A psilocybin treatment bill was recently introduced on June 6 by California Sen. Brian W. Jones and Sen. Josh Becker, which if passed would create a pilot program for psilocybin therapy.

Senate Bill 803, also called the Heal Our Heroes Act, was attached as an amendment to an unrelated bill last week. If passed, it would allow San Francisco County, Santa Cruz County, and San Diego County to conduct a pilot program for veterans and first responders to use psilocybin or psilocyn. Those counties would be in charge of approving various facilitators, including “licensed physician or surgeon, clinical psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, licensed professional clinical counselor, or a naturopathic doctor.” The program would last for three years, with data set to be compiled and reported starting after the beginning of the second year.

In a press release that introduces the bill on June 6, Jones stressed the importance of providing the opportunity for veterans to benefit from psilocybin treatments. “As a dedicated advocate for veterans and first responders, I firmly believe it is our duty to support and heal the brave individuals who served our country and communities,” Jones said. “To be clear, I’m not calling for the widespread legalization of psychedelic drugs. Rather, I’m championing a targeted medical treatment aimed specifically at aiding veterans and first responders in their recovery. The Heal Our Heroes Act is a thoughtful and balanced measure designed to rigorously study the effectiveness of these treatments with the hope of providing much-needed relief to those patients who need it most.”  

Becker followed up with high expectations to support veterans and first responders. “SB 803 is an entirely new and innovative effort that is the result of comprehensive discussions on how the state can best support our veterans and first responders with a viable treatment for work-induced post-traumatic stress disorder,” Becker said. “We have a responsibility to do everything possible to provide quality care to these heroes, and I am proud to joint author this bipartisan effort that will have a real impact on the people who serve our state and country.”

The Heal Our Heroes Act is sponsored by two veterans organizations: the Heroic Hearts Project and Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS). A representative from the Heroic Hearts Project, Jason Moore Brown, is also a sponsor of the measure. In a press statement, he explained that he has personally struggled with PTSD and mental health as a decorated combat veteran, and approved of Jones and Becker’s bill. “We have lost over 130,000 Veterans to suicide since the Global War on Terror began in 2001,” Moore said. “I know first hand that psilocybin, when used responsibly and with support, has the potential to save the lives of California’s Veterans. This pilot program is the responsible first step to reducing, and hopefully ending, the Veteran suicide epidemic.”

In fall 2023, the legislature passed Senate Bill 58 (sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Marie Waldron) but was vetoed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Both peer-reviewed science and powerful personal anecdotes lead me to support new opportunities to address mental health through psychedelic medicines like those addressed in this bill,” Newsom said. “Psychedelics have proven to relieve people suffering from certain conditions such as depression, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and other addictive personality traits. This is an exciting frontier and California will be on the front-end of leading it. . . . I urge the legislature to send me legislation next year that includes therapeutic guidelines.”

Recently in May, a different psychedelic bill that also sought to pass treatment centers recently ended its run in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Called the “Regulated Therapeutic Access to Psychedelics Act,” Senate Bill 1012 would have created dedicated psychedelic service centers to allow patients legal access to psilocybin, DMT, mescaline, and MDMA in a regulated setting. SB-1012, also sponsored by Weiner, described the bill as a “direct response to the Governor’s request” in April.

Following the rejection of SB-1012 in May, numerous advocate organizations condemned the decision to terminate the bill. “We are deeply disappointed that the Legislature has missed this opportunity after four years of debate to enact a policy that would create a responsible program and promote the safer use of psychedelics in California and create a model policy for the rest of the country,” said Alliance for Safer Use of Psychedelics (ASUP) campaign director Jared Moffat. “Californians will continue to seek out psychedelics for all sorts of reasons, including to help alleviate mental health challenges like PTSD, depression and anxiety. Many will do so without guided support and use psychedelics on their own, which increases risks. Veterans and others will continue to leave the country or go underground to seek unregulated services that may be unsafe.”

These bills failed to pass, but advocates are pushing for a potential ballot initiative in 2026 that would legalize psychedelic substances such as psilocybin and MDMA. After Weiner’s bill was killed, he told KQED that he will keep trying to push for access to psychedelics. “We are not giving up, whether that means introducing a new bill or ballot measure, this issue is not going away,” he said. “We know these substances are helping people turn their lives around.”

The post Psilocybin Therapy Pilot Program Bill Introduced in California first appeared on High Times.

The post Psilocybin Therapy Pilot Program Bill Introduced in California appeared first on Paradise Found.

A 41-year-old woman in a case study reported remarkable improvements of longhauler’s symptoms after taking psilocybin and MDMA-assisted therapy sessions.

A case report, “Long-COVID symptoms improved after MDMA and psilocybin therapy: A case report,” was published May 24 in the journal Clinical Case Reports. The woman in the case study was healthy before contracting COVID-19 in February 2022, and she was vaccinated three times. She reported symptoms of long COVID or longhauler’s: severe anxiety, depression, debilitating headaches, and cognitive difficulties.

The woman tried many methods to get relief from the disease: fasting, massage therapy, acupuncture, and meditation. The woman resorted to psilocybin and bought golden teacher shroom spores online and consumed significant improvement of the symptoms in subsequent tripping sessions.

