Category Archives: Psychedelics

DENVER Two ballot initiatives dealing with the decriminalization and regulation of psychedelics in Colorado might appear on this years November ballot.

Initiative 61 and Initiative 58 are still in the signature gathering phase and petitioners have until Aug. 8 to turn in 124,632 valid signatures to make the ballot.

Nicole Forester, a co-proponent of Decriminalize Colorados Initiative 61 officially known as Legal Possession and Use of Entheogenic Plants and Fungi says the measure would decriminalize the personal use of certain entheogenic plants and fungi (including psilocybin, psilocin, ibogaine, mescaline (not including peyote), and dimethyltryptamine) for adults age 21 and older.

So, the initiative that we're proposing would make the facilitation, possession, (and) use no longer a crime, Forester told Denver7. People are using these medicines; we have data that it's safe, that there's not a public health and safety risk in those cities that have decriminalized (them) so far. We know that safe use is happening outside of regulated frameworks.

Melanie Rose Rodgers, the other co-proponent of Initiative 61, told Denver7 the measure does not allow for the sale of these entheogens, only for their cultivation and sharing for personal use.

But despite these assurances, not everyone is on board.

Jeff Hunt, the director of the Centennial Institute a policy institute out of Colorado Christian University said hes concerned about how far these decriminalization efforts will go.

Denver has already decriminalized psilocybin and no one would be saying that we're doing very well in the City of Denver with our drug issues, Hunt said. And so, I'm concerned that this will take a problem that we're having in the City of Denver with the decriminalization of drugs to the entire state. I think the people of Colorado need to look at this and ask ourselves, is this really going to make our state a better place?

Initiative 61 isnt the only one advocates are looking to get on the November ballot.

Initiative 58 officially known as the Natural Medicine Health Act of 2022 would create a state-regulated access model to make it legal for people to receive natural medicine services at licensed healing centers and approved health care locations, like palliative care. It would also remove criminal penalties for the use of these natural medicines, according to co-proponent of Initiative 58, Kevin Matthews.

For those whove tried psilocybin as an alternative to prescribed medications, however, legalization creates skepticism of what pharmaceutical giants will do once these entheogens are part of the health care conversation.

I think everyone has to thread very carefully with legalization, said Alan Floyd, a cancer patient who uses psilocybin under Right-to-Try a federal law passed under the Trump administration that allows patients with life-threatening diseases or conditions to access unapproved treatments if all other approved treatments have been tried. The last thing I would want to see on Earth is for the pharmaceutical companies to have a stranglehold on this medicine; I feel that that is wrong.

It's the potential cost related to these treatments that Veronica Lightening Horse Perez hopes Initiative 58 will address in order to make natural medicine more accessible to lower-income Coloradans and those seeking other forms of care outside a traditional health care setting.

Three-thousand dollars is a lot of money for most people, Perez, a co-proponent of Intiative 58, said of the hypothetical cost of going to a healing center, where these natural medicines would be administered. So, we did look at that (the potential high costs) and write into the measure that we need to be really careful with this (costs). We want to have access programs; we want to make sure that these prices aren't getting so out of hand.

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Two psychedelic-related initiatives may be on the 2022 Colorado ballot - Denver 7 Colorado News

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cybin Inc. (NEO:CYBN) (NYSE American:CYBN) (Cybin or the Company), a biopharmaceutical company focused on progressing Psychedelics to TherapeuticsTM, today reported audited financial results for its fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 and recent business highlights. The Company also reiterated its anticipated pipeline and strategic milestones for the remainder of 2022.

Cybin made important progress across the board in recent months, accelerating both our pipeline of proprietary investigational psychedelic-based treatments and strategic partnership programs. Our successful preclinical work has set the foundation for a seamless transition to in-human trials, said Doug Drysdale, Chief Executive Officer of Cybin. Over a very short time horizon, we have evolved into a multi-program clinical-stage company, which marks the dedication of the Cybin team to developing improved treatment options for mental health conditions.

Recent Business and Pipeline Highlights:

Upcoming Pipeline and Strategic Milestones:

The Company expects to achieve the following milestones across its pipeline and partnership programs:

CYB003: Deuterated psilocybin analog for the potential treatment of MDD and AUD

CYB004: Deuterated DMT for the potential treatment of anxiety disorders

CYB005: Phenethylamine derivative for the potential treatment of neuroinflammation

Kernel Flow

We gain confidence every day in our ability to create a true paradigm shift in the way mental health conditions are understood and treated. By working to develop treatment options that can potentially offer improved efficacy, greater remission rates, and longer duration of effects, we have the potential to provide patients and providers with a new standard of care. We look forward to continued momentum and sharing meaningful data readouts later this year, Drysdale continued.

