Monthly Archives: February 2022

‘I played on a River Thames island as a kid, now I’ve explored over 100 islands’ – My London

Posted: February 15, 2022 at 5:49 am

Miranda Vickers had spent the best part of a decade reporting from war-torn Kosovo. As a war correspondent she saw the horrors of war up close. When it was all over and she came back to England, she needed some solace. As a child she'd play for hours on end on a little island in the Thames called Chiswick Eyot.

So, it was there that she begun an epic four-year journey that would see her explore more than a hundred River Thames islands and be the first person to write a book about them.

"I needed to step back and see the world could be quite a beautiful place and it's not all blood and betrayal and misery. The relief of writing this flowed from me. It was a form of escapism," she tells me over coffee not far from her Ealing home.

"Growing up with the river it was always somewhere to gravitate to. It was rather stinky in the '60s and a dead river and nobody swam in it. You were told you would die if you swam in it. But from the age of about seven my mother would take me down to the foreshore at Strand-on-the-Green and we'd have picnics and I'd be rummaging for bits of old treasure.

READ MORE: 'I built my dream home on a private island in the middle of the River Thames'

"Little Chiswick Eyot was on my doorstep. This wonderful little island was so mysterious. It had a little beach and was like a little microcosm of a far away treasure island on our doorstep.

"Every Sunday and weekends, mum used to drive us down there with a little flask and packs of sandwiches and leave us there all day. We'd wade across to the island." Chiswick Eyot just happened to be the last working Osiery on the Thames where people still harvested the long reeds called Osiers that come from willow trees - and wove them into baskets for the London markets. Miranda and her cousin cut them down with penknives and used them to build dens.

"We'd stand on the prow of the island like it was a boat and smoke our cigarettes - bearing in mind we were ten or 11 years old, we used to buy them and kept our secret supply in our camp," laughs Miranda. "We used to swim off the tiny beach on the far side of the island. You could swim quite far out into the river until you reached a terribly dangerous current which could literally suck you in.

"The smell of Thames mud in the back of my mum's car when she came to pick us up is one of those things that still sticks in my memory. It was the most idyllic time like Swallows and Amazons. We bunked off school - I hated my Conservative Catholic girls' convent.

"My single mum couldn't keep that much of an eye on me, I was a bit of a rebel. It was an element of freedom that I don't think sadly many kids get today. I mean who would leave two little girls of eight, nine or ten alone for a whole day?

"We had to be inventive. We had penknives and we cut the osiers and made a bivouac and covered it in moss to make it waterproof and we'd hunker down in it and watch for the 'Americans' coming.

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"At the end of the summer were were sun burnt brown and our bare feet were tough as anything. Covered in mud at the end of the day, the bath water would be black and our clothes used to stink," Miranda shrugs.

"We got rescued a couple of times when the tide came up by the riverboat police. But they were forever rescuing kids as they were everywhere along the river banks in those days." This was a time of course when the Thames was a working river and was still very dirty, being used constantly by barges and lighters.

Inspired by her return to Chiswick Eyot, Miranda started writing an article for the Ealing Historical Association about it and her interest was reignited. She soon started exploring more islands and her publishers were massively interested. The only catch was they wanted her to explore all 92 of them!

It took Miranda four-and-a-half years to reach all the islands! She bought a little inflatable motor boat with her husband and in summer they would explore together. Mooring up, her husband would often listen to the cricket on the radio while Miranda stomped about on the islands, measuring them, observing and meeting locals.

In the winter she would beaver away in library archives finding out as much as she could about the islands. By the second year she'd found 120 islands existed! Most of them were hardly known apart from the celebrated Eel Pie island where rock stars used to hang out.

The epic voyage started at Leigh-on-Sea at Canvey Island.

Miranda says: "It's one of the most maligned places in the UK but I loved it. I absolutely found it fascinating. I rang the Essex Tourist board and asked if they had any nice places to stay on Canvey Island and they burst out laughing!"

There were no more islands between here and Chiswick Eyot so the voyage resumed on Miranda's childhood haunt. Any islands further towards London had long since been eroded by the Thames tides, but the islands from Chiswick Eyot upstream had survived.

