Category Archives: Psychedelics

Researchers at Macquarie University are seeking people who microdose with magic mushrooms to see if reports of performance enhancement and improved mental health will show up in brain scans and biomarkers.

In the spotlight: The research team hope to recruit around 80 people who currently microdose with psilocybin, the active ingredient in 'magic mushrooms'.

Cognitive psychologist Dr Vince Polito will put psychedelic microdose users through a series of tests while imaging their brains, to uncover the neurobiological, physiological and performance impact of low-dose psychedelic drugs.

The study (which has formal ethics approval) will use magnetoencephalography (MEG) to record brain activity, and look for biomarkers, in one of the worlds first neuroimaging studies to independently assess the impact of low doses of hallucinogenic drugs.

Polito is working with three other Macquarie University scientists Professor Paul Sowman, Professor Dick Stevenson and Professor Gilles Guillemin, along with Dr Paul Liknaitzky at Monash University.

Participants will be part of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, using their own supply of psychedelic substances.

The team hope to recruit around 80 people who currently microdose with psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) to take part in two lab-based sessions that will investigate the impact of the drug.

Psilocybin remains a prohibited (Schedule 9) substance in Australia, and despite recent applications to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to have psilocybin rescheduled as a controlled medication, it is only available for research under certain very limited conditions.

Participants will be part of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, using their own supply of psychedelic substances, Polito says.

Microdosing is a recent phenomenon where users take a very low dose of psychedelic substances, semi-regularly.

Counter culture: Writer and icon Ken Kesey (pictured) was involved in early psychedelic research with Dr James Fadiman, one of the leaders in the field.

Some people will microdose every three or four days, while others might microdose perhaps several times a month, Polito says.

But microdose users arent seeking a short intense hallucinogenic high, and want to avoid changing their perception or consciousness through the drug.

Instead, they hope these regular tiny doses will prompt long-term improvements, help them think more clearly, become more creative and productive, and expand their mental and emotional health.

Polito says that a microdose is typically one-tenth or less of that used to prompt a hallucinogenic state, with users adjusting their dose to make sure they dont experience noticeable visual effects.

Psychedelic substances used by microdosers include psilocybin mushrooms (commonly called magic mushrooms), LSD, peyote, MDMA and ketamine but Polito says this study will focus on psilocybin which is one of the most commonly used hallucinogens.

There were hints around the 1980s of people trying low dose regimes, but it has only really caught on in the past six years or so, Polito says.

Weighing in:Participants in a survey of microdosers were mostly male and university educated, with an average age in their late 30s.

One of the leaders in the field is US scientist and researcher Dr James Fadiman, who was involved in early psychedelic research with well-known cultural icons of the time including the writers Ken Kesey and Stewart Brand.

Fadiman continued his interest in the field of psychedelic research despite its prohibition, and his 2011 book included a small section about people who had claimed health benefits from microdosing, Polito says.

A few years later, in 2015, a Rolling Stone article on microdosing sparked international interest and since then there have been thousands of articles, websites and internet groups dedicated to exploring microdosing.

We expect to find if there is really something physiological happening, or if it is all just people's expectations and beliefs that are driving their responses.

Polito says that the surge in microdosing popularity has coincided with (and is likely partly related to) the growth of the dark web, or hidden areas on the internet harbouring illegal online marketplaces, which make it far easier for people to access psychedelics.

But Polito says that researchers are in catch-up mode.

Online spaces like Reddit and Facebook have huge microdose communities, with probably tens of thousands of people out there experimenting with low-dose psychedelics, but the first scientific papers only came out in 2018.

Polito is one of the early scholars in this field, and his research on microdosing published in 2019 reported the results of a survey that ran from April 2016 for a year, tracking 63 regular microdosers over a two-month period.

He found some surprising results and a cohort very different to stereotypes of recreational drug users.

Participants were mostly male, with an average age in their late 30s, mostly employed or in fulltime education, and around 70 per cent were university educated.

People claim a broad range of benefits from microdosing, reporting that it helps with their attention and focus at work, with their social relationships, it helps their mood, their mental health, and with creativity across a whole range of different domains, he says.

While he says that the breadth and variety of these claims of microdose miracles may seem remarkable and somewhat unlikely, the popularity of microdosing has co-incided with a surge in interest in the use of high-dose psychedelics to treat a range of mental illnesses including PTSD, depression, anxiety and substance use disorders.

The compelling results coming from the high dose research suggests that the reintroduction of psychedelics may have a massive impact in psychology and psychiatry in the near future; and it also suggests there could be a plausible explanation for the positive effects of low-dose psychedelics.

Most research into microdosing to date has relied on users own reports to investigate such effects as improved mood or reduced stress, which could be subject to a placebo effect.

'Magic' v fact: Dr Vince Polito (pictured) says people claim a broad range of benefits from microdosing, but he wants to find out what exactly is happening in the brain.