“The patient’s first dosing session was on May 5, 2022, where she consumed 1 g of dried whole golden teacher psilocybin cubensis mushrooms from an online store,” the report reads. “The patient subjectively reported a 20% improvement in her depression, fatigue, joint pains, and headache for seven days. However, she also reported chills and shivering with a sensation of being cold while ‘coming up.’”

About a month later, she ingested 125 mg of MDMA, followed by two separate doses of psilocybin. After this session, she said her symptoms improved significantly—80% percent overall—and that she was able to resume her PhD studies.

“The patient’s second dosing session was 24 days later on May 29th where she consumed a single dose of MDMA 125 mg, 1 h later 2 g of whole dried golden teacher psilocybin cubensis mushrooms prepared in a tea, and 1 hour later a second dose of 2 grams of whole dried golden teacher psilocybin cubensis mushrooms prepared in a tea.”

Another month later she ate more shrooms and she saw huge improvements again.

“Six weeks later (on July 16th), her head pressure returned at approximately 30% of its previous severity,” the report reads. “After another 2 g dose of psilocybin cubensis mushrooms, her symptoms abated to 90% relief of symptoms. She was able to work part-time thereafter and return full-time in September.”

“After several months of improvement, the patient reported experiencing an early November relapse of her post-COVID-19 symptoms in the setting of a non-COVID-19 flu-like illness. Her headache returned, although it was less severe and not as frequent as before. The patient decided to try another dosing session with psychedelics on November 24th. This time, 2 g of dried golden teacher psilocybin cubensis mushrooms led to a remission of her symptoms. The patient subjectively reported complete resolution of her symptoms. The patient was again able to return to work 3 days later and continue with her PhD studies.”

Research on larger groups of people is needed in order to determine why psychedelics seem to improve long-COVID symptoms.

Science Reports noted that researchers at Columbia University have launched a small pilot trial to explore whether single-dose hallucinogenic treatments can really relieve long COVID symptoms.

Other Studies Show Potential for Cannabis in COVID Treatment

Beyond psychedelics, cannabis—itself a minor psychedelic—has also been linked to COVID improvements. Cannabis consumers with COVID-19 experienced “better outcomes and mortality” compared to similar patients who did not use cannabis, in a recent study.

The study, entitled “Exploring the Relationship Between Marijuana Smoking and Covid-19,” was announced at a meeting for the American College of Chest Physicians, which was held in Honolulu, Hawaii on Oct. 11. It was also published in the October issue of CHEST Journal.

Researchers noted that they analyzed data from the National Inpatient Sample, which is the largest publicly available collection of inpatient healthcare data—recording about seven million hospital visits per year. Researchers studied 322,214 patients over 18 years of age, with only 2,603 stating that they were cannabis consumers.

Each cannabis-consuming patient was matched 1:1 with a non-consumer, as well as their “age, race, gender, and 17 other comorbidities including chronic lung disease.” The other comorbidities included obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, which were more commonly found in non-users.

In these comparisons, cannabis users experienced a lowered rate of specific conditions. “On univariate analysis, marijuana users had significantly lower rates of intubation (6.8% vs 12%), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (2.1% vs 6%), acute respiratory failure (25% vs 52.9%) and severe sepsis with multiorgan failure (5.8% vs 12%),” researchers explained. “They also had lower in-hospital cardiac arrest (1.2% vs 2.7%) and mortality (2.9% vs 13.5%).”

“Marijuana smokers had better outcomes and mortality compared to non-users,” researchers concluded. “The beneficial effect of marijuana use may be attributed to its potential to inhibit viral entry into cells and prevent the release of proinflammatory cytokines, thus mitigating cytokine release syndrome.”

The growing amount of evidence shows that psychedelics and cannabis may be the key to solving the riddle of COVID and long-COVID symptoms.

The post COVID Long-Hauler’s Symptoms Significantly Improved with Psilocybin, MDMA first appeared on High Times.

The post COVID Long-Hauler’s Symptoms Significantly Improved with Psilocybin, MDMA appeared first on Paradise Found.

Medical research into using the psychedelic MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorder is being called into question following allegations that a clinical trial investigating the treatment was potentially tainted by misconduct. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently conducting a review of the psychedelic commonly called ecstasy for patients with PTSD. The treatment is being developed by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and its public benefit Lykos, which has conducted clinical trials in a bid to have the therapy approved by the FDA. In 2017, the FDA designated the MDMA-assisted treatment for PTSD as a breakthrough therapy, indicating it may be a significant improvement over existing therapies and clearing the way for further research.

The clinical trials tested MDMA in conjunction with intense therapy administered by a pair of therapists to a group of patients with PTSD. In one stage of the trial, 94 patients were given either MDMA or a placebo during three therapy sessions spaced one month apart. Participants also completed integration sessions to help them process their experiences during the drug therapy sessions.

At the end of the trial, 71% of participants in the MDMA group had experienced an improvement in symptoms and no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Among the placebo group, 48% of participants had similar results. Some participants in both groups experienced adverse effects such as anxiety or heart palpitations, although none of the adverse effects were characterized as serious.