Fiscal Year 2022 Financial Highlights:

Our financial position remains strong. Despite the overall softness in the markets, we are pleased with our industry leadership position and remain confident that we are on the right path forward to progress psychedelics into therapeutics, concluded Drysdale.

Additional non-cash consideration in the amount of C$4,655.29 is being issued to the previous shareholders of Adelia Therapeutics Inc. in respect of the achievement of a previously announced milestone on April 1, 2022.

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, the 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.

Cautionary Notes and Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release related to the Company are forward-looking statements and are prospective in nature. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as may, should, could, intend, estimate, plan, anticipate, expect, believe or continue, or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding sharing additional data later this year, the Companys CYB003 Phase 1/2a trial in mid-2022 and anticipated results, the potential closing of the Entheon acquisition, statements regarding the Companys Phase 1 DMT clinical study for CYB004 and anticipated results, the Companys plan to report interim safety and PK data from the Phase 1/2a study in Q4 CY2022, the Companys statements regarding its preclinical data for CYB005 and partnering opportunities, statements regarding the Phase 1 Flow feasibility study and expected results, statements regarding the EMBARK psychotherapy model and anticipated results and the Companys plans to engineer proprietary drug discovery platforms, innovative drug delivery systems, novel formulation approaches and treatment regimens for mental health conditions.

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 Company's 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 year ended March 31, 2022, and the Companys annual information form for the year ended March 31, 2022, 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 Inc. Reports Fiscal Year 2022 Financial Results and Recent Business Highlights - Business Wire

Dr. Zinia Thomas at Radiance Wellness, St. Louis MO Dr. Zinia Thomas is a psychiatrist whose interest in utilizing the power of psychedelics to promote mental wellness and recovery in her patients with treatment-resistant depression and substance use disorder was peaked long before she began to utilize IV Ketamine as a therapeutic in her own clinic. Dr. Thomas shares her holistic approach and examples of whats gotten amazing results for her patients.

Bob Parsons is an American entrepreneur and a Marine Corps veteran who suffered all his life from PTSD incurred while serving in Viet Nam. It wasnt until he read HOW TO CHANGE YOUR MIND by Michael Pollan, that he became inspired by the potential in psychedelics, in conjunction with more mainstream counseling practices, to alleviate suffering from trauma commonly associated with military service. The message continues to be plain and simple, and heard now from voices with no reason to embellish on their beliefs: psychedelics help heal trauma and can save lives.

In May of 2022, NUMINUS WELLNESS sponsored the first in a series of immersive healing sound events entitled MUSIC AS MEDICINE. Olive Kimoto, East Forest, Superposition and Jon Hopkins each shared the stage to engage an audience, present with the intention to heal, with waves of lushly composed ambient and electronic sounds, delivered through high end audio and augmented by evocative visual projections. Numinus CEO Payton Nyquvest and Justin Boreta of Superposition spoke with us about the event, which gloriously exceeded expectations.

#Psychedelics #Numinus #psychiatry

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SPOTLIGHT IN FOCUS - The Rise of Psychedelic Therapy - Psychedelic Spotlight

Although I stopped training, I never stopped being a martial artist. In 2018 Travis Barker connected me with my sensei in Los Angeles who is a world-champion kickboxer named Majid Raees. He is a marvel. Hes almost like a life coach and a martial arts sensei. More recently, I connected with my sensei in Chicago who Ive been training with consistently for the past two years.

Through training with my sensei in Chicago, Chandler, I got locked back into the principles of martial arts. Violence is something we train to be able to unleash, but the foundation is mental discipline. As Ive been growing its become one of my most important pursuits.

Sobriety

Stopping drinking has been one of the most pivotal pieces of my present reality. I stopped drinking, stopped smoking cigarettes and taking drugs. Ive been implementing discipline in my life in a much more intentional and critical way than ever before. I feel like Im living an entirely different experience. Ive cut out so many things, including in my sex life everything.

I still have a lot of ground to cover in my actual diet. I did Ramadan. That was my first experience with fasting. That shit was hard as fuck. I was far from perfect but I did gain insight into the power of self. I felt like every time I was on the brink and wanted to stop at Popeyes but pushed through, I feel like I gained power. Right now Im trying to put on weight so Im eating a lot. The balance Im trying to figure out is how to do that while eating healthily.

Psychedelics

I dont use psychedelics right now but microdosing has been incredibly beneficial and valuable for me. Mushrooms in general are something that has been in my life for a decade now. They have been integral in different creative periods. In more recent times I really dove into microdosing.

When I was in Ghana this past December and January I was newly sober I went sober August last year, and Id also recently started microdosing. I was packing my things and I decided not to take my antidepressants with me. Since I was 15 Ive tried maybe 10-15 different antidepressants. Ive had only one of those medicines work and even that was very short-lived.