The voyage took the couple right out into Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire all the way to Lechlade, the official source of the Thames. "I met fascinating people and I discovered beaches and micro ecosystems. Various islands like Isleworth Ait have very rare mollusks on for example.," says Miranda. "The whole process made me realise that although there are other rivers in the world with islands, it's only on the Thames where they are little oasis of life.

"People say when they cross to the islands by ferry or boat or bridges they feel a weight has left their shoulders. The whole sort of romantic idea of islands is encapsulated in these little worlds."

Miranda's husband also warmed to the task as the voyage went on and eventually would enjoy swimming and picnicking.

"It brought us together," she says, half laughing!

Some of the islands are privately owned and there are strict conservation rules in place to stop them being eroded continually. But they are actually constantly in danger, not just from being flooded but from Mitten crabs which eat away at the earth, causing the soil to collapse. "There's lots of new species that have been introduced into the river over the last 20 or 30 years that are non-native and are invasive and are causing quite a lot of problems on the islands," says Miranda.

"They come in on the hulls of great trawlers from all over the world. Mitten crabs are especially attacking Chiswick Eyot and there's a programme to stop them by putting concrete base around part of the island."

The willow trees can also grow up to 70ft and have to be maintained so they don't fall into the river. But there's plenty of good reasons for preserving them. "I think people gravitate to islands. Look at Greece. Islands are a magnet. It's that sense of isolation and escapism. Stepping into another little world. In times of insecurity they become a refuge," says Miranda.

Miranda's favourite island is Platt's Eyot because it's the tallest in the river and "you have walk up a hill to a beautiful meadow covered in oxide daisies, wildflowers and poppies and you look down the cliff into the water. How long it will remain like that I don't know because developers are hovering around."

She adds: "The number of boatyards is diminishing rapidly and there's so much development. Time will tell if they build a residential block on it. They say they will resurrect the boat yard but what that really will look like we don't know.

"There have been two very mysterious fires and no-one'es ever been prosecuted. It's obvious who is behind it. The River Thames is a working river not the residential housing estate that it's becoming. That's the crisis the river is facing. Developers can add another 20-30,000 onto a flat if it's got a river view."

It's clear from talking to Miranda that the islands must be cherished and preserved. As she explains so passionately, they offer us somewhere we can return to nature and the natural rhythms of life, and in a world which is becoming madder day by day, this has to be worth fighting for.

Miranda's book Eyots and Aits, Islands of the River Thames is available here

Do you have a fascinating story or memories from the River Thames? Email martin.elvery@Reachplc.com

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Rare piece of property up for sale in the Chatham Island – Newshub

Posted: at 5:49 am

"Somebody that was maybe 20 years younger than us could grab this, whether they wanted to carry it on as a business or a retreat or private residence," Flowerpot Bay Lodge owner Brent Mallison says.

The six suite, seven-bathroom multi-story lodge has been used as a place to stay for a decade and with visitor numbers booming on the Chathams business has never been better.

"From now right through until April there will be someone here every night," Mallinson says.

Rooms are hard to come by so what happens next will have an impact on the entire Chatham Islands.

"I would hate to see this cease functioning as a tourist lodge but at the end of the day it is what it is," Mallinson says.

Selling property on the Chathams isn't easy.

Especially when it's a two-hour flight away, in the middle of the ocean.

"It's a pretty hard property to market, it's not like you can do an open home," Harcourts' Stephen Gregory-Hunt says.

With owners Brent and Bernadette heading for retirement - the question now is will it remain a tourism business or go into private hands?

"Doesn't come up very often, if at all. Most of the sales on the Island are done privately, within the island," Gregory-Hunt says.

It's a chance to become the 46th resident of Pitt Island but you'll need approval from the other locals too.

"Oh here's my pet seagull who has come in to see what we're up to. That's Jackie," one local said.

Keeping an eye whoever takes over this slice of paradise at the bottom of the world.

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Rare piece of property up for sale in the Chatham Island - Newshub

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State Recommends 15-Knot Speed Limit Around Whales, Other Safety Measures – Big Island Now

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Years of research by Pacific Whale Foundation, NOAA, and the state has prompted a new set of voluntary recommendations for boaters operating around humpback whales.

