Hello and welcome back for the final issue of the year.
2021 proved to be a monumental year for the psychedelic sector. We saw more psychedelic research than ever before, and the medicines became widely accepted by the public and mainstream media (we like to think that we helped with that 😉).
In this special issue, we’ll review this year’s top advancements, scientific breakthroughs, and legislation changes that have moved the psychedelic revolution forward.
Whether you’ve been following along since Issue 1 or you’re brand new to the Daily Mushroom Community – thank you for joining us 🧡 We are so grateful that we can use this platform to give psychedelic medicine the attention it deserves.
We’ll see you in the New Year with an exciting announcement!
In 2021, we heard stories from:
Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple ⬇️
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) conducted the first-ever Phase 3 trial for psychedelic-assisted therapy – and the results were incredible.
Patients with chronic PTSD (many battling the condition for over 20 years) finally found relief after three sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy.
Of the 46 patients, two-thirds no longer qualified for a PTSD diagnosis and 88% experienced a clinically significant reduction in symptoms after the sessions 👏
Researchers explain that MDMA reduces activity in the amygdala, a part of the brain associated with fear response, allowing patients to process trauma in therapy without becoming overwhelmed.
MAPS expects that MDMA therapy will become FDA-approved in 2023. The non-profit has begun patient enrollment for a second study of similar nature, so stay tuned for the results.
A study conducted by Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris at Imperial College London suggests that psilocybin is more effective than antidepressants – and with fewer side effects.
Patients with mild-to-severe depression were given either a daily dose of escitalopram (aka Lexapro) or two doses of psilocybin.
In the psilocybin group:
In the escitalopram group:
These magazine covers say it all – just look how far we’ve come!
Yale researchers discovered that psilocybin regrows and strengthens neuronal connections that can be lost due to depression or chronic stress.
Two months later, Algernon Pharmaceuticals (AGN) found that DMT was even more effective at growing neuronal connections, even at sub-hallucinogenic doses 🤯
The formation of new connections could explain why psychedelics are so effective at altering negative thought patterns and fostering positive behaviour change!
When the War on Drugs was declared in the 70s, the US federal government stopped funding psychedelic research.
Things changed this September, when Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. Matthew W. Johnson received a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to conduct a psilocybin study on tobacco addiction.
So far, his research has suggested that psilocybin is more than twice as effective at treating addiction than nicotine patches.
The Canadian government also began funding psilocybin research, with a grant given to MYND Life Sciences (MYND) to study depression and neuroinflammation.
Earlier this month, three Canadians gained legal exemptions to access psilocybin therapy to treat mental health conditions. This marked an exciting turning point by expanding access to the treatment beyond end-of-life care.
In October, Small Pharma’s DMT program for depression was found to be so promising that it was granted an Innovation Passport Designation from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The designation will give Small Pharma access to specialist advice to expedite the drug development process and facilitate patient access to the treatment.
Once approved, DMT could make psychedelic therapy more accessible and affordable because the trip takes just 20 minutes, yet produces long lasting effects!
We saw an explosion of microdosing research this year, including the largest psychedelic study to date, which revealed that microdosers exhibit lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress than non-microdosers. Many other intriguing studies have been initiated such as:
With more and more research confirming the incredible healing power of psychedelics, it’s no surprise that we’ve seen a tremendous amount of capital invested in the sector this year.
At the beginning of the year, there were just a handful of publicly-traded psychedelic companies. Now, there are over 70 public companies working to bring psychedelic medicines to market – some valued at over $1 billion! 🚀
In 2021, it became easier than ever to diversify your psychedelic portfolio 🤑
In January, Horizons ETFs Management debuted PSYK on Toronto’s NEO exchange, becoming the first exchange traded fund for psychedelic stocks.
Later in the year, two more ETFs were introduced on US exchanges – Definace ETFs’ PSY, a passive fund, and AdvisorShares’ PSIL, an actively managed fund.
Private investments in psychedelic companies reached $595M across 45 deals this November — that’s an increase of 66% from last year and 625% higher than in 2019 📈
Some or all psychedelics were decriminalized in:
More big wins:
Legislation was filed to decriminalize psychedelics in:
Legislation was filed to promote psychedelic research or legalize therapeutic use in:
