Here’s what’s in store for you in today’s issue:
🍄 Healing brain damage
🍄 The cure to meth addiction?
🍄 How tripping opens your mind
🍄 Reducing crime with shrooms
🍄 And more.
You’ll want to stay till the end to learn how someone hugged their childhood self in an unexpected trip!
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Recent research suggests that psilocybin promotes the growth of neurons in the brain, but is it enough to repair extreme brain damage? Some claim it can, and we’ll have more insights soon!
Wesana Health (WESA) began conducting animal studies to test a psilocybin-based regimen on traumatic brain injury (TBI). The studies will examine different doses on locomotor activity, anxiety and depression, which are common side effects of brain injuries.
Expect results this fall on a current human study covering TBI, anxiety, depression, and migraines.
Revive Therapeutics (RVV) is partnering with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to conduct two exciting new psilocybin studies.
One study will research the effect of psilocybin on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and strokes, expanding on preclinical findings that psilocybin improved cognitive function in mice with TBI.
Revive will also conduct a Phase I/II clinical study to determine psilocybin’s impact on adults with methamphetamine use disorder. Both studies will begin patient enrollment by the end of the year.
If you take this medication, you may want to avoid psychedelics.
A new analysis from Johns Hopkins researchers suggests that psychedelics could increase seizure risk in people taking lithium, a common bipolar medication. The researchers analyzed online self-reports from sites like Reddit and Shroomery and found that 29 of 62 reports combining the drugs resulted in seizures, and an additional 11 reporting bad trips.
On the bright side, there were no reports of seizures or bad trips out of the 34 cases involving psychedelics and a different bipolar medication called lamotrigine.
Research suggests that psychedelic drug use is linked to decreased criminal behaviour.
An analysis of 13 years worth of survey data revealed that psychedelic drug use was associated with decreased odds of past year theft, assault, arrest for property crime, and arrest for violent crimes by 27%, 12%, 22%, and 18%, respectively.
The use of other illegal drugs was associated with increased odds of criminal behaviour.
“These findings are consistent with a growing body of research suggesting classic psychedelics confer enduring psychological and prosocial benefits.”
It’s actually backed by science!
Research suggests that 5-HT2A serotonin receptors play an important role in a flexible thinking since they’re found in the region of the brain responsible for learning and cognition. A study conducted on rats found that when these receptors are blocked, the rats became unable to spontaneously change from one behaviour to another to earn a reward, indicating a decrease in cognitive flexibility.
Psilocybin activates the 5-HT2A serotonin receptors, as its chemical structure is quite similar to serotonin, which explains why so many users experience an increase in cognitive flexibility and a decrease in rigid thought patterns. Lack of cognitive flexibility is often associated with disorders like depression and OCD, so it makes sense that psilocybin is being used to treat these conditions!
The Fireside Project created the first psychedelics peer support line to provide free emotional support to people during or after their intense trips. The San Francisco-based non-profit just launched an app that makes it even easier to contact the line. The line is expanding to operate seven days a week from 3pm to 3am, and the co-founder hopes to offer services in multiple languages in every country and in every country in the world.
You can call or text the line at 62-FIRESIDE (623-473-7433) or through the app. Happy tripping!
Fragile x syndrome (FXS) is the leading genetic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms, yet there is currently no approved prevention or treatment options. Nova Mentis (NOVA) is working to fill this gap with a non-psychedelic drug based on psilocybin.
The company announced that its proprietary psilocybin drug, NM1010, was able to improve cognition without a creating psychedelic effect in a preclinical model of FXS. In tests on animals, the drug showed improvements in inflammatory biomarkers that may be linked to the ASD disease process.
The company has filed for orphan drug designation with the European Medicines Agency (EMA), a status that gives companies exclusive rights and tax credits to incentive the development of treatments for diseases affecting ≤ 5 in 10,000 people.
Is this novel compound superior to natural psilocybin?
Mindset Pharma (MSET) revealed preclinical research suggesting that its novel psilocybin/psilocin analogs are more effective and faster acting than psilocybin, making them ideal for use in clinical settings.
An in vitro study (a study on cells in a petri dish) showed that the novel compounds had 5-10 times the effect on serotonin 5-HT2A receptors as psilocybin, which was verified by testing on mice. The half-life of the compound was less than half of psilocybin’s, which would make psychedelic therapy sessions faster.
The world’s largest psilocybin therapy study on depression is approaching completion, and it’s even bigger than expected.
Compass Pathways (CMPS) announced that it’s close to completing its phase 2b trial on treatment-resistant depression, and expects to report the findings by the end of this year. So far, 233 patients have received COMP360 psilocybin therapy, exceeding the target of 216. The company also announced its Q2 financial highlights including $316.3 million in cash and equivalents as of June 30.
Cities across the US are taking the first step toward legalizing psychedelics – deprioritization.
Deprioritization isn’t quite decriminalization. Under state and federal laws, it is still illegal to use, possess, transport, or cultivate entheogenic drugs like psilocybin mushrooms, but many cities are passing resolutions to make investigating these cases the lowest priority of law enforcement.
So far, psilocybin is deprioritized in Denver, Oakland, Santa Cruz, Washington DC, Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Somerville, Cambridge, and Northampton. Easthampton, Massachusetts; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Arcata, California will likely be the next to join the list as early as this fall.
This Reddit user was expecting a mild experience when they took a lemon tek of two small mushrooms, but that wasn’t the case…
“After seeing some most beautiful and bizarre color palette, the highlight of my trip occurred. I saw eyes lots of eyes, not a pair just single eyes. They were wearing golden robes lmao, and the eye in the center told me he’s the one who watches over me and takes care of me, I was filled with gratitude, tears started to roll from my eyes. For some time I kept seeing single eyes, not a pair it was the most bizarre thing I have experienced. I was trying hard to control the trip effects and the eye told me “this is what you always do, trying to control everything, just let it go” and I decided to listen to the eye and I just decided to enjoy the trip. After this eye thing ended I started seeing geometrical patterns, beautiful lotus in the way I can’t describe in words but it was geometrical for sure. The petals of the lotus kept opening one after another, my mouth was open in awe and I was trying to cover it with my hands.
I wasn’t comfortable in the sofa so I went into my bedroom to feel more comfortable, And I noticed my pillow cover is so beautiful (It’s plain white cover) I could see every thread of the cover. I couldn’t stop touching it and looking at the cover again and again. My face was twitching in-between, a moment came and I felt the trip is now over, since it wasn’t even much shroom right? I went into kitchen and all I wanted to do is roast veggies lol. I did that. But came back to my bed.
Now so far everything was amazing, but now some old shit started coming up, I saw my childhood self exactly me scared, shy but I felt as if I’m relieving that. I asked to that tiny me what went wrong with you? and she told me she was lonely, scared I felt so bad I wanted to hug my tiny self. It answered so many questions I had for myself why I’m the way I am.”
