Category: The Psychedelic News

Welcome to Dry January, the month many stop drinking alcohol to give their bodies a rest from toxic compounds consumed en masse over the holidays. If you’re in recovery or, like me, practicing a lifestyle that favors cannabis and psychedelics over alcohol and harder substances, also known as “Cali sober,” every month may be dry for you. For those new to this term, drug and culture journalist Mary Carreon sums up the Cali sober concept eloquently. 

Mary says it’s easy to get caught up in the trendiness of Cali sober, noting the phrase sounds like “designer sorbet rich people buy at Erewhon.” She recognizes that celebrities talk about it, radio stations “like KIIS FM” air songs about it, and we’ve seen the concept swirling around the media landscape a few times. But, she believes the root of why people are fascinated by the Cali sober lifestyle is because “it honors nuance and flexibility, and flips the concept of abstinence on its head, reducing the idea of abstinence to nothing more than a theory.” She shares that the perspective shift alone “can help people reclaim their autonomy and independence, two things that are often stripped from people who go through recovery.”

Mary finds that Cali sober as a trend is annoying, “but making it a practice — like meditation or mindfulness or exercising — can help people repossess their power, which is critical when making lifestyle shifts away from substances or habits or friends (or all of the above) that don’t contribute to making you the best version of yourself.” And, she acknowledges that being Cali sober isn’t for everyone (see Demi Lovato’s recent change of heart), noting that “sometimes abstinence is the most empowering path to becoming your optimal self… it doesn’t matter what road you take because the end goal is doing whatever is ideal for your longevity, and that should be the number one priority.” Agreed. In the end, it’s about saving lives. 

Cali sober is trending in pop culture alongside Dry January, so today I’m providing a platform for six accomplished thought leaders in cannabis and psychedelics to share insights and strategies on Cali sober for inspiration on staying balanced year round — Christina DiPaci is the CEO of one of the largest independent craft cannabis farms in California; Zeus Tipado is not only a neuroscientist but also the creator of Stonedgamer and MiddleEasy; David Bienenstock is a popular podcaster and author of How to Smoke Pot (Properly): A Highbrow Guide to Getting High; Shelby Hartman has created a media company and education platform at the forefront of the rapidly growing psychedelic movement; Payton Nyquest’s company combines the latest advances in psychedelic medicine with evidence-based care and a holistic, integrated approach; and Mary Carreon is an award-winning journalist, editor, podcaster, and copywriter who’s written for Snoop Dogg’s Merry Jane, Billboard, DoubleBlind, the LAnd, and more.

Let’s keep the conversation going with an open mind. Let’s explore and normalize innovative ways to thrive. 

Paradiso Gardens Founder & CEO Christina DiPaci

“I am in full support of conscious, intentional drug consumption. Cannabis can be a wonderful alternative to alcohol, (did I mention without the hangover?!), but we have to be careful not to have elitism in our preferred drug use. Do what works for you and don’t judge other people’s drug use! Check out Dr. Carl Hart’s Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear. A scientist and a professor of psychology specializing in neuroscience at Columbia University who’s known for his work on drug abuse and addiction, Dr. Carl Hart presents a powerful argument for how adults can use substances and live a happy and meaningful life.”

Neuroscientist Zeus Tipado

“I’ve seen all the altered states that alcohol has in store for me, and it doesn’t appeal to me anymore. With cannabis and psychedelics, I can have my entire perception and its fundamental constructs completely altered, and the next day I’m perfectly fine with no hangover. That’s appealing to me — I can’t throttle my subjective experience in that way with alcohol. As far as the physiological effects of alcohol — I don’t really vibe with it. At the beginning of the pandemic, my best friend died of alcohol poisoning. He was the closest person on this planet that I would have called a brother. Dead, from a drink you can buy at a grocery store. A product advertised across the world in Superbowl commercials. His struggle with alcohol (and the constant struggle of other friends) is one of the reasons I also remain Cali sober. It’s not my place to dictate which lifestyles people should adopt. The Cali sober lifestyle works for me because alcohol no longer holds priority in my entertainment and leisure. Fortunately in California, the environment is slowly adapting to the Cali Sober lifestyle. Alcohol-free, cannabis-infused beers are popping up. Cannabis smoke lounges are also appearing, unfortunately at a staggeringly slow rate due to city burearcy — which brings up my next point. The only force preventing the full adoption of the Cali sober lifestyle is the government of California itself. Perhaps the state of California is against the Cali sober lifestyle.”

