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Issue 1

Issue 1

Here’s what’s in store for you in today’s issue:

🍄 The secret ingredient to avoiding nausea induced by psilocybin.

🍄 How a change in Jamaica’s laws will make your next all-inclusive even more fun.

🍄 How Kristen Bell is overcoming a 22 year struggle with depression (in one dose).

🍄 How psychedelics are helping patients move away from daily medication.

🍄 And more.

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What psychedelics teach about healing trauma

The psychedelic treatment revolution is shifting the model of psychiatry away from daily medication for mental health treatment, according to psychiatrist Dr. Craig Heacock. Heacock believes that mental health issues like depression, anxiety, addiction, and PTSD “are more often than not tied to a deep, and largely untouchable, river of trauma that lies beneath our reach in the unconscious mind”. Psilocybin therapy is proving to be an effective treatment option because it brings deeply repressed trauma to the surface so that patients can “begin to rework and reframe their experience without fear”.

Treat depression, get in touch with your emotions, and avoid sexual dysfunction 

A new study suggests that psilocybin therapy is at least as effective in treating depression as the leading antidepressant, but with fewer side effects and faster results. After six weeks, participants receiving psilocybin therapy saw an 8.0 point reduction in depressive symptoms and reported “greater improvements in the ability to cry and feel compassion, intense emotion, and pleasure”. Participants receiving escitalopram, a leading SSRI antidepressant, saw just a 6.0 point reduction in depressive symptoms, and were more likely to experience side effects like anxiety, dry mouth, sexual dysfunction, and reduced emotional responsiveness”.

Anna from Frozen does shrooms?

After suffering from depression for 22 years, actress Kristen Bell finds relief and self-love from a single dose of psilocybin.

Kristen Bell became extremely interested in psychedelics and their power to change your mindset after reading How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan. Bell has suffered from waves of depression for 22 years and has tried everything from antidepressants and therapy to meditation. Bell took one dose of psilocybin, and stated that “the places you can go in your brain are much deeper and more healing than anything else”.

Bell explains that the out of body experience she had while taking mushrooms gave her a sense of self love. “I had separated this body that had done so much good in my life, that has taken me through happiness and pain and workouts and laziness that I just, like, couldn’t stop touching my legs, going, ‘You’re so strong. You’re so elegant’ “.

The secret ingredient to avoid nausea on your next trip

Soaking magic mushrooms in lemon juice can reduce nausea and heighten your trip. Simply grind the mushroom into a powder, add to a shot glass, submerge in lemon juice, stir, and drink immediately or within 20 minutes. Since lemon juice has a similar pH level as stomach acid, it helps breakdown beta-glucan, the compound in the mushrooms associated with nausea and upset stomach. This method can make your trip come on faster, shorten the trip, and increase its intensity because the acidic juice helps convert psilocybin into psilocin, the substance that makes you trip.

So next time you go for a trip, remember to bring some lemon juice 😉

Mushroom trip unlocks billion-dollar idea

After abstaining from drugs for decades, a German investor, Christian Angermayer, went on a life-changing mushroom trip that left him with profound insights and even made him understand Bitcoin. It was then that Angermayer decided to make radical changes to his investment strategy by focusing on things he’s passionate about.  

During a second transformative mushroom trip, Angermayer had the idea to commercialize psychedelics, which led him to make an angel investment in Compass Pathways, a biotech company focused on psychedelic therapy. His stake in Compass Pathways is now worth $2 billion and he manages over $2.5 billion in assets.

What could you discover on your next trip?

North American companies make the move to Jamaica

Here’s something that’ll make your next all-inclusive vacay a bit more trippy.

Many psychedelic companies are being drawn to Jamaica, one of the only countries where it’s legal to cultivate, extract, and sell psilocybin mushrooms. Silo Wellness is partnering with Mushe Inc. to open the first “smart shop” in the Western hemisphere, a psychedelic mushroom retail outlet that will sell functional and psychedelic mushrooms in various forms to locals and tourists.

Psyence Group formally began operations in Jamaica under its wholly owned subsidiary, Psyence Jamaica Ltd., which will focus on psilocybin treatment for patients in palliative care. To take on the new market, Psyence Jamaica is in collaboration with LONACAS Inc., a Jamaican clinical research company, and MycoMeditations, a “psilocybin wellness destination experience” in Treasure Beach, Jamaica.

Wake Network Inc. received clearance to conduct a “first-of-its-kind” clinical trial at a Jamaican university, which will study the effect of microdosing on depression and anxiety. 

Legal

June 8 – Seattle City Council Signs Letter Proposing Psychedelic Use in Opioid Addiction Treatment. Read more…

June 1 – California Senate Approves Bill To Legalize Possession Of Psychedelics Like Psilocybin And LSD. Read more…

June 1 – New York Bill Would Create State-Sponsored Psychedelics Research Institute. Read more…

May 31 – Texas legislature approves bill to study psychedelics to treat PTSD in veterans. Read more…

Industry Quick Hits

June 8 – Field Trip Health Ltd. Applies to List Its Common Shares on the NASDAQ Stock Market. Read more…

June 8 – Cybin Launches EMBARK and Co-Sponsors First Clinical Trial to Treat Frontline Clinicians Experiencing COVID-Related Burnout and Distress with Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy. Read more…

June 8 – Mydecine Discovers Over 40 Groundbreaking Potential Pharmacologically Active Novel Compounds in Mushrooms. Read more…

Video of the Week

Psilocybin, love and the meaning of life | Mary Cosimano

From work friends to family

A Reddit user says that their work friends now feel like family after experiencing a life-changing mushroom trip together. “It was like we had been through war together and we were at such an unbelievably tranquil and peaceful place. Everything was alright and it changed my life. I cannot stress how many years went by and how much I learned and dealt with. This was phenomenal.”

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Shrooms win the Seattle fight club: issue 18

Here’s what’s in store for you in today’s issue:

🍄 A trippy (family-friendly) vacay

🍄 Microdosing for pain management

🍄 Psychedelic beverages

🍄 The largest US city to decriminalize shrooms

🍄 And more.

You’ll want to stay till the end to learn how someone discovered their inner child with help from mischievous spirits!

(Did a good friend forward this to you? If so be sure to subscribe here)

Be sure to check out this week’s Daily Mushroom podcast:
Psychedelic medicines could hold a promise never seen before in mental healthcare

In this episode we have Dave Philips, a registered clinical counselor who has integrated psychedelic therapy into his practice. Dave talks about how he is training the next generation of psychedelic counselors and how he started in this extraordinary field.

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A trippy (family-friendly) vacay

Patients in palliative care have higher rates of depression – could a psychedelic retreat change this?

Launched yesterday in Utah, “Psychedelic Palliative Care by Novamind” combines psychedelic-assisted therapy with workshops, multi-day immersive retreats, and group support at its recently-opened clinic.

“Due to psychedelic medicine’s generally low side effect burden and fast-acting nature, it shows promise for patients who are physically ill and might have limited life expectancies,” said Novamind’s Chief Scientific Officer.

Fight Club💥

Lobe Sciences (LOBE) is partnering with the the World Boxing Association (“WBA”) to help boxers manage brain injuries!

The organizations plan to launch a global registry to identify former and current boxers with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and help them manage the side effects, which can often include PTSD. The WBA will also develop best practices for early diagnosis of mTBI that can be used immediately after fights for current boxers.

Injured boxers could potentially be treated with Lobe’s therapeutic regimen, which utilizes the combination of psilocybin and NAC (the pneumonia drug) mentioned in last week’s issue.

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E. coli + shroom moonshine anyone?

A recent study suggests that it’s possible to produce a potent “psilocybin moonshine” using a fast and simple homebrew method that doesn’t involve growing mushrooms or sterilization.

Researchers inserted magic mushroom genes into E. coli bacteria, which was then added to bottles, submerged in a water tank that was aerated with an aquarium pump, and covered with aluminum foil to maintain a temperature of 37 °C.

In less than two days, 300 mg of psilocybin was produced per liter of water. The method even worked without sterilization, but produced only 100 mg/L, yet this deficit was counteracted by adding a form of penicillin.

Even boomers want to microdose

New market research shows a growing interest in psilocybin services!

Red Light Oregon, a 50/50 joint venture between Red Light Holland (TRUFF) and Halo Collective (HALO), conducted market research to help the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board (OPAB) and health officials make informed regulations.

Of 473 Oregonian adults surveyed, 86% showed in interest in microdosing, including 94% of Gen Z and 74% of Boomers. As a result, Red Light Oregon launched an advocacy program to educate the OPAB and health officials on the benefits of microdosing.

The survey also found that 37% of adults, mainly minorities, did not know what psilocybin is, so the company is launching a community outreach program to educate underserved populations on psilocybin’s therapeutic effects.

Turn the music up, it’s sad boi hour

Scientists confirmed what mushroom users have long known…

In a study conducted by a Copenhagen University researcher, psilocybin was found to increase the emotional response to music, whereas the control drug, ketanserin (a blood pressure medication), lessened the emotional response.

Participants listened to 10 minutes of classical music and were assessed on the Geneva Emotional Music Scale, which measures nine mental states: wonder, transcendence, tenderness, nostalgia, peacefulness, power, joyful activation, tension, and sadness. Those on psilocybin showed a 60% increase in emotions.

“What we need to do now is optimize this approach probably through individualizing and personalizing music tracks in therapy,” says Professor David Nutt of Imperial College London.

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New ways to consume drugs 🎉

Will shroom edibles and drinks be the next big thing in Cali?

Cannabis Global Inc. (CBGL) is developing methods to infuse psilocybin and psilocin, as well as other compounds found in psychedelic mushrooms, into foods and beverages.

The LA-based company has initiated research into infusion methods to improve bioavailability of the compounds and to mask the bitter flavour of the mushrooms. It has already filed 9 patent applications for its cannabinoid infusion technologies, which it hopes to leverage for this new research program.

With the state of California on track to have a psilocybin legalization measure on the 2022 ballot, the program could potentially serve a large marketplace in the near future.

Managing pain across the globe

Could microdosing + this new technology reduce pain in cancer patients?

MindBio Therapeutics is developing a technology platform to integrate with psychedelic therapy to prevent the mental health of cancer patients from deteriorating. By utilizing wearable devices, the platform is designed to help with pain management to prevent depression, existential distress, and anxiety.

MindBio Therapeutics will use the mindfulness app in an upcoming  Phase 2 microdosing trial, which is funded by the New Zealand government, to see if it provides additional benefits to late-stage cancer patients compared to microdosing alone.

The company aims to commercialize the application globally and believes the tech has potential to receive government funding in Europe.

More psilocybin please!

This new extraction method could yield more psilocybin from a single mushroom than previously possible.

Natural psilocybin extraction can have low and unstable yields, which is why many companies opt for synthetic versions. When mushrooms are dehydrated, the total psilocybin/psilocin content extracted is three times lower than the total amount believed to be in the mushroom.

