There was a time when leaving your home nation was unlikely, when getting a plane and flying halfway across the globe was an impossibility and when exploring the world’s wonders was something you’d only read about in books – am I talking about the old days, or am I talking about covid? Who knows. Either way, with summer in full force, it’s time to start thinking about holidays and destinations. If you’re someone who likes to visit somewhere with a little magical twist, then why not try a drug tourist hotspot? The world is full of amazing countries, with amazing substances. But it isn’t always easy to know where to look. That’s why we’ve filtered down the ideal places to go if you’re looking for a certain type of drug or experience. To stay current on everything important happening in the industry, subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Also, it’ll get you premium access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more! We’ve also got standout offers on cannabinoids, like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which won’t kill your bank account. Head over to our “Best-of” lists to get these deals, and remember to enjoy responsibly! What is Drug Tourism?So, what actually is this phenomenon? Well, someone should probably think of a better term than ‘drug tourism’, it doesn’t really have much of a ring to it, does it? Nonetheless, drug tourism is a simple enough idea and is pretty self-explanatory. Put simply, it is when someone travels to another location in the hope to enjoy specific substances. This could be either because these drugs are better there, more easily available or simply accepted by the nations’ government. In some cases, these substances are illegal and thus do not benefit the government. In others, these have been made legal and public. In the Netherlands, the government makes around 400 million euros a year from their cannabis tourist sector, and around 2 million from their drug sector as a whole. Also, in Thailand, they have recently legalized cannabis in the hope that it will increase the worth of their sector like other countries. But drug tourism isn’t a new thing. Gateway writes: “Drug tourism dates back centuries ago when spice traders would go to other countries to get the spices unavailable at home. With the advancement of technology and transportation, tourism is more popular than ever, reaching around 1.46 billion travelers in 2019. With the increase in travel comes a rise in event, restaurant and drug sales.” For some, drug tourism is now becoming as respected as food tourism or activity tourism. It’s as good a reason as any to travel the world to find the perfect substances. But where are the main hotspots? Let’s find out. The Top Drug Tourism HotspotsPeru: AyahuascaPeru in South America is the perfect holiday destination if you’re looking for a psychedelic trip like no other. Thousands of tourists are now trekking to the jungles of Peru to experience ayahuasca. What is it? Well, Heathline writes: “Ayahuasca — also known as the tea, the vine, and la purga — is a brew made from the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub along with the stalks of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, though other plants and ingredients can be added as well” ![]() It is a native vine of the Amazonian basin, which is why Peru is the ideal location. The drink was and is used for spiritual purposes by ancient Amazonian tribes. Places like the Ayahuasca foundation in Peru offer retreats to tourists who want to experience the psychedelic drug safely. Those who have taken ayahuasca describe it as a religious experience. The psychedelic makes you feel at one with the Earth, as well causing some incredible hallucinations and euphoric emotions. Some naturally vomit due to its potency. But don’t worry, this is all part of the experience. The shamans will take care of you through it all. Netherlands: CannabisAnother location – whilst perhaps the most obvious one – is the capital of Holland: Amsterdam. Amsterdam has decriminalized cannabis and has a booming weed culture. Within the city there are around 160 coffeeshops, all of which sell a variety of strains and products. Plus, the city is gorgeous. The canals, cobbled streets and wonky buildings are captured only by Van Gogh’s paintings. As a recommendation, getting high and going to the Van Gogh museum is a must do. As a bonus, Amsterdam also sells truffles, a derivative of the magic mushroom. These odd-looking things give an awesome psilocybin trip. Sit in Vondelpark and watch as the colorful hallucinations go by. Colombia: CocaineIt wasn’t too long ago that Colombia was too dangerous to visit with very high crime and death rates. In fact, still now it’s considered a ‘reconsider travel’ nation. But, alas, for many people it’s a beautiful country, with great culture and the beginning of a South American tour. Plus, it may just be the easiest and cheapest place to get high quality cocaine. In the 90s, Colombia became the main producer of cocaine, as well as heroin. Supposedly the value of the trade is worth around 10 billion dollars a year. Colombia is the source of 43% of the world’s coke. Therefore, it’s no surprise that it’s easy to get and very cheap. The Partying Traveller writes: “The trick for the dealers is to give it as a “gift” with another purchase. For example, 30,000 Colombian pesos is pretty steep for a single can of beer, but you’ll get a complimentary gift for that. That “gift” is worth a couple hundred per gram in big cities like New York City or London, so it’s no surprise why Colombia gets a lot of tourism solely for cocaine” Some parts of Colombia will give you a gram of cocaine for the price of a frozen pizza, at around 3 dollars. The average price of a gram of cocaine in London or New York is about 100 pounds or dollars. It’s no surprise that people travel halfway across the world for cheap prices like that. Plus, it’s supposed to be far more potent than the meddled-with and cut-stuff in America or Europe. Thailand: Magic MushroomsThailand is just about one of the most picturesque places out there. You have jungles, you have bustling cities, you have islands, and you have some of the most stunning beaches on the planet. Tourism has boomed in Thailand, which does mean it can be hard to get off the beaten track. But, if you’re looking for peace, searching for magic mushroom shakes might just be the right place to start. Travel Freak writes: ![]() “It was now 4pm and the sun was well on its way to bumping heads with the horizon. We drank our shakes, sat in big comfy chairs and lazed in hammocks by the beach. We went swimming, told stories, talked nonsense, laughed uncontrollably and bonded over this incredibly unusual experience.” In Thailand – and especially the island of Koh Phangan – there are many high bars on the top of mountains or on beaches that sell shroom shakes. These shakes are hugely popular and easy to get hold of. But, fortunately, they’re usually sold in peaceful areas where you can properly enjoy the wonders of psychedelics. When I was in Thailand, I had probably my greatest ever drug experience watching the sunset from a bar on the top of a mountain. I remember talking to a cloud for about 4 hours. It was great. Germany: EcstasyIt isn’t often spoken about but the ecstasy in Germany definitely deserves a mention. Berlin is the capital of techno music, and as such, has some of the greatest drugs to go alongside this culture. It’s not only easy to get pills in Berlin, but they’re also extremely potent. The capital has some of the livest clubs in the world, and the electronic music is crazy. However, it can be hard to get in, so don’t be surprised if the bouncer turns you away. Nonetheless, ecstasy is incredibly popular. DW writes: “Of Berlin’s partygoers, more than half (50.3 percent) admitted to using amphetamines and almost half ecstasy/MDMA (49.1 percent) within the last 30 days.” Taking this drug in a Berlin club is a bucket list event. Simply stand on the street and someone will try and sell you something. It’s easier to get than water. Although, make sure you’re not being taken advantage of. ConclusionThere are many drugs in the world, and many great countries where you can enjoy them. Drug tourism is a real phenomenon and shouldn’t be undermined. There are concrete reasons why thousands of people travel to certain places every year to experience certain substances. Technically, people’s obsession with exploring wine in the south of France is as respectable as travelling to Mexico to take Toad Venom. It’s all a drug after all. So, where do you plan on visiting this year? Hello readers! We appreciate you joining us at Cannadelics.com, a top choice news platform for independent coverage of the growing cannabis and psychedelics landscapes of today. Come by the site whenever possible for updates on current and world-changing events, and head over to the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re always up on what’s going down. The post The 5 Best Drug Tourism Destinations appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/09/16/5-best-drug-tourism-destinations-this-summer/