Great Moments in Weed History Co-Host & Co-Creator David Bienenstock

“When Abdullah Saeed and I had David Crosby as a guest on our podcast, we realized that he’s been ‘California sober’ for many years without ever being aware of the term. And while he personally finds the word sober a bit misleading in this context, he also confirmed that going California sober has worked for him. After famously struggling with drugs like cocaine and heroin, Crosby was first completely abstinent from all intoxicants including cannabis for more than a decade before successfully reintegrating cannabis back into his life. This is a complex issue, and it’s important to keep a focus on individualist care and not one-size-fits-all solutions, but David Crosby is just one example of many people I’ve encountered through my reporting and advocacy work who are pursuing this path with success.” 

DoubleBlind Co-Founder & CEO Shelby Hartman

“There is hardly any rigorous research looking at microdosing psychedelics, or taking small amounts of psychedelics. But, much like we had in cannabis before recreational legalization, we do have thousands and thousands of people saying it has changed their lives. One of the reasons is that when people microdose LSD and psilocybin they often report that they just want to make the healthier decision, the decision that is more aligned with their body’s needs. Dr. James Fadiman, microdosing pioneer, often says that when people microdose they just “want the salad.” I’ve experienced this myself. It’s hard to explain, but on days when I microdose psilocybin, I often find myself habitually reaching for the unhealthy snack or glass of wine and then finding that I genuinely don’t want it. That’s the magic of Cali sober, I think. Not that it’s a cop out for people who can’t actually be sober, but that cannabis and psychedelics, in this context, are seen as supportive medicines that help people make the right choices for themselves.” 

Numinus CEO Payton Nyquest

“For personal health reasons, I’ve never been a heavy drinker to start with, and I’ve reduced my consumption over the years as I tried various therapies and wellness practices. I’ve consistently found that abstinence helps me maintain clarity of mind and keeps me grounded emotionally and spiritually. Today, I’m very happy with a lifestyle that lets me be present as a father, husband and business leader, and to make conscious choices. Integrating regular therapy, including the responsible use of psychedelics, has been a key component in my health journey. I see a similar societal shift happening – I’m not surprised by the move away from alcohol consumption. At Numinus, we believe that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is transformative and a core part of this shift. We know current healthcare isn’t equipped to handle climbing global rates of mental illness, addiction, and trauma. Ongoing studies show the benefit of PAP in treating many conditions, including substance use disorder, which could include alcohol abuse. In PAP, trained psychedelic therapists help patients by combining traditional psychotherapy with psychedelic medicine, making both components equally critical. It is a trauma-informed practice, meaning patients work through past experiences or traumas in a safe therapeutic container and integrate that learning into everyday life. Through this treatment, we aim to help our patients make more informed choices and build sustainable lifestyle habits.”

Drug & Culture Journalist Mary Carreon

“Abstinence doesn’t work for me. Rigid frameworks have never worked for me. My personality is too indulgent and I love party environments. I’m not exaggerating when I say I live for wild, adventurous times with my crew of close friends. I’ve always been this way! But my life moves too fast and too much is on the line now to be hungover (from anything), which is why I regularly replace alcohol with mini-doses of mushrooms when I go out. They never make me feel hungover, and they give me a way to let loose and still have a good time without getting drunk. I’m a better human on mushrooms (and cannabis or other psychedelics) than alcohol, even though I think most people would classify me as a “happy drunk.” I’m just more conscious and available, I don’t forget what I’m saying half way through a sentence, and I’m more willing to connect with others and maintain all boundaries. To be clear, I’m not Cali sober right now. I went wine tasting last week and drank a hard kombucha last night. I also foresee more wine nights during holidays. Cali sober is something I oscillate to and from for periods of time for my mental, emotional, and spiritual health. And even during the phases when I’m not Cali sober, it still provides a framework for responsible partying, which has been my undying ethos for over a decade. Drugs don’t have to consume you. They don’t make you a bad person, nor do they make you incapable of achieving the highest success. As Dr. Carl Hart says, “using drugs can help us in our pursuit of happiness.” When done responsibly, drugs can actually help us be the best versions of ourselves.”

