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

5-MeO-DMT: The 20-Minute Psychoactive Toad Experience That’s Transforming Lives

From Forbes.com: “This isn’t the psychedelic you remember from college. It isn’t an eight-hour marathon experience tripping through the woods like Alice. It’s fast-acting, short-duration — sometimes lasting as briefly as seven minutes — and is a rocket-ship ride into the center of the cosmos. In a recent European study, after one single use, the substance 5-MeO-DMT was shown to produce sustained enhancement of satisfaction with life, and easing of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)…”

AOC Pushes To Make It Easier To Study Shrooms And Other Psychedelic Drugs

“Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) filed legislation on Friday to remove a legal barrier that scientists say makes it unnecessarily difficult for them to study the medical benefits of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and MDMA. Psilocybin, the active component of so-called "magic mushrooms," and MDMA, commonly referred to as "ecstasy," have "shown promise in end of life therapy and treating PTSD," a summary of Ocasio-Cortez's proposal says...”

Psychedelics, PoliticalArtful AlchemyJune 9, 2019Psychedelics, Psilocybin, MDMA, Laws, legalisation, Studies, PTSD, Cannabis, America

Ontario Police Officers are Using Ayahuasca to Treat their PTSD

“As a constable with the Ontario Provincial Police, Matt Chorny regularly responded to car accidents. He often dealt with victims and family members throughout the entire process, from the crash to the morgue. Over time, such incidents took an emotional toll. These days, he’s coping with the help of a surprising source — ayahuasca…”

AyahuascaArtful AlchemyMay 26, 2019Ayahuasca, PTSD, Canada, Police, Peru, Amazon, Retreats, Therapy, Psychedelics, Mental Health

Imperial College London Launches World’s First Centre for Psychedelics Research

“The first formal centre for psychedelic research in the world will launch at Imperial College London today. Funded by more than £3 million from five founding donors, the new Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research will build on over a decade of pioneering work in this area carried out at Imperial, including a clinical trial that has kick-started global efforts to develop psilocybin therapy into a licensed treatment for depression…”

Scientists Microdosed Rats With DMT, and It Was Both Good and "Concerning"

“People who experiment with microdosing claim that it can help a person to think more creatively, feel less anxious, and sharpen focus. But despite plenty of anecdotal evidence and Silicon Valley’s ample claims that these positive effects are real, scientists still can’t definitively say that microdosing actually works. Bringing us closer to a clear answer is a new study showing that microdosing can indeed have beneficial effects — but not without potential downsides…”

DMTArtful AlchemyMarch 5, 2019DMT, Science, Microdosing, Research, Studies, Psychedelics, Psilocybin, LSD, PTSD, Neuroscience, Anxiety

Ayahuasca for PTSD: Interview with "From Shock to Awe" Producer

“In this interview with the From Shock to Awe co-creator and producer Janine Sagert, we discuss whether ayahuasca is a “cure” for PTSD, where the film’s subjects are now (and if they’ve drank any more ayahuasca), the inspiration behind the film, and more…”

Ayahuasca, Mental HealthArtful AlchemyDecember 1, 2018Interviews, Ayahuasca, PTSD, Documentaries, Plant Medicines, Healing, America, Ceremonies, Laws, Peru, MDMA