Most recently, during the process of changing my dosage there was a point in time where I didnt take it for a few days. I found myself driving through the south side of Chicago and I realised Oh shit, Im suicidal. I talked to my psychiatrist and realised that I wasnt suicidal when I started taking the medication! It was having an adverse effect, creating a chemical reliance. So I decided to go cold turkey even though youre not supposed to, then I really leaned into the microdosing and I think we know what happened next, haha.

Meditation

At this point, more so than microdosing or anything like that, meditation is my primary form of self-care and wellness. If I dont meditate for a day or two, by the end of those couple of days I find myself being aggy, anxious and getting depressed. Meditation is intertwined with martial arts training. Many of the meditations I study come from the same part of the world as martial arts. Ive been meditating since I was 16 but more recently I started studying more techniques like Transcendental Meditation, and I went on a silent meditation retreat.

Original post:

Rapper Vic Mensa has a more badass fitness routine than you thanks to martial arts, psychedelics and meditation - British GQ

This article was originally published on Psychedelic Spotlight and appears here with permission.

Mystics and psychonauts describe ego death as a form of transcendence for stimulating insights and personal growth, but how does it work, and is it actually good for you?

Imagine you wake up in your body but you have no idea who you are. Everything around you feels new. You cant remember your name or any biographical information, and you are seeing the world without any bias or historical context. In the dimness of your mind you can remember that you are human, and you are standing on a planet spinning in space, but beyond that you are clueless. You have just entered ego death.

Ego death,or ego dissolution, is a term used in psychedelic and mystical communities to describe a temporary state ofautobiographical amnesia, a psychological condition where you are fully awake and functional, yet cannot remember any information about yourself, even your name or your gender. Ego death is often described as feeling very light and pleasant, as if the weight of the biographical self had been lifted from the body. Alternately, depending on context, ego death can be extremely disorienting and terrifying.

Imagine walking into a room and instantly forgetting what you walked in for, and you stand blankly waiting for some piece of information to pop into your mind and solve the puzzle. But then that moment stretches on for minutes, and you still have no clue how you got there, or what you were doing. If you find yourself in a state of temporary amnesia, you may have also forgotten how you came to be there, or how long it might last. Without knowing answers to any of these questions, the experience can become very frightening.

Some people experiencing ego death on psychedelics for the first time may believe that the state will last forever, and they will never return to their old life. This realization is often met with horror and panic, and is one of the primary causes of bad trips and freak outs. Some people may come to the conclusion that they have died and entered an entirely new world, hence the term ego death. But drug induced ego death is always temporary, and when you come out of it and begin to put the pieces of yourself back together, it can be a long and painful process. Thats why the practice ofpsychedelic integrationis so important following ego death, and why the archetype of death and rebirth is central to psychedelic spirituality and healing.

In recent years, ego dissolution has become a hot topic of study in psychedelic therapy. Cases of autobiographical amnesia are usually related to unusual activity in thehippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for storing and retrieving memories, located in themedial temporal lobe. In the case of ego death, It is reasonable to assume that higher doses of psychedelics disrupt the information flow from the hippocampus to theexecutive areasin the forebrain responsible forworking memory, causing autobiographical memory to become temporarily offline.

To quote a 2015scanning studyfrom Imperial College, ego dissolution under the effects of psilocybin was found to be associated with decreased functional connectivity between the medial temporal lobe and high-level cortical regions. Also, individuals with lower diversity of executive network nodes were more likely to experience ego-dissolution under psilocybin. Both of these findings suggest that the communication of biographical information from the hippocampus to the executive areas of the forebrain is severely diminished during ego death.

The state of ego death can last as long as a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the dose and type of psychedelic. Ego death is most commonly reported on longer lasting psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and LSD. Short-duration drugs like vaporized DMT may produce an intense state of ego death lasting only a minute or two, dropping the user into a disoriented state with unsettling questions like, Who am I? and What just happened?

When the state of ego death begins to wane, autobiographical memories may begin pouring back into consciousness, giving the user the experience that their life is flashing before their eyes, a trait commonly reported in near death experiences. This experience of metaphorically dying and being reborn is widely considered to be one of the most profound aspects of the psychedelic experience.

Although ego death shares similarities with other well known mystical states, in many ways it is wholly unique to the psychedelic experience. The termego, which broadly means ones sense of self, wasnt popularized until the turn of the 19th century, whenSigmund Freudmade it a central part of his theory of psychoanalysis. The termego deathorego dissolutionwasnt popularized until 1964, when Timothy Leary used it to describe the mystical effects of LSD. Even though psychedelic advocates naturally compared the psychedelic state to other mystical states like enlightenment,samadhi, orsatori, those terms all have common definitions intrinsically tied to ancient mystical traditions. In clinical terms, ego death is more like a fugue state, reverie, amnesia, senility, or dementia an episode that may be phenomenally similar to a mystical state but is otherwise lacking in spiritual context.

