Category Archives: Psychedelics

"We see a lot of people out there who are suffering, and we're determined to bring these therapies into the medical system, so psychiatrists can use them with their patients. That's what we're trying to do." Psychedelic drug therapy advocate

In Australia and overseas there's a push to make psychedelic drugs part of mainstream medicine for the treatment of trauma and other mental health conditions. Results from clinical trials are promising for PTSD sufferers where conventional treatments have failed.

"It shows that two in three people responded to the treatment. They didn't meet criteria for PTSD anymore. And those were people that were treatment resistant." Psychologist

On Monday Four Corners investigates the world of psychedelic drugs, including the underground supply which is being sourced by increasing numbers of people who don't want to wait for the clinical trials to be concluded.

"The level of demand is huge. A lot of people are self-medicating, especially the psilocybin mushrooms, whether micro-dosing or, to different degrees, macro-dosing." Psychedelic drug supplier

Reporter Elise Worthington also investigates the dark side of this form of therapy where disturbing cases of abuse and malpractice are emerging in both clinical trials and the underground.

"There's everything from people being dosed without their consent, to people being encouraged to sleep with practitioners in exchange for services, to people being pressured to participate in group contexts, and so-called rituals that they otherwise wouldn't have engaged in." Underground researcher

There's now pressure in the industry to downplay the negative stories by those who stand to profit from the business of psychedelics.

"There's a sense of, well, don't say anything bad about psychedelics because it'll harm the movement and we'll stop progressing . . And if that goes unchecked, then you could just have a situation where a lot of vulnerable people are being taken advantage of." Whistle-blower

Psyched Up, reported by Elise Worthington, goes to air on Monday 25th July at 8.30pm. It is replayed on Tuesday 26th July at 11.00pm and Wednesday 27th July at 10am. It can also be seen on ABC NEWS channel on Saturday at 8.10pm AEST, ABC iview and at abc.net.au/4corners.

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Psyched Up: The race to make psychedelic drugs part of mainstream medicine - ABC News

The guide stood before a small group in a dimly lit tepee.

Do you want to be entertained, or to go deep? he asked.

The answer came in giddy unison: Go deep!

Good, he said. That was a trick question.

The people got cozy on the pillow-strewn floor as the guide went to his keyboard. Gentle synthesizer music filled the tent. The ceremonial sound bath had begun.

Nearby, men and women in flowing white garb and fedoras sat around a fire, munching on mind-altering fungi. Others convened for a cannabis-puffing prayer session, during which helpers passed out joints and rang singing bowls.

These ethereal scenes took place at a gathering last month in the Cuyama Valley in California, where some 200 people convened for a weekend of tripping and glamping hosted by DoubleBlind, a new media outlet for the psychedelic set.

In addition to its biannual print magazine, which its founders say has a circulation of roughly 5,000, DoubleBlind is tapping into this market of therapeutic and spiritual seekerdom with a website and instructional videos bearing titles like Ego Death: What Is It? and Smoking Weed While Tripping.

There are also online courses that range in price from roughly $75 to $170, on topics including How to Use Psychedelics, How to Microdose and How to Grow Mushrooms. Class materials promise to teach you everything you need to know to get the most out of your journey with these powerful medicines.

The weekend event, called Mycologia, was DoubleBlinds first curated gala of this sort. The price was $450, which included meals and swag, and attendees could bring their own tents or pay more for deluxe lodging. The company promoted the sleep-away gathering with ads touting the chance to connect with fellow psychonauts at our first psychedelic festival!

DoubleBlind was started in 2019 by two journalists, Shelby Hartman, 32, and Madison Margolin, 31, who overlapped while getting their masters degrees in journalism from Columbia University.

Ms. Hartman, DoubleBlinds chief executive, has written for Vice and LA Weekly and worked as an editor at the cannabis website Herb. Ms. Margolin, the editorial director, has published in outlets such as Playboy, Tablet and The Village Voice. Both said they were shaped by hallucinogenic episodes before their journalism careers took off.

