Category Archives: Psychedelics

MAPS Public Benefit Corp. closed a $100 million Series A funding round and rebranded as Lykos Therapeutics, the company announced Thursday.

The funding, which will support the companys development of MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, comes from a range of new investors, alongside the conversion of an undisclosed sum of convertible notes issued earlier.

Originally a subsidiary of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a nonprofit research organization, the rebranding and new funding represent a shift towards a more commercial focus. The company has been preparing for the potential market launch of its MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, pending FDA approval.

The financing round was led by Helena, a self-described decentralized global problem solving organization focused on identifying solutions to critical global problems and directly implement them through individual projects.

We are incredibly grateful for Helenas tremendous support and leadership as well as the contributions from other mission-aligned investors, which comes at this critical time as we are transitioning from a development-stage company to one focused on commercialization of the potential first psychedelic-assisted therapy, Lykos CEO Amy Emerson said in a statement.

According to the announcement, other contributions streamed from a variety of investors, including:

In a separate memo, Emerson wrote, We selected a new name, Lykos or wolf in Greek, to represent the qualities bravery, courage, loyalty and intelligence that resonate with our company. Along with the name change, the new visual identity represents the overlap of innovative science combined with focus on the whole person.

MAPS retains significant control over the company and the appointment six of the eight members of Lykos board of directors.

The capital raised in this round is earmarked for regulatory and pre-launch activities for MDMA-assisted therapy, which is currently undergoing the process for FDA approval. Lykos said it wants to make this therapy available for prescription use in treating PTSD after approval.

MAPS, alongside its work with Lykos, said it would continue to engage in other psychedelic research initiatives, drug policy reform, and cultural development regarding the use of psychedelics and cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

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Lykos Therapeutics Secures $100M in Series A Funding, Rebrands from MAPS PBC - Green Market Report

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is now calling for the production of even more THC, psilocybin and DMT for research purposes than it initially proposed for 2024raising its quotas for those drugs while maintaining already high production goals for marijuana and other psychedelics.

In a notice set to be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, DEA said it received comments from registered manufacturers requesting increases to previously proposed 2024 quotas for the Schedule I substances in order to meet medical and scientific needs, and it agreed to do so in the new final order.

Accordingly, the agency nearly doubled the quotas for delta-9 THC and all other tetrahydrocannabinol, increasing them to 1,523,040 grams and 1,166,130 grams, respectively.

DEA is also calling for 20,000 grams of psilocybin (up from an initially proposed 15,000 grams) and 11,000 grams of DMT (up from 3,000 grams).

The production goals for marijuana and various other psychedelic compounds were kept the same as they were first proposed in November: 6,675,000 grams of marijuana, 1,000,000 grams of marijuana extract, 24,000 grams of psilocyn, 150 grams of ibogaine, 12,000 grams of MDMA, 1,200 grams of mescaline, 11,000 grams of 5-MeO-DMT and 12,000 grams of MDA.

The quotas for those substances are largely consistent with DEAs 2023 production levels, though the agency has generally been authorizing higher amounts year-over-year as interest in the therapeutic potential of cannabis and psychedelics continues to grow.

Thats been especially true of psychedelics in more recent years, coinciding with historic local, state and federal reforms to decriminalize entheogenic plants and fungi while promoting scientific research and therapeutic access.

For example, DEAs 2020 quota for psilocybin was 30 grams, compared to 20,000 grams in its latest proposal.

There has been a significant increase in the use of schedule I hallucinogenic controlled substances for research and clinical trial purposes, the agencys earlier notice from November said. DEA has received and subsequently approved new registration applications for schedule I researchers and new applications for registration from manufacturers to grow, synthesize, extract, and prepare dosage forms containing specific schedule I hallucinogenic substances for research and clinical trial purposes.

In the new document, DEA also responded to comments requesting increases to psychedelic production quotas for religious use and expressing frustration that the agency has disregarded their legal religious use of psychedelics as a factor when setting the production quotas of these substances.

The commenters asked for a hearing with the DEA administrator to discuss the issue, but the agency did not directly address that request.

Instead, it pointed out that DEA has previously held discussions with representatives of indigenous communities when requested and continued to welcome further engagement and input, adding that production quotas are determined in part by the individual manufacturing quota requests submitted by DEA-registered manufacturers of these substances.

