Individuals in a survey reported greater gratitude, nature relatedness, and nature appreciation after embarking on an ayahuasca retreat experience. 

The active chemical in ayahuasca is DMT (dimethyltryptamine) and it also contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) that play a role. The survey respondents rated effects on several scales to determine which effects were most prominent.

PsyPost reported Tuesday that 65 participants were observed who attended a well-known ayahuasca retreat in Costa Rica frequented by Americans. The study, “Effects of Ayahuasca on Gratitude and Relationships with Nature: A Prospective, Naturalistic Study,” was published recently in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. The study was led by Jacob S. Aday and a team of researchers associated with Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Aday was assisted by Emily K. Bolesch, Alan Kooi Davis, Sarah E. Domoff, Kyle Scherr, Josh D. Woolley, and Christopher C Davoli.

Sixty-five participants attended the Soltara Healing Center in Puntarenas Province, Gigante, Costa Rica. Soltara is an all-inclusive ayahuasca retreat center where attendees pay to participate in ayahuasca ceremonies with indigenous Shipibo curanderos (plant healers) from Peru. It’s attracted celebrities such as former New York Jet and commentator Aaron Rodgers. As compensation for their participation, study authors entered participants in a drawing to potentially win $100.

The participants stayed at the Soltara center for 5-12 nights and participated in 2-7 ayahuasca ceremonies during their stay. Participants received an email with the study survey, and in it, they completed assessments of gratitude using an Appreciation Scale, relatedness to nature using a Nature Relatedness Scale, and the appreciation of nature using an Appreciation of Nature Scale.

The second survey contained the same three assessments from the first one, plus more related to their ayahuasca experiences: mystical experiences during the ceremonies using an Mystical Experience Questionnaire, awe using an Awe Experience Scale, and ego dissolution using an Ego Dissolution Inventory.

Researchers observed that gratitude increased significantly after the retreat. Nature relatedness and appreciation of nature were also more pronounced after the retreat. These increases were more pronounced in participants who reported stronger mystical experiences.

“Here, participants completed validated surveys related to gratitude, nature relatedness, and nature appreciation one-week before, one-week after, and one-month after attending an ayahuasca retreat center,” the study reads. “Compared to baseline, there was a significant increase in gratitude, nature relatedness, and nature appreciation at the one-week and one-month follow-ups. Ratings of mystical-type experiences and awe, but not ego dissolution, during participants’ ayahuasca sessions were weakly-to-moderately correlated with these increases.”

Researchers were also able to learn several more things about the impact of an ayahuasca experience.

“The number of ayahuasca ceremonies attended at the retreat was not related to change in outcomes, underscoring the importance of the quality rather than the quantity of the experiences in post-acute change,” the study continues. “Lastly, participant age was negatively related to the occurrence of mystical-type experiences and awe, supporting literature indicating blunted psychedelic effects with increased age. In the context of study limitations, the results suggest that mystical-type experiences and awe occasioned by ayahuasca may be linked to prosocial changes in gratitude and relationships with nature that may be beneficial to mental health.”

Interestingly, the strength of ego dissolution experiences and the number of ayahuasca ceremonies attended were not associated with significant changes in the level of gratitude, appreciation of nature, and nature relatedness.

Other Effects of Ayahuasca

Many other potential uses for ayahuasca in therapy are being explored. A study published earlier this year, for instance, found that ayahuasca may help individuals become less narcissistic.

The findings, published in April 2023 in the Journal of Personality Disorders and based on a three-month evaluation of more than 300 adults, suggested that after “ceremonial use of ayahuasca, self-reported changes in narcissism were observed,” although the researchers did urge some caution.

“However, effect size changes were small, results were somewhat mixed across convergent measures, and no significant changes were observed by informants. The present study provides modest and qualified support for adaptive change in narcissistic antagonism up to 3 months following ceremony experiences, suggesting some potential for treatment efficacy. However, meaningful changes in narcissism were not observed. More research would be needed to adequately evaluate the relevance of psychedelic-assisted therapy for narcissistic traits, particularly studies examining individuals with higher antagonism and involving antagonism-focused therapeutic approaches,” the researchers wrote.

Another study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology in February explored how ayahuasca (shortened to AYA for the use in this study) and DMT interacts with serotonin receptors in the part of the brain that regulates fear.

In that study, ayahuasca was found to affect serotonin receptors in the infralimbic cortex of the brain, where fear is regulated.

With a better understanding of how ayahuasca impacts gratitude and a connectedness with nature, we can better understand how it could be applied in psychedelic-assisted therapy.

The post Gratitude Increases After Ayahuasca Experience, Study Shows first appeared on High Times.

The post Gratitude Increases After Ayahuasca Experience, Study Shows appeared first on Paradise Found.

Just over a year after legalizing hemp and medical cannabis, Costa Rica’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Victor Carvajal signed a resolution to grant authorization to Azul Wellness S.A. to cultivate and process medical cannabis, The Tico Times reports. 

It marks the first medical cannabis license granted in the Central American country.

Azul Wellness S.A. is Costa Rican owned and backed by the family of José Álvaro Jenkins, president of the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of the Private Business Sector. Azul reportedly is planning to establish an 800-square-meter production and processing facility, located in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province.

