Psychedelics

Texas Trip: The future of psychedelic therapy was a hot topic at SXSW 2023

March 26, 2023 · San Antonio Current

Although the topics at Austin's annual SXSW festival tend to skew toward tech and pop culture, this year's was awash in discussions on the future of psychedelic therapy. At least 20 separate keynote speaker sessions addressed the topic, ranging from "Open Minds: Innovations in Consciousness, Psychedelics & Mental Health" to "Psychedelic Tech: Consciousness in the Modern Age." There was even a psychedelics-related networking event. "It's definitely the future of therapeutic healing," said Alexander Hill, an Austin-based health and wellness entrepreneur,… Read more.

Nevada Senators Discuss Psilocybin Legalization Bill In Committee, Including Amendment To Increase Possession Limit

March 24, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

Nevada senators held a hearing on a bill to legalize the possession of psilocybin on Thursday, discussing a proposed amendment to remove therapeutic use provisions and taking extensive testimony from advocates and experts—including from an Assembly lawmaker who shared his own experience with ketamine treatment. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee took up the legislation from Sen. Rochelle Nguyen (D), which under the amendment would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to six ounces of the psychedelic for adults… Read more.

Decriminalizing magic mushrooms on the minds of Nevada legislators

March 24, 2023 · Las Vegas Review-Journal

Small amounts of fungi that produces so-called magic mushrooms may soon be decriminalized under a bill heard by lawmakers Thursday. An amended version of Senate Bill 242, presented by Rochelle Nguyen, D-Las Vegas, would allow individuals older than 21 to possess, use and consume 30 grams of the dried fungi that produces psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms. “Twenty-eight grams of fentanyl is not the equivalent of 28 grams of mushrooms and they are treated, in our law, the same,” Nguyen said. The bill also… Read more.

Hawaii Senators Approve Bill To Create Psychedelics Advisory Council To Prepare For Federal Legalization

March 23, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

A Hawaii Senate committee approved a House-passed bill on Wednesday that would create an advisory council to look into possible regulations to provide access to federal “breakthrough therapies” like psilocybin and MDMA. The psychedelics legislation from Rep. Adrian Tam (D) advanced, with amendments, in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee in a 5-0 vote. Members took testimony from advocates and experts, including a representative of the Department of Health, which voiced support for the proposal. All 20 people and organizations that… Read more.

Oregon Approves Nation’s First Psilocybin Grower License To Supply Psychedelic Service Centers

March 22, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

Oregon regulators have approved the nation’s first-ever psilocybin production license under a novel state-based regulatory framework for broad access to the psychedelic that voters approved in 2020. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced on Wednesday that they’ve granted a psilocybin manufacturer license to the woman-owned business Satori Farms PDX LLC. The so-called magic mushrooms produced at the manufacturing facility will help supply future businesses where people can go to have the psychedelic administered in a supervised environment. Regulators were tasked… Read more.

New Political Action Committee to Back Candidates Who Support Psychedelics

March 21, 2023 · Ganjapreneur

A newly-formed political action committee aims to back candidates for office that back the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes, NBC News reports. The Psychedelic Medicine PAC also aims to secure federal funding to further education and research efforts for psychedelics but stops short of calling for full legalization or decriminalization of the substances. In an interview with NBC News, Ryan Rodgers, co-founder and executive director of Psychedelic Medicine PAC, said the group has “to convince a historically stubborn audience around psychedelics that it’s… Read more.

Oakland Bliss lays framework for the psychedelic market with consistent lab testing, tracking batch and lot numbers, and a compassionate program for veterans.

Oakland Bliss, a psychedelic company based in Oakland, is leading the way in setting standards for the emerging market. The company has consistently lab tested their products, implemented batch and lot tracking numbers, and is the first psychedelic product to have a Universal Product Code (UPC). The company’s commitment to harm reduction has been widely praised, and it has set the bar for others in the industry. “Our focus on harm reduction is at the core of our mission,” said… Read more.

