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Health Canada denies therapists access to psilocybin training

Health Canada denies health care practitioners access to psilocybin for training purposes

Health Canada denied dozens of healthcare practitioners access to psilocybin therapy training by rejecting their section 56 exemption applications. Now, clinical trials will likely be the only way to get experience with the psychedelic.

TheraPsil, the non-profit that helped with the applications, says that this will impact over one thousand practitioners on their waitlist for psilocybin training and several thousand patients seeking care.

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Washington won’t legalize psilocybin treatments… yet

Washington Bill to Legalize Psilocybin Mushroom Treatment Centers Won’t Pass

Washington’s initiative to legalize guided psilocybin sessions will not pass, according to the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jesse Salomon.

He explains that there are concerns of facilities losing federal revenue for offering the services, and that the Department of Health is too busy with Covid to implement new regulatory framework.

The Stranger

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Swimming in acid 🐠

Fish on acid? Microdosing zebrafish with LSD shows its potential benefits for humans

New research suggests that microdosing doesn’t cause withdrawal symptoms. But can it ease withdrawals from other substances?

MacEwan University researchers found that zebrafish showed increased anxiety behaviour during withdrawal from alcohol, consistent with symptoms that humans experience.  

However, when the zebrafish were given microdoses of LSD for 10 days (by putting them in a “dosing tank” for a precise period of time), there were no observed behavioural changes. This indicates that microdosing is not addictive and does not cause withdrawal symptoms. 

A study that’s currently underway will examine LSD microdoses on alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

The Conversation

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Lawsuit against DEA for denying psilocybin access rejected

Federal Appeals Court Dismisses Cancer Patients’ Case To Use Psilocybin Under Right-To-Try Laws

A lawsuit filed by a physician and his cancer patients against the DEA for denying access to psilocybin therapy was rejected by the Court of Appeals.

The panel of judges determined that the agency is not at fault because it does not have the authority to waive the Controlled Substances Act.

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Treating rare disorders with ketamine

PharmaTher Granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation for Ketamine to Treat Status Epilepticus

PharmaTher (PHRM) is developing a treatment for a rare, seizure-inducing disorder called Status Epilepticus using ketamine. This week, it was granted a designation that will save them millions of dollars in the process. 

It’s called an Orphan Drug Designation and it gives the company potential tax credits, grant eligibility, and marketing exclusivity, and waives a $2.4M New Drug Application fee. It’s designed to incentivize R&D of treatments for rare conditions.

PharmaTher previously received the designation for ketamine to treat ALS and complex regional pain syndrome too!

PharmaTher Inc.

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Reducing suicidality for 6 months

Decreases in Suicidality Following Psychedelic Therapy: A Meta-Analysis of Individual Patient Data Across Clinical Trials

A meta-analysis of 7 clinical trials (5 psilocybin + 2 ayahuasca) found that psychedelic therapy significantly reduced suicidality in as little as 80 minutes.

The significant reductions were sustained for 3-4 months, and patients still had a moderate reduction in suicidality after 6 months.

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Second psychedelic ballot initiative filed in Colorado

Colorado Activists File Competing Psychedelics Legalization Ballot Initiative For 2022

A second ballot initiative has been filed in Colorado to decriminalize the possession, cultivation, and gifting of psilocybin, psilocyn, ibogaine, mescaline and DMT. It would also legalize guided psychedelic sessions for therapeutic or spiritual purposes.

The first measure is focused on legalizing psilocybin and creating psilocybin healing centers.

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