The firm also partnered with U.S. private equity firm Merida Capital Holdings, which specializes in medical cannabis. According to the Times, the collaboration is meant to help Azul cultivate two varieties of psychoactive cannabis to start, with a focus on exporting the produced material.

Jenkins himself expressed optimism about the endeavor and said he envisions eventually establishing a medical cannabis laboratory in Costa Rica. He has also publicly supported the government’s efforts to legalize recreational cannabis in the past.

While Azul received the first medical cannabis license, Carvajal has issued eight authorizations for hemp cultivation. There are still two applications for hemp cultivation and processing and one medical cannabis license under evaluation.

Costa Rica legalized hemp and medical cannabis in March 2022. President Rodrigo Chaves unveiled a draft law several months later to lay the legal foundation for the country’s medical cannabis and hemp markets, specifically looking at production and sales. The Costa Rican government controls the cannabis industry — including granting permits related to industrial hemp and medical cannabis — under regulation of the Ministry of Health and the minister of agriculture and livestock.

Around that same time, Chaves also presented a bill to the Legislative assembly to legalize the recreational use of cannabis in Costa Rica. He promised the initiative shortly after taking his role, nodding to the fact that recreational use of cannabis is a reality we cannot turn away from.

“It is no secret to anyone that marijuana is consumed in Costa Rica, more and more openly in the streets and parks. It is a reality,” Chaves said in a translation during a press conference.

He’s admitted that he personally does not agree with the consumption of cannabis, though he believes that it’s best to regulate the market so Costa Rica can reap the benefits.

“That they pay taxes, that generates formal employment; It is very clear that it is not an easy issue, many people of good faith have doubts,” he said.

As of January 2023, the government was set to present a substitute text to the recreational legalization bill after receiving feedback from different institutions, according to The Tico Times. Originally, the plan would have allowed recreational cannabis companies to operate under the Free Trade Zone regime, meaning consumers could feasibly go to clubs, coffee shops and other businesses to buy cannabis products. 

A number of institutions, including The Judicial Investigation Organism (OIJ), the Medical Association, the College of Psychiatrists, the Institute of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction (IAFA), the Evangelical Alliance Federation and some municipalities, shared their opposition and requested the proposal’s dismissal.

And even though a number of other institutions and businesses in the country support the proposal, citing similar benefits as Chaves like economic growth and opportunity, citizens aren’t quite on board. According to a survey conducted by the School of Statistics of the University of Costa Rica, 76.5% of Costa Ricans approve of medical cannabis, but only 35.4% support recreational legalization.

Costa Rica joins a number of other Latin American countries with legal medical cannabis, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Peru. Uruguay is the only Latin American country with legalized recreational cannabis.

Regarding hemp, Costa Rican law defines industrial hemp as the plant or part or the plant and its derivatives, with extracting to contain no more than 1% THC by dry weight. The U.S. currently defines hemp as 0.3% THC or less, though farmers have advocated to change the limit to 1% as well with the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill.

The post Costa Rica Grants First Medical Cannabis Cultivation License appeared first on High Times.

The post Costa Rica Grants First Medical Cannabis Cultivation License appeared first on Paradise Found.

Costa Rica has finally done it! On Wednesday of this week, the medical marijuana bill that was passed the day before was signed by the country’s President, Carlos Alvarado. The bill has been in limbo since Alvarado vetoed it earlier this year, arguing that limits needed to be placed on individual cultivation and consumption. Lawmakers sent it back to him with the requested changes this week.

Supporters praise the legislation, saying that it will provide a much-needed boost to the country’s agricultural sector, not to mention create jobs.

Alvarado has finally conceded that reform is inevitable in the waning days of his administration. The two candidates who hope to replace him, José Maria Figueres and Rodrigo Chavez, do not seem to share his reservations. Both are publicly in favor of recreational reform. They face off against each other next month in a runoff election. As a result, further progress appears imminent.

Given what is going on in the region, there is no real surprise here. Neighboring countries such as Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Paraguay, and Peru have all moved forward on the same path even if their transition to recreational reform may not happen as quickly or smoothly. Ecuador just moved forward this week. Brazil is now teetering on the edge. 

Only Uruguay however, of all the countries in the region, has implemented full recreational reform — indeed becoming the first country in the world to do so — although Mexico is now close to becoming the second country in the region to follow suit. Given the statements of the men who are now vying for the country’s top political spot, however, it may be that Costa Rica becomes the second (or third) country in Central or South America to fully legalize the plant, as well as its production and consumption.

Why Costa Rica’s Recreational Market Is So Appealing

Before this week, cannabis was essentially decriminalized here. Personal consumption did not carry any criminal penalties. Indeed there has been a long history, tradition, and culture of use (no matter how much this was misunderstood or mischaracterized). This was upheld by a court decision in 2016. Because the old law carried no limits for cultivation or possession, this appears to be why the issue of limits was such a hot political topic for an outgoing president.

The current push towards legalization got underway in 2019. Currently there is only one company in the country which has been granted permission to study the plant and has been growing 12 cultivars at two different locations.