Psychedelics, Chat GPT, Chopra: At SXSW, Silicon Valley gets in its feelings

March 16, 2023 · Daily Dot

Analysis The vibes are different. Deepak Chopra is advocating for psychedelic therapy as a gateway to higher collective consciousness. SXSW patrons are invited to take off their shoes and meditate in a dark room while a harpist plays along to music written by plants. New apps like Aimi offer AI-generated music that adapts to your mood and effectively functions as a responsive, customizable “Lo-fi hip-hop beats to relax/study to.” Jeff Tweedy of Wilco is performing three songs about his dead father at the Audible party… Read more.

Texas Lawmakers File Three Bills To Expand State-Sponsored Psychedelics Research

March 13, 2023 ·

Texas lawmakers have filed a series of new bills aimed at promoting and expanding psychedelics research in the state. The Lone Star State took some observers by surprise last session after the conservative legislature enacted a measure to study the therapeutic potential of psychedelics—and now more legislators are hoping to build on that momentum. Three Democratic lawmakers in the state recently introduced separate reform proposals, including one that would expand the law that Gov. Greg Abbott (R) allowed to take effect… Read more.

‘BLEW MY MIND’ Inside the trendy psychedelic drug Prince Harry took to help deal with Diana’s death – which causes most to vomit

March 12, 2023 · The Sun

SHAMAN Adriano Delgado Alvarado blows pure tobacco smoke into my face while chanting and shaking the shacapa plant over my scalp. He is cleansing my body of evil spirits ready to take the potent psychedelic drug ayahuasca — championed by Prince Harry in his online interview with self-help guru Dr Gabor Maté. Dr Maté endorses and promotes The Temple of the Way of Light healing centre in the Peruvian rainforest, where Shaman Adriano works. Harry told how he took ayahuasca to help him deal… Read more.

“Miracle” Psychedelic Drug Could Save Lives and Mint Millions

March 12, 2023 ·

Back in the 1950s, Humphry Osmond led a group of pioneering psychiatrists in an extensive study of psychedelics. And from that research, they found that these hallucinogenic drugs had immense therapeutic potential. With academic research coming to an indisputable conclusion and mental health awareness on the rise, the legal landscape is starting to peel back antiquated laws that were put in place 50 years ago. In creating a superior treatment for mental health disorders, the Shroom Boom will give rise… Read more.

Peyote Talk with Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Stephen Colbert

March 11, 2023 · CelebStoner

Lily Tomlin is a shaman and she and her acting partner and friend Jane Fonda have taken peyote together, we learned on The Late Show on Mar. 9. Tomlin and Fonda were there to hype their new comedy Moving On, which will be in theaters Mar. 17. Three minutes into the interview, host Stepehn Colbert asked: "You guys have done peyote together. A lot of people are microdosong. What was that experience like?" Tomlin I microdose. She's not that advanced. Colbert Are you microdosing right… Read more.

I’ve been taking psychedelic mushrooms with my mom for 14 years. It’s brought us closer together.

March 10, 2023 · Yahoo!News

My first experience with psychedelics was with my mom when I was 22. We decided to grow our own when we couldn't find mushrooms in Alabama. After 14 years, we still take mushrooms together, and it has brought our family closer together. At 22 years old, I had my first psychedelic experience. My self-appointed trip guide gave me a half-eighth of psilocybin mushrooms. I figured the few dry stems and one button-sized cap weren't enough to do anything. But I trusted my… Read more.

Less than 6 hours from Denver, this trippy town should be on everyone’s bucket list

March 6, 2023 · Denver Post

Santa Fe calls itself “The City Different” in New Mexico’s Land of Enchantment, but could it change you into a different person while visiting? Less than six hours by car from Denver, Santa Fe is close enough for a weekend away or for spring break without a long flight. Yet this small city is like a world away from the Front Range in terms of the vibe and activities. From art to a transformational retreat, there are many mind-altering —… Read more.