Politos team will use a self-blinding research protocol developed by Imperial College London, where participants are mailed two coded gel capsules in a kit designed to let them fill one with their regular microdose, the other with a placebo, without viewing the different capsules.

On each of two laboratory visits, participants will take one capsule, record the code, and proceed with the tests not knowing until the study has been completed, whether they took the placebo.

We will get people to do some psychometric tasks and behavioral tasks while we use a scanner to really look in detail at what's happening in people's brains, he says.

The researchers will also take a blood sample and look for different biomarkers that might indicate various effects of psychedelics.

We expect to find if there is really something physiological happening, or if it is all just people's expectations and beliefs that are driving their responses, he says.

While the team's optimistic target is 80 candidates, Polito candidly admits theres little certainty about how many people will sign up.

We need to find people who are already microdosing, he says, adding that anecdotal evidence suggests there are plenty of microdosers in Sydney.

We hope to encourage enough to come and have their brain scanned for science."

Dr Vince Polito is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Cognitive Science.

Interested in signing up? More information:https://www.microdosingstudy.com/

Original post:

Psychedelic microdosing study to reveal what really happens in brains - Macquarie University

Psychedelics potential is rivaled only by their power. They are extremely potent substances that have been used in various cultures dating back thousands of years, largely for ritualistic and spiritual purposes. In addition, they have traditionally been called upon to offer those who wish to gain insight into realms believed to be inaccessible to the conscious mind.This is more or less the same reason why interest in psychedelics has skyrocketed among clinicians, researchers, and the general public. For clinicians, these drugs are being touted as potential groundbreaking treatment options for a host of psychiatric and inflammatory conditions as they can potentially treat symptoms that are extremely difficult to manage with conventional medicines. For researchers, studying psychedelics can help them understand how these substances can eliminate the interference of ego structures and conscious experiences in their subjects to unveil the most fundamental dynamics of the mind, thereby offering new insights into our understanding of neuroscience, consciousness, and how the two intersect. For the general public, they offer relief from symptoms of hobbling psychiatric conditions, fuel for philosophical musings, and the opportunity to take part in deeply meaningful experiences. As has been frequently reported in research dating back to at least 2006, psychedelic sessions are frequently ranked among the top five most meaningful experiences in individuals lives even more than a year later.1Psychiatrists are very excited about the potential of psychedelics, particularly with respect to drugs like psilocybin, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), and MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine). Despite the excitement about adding these substances to psychiatrists toolkits, one of the most potent psychedelic compounds available, DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine), has received very little attention from clinicians until recently.

While there is no question that DMT holds enormous potential, as clinicians we must first understand how to harness it.

Though DMT acts upon the same serotonin receptors as other classical psychedelics, the DMT experience is unique. With smoked DMT, the ego is not just dissolved in a transcendent experience; it is obliterated.

According to DMT users, the visible world is often replaced by extremely vivid kaleidoscopic patterns of color. Furthermore, users report being transported to what they describe as another plane of reality with the presence of godlike creatures, and many of those who have taken DMT have reportedly interacted with these creatures. An online survey conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine involving 2,561 individuals (median age 32 years; 77% male) who reportedly had encounters with these ostensibly autonomous beings found that half of participants who considered themselves atheists before the experience no longer did afterwards, and more than half of total participants believed that these beings are conscious, intelligent, benevolent and continued to exist after the encounter in a real but different reality.2Characterized by Davis as an ontological shock, over half of the participants claimed that the DMT experience was one of the most spiritually significant and meaningful moments in their lives. Many respondents also reported profound changes in outlook and positive changes in life satisfaction and subjective well-being.2

Theoretically, yes.

Like other psychedelics, it may prove capable of easing existential distress among terminally ill patients and promoting subjective well-being. It may even help individuals with substance use disorders overcome their dependence. A pharmaceutical company based in the United Kingdom, in conjunction with Imperial College Londons Centre for Psychedelic Research, initiated a phase I trial earlier this year to see if DMT could be used to treat major depressive disorder.

However, there are potential roadblocks to DMTs use in a clinical setting, tooat least in its smoked or vaped form. As Stephen Ross, one of my colleagues at New York University who has studied psychedelics extensively, observed during a conversation we had about frontiers of psychedelic research, psychedelics are only part of the equation in a larger model of medication-assisted psychotherapy. Patients should not simply be given these extremely potent drugs, and then left on their own to process the experience. They need guidance from people who have the tools and training to place it into a larger narrative.

To properly provide care, staff members need to be trained to be effective guides to patients who are experiencing the acute effects of the drugs and to help them contextualize and absorb the experience. Furthermore, patients need to be psychologically prepared for the experience and will likely require several sessions before and after the experience to effectively process it. Given the enormous difference between the acute effects of DMT and LSD or psilocybin, it stands to reason that protocols and models that provide the best therapeutic experience are not even remotely interchangeable.

