The Microdose

The Microdose provides in-depth reporting on psychedelic substances, covering therapeutic uses, legislation, cultural implications, and scientific research. It features interviews with diverse stakeholders, including patients, researchers, indigenous voices, and policymakers, exploring the potential benefits and challenges associated with psychedelics in modern medicine and society.

Psychedelic Therapy Legislation and Policy Cultural and Indigenous Perspectives Scientific Research on Psychedelics Mental Health Treatments Psychedelic Drug Safety and Use Environmental and Ethical Considerations

The hottest Substack posts of The Microdose

And their main takeaways

Law enforcement seizures of psychedelic mushrooms skyrocket; Could psychedelics lead to better sex? And will CA be the next state to launch a psychedelics program?

432 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Mental health Research Legislation Therapy
  1. Law enforcement seizures of psychedelic mushrooms have significantly increased over the years, indicating a potential rise in availability and use.
  2. Research suggests that psychedelics like psilocybin can lead to improvements in sexual functioning and satisfaction.
  3. California is considering launching a state-regulated program for therapeutic use of psychedelics, potentially making it the first to focus explicitly on psychedelic therapy.

An undergrad, twitching rodent heads, DOI, and the DEA: 5 Questions for researcher Alyssa Gillies

511 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🔬 Science Psychedelics Research Regulation Neurobiology
  1. Researchers use DOI in the lab to study the head twitch response in rodents as an indicator of 5-HT2 receptor activation.
  2. Scheduling DOI as a Schedule I drug would create barriers for labs studying the 5-HT2 receptor due to accessibility and legal requirements.
  3. There is minimal recreational use of DOI and DOC, with the DEA's proposal affecting the progress of psychedelic research and impacting researchers.
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Should Kentucky spend $42 million on ibogaine research? 5 Questions for drug abuse researcher William Stoops

412 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction Treatment Research Funding
  1. Ibogaine research proposal in Kentucky faces skepticism and concerns about effectiveness and safety.
  2. Complications in ibogaine research include lack of rigorous scientific evidence and potential dangerous cardiac effects.
  3. Alternative ways to spend $42 million to address opioid use disorder, including improving access to evidence-based treatments and behavioral interventions.

A cornucopia of new bills; Canadians support end-of-life psilocybin therapy; and tempering the hype

294 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Therapy Research Mental health
  1. At least 10 states have introduced new legislation related to psychedelics since the beginning of the year.
  2. Canadians show strong support for end-of-life psilocybin therapy.
  3. There is a growing movement to critically examine and temper the hype surrounding psychedelics, focusing on ethical and political implications.

The long history of Psilocybe’s evolution; New bills in Indiana, California, and New Jersey; and COMPASS partners with a healthcare non-profit

373 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Mental health
  1. Psilocybe mushrooms have a long evolutionary history dating back 67 million years.
  2. New bills in Indiana, California, and New Jersey focus on studying psilocybin for various mental health conditions.
  3. COMPASS partners with a healthcare non-profit in New Jersey to research psilocybin treatment for FDA approval.

What can Colorado learn from Oregon about psilocybin?: 5 Questions for Healing Advocacy Fund’s Colorado director Tasia Poinsatte

275 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🏥 Health Politics Psychedelics Advocacy Regulation Data Collection Mental health
  1. Colorado's psilocybin program is expected to be fully operational by early 2025.
  2. Oregon's program highlighted the importance of allowing licensed professionals to participate in psilocybin services.
  3. Colorado is considering a tiered licensing model and enhanced training requirements for safe facilitation in their psilocybin program.

Jeffrey Sitting Bear, Peyote, and Hippies

1198 implied HN points • 05 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Psychedelics Storytelling
  1. Jeffrey Sitting Bear believes peyote is sacred medicine meant for healing, not getting high.
  2. White people during the 1960s hippie era tended to misuse peyote by using it as a drug rather than for its intended purpose.
  3. Respect for Native teachings and using peyote in the right way is crucial for its positive effects, according to Sitting Bear.

"I was shaking and trembling:" 5 Questions for Indigenous protester Kuthoomi Castro

982 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Indigenous Psychedelics Social justice Protest Traditions
  1. Castro discusses concerns about the homogenization of Indigenous traditions in the modern psychedelic movement.
  2. Castro raises issues with the commercialization and appropriation of plant medicines by Western societies.
  3. Castro highlights the importance of protecting Indigenous knowledge and traditions regarding plant medicines.