‘They’re not fairy tale magic shaman potions.’ Meet the wounded warriors who want red state Republicans to let psilocybin mushrooms turn the tide on veteran suicides

March 6, 2023 · DailyMail

Military veterans trying to overcome the horrors of war are increasingly finding themselves in an unlikely position — persuading Republican politicians to legalize the healing power of ancient psychedelic plants. DailyMail.com spoke with former Marines, Navy Seals and others left traumatized by America's brutal campaigns overseas who have turned to psilocybin mushrooms and other natural drugs to help fight their inner demons. Left-leaning Oregon and Colorado have started to let psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in 'magic' mushrooms, be used in supervised drug journeys to counter depression and… Read more.

Take a trip: An inside look at Emory’s new psychedelics center

March 4, 2023 · Emory Wheel

The room resembles an unassuming Ikea showroom, with cream-colored walls, a white fur rug and a simple twin-sized bed. Potted plants frame each side of the room with an orange lamp and a bag of blue corn chips atop asymmetric tables. The only indicator that something is abnormal is the two chairs at the front of the room facing the bed. Indeed, this is no ordinary bedroom. It is the site where patients are given psilocybin — commonly known as… Read more.

The debate about legalizing psychedelic mushrooms comes to Rhode Island

March 4, 2023 · Boston Globe

PROVIDENCE — An Instagram account this week made fun of the state legislators who have proposed decriminalizing “magic mushrooms.” An image posted by the “What’s going on in Rhode Island” account shows Representative Brandon C. Potter and Senator Meghan E. Kallman against a backdrop of gigantic mushrooms and a psychedelic rainbow swirl. More than 2,200 people “liked” the image, and some of the comments were scathing. “Can always count on the Democrats to find new ways to try to buy votes,”… Read more.

Are Psychedelics the Fountain of Youth? – New Study Links Anti-Aging Effects with Psychedelics

March 1, 2023 · Cannabis.net

Do psychedelics like mushrooms and LSD have anti-aging effects? Dr. Andrew Steele, a physics professor who has ventured into the field of biology, presents a fascinating perspective on longevity in his new book. He emphasizes that it's not cancer or heart disease but aging that is the root cause of the most significant suffering and deaths worldwide. Dr. Steele proposes that by finding pharmacological remedies that target the cells responsible for degrading tissue function, we could unlock the potential for… Read more.

Rapper Vic Mensa on Mushrooms, Ayahuasca and the New Legal Cannabis Industry

March 1, 2023 · Celeb Stoner

On the Revel events usually feature one major celebrity interview. In the past, it has been Styles P and Al Harrington. At their latest winter conferece at City Tech Theater in Brooklyn, NY on Feb. 25, rapper Vic Mensa was the final act of the day. Mensa has his own cannabis brand, 93 Boyz, based in Illinois. Last year, he was arrested for possessing LSD and psilocybin mushroom products at Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC. In June, he made a plea deal that allows for unsupervised probation for one year.… Read more.

Lawmakers Across The Country File More Psychedelics Reform, Drug Decriminalization And Safe Consumption Site Bills

February 25, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

The first two months of 2023 have shown expansive interest in bold drug policy reform in state legislatures across the country—most recently, with the introduction of numerous new bills touching on everything from psychedelics legalization to authorizing safe drug consumption sites. Lawmakers in several states will conduct hearings on such reform proposals over the next week. The marijuana legalization movement continues to spread and evolve, but it’s become quickly apparent this session that legislators are eager to more holistically move… Read more.