As a kid, I had such a hard time focusing, Ms. Hartman said. Ayahuasca actually reached into my brain and showed me.

I heard the ayahuasca say to me, This is what its like to focus, she added.

Ms. Margolin grew up in Los Angeles amid the first generation of hippies: her father, the criminal defense attorney Bruce Margolin, represented the LSD proponent Timothy Leary and was close with Ram Dass, the New Age guru formerly known as Richard Alpert. Ms. Hartman had a more conventional upbringing, in Orange County, Calif.

The idea to start the publication came to Ms. Hartman in 2018, after a period of bouncing between cities and backpacking overseas. She pitched the notion to her friend Ms. Margolin, who was receptive. The enterprise was financed primarily by Ms. Hartmans family (not trippers, but pleased to underwrite), with smaller donations from venture capitalists.

From the start Ms. Hartman and Ms. Margolin had in mind the kind of upscale magazine that might sit comfortably on a Silver Lake or Park Slope coffee table alongside Kinfolk and Dwell.

We wanted these meaty stories with a really high-end aesthetic, Ms. Margolin said.

A friend of Ms. Hartmans, the designer David Good, gave the publication a chic minimalistic look, with warm pastel tones and retro serif typefaces.

We said, No fractals allowed, Ms. Hartman said.

At the Los Angeles launch party in 2019, Ms. Hartman quieted the cheers with a mantra Ommmmm and said, DoubleBlind is one very small sliver of a massive movement thats spreading around the globe right now to wake up.

Its feature articles have some gravitas. In addition to a thoughtful remembrance of Ram Dass soon after his death, DoubleBlind has covered topics like sexual assault at music festivals and what drugs might be beneficially administered to those with brain damage.

Magazines also carry interactive portions, including guided meditations and soothing playlists for a trip, available via QR code. In the fourth issue, readers sent in their own psychedelic testimonies. Growing up an atheist, I now have an unshakable belief god is real, one read, and its everything.

The DoubleBlind merch section has some kitschy items, like vials of sacral balancing oil (sold out), but the brand ethos, by and large, is more do-good than Day-Glo. Service-style articles have the tone of an experienced, good-natured pal lending a hand: Being outside on acid is generally a delight; Do you think its time for mom to trip?; Dont talk to trippers like theyre children that can really send people into a negative place; and, more practically, Dont forget the sunscreen! Other stories have elucidated terms like microaggression and white fragility and instructed readers how to implement anti-racist practice as a form of psychedelic harm reduction.

DoubleBlind belongs to a California media tradition that goes back at least to the 1960s, when the artsy underground paper The Oracle of the City of San Francisco carried contributions by Mr. Leary; ads for early Grateful Dead shows; and helped organize the citys Human Be-In, in 1967, the event that sparked the Summer of Love.

In the 1980s and 90s, a similar spirit animated Mondo 2000 (tagline: will fry your circuits), which published cyberpunk tales and highlighted the work of the dolphin-whisperer John C. Lilly and Terence McKenna, the author known for his eclectic writing about magic mushrooms and prehistoric human evolution. In the 2010s, books like Michael Pollans How To Change Your Mind put forth a scientific, and sympathetic, take on mind-altering substances for the farmers-market crowd.

The use of psychedelic drugs is now teetering on the edge of respectability, with about one-third of American voters professing a belief in their curative effects. Psychedelic-focused pharmaceutical companies have grown in recent years, coinciding with successful decriminalization efforts in cities such as Oakland, Denver and Seattle. As the movement goes on, DoubleBlind is making a bid for the psychonaut mantle.

I could see that they really got it, said Mr. Pollan, who appeared in a DoubleBlind webinar last year. Theyre trying to invent and reinvent the culture of psychedelics for a different generation.

During a recent staff meeting on the patio behind Ms. Hartmans Echo Park apartment, the DoubleBlind team discussed the pleasures and pitfalls of psychedelic entrepreneurship.