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One of the chief objectives when couples are getting married, is to throw a fun wedding with the right type of atmosphere. And while alcohol can be great to help loosen people up and get the party going, it certainly has its drawbacks as the night goes on and people get more and more intoxicated (arguments, physical altercations, sickness, etc.). This is why many modern couples are opting to nix the alcohol in favor of more mellow (yet still very fun) substances to serve on their big day.Currently trending: cannabis and magic mushrooms at weddings. Both are wonderful alternatives to your standard alcohol weddings, and let’s be honest, a lot of people are using their own drugs when they attend an event anyway – be it smoking a joint in the parking lot, popping a few gummies, or even sneaking a couple bumps of coke in the bathroom – people go to weddings to have a good time. I know I’ll certainly be stoned at any function I go to, so I don’t expect any less from other wedding-goers, and it makes sense to have a couple of these options on offer. To stay current on everything important happening in the industry, subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Also, it’ll get you premium access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more! We’ve also got standout offers on cannabinoids, like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which won’t kill your bank account. Head over to our “Best-of” lists to get these deals, and remember to enjoy responsibly! A Shroomy Desert WeddingFor a perfect example of a more alternative and “natural” wedding, look no further than Joshua Tree, California, where a Brooklyn-based couple skipped the traditional dress codes and champagne and opted for a casual wedding in the wide-open desert, with magic mushrooms. “We hate conventional weddings, and we basically wanted to do everything antithetical to what that entails,” mentioned the bride, who asked not to be identified. “So we thought it would be hilarious if rather than choosing meat, fish, or vegetarian on the RSVP, we have people choose their drug.” So, that’s exactly what they did – offered their 120 guests a choice between cannabis, mushrooms, or palo santo (which is not a drug, but rather a type of wood that’s burned during spiritual ceremonies in South America). “It had an element of surprise and delight for our guests, and combined my passions of complicated Excel spreadsheets, crafting, and dabbling in drugs,” the bride mentioned. All-in-all, it was a pretty even three-way split between the options (which surprises me as I assumed many people would skip over the palo santo). Once at the wedding, the guests picked up their preferred drugs that were provided in small Etsy welcome totes. The weed was supplied by a legal dispensary, and the mushrooms (which came in mircodose capsule form) were made by “a friend in Brooklyn who grows mushrooms and puts them in these cute little capsules with adorable branding,” according to the groom. The couple made sure to test out the doses personally to make sure nothing too potent was handed out at the event. “I wrote something like, ‘Wanna feel almost nothing? Take one. Wanna feel a little buzz? Take two,’” the bride says. “We were so simpatico with everyone that was actually there that they knew us, they knew our intention, and even if they weren’t into drugs, they could have fun and laugh about it,” she added. I imagine there really was a lot of laughing going on. If you’ve used mushrooms, you’re likely familiar with the giggles that accompany the high. Almost every time I’ve shroomed, I couldn’t but laugh at, well, pretty much everything. It’s not non-stop hysterical laughter for the duration of the trip, but at random points, things feel extra funny and lighthearted, even whimsical… and who wouldn’t want that kind of vibe at their wedding? Modern Wedding TrendsRight now, and for the last few years, we’ve seen some trends that are really taking hold in the wedding circuit. Among them, is a growing interest in nontraditional, outdoor, and sustainable events… and the wedding above encompassed all three. At minimum, offering drugs instead of alcohol certainly falls into the nontraditional category. ![]() There’s been a surge in weed weddings since Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize cannabis recreationally back in 2012. Around 40% percent of adult consumers claim to use cannabis products at every event or special occasion they go to, and companies are taking heed and taping into this burgeoning market. As a matter of fact, there so many weed-centric wedding companies in the industry now that they have their own convention, The Cannabis Wedding Expo, which is ongoing since 2016 and held in many cities across the country. Lately, with psychedelics regulations loosening up in numerous pockets of the world (including a handful of US localities), we’re seeing an uptick in those as well. Not to say that shroom weddings are super common, because they’re not, but it’s an emerging fad that’s sure to gain some traction in the coming years. So, what can you expect from a shroom wedding? You’re unlikely to get actual mushrooms as a party favor, as fun as that would be. Instead, what is most frequently on offer will be psilocybin-infused capsules, chocolates, and gummies. Not only does this make the mushrooms more palatable (even many regular shroomers are put off by the taste and texture of eating them dry) but it’s much more discreet and can be more easily worked into various wedding-day themes. This ring true for a Los Angeles-based manufacturer of such products, who says he is selling roughly 20,000 chocolate bars per month, which is four times as much as he was selling only 3 years ago. It’s hard to say exactly how many of his chocolates are going to weddings, however, many of his clients have specified that the bars are for their special day. Less is MoreCompared to other psychedelics like LSD for example, one of the great things about shrooms is that you really do have a lot of control over the dosing. I’ve only tried real mushrooms (both dry and raw), I haven’t had the opportunity to check out all these psilocybin-based products that are hitting the market as of late. But even in their natural fungi form, you can easily eat just a small piece of a stem or cap to get the equivalent of a microdose high, or you could put down a full quarter in one sitting and discover the secrets of the universe – and everything in between. If you’re taking an already-dosed capsule or edible, it’s even easier to figure out exactly how much you need. Start off low and slow… so take your first dose then wait about 1 hour, and if you want to feel more, take another small dose, and so on. It’s the delicate balance of the microdose, and it seems like everyone is asking about microdosing psychedelics. ![]() “It’s definitely trending right now,” said Ashley Smith, a Bay Area–based planner who organizes multiday wedding celebrations, on the topic of combining mushrooms and matrimony. “Microdosing anything has become way more popular in the last three to four years.” Building up the high in microdoses, as well as making sure partiers are limited in how much they can take, is crucial to making sure everyone has a nice chill evening and nobody loses their cool. Imagine if someone was trying shrooms for the first time and not knowing how much they should take, just kept popping capsules one after the other or ate a full chocolate bar in one sitting… no one has any idea how they might react (including the person taking it). They could be happy at one moment and paranoid tripping, and the overstimulation of being around a wedding full of people they don’t know could make for a very unpleasant experience, for literally everyone in attendance. That’s the last thing anyone wants happening during their nuptials. A Word of WarningAlthough generally speaking, microdosing does work, it’s worth mentioning that just because the dose is low, that doesn’t always equate to a better or more stable experience. For me personally, microdosing is surprisingly more stressful for me than a full-blown mushroom high. I know it sounds strange, but in my opinion, really elucidates the idea of variability between people and their reactions to different external stimuli. I’ve tested this multiple different times now and the results have been consistent, so this is just how my body and mind react to mushrooms I suppose; but when I take low doses (a small piece of a cap or stem, for example), I get a really uncomfortable, mind-racing, anxious type of high. However, when I cross the threshold and take enough shrooms to actually produce some visual effects, I feel infinitely better. That’s when I truly experience the mushroom high that everyone talks about, the feelings of connectedness and euphoria that would make taking mushrooms at pretty much any event seem like a wonderful idea. Final ThoughtsWhile it’s still more of a fringe idea, we can definitely expect to see un uptick in alternative weddings in the coming years, including those that serve weed and magic mushrooms to the guests. This is especially true as we continue to uncover how safe, therapeutic, and fun