To fully harness the therapeutic power of DMT, as well as psychedelics in general, research will need to focus not only on the potential conditions it can help treat or the neurophysiological effects of the drug, but how the drug is administered and how patients are guided through the experience. We will need to embrace the role of navigator, rather than simply impartial facilitator of awareness, growth, and psychological development of our patients.About the author:Samoon Ahmad, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

References:

1: Griffiths RR, Richards WA, Johnson MW, McCann UD, Jesse R. Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later. J Psychopharmacol. 2008;22(6):621-632. doi:10.1177/0269881108094300.

2: Davis AK, Clifton JM, Weaver EG, Hurwitz ES, Johnson MW, Griffiths RR. Survey of entity encounter experiences occasioned by inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine. J Psychopharmacol. 2020;34(9):1008-1020. doi: 10.1177/0269881120916143.

3: Carbonaro TM, Gatch MB. Neuropharmacology of N,N-dimethyltryptamine. Brain Research Bulletin. 2016;126:74-88. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.04.016.

4: Pollan M. How to change your mind: what the new science of psychedelics teaches us about consciousness, dying, addiction, depression, and transcendence. 2018.

Read the rest here:

Another Psychedelic and Its Potential Psychiatric Promise - Technology Networks

Over the last few months, weve seen the levels of stress, mental health issues, and addiction rise to unprecedented levels. The high costs of medicine and therapy, coupled with most countries imposing restrictions have had a severe impact on peoples mental health, much of which is likely to stay with them for a long time.

To combat this issue and meet the new challenges to mental healthcare, new research is needed. US biotech company MindMed works to research and develop medicines and therapies involving psychedelic drugs.

Psychedelic drugs such as LSD, DMT, psilocybin, MDMA, and mescaline can be harnessed to have therapeutic effects for patients. MindMeds experimental therapy projects include Project Lucy (addressing anxiety with LSD-assisted therapy) which is in Phase 2B, the development of 18-MC to treat causes of addiction, and LSD Microdosing to treat ADHD.

Image: MindMed

Last month, MindMed has also announced the approval of a new study on the effects of different doses of mescaline. The study is to be conducted in Switzerland, at the University Hospital Basel Liechti Lab. This study will, we believe, provide the first modern research data on mescaline regarding dosing and mechanism of action in humans, said Dr. Matthias Liechti, Ph.D. and M.D. of the University of Basel.

According to the president of MindMed Dr. Miri Halperin Wernli, mescaline can have a powerful effect on enhancing communication within the brain. That does seem to be how psychedelics work even the American regulators agree. Unlike the SSRIs, they dont appear to present any negative side effects but do have long-lasting anti-depressant effects.

According to Dr. Sara Tai, they arent the answer on their own. Many mental health issues occur as a result of our environment and treating them requires more than making changes in the brain. She explains that A drug-centered, dose-response approach in psychedelic research may, misleadingly, communicate that mental health issues are simply the result of some deficit that needs to be rectified and the drug alone is the vehicle of change.

Image: MindMed

Indeed, theres no magic wand solution to mental health issues as they vary from person to person, and that means that effective solutions are individual-focused. However, psychedelics can act as a catalyst for creating conditions that allow a patient to approach their issues from another perspective, according to Dr. Tai. Thought leader Deepak Chopra, whose foundation has formed a partnership with MindMed earlier this year, seems to agree.

Whether on its own or combined with CBT or other therapies, it does seem that psychedelic drugs can play a significant role in helping people deal with their mental health problems. Im looking forward to seeing what comes out of MindMeds research and seeing the extent of its practical applications.

YouTube: Understanding The Psychedelic Medicine Industry Q&A with Kevin OLeary and JR Rahn

Photo credits: The images used are owned by MindMed and have been provided for press usage.Sources: Kimberly Drake (MedicalNewsToday) / National Center for Biotechnology Information / Allie Nawrat (Pharmaceutical Technology) / Dr. Sara Tai (MentalHealthToday) / David E. Carpenter (Forbes)

Did this article help you? If not, let us know what we missed.

Go here to see the original:

MindMed Studies the Role of Psychedelics in Treatments - TechAcute

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

As a global society, we are living in reliably unreliable times, bathed in the dubious glow of a bonfire of certainties. Please allow me to add another set of conventions to the pyre: our most maligned and restricted drugs might heal us.

Consumers, the medical community and regulators are beginning to re-examine taboo substances through the fresh light of evidence and experience. Cannabis, nicotine and psychedelics will create a new, transgressive wellness and form part of our collective health and wellbeing in the years to come.

There are many drivers for this. On the consumer side, we have become more nuanced in our use of substances. We are increasingly disenchanted with legacy solutions and - as a result of man-made catastrophes such as the USs opioid crisis - less inclined to blindly outsource our health to the pharmaceutical industry.

The medical and regulatory communities are also skeptical. Clinicians are increasingly aware of the limits of existing official treatment for conditions as diverse as chronic pain (including palliative care), epilepsy, depression, and sleep disorders. There is appetite for change.

Equally, many governments are defining public health more broadly. They are counting the cost of public health issues and the ineffective responses to them. This is opening up dialogue amongst several administrations around exploring the role demonised substances could play.

Cannabis, nicotine, and psilocybin, for example, are all naturally occurring organisms with millennia of holistic human use. Whereas man-made substances such as LSD and MDMA have a technical origin, within pharmaceutical or military research, which tends to confer a kind of native legitimacy.

Of course, none of this is to say that these substances are risk-free or will prove to be beneficial. Depressants, psychedelics and stimulants are compounds with unique properties and evidence. What is clear however is that the reframing from agents of chaos into facilitators of transgressive wellness is underway.

In fact, in the case of cannabis, that rehabilitation is already maturing. The modern consumer is using the drug in different ways and in doing so, dissolving the traditional image of recreational consumption.

According to Euromonitor, this will drive growth in the global legal market from around $30 billion (25.3 billion) in 2020 to more than $90 billion (76 billion) in 2025.

The credibility of cannabis as a medical treatment has grown to a point where large sections of the public increasingly believe in its therapeutic potential. Once this Rubicon is crossed, wider legalisation is sure to follow.

The US Federal Drug Agency (FDA) has designated psilocybin as a breakthrough therapy for major depressive disorder and MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder, indicating widespread conviction that these therapies will prove superior to existing treatments.

These are powerful substances which leading researchers say "increase entropy in spontaneous neural activity" and can create permanent or semi-permanent changes in mindsets and patterns of thinking.

But there is currently no certainty that they can be effective enough at low doses or safe enough at higher doses to be taken out of the clinical setting.

However, even if psychedelics were to be 'confined' to the treatment room, their wider use looks set to be revolutionary.

Despite being the most widely available of the compounds discussed, its path to rehabilitation is arguably the longest and steepest.

Public misunderstanding of the properties and impact of nicotine consumption is shaped by its predominant delivery system, the combustible cigarette.

But awareness of nicotine as a possible cognitive function enhancer, potentially to treat conditions such as Parkinson's disease, has been present in the background for some time.

More recently, some research suggests there is a putative link between the consumption of nicotine and resistance to transmission of COVID-19. It is also likely to be less addictive when consumed in formats other than the traditional cigarette.

Combined, these point to a scenario of nicotine being delivered as one of a stack of ingredients in say a tablet, shot, or gel to improve immunity, focus, and cognitive function.

Not quite 'Tobacco Saves' perhaps but certainly 'Nicotine Improves'.

Ultimately, the rehabilitation journey of these drugs has a way to go - not all will reach the end.

Yet a combination of public disenchantment, our collective curiosity, and the compulsion of experts and governments to do more good and less harm at lower cost, will ensure one eras transgression, is anothers wellness.

What do you think about the arguments expressed in this opinion piece? Send us your thoughts at annabel.murphy@ext.euronews.com

Visit link:

LSD and nicotine could be more important to healthcare than we think - Euronews

The psychedelics space is well on its way to becoming dominant in terms of treating a range of medical conditions similar to the cannabis boom we’ve seen over the last decade or so, and companies in the space are vying for a top spot in the capital markets.

Psychedelics are known for changing or enhancing sensory perceptions and thought processes while also amplifying spiritual experiences. Utilizing psychedelics to treat mental health-related concerns has risen in prominence for disorders such as anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other psychiatric conditions.

As the prominence of these conditions continues to rise, so too does the psychedelics market. According to a from Data Bridge Market Research, the industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.1 per cent to US$7.56 billion by 2028.

Driving this growth will be an increase in anxiety and depression and the a renaissance of utilizing psychedelic drugs to treat the afflictions as they continue to show promise of increased efficacy compared to the currently prescribed medications.

One of the challenges of commercializing psychedelic medications is that the well-known psychedelic drugs are all in the public domain and cannot be patented.

Companies like Mindset Pharma Inc. (CSE.MSET, OTCMKTS: MSSTF, Forum) are ramping up efforts to tap into this growing market by developing next generation, patent pending psychedelic drug candidates that are specifically designed to be used as medications.

The company, which is based out of Toronto, Ontario, is currently advancing its next-generation psychedelic medications and chemical synthesis processes; however, it differs from other psychedelics companies in that it has invented completely new psychedelic drug candidates that have been optimized for increased efficacy and safety and are currently awaiting patent approval,.

More specifically, the company owns three patent-pending psilocybin-inspired drug families, and a fourth inspired by DMT & 5-MeO-DMT.

Mindset Pharma recently chose its first lead drug candidate, MSP-1014, is from its Family 1 of novel psychedelic compounds. The drug is now moving into current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) compliant manufacturing and investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies which are required to be completed before entering clinical trials.

Advancing MSP-1014

Mindset Pharma’s Family 1 psilocybin-inspired drug family is gearing up for movement into clinical trials, and selecting its lead candidate MSP-1014 is a step closer in the company’s journey in doing so.

The company said that the drug candidate has shown superior characteristics in direct comparison to psilocybin and its active metabolite psilocin. The advantages of MSP-1014 include increased safety and efficacy.

MSP-1014 has the potential to be a safer, more efficacious analog to psilocybin, with reduced potential side effects. Given its chemical profile, we anticipate that MSP-1014 will have the potential to treat mood disorders, including major depressive disorder, substance misuse disorders and end-of-life angst associated with terminal illnesses, including cancer,” James Lanthier, CEO of Mindset, said in a press release.

Lanthier said the company believes MSP-1014 has what it takes to be a first-in-class psychedelic drug candidate. He added that Mindset Pharma can now continue advancing its position in the development of life-changing innovative psychedelic therapeutics that are safer than first-generation psychedelics.

Our next-generation psychedelic compounds represent the flourishing evolution of therapeutics to effectively address neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders,” he said.

Mindset Pharma’s Family 1 compounds

Mindset’s Family 1 compounds leverage modern drug design practices to create proprietary psychedelic drugs that have the potential to be less toxic and more effective.

In previous rodent preclinical studies of MSP-1014, the drug candidate showed superior in vivo and safety profiles in mice compared to psilocybin in various doses and 5-HT2A (the serotonin receptor widely believed to be responsible for the psychedelic experience) receptor activation in rats.

According to the company, the superiority when compared to psilocybin is largely in part due to the incorporation of a conjugated amplification moiety (CAM) which enhances the 5-HT2A specific effects while reducing non-specific effects.

In addition to the lead candidate, Mindset Pharma’s Family 1 includes several other patent-pending compounds with patent-filing priority dates of February of last year. Mindset has completed a range of specialized in vitro and in vivo tests on its novel compounds to choose the best psychedelic drug candidate to be used in human trials.

Moving ahead with its other family compounds, Mindset Pharma aims to develop drug candidates from Families 2 to 4 and selecting additional lead candidates down the line.

The investment Opportunity

Investors need to keep in mind that because the psychedelics space is still young, it will naturally go through periods of fluctuation just like any other up-and-coming market.

With that in mind, however, Mindset Pharma is poised to be a game-changer in the next generation of psychedelic medicine thanks to its early dates on patent filings, strong data which indicates efficacy of its 4 drug families and, of course, a broad portfolio full of patent-pending drugs that investors should be watching for down the line.

FULL DISCLOSURE: This is a paid article produced by Stockhouse Publishing.

Read the original:

Ready to Tap into the US$7.6 billion Psychedelics Market - Stockhouse

The times they are a-changing, folks.

Ten years ago, the only so-called drugs you could legally take in public were alcohol and tobacco.

Over the past decade, marijuana got added to that list across a variety of states in America as well as multiple countries across the globe, including Canada and Mexico.

And just last week, psychedelics were added to the list in California.

Thats right. In a landmark ruling last week, California bill SB519 to decriminalize possession of psychedelics passed the state senate by a 21-16 vote. Going forward, persons aged 21 years and older in Americas most populous state can legally possess psychedelics for personal use and social sharing.

Thats pretty wild

We went from having just two legally accessible drugs for decades, to having more than half a dozen in just five years. And that half a dozen includes stuff like magic mushrooms that, for years, were frowned upon in society as taboo.

Whats going on here?

The scientific truth is emerging.

You see things like marijuana and magic mushrooms werent always considered bad for you and the emergence of their negative stigma was not rooted in good science, but rather in bad politics.

Lets rewind 70 years.

Back in the 1950s, a group of pioneering psychiatrists in California led by Humphry Osmond were actively experimenting with psychedelics. They found that the hallucinogenic drugs had immense therapeutic potential.

But, for various reasons, psychedelics and marijuana became staples of the emergence of hippie culture in the 1960s. And the government didnt like hippie culture. It was a direct threat to their power. So, then-U.S. President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs which was basically just a war on hippie culture to preserve government power and in 1970, both marijuana and psychedelics landed on the U.S. governments Schedule 1 drug list.

Everyone listened to the government, and over the next several decades, the world just assumed that marijuana and psychedelics were bad for you even though early science said the opposite.

But things started to change in the early 2010s.

It was around this time that the academic world began to re-explore the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, amid a broader movement to legalize and destigmatize marijuana.

And what the academic world uncovered was stunning

A pair of recent Johns Hopkins studies have found that the active ingredient in magic mushrooms (something called psilocybin) can significantly help with smoking cessation and reducing alcohol dependence.

An even more recent Johns Hopkins study published in 2020 found that psilocybin can relieve anxiety and depression levels in people with life-threatening cancer diagnoses four-times better than traditional antidepressants on the market.

That finding corroborates a previous NYU study, which found that psilocybin causes a rapid and sustained reduction in anxiety and depression levels in cancer patients.

Meanwhile, a recent UC Davis study found that psychedelic micro-dosing can produce beneficial behavioral effects in patient with mental health disorders.

And, most recently, an Imperial College London study published just two months ago found that psilocybin is better and faster at treating depression than Lexapro, a leading antidepressant treatment today.

The list of academic studies goes on and on.

They are all coming to the same conclusion: Psychedelic-inspired medicines particularly psilocybin have robust therapeutic potential.

Magic mushrooms arent just drugs that hippies took back in the 1960s. Thats a bad, antiquated political take. The science here shows that they are the key to curing mental health disorders, eradicating depression, fixing PTSD, and alleviating addiction.

Folks this is major science is trumping politics and as a result, we could be on the cusp of fixing mental health disorders once and for all.

But one big hurdle remains: The long arm of the law.

Fortunately, this isnt 1970 anymore. And with the academic research coming to an indisputable conclusion and mental health awareness on the rise, the legal landscape is starting to peel back antiquated laws that were put in place 50 years ago

As stated above, California just decriminalized possession of psychedelics. That state isnt alone. Before them, Oregon and Washington D.C. did the exact same thing during in November of 2020.

Canada is on the cusp of doing the same thing. The governor of Connecticut just signed legislation to carry out a study into the therapeutic potential of psilocybin mushrooms. The Seattle City Council asked the Overdose Emergency and Innovative Recovery Task Force to explore creating more open policies on psychedelics.

The sands are shifting. The Shroom Boom is coming.

This is great news for the world, because it means that tens of thousands of lives will be saved every single year as pysch-inspired medicines give those people a better chance at beating depression, addiction, PTSD, and anxiety.

But this is also great news for you as a hypergrowth investor.

Because in creating a superior treatment for mental health disorders, the Shroom Boom will give birth to a multi-hundred-billion-dollar industry and you can get in on the ground-floor of this investment megatrend by buying the right stocks today.

But, alas, heres the million-dollar question: What are the best psychedelic stocks to buy today?

Actually, Ill one-up you there why dont I just tell you about the #1 stock to buy for this Shroom Boom?

Because, truth be told, there is one company that is head and shoulders above everyone else in this space.

This is the largest company in the psychedelic-inspired medicine space

It has the industrys leading psilocybin treatment which is currently going through Phase 2B trials

Its board includes the former Chairman of Johnson & Johnson, the former Director of the U.S. National Institute of Mental Healthy, and the former executive director of the EMA, as well as leading psychiatry professors from Stanford, Harvard, and Imperial College London

It has won the backing of legendary VC investor Peter Thiel, who is famously known as Facebooks first investor.

This company is the golden goose in the psychedelic-inspired medicine industry.

And its stock is the #1 stock to buy to play the Shroom Boom I actually think this stock is going to more than triple over the next ~6 months alone.

To get the name, ticker symbol, and key business details of this explosive investment opportunity and potentially triple your money before the end of the year, click here.

Your next big stock market winner is hiding right behind that link

On the date of publication, Luke Lango did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.

By uncovering early investments in hypergrowth industries, Luke Lango puts you on the ground-floor of world-changing megatrends. Its the theme of his premiere technology-focused service, Innovation Investor. To see Lukes entire lineup of innovative cutting-edge stocks, become a subscriber of Innovation Investor today.

Originally posted here:

Triple Your Money in 6 Months With This Top Biotech Stock to Buy Right Now - InvestorPlace

The Newly Institute is honoured to be a member of this prestigious organization. The Drug Science Medical Psychedelics Working Group is a consortium of Drug Science experts, industry partners, patient representatives and policy makers that aims to break the barriers of 50 years of medical censorship by creating a rational and enlightened approach to psychedelic research and clinical treatment.

Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - July 15, 2021) - Aspen Island Therapeutics Inc. DBA the Newly Institute ("The Newly Institute" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a joint working agreement with Drug Science and membership into the Drug Science Medical Psychedelics Working Group. Drug Science's mission is founded on their efforts, and their many hours of work delivering, reviewing and investigating evidence relating to psychoactive drugs with one single minded message - to tell the truth about drugs. Led by Professor David Nutt, the committee is made of international accomplished, respected and authoritative individual in science, academia and policy, united with a passionate belief in the pursuit of knowledge.

Professor Jo Neill, Chair of the Medical Psychedelics Working Group, stated: "We are delighted to welcome The Newly Institute to the Drug Science Medical Psychedelics working group as an International Industry partner. Psychedelic medicine is a much needed paradigm shift in global health care and we welcome international partners and expertise."

In addition, the Company also is pleased its Chief Medical Officer, Dr. R. Tanguay, has joined the UK-based Scientific Committee of Drug Science. Dr. Tanguay noted upon joining the Drug Science team, "To join the Drug Science team, led by Professor David Nutt and scientists from around the world, is an incredible honour. As The Newly Institute places itself as a leader in mental health, pain, and addictions treatment, psychedelics may play an important role for those not responding to traditional treatment. Working with Drug Science and Professor Nutt to provide high quality, scientifically based information and evidence-based comment and analysis of new research, The Newly Institute will be at the forefront of treatment and cements its place as Canada's leader in helping people recover and get their lives back."

Story continues

About The Newly Institute

The Newly Institute believes that mental health treatment is in drastic need of a paradigm shift, and our practice was founded to provide long-lasting change within this industry, our community, and with our clients. By fusing a bio-psycho-social-spiritual treatment model with psychedelic-assisted therapies, patients can overcome deeply embedded traumas that prevent them from living fully in their everyday lives. Our programs are based on evidence and data, but our approach is personal because we know it is vital that people feel safe to be vulnerable during this process.

With locations opening in Calgary, AB, Fredericton, NB, Edmonton, AB, as well as several more Canadian cities, The Newly Institute's is on-track to become Canada's largest and premier operator of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy clinics.

SOURCE: The Newly Institute

For further information: Investor, Media, and General Inquiries: ir@thenewly.ca

Related Links:www.thenewly.cawww.drugscience.org.uk

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/90334

Go here to read the rest:

The Newly Institute Announces the Execution of a Joint Working Agreement with Drug Science for the Drug Science Medical Psychedelics Working Group -...

25 June 2021

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com.

Seyfarth Synopsis: On June 1, 2021, theCalifornia State Senate passed Senate Bill 519 which calls for thelegalization for non-commercial use of specific psychedelics. ThisBill is the newest among the growing list of legalization effortsof psychedelics, this being a major momentum shift.

In the most recent news of the ongoing modern psychedelicrevolution, the California State Senate approved Senate Bill 519 on June 1, 2021. This bill,sponsored by Senator Scott Wiener, aims to legalize the possessionand sharing of certain psychedelics. The list includes psilocybin,ketamine, MDMA, LSD, and non-peyote derived mescaline forCalifornians 21 and over. After its passing in the senate, the billnow moves to the Democratically controlled California StateAssembly, and should it pass there it will be sent to GovernorGavin Newsom for his final approval.

This bill is a legalization, not decriminalization effort,making it legal to not only possess and share the listedpsychedelics, but also cultivate naturally occurring psychedelicsfor personal use specifically. This means home grown spores wouldbe free to spread in backyards across California, as the billspecifically allows property owners to possess spores or myceliumproducing mushrooms for personal or social use.

Notably, the bill allows Californians to have the psychedelicsfor "social use," which is defined as "the givingaway or consensual administering of," the covered substances,by someone 21 or older to someone 21 or older. Social sharingincludes but is not limited to group counseling, spiritualguidance, community-based healing, or related services.

However, the bill specifically disallows offering thesesubstances for financial gain, which is defined as the receipt ofmoney or other valuable consideration in exchange for the itembeing shared. This does not apply to reasonable fees forcounseling, spiritual guidance, or related services that areprovided in tandem with both the administering or use of any of thecontrolled substances specifically under the guidance andsupervision of the person providing those services on the premises,and on the premises of the person providing the services.This section in particular may create an interesting carve out foradministering the substances, for a reasonable fee, but only undersupervision of a guide upon their designated premises.

Moreover, the bill calls for the California Department of Healthto convene a working group that will research and makerecommendations to the state legislature on the regulation and useof substances legalized by this bill.

This bill is the latest spore to pop up in the growing networkof psychedelic legislation within the United States. The billspecifically cites other related initiatives in the City of Oakland and City of Santa Cruz as inspiration, as well as Ann Arbor, Michigan; Somerville, Massachusetts; and Cambridge, Massachusetts; which have alldecriminalized possession, use, and propagation of psychedelicplants and fungi. Washington DC has also passed Initiative 81which decriminalized and deprioritized the possession of certainpsychedelics.

With SB 519's passage, the proponents for psychedelicmedical and personal use will land a major win, and the bill mayact as a catalyst for more states to consider psychedeliclegalization, potentially leading to a similar market like that ofthe budding cannabis industry.

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

POPULAR ARTICLES ON: Cannabis & Hemp from United States

Obhan & Associates

Trademarks Comparative Guide for the jurisdiction of India, check out our comparative guides section to compare across multiple countries

Go here to read the rest:

California State Senate Passes Psychedelic Legalization In Latest Wave Of The New Psychedelic Revolution - Cannabis & Hemp - United States -...

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cybin Inc. (NEO:CYBN) (OTCQB:CLXPF) (Cybin or the Company), a biotechnology company focused on progressing psychedelic therapeutics, today announced that Doug Drysdale, Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a virtual fireside chat at Grizzle Psychedelics Con on June 28, 2021. The details are as follows:

The fireside chat will be webcast live and available thereafter using the link provided above.

About Cybin

Cybin is a leading biotechnology company focused on progressing psychedelic therapeutics by utilizing proprietary drug discovery platforms, innovative drug delivery systems, novel formulation approaches and treatment regimens for psychiatric 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 enhanced liquidity, the value of additional capital markets exposure, access to institutional and retail investors, the Companys new strategic brand messaging campaign, and psychedelic drug development programs to potentially treat mental health disorders. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and Cybins plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

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 or nutraceutical products. The efficacy of such products have not been confirmed by approved research. There is no assurance that the use of psilocybin, psychedelic tryptamine, tryptamine derivatives or other psychedelic compounds or nutraceuticals can diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. Vigorous 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.