Ayahuasca, ‘source of knowledge’ in the heart of the Amazon

February 24, 2023 · yahoo!news

In the heart of the Ecuadoran Amazon live the Cofan Avie, masters of ayahuasca -- the powerful hallucinogenic concoction said to open the door to the "spirit" world. Here, they call it "yage" and consume it for health and wisdom. "God once lived here on this planet", recounts Isidro Lucitante, the patriarch and shaman of nine Indigenous Cofan Avie families spread over 55,000 hectares of river and jungle along the border with Colombia. This god "pulled out one of his hairs… Read more.

Eighty Six Enters the Legal Psychedelics Market With Launch of Fun Guy Amanita Mushroom Gummies

February 23, 2023 · PR Newswire

Oklahoma based alternative cannabinoid brand Eighty Six jumps on the burgeoning psychedelics market with the launch of Fun Guy, an edibles series dedicated to helping you experience a lighter, brighter, psychedelic trip. Fun Guy enters the market with three classic flavors – BlueRazz, Strawberry, and Watermelon.  Each gummy contains 350mg of Amanita Muscaria, a federally legal medley of mushrooms that deliver a chilled-out psychoactive experience. What are Amanita Mushrooms? Amanita mushrooms, otherwise known as  the Amanita Muscaria, is an easily recognizable red mushroom dotted with… Read more.

John Oliver’s Makes The Case For Psychedelic Assisted Therapy On ‘Last Week Tonight’

February 21, 2023 · The Dales Report

John Oliver is back on “Last Week Tonight” and is once again taking a deep dive into a very intriguing topic: the potential benefits of psychedelic assisted therapy. The show, which aired on Sunday, delves into the history of psychedelics and its potential benefits for mental health. After classically making fun of himself, Oliver, a self-proclaimed drug connoisseur, goes on to look into the different uses of psychedelics, including spirituality, healing, and recreation, throughout the centuries. However, the show focuses on the use… Read more.

Mushroom Extract Shown to Dramatically Improve Brain-Cell Growth in The Lab

February 20, 2023 · MSN

Fungi have attracted attention in recent years for their potential in aiding our brains' growth and functionality. And no, we're not just talking about the psychedelic ones. The lion's mane mushroom, for one, has long had a reputation for various mental health benefits, with recent research supporting its potential in reducing risk for depression or limiting damage from Alzheimer's disease. In a new study conducted by an international team of scientists, researchers identified compounds in the lion's mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) – an edible fungus… Read more.

Washington Senators Strip Psilocybin Bill Of Major Provisions, With Advocates Blaming Governor

February 20, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

A Washington State Senate committee approved a massive overhaul to a psilocybin services bill on Thursday, gutting sections that would have legalized use of the psychedelic drug by adults—and reform advocates in the state are blaming the governor for being behind the move. As originally filed last month, SB 5263 would have put Washington on the road to regulating psilocybin services much like its neighbor Oregon. Adults 21 and older would have been able to legally use the drug with the… Read more.

What’s it like to take a $249 drug-free psychedelic trip? We found out

February 18, 2023 · LA Times

I’m familiar with magic mushrooms from back in the day. I took them a couple times in college — including on a particularly memorable Halloween — and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. So I was curious about a Santa Monica-based startup called the Reality Center that’s been trying to expand the mind and aid in healing the body via digital psychedelics — a proprietary combination of pulsing lights, sounds and vibrations — instead of consuming drugs. Psilocybin, the active ingredient in… Read more.

Nasdaq Gets a Healthy Dose of Psychedelics With Lucy Scientific

February 17, 2023 · Yahoo!Finance

Lucy Scientific Discovery Inc. (Nasdaq: LSDI), which focuses on psychotropic drugs and had its initial public offering last week, rang the closing bell at the Nasdaq stock exchange today in New York. The company is focused on becoming the premier research, development, and manufacturing organization for the emerging psychedelics-based medicines industry, it said in a statement. “This milestone marks a significant step in the company’s growth and plans for expansion,” said CEO Chris McElvany. “We look forward to the opportunities ahead of us… Read more.