A top federal drug official says the “train has left the station” on psychedelics.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow said people are going to keep using substances such as psilocybin—especially as the reform movement expands and there’s increased attention being drawn to the potential therapeutic benefits—and so researchers and regulators will need to keep up.

The comments came at a psychedelics workshop Volkow’s agency cohosted with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) last week.

The NIDA official said that, to an extent, it’s been overwhelming to address new drug trends in the psychedelics space. But at the same time, she sees “an incredible opportunity to also modify the way that we are doing things.”

“What is it that the [National Institutes of Health] can do to help accelerate research in this field so that we can truly understand what are the potentials, and ultimately the application, of interventions that are bought based on psychedelic drugs?” Volkow said.

The director separately told Marijuana Moment on Friday in an emailed statement that part of the challenge for the agency and researchers is the fact that psychedelics are strictly prohibited as Schedule I drugs under the federal Controlled Substances Act.

“Researchers must obtain a Schedule I registration which, unlike obtaining registrations for Schedule II substances (which include fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine), is administratively challenging and time consuming,” she said. “This process may deter some scientists from conducting research on Schedule I drugs.”

“In response to concerns from researchers, NIDA is involved in interagency discussions to facilitate research on Schedule I substances,” Volkow said, adding that the agency is “pleased” the Drug Enforcement Administration recently announced plans to significantly increase the quota of certain psychedelic drugs to be produced for use in research.

“It will also be important to streamline the process of obtaining Schedule I registrations to further the science on these substances, including examining their therapeutic potential,” she said.

At Thursday’s event, the official talked about how recent, federally funded surveys showed that fewer college-aged adults are drinking alcohol and are instead opting for psychedelics and marijuana. She discussed the findings in an earlier interview with Marijuana Moment as well.

Don’t miss out on the @NIDAnews, @NIAAAnews, & @NIMHgov-sponsored virtual Workshop on Psychedelics as Therapeutics: Gaps, Challenges, and Opportunities, Jan. 12‒13, 2022. Learn more and register: https://t.co/S1zttkoYXq pic.twitter.com/C2Qrk6FN9a

— NIDAnews (@NIDAnews) January 10, 2022

“Let’s learn from history,” she said. “Let’s see what we have learned from the marijuana experience.”

While studies have found that marijuana use among young people has generally remained stable or decreased amid the legalization movement, there has been an increase in cannabis consumption among adults, she said. And “this is likely to happen [with psychedelics] as more and more attention is placed on these psychedelic drugs.”

“I think, to a certain extent, with all the attention that the psychedelic drugs have attracted, the train has left the station and that people are going to start to use it,” Volkow said. “People are going to start to use it whether [the Food and Drug Administration] approves or not.

There are numerous states and localities where psychedelics reform is being explored and pursued both legislatively and through ballot initiative processes.

On Wednesday—during the first part of the two-day federal event that saw nearly 4,000 registrants across 21 time zones—NIMH Director Joshua Gordon stressed that his agency has “been supporting research on psychedelics for some time.”

Tune in today and tomorrow for the @NIH workshop on Psychedelics as Therapeutics, which will examine findings on psychoplastogens for treating depression, post-traumatic stress, and substance and alcohol use disorders. https://t.co/Qzxte5xJt9

— Joshua A. Gordon (@NIMHDirector) January 12, 2022

“We can think of NIMH’s interests in studying psychedelics both in terms of proving that they work and also in terms of demonstrating the mechanism by which they work,” he said. “NIMH has a range of different funding opportunity announcements and other expressions that are priorities aimed at a mechanistic focus and mechanistic approach to drug development.”

Meanwhile, Volkow also made connections between psychedelics and the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic. She said, for example, that survey data showing increased use of psychedelics “may be a way that people are using to try to escape” the situation.