Optimi Health (OPTI) developed an extraction technique that not only increases the yield of natural psilocybin, but also protects the compounds from degeneration while reducing the cost of the final drug. On Tuesday, the company announced that it filed a provisional patent application to protect the process.

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Seattle becomes the largest US city to decriminalize psychedelics

With a unanimous vote, a new legislation was passed to decriminalize the possession, cultivation, and sharing of psychedelic mushrooms, ayahuasca, ibogaine and non-peyote-derived mescaline.

Peyote was intentionally excluded from the measure, as it’s in danger of extinction due to the increase in illegal harvesting. In fact, Santa Cruz recently removed peyote and other mescaline-containing cacti from the city’s decriminalization policy after pushback from Indigenous groups that consider the entheogens to be sacred.

Psychedelic reform coming this year!

It’s time for the federal government to catch up with the rest of America. 

At a psychedelics policy symposium organized by Harvard’s Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation (POPLAR), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) said he plans to bring drug reform to the Capitol this year!

“I promise you I will do my part—not only assisting in the evolution of the Oregon [psilocybin] program, but I plan on bringing this movement to Capitol Hill this year in the same way we developed the foundation for the support of our cannabis work,” he vowed.

This is why Gen Z should be in charge…

Some of the youngest state legislators in the US want to decriminalize all drugs.

Tony Labranche, a 19-year-old Rep. of New Hampshire, is pushing to establish a regulated cannabis sales system and decriminalize the possession of magic mushrooms, as well as all other controlled substances. The reform proposals are bold for a GOP-controlled state, but they’re sparking more dialogue about the need to end the war on drugs.

Back in February, a 20-year-old lawmaker filed a bill to broadly decriminalize drug possession in Kansas, noting that drug use should be treated as a mental health problem rather than a criminal one.

Canada is following suit, with the city of Toronto preparing to ask Health Canada to decriminalize all drugs, similar to Vancouver’s request in May.

Progress down under

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) may reschedule psilocybin and MDMA after recognizing their therapeutic potential.

The substances are currently classified as Schedule 9, or “prohibited substances”, creating a barriers for conducting clinical research. The TGA is considering changing the classification to Schedule 8, or “controlled substances” (the same as THC) to allow controlled use in clinical settings.

The verdict will be announced in the first week of December after an advisory committee meeting!

Industry Quick Hits

Oct 1 – Psychedelic biotech startup Psylo raises $1.1m to treat mental health issues with psilocybin Read more…

Oct 4 – Incannex Healthcare (IHL) raises close to $18m, including $8m from chief medical officer Read more…

Oct 4 – Delix Therapeutics Named One of Fierce Biotech’s “Fierce 15” Companies of 2021 Read more…

Oct 5 – Mydecine (MYCO) To Supply MYCO-001 for Multi-Site NIDA Grant-Funded Smoking Cessation Study Lead by Dr. Matthew Johnson Read more…

Oct 5 – MindMed (MNMD) Announces Strategic Research Collaboration with Sphere Health Read more…

Oct 6 – Psygen Announces use of Psilocybin in Human Trial and Provides Update on IP Portfolio Read more… 

Oct 6 – Creso Pharma’s (CPH) psychedelics subsidiary proceeds to stability testing ahead of clinical trial Read more…

Oct 7 – Cybin (CYBN) Announces Milestone Achievements of its Subsidiary Adelia Therapeutics Read more…

Oct 7 – Tryp Therapeutics (TRYP) Announces Collaboration With Researchers At The University Of Wisconsin-Madison Read more… 

Oct 7 – PsyBio Therapeutics (PSYB) Successfully Demonstrates Commercial Scale Manufacturing Feasibility Read more…

Oct 7 – MYND Life Sciences (MYND) Announces Diagnostic Division with Formation of Wholly-Owned Subsidiary – MYND Diagnostics Ltd. Read more…

Oct 7 – HAVN LIFE (HAVN) Files Final Base Shelf Prospectus Read more… 

Video of the Week

The 7 Basic Steps Of Mushroom Cultivation

Playing with mischievous spirits

This Reddit user found their inner child with help from some cheeky entities.

“On my first trip, I was taken to my afterlife and was touched by the unconditional universal love. It was so beautiful and I cry everytime I try to tell anyone about it because it felt so powerful. I’m crying now lol. I felt like I was in the presence of God. I was shown my Heaven and was told that there is nothing to fear about dying. I felt so much love from God towards me, it was overwhelming but very healing. It was like the love I feel for my children…. total acceptance, no judgement, unconditional positive regard.

On the next few trips I met a variety of more playful spirits who would ‘play’ with me like children would. Some were quite cheeky and mischievous. I called them my ragtag band of misfits. They really like to portray themselves to me as pirates. They helped to bring out the child in me and my sense of fun which I must admit I had burried deep inside due to life circumstances. My partner, who is my usual trip sitter, always hoped I would meet them because he liked seeing my cheeky side come out. My pirate friends liked him too and often made me say funny things to him, but they were always respectful towards him. Eventually, they stopped coming to me, to make way for higher beings who had other lessons to teach me. I miss those rascals and I hope to see them again some day.”

Playlist of the Week

Psychedlic and Chill
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Elon takes shrooms to the moon!: issue 17

Here’s what’s in store for you in today’s issue:

🍄 Struggling with negative self image

🍄 Pneumonia drug + shrooms repair the brain?

🍄 Build your brain without getting high

🍄 Is Elon going to take shrooms to the moon?

🍄 And more.

