The criminalization of people who use psychedelics is rooted in myths that are the vestiges of colonialism and the drug war and, one by one, those myths are crumbling down.

Weve learned in recent years that people who use psychedelics are significantly *less* likely to end up developing mental health problems, perpetrating domestic violence, or suffering from psychological distress and suicidal thinking.

Meanwhile, recent research has shown that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy can be an effective treatment for people struggling with difficult-to-treat conditions such as substance use disorders. Not much has been known, though, about the connection between psychedelic use and substance misuse in the general population.

Now, a new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology has found that experiences with psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin mushrooms are associated with decreased risk of opioid abuse and dependence among respondents with a history of illegal opioid use. Psychedelic use is associated with 27 percent reduced risk of past-year opioid dependence and 40 percent reduced risk of past-year opioid abuse. Other than marijuana use, which was associated with 55 percent reduced risk of past-year opioid abuse, no other illegal drug was associated with reduced risk of past-year opioid dependence or abuse.

The study is based on six years of data from the federal governments National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which surveys 70,000 people each year. While the findings are far from causal, the authors conclude that the associations between psychedelic use and opioid misuse are pervasive and significant and suggest that psychedelics are associated with positive psychological characteristics and are consistent with prior reports suggesting efficacy in treatment of substance use disorders.

Although more research is needed to determine exactly why theres such a strong correlation between psychedelic use and decreased risk of opioid misuse, this study does appear to validate the experiences of many people who have found substances like ibogaine, marijuana or kratom to be life-changing tools that have helped them lead happier, more fulfilling lives. For many, these substances have helped them cut back or quit their use of opioids or other substances with which theyve had a problematic relationship. Safe access to these substances along with 911 Good Samaritan laws, naloxone access programs, supervised injection facilities, various forms of maintenance therapy, and, of course, ending the criminalization of drug use should be part of the discussion when it comes to dealing with addiction and skyrocketing rates of overdose deaths.

And lets not forget our commander-in-chief is ramping up the drug war and thinks he can deal with opioid addiction by building a giant wall and deporting millions of people, both documented and undocumented. Lets remember, too, that thousands of people are getting handcuffed, arrested, branded as criminals, and serving time behind bars every year simply for using or possessing a psychedelic substance in the U.S. and these people are more likely to be young, non-white, and socioeconomically marginalized than most people who use psychedelics.

While psychedelic-assisted therapy could be approved by the FDA in the next decade, that would do nothing to change the criminal penalties faced by millions of people who use psychedelics outside of government-sanctioned, medically-supervised settings. Thats why its incumbent upon people who care about psychedelics to advocate for reducing the criminalization of people who use them outside of medical contexts, while also advocating for psychedelic-assisted therapy research.

This study also forces us to reflect on why abstinence-only policies can be so harmful and counterproductive. Contrary to conventional wisdom, federal government data has consistently shown that the vast majority of people who use opioids, including heroin, dont end up developing an addiction. So our focus should be not just on preventing people from using opioids after all, they can be essential medical tools but also ensuring, above all else, that people who use them dont go on to struggle with addiction.

A truly health-centered approach to drug addiction assesses improvement by many measures, not simply by someones drug use level, but also by their overall health, their social relationships, and their general well-being. Determining success by boiling it down to the single measure of abstinence to an arbitrary group of certain drugs isnt realistic or effective.

Addiction is a complex phenomenon, but I think its safe to say that it can only be genuinely resolved when people find meaning in their lives. This study is yet another indication that the meaning people seem to find from psychedelics has considerable implications for our prevailing healthcare and criminal justice paradigms.

Jag Davies is the director of communications strategy for the Drug Policy Alliance. This piece first appeared on the Drug Policy Alliance Blog.

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Psychedelics May Help Reduce Opioid Addiction, According To ... - Huffington Post

Ayahuasca art Photo Credit: Pinterest

The criminalization of people who use psychedelics is rooted in myths that are the vestiges ofcolonialismand thedrug war and, one by one, those myths are crumbling down.

Weve learned in recent years that people who use psychedelics are significantly *less* likely to end up developingmental health problems,perpetrating domestic violence, or suffering frompsychological distress and suicidal thinking.

Meanwhile,recent researchhas shown that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy can be an effective treatment for people struggling with difficult-to-treat conditions such as substance use disorders. Not much has been known, though, about the connection between psychedelic use and substance misuse in the general population.

Now, anew studypublished in theJournal of Psychopharmacologyhas found that experiences with psychedelics likeLSDandpsilocybin mushroomsare associated with decreased risk of opioid abuse and dependence among respondents with a history of illegal opioid use. Psychedelic use is associated with 27% reduced risk of past-year opioid dependence and 40% reduced risk of past-year opioid abuse. Other thanmarijuanause, which was associated with 55% reduced risk of past-year opioid abuse, no other illegal drug was associated with reduced risk of past-year opioid dependence or abuse.

The study is based on six years of data from the federal governmentsNational Survey on Drug Use and Health(NSDUH), which surveys 70,000 people each year. While the findings are far from causal, the authors conclude that the associations between psychedelic use and opioid misuse are pervasive and significant and suggest that psychedelics are associated with positive psychological characteristics and are consistent with prior reports suggesting efficacy in treatment of substance use disorders.

Although more research is needed to determine exactly why theres such a strong correlation between psychedelic use and decreased risk of opioid misuse, this study does appear to validate the experiences of many people who have found substances likeibogaine,marijuanaorkratomto be life-changing tools that have helped them lead happier, more fulfilling lives. For many, these substances have helped them cut back or quit their use of opioids or other substances with which theyve had a problematic relationship. Safe access to these substances along with911 Good Samaritan laws,naloxone accessprograms,supervised injection facilities, various forms ofmaintenance therapy, and, of course,ending the criminalization of drug use should be part of the discussion when it comes to dealing with addiction andskyrocketing rates of overdose deaths.

And lets not forget our commander-in-chief isramping up the drug warand thinks he can deal with opioid addiction by building a giant wall anddeporting millions of people, both documented and undocumented. Lets remember, too, that thousands of people are getting handcuffed, arrested, branded as criminals, and serving time behind bars every year simply for using or possessing a psychedelic substance in the U.S. and these people are more likely to be young, non-white, and socioeconomically marginalized than most people who use psychedelics.

While psychedelic-assisted therapy could be approved by the FDA in the next decade, that would do nothing to change the criminal penalties faced by millions of people who use psychedelics outside of government-sanctioned, medically-supervised settings. Thats why its incumbent upon people who care about psychedelics to advocate for reducing the criminalization of people who use them outside of medical contexts, while also advocating for psychedelic-assisted therapy research.

Given the widespreadscientific consensusthat drug use and addiction are best treated as health issues,theres no good reason for people who use psychedelics to be treated as criminals especially considering how much we already know aboutprohibitions discriminatory impact on people of color and other marginalized groups.

This study also forces us to reflect on why abstinence-only policies can be so harmful and counterproductive. Contrary to conventional wisdom,federal government datahas consistently shown that the vast majority of people who use opioids, including heroin,dont end up developing an addiction. So our focus should be not just on preventing people from using opioids after all, they can be essential medical tools but also ensuring, above all else, that people who use them dont go on to struggle with addiction.

A truly health-centered approach to drug addiction assesses improvement by many measures, not simply by someones drug use level, but also by their overall health, their social relationships, and their general well-being. Determining success by boiling it down to the single measure of abstinence to an arbitrary group of certain drugs isnt realistic or effective.

Addiction is a complex phenomenon, but I think its safe to say that it can only be genuinely resolved when people find meaning in their lives. This study is yet another indication that the meaning people seem to find from psychedelics has considerable implications for our prevailing healthcare and addiction treatment paradigms.

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Psychedelics Help Reduce Opioid Addiction, According to New Study - AlterNet

On his latest album as Strand of Oaks, Timothy Showalter embraces the highest and lowest points of his life with equal joy. Maclay Heriot/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

On his latest album as Strand of Oaks, Timothy Showalter embraces the highest and lowest points of his life with equal joy.

Timothy Showalter is a tough-looking guy with a beard, tattoos and a flat Midwestern accent, who's pretty open about taking drugs. He thinks a lot about where life is taking him.

"I read somewhere that the idea of joy, and to live a joyful life, is different than living a happy life," he tells NPR's Steve Inskeep. "Happiness is fleeting. Happiness is something that you're always going to reach for but you're never gonna quite get or be satisfied with."

For Showalter, who performs music under the name Strand of Oaks, "joy" is being fully engaged in life, whether it goes well or badly. His new album, Hard Love, deals with some of the highest and lowest points of his own life.

In the case of the song "Taking Acid and Talking to My Brother," Showalter says, he was reflecting on the lows: Two years ago, his younger brother John was stricken with cardiomyopathy, a disease affecting the heart's muscle tissue.

"When he was having dinner with my parents in Indiana, his heart completely stopped," he says. "My dad revived him to a certain point until the ambulance came, and they induced a coma. So I flew home and proceeded to sit with my family by my brother's hospital bed."

Within two weeks, Showalter's brother had made a miraculous recovery. But the suspense he experienced in the intervening time was consuming and the strain it put on him inspired the song's title.

"It has nothing to do with taking acid. Strangely, it's the only song on the record that may not have to do with stereotypical psychedelic experience," he says. "The reason why I called it 'Taking Acid' is because it's more psychedelic than any drug could ever give when you're put in a position of not being in any control, and knowing that you have absolutely no way to help.

"I remember my little brother's cell phone was still on [while he recovered]," Showalter adds. "I didn't read them, but occasionally he would get text messages from my dad saying that he loved him. ... That's this record! That's the idea of what hard love is. You have as high as it gets and as low as it gets."

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When Reality Is More Intense Than Psychedelics: Strand Of Oaks ... - NPR

No longer is the psychedelic revolution represented by tie dye shirts and free loving spirits. Psychedelic activism has been on the minds of many people since its boom in the 1960s; however, now more than ever, people are stepping up and really studying the possibilities that these drugs may actually be used as medicines. This can most notably be seen with the growing acceptance of medical marijuana in our culture.That being said, it is going to be a lot more difficult for the public to understand psychedelics medicinal role.

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a non-profit research and group that both advocate and do research on psychedelic substances and their potential to be used in psychotherapy. The work being done by MAPS has inspired groups all over the country to join in on the fight for psychedelics and they have worked very closely with some of the groups in the Denver and Boulder Area.Founded in 1986, the organization has come a substantially long way in its research and they are now working with several different human studies to look at the effective combination of psychedelic drugs and psychotherapy. NowMAPS has psychotherapy assisted studies with medical marijuana, LSD, Ibogaine, Ayuascha and MDMA.The major medical applications for these substances include helping treat illnesses like PTSD, cluster headaches, severe anxiety and depression.

PBS recently released a news piece entitled, Why psychedelic drugs are having a medical renaissance. The piece examines the recent work being done between psychedelics and psychotherapy to help treat extreme anxiety and PTSD. One study examined in the article found people with sever anxiety or depression were 60 to 80 percent felt better immediately after the experience and for as long as six months after.

So with all of this new research being done, who are the psychedelic activist in our community? Organizations like Medicinal Mindfulness and Psychedelic Club both take on similar missions as MAPS and work tirelessly for the avocation and possible regulation of psychedelic medicines. The goal isto break the stigma that has been placed around these substances and open engaging conversations about their safe use. Medicinal Mindfulness is very active within the Boulder community and holds many different workshops and events.

Dennis McKenna speaking at the Psychedelic Shine event in Boulder on Feb, 2017.

One of the most interesting of these workshops isa community breath work event called Conscious Cannabis Circles. Not only are they helping spread accurate information to the community, but they are also working within the community to facilitate actual psychedelic experiences. Using a combination of cannabis satvia, some skillful breath work, the correct set and setting, and the help of their cannabis facilitators, Medicinal Mindfulness cites that it can create a Dmt-like experience for participants who sign up for their Conscious Cannabis events. Everything is completely legal under Colorados state laws and this not only can be done at their community events, but also at your own personal home at request.

Not only do they facilitate these actual psychedelic experiences, but Medicinal Mindfulness also hosts a huge informational conference on psychedelics. Co-hosted by Psychedelic Club, the extremely informational event was called Psychedelic Shine, a live speaker event that took place on February 12, 2017. The all-day event included live music, art vendors, psychedelic book vendors, anda lecture by legendary psychedelic activist Dennis Mckenna. The night ended with a powerful live community breathwork session. The conference as a whole was an awesome display of great information being spread to an interested and engaged crowd of nearly 500 people.

Prior to the event, 303 had the opportunity to speak with Daniel McQueen, the Executive Director of Medicinal Mindfulness and a psychedelic cannabis facilitator in Boulder. Speaking on why he chose Boulder as a home base for his organization, McQueen said, I got my degree fromNaropa Universityso thats why I moved here. But Colorado in general is awesome, its legal with retail cannabis, so Colorado [is]a great place for us to do our work.

Speaking bit more on the subject of Cannabis, McQueen was quick to acknowledge the subtle gap between cannabis culture and psychedelic culture. Bridging that gap from the recreational cannabis user, to the person who uses cannabis for psychedelic purposes is a huge in shifting the community perception. McQueen believes people have deep healing experiences on cannabis and is working tirelessly to help introduce this idea to the Boulder community. He cites the recent legalization of cannabis has a catalyst for opening up peoples minds to other possibilities with cannabis and helping bridge the gap towards other psychedelic medicines. Since starting Psychedelics Shine and promoting local psychedelic culture, the community has grown immensely over the years and is continuing to spread.

Founder of Medicinal Mindfulness, Daniel McQueen, speaking at the Psychedelic Shine in Boulder.

The Psychedelic Club of Denverwas founded in July of 2016 but has been a national organization for much longer than that. The Denver chapter is a growing group of activists within the 303 area, but there is also an even larger branch in Boulder. Speaking with a few of the founders of the Psychedelic club of Denver, they all agreed events like Psychedelic Shinewill help aid in Psychedelic clubs ultimate mission. Founder Tyler Williams explained their mission, stating it is to to raise awareness about the truth of psychedelics as well as create a safe space for everyone to integrate their experiences. A couple specific goals would be to create criminal justice reform, creating a community around the discussion of psychedelics, and spreading more info on harm reduction.

This event was a fantastic example of the scholarly event that can characterize this new psychedelic revolution. Instead of raving hippies dancing about and screaming of revolution, these are scientists and intellectuals working on the due diligence required to help bring about lastingchange. With all of this new information being foundand more people than ever actually doing research with these medicines, the time may be closer than ever for a true psychedelic revolution.

The momentum is on the side of the activist, its now up to science to continue on helping prove that these substances are not only safe to use, but also can be a great aid in helping fight a number of emotional and psychological ailments.

Photography by Meg ONeill.

Dennis McKenna speaking at the Psychedelic Shine event in Boulder on Feb 12, 2017.

303 MagazineBoulderBoulder Theatercannabis healingconscious cannabis circlesDaniel MCQueenDennis MckennaIbogaineJosh CowdenlsdmapsMDMAMedcinal MindfulnessPsychedelic clubPsychedelic ShinepsychotherapyPTSD treatment

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A Revolution in the Science of Psychedelics is Happening in Boulder - 303 Magazine

Posted on February 16, 2017 | 9:00 a.m.

Psychologist and psychedelic explorer James Fadiman will discuss New Paradigms and New Tools for the Mind at the Feb. 27 Mind & Supermind lecture presented by SBCC Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL).

Fadiman will talk about new ways in which the mind can be expanded through different interpretations of the human psyche and current studies using micro-dosing psychedelic substances.

Fadimans work has been referenced in national and international press including The New York Times, NPR, UK, Rolling Stone, Marie Claire, Associated Press, Inc., and The New Yorker. The CLL Mind & Supermind series has been one of our most popular community events for 35 years, said Andy Harper, CLL executive director.

We look forward to Dr. Fadimans lecture to expand our students awareness and knowledge of psychedelic research and transpersonal psychology, he said. Fadiman will explore two emerging understandings. The first displaces the old single-self assumption and suggests a healthy personality is actually composed of multiple selves. The second displaces the idea that effects of psychedelics can be disturbing and overwhelming.

The approach of using micro-doses allows researchers to discover unanticipated beneficial uses of psychedelics including healing depression, anxiety and menstrual pain, as well as enhancing learning and creativity. Fadiman did his undergraduate work at Harvard University and his graduate work at Stanford, doing research with the Harvard Group, the West Coast Research Group in Menlo Park, and Ken Kesey.

A former president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences and a professor of psychology, he teaches at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (now Sofia University), which he helped found in 1975. He is the author of several books and textbooks.

Flannery Hill for the Center for Lifelong Learning.

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This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

It may seem like a doomed attempt to mix business and pleasure. But a growing number of young professionals in Silicon Valley insist that taking small doses of psychedelic drugs simply makes them perform better at workbecoming more creative and focused. The practice, known as microdosing, involves taking minute quantities of drugs such as LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms) or mescaline (found in the Peyote cactus) every few days.

LSD is the most well-known psychedelic drug since its popularity in the heyday of 1960s counterculture. But perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Silicon Valley also has a long history of psychedelic drug use to boost creativity: technology stars Steve Jobs and Bill Gates both famously experimented with LSD.

At high doses, LSD powerfully alters perception, mood and a host of cognitive processes. LSD now appears to be one of the more commonly microdosed drugs. A microdose of LSD consists of about a tenth of a recreational dose (usually 10-20 micrograms), thatis usually not potent enough to cause hallucinations. Instead, it is reported to heighten alertness, energy and creativity.

Microdosing LSD also purportedly enhances overall wellbeing, helping to reduce stress and anxiety while improving sleep and leading to healthier habits. Although a widely reported phenomenon in the media, the lack of scientific studies on microdosing makes the prevalence near impossible to estimate. Reports suggest that what started off as an underground practice in Silicon Valley may be spreading rapidly to other workplaces.

It is currently unknown how such low doses of psychedelics act in the brain to produce these intriguing self-reported effects on creativity. Like all classic hallucinogens, LSD produces its potent mind-altering effects primarily by mimicking the effects of the brain chemical serotonin, thatregulates our mood. In particular, LSD activates 5-HT2A receptors in the pre-frontal cortex, thatincreases activity of the chemical glutamate in this region. Glutamate enables signals to be transmitted between nerve cells, and plays a role in learning and memory.

In humans, two distinct effects of recreational doses of LSD have been reported. Initially, people experience psychedelic and positive feelings of euphoria. This may be followed by a later phase characterized by paranoia or even a psychotic-like state. LSD at low doses may produce mood elevation and creativity, mediated by the serotonin-mimicking effects. Actions on both glutamate and serotonin may also act to improve learning and cognitive flexibility, necessary for creativity, in the workplace. These findings could partly help to explain the microdosing phenomenon.

Clinical research with psychedelics is currently undergoing a major revival after having been brought to a halt in the 1960s. One of the benefits of conducting research into psychedelics is their potential to help deepen our understanding of consciousness. In 2016, researchers from Imperial College London were the first to use brain scanning techniques to visualize how LSD alters the way the brain works. One key finding was that LSD had a disorganising influence on cortical activity, thatpermitted the brain to operate in a freer, less constrained manner than usual.

The results suggested that psychedelics increase communication between parts of the brain that are less likely to communicate with one another, and decrease communication between areas that frequently do. This likely underlies the profound altered state of consciousness that people often describe during an LSD experience. It is also related to what people sometimes call ego-dissolution,in which the normal sense of self is broken down. People instead often report a sense of reconnection with themselves, others and the natural world.

The discovery that LSD and other psychedelic drugs induce a flexible state of mind may explain their reported extraordinary therapeutic benefits. For example, psilocybin has shown benefits in the treatment of tobacco and alcohol addiction, obsessive compulsive disorder and treatment-resistant major depression.

In a small pilot study, LSD in combination with psychological therapy also led to a slight improvement in anxiety experienced by terminally ill cancer patients. Many of these psychiatric disorders are characterized by inflexible, habitual patterns of brain activity. By introducing a disordered state of mind, LSD and other psychedelics may help to break these inflexible patterns.

Similarly, the unconstrained brain state induced by psychedelics may also help explain the reported increases in creativity. From the late 1950s until the early 1970s, a whole host of studies sought to determine if classic psychedelics could be useful for enhancing creativity. In the most notable of these studies, researchers found that LSD and mescaline could aid in creative problem-solving when used in carefully controlled settings.

However, while these studies do provide some insight, they are mere anecdotal by modern research standards (they were not double blind or placebo-controlled). A more recent study found that use of classic psychedelics was robustly associated with greater creative problem-solving ability. Enhancing creativity has many potential applications in society. For example, it could be both used by commercial industry including advertising and in clinical settings, such as helping patients with autism.

Yet before rushing off to take hits of acid in the hopes of boosting our creativity at work, it should be remembered that microdosing with an illegal, unregulated drug is of course fraught with risks. Possession may get you put behind bars. Manufacture and supply of illegal drugs are not subject to rigorous regulatory controls. That means users can never be sure of what they are getting.

This makes determining the dose problematic. Those who microdose incorrectly risk having unwanted, full-blown trips or even experience unpleasant trips. There are even some reports of psychosis-like symptoms in certain vulnerable individuals who use LSD recreationally. However two recent U.S. population surveys found no link between using psychedelics and mental health conditions.

In an increasingly competitive world it is tempting to find a quick fix to help us achieve more, better and faster. Yet, is this right? As a society we should consider the reasons as to why healthy people choose to use drugs in the first place. A reliance on cognitive-enhancing technologies to cope with demanding working conditions may ultimately reduce the health and well-being of individuals. So we must take care to ensure that enhancement is not seen as a substitute for a healthy working environment.

It is therefore important that more research is done on the safety and efficacy of microdosing. In the meantime, physical exercise, education, social interaction, mindfulness and good quality sleep have all been shown to improve cognitive performance and overall well-being.

Barbara Sahakianisprofessor of clinical neuropsychology,Camilla d'Angeloisresearch assistant in psychiatry and George Savulich, is research associate in psychiatry at theUniversity of Cambridge.

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Is Silicon Valley Onto Something With Its LSD Microdosing? - Newsweek

Psychiatry Advisor

Psychedelics a Viable Therapeutic Option for Depression Psychiatry Advisor Rucker's team reviewed the existing research in psychedelics for mood disorders, which, though dated, hints at the possibility of therapeutic use. A systematic search of PsychINFO and MEDLINE databases for studies from 1940 through 2000 yielded 21 ... LSD 'microdosing' is trending in Silicon Valley but can it actually make you more creative?The Conversation UK Legalize LSD Drug policy should draw from science instead of cultureArgonaut all 4 news articles »

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Psychedelics a Viable Therapeutic Option for Depression - Psychiatry Advisor

Scientists are increasingly hopeful that certain types of psychedelic drugs will one day be approved for medical purposes like treating depression and anxiety.

But what makes a psychedelic a psychedelic? How is it different from other drugs like cocaineor alcohol? And what makes a "trip" on one psychedelic like acid, for example distinct from a trip on another?

Here's a quick chart to put that into perspective:

Psychedelic drugs chart_2017 BI_Graphics BI Graphics

(Business Insider/Mike Nudelman)

Exactly howpsychedelics impact the brain is still somewhat of a mystery to scientists, but we're finding out more and more in recent years.

What we do know, however, is that psychedelics have a fundamentally different effect on the brain thanaddictive drugs like alcohol andcocainedo. Cocaine, for example, elicits a deep, euphoric sensationby temporarily flooding the brain's reward and motivationcenters. Insome people, this cantrigger a cycle of reinforcement that traps them in addiction, even when the same amount of the drug no longer results in a characteristic "high." The psychedelic drug psilocybin, on the other hand (the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms), appears to fundamentally alter the infrastructure of the brain's prefrontal cortex and change how information in this area of the brain is exchanged.

This is one of the reasons thatmanyscientists believe it's unreasonable to label psychedelics as"recreational" drugs in the patients I've interviewed who've participated in clinical trials onpsilocybin, the psychedelic trip itself soundsanything but recreational. In most cases, in fact, users describe feeling panicky, anxious, and afraid during the trip. It's whatthe drug appears to do to them afterthe trip itselfthat gives researchers hope. In many cases, patients describe lasting behavioral changes including improved relationships and increased optimism about life,for example.

Psilocybin isn't the only psychedelic drug that researchers are studyingfor its potentially therapeutic effects, however. They're also looking at LSD ("acid"), DMT (ayahuasca), and more.Each drug has a different trip length and varies in terms of its legality across the globe.

Methods for producing, brewing, and taking the drugs differ as well.

While magic mushrooms are typically either grown and eaten, brewed into tea, or ground up and taken in pill form, LSD is made synthetically and usually processed into strips that can be absorbed by placing them on the tongue.

Ayahuasca, on the other hand, is usually consumed as a beverage. It's brewed from the macerated and boiled vines of the Banisteriopsis caapi (yage) plant and the Psychotria viridis (chacruna) leaf, and it has been used for centuries as a traditional spiritual medicine in ceremonies among the indigenous peoples of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.Ayahuasca's effects come from mixing the drug dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, from the chacruna plant, and the MAO inhibitor from the yage plant, which allows the DMT to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

NOW WATCH: What magic mushrooms do to your brain and state of mind

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Psychedelic drugs like magic mushrooms and LSD have key ... - Yahoo Finance

A psychedelic is a substance with the primary action of altering an individuals perception and cognition. Many chemicals of this classact by being serotonin receptor agonists. Theyare considered to be part of a larger class of psychoactive drugs called hallucinogens, which also includes unrelated substances such as medications that induce delirium and dissociative drugs. Unlike drugs such as opioids and stimulants which produce familiar states of consciousness, psychedelics cause the individual to experience things out of the realm of consciousness.

Psychedelic experiences are often also called trance states, yoga, meditation, dreaming, near-death experiences, and religious ecstasy. Most psychedelic drugs cause these states and fall into three main categories: Phenethylamines, tryptamines, and lysergamides. Most psychedelic drugs are illegal throughout the world unless they are being used in a religious or medical context, such as the use of medical cannabis. Despite the fact that these drugs are regulated, they are often used illicitly under recreational circumstances.

Psychological Effects

Generally, people on psychedelic drugs experience the world in bright and intense colors. Things in the environment that werent otherwise noticed are seen for the first time and develop a sense of importance. Colors become increasingly intense, contours are sharpened, music seems more profound, and textures seem richer.

The person may feel an increased perception of their body and changes in experiences. There is an increase in depth perception and objects that are normally inanimate become more expressive. Time may slow down or may stop altogether. There are vivid images, even when the eyes are closed.

There are strong emotional effects when the person is on this kind of drugs. The user becomes increasingly sensitive to the gestures of others, to their faces, and to minor changes in the environment. As all things in the users world become more conscious and important, the user feels and increased sense of love, joy, gratitude, despair, terror, lust, and pain. Feelings become overwhelming and difficult to tolerate. The individual may feel intense feelings of paranoia, panic, and a sense of losing control.

There is usually an impairment in the short term memory. Long forgotten occurrences from the distant past may come to the forefront and be relived in vivid detail. The individual may develop new insight into themselves and ponder the nature of the universe and humanity. Boundaries between the environment and the self may disappear.

Childhood memories may be relived and the person may regress into childlike behavior. They may go into a dream world in which other individuals, images, and actions take on a new significance. The person may experience a loss of self and may feel as though they have died and have been reborn. It may feel as all the questions of the world have been answered all at once.

Traditional Uses

This kind ofdrugs have long been used traditionally in religion and in the medical field, where they are used for their ability to improve mental and physical healing. Native American doctors have used peyote and other psychedelic agents to help cure a person from alcoholism. Mazatec doctors use mushrooms containing psilocybin for healing and religious purposes. DMT is an agent used in Peru and in other areas of South America for physical and spiritual healing and in certain religious festivals.

Examples

There are numerous types of agents. Some of them include the following:

Empathogen-Entactogens

These include MDMA, MDEA, and MDA. The use of these drugs cause feelings of euphoria, love, openness, increased self-awareness, and distortions of hearing and seeing. They are commonly used at raves for their ability to enhance the musical experience and to increase sociability. MDA is used to cause hallucinations and has other effects.

Cannabinoids

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and similar compounds can have psychedelic effects. These include alterations in consciousness, some distortions of vision, and unusual hallucinations. In high doses, they bring on brightly flashing images, especially in dim lighting. There is a sensation of well-being, euphoria, reduction of stress, and feelings of relaxation. Users have enhanced memory, feelings of hunger, and an increase in feelings of sensuality. Some users can become paranoid, suffering from anxiety and agitation. There is an enhanced awareness of patterns, sounds, and colors.

Dissociative Drugs

Some dissociative drugs act by antagonizing NDMA and therefore induce psychedelic effects. Dissociative and serotonergic hallucinogens are somewhat different from one another in that the dissociative drugs result I a more intense experience of derealization and depersonalization. Ketamine, for example, causes feelings of being disconnected from the body with the environment feeling unreal. There are perceptual changes as is often seen with other agents.

Legal Implications

In spite of the fact that most psychedelic drugs are not addictive and have no long term detrimental effects on mental health, many psychedelic drugs are illegal, according to the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, developed in 1971. Some countries also ban synthetic compounds that have this kind ofproperties, even if they are not considered dangerous. In general, this kind ofdrugs are classified by the US government as being Schedule I drugs that have no medically-accepted use.

Because of governmental policies, there are severe limitations of the research of this drugs. Those wishing to do research on this agentsmust go through a great deal of red tape until they can be allowed to study the drugs. Even so, scientists have studied thisdrugs and have found that they have the potential to treat certain addictions, psychological traumas, and even cancer.

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Buy psychedelics online : Chinglabs.com

If you were a teenager in 1967, Berkeley was the place to be. The Summer of Love was beaming with a newfound madness, and for Dennis McKenna, it was too tempting to resist. A trip to Berkeley meant mischief and, if lucky, a psychedelic experience.

When McKenna arrived in Berkeley, he managed to get both. After acquiring a few tabs of acid from a stranger in Tilden Park, he and his friend headed to the woods in hopes of peeking through the doors of perception. Here, their civil behavior would self-destruct to give way for a more primal, archaic wildness.

We didnt have what I would call a mystical experience, he says. It was more like an evolutionary regression. We literally became like apes in the woods.

Although the experience wasnt quite what he expected, it was revelatory for McKenna. Bouncing around like a little child in the open expanse of the woods and swinging from the branches of trees was, oddly enough, a clue that the ultimate answers to life could be hiding in the strange portals of the psychedelic experience.

When people hear McKennas name, they usually associate it with his older brother, Terrence. Renown for being the intellectuals Timothy Leary, Terrence was a spokesman and advocate for psychedelics for many years, known as somewhat of an articulate rebel. His hypnotizing talks and poetic revelations swayed audiences of all kinds. However, though not in the spotlight like Terrence, McKenna has co-authored many books with him. He is the more scientific of the two, using facts more than stories in his work. Some of the most profound ideas talked about in True Hallucinations and The Invisible Landscape are a result of McKennas analysis, experiences and research.

As an ethnopharmacologist and research pharmacognosist, he has dedicated his life to the research of hallucinogens and psychedelics. He is also one of the founding directors of the Heffter Research Institute, a nonprofit organization investigating the therapeutic uses of psychedelic substances.

In his book, The Brothers Of The Screaming Abyss, Mckenna describes himself as a big picture kind of guy. Born in Paonia, Colorado, in 1950, at a young age, Dennis was not interested in the sort of questions that didnt lead to an ultimate understanding of reality. While his peers were playing outside, he was reading Scientific American and taking notes on the Encyclopedia Brittanica in the local library. This sort of intellectual passion, along with his experiences on acid in Berkeley, eventually led Mckenna into the Amazonian jungle, where hed test the limits of his own consciousness by experimenting with heavy doses of magic mushrooms and the Amazonian plant mixture, ayahuasca. After making this dive into the unknown, he has come back to share some of his wisdom.

Although psychedelic drugs are still categorized in Schedule 1 of the Drug Enforcement Agencys illegal substances, McKenna says that they are still being widely used in secret.

In our society at the moment, these drugs are finding their way back into society primarily along two channels: One is religious practice and the other is medical practice, he says.

Some religious groups are actually permitted to use these substances legally.

According to McKenna, society is in the midst of a psychedelic renaissance. According to a recent study out of Johns Hopkins University and New York University, psilocybin the active ingredient found in magic mushrooms has been shown to radically improve the positivity of people who are terminally ill with cancer. New research from Johns Hopkins and the University of Alabama also suggests that people who have a history of taking psychedelic drugs are less prone to have suicidal thoughts and are more psychologically healthy.

But psychedelics still hold the stigma of the 60s drug culture. Although a lot of great research with psychedelics was done in that time, it threatened the social order, McKenna says. As a result, the substances were unfairly banned.

All of these things in the 60s were pretty much prohibited in a very ill-considered way, he says. It was like lumping everything together and saying theyre all bad; they all cause altered states we dont like. But of course prohibition doesnt solve anything. They just went underground.

After nearly 50 years, Mckenna thinks that we are only now discovering the benefits and uses of these substances.

Here we are, almost coming to, say, 2020. Thatll be 50 years. We have only now figured out how to use them, he says.

One of the hallucinogenic plants to praise for the psychedelic comeback is McKennas self-proclaimed plant teacher, ayahuasca. This indigenous Amazonian plant, known for its hallucinogenic and healing properties, is seeing increased popularity around the world. According to Mckenna, the widespread use of substances like these is a good thing because it will evolve consciousness at a more rapid rate.

There are all kinds of communities now that are spontaneously appearing in the most unlikely places, he says. I think as people discover these plants, the plants themselves become a catalyst for this evolution of consciousness.

As we approach another turning point in American history, Mckenna continues to advocate psychedelics, as they provide a constant reminder that we arent the ones in control.

The big message from me is, with ayahuasca particularly: Remember you monkeys are not running this show, he says. We are not running this show. The plants, in fact, are running the show. And this is a good thing for us, because they are what is keeping life sustainable through photosynthesis.