Novel Combination Of Cannabis-Like Compound With Classical Psychedelics Searches IP Coverage In US

February 15, 2023 · Benzinga

Israeli-based next-gen psychedelics biotech Clearmind Medicine  CMND+0.83%+ Free Alerts together with partner clinical-stage pharma company SciSparc SPRC-0.44%+ Free Alerts has filed three provisional patent applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The patents cover psychedelic-based therapeutics, including monotherapy and novel combinations of SciSparc’s CannAmide and classical psychedelics. More specifically, the patent applications refer to proprietary combinations of LSD, psilocybin, and DMT with SciSparc’s Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), a cannabimimetic compound and the active ingredient of its proprietary CannAmide drug. The fruitful collaboration between… Read more.

From Perpetual Otherness To Artistic Triumph: Exploring Identity Through Psychedelic Art With SpookyGirl’s Andi Astra

February 15, 2023 · Forbes

Stepping into the world of illustrator Andi Astra, founder and creative director of SpookyGirl, a colorful home decor, art and apparel brand that boasts more than 150.000 social media followers, is like taking a journey to a different universe. From their base in Honolulu, Hawaii, Andi brings a world of science fiction, color and creativity to life. With a passion for exploring identity and pushing boundaries, Andi's work as SpookyGirl celebrates creative self expression and questions societal norms. What’s more, through… Read more.

Red states join push to legalize magic mushrooms for therapy

February 15, 2023 · Yahoo!News

SANDY, Utah (AP) — Shawn Blymiller spent 10 years of feeling mostly numbed while prescribed traditional anti-depressants, trudging through his day-to-day life as a suburban Salt Lake City father of two kids balancing the obligations of family and work selling technology software. When his son was diagnosed as having special needs a few years later, the stress became increasingly difficult to endure. So like many with treatment-resistant depression, Blymiller, 39, sought out alternatives and found one he said worked: Psychedelic… Read more.

Another kind of ‘super bowl.’ Former NFL athletes talk cannabis, mushrooms

February 13, 2023 · Tucson.com

With the Super Bowl and Phoenix Open in Arizona this weekend, nearly every current and former athlete was in the Valley of the Sun. Most where there to talk about the upcoming big game or next season, but others, especially those retired from their respective sports, were in town to promote their latest ventures. For Ricky Williams, Champ Bailey and Jim McMahon is means promoting their cannabis brands, and for former ASU QB Jake Plummer that latest ventures involves the… Read more.

Can psychedelics really treat OCD, depression, and chronic pain? A researcher explains how they work and their potential risks

February 11, 2023 · Fortune

New research is exploring whether psychedelic drugs, taken under strict medical supervision, might help in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. SciLine interviewed Dr. Jennifer Mitchell—a professor in the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry & Behavioral Science in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco—to discuss what scientists have found so far about the effectiveness of these drugs in treating these disorders and how they might safely be administered. The Conversation has collaborated… Read more.

Psychedelic mushroom producer First Person sets terms for $6M US IPO

February 10, 2023 · Seeking Alpha

Psychedelic mushroom producer First Person (FP) has set terms for a downsized $6M initial public offering. First Person, which raises mushrooms for nutritional, nutraceutical and therapeutic purposes, said in a filing that it's planning to offer 1M shares priced between $5.50 and $6.50, which should raise around $6M if priced at the midpoint. Underwriters would be granted a 45-day option to buy up to a 150K additional shares to cover over-allotments. EF Hutton is serving as sole bookrunner. The company hopes to list… Read more.

Psychedelic API Market To Reach $6.1B By 2033 Boosted By LSD: New Analysis

February 10, 2023 · Benzinga

The psychedelic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Market, currently estimated at $1.6 billion, is expected to rise at a CAGR of 13.2% over the next ten years and be worth $6.1 billion by the end of 2033. That's according to Persistence Market Research’s latest study, conducted by a team of experts in management, medicine and engineering. “Increasing cGMP practices, growth in the pharmaceutical API manufacturing industry and increasing research on the impact of psychedelics on mental health are factors propelling the global market,”… Read more.