these substances really are. Hello readers! We appreciate you joining us at Cannadelics.com, a top choice news platform for independent coverage of the growing cannabis and psychedelics landscapes of today. Come by the site whenever possible for updates on current and world-changing events, and head over to the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re always up on what’s going down. The post Mushrooms and Matrimony: Modern Weddings Serving Psychedelics appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/09/16/mushrooms-and-matrimony-modern-weddings-serving-psychedelics/ It’s probably not the headline it could be, because we’ve already been introduced to synthetic meat, and there are plenty of non-dairy milks on the market. Even so, a new synthetic version of milk is under creation, soon to be on a store shelf near you. So, what is the stuff, and are there advantages to this new fake milk? Or is this another example of the synthetics industry unnecessarily taking over for no good reason? First synthetic meat, and now synthetic milk is rearing its head. Should we get ready to gulp it down? Welcome to an entirely independent news publication focusing on the burgeoning cannabis and psychedelics industries (and some other stuff too). We provide the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter for updates on breaking news and ongoing stories, and to offer our readers exciting deals on a range of products from vapes and other smoking paraphernalia, to edibles and cannabinoid products including Delta 8 & HHC. Head to our ‘best of’ lists for more info, and please purchase the products you are most comfortable using. What’s the difference between real and synthetic?These days we have products sold to us that come from nature, right alongside products that are made in a lab. What’s the ultimate difference? Sometimes not that much in the final product. A natural product is one made by nature, whether in the form of an animal, plant, or mineral. A synthetic is something that is made by man, or for which man institutes synthetic processing. Sometimes the final product is identical, and sometimes it’s not. According to dictionary.com, a synthetic is: “something made by a synthetic, or chemical, process; substances or products made by chemical synthesis, as plastics or artificial fibers; and/or the science or industry concerned with such products”. That a product is synthetic, doesn’t mean it can’t have a natural counterpart that it was made to mimic. For example, when delta-9 is extracted directly from the cannabis plant, it’s a natural compound. When it’s made by transforming CBD into delta-9, it must undergo chemical processing, making it synthetically-made. There is a big debate in the cannabis world over the use of synthetics. While they are often demonized for their danger (which is related to added compounds, not those derived from the cannabis plant or made synthetically based on it), they are also the basis for all pharmaceuticals, meaning we’re warned about the same thing we’re sold. ![]() The world of synthetics goes way beyond cannabis compounds. Besides many product markets coming from plastics, it even affects other products. Think of that Prada purse your friend got that fell apart after two weeks, or the Dolce & Gabanna top bought from a street corner, that the dye leaked off of. Fakes markets are also synthetics markets, and they’re huge. If a brand name version of something exists that sells well, you can bet there’s a fake version sold somewhere out there. In terms of synthetics for food, many years ago we were introduced to fake meat, a strange concept that not everyone caught onto, and which is still in its infancy in terms of an industry. For many of us, this idea is more a point of confusion, than some savior to the food industry. It comes with many issues which are not worked out, and which are cause for many health concerns. Yet, even with synthetic meat still under construction, apparently, the next big thing on the horizon is the introduction of synthetic milk. What is synthetic milk?Synthetic milk is a liquid made synthetically that mimics milk, but which doesn’t come from a cow, or any other animal. In fact, no animal is used in the making of this milk, which in and of itself is a plus for those who support animal rights, veganism, or who are just appalled by the horrors of our current industries. It also makes it different from fake meat, which is not 100% cruelty-free. So how is this synthetic milk made? Through a process called ‘precision fermentation’. This process is different from the regular fermentation process that gives us yogurt, cheese, bread, and alcohol. In that process a substance is converted with microbial cells in an oxygen-free environment. Precision fermentation is a kind of biomass fermentation, and involves mycelium, the same thing used by mushrooms to grow and share information. Fungal mycelium, and its fiber branches, are cultivated in tanks, using sugar and other nutrients that promote growth. This is done through genetic engineering of the microbes, which are reprogrammed with new genetic information that instructs specific proteins to produce specific molecules. The reprogramming makes the cells into immortal cells, which act like cellular factories and can continue to reproduce new cells indefinitely, unlike regular cells which eventually stop. The mycelium itself is harvested, cut, and flavored to make different products made of mycoprotein (a protein made by fungi). The fungal mycelium offers a good source of protein and fiber, as well as other vitamins, and minerals. In this case the mycelium is not used to grow something else, like mushrooms, but is the the main ingredient, meaning the protein doesn’t have to be extracted or purified. Besides the cruelty-free appeal, there are a couple major benefits. For one, no hormones or antibiotics are necessary. And second, synthetic milk doesn’t lead to the same negative environmental factors. For years we’ve been told that cows passing gas (methane) is one of the leading causes of greenhouse gases that promote global warming. This makes no sense (no matter how much its repeated), as animals have been grazing all through history without it causing a problem. The bigger issue, is human input in the form of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which are where most meat and milk come from, and which are known for their incredibly negative environmental impact. This milk can cut down on the number of those. But realistically, so can any other fake milk. Isn’t fake milk already popular?![]() Truth is, we already deal a lot in fake milk. Think of how popular almond milk and coconut milk are. You can make milk-like substances from many different plants, and this new synthetic milk is technically plant-based as well. Other plant-based milks don’t require genetic modification though, and are entirely different, and made naturally from a plant. In a way, this idea of going away from real milk makes more sense, than say, synthetic meat. Whereas humans are known to eat meat throughout their lives, milk should only be consumed in infancy. It’s been known for some time that there is no need to consume it past that point, and humans are the only species to continue doing so into adulthood. Even the often touted line that milk is necessary for strong bones has never been proven, and nor does it make sense, as its not a part of standard nature. Yet for all this lack of need, the milk industry is pushed constantly, and up to 80% of the global population regularly consumes dairy. Not only is this not necessary, but some research goes as far as to say it comes with the added detractions of promoting cancer in adults, as well as leading to more bone fractures, which goes directly against the logic of making bones stronger. When it comes to the milk industry, neither the real thing, nor the new synthetic version, sound particularly appealing. The plant-based options are the best ones in terms of health and medical issues. Since these fake versions come from plant sources, they do offer health benefits, that make them better than standard dairy milk. As most alternatives are produced from high fat or high protein sources, they provide good options for a healthy beverage, and without the issues of regular milk, including lactose intolerance, or the issues of synthetic milk, which comes chock full of GMOs. What about synthetic meat?Fake meat has been around for awhile, but a new version was introduced about a decade ago. If you go into most supermarkets, there is an array of fake meat options, like tempeh burgers, soy hotdogs, and other plant-based products. Most of these offer a (sometimes) tasty alternative, but are not necessarily meant to taste just like regular animal meat. In the world of fake meat, ‘cultured meat’ is the newer addition meant to mimic meat, but which is grown in a Petri dish. This meat is produced from animal cells that are cultured, meaning it really is meat. It’s just not meat that grows as part of an animal. The cells are grown in a bioreactor (like the milk), and arranged in exactly the same, or very similar way, so that they mimic the actual feel and