We are part of a system that is inherently problematic, Ms. Hartman said.

Heads nodded in agreement.

She added, But weve got to do our best.

Someone lit a joint. After it had been passed around and smoked to a stub, the group stepped inside. Maxwell Josephson, a 33-year-old web designer, led a meditation session, with singing bowl accompaniment. Purse your lips as if you are sipping through a straw your favorite beverage, he said. Imagine the breath nourishing your heart. Taste some fruity flavors. Maybe a nice ros.

At last months festival, attendees carried duffel bags into luxury tents or pitched their own on a dusty hillside. DoubleBlind did not provide hallucinogens, but festivalgoers brought their own and shared provisions. Several bands played while the visitors lounged by a pool in various states of undress, sipping kombucha.

Ms. Hartman and Ms. Margolin strolled the grounds. A participant in bangles approached and said, What is happening here is just so special.

Thank you, Ms. Hartman said, with a little bow.

Stacks of DoubleBlinds seventh print issue lay here and there. The guests included a real-estate-agent-turned-death-doula and a shamanic healer who dispensed bags of shrooms with a business card. In addition to a medic, two psychedelic coaches were on standby in case someones trip went south.

Mark Abraham, a barista from Redlands, Calif., swapped reminiscences over cups of wine with Kate Joosten, a nurses assistant who had come to Mycologia from Las Vegas. Mr. Abraham said he believed that Jesus was a plant shaman whose original wisdom had been lamentably lost to time. At one point, Ms. Joosten said, Psychedelics have more uses than the government wants you to think.

Gloria Park, a lawyer who was wearing flowers in her hair, stood near the dining corner, where charcuterie boards had been arranged among other offerings. This is that kind of life-blowing-up experience that will ripple out into the world, she said.

One guest sat among friends at a picnic table with her eyes scrunched, sniffing a bundle of sage. Georgia Love, a DoubleBlind staff photographer, snapped pictures of people against the high desert backdrop, to be used for future promotions. Were getting such great moments of community, Ms. Love said as she peered through a viewfinder.

As the afternoon wore on, pairs and trios split off to wander the hills.

One woman offered a companion a psychedelic from her bag: Do you want a little DMT?

Oh, yes.

Its life-changing.

At sunset, campers stood on a hillside with views of the darkening valley. Someone improvised a squealing tune on a saxophone as three women unfurled long silken scarves and did a languorous dance. A voice, speaking to no one in particular, sounded out, Thank youuuuuuuu!

The moment the sun dipped below the ridge, the assembly let out a feral chorus of yips and howls.

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Keeping the Hippie Dream Alive - The New York Times

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been sued over a failure to respond in due time torequests for psychedelics and cannabisrecords, reported Marijuana Moment.

This new suit centers on the DEAs alleged unlawful policy of delaying responses to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, specifically pertaining to psychedelics and marijuana documents that advocates say theyve sought for legal and journalistic purposes."

DEA flouts these principles of transparency and good government, reads the lawsuit. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a Justice Department FOIA guidance on policy, emphasizing that "agencies should be responsive to requests in an open and timely manner."

Among the sues, a Texas doctor cited in Texas federal district courtthe erroneous DEAs interpretation of right to try laws as it concerns psilocybin. Attorneys Matt Zorn and Kathryn Tuckerboth worked on that case as well.

Plaintiffs have laid out the reasons why they are impacted by DEAs refractoriness on FOIA requests, "the agency has adopted an unlawful policy and pattern or practice of designating requests as complex, regardless of the actual complexity of the documents sought," reads the lawsuit.

For its part, the DEA has said that the requests raise unusual circumstances that exempt them from the statutorily imposed timeline for responding. Also, the DEA defense says that "assigning the FOIA inquiries is complex because retrieving the documents in question might involve coordinating with outside offices."

This policy and pattern or practice rest on a perversion of FOIAs plain language, stated the suit. Plaintiffs are attorneys and their clients who have submitted FOIA requests to DEA only to have the agency unlawfully ignore the statutes processing deadlines merely because the requested records were not present at DEAs FOIA office.

