Cannabis is legal and regulated in most U.S. states. Oregon legalized and will soon regulate psilocybin. Cities around the country decriminalized (and more are decriminalizing) a host of other psychedelics. Ketamine clinics are popping up around the county. Next up is MDMA (referred to in some forms as "ecstasy"). Today, we're going to talk about
Public and scientific interest in psychedelics such as psilocybin and MDMA is expanding. Once off-limits because of federal prohibition, a trickle of research from the 1990s has grown into a stream. But despite increasing acceptance by the public, and commercial investment in psychedelic therapies, aging federal laws stem the flow of vital research. Psilocybin, a
On November 3, 2020, voters in Oregon approved Measure 109, paving the way for a regime of psilocybin for therapeutic uses in a few years. Oregon and Psilocybin: Does the Approved Ballot Measure Language Stand a Chance Oregon Psychedelics: Petition to Legalize Psilocybin for Therapy Moves Forward Oregon Psychedelics: Psilocybin on the Ballot this November!
I was talking to another lawyer about last week’s vote by Oregonians to legalize psilocybin therapy here in the state. We discussed how licensed facilities won’t be up and running for a few more years, and how, in the meantime, people will have to make do with general decriminalization under Measure 109 and maybe, in
Religious organizations that want to use psychedelics for religious purposes and comply with U.S. law are forced to petition the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to do so. The petition process is set out in a set of interim guidelines published by the DEA (Interim Guidelines).
The history of psychedelics in religion is long and mysterious, going back multiple millennia to prehistory. While the exact origins of these practices are too far back to determine, archeological evidence suggests mushrooms, DMT and other psychoactive substances have been used in religious ceremonies and rituals for at least 6,000 years. International treaties such as the Single Convention
Last week, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelics Studies (MAPS) made a very big announcement: it had raised $30 million to complete its promising study of MDMA (ecstasy; molly) for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already has granted MAPS “breakthrough therapy” approval based on earlier trials. With its recent cash
Q: I want to study schedule I controlled substances. I want to study marijuana (cannabis), peyote, MDMA, psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca/DMT and ibogaine, to start. A: All of that is possible, but you should choose just one. Q: OK, I want to study cannabis. A: That’s actually one of the hardest. Please choose a better one.
Earlier this year we wrote about the movement to decriminalize psilocybin – noting its success in Denver, Oakland, and Santa Cruz – and that nearly 100 other cities are looking at decriminalizing psychedelics. (The Psilocybin Movement is Like the Cannabis Movement (Except When It’s Not)). That article posited that psilocybin would move along two tracks
Let’s talk about psilocybin today. Psilocybin is the naturally occurring, psychedelic ingredient found in around 200 species of mushrooms. Like cannabis, it is believed that psilocybin use by humans predates recorded history by at least a few thousand years. Also like cannabis, psilocybin has always been thought to have medical applications; and it has demonstrated