texture, as well as the nutritional capacity, of regular meat. The cells are fed a cell culture medium which is oxygen-rich, and comprised of amino acids, glucose, vitamins, and inorganic salts. It’s also supplemented with proteins and other things to promote growth, including hormones. This last part is dicey because we don’t know how far a particular company will go with it, and added hormones are already an issue with the standard meat industry. ![]() Cultured meat is advertised for being environmentally responsible, cruelty-free, and antibiotic-free. However, it’s not as cruelty-free as advertised. For one thing, cells must be harvested, which means some animals are hurt, as opposed to plant-based meat where none are. Plus, growing mediums can involve the use of fetal bovine serum, which is extracted from a cow fetus when the mother is slaughtered. The newer alternative is to use a bioreactor to create immortal cells through genetic engineering, so the cells continue to proliferate endlessly. That this is an entirely GMO industry is a major detraction. Genetic engineering, and genetic constructs are not flushed out, and can be associated with causing cancer, as well as other health issues. Truth is, very little is known about how the processes used to make synthetic meat and milk affect human health in the long run. But with the use of bioreactors and GMO methods, it stands to reason that there could be problems. One of the main ones? That genetically-modified immortal cell lines show a similarity to cancerous cells, including overgrowth of the cells. And though it’s great the meat has no antibiotics, there is nothing saying that it won’t be inundated with hormones. ConclusionIt’s more common to find synthetic clothes than natural fiber clothes today. It’s even common for furniture to come from plastics, even if it looks like wood. Most of our food barely resembles food anymore, with ingredient lists that contain long chemical names. Its not shocking that synthetic meat and synthetic milk are making their way in. At least when it comes to fake milk, the product being replaced, is one we don’t need anyway. Maybe the better question is whether synthetic milk offers us anything better than the nut milks that already took over. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this story, is simply the idea that we’ve become so accustomed to synthetics, that we no longer question a fake industry taking over a real one. Sure, it’s great to do away with an industry that unnecessarily hurts animals for a product we don’t need, but what about where it does matter? Have we become so desensitized to fake, that we’re totally cool with it replacing the real thing? *As a positive side note, it’s nearly impossible to find the words ‘genetically-engineered’ in relation to synthetic milk or meat, though they are most certainly genetically-engineered products. Perhaps this indicates the public is a little hesitant about such processes, leading marketers to attempt to separate the products from the terms, in the minds of the people. Hello readers! Thanks for stopping by Cannadelics.com, a top news platform for fully-rounded coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics landscapes. Check-thru the site daily for important updates on breaking stories, and subscribe to the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, for first crack at the latest news and the best product offerings. The post Got Synthetic Milk? Coming Soon To A Store Near You appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/09/15/got-synthetic-milk-coming-soon-to-a-store-near-you/ The government wasn’t going to let up, not as long as Juul was the posterboy for getting people off smoking. But that’s what they are, and somehow, the government thinks that’s bad. In the latest on this story, Juul agreed to pay out in an effort to end a long-running and damaging government probe into its advertising techniques. How much? $438.5 million. Yet…not one real problem. Juul just agreed to pay out to stop a long-running government probe. Is this because it was actually doing something bad, or because the government simply wasn’t going to let up. We are a news publication covering everything interesting in the world of cannabis, psychedelics, and beyond. Check out the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter to stay updated, and to gain access to deals on cannabis and psychedelics products, from vapes and smoking paraphernalia, to edibles and cannabinoid compounds including Delta 8 & HHC. Head to our ‘best of’ lists for offers, and purchase the products you are most happy to use. What’s the backstory?Juul was the first big provider of vapes, when e-cigs rose to popularity in 2017. Since that time, even with the advent of tons of other vape companies, in an industry that is wildly out of range of US government regulation, the government has continually gone after Juul, for pretty much anything it can, including a probe into advertising techniques, which was just settled. In June the FDA officially banned Juul products, based on the notion that Juul hadn’t provided enough information on the safety of its products. According to Mitch Zeller, the former director of the Center for Tobacco Products, “It’s about anybody who would use the product and potential safety issues that the company failed to adequately address.” Michele Mital of the Center for Tobacco Products stated on behalf of the FDA, that Juul was given time to provide information on long-term safety as per FDA questions, and didn’t. She said, the company “instead left us with significant questions. Without the data needed to determine relevant health risks, the FDA is issuing these marketing denial orders.” ![]() This was contested by Juul’s Chief Regulatory Officer Joe Murillo who said the company would appeal, and that Juul most definitely “provided sufficient information and data based on high-quality research.” Going even further, he stated that Juul hasn’t received any safety complaints from consumers, implying the products are of no immediate danger to anyone, and making the FDA claims, that much more unnecessary. It’s not just Juul thinking all this is crazy. University of Michigan’s Tobacco Research Network Director Clifford E. Douglas, summed it up well when he said, “Given the political pressure brought to bear by tobacco-control groups, parent groups and members of Congress to ban Juul, one wonders whether this decision was solely based on safety.” Douglas also served previously as vice president for tobacco control at the American Cancer Society. The US government was totally fine taking these products off shelves, but did nothing to remove actual cigarettes. As cigarettes are the products causing deaths, not vapes, it raises a lot of questions as to the motives of such a move. If the government sees fit to remove Juul for possible safety issues, shouldn’t it definitely remove cigarettes for the known and proven safety issues? What just happened?While Juul appeals the banning of its products, it just agreed to pay out on another front to end a long-running government probe related to its marketing practices. The US government seems to care less that kids have transitioned to a safer smoking option, than it does about upholding its own laws on nicotine advertising. The basis of the settlement that Juul just paid out for, was an on-going probe based on the US government’s contention that Juul “relentlessly marketed vaping products to underage youth.” Connecticut attorney general William Tong stated, “Juul’s cynically calculated advertising campaigns created a new generation of nicotine addicts.” Is this supposed to imply that without Juul, these kids wouldn’t have tried…anything? Not according to research, which shows a new onslaught of kids starting to smoke, every year. While numbers were highest in the mid-90’s with 33.5% of seniors in high school smoking, they’ve been lower for awhile with 2.4% smoking in 2019. 