The new recommendations were announced Monday after those agencies, along with tour operators, private boaters, fishers, and other community members, collaborated over the last year to craft recommendations in order to keep both whales and watchers safe.

The suggestions advise boaters to reduce speeds to 15 knots in Hawaiian waters during whale season, but also to:

Whales are usually around the islands from November to April during their breeding season and are a major tourist attraction. Up to 10,000 come each year. However, the first arrivals vary, so boaters are urged to keep abreast of sightings throughout the year and post a lookout on their boats shortly before, during and shortly after whale season to help spot whales in the distance.

Statistics show that at a speed of 15 knots or less, collisions with whales are greatly reduced, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The measures are also meant to reduce whale harassment. The suggestions are just that, guidelines, and wont be enforced beyond the rules already in place. Humpback whales in U.S. waters are federally protected. It is illegal to approach humpback whales within 100 yards, including by boat, kayak, drone, when swimming, or by any other vessel or means, according to the DLNR.

The suggested rules come one week after a humpback whale calf was found dead off the shores of Oahu. The whale calf appears to have suffered a traumatic brain injury consistent with a vessel strike, NOAA Fisheries said on Monday.

The research began in 2013, when we first set out to answer that question of what can we recommend as the best speed for boaters operating during whale viewing season, Jens Currie, chief scientist at Pacific Whale Foundation, said.

Slower and more prudent speeds have been a major talking point for whale safety for years now, said Ed Lyman, of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

The available data suggests that transit speed, when around whales, should be 15 knots or less, he said.

The studies found that as boats approach whales at higher speeds, the animals would change direction, indicating they are not comfortable with the presence of vessels, DLNR stated in a press release. Their speed changes, and their dive and respiration rates change.

Its nice we can put some quantification on this from our scientific studies, Currie said. Youll have much more time to react, the slower you go. Its significantly different at those slower speeds than higher ones.

The suggestions come the same week as Whale Week, Feb. 13-20, with Friday being World Whale Day, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary announced.

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Review | Beware of billionaires offering to save the world – TheSpec.com

Posted: at 5:49 am

Alexa, how much did Jeff Bezos spend on his 10-minute rocket ride to the edge of space?

Bezos has reportedly spent $5.5 billion on his space company.

Heres what the Amazon founder couldve done with that money here on Earth.

He couldve saved 38 million people from starvation, according to World Food Program estimates. Vaccinated two billion people in developing countries against COVID-19. Given paid sick leave to Amazon employees who contracted COVID while working in his warehouses. Or lowered rather than raised the price of masks sold by Amazon.

Bezos is not only the worlds richest man hes also a Davos Man. Political scientist Samuel Huntington coined the term in 2004 for the globe-trotting billionaires who fly into the Alpine resort town every year for the World Economic Forum.

New York Times global economics correspondent Peter S. Goodman has covered the forum for years and seen Davos Man in all his glory.

He is a rare and remarkable creature a predator who attacks without restraint, perpetually intent on expanding his territory and seizing the nourishment of others, while protecting himself from reprisal by posing as a symbiotic friend to all, says Goodman in his book Davos Man: How the Billionaires Devoured the World.

He pretends that his interests are the same as everyone elses. He seeks gratitude for his exploits, validation as the product of a just system in which he is a guardian of the public interest, even as he devours all the sources of sustenance. He argues that his own prosperity is a precondition for broader progress, the key to vibrancy and innovation.

What does Davos Man want in return for selflessly and heroically improving our world? Tax cuts. Deregulation. No unions. Minimum wages instead of living wages. Austerity measures that force governments to privatize public services. No handouts for anyone during tough times until billionaires get their taxpayer-funded corporate bailouts with no strings attached.

And hows that deal working out? Goodman reports that over the past 40 years, the wealthiest one per cent of Americans gained $21 trillion, while households in the bottom half saw their fortunes shrink by $900 million. Since 1978, total compensation for corporate executives has increased more than 900 per cent, while wages for typical American workers have risen just under 12 per cent. Worldwide, the 10 richest people are worth more than the combined economies of the 85 poorest countries.