“Consistent with PTSD, suicidal ideation was observed in both groups,” the authors reported in the journal Nature Medicine, “MDMA did not appear to increase this risk, and no suicidal behavior was observed.”

Group Reveals Concerns About the Validity of Research Findings

While the research results are promising, an independent investigation of the clinical trial has determined that the findings may not tell the whole story. In a recent draft report, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), a nonprofit that evaluates clinical trials and drug prices, said the investigation found “substantial concerns about the validity of the results” of the MDMA clinical trials. Following the report’s release, a citizen petition filed with the FDA alleged that possible misconduct and ethical violations could mar the credibility of the MDMA research.

The ICER report acknowledges that the research data shows that MDMA may be an “important addition to treatment options for PTSD.” But it also listed several factors that could cloud the results of the study.

The report notes that it is not easy to conduct research into psychedelics because it is difficult to obscure which participants are receiving a placebo and which are receiving the active drug because of the unmistakable effects of psychoactive drugs. As a result, most of the study subjects correctly guessed which group they were in, according to a review of the research released by the FDA on Friday. Without proper blinding, the findings can be skewed by participants or researchers, many of whom see strong promise in the therapeutic potential of the compounds.

“There’s the possibility that the data might not be representative of what’s actually happened in clinical trials,” Neşe Devenot, one of the authors of the citizen petition and a senior lecturer in the writing program at Johns Hopkins University who is involved in psychedelic research, told NPR. “I don’t think this has been publicly reckoned with.”

Additionally, the report notes that “very strong prior beliefs” among therapists, researchers and patients influenced the results of the trial.

“Concerns have been raised by some that therapists encouraged favorable reports by patients and discouraged negative reports by patients including discouraging reports of substantial harms, potentially biasing the recording of benefits and harms,” the report states.

The research was also marred by allegations from a study participant that two therapists– a married couple– engaged in inappropriate physical contact while the subject was under the influence of MDMA during a treatment session in Canada. An investigation by MAPS determined that the couple had “substantially deviated” from the treatment protocol, leading the organization to notify health authorities in Canada and the United States. Additionally, the therapists were barred from administering MDMA-assisted therapy in affiliation with MAPS.

The ICER report has not been finalized, but Dr. David Rind, the chief medical officer for the group says its investigation showed that “there’s still a lot of uncertainty” about using MDMA to treat PTSD.

“You have a group of people who are very upset about how these trials went,” he said. “We couldn’t tell, even though we talked with people where this happened, whether that represents a tiny fraction of bad events or a number of bad events large enough to have rendered the trial just not believable.”

Investigators involved in the research, however, have rejected claims that the study is flawed. Jennifer Mitchell, lead author of the published papers from the Phase 3 trials, says she stands behind the study’s findings.

“I didn’t feel any pressure from the sponsor to come up with anything different than what the data was providing,” said Mitchell, a professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco and associate chief of staff for research at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. “I wouldn’t have continued to work with them if I had felt that.”

The FDA review also expressed concerns about the safety of MDMA, including the risk of abuse and possible side effects that could harm the cardiovascular system and the liver. Lykos CEO Amy Emerson said the company stands by the quality and integrity of its research and development process. 

“Given there has not been a new PTSD medication approved in the United States in over two decades for the 13 million people living with PTSD, we are deeply committed to making a difference by bringing a potential new treatment to patients,” she said in a statement cited by the Washington Post.

Shawn Hauser, a partner at the cannabis and psychedelics law firm Vicente LLP, said it is not surprising that the FDA’s consideration of new MDMA-assisted therapies is raising questions, noting that the use of a psychedelic drug in conjunction with therapy is uncharted territory for the agency. The FDA drug evaluation process is difficult to apply to certain substances and treatments including psychedelics and other compounds including botanical cannabis, although for different reasons.

“The promising research makes clear the potential of this therapy for treating PTSD, and while there are certainly challenges in these studies (as with any study) and legitimate concerns that must be addressed, these must be considered in the broader context of the severe unmet treatment needs by patients with PTSD and the strong data on safety and efficacy,” Hauser wrote in an email to High Times. “The questions around this process clearly underscore that the FDA evaluation process requires modernization to appropriately evaluate treatments like MDMA-assisted therapy and substances like botanical and natural medicines.”

The post Claims of Misconduct Mar MDMA Research for PTSD first appeared on High Times.

The post Claims of Misconduct Mar MDMA Research for PTSD appeared first on Paradise Found.

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.

A city councilmember in Atlanta has proposed a measure that could open the door for both psilocybin and ketamine treatments.

The councilmember, Liliana Bakhtiari, believes that health plans for city workers should include the treatments, which research has shown to be effective in combating mental health disorders such as PTSD.

“We should be offering our employees — and especially our first responders, who are expected to be superhuman — the same amount of grace and providing them with a tool set to essentially overcome this issue,” Bakhtiari said in an interview with Axios.

Per Axios, the proposal “tasks the city’s HR department with studying the pros and cons of ketamine and psilocybin to treat mental health issues and whether the employee health plan could cover the treatments.”