Now, the plaintiffs are asking the court to enjoin the Justice Department and DEA from applying the unlawful policy and pattern or practice and directing defendants to take immediate corrective action to prevent future FOIA violations.Image by Benzinga

More here:

DEA Sued Over Delays To Open Records For Psychedelics And Cannabis - Benzinga - Benzinga

On this weeks Trade to Black podcast, TDR Founder Shadd Dales andlead financial writer Benjamin Smith tackle this weeks news in the cannabis and psychedelics industry. The big news this week is the Cannabis Administration Opportunity Act being introduced to Senate. But theres some more thoughts on the NDAA and Netflixs docuseries on psychedelics, and the potential changing of sentiment towards the industry.

Heres some highlights:

The Cannabis Administration Opportunity Act was introduced with many of the same tenets as it had in July 2021. Pretty much the same thing, says Benjamin. And nobody believes its going to pass thanks to the situation with the Senate.

Why are they presenting this bill now? Even the original April introduction date didnt really make sense. Its not like the Safe Banking Amendment, which was included in the NDAA. Theres a lot of pressure to get it rammed through.

Benjamins got some theories, building on the conversation last week.

The Medical Marijuana and Cannabinoid Research Expansion Act was introduced to congress last week. So far, it looks like its being fast-tracked for action. Theres a possibility it could be sent to the Presidents desk next week.

Should it get past congress, itll be the first cannabis bill presented to the President. Shadd and Benjamin speculate on how this piece might change government sentiment towards cannabis, especially since the senate has been so reluctant to pass legislation.

The past 18 months hasnt been kind to the cannabis industry, senate and congress side-eye notwithstanding. The buzz on social media has a lot of sentimental people pushing strong on Tier 1 MSOs, and theres a lot of hope for legislative changes.

Benjamin says the first word that comes to mind is complicated when he thinks about the next year for cannabis. The industry looks like it will have no trouble continuing to thrive, but it might look a little bit different when it comes to an investment thesis.

Be sure to tune in to hear what he and Shadd have got to say regarding the investor outlook and let us know if you agree. You can join in the conversation on Twitter and YouTube in the comments. Were always happy to hear from our listeners.

Also up on this episode: What Mitch McConnells actions mean for the Safe Banking Act between the House and Senate versions of the Bill, why he and other Republicans seem to be against gaining a fresh perspective on cannabis, and the Netflix documentary on psychedelics How to Change Your Mind. All this and more on Trade to Black.

To view the previous Trade To Black Podcast,click here.

Excerpt from:

Trade to Black Podcast: the Senate Vs the Cannabis Administration Opportunity Act - The Dales Report

Supplied

Jonathan Falconer's new comedy show takes on the science of getting high.

University of Otago teaching fellow and stand-up comedian Jonathan Falconer once had what felt like a powerful revelation while on psychedelic drugs.

It felt so profound that he wrote it down. In the morning, he looked at the piece of paper.

It said: YOLO (you only live once).

The experience is part of Falconers new comedy show, The Science of Getting High, which he will perform at Christchurchs Good Times Comedy Club on Friday.

READ MORE:* Have a Good Trip: Stars yarn about psychedelics in entertaining Netflix doco * Book Review: How to Change Your Mind: The New Science of Psychedelics, Michael Pollan* Mixing comedy and science

Psychedelics have given me profound insights, but then the most basic, kindergarten-level perception of things that felt incredibly profound at the time, he said.

The show is a mix of stand-up comedy, insights about drugs and material from his lectures on pharmacology.

I thought, if I am a mediocre lecturer and a mediocre comedian, maybe I could be a great stand-up comedian talking about drugs.

Supplied

Falconer brings his scientific expertise to comedic use in his new show, The Science of Getting High.

Falconer said the show covers everything from how dopamine works in the brain to the flaws of human memory and perception, and the use of psychedelics as therapeutic drugs.