In 2020, the wealth of the worlds billionaires increased by $3.9 trillion while their philanthropic contributions hit a 10-year low. At the same time, upwards of 500 million people fell into poverty during the global pandemic. If the agony of 2020 had demonstrated anything it was how the rich could not only prosper but profiteer off everyone elses suffering, says Goodman.

Extreme inequality is leading us to a bad place. Were scared and struggling. Out of desperation, were turning to real or pretend populists who pocket campaign contributions from Davos Man, slash their taxes, gut government spending and deflect our anger onto immigrants and refugees.

Strife and inequality will create more opportunities for political movements that employ scarcity as a springboard to hate, stoking fear of ethnic and religious minorities as an electoral strategy.

So whats the solution? Goodman recommends a universal basic income for regular people along with a wealth tax for billionaires and the breakup of their monopolies.

It wont be easy. Reducing economic inequality is not terribly complicated, says Goodman. Its just exceedingly difficult as a political objective. The government needs to reapportion wealth so that ordinary people gain a meaningful stake in society. But those who possess wealth have mastered how to use it to manipulate democracy, preventing a fair distribution.

While that redistribution will be difficult, its essential and ultimately doable.

Democracy has been warped by the billionaire class, its workings tilted toward private islands, offshore bank accounts and secret meetings in Davos convened to plot the next insider deal.

Reclaiming power from Davos Man requires no insurrection or revolution of ideas. It demands the thoughtful use of a tool that has been there all along: democracy.

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Meet the 16 Most Influential Women Shaping the Future of Psychedelics – Business Insider

Posted: at 5:47 am

Women working in psychedelics are shattering the status quo and shaping an industry that's set to become worth more than$100 billionat its peak, according to analysts.

From business executives to scientists, Insider has identified 16 of the most influential women in psychedelics. The list, comprising a mix of academia, investment firms, businesses, and advocates, is a microcosm of the wider industry, which has various forces collaborating to form its future.

Insider published a callout asking for nominations for the most influential women in psychedelics and received 158 names. We asked that nominees identify as women, be deeply involved in the psychedelics space, and stand out from their peers.

After careful review, Insider chose a list of 23 people and interviewed each to come up with the 16 names below. We considered past achievements and current work to determine how they might shape the space to come. Insider editors and reporters made the final decisions.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the women on our list were affiliated with or have worked with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) which is the closest of any organization to bringing a psychedelic compound to market.

Many of the nominees personally knew of or had collaborated with one another in their research, business ventures, and funding efforts, and many others were making active efforts in their work to highlight more women in the space.

Below, meet the most influential women in psychedelics in 2022, listed in alphabetical order by first name.

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Psychedelics startups are taking on mental health – Fast Company

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Psychedelics, long stigmatized as risky recreational drugs, are finally finding a place in polite society. More and more research from prominent institutions like Johns Hopkins suggests that such drugs, in the right formulations and with supervision, can bring about therapeutic breakthroughs in patients, notably in those who have proven to be resistant to other types of treatment.

Venture capital firms have taken noticepouring money into startups developing psychedelic treatments for everything from PTSD to smoking cessation. A January analysis by Business Insideridentified 11 venture capital firms (most of them founded in the past three years) that have collectively invested roughly $140 million in the psychedelics category. Funding accelerated after psychedelic startup Compass Pathways raised $146 million in its September 2020 initial public offeringand an additional $144 million in a secondary offering in April 2021.

And on Thursday a group of mid-tier VCs (and a group of angels) announced an investment of $11.5 million in a small biotech company called Mindstate Design Labs, which is creating therapy drugs based on psychedelics. The funding round in Mindstate, which exited stealth mode Thursday after a stint in the Y Combinator startup accelerator, was led by Initialized Capital and included money from Metaplanet Holdings, Day One Ventures, Negev Capital, K50 Ventures, Page One Ventures, and a group of angels.

Mindstate founder and CEO Dillan DiNardo tells Fast Company that his first product is based on the design of MDMA, or ecstasy, and is meant for people suffering from treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MDMA-based drugs aim to remove the mental barriers that prevent patients from talking openly about the root causes of their PTSD.