In the proper set and setting it can certainly feel like a mystical experience. If you find yourself in a natural setting exploring the wonders of the world with fresh eyes, you will experience everything as new and beautiful with no boundaries between yourself and the rest of creation. If you are in a shamanic setting, you may experience a sense of timelessness or infinity that feels like it can last an eternity. These states are often described with feelings of openness and connection or oneness with all things, and a sense of awe at the unfathomable size and mystery of the universe.

In a 2018 study ofayahuasca drinkers, researchers measured the levels of ego dissolution experienced by each subject using an ego dissolution questionnaire, and then measured short term and long term changes in their mood and behavior. The study found that ratings of depression and stress significantly decreased convergent thinking improved and, Changes in affect, satisfaction with life, and mindfulness were significantly correlated to the level of ego dissolution experienced during the ayahuasca ceremony. These results suggest that ego dissolution may be an essential component of psychedelic therapy, though this is still a subject of some debate.

In recent years, on some corners of the internet, the concept of ego death has been popularized as a kind of achievement to be unlocked for leveling up in mystical or psychonautical practice. The general sentiment seems to be that if you experience ego death, you will become a more humbled, thoughtful, and wiser person with fewer emotional attachments. However, there is no evidence this is true. In fact, some people in the psychedelic community feel the term ego death may be a misnomer because even though the ego temporarily dies, when it comes back, it comes back stronger.

Recent researchhas shown some paradoxical and counterintuitive effects of spiritual practice on the sense of self. One potential unintended consequence of a hyperfocus on self-improvement through spiritual training is elevated levels of narcissism and spiritual superiority. Instead of ego death leading to a state of openness and compassion, it may lead to heightened levels of superiority and ego inflation. So even though the mystical effects of ego death are undeniable, theres no guarantee that it is a shortcut to becoming a more thoughtful person. Because of this, It would be a mistake to frame the experience of ego death as an achievement that leads to a more rounded sense of self. After all, an obsession with ego death is still an obsession with the ego.

Link:

What is Ego Death And How Does it Work? - Benzinga - Benzinga

WATCH TIME: 4 minutes

I would say were at the hypothesis testing phase. The clinical trials are going to get done, and we will ultimately have large, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials, probably for cluster headache, migraine headache, and other headache disorderstemporal neuralgia, that sort of thingand well know within a few years.

The keynote address for the 2022 American Headache Society (AHS) Annual Scientific Meeting, June 9-11, in Denver, Colorado, included a thorough review of the history and potential of psychedelic drugs as possible therapies for medical conditions. Specifically, Bryan Roth, MD, PhD, who delivered the address, touched on the available evidence in migraine and cluster headache.

Although these drugs have shown some potential to improve headache disordersamong other conditionsthere have been challenges in assessing these therapies. Namely in that the ability to properly blind clinical trial participants in placebo-controlled trials because of the psychedelic effects of these compounds. Additionally, much of the evidence that is available in favor these drugs as therapies is anecdotal, which presents challenges for researchers in determining their actual effectiveness.

Roth, who is the Michael Hooker Distinguished Professor and director of the NIMH psychoactive drug screening program at University of North Carolina School of Medicine, has been studying these agents for some time, thanks to federal funding in the form of an NIH grant. He explained in a conversation with NeurologyLive about this lack of robust evidence and the challenges in conducting clinical trials in migraine. He also spoke to the difficulty in informing patients about these drugs given their legality and access in certain states amid this lack of data.

To read more of Roths work into psychedelics, he and Tristan D. McClure-Begley, PhD, recently published on the topic in Nature Reviews: Drug Discovery, which you can read here: The promises and perils of psychedelic pharmacology for psychiatry.

Click here for more coverage of AHS 2022.

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Anecdotal Evidence and the Need for Trials of Psychedelics in Headache Disorders: Bryan Roth, MD, PhD - Neurology Live

My father died this year of cancer. In the end, he was brought home from the hospital to die with his family around him, and Im grateful for that. He was resigned to his inevitable end, and we were able to say goodbye.

Under the careful ministrations of hospice nurses, my father experienced his final day on a morphine-fueled trip that would have made psychedelic pioneer Timothy Leary jealous. As far as I know, it was his first and last extended psychedelic experience. None of the health care providers ever mentioned to us (or to him) that hed be visiting the origin of the universe, seeing God and reliving his emotional childhood. But thats what seemed to be happening as we sat around his bed.

Some research suggests that DMT (N, N-Dimethyltryptamine) is produced inside the dying brain and sparks a hallucinatory near-death experience including feelings of transcending your body, traveling through alternative realms, communicating with sentient entities and so on. Its unclear whether the morphine or the DMT is more responsible for the final magic carpet ride.

If the psychedelic experience is transformative and I think it is then it seems a cruel irony to have it at the end of your life. Thankfully, though, we dont have to wait for our near-death trip or ask our shady friend to score some LSD or even travel to lick the psychotropic skin of the Colorado River toad. We need only to pay closer attention to the weirdness of our nightly dreams and our daily imaginings, which are also psychedelic to varying degrees.

In what ways can the psychedelic imagination be transformative? The science of psychedelics is having a renaissance, and the research is helping us understand the mind better and provide fresh therapeutic options. Psychotropic substances engender psychological and philosophical states that reveal important features of the self and consciousness. They can reduce the vigilant executive functions in the frontal areas of the brain and release the mind into the involuntary sphere of free association and mind wandering what neuroscientists call the default mode network, or DMN. These altered states loosen the tyranny of task-based consciousness, and they also suspend the egos usual dominance letting us feel connected to everything.

Research at the MIND Foundation in Berlin and the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research is revealing that psychedelics are better than many antidepressants for treating certain kinds of depression. But even healthy people can benefit from psychedelic experiences.

After the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment, the West came to see nature as a giant machine and human beings as fungible cogs. We stopped thinking about nature as symbolic, purposeful or infused with drama. Great advances came from this mechanistic model, of course, including medicine and technology. But something was lost in the disenchantment of nature and mind. Some poetry and meaning seemed to slip away.

Psychedelic imagination can reenchant nature and self, activating purposeful and even poetic perspectives that were expunged by modernism. Such experiences may also help us find universal hidden grammars of imagination. Are there common archetypes uniting us all throughout the ages from the shaman painters in Frances Lascaux caves to writers Dante Alighieri, Aldous Huxley and Philip K. Dick?

Altered states are surprisingly common ground for artists and religious people, though they rarely notice the connection. As piano great Bill Evans once said, art should teach spirituality by showing a person a portion of himself that he would not discover otherwise. Its easy to rediscover part of yourself, but through art, you can be shown part of yourself you never knew existed.

Instead of anxiety about the weird parts of our psyches, our culture should teach us to grapple with them and integrate them starting at an early age. Tripping balls is not just for bohemians. Your conservative grandma is probably going on a magical mystery tour, too, whether she wants to or not.

If I had known that my father was going to rocket across the universe at the end of his life, we could have talked to him and helped him prepare. Hearing him spontaneously cry out in wonder, fear and joy was difficult. My brother looked at me at one point and said, Hes on one hell of a journey now. I felt some comfort at the idea that he wasnt having random pleasures and pains but maybe making some kind of pilgrims progress.

Since his passing, several people have confided in me that their loved ones also had a psychedelic end. Its far more common than we think. Your loved ones and you, too, may be on that same journey one day. It would be better if we had a more open-minded and honest way to prepare for it.

Stephen Asma is professor of philosophy at Columbia College Chicago. He is the author of The Evolution of Imagination, On Monsters and Why We Need Religion, among other titles.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.

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Stephen Asma: My father's experience with morphine in hospice showed me the healing joy of altered states - Chicago Tribune

Welcome to TDRs review of the Top 5 Psychedelic developments for the week of May 30. Aside from presenting a synopsis of events, we provide market commentary to summarize the week that was for publicly-listed companies.

5. B.C. To Decriminalize Possession Of Small Amounts Of Hard Drugs, Including MDMA

Effective Jan. 31, 2023, British Columbians 18 and older will be able to carry up to a cumulative total of 2.5 grams of these illicit substances without the risk of arrest or criminal charges. Under rules established by Ottawa and the province, police will not confiscate the drugs, and people found to be in possession will not be required to seek treatment. The production, trafficking and exportation of these drugs will remain illegal.

BREAKING: Small amounts of illegal drugs will be decriminalized in B.C starting in 2023.

Adults 18 years of age and older will be able to carry up to 2.5 grams of certain drugs including opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine and not be subject to arrest, charges, or drug seizure. pic.twitter.com/JXrxKaRIYn

The illicit drugs covered by the new rules are opioids including heroin and fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA the substances most commonly associated with deaths from toxic drugs. Police will maintain discretion to arrest people and recommend charges for possessing other substances.

The province has ramped up its response in recent years to a drug crisis that has killed thousands of people, expanding harm-reduction measures and opening the door to a safer drug supply.

4. Tripp Raises $11.2M To Build The Mindful Metaverse

Tripphas raised $11.2 million in funding to help it continue to create meditation apps that power the mindful metaverse.

The funding was raised from Bitkraft Ventures, Amazon Alexa Fund, Qualcomm, HTC, Niantic and Mayfield. Tripp reports that it will use the funding to help meet the growing global demand for mental wellbeing through Tripps extended-reality (XR) wellness accessible through augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mobile application.

The company also recently announced the acquisition of BeardedEyes world-building platform Eden, which will enable users to further customize their Tripp experience, explore digital realities and meet other people.