The outlet adds that “ketamine can be taken under the care of a psychiatrist” in Georgia, and that Bakhtiari “says she has used ketamine therapy to treat past trauma,” and that “some sessions can cost roughly $350 out of pocket.”

As a councilmember, Bakhtiari has been a vocal champion of the treatment and drug reform.

In 2022, Bakhtiari introduced a resolution that would have “formally request[ed] that police make it ‘the lowest law enforcement priority’ to investigate or arrest people for ‘planting, cultivating, purchasing, transporting, distributing, engaging in practices with, or possessing Entheogenic Plants, Fungi, and Spores or plant compounds,’” Marijuana Moment reported at the time.

With a growing body of research on the efficacy of psychedelics as a mental health treatment, more lawmakers across the country have pushed for reform.

Earlier this year in Vermont, lawmakers passed a measure to set up a working group to look into psychedelics and their application in therapy.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed a similar bill into law earlier this month. The measure will create the “Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances,” a 17-member panel that will make recommendations designed to “[enable] broad, equitable, and affordable access to psychedelic substances.”

The law requires the task force to make the recommendations “regarding any changes to State law, policies, and practices needed to create a program that enables broad, equitable, and affordable access to psychedelic substances; and requiring the Task Force to report its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before July 31, 2025.”

Meanwhile, a bill recently introduced in the New York Assembly would legalized psilcoybin service centers.

The proposal would change the existing law “in relation to promoting the health and well-being of the citizens of the state of New York by establishing a comprehensive framework supporting public health and safety through regulated adult use, support services, and cultivation of psilocybin-containing fungi.”

Additionally, the bill would seat up the “Regulated Psilocybin Advisory Board,” comprised of 13 members who would be charged with studying laws and policies pertaining to psilocybin, and then provide recommendations to the state’s Department of Health. Per the text of the bill, the board would “develop a long-term strategic plan for ensuring that psilocybin services in the state will become and remain a safe, accessible and affordable therapeutic option, including in therapeutic and medical treatments, for all persons eighteen years of age and older for whom psilocybin services may be appropriate.”

A study published earlier this year revealed that individuals with major depressive disorder experienced improvement in their symptoms following intravenous ketamine infusion therapy.

The report, based on a clinical trial involving 75 patients across four sites in the United States, was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

The patients “received 3 IV ketamine infusions over an 11-day period.” 

“Key exclusion criteria were psychotic symptoms, significant substance abuse, unstable medical conditions, and any use of cannabis. Pre-existing antidepressant medication was maintained. Primary outcome was remission as measured by Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), with secondary outcome of 50 % reduction in Beck Suicide Scale score. Safety monitoring and varying durations of infusions were also key parameters,” the authors of the study wrote. 

“The consistency of outcomes across 4 clinical sites and across multiple instruments, suggests high acute efficacy and safety of IV ketamine for serious depressive episodes. Duration of infusion did not alter outcomes,” the authors wrote in their conclusion. 

“Meaningfully, 40 % of non-responders after a single infusion did reach remission subsequently, while only 20 % of non-responders after 2 infusions achieved remission, suggesting early response is suggestive for eventual remission. Our data on varying ketamine infusion duration adds novel insights into the clinical administration of this new treatment for refractory and severe patients. Our limitations included a lack of a control group, necessitating caution about conclusions of efficacy, balanced by the utility of reporting “real-world” outcomes across multiple clinical sites. We could also not separately analyze results for bipolar disorder due to small numbers. Together, the Bio-K clinical results are promising and provide significant sample sizes for forthcoming biological markers analyses.

The post Atlanta Lawmaker Pushes City To Study Psilocybin, Ketamine Treatments first appeared on High Times.

The post Atlanta Lawmaker Pushes City To Study Psilocybin, Ketamine Treatments appeared first on Paradise Found.

A woman and minority-owned psilocybin treatment center in Oregon, the first of its kind, will soon open doors. It was co-founded by a mother and daughter team, Denise Taylor, a registered nurse (RN), and Laurie Thompson, an experienced meditator.

Ashland Healing Center will provide relief to patrons for mental health conditions, PTSD, anxiety, depression, addiction, and end-of-life concerns, according to a May 21 announcement. During the journey each client is supported by a licensed Psilocybin Facilitator, and the focus is on psilocybin for personal transformation. 

With the guidance of an experienced Psilocybin Facilitator, patrons are able to avoid unpleasant effects of the mushroom and its derivatives.

“We partner with healthcare professionals to get the best results for our mutual clients and patients. Our services are of special interest to medical professionals, therapists, counselors, integrative health care practitioners, and anyone interested in improving mental health. We offer complimentary consultations to those interested in our services. We are also the only black-owned legal Psilocybin service center and are committed to improving mental health outcomes for the black community,” said Taylor.

Taylor’s expertise as an RN helps the team to make better choices about potential interactions and safety issues. Psilocybin sessions go as follows, in four steps:

1. Consultation
2. Intake and Preparation (set and setting)
3. Administration
4. Integration

The Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board approved a limited number of recommendations. But Ashland Healing Center co-founders say that studies from John Hopkins, UC Davis, Yale, and NYU have demonstrated a broader span of potential for psilocybin-assisted therapy.