You’ll want to stay till the end to learn how someone became a cartoon on magic truffles!

(Did a good friend forward this to you? If so be sure to subscribe here)

Be sure to check out last week’s Daily Mushroom podcast!
Psilocybin, is it the next cannabis wave?

In this episode we have Lenny Kerman, a strategic financial consultant who works with various psilocybin and cannabis companies. He talks about how he’s invested in the space and has some valuable information for those looking to invest as well.

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Struggling with a negative self image?

A recent study suggests that repeated psychedelic drug use may be effective in reducing PTSD symptoms and internalized shame in people who endured maltreatment during childhood.

The researchers surveyed adults with severe physical, emotional, or sexual trauma and found that those who took psychedelics for therapeutic purposes (in non-clinical settings) were less likely to have a negative self-concept or disturbances in relationships.

Participants who used psychedelics with therapeutic intent 5 times showed the lowest levels of internalized shame and complex trauma.

Enhancing psilocybin…with a pneumonia drug?

A drug that loosens mucus in the lungs could also help treat concussions!?

Lobe Sciences (LOBE) discovered that psilocybin might work better when paired with N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), a drug used to treat Tylenol overdose and respiratory conditions like pneumonia, bronchitis, and asthma.

In rodent models of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD, the combination of psilocybin and NAC performed significantly better than psilocybin, NAC, or a placebo alone.

The company is working on finding a supplier of high purity cGMP psilocybin to continue research and expand on these findings.

Reducing fish seizures

This Vancouver company is making advancements across its drug pipeline.

Dravet Syndrome, a disorder that causes epilepsy from a young age, is the target of a new study by Bright Minds (DRUG). In preclinical studies on zebrafish, DRUG was effective in reducing seizure duration and frequency and is now on track to be tested in human trials early next year.

In rat models, DRUG showed efficacy in treating opioid use disorder and binge eating disorder with rats demonstrating a 50% reduction in binge eating episodes.

The company also has a mixed compound that is in preclinical development for cluster headaches, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, and other pain disorders.

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Tripping in Times Square

This week, the first-ever psychedelic billboard campaign debuted in Times Square to spark a conversation about the healing power of plant medicines and disrupt profit-driven ads.

The #CelebratePlantMedicine campaign encourages viewers to share their personal experiences with plant medicines to destigmatize the use of psychedelics. It also aims to amplify the importance of set and setting, integration, and respecting Indigenous wisdom.

The campaign is run by DoubleBling Magazine, Musings Magazine, Rainbo Mushrooms, and Honeysuckle Magazine, which ran Time Square’s first cannabis billboard.

Go share your story with the hashtag to join the movement!

3 women + microdosing = )

Chelsea says that microdosing allows her to “stay fully present” and is the only tool that helps her focus her busy mind, but the biggest shift was in her anxiety. “For over fifteen years, I had severe anxiety, but through microdosing, I could sit with and deliberate my fears. I now rarely suffer with it, and if I do, it’s fleeting,” she shares.

One woman, Amber, was so depressed that everything felt dull and uninteresting, until she started microdosing. “When I microdosed for the first time I found myself noticing the beauty of the things around me again,” she says. She explains that microdosing is “akin to a child-like wonder” and makes her feel “more positive, open-minded and creative but still completely functional and sober”.

Bea finds that microdosing three times per week acts as a natural mood booster and study aid, brings her mental clarity, and helps her organize her life. She says she’s now able to be her true, stable self and is no longer the “people-pleasing, anxious version” of herself.

Is Elon going to take shrooms to the moon? 

Elon Musk has been known to have a major influence on the stock market, with his Tweets causing Bitcoin and Dogecoin to skyrocket almost instantaneously. His latest interview could take shroom stocks to the moon 😉

In an interview with Ronan Levy, co-founder of Field Trip Health (FTRP), Musk was asked what role he thinks psychedelics have in “addressing some of the more destructive tendencies of humanity.”

Elon replied, “I think, generally, people should be open to psychedelics. A lot of people making laws are kind of from a different era, so I think, as the new generation gets into political power, I think we will see greater receptivity to the benefits of psychedelics.”

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Build a better brain without getting high

“We are not a one- or two-asset company. We’ve got a large pipeline coming out,” warns David E. Olson, founder of Delix Therapeutics.

The Boston-based startup just raised $70 million in series A financing to develop psychedelic-inspired compounds that are safe enough to take at home.

The company has already synthesized about 1,000 compounds across 8+ classes of psychedelics, with the goal of creating compounds that form synapses between brain cells without inducing hallucinations.

The researchers have found a couple of promising contenders, which are on track to be studied in Phase 1 clinical trials by the end of this year.

Are stoners getting bored with cannabis?

These two companies are joining forces to become a leader in commercialized psilocybin extracts.

Pure Extracts (PULL), a cannabis, hemp, and mushroom extraction company, signed a Joint Venture agreement with Psyence Group (PSYG) to form “Pure Psyence”.

The agreement leverages Psyence Group’s licensed cultivation facility and standardized psilocybin mushroom supply to create high-purity, naturally-derived mushroom extracts. Yesterday, Psyence Group completed its first official validated harvest, bringing it one step closer to receiving a British Standards Institute (BSI) certification.

The combined expertise will make standardized psilocybin more accessible to Canadian research institutions and will allow Pure Psyence to conduct human clinical trials using the extracts.

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Healing the Armed Forces

The US government is funding psychedelic research to get military members the relief they deserve!

A new measure, filed by Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas, would allow the Secretary of Defense to award research grants to study psychedelic therapy as a PTSD treatment for active military members.

