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BC becomes first province to decriminalize illicit drugs

B.C. receives exemption to decriminalize possession of some illegal drugs for personal use

British Columbia received a 3-year exemption to decriminalize small amounts of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA.

“By removing the fear and shame of drug use, we will be able to remove barriers that prevent people from accessing harm reduction services and treatment programs,” says provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

While it seems like a step in the right direct, the legislation is being criticized because it only allows possession of 2.5 grams of the drugs and it won’t be effective until January 31 of 2023.

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World’s first psychedelic trade association

Psychedelics Canada Announces The Launch Of The First National Trade Association For Legal Psychedelics Companies

Cybin (CYBN), PharmAla Biotech (MDMA), PharmaTher (PHRM), and 9 other companies joined forces to create Psychedelics Canada – the first ever national trade association for legal psychedelics companies.

The association will speak on behalf of the psychedelics industry to government, the press, and the public to advance psychedelic research and policy change.

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Mushroom case ruling sparks controversy

Supreme Court says MRU student’s magic mushroom assault defence was valid

In some highly controversial news, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that voluntary extreme intoxication is a valid defence for violent crimes.

The court ruled in favour of a student who attacked his professor while high on magic mushrooms and alcohol in 2018. They noted that he was in a state of “automatism” in which he was incapable of consciously controlling his behaviours, and therefore isn’t accountable.

“In Canada, two elements of fundamental justice are required for a person to be found guilty of a crime. They are a guilty action; and a guilty mind. Neither element is present when a person is in a state of automatism,” stated the court in a brief of the ruling.

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Magic mushroom dispensaries in Canada’s capital 🍁

This Ottawa store is selling magic mushrooms to protest ‘unjust’ laws

The Golden Teacher is a “grey-area research facility” and mushroom dispensary in Ottawa that wants to make bad trips obsolete.

Owner Jordan Armstrong aims to understand how magic mushrooms affect individuals differently by surveying each customer. The goal is gather data to regulate the fungi properly.

Ottawa’s second mushroom dispensary, Shroomyz, will be opening on May 1st!

Shroomyz is located on Preston Street and The Golden Teacher is on the corner of Rideau and Dalhousie Streets.
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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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Mario’s secret revealed 🍄

Psyched Wellness Provides Update on Anti-Inflammatory Study with the National Research Council of Canada

The iconic red and white spotted mushroom (officially called Amanita Muscaria and unofficially called the Super Mario mushroom) is showing potential to treat arthritis.

Psyched Wellness (PSYC) is working with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to study the mushroom’s properties. It doesn’t contain psilocybin, but has a different psychoactive component called muscimol.

Preliminary data suggests that Amantia Muscaria could reduce inflammation in the skin, gut, brain, and lungs. The company believes it has potential to treat chronic inflammatory conditions like arthritis.

Maybe that’s why Mario can jump so high without destroying his joints 😉

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Psychedelic therapy just got A LOT more accessible for Canadians

BREAKING: Canada Opens New Legal Pathways For Access To Psychedelics Treatment With Psilocybin And MDMA

Until now, the only way for patients to access psychedelic therapy outside a clinical trial was to apply for a Section 56 exemption and wait months on end to (possibly) receive approval from Health Canada.

Despite six more patients receiving the exemption over the holidays, the system remains flawed.

Thankfully, this Wednesday, Health Canada made an amendment to this thing called the Special Access Program (SAP), which enables healthcare practitioners to request access to drugs that are not yet approved, but have shown promise in clinical trials.

The amendment allows practitioners to request access to psilocybin and MDMA for their patients with serious, life-threatening, or treatment-adverse conditions. And the best part: requests are typically processed in just 1 day! 🎉

While this does not guarantee access for patients, it certainly feels like a big step in the right direction.

To learn more about the amendment, check out TheraPsil’s free webinar on Jan. 19th.

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Benzinga
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You no longer have to be on your deathbed to eat mushrooms!

Exclusive: Three Canadians with mental health conditions receive legal access to psilocybin mushrooms

Up until this week, the only people in Canada that could legally access psilocybin therapy were patients with terminal illnesses. 

Things changed on Monday, when the non-profit organization TheraPsil helped three Canadians with mental health issues get Section 56 exemptions, granting them access to psilocybin therapy.

“This is a very clear indication that exemptions are now available for people who have anxiety, depression, addiction, and chronic pain,” says TheraPsil’s CEO. “It opens it up to everyone.”

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The first psychedelic studies program in Canada

How Dr. Monnica Williams Created Canada’s First Psychedelic Master’s Degree Program: ‘Nobody Took Me Seriously’

This semester, the University of Ottawa launched a three-course “microprogram” on Psychedelics and Spirituality. The school will offer a master’s program in psychedelics in the fall of 2022 and aims to develop a Ph.D. program after that!

Why?

“I was getting emails almost on a daily basis from people who wanted to know how they could become psychedelic therapists,” said Dr. Monica Williams, who created the program.

Benzinga

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