2.4% is a low number, but vaping was already a thing in 2019. Expecting that kids will simply stop doing something they’ve always done, is so backwards that its facepalm worthy. Have you ever heard a kid say “they’re trying to stop me, so I’ll stop trying?” The best answer is to provide good information and a safer answer, like vaping over smoking. It’s the same as handing out condoms rather than assuming kids will be talked out of having sex. Or giving out free needles because its understood a junky with shoot up, but it doesn’t mean they have to die. ![]() This idea that taking vapes off shelves will eliminate nicotine addictions (which don’t kill anyone – go ahead, find a statistic…), and that kids won’t go out and smoke cigarettes instead, is so nonsensical it’s almost funny. But, it’s not funny, because that’s what a move like this does. The only thing the government stands to gain by doing this, is more sick people from more smoking, and more tax money from those excessively high cigarette taxes, that the government can’t collect from the illicit vape market. The settlement itself makes very little sense, requiring things like Juul not allowing anyone under 35 in advertising. This is strange as anyone 18 and above can legally smoke. That’s a 17 year difference. Perhaps the inanity is because there isn’t technically a safety issue to respond to, as this probe didn’t result from an actual problem with any of Juul’s products. Why is this nuts?It’s nuts because 480,000 people die a year from cigarette damage, according to the same government trying to stop a company from selling a nicotine product that doesn’t require smoking. As smoking itself is the detriment, and not the specific product smoked, the idea of targeting anyone trying to provide a better option, is insane. No direct deaths are linked to vaping, nicotine, or any cannabis or tobacco compound; only to additives, which can be regulated by the government. As far as demanding long-term safety information, the reality is that it’s not possible to have it past a point, something we’ve gotten used to with today’s pharmaceutical industry that pushes out medications faster than we can test them in life. Long term safety information is based on the progressive use of a product, which takes time. In a younger industry, this information doesn’t exist, because it can’t. That this much time has gone by without a notable issue, simply points to the fact that so far, these products are okay. As the US government itself can’t provide long-term safety information for any new drug it approves, it’s that much more ridiculous to go after Juul with such a probe. The FDA has repeatedly recalled approved drugs because of drastic safety issues (sometimes downright scary ones), and as of yet, Juul hasn’t had to do anything like that. What about saving kids?And that line about saving kids? It was the same line used last year when the federal government attempted to institute a vape mail ban. Somehow, in light of 480,000 deaths a year, 41,000 attributable to secondhand smoke (something that doesn’t exist with vaping), the FDA still wants kids to do the more dangerous thing. ![]() Without intervention, kids are actually gravitating toward the healthier option. According to the CDC, when looking at past-month cigarette usage, in 2020, 1 out of 50 middle school students claimed they smoked, as well as 1 out of 20 high school students. In comparison to e-cigs, 1 out of 20 middle school students said they used an e-cig in the past month, and one fifth of high school students. In terms of overall cigarette use, in 2019, about a quarter of middle school kids, and a half of high school kids said they tried a tobacco product. This went down to 7 out of 100 middle school kids (6.7%), and 23 out of 100 high school kids (23.6%), in 2020. This does show a progression toward e-cigs from cigarettes. As one comes with a high death toll, and one has none, it’s a massive head-scratcher that so much effort is put into getting rid of the better option. Especially when there are bigger fish to fry. There is no direct death toll from e-cigs. But there is from alcohol and opioids. The National Institute of Health (NIH) reported that in 2019, about 414,000 kids (12-17) had alcohol use disorder. In fact, a 2014 WHO report named alcohol misuse as the #1 risk factor for death and disability in the age group 15-49, indicating it understands that kids as young as 15 are getting very messed up by alcohol. Should we take it up a notch? According to this report by the National Survey on Drug use and Health for 2017, almost 770,000 kids between ages 12-17 misused opioids that year. In comparison, about 14,000 tried heroin. No death statistics were given for that, but they were somewhere else. In a report by the Yale School of Medicine which analyzed CDC mortality data, researchers found that opioids were responsible for close to 9,000 deaths of kids in the US between 1999-2016. No deaths from vaping tobacco compounds occurred in that time. ConclusionThe US government can be quite the bully. It can’t reel in the growing vape market, so it goes after the big names it can, as if that will really do away with the entire industry. It hopes, of course, that you’ll get scared by the fear-marketing headlines, and return to the good old-fashioned cigarette, over those newfangled vapes that don’t cause the same death rate, or make the government the same tax money. Instead of the question ‘did Juul market to kids?’, perhaps it should be, ‘why would it matter if Juul marketed to kids?’ And better yet, ‘don’t we want Juul to market to kids?’ If the main goal is keeping people healthy, why are we arguing about this at all? People are going away from smoking. This is good. And if the government stops getting in the way, like it did with this Juul probe, the trend could keep up, leading to an overall healthier country. Plus, its good to remember that countries like the UK are now starting to knock down the ridiculous smear campaigns on vaping. In a recent independent review commissioned by the Secretary of Health, recommendations were made to promote vaping in order to get away from smoking, and it’s massive death toll. Howdy all! Thanks for being a part of Cannadelics.com, a preeminent website for thorough reporting of the cannabis and psychedelics landscapes. Join us regularly to stay on top of what’s going on, and sign up for the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re never late on getting the news. The post Juul Agrees to Pay Out, Ending Senseless Government Probe appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/09/14/juul-agrees-to-pay-out-ending-senseless-government-probe/ There are tons of options in terms of plants that can get you high and give hallucinogenic experiences, though we in America are most familiar with what is found easily here. Since we’re not familiar with plants that are newer to America, or seen less, sometimes an interesting drug gets through without the regulation that others face. Such is the case with salvia, the legal hallucinogen that’ll sure get you high. Salvia has been around for a long time, and is one of the many plants out there that can make you hallucinate. However, unlike others, it’s federally legal. This news source is comprehensive and independent, sharing the biggest stories in the worlds of cannabis, psychedelics, and beyond. We provide the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter so readers stay informed, as well as to give access to a ton of deals on all kinds of products from vapes and smoking devices, to edibles and cannabinoid compounds including the uber-popular Delta 8 & HHC. Check out our ‘best of’ lists for more info, and please make purchases for the products you feel most comfortable using. What is salvia?There are a ton of compounds that cause hallucinations, from psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD, to dissociative like ketamine, to poisonous mushrooms like Amanita muscaria (fly agaric). There are so many, that the majority aren’t known to the general population, as they may not grow universally, or be a part of a local tradition. The general population knows about the most popular of these compounds, and even the known-about names vary in just how popular they are with the public. Salvia is one of the better-known hallucinogens out there, but it doesn’t have the name value as other compounds like DMT, psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, or mescaline. Salvia is found all over the place now, making it more commonplace for Americans, but it originated in Mexico, quite specifically in Oaxaca in the Sierra Mazateca cloud forests, as the plant enjoys shady and moist growing conditions. In terms of its popularity, a recent US survey turned up that approximately 5% of the population had tried it (though the study admittedly worked off a very small sample). Salvia divinorum is a species of salvia, along with the oft used Salvia officinalis, or sage. Both of these salvias reside in the Lamiaceae mint family, along with many others including Salvia rosmarinus, which most know as the herb Rosemary. Salvia divinorum is one of several salvia species that cause a psychoactive response, complete with hallucinations. This is done through the main psychoactive compound salvinorin A. How did it get the name Salvia divinorum? ‘Divinorum’ is related to the word ‘divination’, which then translates to “diviner’s sage” or “seer’s sage.” Albert Hofmann, the same guy who brought us LSD, and who was one of the first to study this plant, took issue with this name, saying it translated to “Salvia of the ghosts”, and should be Salvia divinatorum, which translates to “Salvia of the priests.” Due to priority rules in botanical literature, it’s listed under the former name. ![]() Salvia, much like other psychoactive plants, was used by Mazatec shamans for centuries as a tool for spiritual healing or divination, in which they would use the salvia to bring on altered states of consciousness and visual hallucinations. It’s still used for these purposes today by native communities. Shamans are known to use the fresh leaves of the plant as an embodiment of the Virgin Mary, and rituals generally start with an invocation to her as well as other saints. Salvia is used in quiet places, since its said that Mary speaks with a quiet voice. Apart from ceremonial uses, salvia is used in lower doses to treat