Category Archives: Psychedelics

California senators pointed to the failed War on Drugs and new scientific evidence regarding the benefits of certain hallucinogens.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) The effort to decriminalize psychedelic drugs in California gained momentum Tuesday after a key state Senate committee voted in favor of allowing adults to freely use and possess magic mushrooms and LSD.

Mirrored after similar criminal justice reform measures recently approved in Oregon and various U.S. cities, Senate Bill 519 would decriminalize several drugs currently listed as Schedule I controlled substances by the federal government including psilocybin, LSD, ketamine, DMT, MDMA, ibogaine and mescaline.In addition to decriminalizing psychedelics or hallucinogens for people over 21, the bill calls for the expungement of old criminal records, penalties for furnishing drugs to minors and a new working group to further study the safety and efficacy of psychedelic use in the Golden State.

State Senator Scott Wiener testified his proposal is not intended to promote the use of the banned substances. Instead, he wants to erase damaging holdover policies enacted during the War on Drugs.

By decriminalizing were not inviting people to use. Were taking, instead of a criminal approach to drug use, a health-minded approach, Wiener told the Senate Public Safety Committee.

Wiener and supporters are looking to capitalize on new scientific research and other successful criminal justice reform efforts enacted across the nation and make hallucinogens easier to access.

While the substances Wiener wants to decriminalize and destigmatize are placed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in the same regulatory category as heroin and marijuana, other federal agencies are taking a more welcoming view when it comes to some hallucinogens.

In 2019, the Federal Drug Administration designated psilocybin as a breakthrough therapy an action meant to boost the development and review process for new drugs intended to treat serious conditions. The FDA points to preliminary evidence the currently banned mushrooms can help the estimated 17 million Americans experiencing severe depression.

The designation was granted to the nonprofit Usona Institute, which is currently conducting trials involving one-dose treatments for people with major depressive disorder.

Meanwhile, some states and cities are taking a more rapid approach as public opinion of hallucinogens and psychedelics continues to do a 180.

Oregonians voted in 2020 to decriminalize personal use of hallucinogens and all other substances, while cities including Oakland, Santa Cruz and Washington have decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms. Advocates also want to take the issue directly to California voters through a proposed ballot measure that would allow residents to grow, sell and possess magic mushrooms. A similar effort stalled in 2020 when the pandemic quashed in-person signature gathering efforts.

Aside from decriminalization, SB 519 would expunge criminal records for people convicted of possession or use of the hallucinogens. Backers say the War on Drugs perpetuated draconian notions about the drugs researchers now believe could be beneficial if used properly, and as a result prior convictions should be erased.

SB 519 is a step toward dismantling the failed and racist War on Drugs, because locking people up for drug use doesnt work, Wiener claimed.

Several military veterans testified in support of decriminalization saying the substances helped them fight depression and PTSD.

Jose Martinez, a U.S. Army veteran and triple amputee, told the committee he became addicted to prescription opiates following his injuries but eventually psilocybin helped turn his life around. Martinez, who lost both his legs and an arm from an IED explosion in Afghanistan, is now a Paralympic surfer and husband.

Gracefully [psilocybin] has changed my life, Martinez said. Ive been able to help out a lot of veterans find their own treatment and weve been able to get them off addiction.

Joining Martinez in support of the bill are California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, Entheogenic Research, Integration and Education Board, Pacific Neuroscience Institute and Students for Sensible Drug Policy, UC Berkeley Chapter.

The committee ultimately voted 4-1 to advance SB 519 to the Senate Health Committee, but not before hearing opposition from law enforcement groups.

A lobbyist for the California College and University Police Chiefs Association said he was worried about the potential for unmitigated social sharing and subsequent overdoses among college students.

In an opposition letter, the Peace Officers Research Association of California warned decriminalization will only lead to greater crime and arrests.

As we have seen so many times, it is often the most vulnerable populations, and those who have the weakest support systems, that will be most susceptible to the increased access and use of drugs, the letter states.

Before reaching Governor Gavin Newsoms desk, SB 519 must still clear the Senate and then the Assembly later this summer.

The Public Safety Committee also approved plans to allow San Francisco and Los Angeles counties to run overdose prevention programs commonly known as safe injection sites. Senate Bill 57 would enable people to use illegal drugs like heroin at designated sites under the supervision of staff trained to prevent and treat drug overdoses.

There are more than 100 injection sites throughout the world, but litigation has held up the opening of sites in interested U.S. cities including San Francisco and Philadelphia. Similar versions of the bill have failed in the California Legislature or been vetoed.

Wiener said the intent is to combat overdoses and public drug use, both of which have skyrocketed during the pandemic.

These sites help transition people into recovery, Were seeing record overdose deaths in California.

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This column is a collaboration withDoubleBlind, a print magazine and media company at the forefront of the psychedelic movement.

Would you care for a drop of LSD in your morning tea? A capsule of psilocybin-mushroom dust with your daily vitamins? Such is the daily regimen for those whove taken up microdosing, reporting anecdotally just how much this new psychedelic trend has changed their lives. Over the past decade, researchers have delved into how taking small amounts of psychedelics help people combat depression, trauma, attention deficit disorder, and even physical pain. Indeed, author Ayelet Waldman wrote a New York Times bestselling memoir about it, A Really Good Day, while researchers like James Fadimanare among the most sought after voices, educating the newest generation of psychonauts about the wonders of psychedelics albeit in miniscule, sub-perceptible doses.

But, can you really call yourself a psychonaut a savvy explorer of psychedelic terrain if youve never actually tripped? Itd be like saying you know what weed is like, even if youve only ever tried CBD. The data is limited, but, so far, it appears as though microdosing works for as long as a person continues taking microdoses. It can affect their mood and health which, of course, can also affect how they treat themselves and others, but doesnt typically lead to massive, long-lasting transformations in personality and ideology, the way tripping might.