For McKenna, psychedelics are no longer simply a catalysts for the counter-culture consciousness. The substances are beginning to be accepted as medicines to heal the afflictions of the mind, and tools to discover the ineffable worlds that the mystics and ancient shamans have long been exploiting.

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The psychedelic renaissance - Boulder Weekly

February 7, 2017 6:16 PM By Stephanie Stahl

by Stephanie Stahl

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) Psychedelic drugs have been illegal for decades, but now some doctors and patients are exploring psychedelics as a therapeutic agent for a range of medical conditions and psychological traumas.

Scientists say psychedelics are showing great promise as a therapeutic tool.

It opens you up to yourself, said Andy Gold, a cancer patient.

With permission from the FDA, researchers are studying psychedelics in patients with life-threatening conditions, such as cancer.

Patients with cancer, particularly advanced cancer, have significant levels of anxiety, depression, said psychiatrist Charles Grob, M.D. with the Heffter Research Institute at UCLA.

Grob headed up the trial and he says, while psilocybin wears off in a few hours, the benefit lasted for up to six months.

The positive effects seem to sustain, said Grob.

Its not addictive, and weve never had a freak-out, said psychiatrist Phil Wolfson, M.D.

Psychedelics include things like psilocybin, like so-called magic mushrooms, or LSD.

Brain scans from healthy volunteers may shed some light on how they work.

With LSD, scientists believe different regions of the brain communicate with each other, when they normally dont.

Psychedelics may free the mind.

So, I was very pleasantly surprised that all I felt wasgood! said writer Ayelet Waldman. I thought if anyone in the world is going to have a bad trip, its going to be me. I mean, I can have a bad trip in a Pilates class.

Waldman has a mood disorder. She fell into terrible depression and her prescription medication stopped working.

Out of desperation, for one month only, she took tiny doses of LSD.

Its possible that I experienced the mother of all placebo effects, I had a very good month, Waldman said.

The final FDA studies on the psychedelics will begin soon. If the drugs are approved, they could become available for in-patient therapy use as early as 2021.

Stephanie Stahl, CBS 3 and The CW Philly 57s Emmy Award-winning medical specialist, is featured daily on Eyewitness News. As one of the television industrys most respected medical reporters, Stahl has been recognized by community and he...

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Psychedelics Being Tested For Use In Treating Various Conditions - CBS Local

SAN FRANCISCO In the 1950s and 60s, psychedelic drugs including LSD and MDMA were considered promising treatments for psychiatric conditions. But scientists involved in the U.S.-approved studies at the time said that as millions of young people experimented with the drugs, the federal government yanked permission to study psychedelics and imposed a ban on the substances.

Now,CBS San Francisco station KPIX reports that a new generation of doctors and patients is exploring psychedelics as a therapeutic agent for a range of medical conditions and psychological traumas, including cancer patients and military troops suffering from PTSD.

In Marin County, patients gathered recently to talk about their legal experiences with an otherwise illegal psychedelic drug.

I went into the first real session and it just blew me away, breast cancer patient Wendy Donner told KPIX.

In Berkeley, a former public defender and Cal Law professor turned best-selling author described her experience with a different psychedelic, also illegal.

I was very pleasantly surprised that all I felt was good! said Ayelet Waldman, who has written about her struggles with a mood disorder and severe depression.

Then, in a home in El Cerrito, the husband of a cancer patient recalled the experience of his late wife, who was part of a clinical trial authorized to use a different illegal psychedelic.

I just thought this is like a miracle, exclaimed Richard Vaughn.

After decades of disregard, scientists said once again psychedelics are showing great promise as a therapeutic tool.

It opens you up to yourself, said cancer patient Andy Gold.

With permission from the FDA, California researchers are studying psychedelics in patients with life-threatening conditions, such as cancer.

Patients with cancer, particularly advanced cancer, have significant levels of anxiety, depression, and demoralization, explained UCLA psychiatrist Dr. Charles Grob.

One such patient was Annie Levy, who stopped enjoying her life when her ovarian cancer came back and she realized how her lifespan would be shortened.

It just seemed like it was a nightmare, her husband Richard said.

Before she died, Annie enrolled in a pivotal pilot study at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California.

Along with 11 other patients, she used psilocybin, a psychedelic found in so-called magic mushrooms.

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The hallucinogenic drug psilocybin, the active ingredient in certain mushrooms, is being used to reduce anxiety and depression in cancer patients...

After a single dose, her anxiety and depression disappeared.

It was like someone had lit up a lightbulb in Annes head. She was a totally different person, Richard told KPIX.

No one had a bad trip, said Dr. Grob.

Grob headed up the UCLA study. The goal: to explore the safety and efficacy of psilocybin in patients with advanced-stage cancer and reactive anxiety.

The study was funded by the Heffter Research Institute of New Mexico. The Institute helps to design, review, and fund psilocybin research at prominent research institutions such as UCLA.

Grob, who is on the board of the Institute, said the study was very successful. It was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. All the patients were monitored before and during the treatment sessions. Each patient received a placebo and the active ingredient randomly assigned to be administered on different days.

Grob said that while the psilocybin wears off in a few hours, the benefit lasted for up to six months; a single dose of the drug led to sustained improvement in mood and outlook.

The positive effects seems to sustain over a significant period of time, explained Grob.

This pilot study has now led to two other clinical trials at NYU Langone Medical Center and Johns Hopkins University.

In total, 92 participants were involved: all demonstrated statistically significant improvements with enduring positive effects for months after the single psilocybin treatment sessions ended,CBS San Franciscoreports. Researchers at the Heffter Institute expect to start the final FDA Phase 3 study sometime in 2017.

In Marin, in a different trial, psychiatrist Dr. Phil Wolfson legally administered a moderate dose of a different psychedelic known as MDMA to a different group of patients.

Its not addictive and weve never had a freak-out, Wolfson said. Wolfson is the principal investigator of the trial thats funded by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, or MAPS for short.

Use of MDMA, sometimes called ecstasy, was combined with psychotherapy sessions.

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The FDA has approved large-scale test trials of MDMA to help PTSD patients. CBSN's Jamie Yuccas has the latest on the controversial drug.

All of the patients who spoke to KPIX agreed: They experienced a profound benefit and emerged better able to cope.

With MDMA, everything opened up, said Wendy.

You start seeing things very, very clearly, said patient John Saul, whos been diagnosed with scleroderma.

It just gives you a view into yourself that I never had before, added another patient, Andy.

As to how psychedelics work, brain scans from healthy volunteers who took LSD may shed some light. The investigation was headed up by Dr. David Nutt, a British psychiatrist and neuropsychopharmacologist, now at Imperial College London.

Each volunteer took a sugar pill, and at a later date, took a common dose of LSD. Researchers then looked at the effect in the brain, using a functional MRI.

The brain under the influence of the LSD lit up like a proverbial Christmas tree.

With the hallucinogen, scientists believe disparate regions of brain communicate with each other when they normally dont do so. Psychedelics may indeed free your mind.

Our psychological defenses often suppress material that is too painful, that we dont want to deal with, and psychedelics bring that to the surface, said Rick Doblin, the founder and Executive Director of MAPS, a nonprofit group based in Santa Cruz.

What were really trying to do is legitimize psychedelic therapy, said Doblin.

Doblin envisions a time when psychotherapists can legally access a toolbox full of psychedelics.

I think a lot of them will start out with MDMA, which is the most gentle of the psychedelics, and then it may move to more classic psychedelics like LSD or psilocybin or mescaline he said.

But some individuals arent waiting for the medical community they are experimenting by self-medicating, like writer Ayelet Waldman.

I thought if anyone in the world is going to have a bad trip, its going to be me. I mean I can have a bad trip in a Pilates class, joked Waldman.

Waldman has a mood disorder. She fell into a terrible depression. Her prescription medication stopped working.

Out of desperation, for one month only, she took tiny micro doses of LSD.

Its possible that I experienced the mother of all placebo effects, she observed, but I had a very good month.

Waldman wrote about her experiences in a new memoir entitled A Really Good Day.

Now she wants scientists to seriously study microdosing for mood disorders.

Until we have more research, double-blind studies, using clinically evaluated LSD, were not going to understand this drug, explained Waldman.

Fifty years ago, Timothy Leary advocated the use of psychedelics and told folks to turn on, tune in and drop out. But now growing evidence is suggesting that under a doctors supervision, rather than dropping out, the drugs may help you get better.

The FDA just approved the Phase 3 trial for MDMA. MAPS officials hope the drug will be approved as a prescription medication for therapy by 2021. Researchers will begin screening applicants later this year for this last-stage trial.