“Psilocybin provides both medical and metaphysical/spiritual benefits,” said Thompson. “The results our clients experience are incredible. I’ve witnessed depression becoming love, relief from migraine headaches, spiritual experiences, release of intergenerational trauma, and physical healing. We are honored to offer these services and have served clients from across the nation. Ashland, Oregon, is accessible via the Rogue Valley International Medford Airport (code MFR).”

As the direction of psilocybin sessions heavily relies on an individuals’ set and setting, much of the experience is self-directed.

“Psilocybin treatment is not therapy,” the website states. “It is self-directed. Although success is often received with just one treatment, your intent and desire to change are of paramount importance. A willingness to begin working on that change before the experience and to continue after are key to your continued success. Safety and comfort are also important. We want you to work with a facilitator you trust in a safe place. As facilitators we will work with you to build trust.”

In November 2020, Oregon voters  approved Measure 110, and the state officially became the first e to decriminalize hard drugs such as heroin or methamphetamine, and also legalized the use of psilocybin mushrooms for therapeutic use. By December 2022, the state was training facilitators to care for participants experiencing their psilocybin journey. It took until May 2023 to approve the first license, which belonged to EPIC Healing Eugene.

A consult, which is free, typically lasts one hour.

Beginning with Denver, Colorado, the first city to decriminalize psilocybin in 2019, other cities followed including Oakland and Santa Cruz, California; Washington, D.C.; Somerville, Cambridge and Northampton, Massachusetts; Seattle, Washington; and Detroit, Michigan. Oregon and Colorado moved to decriminalize psilocybin at the state level as well.

Psilocybin’s Potential in Therapeutic Medicine

Psilocybin is being explored for its role in helping people with eating disorders (ED), treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even stress due to childhood trauma.

Psilocybin’s effects on ED, for instance, have been explored since the 1950s, and studies are zeroing in its ability to help us overcome treatment-resistant conditions like body dysmorphia, anorexia, or bulimia.

Researchers Elena Koning and Elisa Brietzke are exploring the ways psilocybin can treat ED by its therapeutic benefits in combating rigid thought patterns. Koning, who is a doctoral student, recently wrote about her discoveries for PsyPost, explaining the reasoning behind her research.

Koning mentioned that in the age of social media, EDs are becoming increasingly troublesome, and that new approaches to those types of disorders are needed.

A recent study, “Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy as a Potential Treatment for Eating Disorders: a Narrative Review of Preliminary Evidence,” was published online ahead of print for Trends Psychiatry.

Another recent study, published recently in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, took a closer look at adverse childhood experiences as an “elevated risk for psychological distress,” specifically looking at how psilocybin may abate these effects. It was authored by researchers at Simon Fraser University, Athabasca University, University of British Columbia and University of Michigan.

Researchers found that the use of psilocybin can help to ease psychological distress in people who had adverse experiences as children, indicating that psilocybin appeared to hold “particularly strong benefits to those with more severe childhood adversity.”

The post First Black, Woman-Owned Psilocybin Treatment Center Opens first appeared on High Times.

The post First Black, Woman-Owned Psilocybin Treatment Center Opens appeared first on Paradise Found.

The active ingredient in psilocybin mushrooms is being explored for its power to break out of the grip of rigid mental patterns—patterns which often lead to treatment-resistant disorders. Researchers believe it could help to transform therapy by providing an alternative way to tackle mental disorders.

A recent pilot study published in the Journal of Psychedelic Studies has found preliminary evidence that psilocybin, when administered in a group retreat setting, can enhance psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility means being present in the moment and having the ability to respond to stimuli in ways that serve your values. 

The study, “A pilot study of the effect of group-administered psilocybin on psychological flexibility and outcomes,” was conducted by Brian Pilecki, Jason Luoma, and Kati M. Lear.

“I think group-based psilocybin administration is under-studied and has significant value in producing therapeutic change. I also am interested in using psychological flexibility as a way to understand how psychedelics exert their effects and lead to improvements in health and well-being,” study author Brian Pilecki of Portland Psychotherapy told PsyPost.

Nine participants—six female and three male—attended the retreat, ages ranging from 41 to 68. Nine participants were employed: four full-time and five part-time. Four participants endorsed having a regular meditation practice while five did not.

Researchers collected data using a series of assessments at three intervals: one week before the retreat, two weeks after the retreat, and six months later. These assessments utilized standardized questionnaires to measure psychological flexibility, cognitive fusion, values-driven behavior, self-compassion, emotional expressivity, and general well-being.

When asked what their highest dose psilocybin session taken during the retreat was, participants reported between five and 12 grams of dried, homogenized mushrooms, meaning that all participants had at least one “heroic” psilocybin session with a dose that was at least 5 grams.

The study narrowed down quantifiable changes in psychological flexibility rather than just recording any changes in psychological flexibility.

