychedelic properties, the trial did not show a major difference between psilocybin and escitalopram in terms of antidepressant effects.

Studies have shown that microdosing can contribute to better overall mental health and help people struggling with alcohol. In 2020, an international survey in the Journal of Psychopharmacology found that 79% of participants felt improvements in their mental health after microdosing.

According to a study in Frontiers of Epidemiology on racial trends in hallucinogen consumption, African Americans are less likely to use psychedelics compared with other racial groups. Many African Americans fear western medicine due to the history of experimentation on Black people.

African Americans are a part of the patient population in mental health that have concerns about being experimented on, said Thomas Hughes, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and founder of the Cube mental health services. People still have this concern that they are being studied. The American government pumped a lot of drugs into communities and used the money to fund a war. Having knowledge of our government doing things like that is not something a group of people forgets. He believes trauma from instances like the Tuskegee experiment has passed down from generation to generation.

Despite the fact that mushrooms are being used to decrease symptoms of depression, its easy to forget that there are risks that come with consuming psychedelic mushrooms.

Experimenting with psychedelics poses major risks including hallucinogen persisting perception disorder, in which an individual has prolonged visual hallucinations after previous psychedelic use. Psychedelic use can also cause panic attacks, increased anxiety and nausea.

Despite the risks, these mothers hope to use mushrooms to combat deep-seated trauma.

I think its really important that Black mothers do this healing work because they can find liberation, and a freedom that is not allowed to us in our day-to-day lives. It gives Black women their power back. It reminded me that Im allowed to be seen and heard, said De Luz.

Jackson expressed similar sentiments.

When we make one change in the direction to heal ourselves, we can shift the direction that our legacy is going in, she said.

See original here:

The Black mothers finding freedom in mushrooms: They give us our power back - The Guardian

Measure 109 is Oregons 2020 statewide ballot that provides the framework for the rollout of psilocybin services. While they are set to commence in January 2023, the measure also gives counties the possibility to opt-out of the initiative.

The measure had the initial support of 56% of total state voters. Cities and counties had until Aug. 19 to back out of the psilocybin services act by voting on a straight-out local ban or a two-year moratorium.

Despite statewide support ciphers, several counties over the last couple of months have decided to place that option for their voters to decide in Novembers general ballot.

Since then, a considerable number of localities have recently taken that step as well. Now, it is up to Oregonians in 57 cities and 26 counties to decide if they will allow psilocybin treatment centers in their areas, as the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported.

Meanwhile, at least 27 cities said yes to psilocybin therapy. That list includes 17 of Oregons most populous cities.

Among those supporting the implementation of measure 109 are psilocybin advocates and companies. The medical centers set to offer this psychedelic therapy will be regulated by the Oregon Health Authority, and will be able to apply as of Jan. 2, 2023.

Sam Chapman, the executive director of nonprofit Healing Advocacy Fund, believes more than two million people might seek psilocybin therapy if the bill gets implemented statewide.

Oregon will become a destination of sorts for people who dont want to leave the country for this treatment, which is currently the only option, he said.

The counties voting on banning or postponing psilocybin treatment and production in November are: Clackamas, Deschutes, Jackson, Marion, Linn, Coos, Malheur, Morrow, Baker, Douglas, Grant, Clatsop, Crook, Gilliam, Harney, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler.

The cities voting for it are: Coos Bay, Pendleton, Roseburg, Winston, Seaside, Prineville, Newberg, Sandy, Nyssa, Vale, Jordan Valley, Philomath, Toledo, St. Helens, Lebanon, La Grande, Cove City, Keizer, McMinnville, Redmond, Newberg, Prineville, Pendleton, Roseburg, Sheridan, Stayton, Silverton, Scotts Mills, Falls City, Cornelius, Metolius, Madras, Culver, Coquille, North Bend, Lakeside, La Pine, Canyonville, Oakland, Glendale, Eagle Point, Dunes City, Junction City, Harrisburg, Millersburg, Tangent, City of Umatilla, Myrtle Creek, Drain, Reedsport, Cascade Locks, Cottage Grove, Brownsville, Lyons, Irrigon, and Boardman.

Photo courtesy of Geralt onPixabay.

Read more from the original source:

Oregon's Psychedelics Law Comes Down To Individuals: Which Counties Will Ban Them? - Benzinga

Psychedelic Water is paving the way for a more accessible psychedelic experience. The drink will not make you hallucinate but it does contain psychoactive substances like kava, damiana, and green tea extract that have mood-boosting benefits. Many individuals and organizations are working to educate the public and destigmatizepsychedelics. "We want to contribute to this normalization with a unique approach. We feel that having a psychedelic-branded product on the shelves of your local convenience store between cans of Red Bull and jugs of milk could have a significant impact on the public perception and normalization of psychedelics," saysGogia.

Psychedelic Water aims to be approachable to people who are interested in psychedelics, but maybe are hesitant or unfamiliar with them. The drink hassimilareffects of psychedelics but with FDA-compliant ingredients. "We want to act as an entry point for people into the wider world of these substances and their many benefits," shares Gogia. And the benefits are immense.Psychedelic Water helps boost your mood and promotes stress relief. "People have described themselves as feeling giggly, bubbly, serene, and content after trying our blend. Basically, it gets you feeling good and puts a smile on your face while keeping your head clear and your cognition intact."

See original here:

Psychedelic Water CEO Pankaj Gogia Talks About The Future Of Psychedelics - Exclusive - Health Digest