The measure would allow any State or Federal agency, academic institution, or nonprofit to study the therapeutic effects of psilocybin, ibogaine, MDMA, or 5-MeO-DMT. If passed, funds could be used for Phase 2 clinical studies involving members of the Armed Forces or to train practitioners to offer the treatment.

Another city decriminalizes psychedelics

Well, kind of…

In a 5-2 vote, Grand Rapids, Michigan approved a psychedelics decriminalization resolution, yet activists feel the measure falls short.

The resolution calls for law enforcement deprioritization for use and possession of psilocybin, peyote, ayahuasca, and ibogaine, but it doesn’t address the cultivation, purchase, transportation or distribution of the entheogens, unlike the measure passed in Ann Arbor.

On the bright side, the measure notes that the Mayor and City Commission will support efforts to decriminalize the entheogenic plants and fungi on a local, state, and federal level.

Psychedelic research coming to Florida

“The science regarding psilocybin is real, cannot be ignored, and soon will be a universally-accepted form of treatment in the U.S.,” said Rep. Michael Grieco (D) of Florida.

That’s why he and Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book (D) filed bills that would require the state to study the medical potential of psilocybin and MDMA.

The bills were modeled on the measure enacted in Texas earlier this year to study psychedelic therapy for veterans with PTSD, but with an even broader scope. If enacted, the Department of Health would be directed to research other conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, chronic pain and migraines.

Industry Quick Hits

Sept 27 – Clearmind Medicine (CMND) To Fund Second R&D Partnership With Hebrew University’s Technology Transfer Company Read more…

Sept 27 – Nikean Foundation announces $5 million gift to create a Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Centre at Toronto’s University Health Network (UHN) Read more…

Sept 27 – Delic (DELC) Closes C$7.0 Million Private Placement With U.S. Institutional Investor to Fuel Growth of Largest National Presence Read more…

Sept 28 – NeonMind (NEON) Advances Strategy For Specialty Clinic Launch Read more…

Sept 28 – PharmaTher (PHRM) Announces Closing of CAD$10 Million Private Placement with Institutional Investors Read more…

Sept 29 – MYND Life Sciences Inc. (MYND) Announces RSU Grant Read more…

Sept 29 – Blackhawk Growth’s (BLR) Mindbio Therapeutics Signs Collaboration Agreement With Digital Mind Technology Technology Read more… 

Sept 30 – MINDCURE Announces Commencement of Trading on the OTCQX Best Market Under Symbol ‘MCURF’ Read more…

Sept 30 – Novamind (NM) Opens 6th Integrative Psychiatry Clinic, Adds 3rd Clinical Research Site Read more… 

Video of the Week

LIFE BEYOND: Chapter 1

Becoming an extremely pleasing ball of flesh

This Reddit user had a memorable first trip on magic truffles.

“We cycled to an extremely secluded hill with trees covering it from all sides and where no one ever goes. It’s our secret chill spot mostly used for smoking weed. We sat down in pure awe of the spot and nature. Generating sentences and word combinations was EXTREMELY HARD, because every time we wanted to get a thought out, when we started explaining it, our brains had already moved on to the next thought. It was a rapid fire of thoughts and ideas and we laid down looking at the sky and the trees in silence just thinking about the universe and different topics.

Everything had patterns and colors were extremely bright and vibrant. Everything was breathing and flowing and when I looked at my phone, I couldn’t decipher words as all the letters on my keyboard and screen kept moving and switching places. I didn’t see words, but rather letter combinations. Looking at the camera, my face was constantly moving, shrinking and getting bigger. My eyes looked big and cartoony. It looked like I was living in a cartoon as everything looked like a drawing and too symmetrical to be real. At one point I pressed my head against my knee and felt like my body was merging into a ball of flesh, but it felt extremely pleasing. Everything was positive, loving and peaceful. I was at peace with myself and the universe. Orange juice tasted amazing. Me and my friend didn’t have much interaction as we were both fully engulfed in the trip. He told me afterwards that he had many similar effects to me.

At the end of the peak, I noticed my friend shedding tears and put my hand on his shoulder and asked him if everything was ok. He said he wasn’t sad, but they were rather tears of joy and acceptance. Seems like he was having an even more intense experience than me, but he said his trip was extremely good just like mine and no signs of a bad trip or negative thoughts.”

Playlist of the Week

Psychedlic and Chill
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Its now safe to vape government funded shrooms on antidepressants: issue 16

Here’s what’s in store for you in today’s issue:

🍄 Combining psilocybin with antidepressants

🍄 Vaping mushrooms?

🍄 The cure for constant hunger

🍄 Government-funded shroom trip

🍄 And more.

You’ll want to stay till the end to learn how someone gained a new skill during their first trip!

(Did a good friend forward this to you? If so be sure to subscribe here)

Be sure to check out this week’s Daily Mushroom podcast!
Psilocybin, is it the next cannabis wave?

In this episode we have Lenny Kerman, a strategic financial consultant who works with various psilocybin and cannabis companies. He talks about how he’s invested in the space and has some valuable information for those looking to invest as well.

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Psilocybin or antidepressants? Why not both!

A new study found that combining SSRIs and psilocybin is not only safe, but may be beneficial!

Yesterday, MindMed (MNDM) announced the findings from an ongoing study conducted in collaboration with UHB Liechti Lab.

Psilocybin was found to be safe to administer with an SSRI antidepressant and did not reduce the psychedelic experience. Two weeks prior to the psilocybin dose, volunteers were give a daily pretreatment of the SSRI escitalopram. As a result, the volunteers experienced reduced anxiety and blood pressure increases that can occur with psilocybin administration.