“This study is significant in that it is the first to quantitatively document changes in psychological flexibility facets after psychedelic experiences rather than only more general changes in psychological flexibility,” the study states. “Understanding processes of change involved in psychedelic-assisted therapy is important in informing how psychotherapy can support psychedelic experiences. For example, it might be possible to take steps during preparation to make it even more likely that people will experience cognitive defusion or values clarification during dosing sessions. Alternately, techniques based on psychological flexibility theory might be used to support changes in values that begin during dosing and translate these into long-term behavior change. We are just beginning to understand the link between psychedelics and psychological flexibility and hope this pilot study will spur future research on the topic.”

Psilocybin’s Efficacy to Decrease Cognitive Fusion of Rigid Thought Patterns

The data shows a substantial decrease in cognitive fusion—referring to the grip of rigid thoughts that alter behavior. This drop was significant at the two-week follow-up and persisted through the six-month evaluation, suggesting that participants were able to detach from their thoughts more effectively, allowing them to act more in line with their values rather than being prisoners shaped by habitual thought patterns.

Participants reported improvements in how freely they were able to live according to their values. This was evident from drops in “values obstruction” at both the two-week and six-month follow-up periods. Additionally, there was an increase in values progression by the six-month mark, indicating sustained improvements in the participants’ ability to engage in behaviors that align with their personal values over time.

Researchers also observed increases in self-compassion at both follow-up points, as well as changes in emotional expressivity.

“Our study supported that psilocybin taken in a retreat context can be helpful in enhancing key aspects of psychological flexibility including cognitive defusion, valued living, and self-compassion,” Pilecki told PsyPost. “These improvements suggest that client’s were able to take greater perspective on their thoughts and align their behaviors more closely with their values.”

The long-term benefits of psilocybin are being explored.

“Some of the differences between short- and long-term outcomes were surprising, though it is hard to infer much due to the small sample size,” Pilecki said. “For example, of all the processes that were measured, we found increases in self-compassion at the six-month follow-up suggesting that psilocybin may lead to enduring changes in one’s relationship to themself.”

As with many psilocybin-related studies, the control group size was very limited, suggesting that more research is needed to determine the fungi’s efficacy in treating mental disorders.

“This was a small pilot study without a control group, so results must interpreted with caution,” Pilecki noted. “However, positive results suggest further research in this area is warranted.”

The post Psilocybin Mushrooms Enhance Psychological Flexibility, Pilot Study Shows first appeared on High Times.

The post Psilocybin Mushrooms Enhance Psychological Flexibility, Pilot Study Shows appeared first on Paradise Found.

Kaya Holdings Inc., which became one of the first publicly traded companies to hold a cannabis license when it began operation in Portland, Oregon in 2014, recently announced that it has been approved to hold a license for therapeutic psilocybin.

The announcement came on May 7, stating that Kaya Holdings officially owns a Psilocybin Service Center license from the Oregon Health Authority. The business will be called The Sacred Mushroom, which is set to be a “full-service psychedelic treatment center that will allow clients to receive Psilocybin Treatments in a setting offering significant experience differentiators and concept innovations.” It also boasted that the business will be up and running “within the next 30 days,” which would be sometime around the first week of June.

The Sacred Mushroom is located atop a building in downtown Portland and contains 11,000 square feet. The idea behind the layout is a spacious “room to roam” design, with “unsurpassed comfort, optional private rooms, activity zones with yoga, listening stations, journaling chairs and art expression, a special “sensation room,” a relaxing indoor garden and customized experience through our proprietary Synergy By Design ‘your setting, your way’ program.”

The press release cited data from Precedence Research, which stated that the U.S. behavioral health market was valued at $83 million in 2022, and projected a value increase to $136 billion by 2032.

Kaya Holdings Inc.’s OTCBQ market symbol is KAYS, and the company currently holds three cannabis licenses in total: one in Portland, Oregon, and two in Greece.

According to KAYS CEO Craig Frank, psilocybin is the next frontier in psychedelic medicines. “The introduction of legal psilocybin treatments in Oregon marks the beginning of perhaps the most disruptive force in the mental health sector, transforming treatment protocol and redirecting resources,” Frank said in a press release. “Our distinctive guest experience model, the environment offered by the size and design of the facility and the dedication of our staff are designed to make The Sacred Mushroom the premier choice for anyone turning to psychedelics for relief or transformation. For these reasons I believe KAYS is well positioned to become a leader in the ‘delivery of care’ of psychedelics.”

The state’s first psilocybin service center, EPIC Healing Eugene, opened in June 2024. “Our services focus on deep healing work, mindfulness, empowerment, spirituality, and transformation through psilocybin facilitation and integration,” EPIC Healing Eugene stated on its website. “We teach self-help strategies that support self-directed personal development and brain change. We help you prepare for a healing shift that will help you get the most out of your experiential journeys. Our skilled and supportive staff offer preparation sessions, followed by integration sessions to help you better recognize and incorporate the gems of insight from your psychedelic experiences into your daily life.”

Three months later, more than 3,000 people were on the waitlist despite high prices of entry, while many others praised their experiences.