Another pair of comments recommended that the agency include fruiting bodies containing psilocybin and psilocin and peyote buttons containing mescaline, rather than pure chemicals only in its production quotas.

DEA responded that, because the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) has specific control over psilocybin and psilocyn, rather than the mushrooms containing those compounds, it will continue to set quotas based on those individual constituents, both synthetically and naturally derived. It said that peyote is also scheduled separately from mescaline, and the quota does not call for the production of the cacti.

Meanwhile, in 2022, DEA finally ended a longstanding monopoly on marijuana manufacturing for research purposes domestically that could presumably help meet the higher production quotas. Additionally, the agency has discussed its work to implement rules to streamline cannabis access for scientists following the enactment of a cannabis research bill in 2022.

The finalized 2024 quotas come in the context of an ongoing administrative review into the scheduling status of cannabis that DEA is actively carrying after receiving a recommendation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the CSA.

It also comes as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers an application to authorize the use of MDMA as a prescription medication for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in light of clinical trials demonstrating its therapeutic efficacy.

DEA has touted its Schedule I drug production quotas as evidence that is supports rigorous research into the substances, but its faced criticism from advocates and scientists over actions that are viewed as antithetical to promoting studies.

For example, DEA recently announced that it is taking another shot atbanning two psychedelics after abandoning its original scheduling proposal in 2022, teeing up another fight with researchers and advocates who say the compounds hold therapeutic potential.

The agency separately backed down from a proposal to ban five different tryptamine psychedelics in 2022amid sizable pushback from the research and advocacy communities.

Meanwhile, a federal appellate panel has denied a motion by lawyers fora Washington State doctor trying to reschedule psilocybin under the CSA. In an order last month, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected the doctors request for a rehearing of an earlier court decision that returned the matter to DEA.

DEA is separatelywarning Georgia pharmacies that dispensing THC is unlawfulbecause it remains a Schedule I drug after the state became the first in the U.S. to allow pharmacies to sell medical marijuana, with nearly 120 facilities applying to sell cannabis oil.

Colorado Governor And Activists Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary Of First Legal Recreational Marijuana Sales

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DEA Calls For Even More THC, Psilocybin And DMT To Be Produced For Research In 2024 - Marijuana Moment

On Jan. 14, 1967, San Franciscos Golden Gate Park hosted a Be-In, an afternoon event that launched the Summer of Love, the nations introduction to hippie culture. Along with bands like The Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead, the 30,000 hippies there heard from Harvard University psychology professor and LSD advocate Timothy Leary, who described a better inner life and culture available through psychedelics.

"Turn on, tune in, drop out," he said.

The 1960s and 70s was a time of freedom and experimentation for many young people. They marched for flower power, had a taste for new music like acid rock, and donned bell bottoms, granny dresses, go-go boots and love beads. They also tried new drugs, experimenting with psychedelics like LSD and magic mushrooms to induce mind-expanding experiences.

But before long, the drugs at the heart of the subculture were brought to heel. Cannabis and psychedelics were classified as Schedule I drugs, making it illegal to possess and sell them. They were also effectively banned from medical research because obtaining the necessary licensure and grant funding required sometimes took more than a decade.

Fast forward 50 years, and psychedelics are getting another look.

Several studies suggest psychedelics, such as magic mushrooms, can help treat mental health conditions like depression associated with terminal illness and post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. A 2022 study, for instance, found that psilocybin substances in combination with therapy could alleviate individuals symptoms of depression for at least a year.

Last week, federal lawmakers approved the use of psychedelics for clinical trials looking to study whether the substances can help active duty service members with PTSD. Under the National Defense Authorization Act, service members working with a therapist can consume the substance in a supervised setting so researchers can better understand psychedelics impact on mental health disorders.

In June, the Food and Drug Administration issued a draft guidance for conducting psychedelic-related clinical trials, a move indicative of policymakers bubbling interest in the psychoactive substance.

But its not just the feds exploring the benefits of psychedelics. A growing number of state and local officials are also supporting policies that decriminalize or expand allowance of psychedelic goods and services.

The media attention to the clinical research [on psychedelics] has piqued the interest of policymakers as well as the public, said Beau Kilmer, a senior policy researcher at RAND Corporation. And with mental health becoming a growing priority for governments, it is likely more states and localities will open legal avenues for the use, distribution and possession of the substances.

Denver decriminalized the use and possession of psilocybin mushrooms when residents in 2019 voted in favor of a ballot initiative making psychedelics the lowest law enforcement priority.

Since then, more than 20 cities across the U.S. have eased the enforcement of antidrug laws related to psychedelics. Massachusetts leads the nation in the number of citiesseventhat have deprioritized psychedelics for law enforcement. The latest to do so is Provincetown, after the Provincetown Select Board approved a resolution directing police officers to deprioritize cases involving psilocybin. It also requests an end to the prosecution of individuals who possess, cultivate or distribute the substances.

At the state level, Massachusetts could include a measure on its 2024 ballot that would allow adults 21 or older to consume psychedelics at licensed supervision facilities. If passed, the measure would also allow adults to grow psychedelic substances at home and distribute them to other adults. Plus, it would decriminalize the possession of certain amounts of substances like psilocybin, ibogaine and mescaline. The secretary of states office is currently verifying signatures on the petition to get the initiative on the ballot, which the Massachusetts for Mental Health Options campaign submitted earlier this month.

Advocates in California are also trying to get psychedelics on the 2024 ballot. A ballot initiative introduced earlier this year calls for the implementation of a comprehensive, statewide framework authorizing and regulating the cultivation, processing and distribution of psilocybin mushrooms and the chemical compounds therein.

Nevada passed a bill this year decriminalizing the possession, use, cultivation or distribution of certain psychedelic fungi for adults 18 and older. Other states like Connecticut, Kentucky and Maryland have introduced measures to lessen penalties related to psilocybin this year.

Lawmakers in Arizona are considering a bill that would allocate $30 million from the state budget to fund research on psilocybin as medical treatment. States including Hawaii, Texas and Vermont have also introduced bills that would create advisory councils or task forces to evaluate the effects of psychedelics on users.

While the substances are still illegal under federal law, feds have taken a notable step back in the regulation of psilocybin, RAND Corporations Kilmer said.

Its the same situation with cannabis, he said. As 24 states and the District of Columbia have moved to legalize the recreational use, possession and commercialization of marijuana, the federal government largely sat on the sidelines and just watched this happen. Thats likely due to officials wanting to observe the development of states cannabis industries, he said.

Its unclear how federal regulation of psychedelics will roll out because these substances can alter individuals state of being more significantly than marijuana, Kilmer added. But now is the time to have discussions about this.

Only two states have legalized some form of psychedelics thus far. Colorado was the latest to do so in 2022 when voters approved Proposition 122 to decriminalize the possession of psilocybin mushrooms for adults and to support the development of state-licensed treatment centers where users can request a dose of psychedelic drugs under the supervision of authorized administrators.

Colorados current approach to mental health has failed to fulfill its promise, the measure stated. Coloradans deserve more tools to address mental health issues, including approaches such as natural medicines that are grounded in treatment, recovery, health and wellness rather than criminalization, stigma, suffering and punishment. The state is required to start reviewing applications for licensed psilocybin facilities by Sept. 30, 2024.

Oregon became the first state to legalize the adult use of psilocybin after voters approved the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act ballot measure in 2020. The law allows adults to consume psilocybin for mental health treatment at supervised service centers, where certified faculty must monitor and guide users through their experience. The first supervised consumption facility opened in June and had already amassed a waitlist of more than 3,000 people as of September.

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You're not tripping: State and local leaders give psychedelics another chance - Route Fifty

Democratic, Republican and independent 2024 presidential candidates might disagree on many major political issues, but three hopefuls have each recently used their platform on the campaign trail to promote their visions for psychedelics reform.

Marianne Williamson, who is running for the Democratic nomination against incumbent President Joe Biden, has released a comprehensive drug policy platform that broadly condemns prohibition, pledging to legalize less harmful drugs including marijuana and psilocybin while providing free access to psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to treat drug addiction.

Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy reaffirmed his more modest position last week, calling for the decriminalization of ayahuasca and ketamine for military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to mitigate the suicide crisis.

Meanwhile, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who left the Democratic primary to run as an independent candidate, is sharing why hes embraced allowing access to psychedelics for mental health treatment, describing how his sons experience with ayahuasca helped him process the death of his mother.

Its a uniquely 2024 commonality among the otherwise divided candidates, underscoring the increased bipartisan interest in exploring the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.

Each candidate had previously expressed support for psychedelics reform, but recent statements and campaign materials add context to how they view the issue and how they envision implementing change if they beat the political odds to get elected to the White House.

The Democratic candidate released a new drug policy platform last week, emphasizing the need for bold reform to tackle the overdose epidemic.

The War on Drugs has completely failed to alleviate the problem it supposedly set out to solve, she said. It has only created more problems, fueling mass incarceration and violence at home and abroad.

Williamson also said that its something of a misnomer to say the drug war has failed, arguing that it achieved racially discriminatory and political end goals of the Nixon administration as intended.

If we are actually interested in solving drug problems, we must recognize that drug addiction is a symptom of the wider malaise in our society, and punishing people for it does nothing to address its root causes, she said. Furthermore, every adult deserves the right to control what they put in their own body, as long as they are not harming anyone else.

The candidates plan lays out four drug policy pillars that she said would save lives and preserve individual liberties:

At a recent campaign event in Iowa, the Republican candidate spoke with an attendee who voiced support for the therapeutic use of certain psychedelics. Ramaswamy said that he agreed theres a need to make plant-based medicines available, though he wants to start with veterans suffering from PTSD.

What was whacky yesterday is true today. Thats what history teaches us, he said.

Ramaswamy, whose overall drug policy platform has evolved in several, sometimes conflicting, ways over his campaignincluding backing federal marijuana legalization while voting against a cannabis initiative on Ohios ballotsaid in an X post last week that he supports decriminalizing ayahuasca & ketamine for veterans suffering from PTSD, to prevent the epidemic of fentanyl & suicide.

As President, I will take a holistic approach to ensure our veterans receive the care they need to live long, flourishing livesstarting during their service and continuing in the decades that follow, he said.

The Democratic-turned-independent candidate has been vocal about his support for expanding therapeutic access to psychedelics since entering the race, and he shared one of the personal reasons hes come to embrace the reform during an appearance at a Genius Network event last week.

Kennedy, who has proposed legalizing marijuana and psychedelics and using tax revenue from their sales to fund holistic treatment centers, said that he was moved by his sons experience with ayahuasca.

My inclination would be to make them available, at least in therapeutic settings and maybe more generally, but in ways that would discourage the corporate control and exploitation of it, he said.

After his wifes death by suicide, Kennedy said that his son struggled to process the trauma. But on a trip to Patagonia, he participated in an ayahuasca ceremony that proved psychologically healing, helping him come to terms with the loss after a profound journey that involved interplanetary exploration.

The last planet he visited, his mother was there. And she started passing through him, in and out of him again and again and every time she did that, he felt all these experiences of forgiveness, of love, of understanding, of comprehension, of empathy and compassion, Kennedy recalled. When he came back from that trip, he was completely changed. He was very open about talking about his feelings, [but] the reason I really know that it changed him is he started taking out the garbage and doing the dishes.

The candidate added that he also knows a Navy SEAL veterans and NFL players who have gone through psychedelic experiences that have helped them deal with conditions such as PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.

The comments and platforms offer more examples of the growing bipartisanship around psychedelics reform, which has also seen Democratic and Republican congressional lawmakers come together to support research into their therapeutic use.

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RFK, Ramaswamy And Williamson Push Psychedelics Reform On Presidential Campaign Trail - Marijuana Moment

In the worlds of medicine and history, there is plenty the public doesnt know or understand about the use of psychedelics which is one of the reasons Dr. Erika Dyck (PhD) chose to assemble a book cataloguing research and essays on precisely that.

Over the last 10 years weve seen a resurgence in interest in the potential benefits of psychedelics, she said. We wanted to look at not only the clinical context but different ways psychedelics got out of that clinical context.

Published by MIT Press, Expanding Mindscapes: A Global History of Psychedelics is a compilation of the discovery, use and cultural impact of various psychedelic medicines such as LSD and psilocybin (the compound found in magic mushrooms) throughout the 20th century.

While much of the accepted history and understanding of psychedelics comes from a North American and primarily United States perspective, the new book edited by Dyck and historian Chris Elcock includes analyses from around the world.

Dyck, a professor of history in the College of Arts and Science and Canada Research Chair in the History of Health and Social Justice, said psychedelic drugs have a distinctive place in medical history due to their role in medical contexts and widespread cultural movements.

Weve now got 20 articles that really showcase a dynamic and exciting history of psychedelics that takes place outside of Harvard, outside of Berkely, outside of San Francisco, Dyck said. Were excited to put forward this innovative and novel way of understanding the depth and dynamism of psychedelics as it stretches around the globe.

