Oakland California Decriminalizes Magic Mushrooms, Other Natural Psychedelics

“Oakland, California has become the second city in the United States to decriminalize the use and possession of psychedelic mushrooms, The Associated Press reports. The Oakland City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday night, just weeks after Denver voters narrowly approved a similar measure. Along with mushrooms containing psilocybin, the resolution also decriminalizes other psychedelics naturally derived from plants or fungi, such as ayahuasca, peyote and DMT. Synthetic psychedelics like LSD and MDMA, are still illegal…”

DMT, Psychedelics, PoliticalArtful AlchemyFebruary 24, 2020DMT, Psilocybin, Peyote, MDMA, Ayahuasca, LSD, legalisation, Laws, America, Politics, Drugs, Depression, PTSD, Mental Health

Can a Psychedelic Drug Save the Terminally Ill from their Deepest Fears of Death?

“Ross and Dwyer are at the centre of the country's first clinical trial of psychedelic drugs for treating severe depression in the terminally ill. Within a month, they will begin recruiting 40 depressed and incurable patients in an attempt to relieve their distress with a novel treatment: between one and two 25-milligram doses of synthetic psilocybin, the psychedelic ingredient found in "magic mushrooms", accompanied by intensive psychotherapy sessions…”

Psychedelics Change How You Read Faces, Which May Help Anxiety and Depression

“A new systematic review states that serotonergic hallucinogens help users recognize emotions in facial expressions. Sufferers of anxiety and depression often only read negative emotions in other people's faces, adding to their malaise. While more research is needed, psychedelics could prove to be a powerful agent in battling mental health disorders…”

Scientists Rethink Psychedelics As Attitudes Change Toward Formerly Illicit Drugs

“The irony. The generation who brought psychedelic drugs to the attention of the world, may just be the ones who use them as medicine to treat anxiety and depression or simply to face death. But while researchers around the world are looking at some formerly illicit drugs in a new way, they’re doing it with caution...”

Mike Tyson ‘Killed the Monster Inside’ by Smoking Toad Venom in the Desert

Mike Tyson said, after smoking 5meO-DMT (of the Bufo Alvarius toad), “Once I smoked it, everything went boom! When I came down my brain was functioning and I could talk but I was saying ‘I f***ed up’. I killed myself because I killed my ego and my life totally changed…”

5-MeO-DMTArtful AlchemyMay 12, 20195-MeO-DMT, DMT, Mike Tyson, Drugs, Bufo Alvarius, Ego Death, Healing

The Extraordinary Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Drugs Explained

“Though psychedelic drugs remain illegal, guided ceremonies, or sessions, are happening across the country, as more Americans seek out safe, structured environments to use psychedelics for spiritual growth and psychological healing. This new world of psychedelic-assisted therapy functions as a kind of parallel mental health service…”

From Bank Robber to Shaman

Steve Hupp was a stone-cold career criminal. And by his own admission, he was “damn good at it,” too. “I was a bank robber, a car thief and a lot of other stuff. I was the worst kind of offender you could face because you would never know I was coming, and you usually didn’t know I was there till I was gone.”

AyahuascaArtful AlchemyDecember 22, 2018Ayahuasca, Shaman, Drugs, Peru, Addiction, Depression, DMT

Ayahuasca for Addiction? That's a Trip

So, what about using ancient plant medicines to treat addiction? It may seem completely contradictory to treat someone who has a substance use disorder with a psychedelic drug that may induce hallucinations, but there's emerging evidence to support this approach…

psychedelic.support Creates a Network for Psychedelic Therapists

psychedelic.support is a website that will showcase clinics and providers who are looking to network with one another and connect with people seeking treatment. This site could soon become a useful asset to anyone interested in the professional world of psychedelic-related therapy… Continue reading

Mental Health, PsychedelicsArtful AlchemyNovember 1, 2018psymposia, MAPS, Therapy, MDMA, Psychedelics, Drugs, America

It’s Time for the Psychedelic Renaissance to Join the Harm Reduction Movement

There has been a boom in interest in psychedelics, though many people, including licensed providers (LPs), are unfamiliar with the applicable laws and grey areas. Researchers, and advocates must grapple with how to address psychedelics in a way that does not reinforce the harms and injustices of the War on Drugs. We believe the harm reduction movement has much to offer to those who are interested in the current “Psychedelic Renaissance.”…

PoliticalArtful AlchemyOctober 30, 2018Psychedelics, Safety, legalisation, Human Rights, Drugs, Therapy, Health, Laws

Psychedelic ayahuasca works against severe depression, study finds

"Leon" is a young Brazilian man who has long struggled with depression. He keeps an anonymous blog, in Portuguese, where he describes the challenge of living with a mental illness that affects some 300 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization…

AyahuascaArtful AlchemyJuly 3, 2018Ayahuasca, Depression, Mental Illness, Drugs