The Sheri Eckert Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2021 by Sheri Eckert. She was the co-creator of Measure 109, which was passed by Oregon voters to establish legal psilocybin service centers, however she passed away in December 2020 before she could see the results of the law she helped to build. Through the Sheri Eckert Foundation, Eckert’s goal to “receive and allocate funds to individuals and organizations operating in Oregon’s legal and regulated psilocybin facilitation program” lives on.

In 2023, the Sheri Eckert Foundation gave out $300,000 to 76 scholarships for psilocybin facilitation students. Most recently as of early May, the foundation is aiming to raise $1 million to give out to those who need funds to legally use psilocybin in the state. So far, $176,218 has been collected from Proteus Fund, Full Potential Fund, and Dr. Bronners.

There are 20 psilocybin service centers currently operating in Oregon, according to Willamette Week. However, one called the Journey Service Center recently closed down due to lack of participants. Founders Jenna Kluwe and Clint Martin opened the center in September 2023 and service an estimated 100 customers. According to Willamette Week, the center was able to serve about 10 people per day, with each participant paying $2,000 per day.

“My eyes were bigger than my stomach,” said Martin, who invested around $1.2 million into the business.

Kluwe also told the news outlet about her feelings on the closure. “I’ve absolutely loved doing this,” said Kluwe. “The numbers just weren’t where they needed to be.”

Susanne Ulvi, a licensed psilocybin facilitator who previously worked at The Journey Service Center, said that other centers faced slowed business this past winter. “Nobody seems to be filling their rooms,” Ulvi explained.

While Oregon’s psilocybin service centers’ future success is uncertain, studies on the efficacy of psilocybin as a medical treatment continue to grow. Researchers have found that psilocybin use enhances meditation, isn’t associated with paranoia risk, weakens a person’s response to angry faces, and so much more. One study found that nine out of every 10 Americans believe that therapeutic psilocybin use for therapy and/or well being is “morally positive.”

The post Oregon Health Authority Awards Newest Therapeutic Psilocybin License first appeared on High Times.

The post Oregon Health Authority Awards Newest Therapeutic Psilocybin License appeared first on Paradise Found.

The Vermont House of Representatives voted in favor of S.114 on May 8, which would create a working group to study the pros and cons of allowing psychedelic-assisted therapy, as well as determine what regulations would entail.

S.114 was first read in the Senate on March 1, and passed on March 27. It was read in the House two days later, but a majority of action in the House has taken place over the past week in May. Due to a variety of changes made between Senate and House versions of the bill, another vote is necessary in order to pass the bill on to Gov. Phil Scott. If passed, the first meeting by the working group would take effect starting on July 1, 2024, with the first meeting to be held before July 15, with a report to be presented by Nov. 15. After that, the working group will conclude its role and cease to exist by Jan. 1, 2025.

The working group’s role would be to “review the latest research and evidence of the public health benefits and risks of clinical psychedelic assisted treatments” and “examine the laws and programs of other states that have authorized the use of psychedelics by health care providers in a therapeutic setting,” while also seeking testimony from Johns Hopkins’ Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research.

One of the more recent hearings included a change that tasks the Vermont Psychological Association to work with the Vermont Department of Health “for purposes of scheduling and staffing meetings and developing and submitting the report.”

When Sen. Martine Larocque Gulick first introduced the bill, it included language to legalize possession and consumption of psilocybin. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee removed that portion to primarily target the working group.

At the floor hearing on May 8, Rep. Tristan Roberts shared his personal experiences with psychedelic-assisted therapy. “I now recognize that my night terrors were my body’s way of asking me to face my fears,” said Roberts. “Psychedelic-assisted therapy gave me the tools to do that that I hadn’t found in 40 years of looking.”

He also spoke of the positive results of therapy and its benefits. “I sleep much better now. Depression and anxiety are more often symptoms that move through me; they are not me,” Roberts said. “I felt for the first time in memory that I could appreciate and add to the beauty in life. Psychedelic medicine helped me uncover again my true nature.”

In a hearing at the beginning of May, Rep. Anne Donahue voiced concerns about the safety of psychedelics as medicine. “I have lived the life of somebody who has been told, ‘Oh, this is safe, this is safe, this is safe.’ You know, ‘We in psychiatry and mental health know what we’re doing is safe. This is safe, this is safe, this is safe,’ and having my life practically destroyed,” Donahue said. “I see the new ads on TV about, ‘Oh, your distracted mother, calm her down with this drug!’ That’s a drug that’s prohibited in nursing homes, because it’s used to keep their behaviors in line. And it causes early, premature death. But, you know, give it to mom because she needs to be calmed down!”

Donahue did admit that if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is actively investigating psychedelic-assisted therapy, then Vermont should be “following [the FDA’s] lead” rather than acting too quickly. The FDA also recently recommended that cannabis be rescheduled from a Schedule I substance to Schedule III earlier this year in January.

Evidence is building in high-profile research in favor of psychedelic-assisted therapies. In September 2023, MAPS published its research on its Phase 3 Trial on MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “It’s the first innovation in PTSD treatment in more than two decades. And it’s significant because I think it will also open up other innovation,” said MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC) CEO Amy Emerson.