diarrhea, anemia, headaches, rheumatism, as a diuretic, and to treat ‘swollen belly’, which is considered a semi-magical disease. Interestingly, where salvia actually started is not known. While it might be indigenous to the Sierra Mazateca, its also possible it was brought over by some other indigenous tribe, with no for-sure answer as to when its use began. Also interesting, salvia, much like amanita mushrooms, was never illegalized in the US, probably because it wasn’t widely available in the US when such laws were made. Other countries, including a lot of Europe, hold the plant as illegal. Some places like Estonia, Finland, Iceland, and Norway treat it as a medicine that requires a prescription; some places like Russia, allow possession but not sale; and in yet other places like Chile, France and Spain, possession and cultivation are legal, but its sale is not. While its not on the Controlled Substances list in America, 13 states created legislation to ban it. What does Salvinorin A do?Salvinorin A is the main psychoactive constituent of Salvia divinorum. The compound is classified as a diterpenoid, a form of terpenoid. It is structurally different than other hallucinogenic compounds like psilocybin and mescaline, and doesn’t have the same mode of action as classic psychedelics in general, which exert their biggest force on serotonin receptors. One of the differentiating factors is the lack of nitrogen atoms, leading to its designation as a terpenoid. This is different from nearly all other hallucinogens, which contain nitrogen atoms. Salvinorin A is most active at κ-opioid receptors (kappa), where it acts as a potent agonist, forcing the sites to fire more. It has no effect on the serotonin receptors (5-HT2A) that psychedelics use to potentiate a response. It also has no function at NMDA receptors that a dissociative like ketamine binds to. It doesn’t even act like a regular opioid agonist, as most target μ-opioid receptors (mu), and salvinorin A works on κ-opioid receptors. The compound exerts force in other places as well, most notably D2 receptors, which are dopamine receptors. It’s thought that these bindings could be partially responsible for the hallucinatory effects. Salvinorin A doesn’t produce long trips, and most last from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Overall, it hasn’t been studied as thoroughly as other hallucinogenic compounds, so its exact abilities and modes of action are still under investigation. How does a user feel on salvia?In terms of subjective effects, salvia users can expect some of the following when using this compound. These effects vary from standard psychedelic effects, which makes sense as they affect the brain differently: Sedation; spatial disorientation; loss of motor control; analgesic effects; amnesia; delusions; depersonalization; increased music appreciation; suppression of analysis, language, and memory; laughing fits; time distortion; slower thinking; auditory and visual distortions and hallucinations; enhanced feelings of spirituality; what feel like near-death experiences; and feelings of connectedness. ![]() Then there are a few others effects which deserve a little more explanation. The first is changes in how gravity feels. In fact, this is a major part of a salvia trip, and is often known as ‘salvia gravity’. This is a part of pretty much any salvia trip, though the feeling is more intense at higher doses. Essentially, it makes a user feel heavier and heavier at first, and then leads to a feeling of being lifted up and out of the body and traveling over distances. This creates a feeling of being pushed or pulled into a space, and isn’t experienced with psychedelics. Another interesting effect, which often goes with the previously mentioned effect, is in making the user feel like there’s a change in their bodily form. As strange a concept as it is, it means the user feels like they’re being physically stretched in some ongoing and never-ending way, creating two halves, either vertically or horizontally. Some users feel as if they’ve transformed into an inanimate object. It should be mentioned that none of this is painful to the user. It does, however, sound a lot like ketamine, and dissociatives in general. Ketamine is known for attaching to mu, kappa, and delta opioid receptors, making that kappa bind a likely similarity between the two. A third interesting effect, is that users experience spontaneous bodily sensations. This is less common, and can result in discomfort, as it can bring on a sensation of pins intensely pricking the skin. Overall, it involves different sensations occurring all over the body without a trigger, making the feelings very random. It is usually felt as some sort of tingling sensation. Whereas classical psychedelics are associated with experiencing profound insights into oneself and the universe at large, salvia isn’t known for this, although it is associated with intense encounters. Though its use in traditional cultures does imply a strong spiritual aspect, this compound is best described as a drug that does not promote deep personal insights, but simply creates potent and enthralling experiences. Salvia, like most drugs, can come with negative effects as well. Besides strong feelings of confusion, salvia can cause anxiety, paranoia, and panic, which is thought to be related to it being a κ-opioid agonist. It can bring on feelings of impending doom, cognitive dysphoria, and the previously mentioned feelings of physical discomfort, like being pricked by needles. Another thing to consider is that since salvia doesn’t work well when going through the digestive tract, sometimes effects aren’t felt at all, which is kind of the opposite. In these cases, its best to remember that it should be kept in the mouth longer when using a tea or chewing leaves. Without doing that, it might seem like salvia has no effects at all. How to use salviaThe tea method – One of the more traditional methods of consumption is as a tea. When extracting the juice from fresh leaves, it requires about 20-80 leaves. This equals about 50–200 grams (2–7 oz). This is mixed with water to make a tea, or directly infused in the water to make the tea. With dried leaves, about 3-4 grams are used. To make the tea, the leaves are boiled for five minutes, and allowed to cool for 15. Each mouthful of tea must be kept in the mouth for 15-20 seconds so uptake occurs through the blood vessels of the mouth, as it won’t do anything once swallowed. The chewing method – A person can also just chew a number of leaves. This makes effects come on slower, taking 10-20 minutes. By themselves, the leaves produce no effect when eaten, because the salvinorin A is deactivated in the gastrointestinal system. Instead, the leaves are held in the mouth as long as possible so the compounds are taken in through oral mucosa, just like with the tea. ![]() This is similar to sublingual administration which involves putting a compound under the tongue to access the large array of blood vessels therein. The difference is that one relies on blood vessels under the tongue, and the other on the mucous lining of the mouth. When doing it this way, the leaves are spit out after chewing, and the effects last longer than smoking. The smoking method – A user can also smoke the leaves, in which case they need way less. Leaves are dried when smoked, and since salvinorin A only gets released at very high temperatures of 240 °C (464 °F) or more, its even recommended to use a very strong flame, like a torch lighter. However, smoking dried leaves often doesn’t produce much effect, and in place of smoking regular leaves, many people smoke concentrates and extracts instead. When smoking leaves, effects come on within a minute, and only last 1-5 minutes intensely, and about 20-30 minutes overall. This is how much to smoke to access different levels of high:
The tincture method – Things change over time, and now there are newer methods for salvia consumption. Though many still smoke or chew leaves, the use of tinctures has become much more popular. This (along with other concentrate methods) is the most intense way to use salvia, but the strength varies depending on the tincture. As with any tincture, a salvia tincture is made by soaking the leaves in a high proof ethyl alcohol, generally for at least two weeks. After soaking, the plant material is strained out, and the tincture can be administered in drops. ConclusionSalvia is an interesting hallucinogen because it doesn’t act like more common hallucinogens. And it comes with the positive of being federally legal. Though this could change; since the population of the US is becoming more accepting of entheogenic drugs and psychedelics in general, the idea of it being illegalized on a federal level now, is very unlikely to happen (though not impossible). Welcome everyone! We love that you made it to Cannadelics.com, our premiere, independent, and thorough offering of news in the cannabis and psychedelics fields. Come by frequently to stay informed on changes in the industry, and sign up for the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so all important updates go straight to your inbox. The post Salvia – The Legal Hallucinogen: What It Is, And How to Use It appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/09/13/salvia-the-legal-hallucinogen-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it/ Laws are definitely good a lot of the time, because society would go a little crazy without them. But that doesn’t mean all laws are good, or that they make sense. That’s where loopholes come in. Sometimes the only good thing about a law, is the way to get around it. Such is the case with the mescaline loophole. Here’s what you need to know. Mescaline isn’t known as the most popular psychedelic, but perhaps the mescaline loophole will increase popularity in time. This cannabis and psychedelics publication focuses on breaking news and ongoing stories in these new and burgeoning industries. We also put out the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter for readers to access updates on stories, as well as obtain product promotions for all kinds of stuff like vapes and other smoking paraphernalia, edibles, and cannabinoid compounds including the ever-popular Delta 8 & HHC. You can find more info in our ‘best of’ lists, so check them out, and please only purchase products you feel comfortable using. What’s mescalineWith all the talk on psychedelics recently, magic mushrooms, DMT, and LSD have sure gotten a lot of attention, along with dissociatives like ketamine. One of the classic psychedelics that gets slightly less attention, is mescaline. However, of all the classic psychedelics, mescaline is the only one that comes with a handy little loophole in the form of the San Pedro and Peruvian Torch cacti. Mescaline (3,4,5-Trimethoxyphenethylamine) is a psychedelic compound that occurs naturally, like psilocybin from magic mushrooms and DMT. This is unlike MDMA and LSD which are only made in a lab. It’s most well-known association is with the Peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii), although it’s also found in the Peruvian Torch cactus (Echinopsis peruviana), San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi), and in the Cactaceae plant and Fabaceae bean families. It belongs to the phenethylamine class of drugs, and like the rest of the classic psychedelics, it exerts its biggest effect on serotonin receptors. Mescaline produces a number of effects, including intense hallucinogens, with both open and closed-eye visuals; distortion in time, sound and vision; an increase in introspective and conceptual thinking; the loss of ego; and feelings of euphoria. It’s often considered gentler than other psychedelics with less negative come-down, while possibly producing greater insight than these other compounds. It’s the subject of a growing body of research for its potential medical properties. ![]() Users should be aware that psychedelics can produce anxiety, paranoia, delusions, and psychosis in some users, though only temporarily. Mescaline, like the other psychedelics, has never shown to be an addictive or toxic substance. It’s lesser popularity in the world of psychedelics is probably related to its long growing time, and greater cost of production. Much of the time its bought off the street, its not real mescaline, but a synthetic derivative like 2C-B. Peyote has a rich history, particularly in MesoAmerica, going back as far as 5,700 years. Mescaline cacti are generally found as far north as the south of North America, and throughout Central and parts of South America. It’s been used for spiritual and religious purposes in different native communities through this time, and still today. In terms of more recent history, its entrance to Western science came in 1897, when German chemist Arthur Heffter first isolated the compound from the Peyote plant. In 1919 it was synthesized for the first time by Ernst Späth. It was Aldous Huxley’s 1954 essay entitled “The Doors of Perception” that helped mescaline gain prominence in the mid-1900’s. How the mescaline loophole worksThe mescaline loophole is similar to the two magic mushroom loopholes. The first magic mushroom loophole concerns the seeds. As the seeds contain no psychoactive components, they are usually legal to buy and sell, though growing the mushrooms is illegal. The second mushroom’s loophole relates to how mushrooms themselves were never scheduled by the Convention on psychotropic substances in 1971, though their components psilocybin and psilocin were. The loophole is that the plant itself it legal in many places outside the US, while what’s in it, is not. This is similar to how it works with the mescaline loophole. Mescaline itself is a Schedule I compound on the Controlled Substances list. The plant Peyote also resides on that list specifically. But the San Pedro cactus does not, and neither does the Peruvian Torch cactus, or any other mescaline-producing plant. Much like magic mushroom seeds, its perfectly legal to buy, sell, and grow these cacti, but it’s technically not legal to harvest them for mescaline. This is the same with mushroom seeds, and mushrooms themselves where the loophole applies. The seeds can be sold and purchased, but you’re not supposed to grow the mushrooms. As Peyote is the only specifically-listed mescaline containing plant on the Controlled Substances list, this mescaline loophole applies to any other plant that produces mescaline. According to the US government, these cacti are legal for religious purposes across the board (possession, sale, and transport), and are legal for cultivation without rules. ![]() In terms of Peyote, its not even completely illegal like other Schedule I substances. As of 1994’s American Indian Religious Freedom Act amendments, harvest, possession, consumption and cultivation of peyote are protected for religious ceremonies. Though the Act was originally made only for Native American use when instituted in 1978, this was expanded in 1991 to include anyone using Peyote for religious purposes, through the US vs Boyll ruling. As of right now, Idaho and Texas are the only states that bar the religious use of Peyote by non-native-American, non-enrolled people. Does this make sense?No, not really. But a lot of laws don’t make sense. In this case, the loophole is in favor of the people. Such loopholes happen quite a bit in the world of drugs, where laws don’t always match up. The magic mushroom loopholes are a couple of examples, but there are still more. Consider that in some places like Thailand cannabis with THC levels over .2% is decriminalized, but not legal. Yet growing hemp is perfectly legal, making for the industrial hemp loophole. Not only is it not illegal in a place like Thailand to grow hemp, but it’s actually encouraged for the general population to do so. So much so that the government handed out one million free cannabis plants to residents upon instituting the decriminalization policy. This same concept is seen elsewhere in places like Slovenia, Argentina, and Iran. Sometimes a loophole isn’t even a real loophole, but still acts that way. Like delta-8 THC. The compound undergoes synthetic processing for creation, meaning it doesn’t fall under the definition of hemp, and is technically illegal, even if its sourced from hemp. However, it also falls into the no-one-will-do-anything-about-it loophole. The US fought such losing wars on drugs (and still is) that to go after any compound (natural or synthetic) related to a drug on the cusp of federal legalization, is so non-financially viable, and so unwanted, that it would only lead to negative consequences for the government. And so there is essentially no legal reaction to the industry. Even delta-9 falls into that same loophole, when its made from CBD derived from hemp. Sure, it undergoes processing that no longer qualifies it as ‘hemp’, but at a time when half the country already lives in places where high-THC cannabis is legal, going after it, isn’t going to happen. Or at least, it hasn’t yet. Ketamine is another fantastic loophole example. While it was never approved for use with pain or psychological disorders, it is approved as an anesthetic. In the US, doctors are allowed to prescribe any approved medication for any use they see fit. This has spawned a large gray-market ketamine industry whereby the ketamine is prescribed by a doctor at a clinic, and treatment is given for unapproved purposes. ![]() The world of loopholes is an interesting place, though sometimes it can work against the general population. Take Malta, for example. Malta recently legalized cannabis, becoming the first EU country to do so, but prior to this, it operated off a strange loophole. That loophole came about because Malta legalized home-growing for personal use, but only one plant, without any specification for weight or size. Which means if a person had two plants the same size as one, even for medical use, it no longer fell under the personal use allowance, making it illegal. A person could have three plants that equaled less weight than one big plant, and the same would’ve still applied. How did this happen?The US sure likes to illegalize drugs, right? So, how did it allow such a loophole to happen? Probably for the same reason as yet another loophole, the amanita mushroom loophole. Amanita mushrooms are considered ‘poisonous