And so, we arrive at the debate over microdosing versus macrodosing, or simply, well, dosing. Is one approach inherently better than the other? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each? And if youre new to psychedelics, is it better to dive into the deep end, or to just get your toes wet?

For decades, people primarily started by diving into the psychedelic deep end microdosing just wasnt something being widely discussed in our culture. But as microdosing has grown in popularity, more people are opting to start out with the latter, unsure of whether theyll ever fully trip. Both our introductions to psychedelics began with an eighth of psilocybin mushrooms, or just over three grams of the dried out magical fungus that smelled like feet. We washed them down with orange juice, which psychedelic lore told us would enhance the experience. (And yes, citrus is proven to do just that.) Early on in our psychedelic experience, it never occurred to either of us that mushrooms could engender an experience short of swirling, kaleidoscopic patterns and a six-hour trip. Take less than the standard dose of 3.5 grams? But why?

Intention is everything. The higher the dose, the more likely you are to experience ego dissolution or an out-of-body sensation. This can be transcendent, spiritual, and healing but can also be terrifying without the proper guidance or context. Psychedelics dampen a part of the brain called the Default Mode Network; when this region is put to rest, the boundaries of ones self in relation to the rest of the world come down. Its at this point that we can experience a mystical sense of oneness and can more easily break old thought patterns or addictions. This is in part why psychedelic research at institutions like New York University or Johns Hopkins has shown such great promise in administering full doses to subjects looking to treat anxiety, addiction, and other ailments.

On the other hand, without the proper context, prior education, or set and setting ones internal mindset and their external environment a full dose trip might be too much for some people; after all, not every new psychonaut is a wide-eyed Berkeley college kid versed in Aldous Huxley and Ram Dass, seeking, to put it bluntly, to trip balls. A newbie is more likely to have a safe, positive experience when a trip sitter or psychedelic guide is holding the space. The quality of ones set and setting will make or break a psychedelic experience. Thats not to mention the risk of psychosis or triggering schizophrenia, if you have an underlying mental condition.

So that brings us to the idea that some new psychonauts may indeed want to start low and go slow, as they say in the psychedelic community. After all, you can always take more, but you can never take less. In the case of microdosing for therapeutic reasons, the concept is that the psychedelic can offer you shifts in perspective, the way a bigger dose might, without requiring you to spend a full day tripping, something many people might not have time for or, simply, might just be afraid to do. It can also be a good way, some psychonauts say, of acclimating to the idea of taking a psychedelic before you macrodose.

The research into how microdosing works neurologically is limited, but, according to a database of more than 1,500 reports collected by Fadiman through his microdosing website, people report that microdosing can in subtle, but important ways impact how they move through their day they say they just feel lighter, more appreciative, more observant, more creative, or more grateful, among other effects. Fadiman gives examples, informed by these reports, such as, on a day when microdosing, you might habitually reach for those chips or that glass of wine only to realize that youd genuinely rather have a salad or cup of tea. Microdosing can just provide a bit more awareness or flexibility around changing unhealthy patterns.

Theres a spectrum of experience: Its definitely valuable to go all the way in, but it depends on the scenario, says Mike Margolies, activist and founder of Psychedelic Seminars. If Im trying to have a mushroom experience that is healing and therapeutic and Im trying to get insights, then I probably want to do a higher dose, but if I just want to use psychedelics socially and hang out, then maybe a threshold dose about .25 to 1 gram, or just over a microdose is more appropriate. And not to mention, he adds, you can get insights from this lighter dose, too, when you have the window just slightly cracked open, but youre not totally in the full-on mystical or psychedelic experience.

To be clear, psychedelics are not a panacea: Taking a full dose is not a magic bullet, and neither is microdosing. The key is integration incorporating psychedelic insights into daily life, whether that means practicing meditation to increase mindfulness or implementing a major life change like ending a relationship or switching careers. And if youre keen on microdosing, theres nothing wrong with simply seeking a lil pep in your step to better flow through the day.

So while many seasoned psychonauts agree that the journey is the medicine that getting through a trip provides insights that wouldnt otherwise be had there is no right or wrong answer to the microdosing versus macrodosing debate.

But there is a caveat to note, and thats the gentrification of psychedelic culture, through an emphasis on microdosing. When CBD got big, many of us hailing from pre-legalization (i.e. pre-mainstream) pot culture argued in favor of the case for keeping cannabis weird. Sure getting high isnt for everyone (although anyone may be a candidate for the therapeutic effects of cannabis, such as through CBD or even microdosing THC), but that doesnt mean we should stigmatize those who do get high, in an effort to sterilize the culture and make it more palatable to the mainstream. The data has shown theres value in macrodosing in having profound, classic psychedelic experiences and so many longtime psychedelic advocates simply dont want to see that get lost.

Were already seeing drug development companies that are trying to fundamentally change the psychedelic experience to make it more accessible. The US military is funding research into psychedelic compounds that dont make you trip and Canadian pharmaceutical company MindMed is developing a psychedelic off-switch, as examples. Theres a culture of aversion to the psychedelic experience that is coming out as psychedelics are being mainstreamed, says Margolies. I would say that our culture doesnt quite understand the value of the psychedelic experience itself. You should be afraid of the psychedelic experience thats the point! But that doesnt mean you should give yourself a quick release or avoid doing it. It means that you should really approach it respectfully because these things are powerful.

And so, in that may lie the answer to the microdosing versus macrodosing debate. The answer itself is completely objective and highly personal: If psychedelics are indeed sacred and yes, certainly powerful, what kind of experience will engender, for you, the most long lasting benefit?

Correction: This story has been updated to clarify that James Fadiman was not at Harvard in the 1960s, and that psychedelics will not accumulatein the system during microdosing.

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Microdose v. Macrodose: Psychedelics Experts on How to ...

A recent study has shown that the social dimension of psychedelic ceremonies, such as the one shown ... [+] above in an episode of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, led to increased psychological well-being and social connectedness in participants.

While the corporate fanfare around psychedelics continues to grow, the reality is the majority of these drugs remain illegal in most countries around the world, with few exceptions for legal access. Of course, this hasnt stopped humans from using themand one of our favourite ways to trip, is collectively.

There has been no data to quantify the potential value to the individual stemming from the collective dimension of group psychedelic experiences, until now: a recently published study has shown that consuming psychedelics in a group setting like a ceremony or retreat could lead to increases in wellbeing, social connectedness and other improvements to mental health.

The first-of-its kind study was conducted by a team of researchers at Imperial College London and led by doctoral student Hannes Kettner. The quantitative look at real-world psychedelic use recruited a total of 886 participants, who were simply required to have a plan to participate in a ceremony or guided group experience involving the use of a psychedelic, such as ayahuasca or psilocybin, of their own accord.

Participants were then asked to complete a series of online surveys: one two weeks prior to their psychedelic experience, another a few hours beforehand, a third on the day after their ceremony, a fourth on the following day, and a fifth four weeks later.

Kettner admits that in most self-selected psychedelic research, a significant sampling bias exists (particularly toward participants who are male students in their mid-20s, with plenty of existing psychedelic experience). He was pleasantly surprised to see that in this new study, a whopping 40 percent were actually signing up as first-time psychedelic users, with an average age of 44 years.

It speaks to the Michael Pollan-ation effect, he says. We see more and more people from a different social demographic becoming interested in psychedelics, but not necessarily wanting to access them on their own, he says.

According to Kettner, the team of researchers (including Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris and Dr. Leor Roseman) were able to introduce and validate a modified measure used to assess experiences of perceived togetherness and shared humanity, referred to as the communitas scale.

Kettner explained that while in clinical one-on-one settings, the relationship between guide and patient is quite defined, the group setting can potentially act as an equalizer.

The interesting thing about this communitas construct is that we observed this dissolution of hierarchies and boundaries and social roles, which you wouldnt expect to see when theres a predefined relationship between doctor and patient, or guide and journeyer, he says.

Importantly, this experience of communitas during psychedelic sessions emerged as a significant predictor of long-term improvements in well-being and mental health outcomes several weeks later, pointing towards a therapeutic potential unique to group settings of psychedelic use.

The results of the study show that the impact of a more social setting doesnt just have benefits during the psychedelic experience itself: it can also lead to benefits that last well beyond the journey.

Prior to their psychedelic ceremony, participants were asked how comfortable they felt with the guides that would be present.

This was among the strongest predictors of how the experience actually played out for people, says Kettner, noting that he expects this to act as a similarly strong predictor in clinical settings.

While its difficult to make a direct comparison between individual and group settings based on the existing science, Kettner points to the results of a similar Imperial College study which was not limited to groups or ceremonies to illustrate the potential differences.

There, we saw pretty solid improvements in psychological well-being and also in social connectedness, which speaks to the notion that even in an individual experience, if there is some kind of improvement to your outlook on life, perhaps that also reflects on how you relate to others, he says.

While he admits you dont necessarily need the group for that to happen, the effects sizes in their latest study on group experiences were much larger.

That seems to hint that an element of the group setting really makes a difference in terms of what people get out of it, says Kettner.

That element could be the social component of sharing your experiences with others, as participants in psychedelic ceremonies are often encouraged to do prior to and immediately following a journey.

Being vulnerable towards a group of often strangers really made a difference in terms of increasing how much people improved in the long run, he adds.

Through their collected data, but also on-site observation of ceremonies and qualitative accounts from participants, Kettner believes that the experience of opening up to others could have as much value to participants as the psychedelic itself, both elements positively reinforcing each other.

Group settings, he says, offer an opportunity for all the materials that may be brought to the surface by the psychedelic compound to be processed by an entire group of people that support you.

In principle, I think thats a brilliant approach to how psychedelics could, in the long run, be worked into medical systems.

Psychedelic ceremonies of any kind are not without risk, something Kettner acknowledges. He says given current conditions, ceremonies do remain among the most accessible settings for psychedelic use, even though some retreats come with a very high price tagsomething else he readily acknowledges.

These two factors, risk and cost, are closely related, and as the interest in psychedelics increases without a legal way to consume them, this relationship will be an important one to watch.

As the market grows, well likely see an undercutting of prices and people reducing the amount of supervision and safety that they can provide, and the amount of experience that that they require from guides and facilitators, he says. I do think that is a lot of reason for caution.

At the same time, Kettner says taking psychedelics in an institutionalized setting has its own set of risks. Rather than pitting the two settings against each other, there ought to be room for both.

There is a strong need for creating solutions that are not prohibitive, [things that are] outside of the clinical and medicalized systems, he says.

How can we safeguard and improve the way that people are taking psychedelics right now, in the settings that are available?

If access really is the goal, this is an important question more researchers in the psychedelic community need to ask themselves.

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Psychedelics In Groups? First Study Of Its Kind Shows Potential For Collective Settings - Forbes

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Recent psychedelic research has led to significant breakthroughs in the field. The substanceshave been found to be usefulin treating various mental health conditions such as depression as well as addiction. Additionally, new research has found that psilocybin, which is the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, is useful in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

There are three studies looking into the use of psilocybin to decrease the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. While each study is using different treatment techniques&

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Three Studies Investigate the Role of Psychedelics in Treating OCD - StreetInsider.com

Bob Wold was so desperate to treat his chronic cluster headaches, he spent two decades trying 70 prescription drugs and searching for a solution.

As Washington Post's Katherine Ellison reported, Wold finally found relief from an unlikely source, "magic" mushrooms, which contain the psychedelic drug psilocybin.

65-year-old Wold told Ellison he's experienced cluster headaches a type of relenting migraine that makes a person's eyes feel on fire and their heads feel near explosion for 40 years. Cluster headaches get their name because they come in intense bursts throughout the day, according to the American Migraine Foundation.

For Wold, that meant enduring an hour-long headache four or more times daily.

So when Wold tried a one-gram microdose of "magic" mushrooms 20 years ago, something he'd previously written off as a substance for stoners, he was shocked in the best way.

He and other self-identifying "clusterheads" later pushed the FDA to approve the first-ever injectable treatment for cluster headaches in June 2019, called Emgality. Still, there's more research to be done on the potential for psilocybin to treat the condition, and Yale University neurologist Emmanuelle Schindler is gearing up to study its efficacy later this year. Researchers have already studied psilocybin in clinical trials and have found its potential to treat anxiety, depression, and obesity, Insider previously reported.

The excruciating nature of cluster headaches leaves sufferers desperate for a solution.

"You will eat shoe polish if you think it would help," one person with cluster headaches told Yale University researchers of their fruitless search for effective treatment.

Other respondents to the Yale survey said the headaches felt worse than childbirth, gunshot wounds, and kidney stones.

The inescapable pain makes cluster-headache sufferers three times more likely to commit suicide than the general public, University of West Georgia psychologist Larry Schor told Washington Post.

Schor has experienced cluster headaches himself since 1983.

"The pain is so intense that I've had some seemingly psychotic thoughts during attacks. Like maybe if I could take a pliers and start pulling out molars, or if I hammered in the smallest drill bit near my eye, that could relieve the pressure," Schor told Ellison.

When the FDA approved Emgality, it offered a sense of relief for clusterheads. But the drug can come with side effects like weight gain, hair loss, joint pain, and brain fog that discourages some from using it.

Psychedelics like psilocybin, then, could provide an alternate treatment option.

Wold told Washington Post he's shared his psychedelic treatment tips with his Facebook community and many have also reported positive results.

"We're constantly getting thank-you notes from as far away as Romania, saying things like 'I've been using psilocybin for 15 years and it saved my life,'" Wold said.

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A man says psychedelic mushrooms cured his cluster headaches, and researchers believe he could be right - Insider

Madison Margolin is the co-founder and managing editor of DoubleBlind, the biannual print magazine and digital media outfit that's taking the psychedelics movement by storm. Before starting the magazine, she and co-founder Shelby Hartman were both prolific cannabis journalists. Though many will be most familiar with Margolin's cannabis coverage in a wide range of publications over the last five years, she's been covering the political, cultural, and spiritual impact of psychedelics since her college days.

While still in journalism school at Columbia University, Margolin was reporting on the Orthodox Jewish community in New York and met a bunch of kids from orthodox backgrounds who were experimenting with psychedelics, exploring their relationship to religion and spirituality through these alternative drug experiences, Margolin told Weedmaps, I got really curious about that and started writing almost immediately about the relationship between Judaism and psychedelics. That was like five years ago before I even had my job at the Village Voice.

Margolin started covering New York's cannabis policy rollout for the Voice in 2015. At the same time, she had spent several months working on a story about the Empire State's burgeoning psychedelic scene, where she was, looking at the research that was coming out of NYU. She also became familiar with the newly opened Alchemist Kitchen, a community space offering talks on psychedelics and with room to sell goods and tinctures.

The Voice was sold in October 2015, just as Margolin's psychedelics coverage was about to be a cover story. They got a new editor who basically was like, 'Your drug coverage is clich. The Village Voice is over drugs,' and he killed my psychedelics story. That same editor also killed her weed column, so Margolin would go on to cover the cannabis beat for Rolling Stone, Playboy, High Times, Nylon, Bon Appetit, Broccoli, LA Weekly, VICE, and a host of other major magazines and digital outlets.

For Margolin, the modern cannabis and psychedelics movements are connected by the psychoactive experience and how it can affect all other aspects of life science, policy, culture, history, medicine, mental health, spirituality, etc. When writing about any drug, whether it's cannabis or psychedelics or even heroin and opiates and whatever, it's a way to talk about other things in society, Margolin said while reflecting on all the places and communities her cannabis coverage has taken her for the past five years. One particular day in Jerusalem stood out to her as a poignant example where all these ideas intersected in a special way.

The day started with an interview with Raphael Mechoulam, the legendary Israeli scientist who pioneered the isolation of THC and the discovery of endocannabinoids. I did this whole story on the cannabis scene in Israel-Palestine for Tablet, a Jewish magazine, so I spoke to Mechoulam, which was really special. Then I went to East Jerusalem, which is more the Palastinian side of the city, with a translator. It was kind of interesting man-on-the-street reporting. I think it was interesting to be in this place where trauma is so ubiquitous on all sides of the equation. Cannabis is such an obvious choice to treat trauma, and to experience that first hand with Israelis and Palestinians and to talk to the guy who was so instrumental [in cannabis science and medicine] was really powerful.

The transition from full-time cannabis reporting to running her own psychedelics magazine began in 2018, when fellow-reporter Shelby Hartman reached out to her about the project. Shelby and I had both gone to Columbia for journalism school, and then we were sort of doing similar things in the field afterward. And Shelby had this idea when she was meditating to do a psychedelics magazine, sort of inspired by Broccoli, a really beautiful magazine that covered psychedelics but also merged high-end design with investigative-heavy reporting.

Margolin signed onto the idea right away. We both had full-time jobs at the time. I was at Civilized and [Shelby] was at Herb, and we didn't really know where it would go. We were just like, 'this seems like a cool side project to do,' and then it kind of snowballed into what it is right now.

Margolin and Hartman now lead a publication that, in their own words, speaks to everyone who is curious about psychedelics. And we are speaking to anyone craving fresh perspectives on some of the most important issues of our time [...] and the aching that people around the globe feel for spirituality or some other collective sense of meaning.

For Margolin and for DoubleBlind, shedding light on the grassroots nature of the psychedelics and cannabis movements is paramount.

People are like, 'oh yeah, cannabis is like a big industry these days.' And it's kind of obnoxious because it's built on the backs of people who have been going to jail for decades, and risking their freedoms and putting their families at risk. That's something I hope that, as people read about this [industry] stuff in Forbes, they recognize that it's built on people who are not being featured in Forbes.

Margolin continued, I just don't think people recognize the tension between the industry and the movement, the movement being something that's really grassroots and we're dealing with organic matter, and there's indigenous wisdom behind it and decades of folk wisdom and street wisdom, and that is the culture.

Here are four weed products Madison Margolin can't live without.

Prismatic Plants offers daytime and nighttime CBD tincture formulas, both designed to have an appropriate calming effect. Margolin uses both.

I have scoliosis and my back can get kinky, and sometimes it can hurt. But it actually hasn't been like that in a long time, and I don't know if it's cause I take CBD, but I think that might have to do with inflammation. I also use it for anxiety. Sometimes if I'm tripping, I like to have CBD on hand, basically if I'm feeling anxious.

Papa & Barkley's THC-rich Releaf Balm is a whole-plant-infused salve that Margolin has used for pain relief. I've also had tendonitis, a condition most writers are at least somewhat familiar with, so I've used that and rubbed it in my wrist.

As CBD pre-rolls become a major staple of the cannabis market, it's important to know where the quality is. Margolin doesn't smoke weed as much as she used to, and tends to prefer CBD-heavy joints when she does. Dad Grass hemp pre-rolls serve up a clean buzz without the fuss, and are tailored to revive the casual smoke.

Moon Made Farms is owned and operated by former producer, musician, event promoter, and documentary filmmaker, Tina Gordon, who relocated to Southern Humboldt County in 2007 to grow and advocate for cannabis.

I try to opt for outdoor, sungrown, small-batch farms. Margolin told Weedmaps, Moon Made Farms is a good one. Tina actually tracks the moon cycle to see how the moon affects the plants.

Interview by Nic Juarez. Written by Andy Andersen. Photo courtesy of Zoe Wilder. Graphic by David Lozada/Weedmaps

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4 weed products journalist Madison Margolin can't live without - Weedmaps News

The psychedelics investment boom continues to gain steam could there soon be avenues to bet on the growing business of psychedelic retreats?

Picture yourself in a serene tropical landscape. Youve packed up your bags to make the trip and now youre listening to the calming words of an expert practitioner whos guiding you through an internal journey to help you better yourself through the effects of psychedelic substances.

This scenario might sound unusual, but its not as outlandish as you might expect. Psychedelic retreats have a niche audience that is on the rise and could be on the verge of wider mainstream growth.

As people become more interested in the potential of unplugging from the stressors of daily life to reconnect with a more spiritual self, the business of psychedelic retreats could have its day in the sun amid the overall renaissance in the psychedelics market.

The Investing News Network (INN) spoke with companies in the psychedelic retreats industry to learn about what goes into setting up a retreat, and whether market participants can expect to see companies focused on this aspect of the business eventually list on the open market.

The stigma surrounding psychedelics as a novel form of medicine is starting to wear off, according to experts, and new companies have had a warm reception in the capital markets.

The business of psychedelic retreats offers its own stigma, such as antiquated notions of paralyzing drug trips in unknown locations in the middle of the jungle. But these are now giving way to a more specialized approach in the pursuit of business standards.

Marik Hazan, CEO of Energia, a psychedelics-focused venture capital firm, told INN the psychedelic retreats space has its own breakdown of subsections.

He described streamlined and standard retreat operations in a more uniform environment, alongside more established adventure trip packages seen in locations such as Latin America.

I think that the majority of the industry right now is focused more on these deep experiences, he said.

The expert added that most retreats offer consumers a couple of psychedelic experiences through stays that are three days to a week long. Hazan pointed to psilocybin and ayahuasca as the main compounds used around the space.

Hazan told INN he is interested in seeing companies use psychedelic compounds at retreats, but also wants to see them combine the use of these drugs with services.

For example, Energia has partnered with the Arcana Armada, which is working to set up interactive narrative therapy through which consumers can participate in microdosed prepared roleplay scenarios.

This type of model offers a glimpse into whats ahead for the flexibility of psychedelic retreats.

People enter the psychedelic retreats business through many paths, but most begin their journey when they experience a retreat for the first time.

Jonathan de Potter, founder of Behold Retreats, told INN he had his own personal misgivings about the psychedelics industry at-large before attending a retreat. But actually going to a psychedelic retreat caused him to reevaluate everything.

His company now sets up events across the world for people looking for private retreats or group experiences. After filling out an application and completing a detailed consultation process, Behold Retreats evaluates users needs; if all parties agree, a location is set and arrangements are made.

Behold Retreats customers can play a big role in shaping their experience, de Potter said. Some people come to us and they want the full Amazon jungle immersion other people are like, I want white walls and I want to be no further than 20 feet away from a latte machine for the entire week.

The executive emphasized that its crucial for those looking to participate in a psychedelic retreat to prepare for the experience as seriously as they prepare for the actual drug trip.

(People) are really excited about going into one of these retreats and having a profound experience, said de Potter. And theres nothing wrong with that, but our neural patterns, our thinking patterns, are decades old and deeply entrenched, so what were actually talking about is rewiring some of those patterns. It can feel like youre a brand-new you at the end of a one week retreat.

Jol Brierre, founder and CEO of Kaivalya Kollectiv, agreed with de Potters warning, saying that using psychedelic substances at a retreat can lead many to an uneven place if not handled properly.

A lot of these people arent taking preparation into consideration, theyre not taking a screening into consideration this person has an experience that they cannot understand and have no faculties to be able to begin to explain, he said.

Kaivalya Kollectiv is set up with locations in Mexico and Costa Rica, Brierre told INN.

The expert is a specialist in psychedelics and plant medicine, including 5-MeO-DMT, a notorious compound commonly found in toads typically located in the Sonoran Desert. Brierre warned that approximately 90 percent of those currently providing it are nowhere near qualified to serve it.

The expert didnt shy away from discussing the potency of experiences that the toad compound can create. He described the trip as a death of the ego within oneself the individuality under which the brain operates is lost for a period of time, leading to what Brierre described as a mystical experience without any proper language to explain it.

According to Brierre, Kaivalya Kollectiv has different price tiers for retreats depending on whether they are for individuals or group efforts. Group retreats on the low end of the scale will range between US$2,000 and US$2,500, while the high end can go to US$4,500. In terms of individual retreats, these can vary between US$5,000 and US$12,000. The expert said the retreats usually last for five days.

The expert admitted that this might sound daunting its a complicated event to analyze for those just starting out with psychedelics.

A good percentage of people have some difficulty unpacking that experience, because it shatters and defies everything they ever thought they knew, he told INN.

Its very common for people to go on a psychedelic retreat, undergo a profound, potentially life-changing experience, and then end up in the same place emotionally a few weeks after the retreat has finished, said de Potter. This is because people make the mistake of seeing plant-based medicine as a one-stop solution for ailments or mental health issues.

As such, de Potter stressed to INN that the work done before a consumer even grabs their passport is just as vital as the work done on location. The executive cautioned anyone expecting a psychedelic retreat to magically cure all their ailments to rethink how they see these drugs.

People are not able to understand what a good retreat looks like, because they dont know what theyre looking for people are skipping the mental and emotional work, said de Potter. Theyre really excited about going into one of these retreats and having a profound experience but our neural patterns, our thinking patterns are decades old and deeply entrenched.

In cautioning against seeing these substances as magical curing drugs, de Potter described plant-based medicine as neutral, meaning user intent will cause different reactions after the consumption of psychedelic substances.

Brierre echoed de Potters sentiment, telling INN that these substances are a catalyst, not a solution.

After a big psychedelic experience, what a lot of these companies arent taking into consideration is that the psychedelics themselves arent the medicine, Brierre said.

A crucial component of making sure new users dont end up lost in a drug trip is the relationship set up with the experts acting as guides through this potentially taxing experience.

Once youve got them there, you can take that time to get comfortable with each other, said Brierre. The person should really feel comfortable and safe with the person whos about to crack them open.

The expert, whos been working with plant medicines for seven years now, explained fears can quickly take over a person once the substances have kicked in.

Psychedelic retreat opportunities began gaining interest and acceptance at the same time as the travel industry largely stopped because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moving forward, Hazan said companies in this space will have to work on improving all their online features and operations to stay ahead of pandemic concerns.

Both Behold Retreats and Kaivalya Kollectiv plan to prioritize private retreats compared to communal group ones due to COVID-19 concerns.

I think COVID has helped us get the word about private retreats out more, Brierre told INN. He said that just before the pandemic took over, Kaivalya Kollectiv was looking to set up between 12 and 15 retreats per year thanks to an uptick in interest.

For his part, Hazan told INN he is concerned about a tourism approach to psychedelic retreats, since they can lead to the reductive use and appropriation of imagery from native communities or other symbols associated with the locations retreats may take place in.

What a lot of people would argue though is much of those practices are not rooted in indigenous methodologies, said Hazan. And a lot of people are reaping the rewards of monetizing things framed as traditions, and packaging it for the more streamlined centers.

Hazan also raised a red flag when it comes to ketamine-based retreat models. Ketamine is addictive, so there needs to be significantly more education on the signs of addiction, he said.

The Behold Retreats executive said he recognizes that the renewed level of interest in retreats is happening against the bigger spotlight for psychedelic medicine. But he is worried about the effect all this attention could have.

Theres a lot more people that are jumping on the bandwagon with, I dont want to say predominantly commercial motives, but they dont necessarily have the skills, said de Potter. The reality is that this is a nascent and unregulated ecosystem.

The industry of psychedelic retreats has a lot going for it, and with psychedelics-focused companies going public in increasing numbers, could investors be on the verge of seeing an entity go public based purely on a psychedelic retreat model?

It seems like anything that has psychedelics in it is able to go public these days, Hazan told INN.

When asked about the possibility of the market seeing companies go public based entirely on a retreat-based business, de Potters answer was emphatic as well.

Why not? I think absolutely, it will happen. Its just a matter of who and when and where and why, he said. And I would really come back to that question of like, why are they listing on the markets?

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Securities Disclosure: I, Bryan Mc Govern, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.

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March31, 20216 min read

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Lets talk about women who were ahead of their time, the curious, the risk-takers. These are women who paid prices they should never have had to. Im humbled to stand upon their shoulders and their work, and I wish I could tell everyone about them. Every person seated next to me on the plane, train, or bypassing me on the sidewalk. But work in psychedelics is not a conversation for everyone. However, for those willing to listen and learn, Id come with my curveballthat were all hallucinating. Our lives are, asSeth Anilexplains it, one big controlled hallucination. What our brains see and process is only part of the picture, unique to each of us. You can see numerous geometric sight tests to prove this concept, but Ill use an everyday one. I had a blue, bright blue face mask on my counter the other day, and every time I passed it, my brain told me it was my phone alighting with a new message. We move too quickly to perceive the whole picture, and we fill in the blanks with expectations, hopes, and learned experiences. Why, then, should enhancing that perception be anything short of miraculousor healing?

In my last article, I discussed the barriers women faced in the industrys history, including the severe prices women like Maria Sabina had to pay for their work. But theres plenty more in addition to Sabina, so lets continue the discussion by spotlighting more women pioneers of psychedelics.

While men in research relied heavily on their wives for support and documentation, Valentina Wasson was often leading rather than assisting.Shefirst introduced R. Gordon Wasson to the world of mushrooms, thoughher husband often receives credit for bringing mushrooms to public attention in America. She then led the excursion that introduced Westerners to Maria Sabina and bravely published the account of her mushroom trip.

Perhaps the most notable of Valentinas contributions was creating a connection between psilocybin and various treatments. It was after she experienced her spiritual healing in Sabinas velada that she proposed psilocybin to treat pain associated withalcoholism, narcotic addiction, and mental disordersand end-of-life care. Later this treatment was reinforced by Laura Huxley, Joan Halifax, and many innovative researchers today.