Last December, MAPS PBC submitted an application for approval to study MDMA-assisted therapy for those who suffer from PTSD. “The filing of our NDA is the culmination of more than 30 years of clinical research, advocacy, collaboration and dedication to bring a potential new option to adults living with PTSD, a patient group that has experienced little innovation in decades,” Emerson said. “If approved, MDMA-assisted therapy would be the first psychedelic-assisted therapy, which we hope will drive additional investment into new research in mental health.”

Recently in Vermont, concerns are mounting against a cannabis company that has had its products recalled by the Vermont Cannabis Control Board for having used myclobutanil. Board Chair James Pepper spoke to local news outlet Seven Days about the harm in using such as fungicide. “Some pesticides are OK for human consumption,” said Pepper. “This one is a very known toxic one. So there’s no excuse here. And the fact that they’ve been through this once before leaves very little room for any sort of leniency.”

The post Vermont House Representatives Pass Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Working Group Bill first appeared on High Times.

The post Vermont House Representatives Pass Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Working Group Bill appeared first on Paradise Found.

On May 2, the Alaska House of Representatives recently approved House Bill 228 in a 36-4 vote, which would establish a task force to regulate various psychedelic-assisted therapies. The official name of the group will be Alaska Task Force for the Regulation of Psychedelic Medicines Approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Passing HB-228, according to Rep. Jenny Armstrong who sponsored the bill, is an attempt to get ahead of possible future substance rescheduling and/or federal approval. “This August, it is widely anticipated that FDA will approve the most significant medicine for the treatment of mental health in decades,” Armstrong said prior to the House floor vote. She added that FDA approval of psilocybin as a medical treatment could be coming in the next one to two years. “House Bill 228 before us today would create a task force that would put forth recommendations for the next legislature to consider as it relates to this treatment. Whether you are excited about the idea of psychedelics getting approved, you’re neutral or you’re flat-out against it, I think we can all agree that if it is coming, we should be prepared and be thoughtful in how we approach it.”

Armstrong also noted that Alaska not only has the most veterans per capita, but is also ranked among the highest in violence rates throughout the U.S. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation data spanning 2012-2022, murder and aggravated assault were among the top crimes reported in Alaska. While the total crime rate in 2021 and 2022 was reduced compared to numbers from 2018, murder incidents increased in 2019 and 2022.

If passed, HB-228 would require that a task force be established, and for the group to spend one year reviewing the pros and cons of psychedelic-assisted therapies such as psilocybin and MDMA.

Most House representatives were receptive to moving the bill forward to assist those who have mental health conditions. Rep. Laddie Shaw spoke up and explained that she was formerly the director of Alaskan Veteran Affairs, and veterans are asking for some kind of positive move forward. “This task force gives us an opportunity to move forward with some productivity on behalf of our veterans,” Shaw explained. “We haven’t done anything for the last 50 years. Let’s move forward with something.”

Rep. Sarah Vance also supported the bill, stating that even though she’s uncomfortable with the topic, she still sees the value in exploring psychedelic-assisted therapies as an option.

Other representatives, such as Rep. Dan Saddler, opposed the idea that there is any benefit to psychedelic drugs. “I rise against this bill because I don’t believe we should be going off in a direction in what I believe to be a premature fashion,” Saddler said. He added that a task force would encroach “on the purview of the legislature.”

Rep. Jamie Allard claimed that military veterans were being harmed by those attempting to promote psychedelic therapy agendas. “Using our military veterans as experiments? We aren’t experiments,” said Allard. “We are human beings who deserve to have things done in the proper manner, and slowly and concisely.”

Rep. David Eastman compared the approval of psychedelic medicine to the once normal acceptance of lobotomies. “I look at the history of medicine in this country, and it was not that long ago that we were told—and our entire government, you know, echoed—that lobotomies were a good thing, and they were carried out in our country,” said Eastman. “I hope that we will not look back some number of years now and see that hallucinogens were also a mistake.”

HB-228 received amendments one day before the House floor vote. On May 1, one of these changes included adding a board of directors member from the Alaska Pharmacy Association to the task force. Other changes include extending the due date of the task force report from December 31, 2024 to January 31, 2025. The task force was originally set to end at the beginning of the legislative session, but changes altered this timeline so that it would conclude at the end of the session instead. Another amendment required that any task force members from the Alaska State Medical Association must be physicians. “These are all items that we were looking to clean up with the other body if they weren’t tackled today and so I fully support them.” commented Armstrong.

The next move is for HB-228 to be presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 6.

Senate Bill 166 is a companion bill to HB-228, introduced in January by sponsor Sen. Forrest Dunbar. At a Senate Labor & Commerce committee hearing in February, Dunbar explained the purposes of the bill: “…the overriding purpose of the task force is still the same: We are preparing Alaska—hopefully preparing—for what we see as the very likely legalization, in the medical context, of certain of these substances,” Dunbar said. 

Alaska legalized medical cannabis through a voter initiative in 1998, and adult-use cannabis was later passed through a voter initiative in February 2015.

The post Alaska House Approves Bill To Establish Task Force To Investigate Psychedelic Therapy first appeared on High Times.

The post Alaska House Approves Bill To Establish Task Force To Investigate Psychedelic Therapy appeared first on Paradise Found.