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MondayJan 13, 2025 10:00 am

Psychedelics Task Force in Minnesota Asks Lawmakers to Enact Legislation to Decriminalize Psychedelics

A Minnesota Psychedelic Medicine Task Force is urging legislators to create a state-regulated program for legal therapeutic access to psychedelics and decriminalize the possession and use of low amounts of psilocybin. This government task force was established through a legislation signed by Governor Tim Walz into law in May 2024. Originally, the task force was supposed to examine ketamine, mescaline, salvinorin A, ibogaine, DMT, bufotenine, 2C-B, and 5-MeO-DMT. Following the measure’s amendment, its focus shifted to LSD, psilocybin and MDMA. Its responsibilities included advising legislators on the medical, policy, and legal issues linked to the legalization of psychedelic medicine in…

MondayJan 06, 2025 10:00 am

A Recap of the Highlights for the Psychedelics Industry in 2024

The psychedelics industry experienced various peaks and pits at both the state and federal levels in 2024. Below, we look at some of the top moments of the year. Department of Veterans Affairs to fund psychedelic research for veterans Last month, the department announced that it’d allocate $1.5 million to research the effectiveness of MDMA-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. This psychedelic study, the first to be funded by a federal agency since the 60s, will be conducted at West Haven VA Medical Center and Providence VA Medical Center by VA researchers affiliated with Yale University…

MondayDec 30, 2024 10:00 am

New Study Provides Insights on Links Between Ayahuasca and Improvements in Mental Health, Wellbeing

Newly-released research findings in the Psychoactive Drugs journal have brought to attention notable associations between ayahuasca use and improvements in mental health. The study leveraged data collected during an international survey that discovered that users of ayahuasca experience reduced mental distress and enjoy improved mental wellbeing. The research team observed that the positive effects above appear to be subject to several factors, such as how intense the mystical experience users underwent, the insights that individuals gained after using the substance, and the sense of belonging users felt as part of a community while using the hallucinogen. Ayahuasca has been used…

MondayDec 23, 2024 10:00 am

Study Shows Psilocybin Could Reverse Memory Loss Resulting from Stress

The active components of hallucinogenic mushrooms, psilocybin and psilocin, are known to affect the brain in different ways. For instance, they influence serotonin receptors associated with neuroplasticity, cognitive processes, and mood regulation. Prior research has demonstrated that psilocybin can increase the density of dendritic spines, stimulate genes associated with neuroplasticity, and improve synaptic plasticity. Now a new study has found that psilocybin extracts may also have a hand in reversing memory deficits brought on by chronic stress. Already, prior studies have shown that chronic stress decreases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hippocampus, a region crucial for learning and…

WednesdayDec 18, 2024 10:00 am

Gaps While Reporting Psychotherapy Could Compromise Hallucinogenic Treatments

Psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, ayahuasca, and MDMA have demonstrated potential in managing conditions like addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. These drugs can give rise to profound experiences that, when paired with talk therapy, may bring about substantial therapeutic benefits. This has grown the popularity of psychedelic-assisted therapy as more and more studies tout the benefits of this approach, particularly for patients with mental health conditions who’ve gained no benefit from traditional treatments. Now new research by investigators at the University Medical Center Gröningen and the Champalimaud Foundation calls to attention gaps in how the psycho-therapeutic aspect of these therapies…

MondayDec 16, 2024 10:00 am

New Approaches to Psychedelic Clinical Trials Could Overcome Regulatory Hurdles

Lykos Therapeutics was earlier this year denied approval for their MDMA formulation developed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. The FDA advisory panel that rejected the application cited various issues as their basis, including sexual misconduct during the clinical trials, concerns about the drug’s potential for abuse, and a failure to submit data requested. Soon after, Lykos let go of over 70% of its workforce. Following these developments, Compass Pathways PLC (NASDAQ: CMPS) recently announced that it’d be delaying its phase III trial results reporting timeline to make certain that it could endure scrutiny associated with trial blinding. Compass Pathways, which…

WednesdayDec 11, 2024 10:00 am

Psilocybin Could Improve Sleep, Mental Health

Psilocybin is a psychoactive compound that naturally occurs in some species of hallucinogenic mushrooms. When ingested, this compound is converted into psilocin and interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain. This interaction results in altered mood, perception, and cognition and may produce vivid auditory and visual experiences as well as profound spiritual and/or emotional insights. Now a new study has found that psilocybin may help improve sleep quality and reduce symptoms of depression. This isn’t the first study to investigate the therapeutic effect of psilocybin on mental health conditions either. Various studies have found that this psychedelic compound has the…

MondayDec 09, 2024 10:00 am

New Study Seeks to Understand How Jewish Community Views Psychedelics

Rabbi Zac Kamenetz has long been interested in psychedelics, despite growing up being terrified of drugs. How the rabbi viewed psychedelics shifted after his first experience with psilocybin in 2017, during an NYU and Johns Hopkins study for religious professionals. Since then, his interest in the substances has continued to grow, even inspiring him to set up a non-profit in 2020. The non-profit in question, Shefa, educates members of the Jewish community about the rewards and risks associated with using psychedelics. Last month, Shefa announced that it’d be collaborating with Emory University to investigate the perspective of Jewish Americans on…

WednesdayDec 04, 2024 10:00 am

Psilocybin Shows Promise in Treating Eating Disorders

Anorexia nervosa is a common eating disorder characterized by distorted body image, extreme weight loss, and an extreme fear of gaining weight. Conventional treatments like nutritional rehabilitation and cognitive-behavioral therapy aren’t always successful, with some patients struggling with lifelong symptoms. This has prompted researchers to investigate the effectiveness of alternative therapies like psychedelic medicine. A clinical trial conducted last year by scientists from the University of California, San Diego evaluated the therapeutic potential and safety of psilocybin in treating anorexia nervosa in ten participants, all of whom were diagnosed according to the DSM-5 criteria. Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound found…

WednesdayNov 27, 2024 10:00 am

Animal Study Shows Psilocybin Boosts Optimism Long-Term

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound that can be found in more than two hundred species of mushrooms. A new study has found that psilocybin may heighten engagement and optimism in tasks, providing insight into the drug’s potential in managing depression. Depression is a mental health condition characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness. Individuals with depression may lack motivation to engage with the outside world and often leads to withdrawal. Numerous studies have demonstrated psilocybin’s potential in managing symptoms of depression. Despite this, the mechanisms that drive the drug’s therapeutic effects remain unclear. The objective of this latest…

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