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.

Creso Pharma has agreed to fully acquire Australia-based Health House International, which works in the international distribution of medical cannabis products and is licensed to store and trade controlled substances including psilocybin and MDMA.

Oregon regulators have granted the state’s first psychedelic medicine treatment center license to Epic Healing Eugene, which plans to start serving patients later this month.

Researchers at the University of Iowa have launched a pilot study to investigate the use of psilocybin and ketamine as a treatment for alcohol addiction.

Human hair samples recovered from a cave in Spain revealed the use of psychedelics by people at least 3,000 years ago.

A recent study found the psychedelic DMT could improve symptoms of depression when used alongside therapy.

Minnesota state Rep. Andy Smith (D) proposed launching a task force to investigate the potential of psychedelics as mental illness treatments, prioritizing the substances LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin.

Lawmakers in the Missouri House passed a measure last week to mandate studies investigating psilocybin, the psychedelic substance in hallucinogenic mushrooms, as a mental health treatment.

Washington lawmakers have pared the state’s psychedelic therapies proposal down to just a pilot program that would allow some military veterans and first responders to access the treatment.

Oregon’s first psilocybin licensee, Satori Farms PDX, received its license to begin manufacturing psilocybin products last week.

The Psychedelic Medicine PAC is a newly-formed political action committee that will back candidates who support the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes.

Canadian cannabis company Adastra Holdings Ltd. said it received Health Canada approval to add psilocybin, psilocin, and cocaine to its substance dealer’s license.

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration announced the legalization of medical psilocybin and MDMA for depression and PTSD, respectively, starting July 1.

Oregon’s voter-approved psilocybin therapy reforms took effect on January 1. As the first such reforms in the US, they establish psilocybin therapy centers where anyone 21+ can consume psychedelic mushrooms in a supervised setting.

Psychedelics including psilocybin, DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline are now legal at the state level for Colorado adults aged 21 or older.

California state Sen. Scott Wiener is set to propose a bill that would decriminalize the possession of psilocybin mushrooms and DMT statewide.

In the second installment of our 2023 predictions series, we asked experts in cannabis science, cultivation, and agricultural technology — as well as industrial hemp and psychedelics — to weigh in with their industry expectations for the next year.

Berkeley, California city officials advanced a psychedelics decriminalization proposal this week despite concerns by some reform advocates that the proposal does not go far enough to deprioritize law enforcement actions.

A bipartisan proposal by Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rand Paul (R-KY) would improve research opportunities for psychedelics by rescheduling any drugs given a “breakthrough therapy” designation by the FDA.

A nearly 70% majority of Oregon counties have voted to ban psilocybin access in response to the state’s 2020 medical psilocybin legalization vote.

Colorado voters passed the legalization of psychedelic mushrooms on Tuesday; the move will let people aged 21 or older grow and share psychedelic mushrooms and will establish state-regulated “healing centers” where people can make appointments to consume psilocybin in a controlled environment.