Its creating this state of mindthe technical name is the entactogenic statethats characterized by a reduction in fear, this feeling that all is well with the world, says DiNardo, who cofounded the company with evolutionary biologist Tom Rayin 2021 after working as an investor in biotech companies at UPMC Enterprises in Pittsburgh. It creates an overwhelming feeling of empathy and the ability to safely contemplate mental pain.

In May the journal Nature published the startling results of aPhase-III clinical trials study of MDMA-assisted therapy. After three MDMA-assisted sessions, more than two-thirds of patients with severe PTSD saw their symptoms reduced to the point where their condition no longer met PTSD diagnostic criteria.

Unfortunately, psychedelic drugs can come with some considerable side effects, including fatigue, irritability, depression, and anxiety, which can become more pronounced with repeated use. DiNardo believes Mindstates MDMA-based drug will minimize the negative side effects, making more treatment sessionsand faster relief for the patientpossible. It could also open the door toward the use of MDMA-based drugs for treating other types of mental disorders. The drug will enter clinical trials next year.

Mindstate is starting with its MDMA-based drug, but intends to create designs based on other drugs in the psychedelics family. Psilocybin (the hallucinogenic agent in magic mushrooms) is currently the focus of much of the research on psychedelics because of its ability to induce an ego loss state.

Dillan DiNardo [Photo: courtesy of Mindstate]Its an oceanic boundlessness state where the patient loses this I am a separate entity from the rest of the world,' DiNardo says. Its a profound state that can have enduring consequences that are very positive across the board when you look at treatment outcomes in addiction, depression, and anxiety.

What were doing is designing . . . psychedelic states, other forms of consciousness that are very different from normal waking consciousness that can be applied in specific therapeutic settings, DiNardo adds, stressing that his company uses many types of data, including biochemical and anecdotal experience information, to carefully design the desired mental state. It then uses AI to find the combinations of molecules that interact with brain receptors in a way that safely induces the desired state.

The federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 outlawed psychedelic drugs such as LSD and magic mushrooms, and put barriers in place to prevent research into the potential clinical uses of the compounds. Despite that, psychiatrists have been using small doses of psychedelic drugs to enhance cognitive therapy since the 1970s, and perhaps before. With the development of new safe drugs that are more carefully tailored for in-office use, the practice could become more common.

The World Health Organization says almost a billion people worldwide suffer from mental health problems.

State legislatures have begun altering the law to allow psychedelics for clinical use. Oregon passed a law that legalizes the production, sale, and use of psilocybin (magic mushrooms) at licensed facilities starting next year. Washington is considering a similar bill that would legalize the administration of psilocybin within clinical settings.

Theres rising demand for new approaches for treating depression and anxiety. Rates of depression and anxiety around the world have soared during the pandemic. The World Health Organization says almost a billion people worldwide suffer from mental health problems.

Mental health is by far the biggest market in the life sciences, far bigger than cancer or cardiovascular disease, DiNardo says. Currently theres a 3-to-1 ratio between disease burden (how much it costs societies) and the level of healthcare spending on the problem, he says, a ration that should be 1-to-1.What that tells us, he says, is if we actually do develop medicines that are curative, that market could very quickly expand.

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Psychedelics Are Trending: If You Are Seeing Psilocybin In The Headlines Everywhere, You Are Right! – Ben – Benzinga

Posted: at 5:47 am

This article was originally published on Cannabis.net and appears here with permission.

Yes, Psilocybin Is In Every Headline Now And Thats Exciting!

Psilocybin, better known asmagic mushrooms, are clearlyall the rageright now.

From consuming the raw real deal to accurately-dosed capsules, people are reaping the benefits of magic mushrooms left and right. They arent wrong: this compound in mushrooms is nothing short of miraculous when it comes to treating a variety of ailments affecting us, both mentally and physically. But since its still fairly new and less studied compared to conventional medications, theres always going to be some kind of backlash.