In an effort to explore the role of psychedelics around the world, Dyck put out a call for papers on the role of psychedelics in different cultures, which formed the basis for the book.

Dr. Zo Dubus (PhD), USasks Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship recipient in 2023, penned a chapter of the new book which focuses on the role gender played for both doctors and patients for the use of psychedelics in a clinical context in France during the mid-1900s.

Dubus said women were prescribed psychedelics much more often as part of different therapies, and women in France did not have the same ability to refuse them as men because attempts to refuse medication were seen as aggravations of their illness.

My research is an example of how the cultural contexts in which psychedelics are taken impacts the way we use them, she said.

Dubus said including non-North American perspectives in the book was important to show the diversity of research.

Today, we have the psychedelic renaissance, we study the benefits of psychedelics again and we use the techniques of psychedelic therapy But in Europe in the 50s and 60s there was another kind of therapy called psycholytic therapy, she said. Many psychedelic therapists dont know much about it. I think its important for historians and actual medical practitioners to know there were different ways of using psychedelics at that time.

Psychedelics have emerged as an attractive topic to research because of the way the drugs have been used clinically, dropped out of favour and then resurfaced, Dyck said. Both she and Dubus said they hoped the new book would highlight the diversity of influence psychedelics have had in communities and cultures around the world.

We hope that this book shows that not only are ideas about psychedelics changing, but ideas about psychedelics are being drawn from different parts of the world and have different impacts, Dyck said.

Some little-known facts about psychedelics:

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USask researchers explore untold history of psychedelics - News - University of Saskatchewan - USask News

Californias governor says that while he understands the profound potential of psychedelics to treat certain mental health conditions, hes still undecided on how he will approach a bill to legalize small amounts of certain entheogenic substances thats on his deskeven as new polling shows a majority of likely voters in the state back the reform.

Gov. Gavin Newsoms (D) position on psychedelics has been murky, with no clear indication of whether hed sign the legislation from Sen. Scott Wiener (D). But in a recent interview with Politico, he shared mixed feelings about the proposal.

On the one hand, he said as the father of four young children, he views issues through a different prism than he did when he led the charge on legalizing marijuana and pushed for other drug policy reforms, including supporting certain harm reduction services like syringe exchange programs.

Im also mindful of the anxiety and stress thats out there as well, he said. And thats a new spectrum of some respects.

On the other hand, the governor said hes also deeply mindful of the potential benefits of psychedelics.

I have a lot of friends that are vets, so he understands the profound and consequential nature of how these drugs have been used to address PTSD.

That is what I will bring in to a review of this bill, he said.

Watch Newsom discuss the psychedelics reform legislation, starting at 21:00 intothe video below:

Likely voters in California are more decided on the issue of psychedelics, according to an FM3 poll that was conducted last month. The survey, first reported by The San Francisco Chronicle, found that 60 percent of California likely voters support the psychedelics bill that the legislature approved, including 30 percent who strongly support it.

Another 44 percent of respondents said theyd view their state lawmakers more favorably if they supported psychedelics reform legislation, while 19 percent said it wouldnt make a difference and 38 percent said theyd view them less favorably.

In conclusion, California voters broadly support reforming laws around personal possession of plant-based psychedelics which can be effective in treating PTSD, anxiety and depression, the firm wrote. Support for such a bill is a net- positive for a state legislator as well.

Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,000 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they dont miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.

But for Newsom, it may not just be Californians hes thinking about as he weighs what to do with the psychedelics bill. Its widely speculated that the governor, who is termed out in 2026, is considering a future run for president, and he may worry about possible fallout in other battleground states if hes linked to legalizing other drugs.

Newsom has already shown a willingness to flout drug policy reform advocates. Last session, for example, he vetoed a bill to establish a safe drug consumption site pilot program in the state that was also sponsored by Wiener.

This session, meanwhile, the governor wont just be deciding on the psychedelics legislation. He has until October 14 to act on more than a dozen marijuana and other drug policy-related bills. That includes measures toprevent employers from asking job applicants about marijuana use,legalize cannabis cafes and promote environmentally sustainable track-and-trace plant tagging.

Read the California poll on psychedelics reform below:

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California Governor Says Psychedelics Have 'Profound' Healing Potential, But He's Undecided On Legalization Bill As ... - Marijuana Moment

Dried Psilocybe mushrooms on a glass plate. James MacDonald/Bloomberg/Getty Images hide caption

Dried Psilocybe mushrooms on a glass plate.