Research is growing into whether psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms, and LSD can be used to treat depression.

It has been an interesting journey for psychedelics. I try and use science to be as objective as you can be about drug harm and therapeutic potentials.

Psychedelics are tools. They are not a magical key that will unlock the truths of the universe.

He sees no conflict between his comedy show and his academic career.

If I stick to the science, there can be no blowback.

I am not taking a Timothy Leary attitude of telling people to take drugs and leave school.

I am trying to do it as sensibly and scientifically as possible.

Falconer grew up in San Diego, California, and moved to Dunedin four years ago. He has been performing stand-up comedy for eight years and finds great joy in making an audience laugh.

Of course, being a pharmacology expert, he can instantly summon the neuroscientific reason for this joy. Something to do with surprise and the production of dopamine in the brain.

There is something about making people laugh that feels amazing.

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Otago academic and comedian takes on the science of getting high - Stuff

Natural psychedelics arent too hard to find if you know where to look. With the right mushrooms, toads, or plants, a trip is within reach. One of the lesser known natural psychedelics comes from a plant but is most ingested as a food honey. Yes, theres naturally occurring psychedelic honey in the world, though its not the easiest to come by.

This rare substance contains a psychoactive element. Known as deli bal in the original Turkish, mad honey is a reddish bee-flower byproduct whose hallucinogenic properties come from its origin plants. Entomologist Arathi Seshadri reveals the dark side of the sweet stuff.

The secret ingredient is grayanotoxin, a neurotoxin named for nineteenth-century American botanist Asa Gray. Also known as andromedotoxin, acetylandromedol, or rhodotoxin, grayanotoxins come from plants in the Ericaceae family. This includes Rhododendron, Pieris, Agarista, and Kalmia genera, according to Seshadri. Indeed, this toxin is present in the flowers nectar, so honey that bees produce from this flower contains grayanotoxin.

Other components of Rhododendron contain these neurotoxins too. So far, researchers have isolated more than 25 types of this toxin in rhododendrons, though it appears grayanotoxins 1 and 3 are the primary toxic segments.

Grayanotoxins are compounds known as cyclic diterpenes that work their magic by binding to voltage-gated sodium ion channels in cells. The toxins basically hold open sodium channels, keeping them activated continuously. This causes a state of depolarization in the cell, allowing sodium ions to flow freely within it instead of remaining polarized to one part of the cell. This leads to dizziness, general muscle weakness, and potentially paralysis.

Sodium channels of cells in skeletal muscles are more responsive to these toxins than those in heart muscles, though grayanotoxins can affect both these types of cells as well as the central nervous system.

Commercially sold honey often comes from many sources, so any toxins are heavily diluted to the point of ineffectiveness. Whats more, rhododendron contains varying levels of grayanotoxins depending on the time of year, so a bee would need to pollinate almost exclusively rhododendron flowers to make mad honey.

Dont worry about eating mad honey by mistake. Its a reddish color and tastes bitter, burning the throat. Mad honey is known to make users feel dizzy and nauseated. Other effects include blurred vision, vomiting, excessive sweating, convulsion, headache, paralysis, and more.

Warning: Experimentation group Erowid recommends against consuming any part of the plant. And for good reason: Mad honey goes from medicinal to poisonous very quickly. Poisoning by mad honey called mad honey disease can be characterized by dangerously low blood pressure and interruption of electrical impulses between different parts of the heart.

In humans, intoxication is rarely lethal, in contrast to cattle and pet poisoning cases, Seshadri says. Lethal or not, mad honey ingestion can lead to irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmias, which can be life-threatening.

Most mad honey comes from Nepal and Turkey, though other countries where intoxication has been reported include China, Philippines, Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Austria, Germany, Brazil, and the Pacific Northwest region of North America.

Effects can come on within 20 minutes to three hours of consumption, and it could take several days for someone to recover fully from the disease. However, grayanotoxins are metabolized and excreted fairly quickly, so a lower-dose intoxication lasts about one day.