Valentina Wasson helped build the cultural bridge that would lead to our current and developing understanding of psilocybins therapeutic benefits. Her groundbreaking interview is among many firsthand accounts that fueled psychedelic research.

Part of the pioneers legacy is delivered via documentation. And when it comes to women pioneers in this field, we owe a nod toMabel Dodge Luhan, a wealthy socialite, and the first woman to document a peyote trip. Sure, she had status on her side, yet writing about controversial topics in this eraspecifically as a womantook significant courage. Indeed, the societal consequences for such behavior in Manhattan, 1914 was enough pressure for Mabel to move to Mexico. There, she would start a literary community and continue peyote trips unthreatened by U.S. laws.

Related:Miley Cyrus Says Ayahuasca Changed Her Life

Equally important when it comes to documentation isAdelle Davis, a writer, and leading American nutritionist throughout the 60s and 70s. She was the first woman to publish (although in her pen name, Jane Dunlap) a full-length book on her LSD experiences, Exploring Inner Space (1961). The book covered five LSD experiences under psychiatrist supervision and insisted on the drugs ability to help Davis overcome writers block, improve her mood, and enhance relationships with her family.

Although the food and health industry disagreed with Davis nutritional works, her criticism of and her attachment to LSD as a means to meet God had a profound influence.

Talk about a subject thatll render your airplane seatmate uncomfortablelets discuss psychedelics and death. Not accidental, death mind you, instead a means to add beauty and comfort to the profound unknown. Thats what Laura Huxley helped pioneer by administering LSD to assist the dying. Throughout their marriage, Laura became an integral partner in Aldous Huxleys psychedelic experiments. Upon Aldous final hours, Laura proposed the drug to decrease his anxiety and assist in his transition to the unknown. In the hours leading up to what was referred to by the physicians present as the most beautiful death, Laura gave Aldous 100 micrograms of LSD.

Connected to Laura Huxleys notion of Dying Healthy, is the work of American Zen Buddhist Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D. Halifax is known for her work on an LSD research project with terminally-ill cancer patients and a co-authored book, The Human Encounter with Death. Halifax has stated that her work is based on transforming the experiences of clinicians, patients, and the institutions that serve dying people. Throughout her career, Halifax maintains that LSD can help patientschange their views of death. For one patient, in particular, she recounts how, In the end, he was much more accepting of his mortality as his death drew near.

Psychedelics are considerably associated with near-death, paranormal, and inexplicable phenomena that coincide with parapsychology. For mediumEileen Garret, Director of the Parapsychology Foundation, LSDs uses dont stop at death. Garret advocates for LSDs ability in investigating parapsychological phenomena, finding it a very serious method by which one reaches the deep levels of the unconscious self.

As noted, many cultures have used psychedelics for sacred purposes, yet North American culture has dismissed such usage by and large. Thats where we thank Mary Barnard, an American poet best known for her translation of Sapphos works. Barnards insights reinforce the sacred purposes of psychedelic substances. She suggested thatmind-altering plantscould be the origin of the sacred or spiritual, performing as vehicles for a special kind of experience adaptable to the use of most religions that acknowledge an otherworld and permit its exploration. The notion that psychedelics are the basis for imagination and spiritual beliefs paved the way to destigmatization.

All these women have shown us that psychedelics are proven resources for our evolution and treatment. They blazed the trail for our current research as we attempt to disrupt and drive change in the mental health and psychedelics industries. I couldnt be more proud to be a part of the revolution.

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Tripping can be fun, magical, and even transcendental, but it can also be profoundly sad and challenging, filled with tears and confusion. While some prefer the term challenging to bad, psychedelics can cause repressed memories and emotions to bubble up. You may also get stuck in what psychonauts call a negative thought loop: a seemingly endless cycle of anxiety-ridden thoughts and feelings. Yet luckily, there are steps you can take to mitigate this negative headspace, whether youre tripping with your closest friends, an experienced guide, or on your own. And hopefully, by following these steps, the bad experience will result in cathartic takeaways.

RELATED:Why Do Edibles Make You So Darn High?

While this may sound simple, remembering to breathe and doing so mindfully is your first defense against a bad trip. If things get challenging, focus on your breath and try exhaling for longer than you inhale, noticing tension release. Some people find that holding onto a small object, like a rock or crystal, can help to keep them grounded as they breathe through the tough stuff. You can also try doing some light yoga or meditation if you already have a regular practice. And if youre not too far gone, its a good time to remind yourself that youve taken a psychedelic and this feeling will pass; its all part of the experience.

In psychedelic clinical trials, guides will often advise volunteers to surrender to the experience, especially if its a challenging one. If you feel like youre dying, melting, dissolving, exploding, [or] going crazy, go ahead and embrace it, says Dr. Bill Richards, who helped develop the psychedelic-assisted therapy model practiced today at institutions like Johns Hopkins University. The important thing is to accept the experience rather than to fight it; show compassion and curiosity to these negative thoughts, feelings or experiencesor as clinicians say, trust, let go, be open. Try repeating a mantra while you connect with your breath. You never know, there may be transcendence on the other side.

RELATED:Oregon Just Legalized Psilocybin. What Does This Mean?

Because psychedelics render you more sensitive to your environment, a change in scenery can have a profound impact on your mood. If youre having trouble accepting a difficult experience, theres no rule that says you have to sit with it for the entire duration of your trip. One of the best ways to change the mood is to switch things up, either by moving from one room to another, or by going from indoors to out (or vice versa), if thats an option. It can also help to change the music or the lighting, making you feel like youve transitioned from one destination of your trip to the next. If most of these tricks sound like way too much effort for your state of mind, try just taking off your shoes and touching your feet to the ground. Stand up and walk around barefoot to shift away from that heavy, negative energy and to ground yourself.