Research on the therapeutic use of psychedelics is underway at several universities, and data continues to accumulate on how they may help with conditions from PTSD to depression. Many states and localities across the country are considering legislation. Some, like Oregon and Colorado, have already passed regulatory models, which involve licensing facilitators to administer these drugs. And there's increasing interest in that work from a group of professionals who already guide people through life's deep and difficult times: chaplains.

Chaplains are religious professionals who work in non-religious settings hospitals, schools, battlefields. Although they're trained and often ordained in a particular tradition, they help people of any faith or none at all wrestle with spiritual issues, and connect with a sense of meaning.

"We are with people in deep moments of grief, deep moments of pain, deep moments of life transition," explains Caroline Peacock, an Episcopal priest who serves as director of spiritual health at Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute. "And we know how to be with people in these very, very hard moments."

Peacock recently drew upon this training as part of a clinical trial using psilocybin, the compound in so-called "magic mushrooms," at Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute. Their results will be published next year. In the study, chaplains worked alongside mental health practitioners to administer the psychedelic drug to terminal cancer patients. And after the treatment, they provided what's called integration using their experience navigating shifts in worldview to help patients make sense of the experience.

After participating in the trial, Peacock convened a Psychedelic Care Network within the Chaplaincy think tank group Transforming Chaplaincy, which over 150 fellow chaplains have joined. The conversation is growing within the field both the Association of Professional Chaplains and the Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains held workshops on psychedelic-assisted therapy at their most recent annual conferences, and panels and webinars have been held in many forums, as chaplains explore this topic.

And while some chaplains are exploring psychedelic-assisted therapy because of their deep well of experience providing a non-judgmental presence to help make sense of life's difficult moments, many are also drawn to it because people taking these drugs often report what's described as a mystical experience.

Anthony Bossis is a clinical psychologist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, who has spent 15 years conducting psilocybin trials with patients facing advanced cancer. And he says patients taking the medication report a sense of awe and wonder, of interconnection, of transcendence. Moreover, he says, the research shows that the spiritual dimension of psychedelic treatment seems to be part of what makes the therapy therapeutic.

"The findings have shown already that the mystical experience has been a predictor, or a mediator, in terms of better outcomes," explains Bossis. "And we are seeing rapid and sustained reductions in depression, anxiety, hopelessness, fear of death, in people who do have an advanced illness who have this experience."

Given how frequently people report these spiritual encounters on psychedelics, it's not surprising that some religious practices have been built around them. Ayahuasca ceremonies in South America, peyote rituals in Mexico and the Southwest. But more and more, religions that don't have these traditions are saying they do have a container for these experiences.

Jaime Clark-Soles is a New Testament scholar, and directs the Baptist House of Studies at Southern Methodist University. She says that from Genesis to Revelation, scripture shows examples of faithful believers experiencing extraordinary states of consciousness, using fasting, prayer, and retreats, to change their everyday world, and step into a different sort of reality.

"To go to that place where you can stand in the presence of God. You know, 'be still and know that I am God,'" quotes Clark-Soles.

Clark-Soles took part in a clinical trial giving psilocybin to religious professionals at Johns Hopkins University, and says she experienced the presence of God fully and profoundly. Now, she's enrolled in a facilitator training program for psychedelic-assisted therapy, and hopes to bring awareness of the practice to others in the faith community.

She's heard pushback from some in that community, saying that the spiritual dimension of these drugs is just drugs... not God. But she says the moment when she accepted Jesus Christ, which nobody in her tradition would question, was also shaped by a context that affected her perceptions.

"I was away, I was in a retreat setting," says Clark-Soles. "I went outside, I was in nature, had a direct encounter with God. And here I am a seminary professor teaching, teaching Bible, right?"

Science can't tell us if any religious experience is real. The metrics we have are what people report on what they feel, and how their lives have been changed. As Clark-Soles says, "what fruits are born of it."

And people's lives have been changed by psychedelics, often in profound ways. Dr. Anthony Bossis has seen it throughout his research.

"For a person to have the experience, or the insight, that 'I'm not just my body, I'm not just my cancer' that's been a gift for people at the end of life," says Bossis. "To identify not only with a failing body, which will soon stop working, but that possibly there's something more remarkable at work in who we are as humans."