But she also drew a metaphor, saying that just as how the pandemic “forced” federal health officials to accelerate the development and approval of COVID-19 vaccines because of the “urgency of the situation,” one could argue that “actually there is an urgency to bring treatments [such as emerging psychedelic medicines] for people that are suffering from severe mental illness which can be devastating.”

But as Volkow has pointed out, the Schedule I classification of these substances under federal law inhibits such research and development.

The official has also repeatedly highlighted and criticized the racial disparities in drug criminalization enforcement overall.

Delaware Lawmakers File New Marijuana Legalization Bill With Key Equity Revisions

It started as a shared interest in the science around mental health, psychedelics and a podcast featuring like-minded people, and culminated into a venture firm focused on advancing new approaches to mental health treatments. 

San Francisco-based PsyMed Ventures, founded by Dina Burkitbayeva, Greg Kubin and Matias Serebrinsky in 2020, on Friday announced its new $25 million investment fund. The money will go to early-stage startups, primarily those working on psychedelics, to help treat mental ailments. The fund will also invest in startups working on neurotechnology, digital health and precision psychology, all early, but fast-growing fields of technology in mental health. 

PsyMed has already started making investments to startups, though the founders acknowledge that only about one-third of the $25 million has been officially secured. The trio expects that by the end of March, they’ll have met their fundraising goal and will ultimately help fund between 20 and 25 startups. 

Among PsyMed’s early investments are biotech companies Freedom Biosciences and Delix Therapeutics, both working on using psychedelics to make new medications. 

Freedom Biosciences was co-founded by Burkitbayeva and John Krystal, chair of psychiatry at Yale University. The biotech company is working on clinical-stage development of ketamine- and psychedelic-focused therapeutics. 

Delix Therapeutics is developing therapeutics with non-hallucinogenic drugs known as psychoplastogens. In layman’s terms, psychoplastogens are meant to help our brains compensate for injuries and diseases, and make new links between the neurons firing signals back and forth. 

The three PsyMed founders spoke to Crunchbase News this week about the fund’s inception, investment strategy and goals for the future of mental health treatments. 

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Tell me about how you came together to work on this fund. 

Kubin: We decided to create a syndicate together on AngelList, which has been a really good platform for us because it has given us exposure to two different communities. One is a community of people who are therapists, medicine people, psychiatrists coming from life sciences. But then also we’ve connected with people who are more just interested in technology and startups that see the value of psychedelic medicine. We have invested in 14 companies through our syndicate with over $15.6 million. From that, I believe we have over 300 LPs that have invested with us. We really feel the syndicate has enabled us to create a community of LPs—not just capital, but people, individuals who can support the companies that we’ve been investing in.

How has fundraising gone? 

Kubin: One thing that’s been really neat is some of the people who are investing in our fund have already invested in us through our syndicate. It’s people we’ve been able to build trust and rapport and connection with, and that was a nice validation. … What’s interesting is we’re finding interest from a wide array of investors. Some of these people have benefited from psychedelic medicines themselves. Others see the promise of it, or are following the space and the research. For us, it’s really important to have values-aligned investors who are investing with us because … integrity is super important to us. We recognize this is a very early industry and it’s going to take long-term, committed partners in terms of the founders we back, as well as the people who are supporting us. 

Psychedelics are still federally illegal, though some states are loosening their laws on their use and the FDA can approve certain applications for them. How does that affect the industry and its investment opportunities?

Burkitbayeva: We’re very aware of the limitations that a scheduled drug such as psilocybin, or MDMA, or ketamine pose in terms of investment and coming to market. With that in mind, … we look at the medical model, not the recreational model. … We invest in companies that would be developing a drug that would go through the FDA approval process, and that’s similar to any other biotech company that’s developing a molecule in oncology or cardiology. If that process is successful, and it’s FDA approved, then that trumps any kind of DEA scheduling. … Otherwise, we believe there’s a possibility that it goes through the FDA process and there could be some descheduling. That would not affect the investment, really. 

What can you tell me about your investment strategy? Why are you focusing specifically on early-stage startups? 