Psychedelics May Be Part of U.S. Medicine Sooner Than You Think

February 8, 2023 · Time

It came as a surprise to many when, on Feb. 3, Australian regulators announced that medicines containing the psychedelic substances MDMA and psilocybin can soon be used there to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression, respectively. That decision makes Australia the first country in the world to formally recognize the therapeutic use of psychedelics. Other countries, including the U.S., may be headed toward a similar outcome, some experts say. Research increasingly suggests that psychedelics can be powerful tools for treating a… Read more.

Australia Legalizes Psilocybin And MDMA Prescriptions As U.S. Patients Seek Similar Authorization

February 6, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

The Australian government has rescheduled the psychedelics psilocybin and MDMA to provide access to people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treat-resistant depression. The substances aren’t being legalized for broad use, but by placing them in Schedule 8 for therapeutic use under the country’s drug code, psychiatrists who meet the required standards will be able to prescribe the psychedelics. The drugs will remain in the stricter Schedule 9 for unauthorized use. “The decision acknowledges the current lack of options for… Read more.

LOCALIZE IT: Communities Consider Legalizing Psychedelics

February 2, 2023 · The Skanner

A small but growing movement is pushing to decriminalize the use of psychedelics like “magic mushrooms” and ayahuasca. Colorado in November passed a ballot initiative to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms for people 21 and older. It joins Oregon in establishing a regulated system for substances like psilocybin and psilocin, the hallucinogens found in some mushrooms. Lawmakers in several other states, including Massachusetts and New Hampshire, have introduced bills to decriminalize a range of psychedelics, while an Illinois lawmaker is proposing a sanctioned… Read more.

Prince Harry Recalls Tripping on Mushrooms During Party at Courteney Cox’s House: ‘I Was a Chandler’

February 2, 2023 · People

Prince Harry shares many personal stories in his sweeping memoir Spare — like the time he took magic mushrooms at Courteney Cox's Los Angeles home. The Duke of Sussex, 38, revealed in his bestselling book that he is a "Friends fanatic" and took comfort in the hit NBC sitcom while navigating panic attacks after completing his second tour of Afghanistan a decade ago. Harry wrote in Spare that he became anxious around crowds and cameras after returning to London, so he started staying home. "Day after day, night after… Read more.

Mexican Senator To File Psychedelics Legalization Bill, With U.S. Congressman Backing International Reform Push

January 27, 2023 · marijuanamoment.net

A Mexican senator announced on Wednesday that she will be introducing a bill to legalize and regulate psychedelics nationwide to give people an alternative treatment option for serious mental health conditions. At an Intercultural Forum on Entheogenic Medicine that took place in the Senate, Sen. Alejandra Lagunes of the Ecologist Green Party said that substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca have “high therapeutic potential, low toxicity and don’t create physical dependence or abuse.” U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) also made remarks… Read more.

The psychedelic industrial complex is evil

“More real than reality itself.” This is the sales pitch made by fans of dimethyltryptamine. Otherwise known as DMT, the compound found in ayahuasca returned to the spotlight recently thanks to Prince Harry’s description of his trips, which, he says, “cleared the windshield” of trauma from his mother’s death. Indeed, psychedelic drugs have shown some promise in treating disorders ranging from depression to PTSD; their proponents have suggested that the apparently mystical experiences they inspire could play a role in everything from preventing war to enabling a future of… Read more.

Across The Globe: Psychedelic Trials To Treat Late-Stage Cancer, Alzheimer’s Begin

January 26, 2023 · Benzinga

Core One Labs' Akome Partners To Study Next-Gen Psychedelics A subsidiary of Core One Labs  CLABF has signed a contract with Fundació Bosh I Gimpera to begin second-phase studies evaluating the therapeutic potential of its bio-compounds (both alone and combined with psychedelic substances). The studies would progress Akome Partners’ pre-clinical development stage of novel psychedelic drug alternatives for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ischemic stroke and depression. Previous studies conducted by Spanish and Italian institutions included bioassay trials… Read more.