The cure for constant hunger

Can shrooms treat this rare genetic disorder?

Tryp Therapeutics (TRYP) is preparing for a Phase 2a study on overeating disorders including a rare condition called Prader-Willi Syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes intellectual disability, shortness in height, and constant hunger than often leads to obesity and diabetes.

The clinical trial is expected to begin in Q4 of this year and will investigate various other eating disorders such as binge eating and hypothalamic obesity. Ten patients will be given two doses of psilocybin, which in theory will increase neuroplasticity to create healthier neural patterns related to eating habits.

The San Diego company just filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the FDA, for TRP-8802, the psilocybin formulation that will be used in the study.

Say goodbye to extreme anxiety

Mydecine (MYCO) filed a patent for a new anxiety and PTSD drug that provides more immediate relief than pure psilocybin.

The compound, MYCO-003, combines a serotonin agonist with a serotonin releasing agent – two drug classes that increase one’s sense of well-being, safety, and happiness. The formulation has shown positive preclinical data and has potential to relieve extreme anxiety before needing to provide extensive supportive care.

The patent was filed with both the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Mydecine (MYCO) filed a patent for a new anxiety and PTSD drug that provides more immediate relief than pure psilocybin.

The compound, MYCO-003, combines a serotonin agonist with a serotonin releasing agent – two drug classes that increase one’s sense of well-being, safety, and happiness. The formulation has shown positive preclinical data and has potential to relieve extreme anxiety before needing to provide extensive supportive care.

The patent was filed with both the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

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Government-funded shroom trip

After half a century, the US federal government has started funding psychedelic research again!

A researcher at Johns Hopkins University received a U01 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to fund a multi-site study on psilocybin for tobacco addiction, which will take place at Johns Hopkins, New York University, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The researcher, Dr. Matthew W. Johnson, noted that this is the first time a psychedelic study has received funding since the War on Drugs was declared in the 70s, marking a “new era in legitimacy of psychedelic science”.

Microdosing research expands worldwide!

Yesterday, Wake Network Inc. received a Certificate of Drug Registration from the Jamaican Ministry of Health & Wellness for PSIL428, its microdose formulation made from natural psilocybin.

The certification allows the company to run clinical trials on anxiety and depression and makes PSIL429 available to clinics and academic institutions across the globe. Any country with a special access program can request to import the legal formulation for patient use.

In other microdosing news, MindBio Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Blackhawk Growth Corp. (BLR), is partnering with Trip Pharma’s LeichtMind clinic to launch microdosing clinical trials in Canada!

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Let me hit that vape

Will psychedelic therapy soon involve vaping shrooms?

Delic (DELC) is the first company to receive Health Canada approval to research psilocybin vaporization.

On Monday, Delic entered into an agreement to acquire Ketamine Wellness Clinics, a company that runs 10 ketamine infusion centers across 8 states. The deal increases Delic’s total number of clinics to 12 and adds over 60 medical professionals to the team, making it the largest psychedelic wellness chain in the US. Within the next 18 months, the company hopes to grow this number to 27 clinics!

Once granted FDA-approval, DELIC aims to offer other psychedelic treatments at these locations including MDMA and psilocybin therapy, which could potentially use the vaporization technology!

Optimizing psychedelic therapy…there’s an app for that!

MINDCURE’s (MCUR) digital therapeutics platform could improve the psychedelic healing journey for both patients and clinicians!

The software application, iSTRYM, provides clinicians with a global database of therapy protocols, integration plans, and AI-driven data insights into patient journeys. The application connects to mobile and wearable devices to measure patients’ biological response to the treatment, allowing clinicians to provide personalized care. iSTRYM also offers a Mindfulness Suite that patients can use to explore practices like breathwork and meditation to support their healing. 

This week, MINDCURE signed into an exclusive licensing agreement with ATMA Journey Centers, a private psychedelic therapy clinic in Calgary, which will grant MINDCURE access to anonymous patient data gathered from ATMA’s use of the platform.

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Half a million Italians want to decriminalize mushrooms!

You may want to postpone your trip to Italy till next year 😉

Italian activists collected 500,000 signatures in favour of a referendum to decriminalize marijuana and psilocybin – enough to qualify for a ballot measure!

The referendum would remove Italy’s prohibition on cultivating psychoactive substances, but the further processing required to produce most narcotics would remain illegal. Fortunately, magic mushrooms are ready to enjoy after cultivation alone! 

A vote is expected to take place in spring of 2022 given that the Court of Cassation and the Constitutional Court sign off on the measure after reviewing the petition. 

Perpetuating the worst research blackout in history

Back in May, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson approved the rescheduling of psilocybin to make it easier to research its therapeutic effects.

Months have passed, yet the Home Office has failed to act, “perpetuating what can be considered the worst research blackout in scientific history,” according to the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group (CDPRG). Crispin Blunt MP, chairman of the CDPRG, is urging the Home Office to take action fast to tackle the mental health crisis. 

A Home Office spokesperson said that there are currently no plans to reschedule psilocybin due to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, but they will consider any recommendations from The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), which is reviewing the barriers to researching controlled drugs.