Prozac Lessons: 5 Questions for drug historian David Herzberg

884 implied HN points • 08 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Pharmaceuticals Psychedelics Research Commercialization
  1. Antidepressants have evolved over time, impacting societal views and treatments of depression.
  2. There is a historical pattern of seeking quick-fix solutions for mental health issues through medication.
  3. Concerns exist about the profit-centered approach to mental health treatments, including the potential harms and biases in clinical trials.

Mixing antidepressants and psychedelics: 5 Questions for psychopharmacologist Kelan Thomas

589 implied HN points • 05 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Medication Psychedelics Therapy Treatment Safety
  1. Psychedelic clinical trials often exclude participants taking SSRIs to isolate the effects of the single drug being studied.
  2. The main risk of mixing SSRIs and psychedelics is serotonin toxicity, but in healthy volunteers, the risk seems low.
  3. Tapering off SSRIs can have risks, including the return of depression or anxiety symptoms and serotonin discontinuation syndrome.

Psilocybin sessions have begun in Oregon, DC-based PAC New Approach enters Massachusetts, and a tangle of patent claims

452 implied HN points • 21 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Therapy Cancer Treatment
  1. Psilocybin sessions have begun in Oregon under the state's regulated access system.
  2. DC-based PAC New Approach is behind a psychedelics ballot initiative in Massachusetts.
  3. A lawsuit involving patent claims over a synthetic psychedelic compound has added complexity in the field of psychedelics.

Dispatches from Denver: Day 4 at Psychedelic Science 2023

511 implied HN points • 24 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Mental health Holistic Medicine Regulation
  1. Attendees at the Psychedelic Science conference were surprised by the diverse perspectives and energy surrounding the use of psychedelics for mental health treatment and personal growth.
  2. Discussions at the conference highlighted the importance of patents in the development and innovation of psychedelic drugs, while also emphasizing the need for fair patent practices.
  3. Indigenous voices expressed feelings of marginalization and concerns about being excluded from conversations and decision-making in the psychedelic community.

Can AIs provide psychedelic therapy? 5 Questions for chatbot ChatGPT

550 implied HN points • 21 Feb 23
🕹 Technology AI Psychedelics Chatbots Therapy Ethics
  1. ChatGPT states it may not be able to provide psychedelic-assisted therapy like a human therapist due to the need for personal connection and emotional support.
  2. Ethical and legal considerations in using AI for therapy involve informed consent, data privacy, liability, regulation, and ensuring access for all patients.
  3. Mystical experiences on psychedelics are described as profound, ineffable, and life-changing, involving a sense of unity with the universe and a deep emotional impact.

5 Questions for Oregon’s first licensed psilocybin manufacturer

550 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Alternative Medicine Mental health Business Licensing
  1. Learning to cultivate mushrooms involves trial and error, teaching the importance of embracing mistakes.
  2. The process of growing psilocybin mushrooms includes creating spore prints, inoculating substrate, and waiting for two months to produce fungi.
  3. Challenges for licensed psilocybin manufacturers in Oregon include waiting for testing labs to be established and dealing with high licensing costs.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy and tribal health: 5 Questions for Indigenous scholar Marlena Robbins

530 implied HN points • 27 Feb 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Mental health Public Health
  1. Access to psychedelics on tribal land faces government regulations and limits on self-care.
  2. Bridging traditional Indigenous ceremony with Western science shows the importance of incorporating cultural practices.
  3. Psychedelic-assisted therapy administered through tribes provides culturally informed care, understanding unique ethnic perspectives.

What’s happening inside the brain on LSD? Colorado psychedelics legislation flies through state Senate, and Oregon gets its first licensed testing lab

471 implied HN points • 28 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Legislation Therapy Research Mental health
  1. Scientists study brain activity on LSD and find altered connectivity and self-inhibition.
  2. Colorado Senate passes SB 290 to implement Proposition 122 for psilocybin services in the state.
  3. Oregon licenses its first psilocybin testing lab, but high costs may drive some practitioners underground.

The wild history of MDMA: 5 Questions for author Rachel Nuwer

1 HN point • 17 Jul 23
🔬 Science History Research Therapy Human behavior
  1. The history of MDMA has surprising connections and was discovered by accident in a pharmaceutical context.
  2. The first person to try MDMA remains unclear, showing the stigma surrounding the drug in underground communities.
  3. Controversies and ethical dilemmas surrounding MDMA, like with drug dealers and researchers, highlight the complexities of its use despite its reputation for inducing love and empathy.