This psychedelic honey has been used as an aphrodisiac, an alternative treatment for GI disorders like dyspepsia and gastritis, and hypertension.

The first recorded instance of mad honey poisoning is from 401 B.C.E. by Athenian military commander Xenophon. Turkish King Mithradates also used mad honey as a weapon against Pompey the Great in 67 B.C.E.

This byproduct can be found floating around the Internet, but remember it can be dangerous to consume. If youre looking for a more faithful Winnie-the-Pooh experience, stick to regular supermarket honey.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY.

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Can mad honey get you high? A bee expert reveals the answer - Inverse

For all the medical advances made over recent times, there is one area of healthcare where scientists are still struggling: mental health. Closely linked is the rise in substance abuse particularly in the US, whereannual deaths by this metric havemore than doubled since 1990to just over 2,000 per 100,000, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. In the same period, the rate of cancer deaths has stayed flat around 5,000 per 100,000, despite ageing populations making cancer more prevalent.

Deteriorating mental health is not the only factor behind this acceleration.Butthe Covid-19 pandemic has had a particular impact.In April 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 78,021 people died from drug overdoses in the US during the previous 12 months. By December 2021, it forecast this number had risen to 107,622, a 38 per cent rise in 20 months. The effects of lockdowns on mental health is still being debated, but what is clear is that during the pandemic, for whatever reason, Americans became a lot less hopeful.

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The promise of psychedelics - Investors' Chronicle - Investors Chronicle

The national psychedelics reform movement received a boost Wednesday, as a pair of amendments that would increase access to psychedelic treatments for veterans and active-duty service members with mental health conditions was adopted by the House of Representatives. The amendments, which were added to the annual National Defense Authorization Act, were offered by Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

The adoption follows a series of successes by the movement against the prohibition of psychedelics. A number of U.S. cities, like Denver and Detroit, have decriminalized some psychedelics in the last four years. In 2020,Oregon legalized psilocybin (the compound that giveshallucinogenic mushrooms their potency) for therapeutic use by any adult over the age of 21. While the amendments offered by Ocasio-Cortez and Crenshaw would only modestly relax federal restrictions on a subset of therapeutic studies, they are an acknowledgment of growing momentum to rethink the harsh restrictions imposed on psychedelics during the war on drugs.

In a floor speech Wednesday, Crenshaw a Navy veteran pleaded with members of his party to support his amendment. Many hear the word psychedelics and they think of acid trips from the 60s, he said. What were talking about here is the proven use of psychedelics to treat PTSD.

Crenshaw and Ocasio-Cortezs amendments were approved via voice vote shortly thereafter. Ocasio-Cortezs amendment would open up further avenues for therapeutic studies of MDMA and psilocybin. Crenshaws would also provide for further studies of those two substances, as well as lesser-known psychedelics ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT.

Despite the similar nature of their legislation, there is little indication that the two representatives worked in concert to secure passage. Crenshaw has drawn scrutiny in the past for claiming to support efforts to expand veterans access to psychedelic treatments, only to oppose measures introduced by Ocasio-Cortez that would do just that.

Ocasio-Cortez, for her part, has in the past introduced several measures to expand access, including bipartisan efforts that were identical to the measure adopted by the House on Wednesday, but she declined outreach from her former Republican partner this year. She previously co-sponsored such efforts with Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican who was investigatedby federal authorities for allegations involving potential sex with a minor, paying for unauthorized sex work, and taking MDMA during some of the alleged episodes.

Gaetz and Ocasio-Cortez ended up introducing nearly identical versions of the amendment. Gaetzs version of the amendment was ultimately ruled out of order by the House Rules Committee, while Ocasio-Cortezs was cleared for a floor vote. In testimony to the Rules Committee on Tuesday, Gaetz acknowledged that the two measures were identical and noted that outreach from his office around co-sponsoring the amendment this year went unreturned. Ill take the hint, he said, before speaking in favor of her amendment.