Religion has long offered a context, a language, for engaging with things in this world that are beyond everyday comprehension. Things we can't see the beginning or end of. How to live, and forgive, and make meaning. And with psychedelics, chaplains are hoping to bring their experience with these old questions into a new conversation to help those facing the end of life, or those just trying to figure out how to live it.

This story was reported with support from The Ferriss UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowship

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As psychedelic-assisted therapy grows, so does interest from a new group: chaplains - NPR

In a groundbreaking move, Portland, Maineunanimously advances a resolution aimed at decriminalizing select psychedelic plants and fungi.

Backed by Decriminalize Maine, this move has the potential to reshape drug policies within the city, according toMarijuana Moment.

See Also: PsychMD's Nationwide, Safe-Supplied AI-Driven Ketamine Therapy With US Vets In Mind

The resolution targets specific natural substances, including psilocybin, psilocin, ibogaine, mescaline (excluding peyote), and dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Notably, peyote is excluded from the list due to its ecological vulnerability and profound cultural significance to Indigenous communities.

What sets this resolution apart is its focus on promoting personal use and sharing without compensation, particularly through home cultivation. However, it's essential to understand that criminal enforcement will not waver for activities such as selling, dispensing, possessing on school premises, or driving under the influence of these substances.

One of the most pivotal aspects of this resolution is the city's commitment to reprioritizing its resources. It emphasizes that city funds and resources should not be utilized to aid in the investigation or criminal prosecution of individuals engaged in the covered activities.

See Also:Can Psychedelic Therapy Enhance Quality Of Life In Seniors?

Councilor Anna Trevorrow plays a key role in introducing amendments to the resolution, with a focus on encouraging safer substance use practices. By allowing sharing and home cultivation, the city aims to deter involvement in the black market and align with communal and cultural usage patterns.

Inspired by a similar measure in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Portland resolution is driven by a commitment to medical and wellness perspectives. Councilor April Fournier underscored the natural use of these plants in supporting individuals on their healing journeys.

Whats Next?It's worth noting that the resolution will undergo thorough federal funding checks before a full City Council vote. The first reading is scheduled for October 2, with potential council action on October 16, pending any unforeseen delays.

Read the full story at Marijuana Moment.

Stay informed about psychedelic reform and explore other natural medicine markets at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference. Join us in Chicago for the 17th edition on September 27-28. Get your tickets HERE.

Read Next: Psychedelics Reform Update: CA Bill's Final Vote, MA 2024 Legalization Ballot, HI Task Force, OR Funding And More

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This Maine City Moves Unanimously On Decriminalizing Psychedelics: Focus On Public Health - Benzinga

Psychedelicsare one of the buzziest topics intech these days. With entrepreneursvouching for their benefitsfor creativity, focus and general well-being as well asresearch institutions and companies seekingFDA approval for medical treatments, these compounds are entering themainstream.

Microdosing: Whats It All About?

Pretty much what the word sounds like,microdosing involvestakingaroundone-tenth the amountof a normaldose of a psychedelic.

Testimonies from regulars to microdosinginclude enhanced management of symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, depression, ADHDand even chronic pain. Others microdose tooptimizetheir quality of life.

Although scientific evidence on microdosings benefits is somewhat hard to gather, the practice is believed to date back tothe 1500s. Modern Western practices began in the1960sand continued undergroundafter psychedelics were banned in the 60s and 70s,The Washington Postreports.

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James Fadimans2011 The Psychedelic Explorers Guide was one of the first modern writings on microdosing. Some years later, a Rolling Stonearticleon LSD microdosing disclosed that self-medicating was commonplace amongSan Francisco tech startups.

But its actually been going on for years.Steve Jobsreportedlyinformedthe Dept of Defenseof his LSD intake in 1988. Heattributedsome of his creativity to psychedelics.

TheWall Street JournalreportedthatTeslaTSLA andSpaceXs CEO Elon Muskconsumes ketamine andGoogleGOOG co-founder Sergey Brinpsychedelic mushrooms,

Benzingainterviewed someone whos well acquainted with the world of high-achieving tech professionals.

Lauren Mugglebeeworks with clients seeking personal growth and behavior modification. She says that traditional pharma drugs usedfor better focus or anxiety issues,disable you from really being able to connect with your body and feel.

While she incorporates different modalities into her coaching, Mugglebee highlights the unique role of microdosing psychedelics -noticeably psilocybin and LSD to help people transition away from pharmaceuticals, and pay close attention to themselves.