Experienced psychonauts know that negative thought loops are a possibility while tripping, and so they prepare activities or distractions to help if they arise. This can be anything you think youll enjoy on psychedelics, like making art or music, or experimenting with different sights, sounds, and textures. The trick is to prepare everything before you start tripping. So set up some art supplies in your kitchen, put out some musical instruments in your living room, place some art or nature books on the coffee table, chop up some fruit, decorate your house with fresh cut flowers or other pretty things to look at, or download some nature documentaries whatever speaks to you. When youre feeling down or stuck during a trip, get up and seek out one of the distractions youve prepared, and your trip will likely take a whole new direction.

RELATED:How Psychedelics Helped Me Find Safety

If youre tripping with other people, dont be afraid to tell them youre struggling. If your friends are also tripping, you dont have to go into too much detail if you think itll bring them down, but you should still reach out. Cuddle up, hold hands, and talk about something else (like how funny your dog is or even the grains in the wood furniture). Human connection or even just physical touch can help lift you out of a negative place. If youre afraid your trip might be dominated by negative feelings or if youd like to work through something particularly tough, you may want to seek out a trip sitter, experienced guide, or psychedelic retreat. It can be beneficial to have someone sober and supportive around, especially if you get confused or scared. If its too hard to breathe through things on your own own, tell your guide or trip sitter, and theyll likely hold your hand and hold space for you. Their presence alone can really help you move through a rough patch.

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Pharmadrug, a medical cannabis distributor and pharmaceutical company, announced March 16 it would be collaborating with University of Michigan Medical School professor Dr. Jimo Borjigin to research DMT, a powerful psychedelic drug.

Scientifically known as N,N-Dimethyltryptamine, DMT is also called the spirit molecule. It has been used by indigenous people in South America for centuries and is known for inducing life-changing, spiritual experiences in users.

DMT differs from other psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin (magic mushrooms) in that it is naturally found in both plants and animals, while LSD and psilocybin are only found in plants and various fungi.

Borjigin has been studying DMT since 2012, and she said she became interested in DMT after contacting DMT researcher Rick Strassman of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Strassman wrote a book and produced a documentary about his research on DMT, specifically a clinical trial he ran with human volunteers in the early 1990s.

As a neuroscientist, I wondered what DMT did in human brains, Borjigin said.

In 2013, Borjigin and other researchers found DMT in the pineal gland of rats. The pineal gland is a small gland in the brain that produces melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Through other studies, DMT has also been found in humans, but scientists still do not know how much DMT there is in our bodies or why it is there.

More recently, Borjigin and her lab found DMT in the rat brain in 2019. The amount of DMT found in the rat brains is roughly equivalent to the amount of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitters that affect mood and regulate a variety of functions in human bodies. The level of DMT in the rat brains indicated that the drug might be able to have a much larger role in human functioning than previously thought.

I think our findings contradicts other peoples criticism that DMT is just a minor presence, or a metabolic waste product, and doesnt have any physiological function, Borjigin said.

This critique has been one of many obstacles standing in the way of research on the role of naturally occuring DMT in the body. The perceptions around studying psychedelics tend to misunderstand or dismiss their importance, Borjigin said. She highlighted how difficult it was to obtain funding for her research.

We actually tried very hard to get funding from the National Institutes of Health, Borjigin said. Many people seem to be confused about our drive to study DMT. They will try to send our proposals to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which is the wrong type of research. Were interested in endogenous DMT.

Research on endogenous DMT, or DMT that is made naturally in our brains, stood out to Pharmadrug CEO Daniel Cohen.

We were really interested in the fact that DMT is so prevalent in nature, Cohen said.

Pharmadrug currently distributes medical cannabis in Europe and psychedelic mushrooms in the Netherlands, where it is legal to buy and sell them.

We realized there was a lot of work already being done with psilocybin, LSD and ketamine, Cohen said. We also did some research and realized that DMT hadnt really been addressed yet in the biotech sector.

Pharmadrug got in touch with Borjigin through a connection with another psychedelic researcher.

Speaking with (Borjigin), it became apparent that shes one of the leaders in academia when it comes to DMT research, Cohen said.

Cohen said he believes there hasnt been enough research on DMT.

We want to use (Borjigins) research with future clinical studies to develop a potential commercial path for DMT, Cohen said.

Borjigin said she will continue to study DMT in rat brains and not in those of humans due to the invasiveness of the necessary procedures. Any clinical studies in humans would observe the behavioral impacts and effects of DMT and not require surgical procedures, Borjigin explained..

Doctoral candidate Nicolas Glynos has been working with Borjigin for the past two years and cites DMT research as one of the main reasons he decided to study at the University of Michigan.

Ive spent the majority of the past two years studying, thinking about and working on DMT, Glynos said.

Glynos is an active member of the Student Association for Psychedelic Studies, co-founder of the Rackham Interdisciplinary Workshop Psychedelic Neuroscience and Therapy and was a featured speaker at the TedxUofM event.

With these student organizations, Glynos said his goal is to make psychedelic studies more mainstream.

We want to provide opportunities for students, faculty, staff and members of the Michigan community to engage in research surrounding psychedelic science and therapy, Glynos said. We want to bring psychedelics into the curriculum of Michigan academia.

Glynos said he sees psychedelics as having the potential to radically shift how mental health is treated.

Weve learned that SSRIs and other pharmaceutical drugs are really ineffective at treating mental illnesses like major depressive disorder, substance abuse and anxiety conditions, Glynos said. Because DMT occurs endogenously in humans, theres a lot of potential to understand mental health disorders and psychiatric disorders.

Borjigin emphasized that DMT research is still important even if the therapeutic potential is unclear.

This could rewrite how psychiatry sees the fundamental aspects of mental function, Borjigin said. This could open up a whole new field of research and open up our eyes to entire new aspects of how our brain functions.Daily Staff Reporter Teagan Stebbins can be reached at teagans@umich.edu.

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