Industry Quick Hits

Sept 21 – Eversio Wellness Harvests Its First Legally Grown Psychoactive Mushrooms Read more…

Sept 21 – Clearmind Medicine (CMND) Partners with The Hebrew University to Develop Novel Psychedelic Drug Read more…

Sept 21 – FSD Pharma (HUGE) Announces Closing Of Lucid Psycheceuticals Acquisition Read more… 

Sept 23 – Havn Life (HAVN) Announces Supply And Distribution MOU With Mycrodose Therapeutics Read more…

Sept 23 – Numinus (NUMI) Completes Acquisition of Neurology Centre of Toronto Read more…

Sept 23 – Delic (DELC) Announces C$7.0 Million Private Placement With Institutional Investor Read more…

Sept 24 – Novamind (NM) Announces DTC Eligibility for its Common Shares Read more…

Sept 24 – PharmaTher (PHRM) Announces CAD$10 Million Private Placement With Institutional Investors Read more…

Video of the Week

History of Magic Mushrooms

New superpower unlocked

This Reddit user gained a new ability during their first trip.

“I’m in my 40s and have been tone deaf as well as having hearing loss my whole life. I can’t carry a tune or recognize notes/melodies, and have never connected emotionally to music. When I dance, I’m just imitating others. I don’t know how to dance to music.

I tried magic mushrooms for the first time. My friend had music playing and at one point during my trip, I started humming and singing. I became the song and my body knew how to dance and play an instrument. My fingers were making the most intricate, precise movements- strumming an instrument like a professional musician. Dance movements came to me and I could feel it in my nervous system as I danced. Afterwards, I was still ready to believe that I was probably horribly out of tune and stumbling around and making stuff up, but my friend- who was not tripping- confirmed that I was carrying a tune, humming the song that was playing, and danced as if I had been trained and done it all my life.

This is just… unbelievable. And also merely a facet of the whole trip! I’d love to hear if this resonates with others and if there have been similar experiences!”

Playlist of the Week

Trippy playlist for all
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Educated young adults are taking more psychedelics and drinking less: issue 15

Here’s what’s in store for you in today’s issue:

🍄 A different approach to treating depression

🍄 6 stocks to make you $

🍄 Healing racial trauma

🍄 A new psychedelics ETF

🍄 And more.

You’ll want to stay till the end to learn how someone travelled to different dimensions with Post Malone!

(Did a good friend forward this to you? If so be sure to subscribe here)

Be sure to check out this week’s Daily Mushroom podcast!
How Psilocybin Is Revolutionizing The Way We Die

In this episode Natasha Fearnley, the first nurse to legally experience psilocybin therapy, shares her fascinating views on palliative care.

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Can this combination treat depression?

Allied Corp. (ALID) has a new approach for treating depression, anxiety and PTSD.

The Kelowna-based company developed a proprietary formulation called Psilonex RX that combines psilocybin extract with functional mushroom extracts and a blend of vitamins.

Allied Corp. aims to treat patients by prescribing a dose of Psilonex RX followed by a daily dose of its CBD product, Psilonex Daily.

The company just began manufacturing Psilonex RX under an agreement with HAVN Life Sciences (HAVN).

Healing racial trauma

A mission to end racism, bring equity to healthcare, and treat racial trauma. Psychologist, Monnica Williams of the University of Ottawa, believes that psilocybin and MDMA can help people of colour address the trauma they’ve endured from racial biases.

“Using psychedelics can not only bring these pain points to the surface for healing, but can reduce the anxiety or response to these memories and allow them to speak openly about them without the pain they bring,” Williams says.

She notes that POC are vastly underrepresented in the mental health care sector, specifically in psychedelic-assisted therapy, and expresses the need for specialized training to work with marginalized groups.

Williams has struggled to find funding for her research in this area in the past, but she’s hopeful that her work will gain more traction with the recent increased attention to racial justice.

Tapping into traditional healing

Resurgent Biosciences, a subsidiary of Goodness Growth Holdings (GDNS), is tapping into the spiritual and cultural side of psychedelics to develop a better approach to psychedelic therapy.

The company is launching a study on the naturalistic use of entheogens through a partnership with Flor da Jurema, a temple community in Brazil where visitors can take part in spiritual experiences with traditional plant medicines.

The study, which was just approved by an independent Institutional Review Board, will survey 100 adults who have participated in entheogen therapy centers or psychedelic retreats in the last five years.

The goal is to get a sense of their intentions, motivations, experiences, demographics, and willingness to participate in entheogen research in the future and use the findings to create more positive, long-lasting results from psychedelic-assisted therapies.

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Educated young adults are taking more drugs and drinking less

To escape the boredom and stress of the pandemic, college students are turning to psychedelics and marijuana.

A recent study found that psychedelic drug use among college students nearly doubled during the pandemic, increasing from 5% in 2019 to 9% in 2020. For non-college young adults, use increased from 8% to 10%.

College students also reported record-high marijuana use and record-low levels of alcohol consumption and binge drinking, likely as a result of fewer social events.

Experts predict that these trends reflect need to cope with mental health issues the desire to break monotony with a different mental state.

Psychedelic journalists!

“As the field of psychedelics explodes, we’re going to need sophisticated journalism to provide the public with reliable information and the field with accountability.”

That’s where Tim Ferriss steps in.

His non-profit organization, the Saisei Foundation, just donated $800,000 over three years to UC Berkeley’s Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP) to establish the Ferriss – UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowship.

The fellowship, which will be overseen by BCSP co-founder Michael Pollan, will support young journalists reporting on the psychedelics industry for mainstream news outlets. Journalists can apply to receive grants of up to $15,000 to investigate the science, policy, business and culture of psychedelics.

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These 6 stocks will make you money 🤑

On Tuesday, the Canadian investment bank Eight Capital gave a Buy rating to 6 psychedelic stocks. Here are the projected returns:

Invest in this ETF… because YOLO 😉

New ETF alert!