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Number And Percentages Of Negative Responses Linked To The Use Of Psychedelic Drugs, Online Survey Completed By 2,510 Adults

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3. Psychedelic Stocks Outperform And Post A Third Consecutive Winning Week

The biggest psychedelic stocks were mixed, however, percentage gainers outpaced decliner and that allowed psychedelic stocks to outperform peer indexes. TheHorizon Psychedelic Stock Index ETF(PSYK) climbed3.26%, which bested theNasdaq Junior Biotechnology Index(1.52%) and theNasdaq Biotechnology Ishares ETF(2.51%). After a positive performance last week disrupted seven consecutive weeks of decline, both theNASDAQ1001.01%andS&P 5001.11%fell after a weak Friday session despite a better-than-expected U.S. payrolls report.

Heres how the Health Care (Biotechnology) sector performed:

Weekly technical snapshot, PSYK ETF:

In the news

12 companies from across the country joined forces to foundPsychedelics Canada, the first, national-level trade association representing the blossoming psychedelic medicine and therapy industry. Incorporated as a not-for-profit trade association,Psychedelics Canadaspeaks on behalf of the legal psychedelics industry to government, the press, and the public.

ACT government is considering legislation changes to allow MDMA-assisted therapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and psilocybin to treat depression.

Awakn Life Sciences has have initiated a larger behavioral addiction study investigating ketamine as a treatment for Gambling Disorder. Awakn had previously announced on May 19, 2022, that the company had completed a successful pilot study for a range of behavioral addictions. Newest interview covering the news.

Braxia Scientific announced positive preliminary results from the first Health Canada Approved, Phase II, randomized clinical trial to evaluate the feasibility, safety, tolerability, and efficacy of multi-dose psilocybin-assisted therapy for Treatment-Resistant-Depression.

Clearmind Medicine has been granted patent approval from the Office of the Controller-General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks in India. The patent refers to the companys proprietary MEAI-based alcohol substitute patent family.

Cybin Inc.announced the team of 28 esteemed faculty and advisors who will lead the Companys EMBARK Psychedelic Facilitator Training Program. Recognizing the crucial importance of supporting psychedelic study facilitators with quality training.

FSD Pharma announced the submission of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada detailing a planned Phase 2 clinical trial of FSD-PEA for the treatment of a yet-to-be-disclosed inflammatory disorder.

Ketamine Wellness Centers has expanded the availability of SPRAVATO to three new cities and increased the total number of clinics offering the FDA-approved esketamine nasal spray to six. StartingJune 1, the KWC clinics inMinneapolis,Salt Lake CityandDallaswill join theHouston,Las VegasandSeattlelocations in offering SPRAVATO to their patient base.

Michigan activists announced on Wednesday that they will no longer be pursuing a statewide psychedelics legalization ballot initiative for this years election and will instead focus on qualifying the measure to go before voters in 2024.

Mind Medicine announced thatRobert Barrow, Chief Executive Officer and Director, will participate in the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference, to be held inNew York, NYfromJune 8-10, 2022.

Mynd Life Sciences announced positive preclinical data in measuring dosing accuracy in psilocybins and psilocybin analogs.

Nirvana Life Sciences has released comprehensive data on a scientific study that aims in determining the effects that psilocybin has on the heroin-addicted brain.

Novamind Inc. reported its financial results for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2022.

Novamind Inc. announced new patient financing options to help patients access critical mental healthcare services at its six clinic locations in Utah. The Company now accepts Synchronys CareCredit credit card for treatments including Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, ketamine therapy and Spravato therapy.

Optimi Health has entered into a supply agreement withFilament Health to supply psilocybin mushrooms cultivated in Optimisrecently inaugurated 20,000 square footEU-GMPPrinceton, British Columbia facility.

Origin Therapeutics Holdings, an actively managed, psychedelics industry-focused investment issuer, has received approval to list its common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange. The common shares will commence trading under the trading symbol ORIG on June 6, 2022.

PsyBio Therapeutics has initiated formal process development for commercially scalable, patent pending manufacturing technology expected to enable Good Manufacturing Practice production.

Psyence Group provided the following corporate update on its three strategic focus areas namely: Psyence Therapeutics, Psyence Production and Psyence Function.

Silo Wellness has executed a nonbinding letter of intent to acquire Dyscovry Science, a Toronto-based biotechnology company that focuses on biosynthetic manufacturing of psilocybin and its derivatives.

The Psychedelic House of Davos, a satellite event happening in conjunction with the World Economic Forum, was a genius strategy to build credibility, say experts.

University of Calgary recruits Canadas first research chair in psychedelics. The university has recruited Dr. Leah Mayo as its Parker Psychedelic Research Chair a first for Canada.