Oregon’s legal psilocybin program begins, but services are not yet available

January 26, 2023 · Oregon Live

While national headlines might make it sounds like psychedelic mushrooms are now available for adults in Oregon, that’s not the case. Oregon’s legal therapeutic psilocybin program officially began on Jan. 2, but there are currently no licensed facilities, facilitators or even manufacturers of the substance, all of which are required, at the same time, for legal consumption of “magic mushrooms” in the state. It’s not hard to see why there is some confusion over the nuances of Oregon’s law – psilocybin… Read more.

Too good to be brew! DMT – the potent psychedelic in Ayahuasca – treats depression after a SINGLE dose, cutting-edge clinical trial shows

January 25, 2023 · Daily Mail UK

DMT — the most potent psychedelic known to man —  treats people with severe depression after a single dose, a cutting-edge clinical trial suggests. Up to six in ten who received a single dose of DMT intravenously before therapy were declared depression-free three months later. And three in 10 participants were declared depression-free two weeks after one session, compared to one in ten in the placebo group who just had therapy on its own. N,N-Dymethyltriptamine (DMT) has received the backing of celebrities… Read more.

Search Is On For Psychedelic Patents & FDA Designations, 3 Companies Share News

January 21, 2023 · Benzinga

Drug discovery company Mindset Pharma  MSSTF has been greenlighted by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on its application “Psilocin Derivatives As Serotonergic Psychedelic Agents for the Treatment of CNS Disorders.”  The application includes the company’s psilocybin analogs lead drug candidate MSP-1014, its backup MSP-1009 and additional pro-drug candidates belonging to the family 1 tryptamine drug compounds. Both MSP-1014 and MSP-1009 demonstrated improved efficacy and safety profiles with reduced potential side effects and evidence of increased target engagement in preclinical studies. … Read more.

The rebirth of psychedelic medicine

January 9, 2023 · Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute

It was 1985 and John Lawn had seen enough.  In Boston nightclubs and Dallas bars, MDMA — better known by its street name, ecstasy — had become an enormously popular recreational drug. It had also terrified the Reagan administration, which was in the midst of its historic War on Drugs. Lawn, the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration at the time, acted quickly. Despite the outcry of medical professionals pointing to the range of MDMA’s clinical uses, Lawn classified the drug as… Read more.

Numinus In Strong Position To Capture US$2.5 Billion Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Market

December 20, 2022 · The Dales Report

As the COVID pandemic broke open quite clearly, never has there been a greater need for innovation to treat psychological disorders. With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring mental health disorders as the leading cause of disability worldwide – nearly a billion people are impacted by mental illness of some measurable type. In North America, Numinus Wellness Inc. (TSE: NUMI) (OTCMKTS: NUMIF) is leading the charge among public companies treating patients with emerging psychedelic medicine to ease the pain. In June 2022, Numinus took a big… Read more.

A 36-year-old CEO saw how psychedelics treated his best friend’s mental illness. Now his Peter Thiel-funded firm wants to bring the drugs to the masses

December 5, 2022 · Fortune

Florian Brand knows that there aren’t many people with his profile in biopharma. “You would probably consider me an outlier,” says the 36-year-old chief executive of Germany’s up-and-coming Atai Life Sciences. He doesn’t have a Ph.D. or any scientific background. His previous gig was running an online cookware retailer. But he does possess a history of profound experiences with mental health—experiences that left such an impression that four years ago he dropped everything to cofound Atai, a biopharmaceutical company now backed… Read more.