The NEO Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and is not responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the contents herein.

Excerpt from:

Cybin to Participate in Grizzle Psychedelics Con on June 28th - Business Wire

MINNEAPOLIS, June 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc. ("Goodness Growth" or the "Company") (CSE: GDNS;OTCQX: GDNSF), a physician-led, science-focused cannabis company and IP incubator, today announced that its subsidiary, Resurgent Biosciences ("Resurgent"), has filed for a U.S. patent to create an expansive suite of virtual reality ("VR") applications that can be used by practitioners during psychedelic-based therapies to enhance and guide patients through the experience and potentially create optimized, longer-lasting therapeutic outcomes.

One of the largest unmet needs in the psychedelic space is a scalable platform that will allow medical practitioners to administer psychedelic medicine remotely in a consistent and controlled environment. To address this need, Resurgent is developing a suite of VR applications that will provide customizable environments and programs for psychedelic therapy and the extensive preparation work necessary to optimize therapeutic psychedelic experiences.

"The therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicines at least partially depends on an effective preparation phase to ensure that patients are in the right mindset and in beneficial surroundings in order to create a positive experience, which is often referred to as set and setting," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kyle Kingsley, M.D. "We believe that VR programs allow practitioners to better prepare and guide patients through their experiences and may optimize therapeutic approaches with psychedelic medicines."

Resurgent has contracted with Cubicle Ninjas, a leading VR development firm in Chicago, to begin work on development of a VR suite for various technology applications for psychedelic therapies. The Cubicle Ninjas team was selected because of their extensive VR development expertise, particularly in the context of health and wellness applications.

Resurgent and Cubicle Ninjas Plan to Begin Developing the Following VR Applications:

The applications will allow for practitioners and patients to customize and adapt VR programs based on individual needs with easy-to-use controls and settings. Resurgent expects to have working prototypes completed by the end of the year.

About Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc.

Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc., is a physician-led, science-focused holding company whose mission is to bring the power of plants to the world. The Company's operations consist primarily of its multi-state cannabis company subsidiary, Vireo Health, and its science and intellectual property incubator, Resurgent Biosciences. The Company manufactures proprietary, branded cannabis products in environmentally friendly facilities, state-of-the-art cultivation sites and distributes its products through its growing network of Green Goods and other retail locations and third-party dispensaries. Its teams of more than 500 employees are focused on the development of differentiated products, driving scientific innovation of plant-based medicines, and developing meaningful intellectual property. Today, the Company is licensed to grow, process, and/or distribute cannabis in eight markets and operates 17 dispensaries across the United States. For more information about Goodness Growth Holdings, please visit http://www.goodnessgrowth.com.

About Cubicle Ninjas

Cubicle Ninjas is a creative marketing agency with over 10 years of success creating brands, products, platforms and experiences that drive connections. The full-service creative design agency was founded to create one-of-a-kind experiences through the union of design and technology. Their world-class design and development teams innovate for Fortune 500, start-ups, non-profits, and mid-sized firms alike, crafting functionally intuitive and emotionally impactful work. For more information about Cubicle Ninjas, please visit http://www.cubicleninjas.com.

Contact Information

Investor Inquiries:

Media Inquiries:

Sam Gibbons

Albe Zakes

Vice President, Investor Relations

Vice President, Corporate Communications

[emailprotected]

[emailprotected]

(612) 314-8995

(267) 221-4800

Forward-Looking Statement Disclosure

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable United States and Canadian securities legislation. To the extent any forward-looking information in this press release constitutes "financial outlooks" within the meaning of applicable United States or Canadian securities laws, such information is being provided as preliminary financial results and the reader is cautioned that this information may not be appropriate for any other purpose and the reader should not place undue reliance on such financial outlooks. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "plan," "potentially," "potential," "will," "believe," "may," "expects," or variations of such words and phrases. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Forward-looking information includes both known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company or its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this press release. Forward-looking information is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management, believed but not certain to be reasonable, in light of management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions, and expected developments, as well as other factors relevant in the circumstances, including assumptions in respect of current and future market conditions, the current and future regulatory environment; and the availability of licenses, approvals and permits.

Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to current and future economic conditions; risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic; federal, state, local, and foreign government laws, rules, and regulations, including federal and state laws in the United States relating to psychedelics and any changes to such laws; operational, regulatory, and other risks; execution of business strategy; difficulty to forecast; conflicts of interest; liquidity and additional financing; and risk factors set out in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, which is available on EDGAR with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and filed with the Canadian securities regulators and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com.

The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Goodness Growth Holdings

https://goodnessgrowth.com

Originally posted here:

Goodness Growth Holdings Subsidiary Resurgent Biosciences Files Patent for Virtual Reality Applications to Facilitate Therapeutic Psychedelic...