This is a key issue, as most top executives in the field are addicted to intensity, which typically leads to unreflectiveness and showing a lack of careful thought. Theyre addicted to working. Theyre addicted to making money. Theyre addicted to being right. Theyre addicted to being on autopilot so that they can get done what they need to get done, Mugglebee explains.

Aproductive and achievements-oriented culture is aperspectiveMugglebee knows something about, after 20 years of working in tech herself.

Microdosing psychedelics, she notes,wont resolve all problems. The process involves noticing what is going on around one without judgment. It is alsodependent on where each person is in their journey of building their self-awareness of building their ability to be present, to be in their body and to be in deep inquiry.

Mugglebee also stressesthe need for careful titration, that is starting low and going slow in orderto find the optimal dose. It is a process that fosters self-awareness around the body and emotionsand endorsesclinician consultationtowarda better-tailored outcome.

Her journey into microdosecoaching began two and a half years agounder the guidance ofPaul Austin,the trainers trainer. Austinhas been an active advocate for quite some time, starting underground and now out in the open via his Third Wave Communitypodcasts that feature such guests asmajor sector investorChristian Angermayer

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Tech Leaders Are Finding Balance Through Microdosing Psychedelics - The Dales Report

More research is emerging that suggests chronic pain may soon be added to the long list of medical conditions psychedelics can relieve.

A new study published in the European Journal of Pain last month found that both macro and micro doses of classic psychedelics LSD, psilocybin, DMT, mescaline led to better pain relief compared to conventional medication in volunteers surveyed.

Participants reported that full doses seem to achieve better perceived results in pain relief than microdosing, while microdosing's effectiveness seems comparable to that of conventional medication according to survey participants, the paper concluded.

Researchers focused on five conditions: fibromyalgia, arthritis, migraine, tension-type headache and sciatica.

Four of those five, with sciatica being the exception, were reported to be relieved by psychedelics on the dosage day, as well as 1-3 days after, with a few even reporting pain relief beyond the third day.

Psilocybin and LSD were the most common drugs used in this survey of 170 participants.

The effect of psychedelics on pain related to sciatica was statistically non-significant, researchers wrote. This result may indicate that these substances hold promise only for certain kinds of pain conditions, presumably those in which the inflammatory and/or psychosomatic components play a more prominent role.

Though data obtained from this survey is promising, echoing previous results from researchers investigating psychedelics' effect on chronic pain an issue impacting 20 percent of the world's population study authors acknowledge a number of limitations, with the biggest being design.

It provides purely retrospective self-ratings from a self-selected sample of individuals who self-administer psychedelics, the paper notes. This design carries the risk of obtaining biased data and the generalizability of the produced results is only limited. It provides limited information to disentangle the role that different mechanisms play to achieve these perceived analgesic effects.

Authors acknowledged controlled studies are needed, and recommend researchers design clinical trials to explore further.

Amanda Feilding, founder and director of the Beckley Foundation, initiated the survey after establishing The Beckley/Maastricht Microdosing Research Programme, which is dedicated to studying the effects of microdosing LSD on mood, cognitive functions, and pain management in humans.

The program's previous placebo-controlled clinical study of 24 healthy volunteers found that a 20 microgram dose of LSD significantly reduced pain perception, as compared to the placebo, during cold pressure tests. I am encouraged by these results as I have long believed that LSD may not only change the sensations of pain but also our subjective relationship with it, she said after that study was published in 2020. We must continue to explore this with the aim of providing safer, non-addictive alternatives to pain management.

As Psychedelic Spotlight previously reported, MindMed is also exploring LSD for chronic pain treatment, while Imperial College London researchers found in 2021 that nine out of 11 chronic pain sufferers self-medicating with psychedelics reported complete, or at least partial, analgesia during their dosage experience.

More recently, a 9/11 first responder advocating for California lawmakers to decriminalize psychedelics, shared that psilocybin healed his PTSD as well as debilitating cluster headaches. I stopped taking the cocktail of pills I had been prescribed, many of which caused damaging side effects and were addictive, he wrote, adding: Its not an exaggeration to say that psilocybin gave me my life back. Its been transformative, and allowed me to feel happiness and joy in a way I never thought I would again.

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Chronic Pain Can Be Treated by Psychedelics, Survey Suggests - Psychedelic Spotlight