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Psychedelic drug therapy including magic mushrooms, LSD and ... - CBS News

IT is perhaps the one thing every fitness and bodybuilding fanatic fears most; the disintegration of the man in the mirror once training and steroids stop.

Today, the gym world is huge. Muscles are being built to boost the missing chromosome of self-esteem and performance-enhancing drugs are so accessible that it is as simple as ordering a CD from Amazon.

But at BAFTA in Piccadilly on Thursday night, one man emerged from the shadows again to confirm that he is perhaps the most unique former bodybuilder ever.

I never had that worry [about losing my physique], said former six-time Mr Olympia Dorian Yates at the world premiere of the London Real documentary Dorian Yates: Inside the Shadow.

He was asked by a member of the audience about body dismorphia. How the threat of spiralling into depression when the god-like feeling of super-human strength and a physique to match gradually disappears before your eyes.

Maybe Im unusual. I was removed. Like I was working on this statue, that I was working on this product and the way to build the product was through self-discipline and mastery over yourself and over your instincts.

Dorian Yates

I never started bodybuilding because I thought Im not big enough, Im not strong enough. If you look back at my earliest photos, they would probably do well in a fitness contest now, so I probably came from a different point of view.

A lot of people, especially the young guys, ask me, When you look back at those photos, dont you feel like man I wish I looked like that now? Not at all, that doesnt apply to what I am doing now. I need a functional body that can cycle up hills. Before, I could lift 600lbs in squats and all incredible stuff in the gym but if I walked a couple of miles Id probably get out of breath. So its just not practical for me now, thats the way I look at it.

As long as Im in good physical shape, thats a passion for me, to be physically fit. Thats the main thing now, the look is secondary. But I think I look OK, not too bad for a 55 year old.

But if you start training and building your body because you feel inadequate or not confident then your whole confidence is tied up with having that physique then of course its very hard to let go of it because you feel now Im bigger and stronger and people respect me more and I feel more confident and people dont want to give that up.

I mentioned that with the whole steroid thing; once you get on the merry-go-round, if your self-esteem is tied up with having big muscles youre not going to want to let go of that.

Inside the Shadows

The documentary followed Yates rise to 260-pound, three-per-cent-bodyfat behemoth, to his clinical depression, use of psychedelics and cannabis where he wiped out the crew of London Real, who spent three hours lying on a Marbella beach after two puffs of one of his joints meditation and yoga. That the once-titan-like Yates fell over after failing to hold his balance on his first attempt at holding a yoga pose will be an image the gym world will find hard to illustrate.

I thought theyd been working hard and deserved a break, said Yates of the London Real crew he shared cannabis with having spent a few days in Spain filming the documentary. I didnt exactly hold them down. They did it [smoked] voluntarily.

It was the last day and I said if you want to smoke then no more than two puffs each. Then I said lets all go and have a nice dinner together and we can all relax. So me and my wife and my friend were in the restaurant and we were like, wheres Brian [Rose, front man for London Real], wheres the crew? Im trying to call Brian, Im trying to Whatsapp him and Im getting nothing. And Gal [Yates wife] said to me, dont you realise whats happened? I was like, what? You just fxxxxd them all up. No surely not, they had two puffs, come on. But apparently they were lying on the beach for two hours.

This movie was not just bodybuilding. Far from it. It was the transformation of a man who had been at the top of his game before his body gave out.

Inside the Shadow

Im not telling people they should do what I do, said Yates. They should absolutely follow their own path. I dont have ambitions to be a movie star or multi-millionaire. My challenges are more spiritual; to try and understand and develop that side of myself and to help other people. Thats what its all about, thats why I did the interview with Brian and thats why I did the movie.

Im not making any money, Im not being paid. Im not doing it to become a teacher or a guru but hopefully give that tip, a little hope to people and wake up that thing thats inside all of us. That little spark, that little light. Its inside of everybody. In some people its very faint and thats all Im trying to do.

So we will see what people think of this film. If they want to hear more we will do more if they dont want to hear anything I will go back to my shadow.

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Dorian Yates reveals all on steroids, body dysmorphia, psychedelics, cannabis and yoga - Express.co.uk

Abstract

Psychedelics (serotonergic hallucinogens) are powerful psychoactive substances that alter perception and mood and affect numerous cognitive processes. They are generally considered physiologically safe and do not lead to dependence or addiction. Their origin predates written history, and they were employed by early cultures in many sociocultural and ritual contexts. After the virtually contemporaneous discovery of (5R,8R)-(+)-lysergic acid-N,N-diethylamide (LSD)-25 and the identification of serotonin in the brain, early research focused intensively on the possibility that LSD and other psychedelics had a serotonergic basis for their action. Today there is a consensus that psychedelics are agonists or partial agonists at brain serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptors, with particular importance on those expressed on apical dendrites of neocortical pyramidal cells in layer V. Several useful rodent models have been developed over the years to help unravel the neurochemical correlates of serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor activation in the brain, and a variety of imaging techniques have been employed to identify key brain areas that are directly affected by psychedelics. Recent and exciting developments in the field have occurred in clinical research, where several double-blind placebo-controlled phase 2 studies of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in patients with cancer-related psychosocial distress have demonstrated unprecedented positive relief of anxiety and depression. Two small pilot studies of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy also have shown positive benefit in treating both alcohol and nicotine addiction. Recently, blood oxygen leveldependent functional magnetic resonance imaging and magnetoencephalography have been employed for in vivo brain imaging in humans after administration of a psychedelic, and results indicate that intravenously administered psilocybin and LSD produce decreases in oscillatory power in areas of the brains default mode network.

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse [Grant R01DA-02189] and the Robert C. and Charlotte P. Anderson endowment.

dx.doi.org/10.1124/pr.115.011478.

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Psychedelics | Pharmacological Reviews

THC is the crystalline substance that forms on the outside of the marijuana plant. It is the substance in marijuana responsible for its euphoric effects.

THC is known scientifically as tetrahydrocannabinol and it is the active chemical found in marijuana. THC is the most widely abused drug in the United States and continues to be controversial in both cases of personal consumption and in cases of being appropriate for certain medical uses.

THC comes from the marijuana plant also known as cannabis sativa. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC is the active ingredient in the marijuana plant and the primary ingredient responsible for producing the euphoric effects of the drug.

THC resembles a crystaline that forms on the outside of the buds of the marijuana plant. Some people believe that THC can be used for medical purposes while others believe that there are no known medical uses that are considered safe. Regardless, THC is found in all variations of marijuana though medical marijuana often contains lower or higher levels of THC depending on the preference of the user and why it is being used.

The effects of THC vary from one user to the next but generally include sedation and relaxation. As the THC enters the bloodstream the user will feel the effects of the drug which can last up to 3 hours following the initial onset of effects. If marijuana is not smoked but is rather ingested, the user will feel the effects of THC about thirty minutes after it is consumed and the effects will generally last about 4 hours.

THC causes the dopamine release that takes place in the body to occur more quickly which can lead to heightened euphoria. Many users experience heightened awareness and sensitivity to sound, light and color. Perception of time is normally reduced and the user will feel as if time is taking longer to pass.

Smoking THC will lead to increased thirst and feelings of dehydration. The user will have dry mouth and may experience intense hunger while under the influence of THC. Many people experience heightened anxiety and even panic when under the influence of THC.

Using THC or marijuana can lead to an array of complications for the user. If the drug is regularly smoked, complications include damage to the lungs, susceptibility to infection, lung cancer and other serious side effects. Ingesting THC will not lead to respiratory problems but can still have implications in terms of increasing fear and anxiety, increasing risk of depression and altering appetite.

Sustained marijuana use, even in low doses, will cause the user to feel a lack of coordination and a lack of concentration. Over time, people who abuse marijuana are more likely to experience memory loss, coordination loss and additional problems related to impaired short term memory. Studies have proven that marijuana causes difficulty and impairment for students that can last for up to a full month after the drug is used, in some cases the aftermath will continue for many months after the last use of the drug.

Increased risk of psychosis and schizophrenia has been reported with chronic marijuana use. THC use can cause adverse problems in work, home and school. Social effects include isolation and may lead to depression. Heavy marijuana users suffer great damage to their social status and may require long term counseling in order to fully turn their lives around post marijuana addiction.

Is THC addictive? Yes!

Marijuana is an addictive substance that will lead to erratic drug-seeking behavior and a series of withdrawal symptoms when the user tries to quit. Although the symptoms of marijuana withdrawal are not dangerous or potentially deadly for the user, there are a number of risks associated with marijuana addiction.

Becoming addicted to THC will likely cause problems in the users relationship and may lead to financial implications that make quitting even more difficult. People who regularly smoke pot are likely to suffer an array of consequences including health problems, emotional problems, family and relationship problems, legal trouble, social isolation and individual isolation as a result of their addiction to THC.