Yesterday, AdvisorShares launched the first psychedelic ETF on a US exchange – NYSE: PSIL.

The portfolio manager, Dan Ahrens, has an extensive track record of managing ETFs in a variety of sectors including two cannabis ETFs, MSOS and YOLO.

The distribution of holdings is shown below:

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Michigan paves the way

Michigan could be the next state to decriminalize psilocybin!

Senator Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) introduced a bill, SB 631, that would decriminalize the use, possession, cultivation, and delivery of psilocybin and mescaline.

The bill would also allow practitioners to use the psychedelics in counseling or spiritual guidance, but commercial sales would remain illegal.

The city of Ann Arbor, Michigan has already decriminalized psychedelics, and Detroit isn’t far behind with a decriminalization initiative to appear on the ballot this November.

Go sign this petition!

A California activist group, Decriminalize California, is working to get a psilocybin legalization measure on the 2022 ballot, and they’re making progress!

The measure, called the California Psilocybin Initiative, would allow the possession, use, cultivation, social sharing, and even the retail sale of psilocybin.

This week, the group was  cleared to begin collecting signatures for the initiative- they’ll need 623,212 registered voters to sign the petition within 180 days. Luckily, 2,800 people have already volunteered to help with the process.

“I feel pretty damn good honestly [about the prospects of the initiative]. People are so psyched for psychedelics,” said the director of the campaign.

Industry Quick Hits

Sept 14 – Nova Mentis (NOVA) Applies to US FDA for Psilocybin Orphan Drug Designation Fragile X Syndrome Treatment Read more…

Sept 14 – First subject dosed in Beckley Psytech’s psilocybin trial for rare headache disorder Read more…

Sept 14 – Mindset Pharma (MSET) Further Validates Lead Candidate, MSP-1014, as a Next Generation Psilocybin Analog through Drug Discrimination Assay Read more…

Sept 17 – Enveric Biosciences (ENVB) Announces Closing of MagicMed Industries Acquisition Read more…

Video of the Week

Expert Answers Psychedelics Questions From Twitter (ft. Michael Pollan)

Seeing aliens with Post Malone

This Reddit user tapped into different dimensions after taking 2.7 grams of Penis Envy mushrooms.

“I turned on a podcast that I highly recommend to all experienced trippers after my experience with it. It was Joe Rogan and Post Malone tripping together. Once I turned on the podcast I was immediately intrigued about how I could feel their emotions and vibes and feel like I was tripping with them. All of the sudden my no-visual trip got slapped in the face when the whole tv starting started to swirl around and their eyes got all geeked out. I was about to turn it off because I didn’t want to have a artificial video of edited psilocybin visuals. I paused the video, and I realized that the screen was still moving like it was before and the visuals were REAL. At that moment in time I got excited because I knew what was about to come was gonna be good.

I turn the podcast back on and I start to zone out at the tv when I feel a rush of euphoria flowing though my body at the beat of my heart. I was manually breathing and I felt like I was gonna fall FORWARD while laying down because the end of my bed was a for some reason interrupted as a cliff my my brain. The whole room was a weird color like a color invert Instagram filter, I don’t know how to explain this in words guys, but I actually felt like I was being lifted and about to be thrown off my bed. I was gripping for dear life my god it was intense.

Then they started taking about aliens.. they said something about them being around all the time but we just can’t see them until we’re on mushrooms. BOOM fucking blast off I was seeing my own version of alien entity’s all around me. Every square inch of my peripheral vision was different species staring at me. It was incredible.

But I’d like to mention, only watch this podcast if you’re experienced because they do talk about ghosts and the most terrifying things they can think of at one point and they actually scared themselves a little bit lol. Creeped me out too because it wasn’t just stories, I FELT the ghosts and spirits. With full force I was like a skipping record player switching through dimensions on every topic they’d talk about and I felt like Post Malone was family for about three hours. I have never been so deep in my life and this is the most excited I’ve ever been about mushrooms and their capabilities of tapping into other worlds and dimensions and having realizations that you can’t EVER have sober.”

Playlist of the Week

Trippy Trance 👽
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Ever wondered what happens at a psychedelic retreat? 

Here’s one participant’s experience at MycoMeditations’ week-long psilocybin retreat in Jamaica, where magic mushrooms have never been illegal.

“My first trip was out of this world – I felt unconditional love, even saw myself being born and my mom holding me for the first time with tears of joy. Later, I was in a different scene. It was like I was releasing negative energy that had been stored in my body at a cellular level.

The second trip was not like the first one. It took 4 hours to kick in and when it did I felt alarming paranoia. Ugh. One of the staff members was able to stay with me and comfort me. I was hot and miserable. Sometimes, it isn’t all positive and fun trips. But coming out of the second trip, I felt immense empathy for anyone suffering from mental illness. Later, I called my cousin who skipped my grandpa’s funeral a few years ago. And since then, I have talked to him again and even apologized for judging him instead of asking if he was ok. The second trip wasn’t a waste despite it not being “fun” while in it.

Finally, the third trip was all about gratitude, beauty, and then serenity…. Even a week later, my lungs are breathing so deeply without me telling them too. The sense of calm and peace – a zero on an anxiety level – has been quite frankly the most surprising. I thought the mushrooms were going to have me hallucinate and maybe see some cool things. I did not expect my body to respond this positively. I should have done this YEARS ago. I feel so light – Not a worry. Not one.”

It’s not surprising that they gave the experience 5 stars on Trip Advisor.