Wesana Health Holdings announced its first quarter 2022 financial results. Cash balance: $3,193,371

2. Cybin Submits IND Application to FDA For Its Phase 1/2a First-in-Human Trial of CYB003 For The Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

Cybin Inc.(NEO:CYBN) (NYSE:CYBN) announced the submission of an Investigational New Drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Phase 1/2a first-in-human clinical trial evaluating CYB003, a proprietary deuterated psilocybin analog, for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD).

Following the successful completion of our IND-enabling work just last month, we are very excited to have reached this major milestone toward advancing CYB003 into clinical development so quickly. Based on preclinical studies, our proprietary psilocybin analog has the potential to offer numerous advantages over classic psilocybin with the potential to ultimately provide better outcomes for people suffering with MDD, said Doug Drysdale, Chief Executive Officer of Cybin. This FDA submission is the next major step in the advancement of CYB003, and we continue to work tirelessly to bring this innovative therapeutic option to people as quickly as possible. We look forward to continuing to work with the FDA to initiate the Phase 1/2a trial in mid-2022.

1. B.C. Company Opens Canadas Largest Licensed Psychedelic Mushroom Growing Facility

B.C.-based company Optimi Health(CNSX:OPTI) (OTCMKTS:OPTHF)has harvested its first cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms at its Health Canada-licensed facilities in Princeton, B.C., positioning itself as a major player in the burgeoning psychedelic sector.

We are the only GMP organic facility in the world that can supply what we do. We have contacts all over the world for people who would like to do research with psilocybin.

The $14-millionventure consists of two 10,000-square-feetfacilities with a combined total of 10 growing rooms that can produce approximately2,000 kilogramsofdried psilocybin mushrooms a month, according to Optimis head cultivator, Todd Henderson.

This monththe agencygranted Optimi a licenceto produce the mushrooms as well as a research exemption to extract the psychedelic components ofpsilocybinand psilocinfor use in clinical trials, according to the company. Optimi says theirfacilities are builtto meet Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements, a quality assurance standard required by Health Canadato produce psilocybin for clinical research.

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TDR's Top 5 Psychedelic Developments For The Week Of May 30 - The Dales Report

Tripping is going mainstream as research into magic mushrooms continues to grow. Research into magic mushrooms was initially halted during the 70s and 80s thanks to Ronald Reagans War on Drugs. However, the past few years have seen a resurgence of clinical research looking at the effects of magic mushrooms.

Magic mushrooms get their magic from a compound known as psilocybin. The compound is responsible for providing that euphoric and trip effect, but it may also provide health benefits.

As of this time, magic mushrooms are still classified as a Schedule I drug. Schedule 1 drugs, which include LSD and heroin, have, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, a high potential for abuse and serves no legitimate medical purpose in the United States. We should also mention that cannabis is also classified as a Schedule 1 drug and yet, its been proven to provide a number of medical benefits.

Similar to cannabis, the change in attitude towards magic mushrooms and other psychedelics has opened the floodgates when it comes to research, with many studies revealing the role that psilocybin treatment can play when it comes to improving your health.

The majority of psilocybin studies are looking into their potential as a treatment for mental health disorders, most notably depression.

According to a study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, psilocybin was found to reduce depression levels in 27 individuals with moderate to severe unipolar depression. Participants were given two doses of psilocybin every 2 weeks between August 2017 and April 2019.

The researchers found that the participants depression levels remained low 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-months after the treatment.

In a separate study published in Nature Medicine, researchers analyzed fMRI brain scans from nearly 60 people who had participated in two psilocybin trials. According to the scans, the psilocybin treatment reduced connections within brain areas that are tightly connected to depression.

For the first time, we find that psilocybin works differently from conventional antidepressants making the brain more flexible and fluid, and less entrenched in the negative thinking patterns associated with depression.

This supports our initial predictions and confirms psilocybin could be a real alternative approach to depression treatments. David Nutt, DM, head of the Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research.

Now, while these findings are promising, the authors of the study caution against patients with depression self-medicating with psilocybin.

A 2016 study from Johns Hopkins University found that out of 51 cancer patients, those who were given a high dose of psilocybin experienced an improved quality of life and decreased levels of depression and anxiety.

A more recent review from 2020 also found the same thing when reviewing three different studies where participants had depression and anxiety related to life-threatening illnesses. For the three studies, the individuals took lab-synthesized psilocybin. The review authors found that psilocybin did help relieve feelings of both anxiety and depression.

While research into the effects of psychedelics on PTSD is focused more on MDMA (ecstasy), there is research that suggests that psilocybin can help with post-traumatic stress.

According to an animal study published in Experimental Brain Research, low doses of psilocybin erased the conditioned fear response in mice. According to the researchers, this supports the hypothesis that psilocybin can help break the traumatic cycle that occurs in patients with PTSD.