Serebrinsky: That is where we can actually make a difference. That’s where we can help and support entrepreneurs based on our own experience building companies in the past, so that’s number one. Number two is that this is still a very nascent industry. Mental health therapies have been completely underfunded until now, so the companies are just starting as well. … We started with psychedelic medicine and we’ve developed a playbook about how to get involved in this phase, how to invest, how to think through those opportunities. We’re expanding that same playbook to other verticals as well, but based on how established we are in psychedelic medicine, more than 50 percent to 60 percent of our investments in the space will be in psychedelic medicine for the first fund we’re raising. 

What emerging technologies or research in this space do you have your eye on that might be surprising to some people? 

Serebrinsky: Some of the (psychedelic) therapies we are looking at start with depression and anxiety as the biggest markets, but as these medicines are researched more, they’re finding potentially interesting opportunities. Nothing is certain, but they’re looking at potential uses for substance use disorder and things more out there, like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s. There are companies working on these therapies for things like stroke and organ transplant failure … and eating disorders as well.

Burkitbayeva: I think the mental health treatments space … is going to grow, not just because COVID has had such a hard hit on mental health, … but I think because there was not enough attention, research and investment going into mental health, so we haven’t really diagnosed most of the indications (of mental illness) that are actually out there. We have depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, bipolar, but what we’re seeing over and over again in the most cutting-edge research is that there’s so much more granularity to each one of these. 

In the future, when someone goes to a psychiatrist, there will be so many more tools, like neuroimaging tools and other types of biomarkers that we can use to diagnose, but we will also have just a larger number of indications that we’re aware of. So the size of the market is not just going to grow by the number of patients that need help, … but also by how sophisticated the diagnostics space is going to become. … I think psychedelics are probably going to be one of the major treatments, alongside neuro and digital therapeutics. 

Illustration: Dom Guzman

Miami-based psychedelics startup Ei.Ventures announced this week that it has purchased a virtual land estate in The Sandbox, where clinicians will be able to host psychedelic therapy sessions in the metaverse.

The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming venture Animoca Brands, is a virtual world where players can create, own and monetize virtual items and experiences as nonfungible tokens (NFTs) on the Ethereum blockchain via the Sandbox marketplace.

The purchase of the 12-by-12 estate in the Sandbox by Ei.Ventures in conjunction with parent company Orthogonal Thinker represents the third-largest land sale in the network of 3D lands known as the metaverse and is valued at $2.22 million. The parcel, covering 144 pieces of virtual land in the 12-by-12 space, will be called PSLY.COM, the name of the soon to be merged company of Ei.Ventures with Mycotopia Therapies.

“PSLY.COM going to be a utopian space in the metaverse, it will be empowering to people in the most-high regard way,” David Nikzad, CEO of Ei.Ventures, writes in an email. “This will be a new way to interact with your friends in general, and provide psychedelic therapy in particular.”

Land Deals In The Sandbox Make Headlines

Land purchases on the Sandbox have made recent headlines, including a November purchase of land on the Sandbox metaverse from Atari for a record $4.3 million, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. In September, rapper Snoop Dogg announced that he would create his own virtual world, the Snoopverse, within the Sandbox platform. And in December, Forbes reported that Hong Kong property tycoon Adrian Cheng announced that he planned to invest in the Sandbox and acquire one of its largest plots of virtual land.

Nikzad said that after only a week on the Sandbox, he had decided to invest in the platform to advance Ei.Ventures and Orthogonal Thinker’s combined vision of psychedelic therapy, with plans to move into the metaverse over the next 36 months. Ei.Ventures is also developing a psilocybin transdermal patch for use in clinical therapeutic applications.

“The combination of our tech, cannabis, psychedelics, outer space, and crypto-related holdings will all be utilizing this exciting space,” Nikzad said in a January 4 press release. “We are very excited to invite all of our portfolio companies and investors to be part of something extraordinary.”