The best way to prevent addiction to THC is to not smoke pot. With all of the controversy that is taking place about marijuana and the intended medical uses of the drug, its easy to fall into a mindset in which it would seem like smoking pot is ok to some degree but this can lead to physical and psychological dependence which will result in an array of consequences for the user.

Treatment is often required when a user becomes addicted to THC. Counseling and therapy are the most effective means of treatment but medication may be necessary if dopamine levels have been depleted to a point in which they cannot be restoredthis is yet another reason to avoid smoking pot.

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THC - Psychedelics

The effects below describe the common physical, mental and emotional effects which comprise the psychedelic experience.

This information has been compiled from two sources: the decades of observation and study by psychiatrists in a clinical setting before LSD and other psychedelics were outlawed in the late 1960s; and books and anecdotal trip reports written by users. See here for a list of sources.

The most important thing to realize is that no two trips are the same. The intensity and effects of a drug like LSD vary dramatically from person to person. If different people take the same amount in the same circumstances, each will have a distinctly different experience. If the same person takes LSD repeatedly, each experience is usually completely different in its flavor and content. (1)

The nature of the psychedelic experience is strongly determined by set and setting. Set is your mindset (how you're feeling, issues in your life, your psychological makeup) when taking the drug; setting is where you are - that includes who you're with and how relaxed you feel. Dosage and previous experience with the drug are also important factors.

Basically, if you take LSD, you will experience some or none of the effects on the following scale:

how you feel before taking a drug

Very mild effect. Relaxation. Giggling. Like being stoned but with enhanced visual perception: colors may seem brighter, patterns recognition enhanced, colors and details more eye-grabbing.

Physically, a feeling of lightness and euphoria, and a slight tingling in the body. Energy. A sense of urgency. Music sounds better.

top

Stronger visual hallucinations. Radiant colors. Objects and surfaces appear to ripple or breathe. Colored patterns behind the eyes are vivid, more active. Moments of reflection and distractive thought patterns. Thoughts and thinking become enhanced. Creative urges. Euphoria. Connection with others, empathy. Ability to talk or interact with others however slightly impaired. Sense of time distorted or lost. Sexual arousal. "Flight of ideas" and "ambitious designs". You're tripping.

Very obvious visual effects. Curved or warped patterns. Familiar objects appear strange as surface details distract the eye. Imagination and 'mind's eye' images vivid, three dimensional. Geometric patterns behind closed eyes. Some confusion of the senses.

Distortion rather than deterioration of mental processes. Some awareness of background brain functioning: such as balance systems or auditory visual perception. Deep store memory becomes accessible. Images or experiences may rise to the fore. Music is powerful and can affect mood. Sense of time lost. Occasional trance states. Paranoia and distortions of body image possible.

Physical symptoms may include: stiffness, cramp, and muscular tension. Nausea, fever, feeling of illness. You're loaded.

top

Lying down. Difficult to interact with other people and 'consensus reality' in general. You should really be somewhere safe.

Very strong hallucinations such as objects morphing into other objects. Tracers, lingering after-images, and visual echoes.

Intense depersonalization. Category enscramblement. The barriers between you and the universe begin to break down. Connection with everything around you. Experiencing contradictory feelings simultaneously. Some loss of reality. Time meaningless. Senses blend into one. Sensations of being born. Multiple splitting of the ego. Powerful awareness of mental processes and senses. Lengthy trances often featuring highly symbolic, often mythical visions when eyes are closed. Powerful, and sometimes brutal psycho-physical reactions described by users as reliving their own birth. Direct experience of group or collective consciousness, ancestral memories, recall of past-lives, and other mystical experiences. Ecstasy.

Music extremely powerful, perhaps overwhelming. Emotionally sensitivity increased (often massively). Crying or laughing, or both simultaneously.

Tremors, twitches, twisting movements, sweating, chills, hot flushes - all common. You're essentially out of it.

A very rare experience. Total loss of visual connection with reality. The senses cease to function in the normal way. Total loss of self. Transcendental experiences of cosmic unity, merging with space, other objects, or the universe. Out of body experience. Ecstasy. "Entity contact". The loss of reality becomes so severe that it defies explanation. Pure white light. Difficult to put into words.

- The Varieties Of Psychedelic Experience, Robert Masters Ph.D & Jean Houston Ph.D (Park Street Press, 2000)

- Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25). A clinical-psychological study. Savage C Amer. J. Psychiat., 1952; 108:896

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LSD - Psychedelic Effects - The Good Drugs Guide

Image by Catherine MacBride/Getty Images

Image by Catherine MacBride/Getty Images

With a president-elect who has publicly supported the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism, suggested that climate change is a hoax dreamed up by the Chinese, and appointed to his Cabinet a retired neurosurgeon who doesn't buy the theory of evolution, things might look grim for science.

Yet watching Patti Smith sing "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" live streamed from the Nobel Prize ceremony in early December to a room full of physicists, chemists and physicians watching her twice choke up, each time stopping the song altogether, only to push on through all seven wordy minutes of one of Bob Dylan's most beloved songs left me optimistic.

Taking nothing away from the very real anxieties about future funding and support for science, neuroscience in particular has had plenty of promising leads that could help fulfill Alfred Nobel's mission to better humanity. In the spirit of optimism, and with input from the Society for Neuroscience, here are a few of the noteworthy neuroscientific achievements of 2016.

One of the more fascinating fields of neuroscience of late entails mapping the crosstalk between our biomes, brains and immune systems.

In July, a group from the University of Virginia published a study in Nature showing that the immune system, in addition to protecting us from a daily barrage of potentially infectious microbes, can also influence social behavior. The researchers had previously shown that a type of white blood cells called T cells influence learning behavior in mice by communicating with the brain. Now they've shown that blocking T cell access to the brain influences rodent social preferences.

It appears that interferon, an immune system factor released from T cells, is at least partly responsible for the findings. A single injection of interferon into the mice's cerebrospinal fluid, the clear, protective fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord, was enough to restore social behaviors. Lead author Jonathan Kipnis from the University of Virginia speculates that there might be an evolutionary linkage here one protecting us from the increased pathogen exposure that comes with socializing. He also says the findings could help improve our understanding and treatment of brain disorders.

Of course these findings were in rodents, but earlier work by Kipnis suggests that the brain and immune system communicate in similar ways in humans.

Major advances were also made this year in joining human with machine.

In October 2015, Hanneke de Bruijne, a 58-year-old Dutch woman with Lou Gehrig's disease, received a brain implant that would allow her to communicate simply by thinking.

Eighty percent of patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as the condition is also known, ultimately have trouble communicating because of muscle paralysis. At its extreme, this paralysis results in a tragic state called locked-in syndrome, in which patients remain fully aware but can't express themselves; they become locked inside their own bodies.

The new therapy, which comes on the heels of similar work out of East Tennessee State University, was developed by a team from the University Medical Center Utrecht in collaboration with Medtronic. It consists of four electrodes implanted over the motor region of the brain that connect to a wireless transmitter implanted in the chest. After 28 weeks of training, the device was able to recognize brain activity patterns that occur with thinking about typing a particular letter. Though de Bruijne's muscles still can't move, this brain-computer interface can now translate her brain waves or her "thoughts" into text.

Among the biggest neuroscience drug advances of the year was the Food and Drug Administration's Dec. 23 approval of Biogen's Spinraza, or nusinersen, the first treatment for spinal muscular atrophy.

Spinal muscular atrophy is the No. 1 genetic cause of death in infants. Those affected by the devastating disorder carry a gene mutation that renders them unable to produce a protein essential to survival of neurons in the spinal cord. Gradually stripped of their abilities to walk, eat and breathe, most children struck with the disease don't make it past 2 years old.

Spinraza is a gene therapy that boosts the production of the essential protein. Despite possible side effects, which include bleeding complications, kidney toxicity and infection, the drug appears to work so well that two recent clinical trials were stopped early, as it was deemed unethical to withhold treatment from babies assigned to placebo groups. As with many other drugs for rare diseases, the price of Spinraza is expected to be high to help recoup research costs perhaps as high as $250,000 per year.

The Alzheimer's disease community also received welcome news this year. After hundreds of failed trials of potential treatments over the past couple of decades, the experimental drug aducanumab, also produced by Biogen, was found in early trials to slow the cognitive decline that comes with Alzheimer's.

And then there was the ongoing resurgence of psychedelic medicine.

It's been pretty well established that the hallucinogenic anesthetic ketamine may be an effective antidepressant. Now we have some potentially groundbreaking findings for psilocybin, the active compound in "magic mushrooms." Two clinical trials found that just a single high dose of the drug is effective at treating symptoms of both depression and anxiety in late-stage-cancer patients.

Scientists are unsure just how psilocybin works to relieve mental duress. But one theory holds that it disrupts self-focused thought and fixation common in those suffering from depression allowing selfless cognition and experience to occur. In both trials the intensity of the patients' "mystical experiences" correlated with the decrease in symptoms.

Both research groups strongly caution against recreational use or self-medicating with magic mushrooms, but the findings have many experts and institutions reconsidering the half-century of negative counterculture stigma surrounding psilocybin.

The list of neuroscientific advances from the past 12 months goes on: The Human Connectome Project gave us the most complete map of the cerebral cortex to date; a Canadian group revealed in part how fear memories are formed; scientists at Mount Sinai charted the neurocircuitry behind social aggression.

Still, the field of neuroscience remains, at best, in adolescence.

As British novelist Matt Haig wrote in The Telegraph in 2015, "Neuroscience is a baby science. ... We know more about the moons of Jupiter than what is inside of our skulls."

As the year's abundant advances attest, there is plenty of room left for discoveries in the coming year and beyond and plenty of creative, eager researchers to make them.

Bret Stetka is a writer based in New York and an editorial director at Medscape. His work has appeared in Wired, Scientific American and on The Atlantic.com. He graduated from University of Virginia School of Medicine in 2005. He's also on Twitter: @BretStetka

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From Alzheimer's To Psychedelics, 2016 Was A Good Year For ...

Psychedelics are a class of hallucinogens named so because the term is derived from the Greek words (psyche, "mind") and (delein, "to manifest"). The term means "mind-manifesting" with the implication being that psychedelics can access and develop unused potentials of the human mind.[1] In modern times, psychedelic drugs used in the context of religious, shamanic, or spiritual settings are often referred to as entheogens.[2]

Psychedelics act on serotonin receptors (also referred to as 5-HT receptors) via the way in which they act as full or partial agonists through their structural similarity to the serotonin molecule. DMT, for example, works by simply fitting into and activating serotonin receptors. It has a higher affinity than serotonin itself for the receptors, therefore preventing serotonin from binding to the receptors by competing with it.

While the method of action behind psychedelics is not fully understood, serotonergic psychedelics are known to show affinities for various 5-HT receptors in different ways and levels and may be classified by their activity at different 5-HT sub-sites, such as 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT2A, etc. Many serotonergic psychedelics (such as the tryptamines) have very strong structural similarities to serotonin itself which partially explains the affinity for certain 5-HT sites. It is almost unanimously agreed that serotonergic psychedelics produce their effects by acting as strong partial agonists at the 5-HT2A receptors, with a few exceptions acting as full agonists (such as 25I-NBOMe).

The effects listed below are based upon the subjective effects index and personal experiences of PsychonautWiki contributors. The listed effects will rarely (if ever) occur all at once, but heavier doses will increase the chances and are more likely to induce a full range of effects. Likewise, adverse effects become much more likely on higher doses and may include injury or death.

In comparison to the other classes of hallucinogen, this effect is very common at moderate to heavy dosages. It can be comprehensively described through its variations as lucid in believability, interactive in style, new experiences in content, autonomous in controllability, geometry-based in style and almost exclusively of a personal, religious, spiritual, science-fiction, fantasy, surreal, nonsensical or transcendental nature in their overall theme.

The classical psychedelics are all classed as serotonergic in nature. This means that they structurally mimic the endogenous neurotransmitter known as serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of well-being and mood regulation.[6] The diagram to the right shows the structural similarities and differences between the differing classes of psychedelics and the serotonin neurotransmitter. The three classes (phenethylamines, lysergamides and tryptamines) all contain the same chemical rings (which have been labelled).

The information below describes and explains various concepts regarding the responsible use of psychedelic compounds. These should be read over and considered before one decides whether or not it will be safe to trip.

One of the most important factors to consider as an inexperienced user is one's current state of mind. Many substances exponentially enhance a person's current state of mind, emotions and general perspective on the world which is a process that can go in either a positive and euphoric direction or a negative, terrifying and anxiety ridden direction. It is because of this that many substances should not be used by the inexperienced during stressful or negative periods of life and users should be fully aware of the ways in which hallucinogens and other drugs, particularly psychedelics, consistently force a person to face and deal with their personal introspective problems that all human beings deal with.

It has often been recommended that those with severe pre-existing mental conditions (especially individuals with psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia) should not ingest these substances due to the way they strongly increase one's current state of mind and emotions as well as cause delusions and hallucinations.

Throughout the experience itself the person needs to let go and allow the effects to take charge. One should be taking the metaphorical passenger seat and never trying to control any part of the experience. It is extremely important that people simply relax and take things as they come. The user must understand that the act of tripping is often ineffable and incomprehensible at high enough dosages, meaning that an acceptance of not being able to understand the full scope of what is happening should be present at all times. One should be embracing the fact that their thought processes, although more insightful in places, will be inherently impaired along with motor control, conversational skills and general functioning. The user should be sure to view these effects as normal and not feel self-conscious or insecure about them within the presence of others.

If one is using hallucinogens, a sober, responsible trip sitter is strongly recommended to be present throughout a trip by an inexperienced individual or group with an unfamiliar substance. It is this persons responsibility to assist the individual or group by maintaining a rational and responsible frame of mind. This should be done by simply watching over the trippers and calmly reassuring them if they experience any anxiety or stress, whilst also preventing them from coming to any harm. There is an obvious correlation between the name trip sitter and babysitter; this is because at many times, trip sitting can be like babysitting and it is definitely a responsibility that must be taken just as seriously.

A good trip sitter needs to be sure of a number of things throughout the experience. They should remain (mostly) sober and should be able to empathize with the group members situation through personal experiences with the substance/similar substances or at least a considerable amount of research on their effects. Trip sitters should understand that when a person is tripping, they might not be able to communicate as they usually do. Also, their balance and spatial judgement may be off so assistance in performing physical tasks such as keeping hydrated can greatly reduce anxiety. The trip sitter can contribute to the conversation, but should also remember to leave them to explore the experience without too much external influence.

Once a person is familiar with the experience, it becomes down to them whether or not they feel comfortable enough to trip without a sitter.

An anchor, in the context of hallucinogen usage, can be defined as an activity or physical object which keeps one grounded during heavy suppression and distortion of a person's sense of time, space, language, ego and short/long-term memory. At higher dosages, this can result in extreme disorientation and confusion. Anchors are often used to counteract this and maintain one's concept of the current situation as it is within reality. Examples of anchors include:

Hallucinogens have the potential to become overwhelming and push trippers into paranoid/dreadful moods if the tripper is inexperienced or in an inappropriate setting.

If one decides that they want the trip to end, benzodiazepines and other sedatives such as some antipsychotics can be considered as an analogous "eject button" of a downhill-headed or extensively long trip. They are very useful tools in preventing panic attacks, paranoia, and possible traumatic experiences. If these are available, be sure to keep them at hand as they are extremely effective tools for mitigating a hallucinogenic crisis. Independent research should always be done to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe before consumption.

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Psychedelic - PsychonautWiki

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Psychedelic drugs include LSD (acid), psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline (found in peyote), ibogaine, salvia, and DMT (found in ayahuasca). Psychedelic substances have been used for thousands of years for religious and therapeutic purposes.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, psychedelic drugs such as LSD were considered promising treatments for a broad range of psychological and psychiatric conditions. Tens of thousands of people were introduced to them in clinical studies, as an adjunct to psychotherapy, or as part of a religious or spiritual practice.

By the late 1960s, however, as millions of people experimented with them, psychedelics became symbols of youthful rebellion, social upheaval, and political dissent. By the early 1970s, the government had halted scientific research to evaluate their medical safety and efficacy. The ban persisted for decades, but has gradually been lifted over the past decade.

Today, there are dozens of studies taking place to evaluate the medical safety and efficacy of psychedelics, and the Supreme Court has ruled that psychedelics can be used as part of the practices of certain organized religions.

Facts

Sources:

Grinspoon, Lester and James B. Bakalar. 1997. Psychedelic Drugs Reconsidered. New York: The Lindesmith Center.

Grob, Charles and Roger Walsh, ed. Higher Wisdom: Eminent Elders Expore the Continuing Impact of Psychedelics. SUNY University of New York Press, 2005.

Stamets, Paul, Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World, Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 1996.

Stolaroff, Myron. The Secret Chief. Sarasota, FL: MAPS, 2006.

Strassman, R. J. 1984. Adverse Reactions to Psychedelic Drugs: A Review of the Literature. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 172: 577-95.

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