Having said that, here are some of the biggest recent news on psilocybin:

On January 11, the International Therapeutic Psilocybin Rescheduling Initiative (ITPRI) began their campaign for medical mushroom reform globally. They state that the notoriously old1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances Actneeds some serious updating as it was originally established to keep people away from harmful drugs. They are working in collaboration with theBeckley Foundation,Mind Medicine Australia,MAPS,Osmond Foundation,Open Foundation, andNierika AC.

However, we now have more data that psilocybin is therapeutic, and thus requires a change in its category.

In most countries, legal control of psilocybin results from its Schedule I status under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, they said in a press release. Meant for dangerous drugs which create an especially serious risk to public health and whose therapeutic value is little to none, Schedule I drugs are subject to strict limits on their scientific and medical use. Schedule I licensing, safe-custody, security, manufacturing, quantity, and import/export restrictions result in a level of regulatory control and oversight that is drastically more onerous than for the Conventions other three schedules. As a result, researchers wishing to study psilocybin face numerous regulatory hurdles which add significantly to the cost, complexity, and duration of research and can negatively impact ethical approvals, funding and collaboration.

Given todays scientific understanding of psilocybins high potential therapeutic value and low risk of dependence, a change of its status as a Schedule I drug is long overdue.

Researchers from theDell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austinhave just launched the Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy. Its the first of its kind in the state, with a focus on clinical research aimed at determining the potential for psilocybin as well as other psychedelics including ibogaine, ayahuasca, and MDMA for the treatment of PTSD, anxiety, and severe depression when used in conjunction with treatment from a trained professional.This research will bring further scientific rigor and expertise to study psychedelic therapy, explains Charles B. Nemeroff, the center co-lead, as well as chair and professor of the Dell Meds Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Recent studies have demonstrated considerable promise for these drugs when incorporated with clinical support, and this work has the potential to transform how we treat conditions like depression and PTSD, and to identify synergies between these and other well-established therapies to achieve long-term benefits for those seeking treatment.

They will begin with a focus on military veterans suffering from PTSD, adults living with depression or prolonged grief, and those who struggle with childhood trauma.

In early January 2022, researchers releasedresults of a studyrevealing that there was no detrimental long or short term effects when 10 or 25mg doses of psilocybin were given to groups of healthy individuals. The researchers, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at Kings College London, was the first step they were taking to prove the safety of the compound in treating a range of conditions including treatment-resistant PTSD. They add that psilocybin should be taken in controlled settings together with talk therapy.

This rigorous study is an important first demonstration that the simultaneous administration of psilocybin can be explore further, explains lead author James Rucker, PhD. If we think about how psilocybin therapy (if approved) may be delivered in the future, its important to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of giving it to more than 1 person at the same time, so we can think about how we scale up the treatment.

Throughout it all, they found that the participants displayed no results of any long or short term effects as a result of psilocybin intake.

Israeli pharmaceutical startupPsyRxbelieves that psychedelics obtained from natural sources may be key in treating mental health conditions, and they are now working on it.

The world urgently needs a new way to treat mental health issues, and at PsyRx we believe psychedelics are a big part of the solution, explains co-founder and CEO Itay Hecht. The company uses an agro-medical bioreactor that they developed at the Hebrew University Faculty of Agriculture to come up with psychedelic botanic extracts psilocybin, from mushrooms, and ibogaine, from the iboga shrub root bark.

These natural ingredients have been promising in treating addiction, depression, PTSD, and anxiety among more, especially when compared to dangerous and addictive SSRI medications which have been the norm for decades now. SSRIs have some very bad side effects on libido and appetite, and patients often stop using them. We believe adding a microdose of ibogaine will counter those effects and make a better drug, Hecht explains, adding that microdosing psychedelic drugs wont cause hallucinations.

We are starting small animal trials soon to check safety and efficacy. Hopefully in a years time we can start human trials, he toldISRAEEL21C.

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Psychedelics Are Trending: If You Are Seeing Psilocybin In The Headlines Everywhere, You Are Right! - Ben - Benzinga

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Why theres a push to legalize psychedelic drug therapy in Missouri – KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis

Posted: at 5:47 am

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. A new bill before the Missouri legislature would allow hallucinogenic drugs that are now illegal to be used to treat people struggling from depression, PTSD, and all sorts of addictions.