Virtual Psychedelic Therapy Sessions Planned

While plans for the PSLY.com land on the Sandbox are still in the early stages of development, the company expects to create “wondrous VR experiences of Hawaii, positive psychedelic trips, healing modalities, and much more.” As for applications in psychedelic medicine, the company foresees utilizing the virtual reality nature of the metaverse to facilitate guided or minded therapeutic trips with a therapist in the virtual world. The company plans to offer the services in jurisdictions with legal psychedelic drugs, starting with patients in Jamaica and Oregon.

Nikzad notes that the land deal will eventually give billions of people virtual access to psychedelic therapy, saying “It’s the only way to scale.”

“Health and Wellness is a trillion-dollar market,” Nikzad said. “As we’ve now gone through COVID and are still in the craziness of it, these technologies will become much more important as communications and how financial transactions are handled is changing.”

PSLY.COM will also be the name of company that will be created with the merger of Ei.Ventures and Mycotopia, a company focused on the research, development and commercialization of novel therapeutics based on naturally-derived psilocybin, in a deal that is expected to close by March. Mycotopia CEO Benjamin Kaplan said that as the companies work to close the merger, “we are so heartened by the forward-thinking moves Ei is making to set up PSLY.COM for success in the metaverse and beyond.”

Many recreational drugs known for mind-altering trips are being studied to treat depression, substance use and other disorders. Here’s what you need to know.

City leaders in Port Townsend, Washington voted this week to decriminalize entheogenic plants and fungi, joining a growing list of communities that have relaxed their policies on psychedelic drugs.

Under a resolution adopted unanimously by the city council on Monday, laws against natural psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin mushrooms, peyote, and ayahuasca will be among the lowest law enforcement priorities in the city. The measure also expresses the city council’s support for decriminalization of psychedelics by the State of Washington and at the federal level.

City staff modeled Port Townsend’s psychedelics decriminalization resolution after one approved by the Seattle City Council in October, making it the largest U.S. city to make such a move. Denver was the first major municipality to decriminalize psychedelics in 2019, and similar measures have been passed by Oakland, Washington, D.C., and Cambridge, Massachusetts. And in November, voters in Oregon approved a ballot measure that decriminalized psilocybin and legalized the compound for therapeutic use.

Activists Advance Decriminalization

The Port Townsend Psychedelics Society (PTPS), a group dedicated to decriminalizing entheogenic plants and exploring their potential for healing, also contributed to the drafting of the resolution. The city now “maintains that the abuse of controlled substances should be understood primarily as a public health issue,” the text of the resolution reads, according to a report by Marijuana Moment.

Before the council voted on the measure, PTPS activists recommended changes to an early draft of the resolution. Under amendments supported by the group, the text of the resolution was changed to make entheogens “among the lowest” law enforcement priorities, instead of a “low” priority.

“After two and a half years working on this issue, we are extremely excited that the City of Port Townsend has passed a resolution supporting the decriminalization of entheogens,” Erin Reading of PTPS told Marijuana Moment after the vote. “We received only support in the passing of this resolution and are grateful for the vibrant community that has congealed around this work.”

“Now, we can focus more of our energy on the other facets of the PT Psychedelic Society which include increasing accessibility to these medicines, providing educational workshops and trainings, developing support structures (such as our monthly integration groups), and strengthening community connections,” she wrote in an email.

Psychedelics As Medicine

Researchers continue to study the potential medicinal applications of psilocybin and other natural psychedelic drugs, which are often also referred to as entheogenic plants and fungi. Research published last year in the journal JAMA Psychiatry found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy was a quick-acting and effective treatment for a group of 24 participants with major depressive disorder. A separate study published in 2016 determined that psilocybin treatment produced substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer.

Greg Rovner, CEO of Heally, a California-based telemedicine platform for psychedelic clinics and patients looking for alternative medicine treatment, applauded the unanimous decision to decriminalize entheogenic plants and fungi by city leaders in Port Townsend.

“This is a great first step that we believe will significantly reduce the number of people arrested for possession of entheogenic plants, as we’ve seen in Oakland, Denver and the whole state of Oregon,” Rovner wrote in an email. “We’re seeing an upswelling of grassroots support for psychedelics and hope it will lead to the end of federal prohibition and create more opportunities for medical research into the benefit of psychedelics.”