How Psychedelics Can Transform End-of-Life Care

November 7, 2022 · Slate

Welcome to State of Mind, a new section from Slate and Arizona State University dedicated to exploring mental health. Follow us on Twitter. If you’re on TikTok or Instagram, you may have encountered one of nurse Julie McFadden’s viral videos about all things death and dying. Hospice Nurse Julie, as she’s known, shares just how beautiful and difficult dying can be, and has a thing or two to say about how we can make things better for the many people who suffer… Read more.

Does Health Insurance Cover Mushrooms and
Psychedelics? (Even with a Doctor’s Note?)

October 31, 2022 · Cannabis.net

It may seem far-fetched to have a health insurance company pay for an ecstasy or magic mushroom trip, but the psychedelics market is already crunching the statistics and proposing US insurers. Early results from clinical trials on substances like MDMA and psilocybin have been encouraging. In the middle of what is often regarded as a mental health crisis, many of these initiatives target a few of the most expensive and challenging mental health conditions while they are still happening. Researchers and executives… Read more.

The DEA Wants More Weed and Mushrooms Grown for Research – Is It a Trap for One-Sided Negative Research Papers?

October 26, 2022 · Cannabis.net

The DEA Wants to Double the Amount of Cannabis & Psychedelics Grown for Research This Doesn’t Seem Like Good News The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released a notice earlier this month, announcing their intention of proposing a much larger increase in cannabis to be grown for research by next year. The notice specifically mentions they want to boost the production of psychedelics including psilocin, mescaline, and LSD, reports Marijuana Moment. The notice proposed the production of some 14,770 pounds of marijuana for 2023.… Read more.

The Natural Medicine Act – Will Colorado Join Oregon in Legalizing Psilocybin and Magic Mushrooms Next Month?

Next month, voters in Colorado will decide whether to legalize psilocybin and psilocin, the hallucinogenic compounds found in what are generally known as magic mushrooms. The Natural Medicine Act, also known as Proposition 122, would make it legal to own and grow magic mushrooms. The plan calls for authorized healing centers to be able to provide psilocybin and psilocin for medicinal purposes. According to the non-profit organizations backing the initiative,  natural psychedelic medications are non-addictive. They can offer significant benefits to people… Read more.

Giving a Whole New Meaning to ‘Get Lite’ – Psychedelics Light Up the Neuropathways in the Brain According to a New Medical Study

October 26, 2022 · Cannabis.net

Brand New Study Shows How Psychedelics Light Up Neuropathways In The Brain - More Fascinating Insight Into How Psychedelics Work Psychedelics are all the rage right now. And for good reason: these trippy substances have so much more therapeutic value than we thought. Drugs that were once used for recreation have been proven to have physical and mental benefits, treating several ailments that even pharmaceutical drugs have failed to despite being around for several decades. Plus, psychedelics don’t have the same side effects… Read more.

Engineering Psychedelics: $22M Pool For Clinical Trials Of Compounds Targeting CNS Disorders

NYC and Cambridge-based Empyrean Neuroscience Inc. is a new genetic engineering company developing neuroactive compounds for neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders launching with a $22 million Series A financing. The company’s CEO is long-time biotech executive Dr. Usman “Oz” Azam, joined by Dr. Fred Grossman as chief medical officer. Azam has previously worked on genetic engineering with Dr. Carl June of the University of Pennsylvania, while Grossman is a psychiatrist that holds expertise in CNS-targeted small molecules development. Both leadmen say the goal is to target the demand gap within… Read more.

Cory Booker Pushes For Psychedelics Reform To Unlock Therapeutic Access

October 18, 2022 · Marijuana Moment

As Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) works to enact marijuana reform before the end of Congress, he’s also pushing to promote access to psychedelics that he says hold therapeutic potential. In a video posted to Twitter on Monday, the senator talked about how psychedelics like psilocybin are strictly controlled under federal law as Schedule I drugs, which places “a lot of limitations” on them. “But at the same time, we’re having massive breakthroughs in a lot of the research,” he said,… Read more.