Many people think of psychedelic drugs like ecstasy and magic mushrooms as a recreational high to be taken at a music concert, but used in a therapeutic setting, veterans and their families say it saved their lives.

Veteran Jared Rinehart from Anderson, Missouri suffered from failed relationships, depression, and anger issues after retiring from the Marine Corps and trying to return to civilian life. When conventional treatment failed, he turned to psychedelic therapy.

Rinehart traveled to Peru and a treatment center that is widely known by the military community. After taking controlled amounts of hallucinogenic drugs under the watchful eye of trained therapists, Rinehart said his depression was cured. He said it felt like one of these sessions was like 10 years of therapy.

Elaine Brewer is a spouse of a Navy SEAL combat expert. War was very difficult on her entire household. She was having massive panic attacks and severe suicidal ideation. Brewer and other special ops spouses went to a psychedelic-assisted therapy retreat center in Mexico. She said the spiritual experience allowed her to understand forgiveness and closure.

The bill before the Missouri legislature would legalize psychedelic medications that are now outlawed under the right to try law for investigational drugs. Missouri State Rep. Michael Davis of Kansas City is behind the bill. Drugs like psilocybin found in magic mushrooms could be manufactured in Missouri and physicians and pharmacies could distribute them.

St Louis clinical psychologist Larry Shapiro said this therapy is a game-changer in mental health. What may have taken six years to get to in therapy is now taking six hours. Psychedelics work on a different receptor in the brain compared to antidepressants.

Meanwhile, Brewer and her husband have established the Humble Warrior Wellness Center for veterans and their families to continue to overall mental and body healing for military families. Rinehart is the lead psychedelic integration coach at the Heroic Hearts Project.

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Why theres a push to legalize psychedelic drug therapy in Missouri - KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis

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Cybin Announces Grant of U.S. Patent Covering its Proprietary Compound CYB004 (Deuterated DMT) for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders – Business Wire

Posted: at 5:47 am

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cybin Inc. (NEO:CYBN) (NYSE American:CYBN) (Cybin or the Company), a biopharmaceutical company focused on progressing Psychedelics to TherapeuticsTM, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted U.S. patent 11,242,318 to the Companys investigational deuterated dimethyltryptamine (DMT) compound CYB004. The allowed claims include a range of deuterated forms of DMT and 5-MeO-DMT. The patent, which is expected to expire in 2041 before consideration of any patent term extensions, covers composition of matter and protects the CYB004 drug substance as a putative new chemical entity.

CYB004 is Cybins lead investigational proprietary DMT compound. In preclinical studies, CYB004 has demonstrated potential efficacy at lower doses while also increasing the duration of drug effect providing a therapeutic profile that may alleviate the common negative experiences associated with classical DMT.

From the outset, Cybin has focused on creating differentiated compounds that harness the potential efficacy of classical psychedelics, while addressing the known limitations necessary for these molecules to become approvable therapeutics. We are extremely pleased to receive a composition of matter patent for CYB004, adding strong protection for our growing intellectual property portfolio of psychedelic-based compounds, supporting and protecting the investments that we are making in our CYB004 program said Doug Drysdale, Chief Executive Officer of Cybin. This patent is both rewarding and timely as we prepare to initiate a pilot study for CYB004 in the third quarter of 2022 and work tirelessly to develop an important and alternative treatment option for the millions of people suffering from anxiety disorders.

Cybin plans to submit a clinical trial application for a pilot study of CYB004 in the second quarter of calendar year 2022 and expects to initiate the pilot study in the third quarter of calendar year 2022.

The Company continues to pursue multiple opportunities to secure and support its patent position for research and development evaluating deuterated tryptamines for future psychedelic-based treatments for mental illnesses

About Cybin

Cybin is a leading ethical biopharmaceutical company, working with a network of world-class partners and internationally recognized scientists, on a mission to create safe and effective therapeutics for patients to address a multitude of mental health issues. Headquartered in Canada and founded in 2019, Cybin is operational in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland. The Company is focused on progressing Psychedelics to Therapeutics by engineering proprietary drug discovery platforms, innovative drug delivery systems, novel formulation approaches and treatment regimens for mental health disorders. Patent filings described herein are held by Cybin IRL Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cybin.