However, it does not take a rocket scientist to realize that Costa Rica’s domestic industry in the offing is going to be a boon to the country — and far from exports. There is a strong medical tourist and expat sector that stands to get an almost immediate boost from the current legislation. The country has for the past several decades been one of the tropical locations for aging American and Canadian Boomers who have relocated, in part because of the far cheaper standard of living, the high quality of existing healthcare, and of course, the weather and jaw-dropping scenery.

Beyond the more or less permanent snowbirds, Costa Rica received, pre-COVID, about 1.7 million tourists a year, mostly from North America. About 80% of tourists come for ecological tourism. Earnings from this sector of the economy amount to over $1.7 billion — or did. It is also the most important source of foreign currency. Until COVID at least, it had also grown, on average, just over 7% a year.

This new announcement will definitely be welcome not only by those who wish to create temptations for tourists, but by tourists as well. The intersection of the two is bound to be lucrative and highly popular.

The post Costa Rica Moves Forward with Medical Cannabis Reform appeared first on High Times.

The post Costa Rica Moves Forward with Medical Cannabis Reform appeared first on Paradise Found.

The outgoing president allowed medical. His likely successor favors legalizing for all adults.

The post Costa Rica just legalized medical marijuana. Here’s what the new law allows appeared first on Leafly.

The post Costa Rica just legalized medical marijuana. Here’s what the new law allows appeared first on Paradise Found.

Costa Rica is one step closer to legalizing its domestic cannabis industry. On December 1, the country’s constitutional court, known as “Sala IV,” found nothing in the legislation that was originally passed on October 21 that would prevent it from becoming law. The bill was initially approved by the Legislative Assembly with a vote of 33 votes for and 13 against.

This is a big step. Costa Rica’s law project 21.388, entitled the “Law on Cannabis for medicinal and therapeutic use and Hemp for industrial use” was first approved in late October by the legislative assembly. Rather than advancing directly to a second vote at this time, however, a group of 10 deputies sent the pending statute to the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court for a legal review, mainly to stall its passage.

Just the day before the bill was initially passed, on October 20, Panama, the country’s neighbour to the south, finally legalized medical cannabis too. It is very likely that this move prompted Costa Rica’s brief sidestep.

What Happens Next in Costa Rica

Legislator Zoila Volio has already asked President Carlos Alvarado to convene the initiative to the Legislative Assembly. The Minister of the Presidency, Geannina Dinarte has already said publicly that the bill would be summoned to an “extraordinary session” for a vote now that the court ruling has been passed down.

Reform has been pending here for two years.

As of August of this year, only one company has been granted the right to study the viability of cannabis.

A Costa Rica Cannabis Tourist Trade in the Offing?

The average tourist who has spent any time in Costa Rica knows that cannabis is essentially decriminalized and easily obtainable. While the production of cannabis products remains illegal, personal possession has been effectively decriminalized. That said, the actual Narcotic Drug law of Costa Rica calls for a prison sentence of eight to 15 years for possession along with cultivation and manufacturing.

This central American country of just under five million people and bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the South, has long been a destination for those who sought a life off the beaten path as well as increasingly American retirees who are drawn both by the weather and the overall quality of life.

The country abolished its army in 1948. As of 1949, all budgeted funds that would have been allocated to the country’s defense were rerouted to providing health care services and education. Costa Rica, as a result, is known for its stable democracy and progressive social policies.

A regulated medical cannabis industry here would not only provide jobs and income for the locals, but it would also turn the country into one of the most interesting medical cannabis vacation countries in the world.

Costa Rica is bounded by both the Caribbean and Pacific. Lush rainforests cover much of the country. It is already the most popular destination in Central America, visited by people who are drawn both by the biodiversity of the environment and those on the hunt for an exotic ecotourism experience.

Add cannabis to the mix, and the results are likely to be very positive.

Indeed, the opportunities for the ecological development of the sector may get a boost from cultivation in this part of the world.

Sustainable Cannabis

The discussion about what constitutes “sustainable” practices in this industry are an ongoing debate. There are many ways to approach this idea—from efficient grow and processing operations to labor relations.

However, when competing in a global medical market, countries must produce cannabis to a much higher, pharmaceutical standard (GMP) than most other agricultural crops are cultivated under. Such crops must be produced indoors. As a result, at least from a real estate perspective, the development of the industry in places like Central and South America might develop in highly destructive ways. See Brazil for starters.

In Costa Rica, with its liberal approach to rainforest preservation, however, this model might be given a chance to thrive, and further in a non-first world environment.

No matter the difficulties of tomorrow as the industry develops, one thing is very clear with the forward motion of Costa Rica’s legalization of cannabis. Another “green domino” has fallen.

The post Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court Approves Cannabis Legalization Bill appeared first on High Times.

The post Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court Approves Cannabis Legalization Bill appeared first on Paradise Found.

With Amsterdam cutting back on cannabis cafes, these countries may soon become must-visits for rolling stoners.

The post 17 countries that could become top weed tourism destinations appeared first on Leafly.

The post 17 countries that could become top weed tourism destinations appeared first on Paradise Found.