The disjointed nature of the bipartisan effort could complicate adoption of both measures in the final package. While the passage of amendments from members of both parties is a positive sign, the policies fates remain uncertain in the Senate. The Senates version of the National Defense Authorization Act is typically more conservative, given that chambers freewheeling amendment process and the three-fifths requirement to overcome a filibuster. The current draft of the Senate bill, which has not advanced to the floor, does not include amendments to expand access to psychedelic-assisted therapeutics.

The two houses will hash out differences between their respective versions in a conference committee in the weeks ahead, and it is unclear whether proponents can muster the political will to secure final passage for psychedelics reforms.

Crenshaw and Ocasio-Cortezs offices did not immediately respond to requests to clarify whether they would work together to ensure that some version of their proposals becomes law.

Activists are hopeful that the adoption of both measures by the House will put pressure on the Senate to follow suit. My hope is that the Senate will put bickering aside and include it too, said Jonathan Lubecky, veterans and governmental affairs liaison for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. If AOC and Crenshaw can agree, its hard to fight against it.

Lubecky, whose story was included in Crenshaws committee testimony, knows firsthand howcrucial potential reforms could be. He credits a series of psychedelic therapiesfor his rehabilitation after combat-induced trauma left him with debilitatingPTSDthat led to multiple suicide attempts. This should be a wake-up call that these therapies are real and they work, he said. I should know they saved my life.

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House Moves to Expand Psychedelic Therapy Research - The Intercept

SAN FRANCISCO -- Ann Shulgin, who together with her late husband Alexander Shulgin pioneered the use of psychedelic drugs in psychotherapy and co-wrote two seminal books on the subject, has died at the age of 91.

Shulgin had been in ill health because of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, her daughter, Wendy Tucker, said. She died Saturday at the farm, a sprawling San Francisco Bay Area residence she shared with her chemist husband until his death in 2014, surrounded by loved ones, Tucker said.

Shulgin had a deep understanding of Jungian psychoanalysis and collaborated with her husband, who in the 1970s rediscovered the MDMA compound, better known as ecstasy, and introduced it as a possible mental health treatment. The couple tested the substances on themselves and a small group of friends.

He was the scientist, and I was the psychologist, Shulgin said of their partnership in a 2014 interview with The Associated Press. He was a genius.

Born in New Zealand to an American diplomat and New Zealand mother, Shulgin grew up in different parts of the world. The family settled in San Francisco after her father's retirement. A professionally trained artist, Shulgin drew and painted all her life and worked as a medical transcriber.

In 1978, she met Alexander Shulgin, who created more than 200 chemical compounds for use in psychotherapy.

The couples home, where Alexander Shulgin also had his lab, in Lafayette, California, about 22 miles (35 kilometers) east of San Francisco, for decades was a gathering place for students, teachers and those working with psychedelics.

Though she was not a professionally trained psychotherapist, she was always the one who people talk to and you always felt like you could open up to her. She called herself a lay therapist, Tucker said.

The couple took copious notes of their experiences and of what they observed in others and co-wrote two books. PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story, which was published in 1991, and TiHKAL: The Continuation, published in 1997.

In PiHKAL, Shulgin wrote about her first experience with psychedelics when she was in her 20s.

I saw something forming in the air, slightly above the level of my head. I thought that it was perhaps a few feet from me, then I realized I couldnt actually locate it in space at all. It was a moving spiral opening, up there in the cool air, and I knew it was a doorway to the other side of existence, that I could step through it if I wished to be finished with this particular life I was living, and that there was nothing threatening or menacing about it; in fact, it was completely friendly. I also knew that I had no intention of stepping through it because there was still a great deal I wanted to do in my life, and I intended to live long enough to get it all done. The lovely spiral door didnt beckon; it was just matter-of-factly there," she wrote.

Publishers were afraid to print their first book about MDMA so the couple, who were against ecstasy being used outside of therapy, self-published it because they wanted to share their experiences and knowledge with the world, Tucker said.