It should be mentioned that this study is from 2013, so we definitely need more recent research.

If youre struggling with cutting back on substance use, studies suggest that magic mushrooms could help.

In regards to alcohol abuse, a study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology found that alcohol abstinence did not increase significantly in the first 4 weeks of treatment (when participants had not yet received psilocybin), yet it did increase significantly following psilocybin administration.

Photo by Ahmed Zayan on Unsplash

In a more recent pilot study from 2018 that analyzed psilocybin-assisted treatment of alcohol dependence, participants noted changes in their personal relationship to alcohol.

For those hoping to kick the smoking habit, Johns Hopkins University suggested that magic mushrooms can help longtime smokers quit. According to the findings, which were published in 2014, following a carefully controlled and monitored use of psilocybin, the abstinence rate for study participants was 80 percent after six months, substantially higher than typical success rates in smoking cessation trials.

In a follow-up study from 2018, researchers from Johns Hopkins found that psilocybin therapy significantly improved abstaining from smoking over a 12-month follow-up period.

For those battling crippling migraines, a study published in Neurotherapeutics suggested that magic mushrooms may provide relief.

The study, published last year, had 10 frequent migraine sufferers consume a placebo capsule. At least two weeks later, they then consumed a capsule containing a low dose of psilocybin.

The findings revealed an association between psilocybin and a greater reduction in the frequency of migraines compared to the placebo. Additionally, a link between psilocybin and reductions in both headache pain severity and migraine-related functional impairments was also established. Despite the promising findings, study author and assistant professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine Emmanuelle A. D. Schindler advises us not to get ahead of ourselves.

Its important to remember that there is no silver bullet when it comes to headache management, says Schindler,

Psilocybin and related compounds might simply be added to the toolbox of treatment options. What we learned from this study though, is that psilocybin seems to work in a new way compared to other treatments, which is more valuable than simply replicating an already existing form of treatment.

As magical as these mushrooms are, the reality is that they are psychedelics and psychedelics are very unpredictable. In addition to the fact that its quite psychologically dangerous, psilocybin has also been found to affect cardiovascular health by increasing blood pressure and heart rate.

That said, psilocybin therapy isnt exactly a shroom-fest. All the aforementioned studies happened in controlled environments.

Nonetheless, regardless of our opinion on this, the only opinion that matters at this time is that of the FDA who will continue to delve into the aforementioned benefits and other studies before satisfactorily concluding that magic mushrooms are the magic that our health needs.

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Psychedelic Wellness: 5 Magical Benefits of Magic Mushrooms - Longevity LIVE - Longevity LIVE

The brain adopts rigid patterns of activity if you suffer from depression. But researchers at Imperial College London have discovered that psilocybin, the psychedelic substance found in magic mushrooms, helps to open up depressed peoples brains.

Psilocybin is now one of a number of interesting psychedelics that are being explored as a potential therapy for psychiatric disorders.

Several studies have shown promising results in patients suffering with depression and anxiety, where traditional treatments are not working.

Researchers explain that patterns of brain activity in depression can become restricted, and that psilocybin could potentially help the brain break out of this rut, in a way traditional antidepressants cant.

The new results, taken from two combined studies, reveal that people who respond to psilocybin-assisted therapy show increased brain connectivity, not just during their treatment, but up to three weeks after, and this opening-up effect helped. Similar changes in brain connectivity were not seen in people treated with escitalopram, which is a conventional antidepressant used to treat anxiety and OCD.

It suggests that the psychedelics works differently in depression.

The effect seen with psilocybin is consistent across two studies, related to people getting better, but was not seen with a conventional antidepressant, says Professor Robin Carhart-Harris, senior author and former head of Imperials Centre for Psychedelic Research.

In the new research, the team analysed fMRI scans, where you carry out functions while being scanned.

Both of the studies found improvements with psilocybin therapy, with brain scans revealing altered communication or connectivity between brain regions.

These findings are important because for the first time we find that psilocybin works differently from conventional antidepressants making the brain more flexible and fluid, and less entrenched in the negative thinking patterns associated with the illness, says Professor David Nutt, head of Imperials Centre for Psychedelic Research.

It works by increasing the communication between those brain regions that are more segregated in depressed patients.

The researchers also found a correlation between this effect and symptom improvement across both the trials.

Professor Nutt added: This supports our predictions and confirms psilocybin could be a real alternative approach to treatments.

Professor Carhart-Harris added: One exciting implication of our findings is that weve discovered a fundamental mechanism via which psychedelic therapy works not just for depression, but other mental illnesses, such as anorexia or addiction.

We now need to test if this is the case, and if it is, then we have found something important.

Its remarkable stuff and could pave the way for new treatments for depression in the years to come.

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'Magic mushrooms drug could help depression sufferers in the years to come' - Irish Mirror