Cautionary Notes and Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including, without limitation, statements regarding Cybins future, strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words believe, expect, aim, intend, plan, continue, will, may, would, anticipate, estimate, forecast, predict, project, seek, should or similar expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Companys proprietary drug discovery platforms, innovative drug delivery systems, novel formulation approaches and treatment regimens to potentially treat psychiatric disorders.

These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Companys operations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; expectations regarding the size of the psychedelics market; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for growth; political, social and environmental uncertainties; employee relations; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions in the markets where the Company operates; and the risk factors set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the period ended September 30, 2021 and the Company's listing statement dated November 9, 2020, which are available under the Company's profile on http://www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR at http://www.sec.gov. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

Cybin makes no medical, treatment or health benefit claims about Cybins proposed products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada or other similar regulatory authorities have not evaluated claims regarding psilocybin, psychedelic tryptamine, tryptamine derivatives or other psychedelic compounds. The efficacy of such products has not been confirmed by approved research. There is no assurance that the use of psilocybin, psychedelic tryptamine, tryptamine derivatives or other psychedelic compounds can diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. Rigorous scientific research and clinical trials are needed. Cybin has not conducted clinical trials for the use of its proposed products. Any references to quality, consistency, efficacy and safety of potential products do not imply that Cybin verified such in clinical trials or that Cybin will complete such trials. If Cybin cannot obtain the approvals or research necessary to commercialize its business, it may have a material adverse effect on Cybins performance and operations.

Neither the Neo Exchange Inc. nor the NYSE American LLC stock exchange have approved or disapproved the contents of this news release and are not responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the contents herein.

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Cybin Announces Grant of U.S. Patent Covering its Proprietary Compound CYB004 (Deuterated DMT) for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders - Business Wire

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Psychedelic-assisted therapy program coming to Vancouver Island University | CTV News – CTV News VI

Posted: at 5:47 am

Vancouver Island University is set to become the first accredited university in Canada to launch a psychedelic-assisted therapy course.

The graduate program launches in September through the Faculty of Health and Human Services for health-care professionals.

Its a really big deal because it sets the bar for psychedelic-assisted therapies, recognizing that its an advanced practice that takes a unique skill set, says VIU nursing professor Shannon Dames.

One of the programs registrants is Dr. Laura McLean. She signed up after having tried the therapy herself last summer through Roots to Thrive, which is the eventual practicum site for the course.

This is the start of a movement, she says.

The 12-week program through Roots to Thrive has virtual sessions featuring guided conversations and on three instances the option of using ketamine. McLean says it helped her let go of fears she didnt know she had.

And that cleared up a lot of noise, she says. I came out personally with more confidence.

The curriculum is also delivered in collaboration with VIUs elder-in-residence Geraldine Manson, Indigenous professionals and cultural safety experts.

The courses co-developer says the therapy takes a very different approach to mental health.

Its essentially a way to access some of those stuck energies or stuck emotions so that we can sit with them, process them, speak to them, soothe them, and then when theyre ready, they depart, says Dames.

Health-care professionals in the field believe psychedelic-assisted therapy could be especially helpful for people who are struggling with end-of-life distress, PTSD and treatment-resistant mental health issues.

Theres all this excitement and promise around the field of psychedelic therapies, although theres lots of research to be done, says psychiatrist Dr. Susan Abbey.

Shes with Torontos University Health Network, which is currently using a $5 million donation from the Nikean Foundation for a first-of-its-kind research centre in Canada.

Our first project is going to be looking at end-of-life distress and combining psychedelics. There are several studies that show they may be helpful for people with end-of-life distress, says Abbey.

There are also plans to look at whether therapists need experience using the drug compounds themselves in order to be effective.

I think the ultimate goal is to really see, Is this actually an effective treatment? says Abbey. Does this really help people? Because theres so many factors around it.

VIUs part-time program runs from September through August. Registration is open for the fall session until March 31 and is designed for health-care providers.

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Psychedelic-assisted therapy program coming to Vancouver Island University | CTV News - CTV News VI

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