They were the ones pushing to do all the PTSD work with veterans with MDMA because they saw people who had severe trauma could really break through. They were so brave to publish their work because that really opened the door and paved the way to all that is happening now, Tucker said.

In the U.S., several states have approved studying the potential medical use of psychedelics, which are still illegal under federal law. A string of cities have also decriminalized so-called magic mushrooms, and an explosion of investment money is flowing into the arena.

Experts say the research is promising for treating conditions ranging from PTSD to smoking addiction, but caution that some serious risks remain, especially for those with certain mental health conditions.

We lost years and years of research ability because of the attitude and fears around psychedelics. But we wouldnt be where we are if it wasnt for Ann and Sasha, she added.

Shulgin is survived by four children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. A memorial is being planned for later in the year.

Link:

Ann Shulgin, pioneer of psychedelics in therapy, dies at 91 - ABC News

SANTA FE, N.M. Physicians and researchers are urging New Mexico legislators to allow the use of psychedelic mushrooms in mental health therapy aimed at overcoming depression, anxiety, psychological trauma and alcoholism.

A legislative panel on Tuesday listened to advocates who hope to broaden the scope of medical treatment and research assisted by psilocybin, the psychedelic active ingredient in certain mushrooms.

Oregon is so far the only state to legalize the therapeutic use of psilocybin.

Read More: The 10 Most Important Health Breakthroughs You Missed During the Pandemic

Recent studies indicate psilocybin could be useful in the treatment of major depression, including mental suffering among terminally ill patients, and for substance abuse including alcoholism, with low risks of addiction or overdose under medical supervision.

Physician Lawrence Leeman, a medicine professor at the University of New Mexico, urged legislators to move forward without waiting for federal decriminalization or regulatory approval to expand responsible therapies using doses of psilocybin.

Leeman and other advocates outlined emerging psilocybin protocols, involving six-hour supervised sessions and extensive discussions about the experience in subsequent counseling. He warned legislators that public interest is spawning illicit, underground experimentation without safeguards.

I do think there is a lot of promise from these medications, said Leeman, who also directs a program providing prenatal and maternity care to women with substance abuse problems. If this does go ahead, lets do this really safely, lets make sure we have people who are well trained (to administer the psychedelics) Lets make sure that people have counselors to see afterward.

It was unclear whether any New Mexico lawmakers will seek legislation for the medical use of psychedelics, which are still federally illegal. The Democratic-led Legislature convenes its next regular session in January 2023.

The study of psychedelics for therapy has made inroads in states led by Democrats and Republicans alike, including Hawaii, Connecticut, Texas, Utah and Oklahoma. And psilocybin has been decriminalized in the cities of Washington and Denver as well as Ann Arbor, Michigan; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Oakland and Santa Cruz in California.

In several states, military veterans are helping to persuade lawmakers to study psychedelic mushrooms for therapeutic use in addressing post-traumatic stress.

Currently in New Mexico, lawful access to psilocybin-assisted therapy is available mostly through clinical trials.

Read More: Psilocybin Could be a Therapeutic Breakthrough For Addiction

Yale University psychiatrist Gerald Valentine said that leaves out people with low incomes and severe afflictions. He said the University of New Mexico is expanding its expertise in psychedelics-based therapies, and that a supportive environment can be found in communities such as Santa Fe, known as a progressive hub for healing and the arts.

These questions are starting to be answered about who might benefit from this therapy, Valentine said. I just feel very fortunate to be in a position to really bring this forth into real world situations.

Classic psychedelics include LSD, mescaline, psilocybin and ayahuasca. Plant-based psychedelics have long been used in indigenous cultures around the world.

At least one New Mexico church group uses hallucinogenic ayahuasca tea from the Amazon as a sacrament. A 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision ensured access to ayahuasca imports for a temple on the outskirts of Santa Fe affiliated with the Brazil-based Centro Esprita Beneficiente Unio do Vegetal.

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Doctors Urge Access to Psychedelic Therapies in New Mexico - TIME