Psychedelics

A bipartisan Wisconsin proposal is seeking to make it easier for researchers to treat patients with post-traumatic stress disorder with psilocybin.

A recent study published in the journal Psychedelic Medicine found that a majority of American Psychiatric Association members either moderately or strongly believed that hallucinogens show promise in treating psychiatric conditions.

Researchers at Duke University are exploring how psychedelics function in the brain by dosing larval zebrafish with a compound similar to LSD, and investigating how the substance affects movement and perception.

A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports found that individuals who used psychedelics were more likely to experience better mental health outcomes during the pandemic.

City officials in Detroit, Michigan have closed the building that formerly housed the psychedelic religious institution Soul Tribes International Ministries, which offered psilocybin mushrooms as a sacrament.

Harvard University is creating a Study of Psychedelics in Society and Culture that aims to “transform the psychedelics research landscape.”

The Portland, Maine City Council has passed a resolution deprioritizing criminal prosecution for the personal use of psychedelic mushrooms.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) over the weekend vetoed multiple bills including one to legalize cannabis cafes, another to decriminalize some psychedelic plants, and another containing new cannabis packaging restrictions.

Detroit’s first “psychedelic church” — which is operated by Soul Tribes and offers psilocybin mushrooms as a holy sacrament — was raided last week by the Detroit Police.

The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission is considering the use of ibogaine, a naturally occurring psychedelic, as a treatment for opioid addiction after hearing from more than a dozen people about their personal and professional experiences with the substance.

London-based Beckley Waves — a psychedelics startup incubator focused on therapies, education, and software — has raised $3.3 million in seed funding.

California lawmakers gave final approval to a proposal to decriminalize the personal possession and use of psilocybin mushrooms and several other plant-based psychedelics including DMT and mescaline. The measure moves next to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for his signature.

Activists with Decriminalize California are seeking to put a psychedelic mushroom legalization question before voters in 2024. The initiative would legalize the cultivation, possession, and consumption of unlimited amounts of psilocybin mushrooms for adults aged 21+.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) is set to issue an executive order today deprioritizing the enforcement of laws related to naturally-occurring psychedelics like magic mushrooms or ayahuasca.

Recent polling found that a 61% majority of registered U.S. voters would support legalizing therapeutic access to psychedelics.

The Massachusetts-based group Mental Health Options last week filed paperwork signaling plans to put a psychedelics decriminalization ballot question to voters.

The University of California, San Diego Psychedelics and Health Research Initiative has received a $1.5 million philanthropic gift funding an investigation into the effects of DMT on the brain.

Doctors in Australia can now prescribe psychedelics including MDMA and psilocybin as a treatment for PTSD and depression. The changes took effect on July 1.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released its Draft Guidance for the research of psychedelic drugs including substances such as psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said he plans to issue pardons for all criminal convictions in the state related to psychedelics.

The California Senate voted last week to decriminalize the possession of psychedelic substances including psilocybin, psilocin, DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline by individuals aged 21 or older.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed a bill last week to implement medical psilocybin legalization and decriminalize the personal use and cultivation of other natural psychedelics; the proposal marks lawmakers’ response to last year’s successful psychedelics legalization voter initiative.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) last week signed into law the state’s budget bill which includes $5 million to investigate the medicinal efficacy of whole-mushroom psilocybin.

The Connecticut House voted this week to reduce penalties for the possession of small quantities of psilocybin mushrooms.