mushrooms’ and not ‘psychedelic mushrooms’ based on a different mode of action that centers around GABA rather than serotonin. They haven’t shown to be deadly, and are simply another form of hallucinogenic mushroom. Unlike their psilocybin counterparts, they were never illegalized. In both the case of amanita mushrooms, and mescaline-producing plants like San Pedro, they’re less commonly found and used in the US. Amanita mushrooms are found mainly in places like Siberia, whereas some mescaline plants are found more in Latin America. Mescaline also comes with the detraction of a much longer production time, making it less popular than other drugs. When drug laws were made, these compounds/plants either never came up, or were passed-over since they weren’t popular enough in the US at the time. As Peyote showed up more often, it was made illegal, while its less common counterparts, were not. This does make sense. Countries don’t tend to make laws for things they don’t deal with. The US thought it was outlawing mescaline by making it and Peyote illegal, and it didn’t consider the lesser-known mescaline-producing plants. Just like, it left out amanita mushrooms, because they weren’t known about by anyone in the US at that time. As plant-based hallucinogens grow in popularity and acceptance, it makes it harder for the US to come in now and change things, meaning these loopholes will likely remain until they’re replaced by legalizations. ConclusionIt’s not my job to tell anyone what to do or not to do. As mescaline is illegal, I’m definitely not telling anyone they should go out and find a San Pedro or Peruvian Torch cactus. And I’m unquestionably not telling anyone that just because they found one, they should tend to it and grow it. And I’m 100% certainly not telling anyone to take that tended-to plant, and then extract the mescaline from it. And I most assuredly am not telling anyone to take that extracted mescaline, and use it. But…for anyone looking for the experience, its sure nice to know that such a mescaline loophole, does, in fact, exist. Welcome everyone! We appreciate you making your way to Cannadelics.com, an independent news site offering up comprehensive coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics industries. Stop by often to stay updated on important stories, and sign up for the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, to ensure you’re always first to get the news. The post The Mescaline Loophole, And How to Use It appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/09/12/the-mescaline-loophole-and-how-to-use-it/ Thailand already pulled double duty in the world of weed, legalizing medical use and decriminalizing recreational use, all within four years. Now, it’s got its sights set on the next medical frontier, psychedelics. In a recent announcement, Thailand made clear it’s interest in researching psilocybin mushrooms, for depression therapy, and beyond. Thailand is the next country to investigate psilocybin mushrooms for therapy purposes, and might update its laws. This news source is 100% independent and covers the cannabis and psychedelics fields, which are quickly expanding out. We also provide the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter to give readers updates directly to their emails, and to offer a range of deals on tons of products from vapes and other smoking equipment, to edibles and cannabinoid compounds including the super-popular Delta 8 & HHC. Head to our ‘best of’ lists to check out deals, and please only purchase products you’re totally happy to use. What’s the news?On August 14th, 2022, the Thailand National Narcotics Control Board announced in a press conference its plans to start production of psilocybin mushrooms, for research into therapeutic uses. This research project is to be run under the Narcotics Control Board, in collaboration with Khon Kaen University. The idea is to expand out to include other universities later. Minister of Justice, Somsak Thepsuthin backed the government’s decision to get into magic mushroom medicine. Psilocybin mushrooms, known as “het khee khwai” in Thai, which translates to “buffalo pooh mushrooms”, will have designated areas within Khon Kaen for cultivation. Right now it’s just a research initiative, with the end goal of producing medications for the population. None of this is meant for recreational use, pointed out Thepsuthin, and everything planned is entirely for a medical market only. The major goal of this research initiative, and pending medical market, is aimed at helping those suffering from depression. According to the World Health Organization, the estimate for depressed Thai, is 1.5 million (out of a country of nearly 70 million). It was also estimated that this depression leads to a lower life expectancy. ![]() Magic mushrooms in ThailandThis recent announcement from the Thai government is quite an about-face from current Thai law governing the fungi. Right now, psilocybin mushrooms are illegal in Thailand for any use, as a Category 5 Narcotic under The Narcotics Act of 1979. Using mushrooms comes with up to a year of jail time, a 20,000 baht fine (~ $546), or both. Those caught selling are looking at 2-15 years in prison, and fines ranging from 200,000-1.5 million baht (~$546-41,000). Despite these possible punishments, the laws aren’t known for frequent enforcement, leading Thailand to already be a hub for magic mushroom tourism. Islands in the Gulf of Thailand like Ko Samui and Koh Pha Ngan, offer tourists psilocybin-assisted therapy retreat centers. Ko Samui even has a species of psilocybin mushroom named after it: Psilocybe Samuiensis. This mushroom is native to the island, as well as other parts of Thailand and Cambodia. Magic mushrooms have a continued popularity with the youth of the country, as well. If all goes as planned, and Thailand produces studies that mirror the positive benefits seen in other studies (particularly the Phase II trials run by COMPASS Pathways), its expected the country will reschedule the compound for wider research and medical use. This makes Thailand the first country on the Asian continent to recognize, in an official capacity, that psychedelic medicines are beneficial, and the first to invest in developing a medical market for them in the region. Thepsuthin, besides talking of the possible medical benefits, also related how he thought the declassification of psilocybin might help the country’s agricultural sector, as well as reducing the current price of mushrooms and therapy. Prices could go as low as 500 baht ($13.65)/kilogram for fresh mushrooms, and 5,000 bhat ($136.48)/kilogram for dried. If a person wanted to legally use mushrooms in Oregon in a designated facility, it would cost between $1,500-7,000 by comparison, which also gives Thailand an extra potential value in a tourist market. Thailand and cannabisA new magic mushrooms policy is sure forward-thinking for a country in a region that almost universally doesn’t allow drugs; but it’s not the first move of its kind by the country. Thailand has been changing tack on drug policy all over the board, or at least, in another major section of it: cannabis. Within four years, Thailand has taken a strong about-face when it comes to cannabis regulation. This started in 2018 with a medical legalization voted-in unanimously by the National Legislative Assembly; and which went into effect in 2019, making Thailand the first Asian country to allow cannabis medicine. This did nothing to change recreational law and penalties, though. Even with the medical legalization, illegal possession of marijuana still came with a punishment of up to 15 years prison time, and a fine of approximately 1.5 million baht (~$41,000). ![]() Then, in January of 2022, Thailand took it up a notch, announcing it would remove cannabis from Category 5, and decriminalize the plant, along with allowing home-growing. This was just a statement though, and required the writing of regulatory laws. Unlike other countries that take years getting this part done (think Mexico), by June 9th, Thailand officially followed through, and decriminalized the plant. And how did it celebrate this change in cannabis regulation? By giving away one million free cannabis plants to regular citizens. First announced in May as a sort of promotional act for the new law, it was stipulated that anyone growing would have to notify their local government, adhere to the .2% THC limit, and only use the plants for medical purposes. The same day the decriminalization went through, 350,000 people registered to grow in their homes. According to Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the idea is for these low-THC plants to be thought of as a household crop by the people of Thailand, though none of what’s grown in private homes is legal for commercial purposes. As about 1/3 of Thailand’s residents work in agriculture, the idea of turning weed into a household crop isn’t that far out, and should be easy for a country with such a strong farming base. Should magic mushrooms officially get a pass to medical legalization (and possible decriminalization), it means that within just a few years of time, Thailand completely changed policy on both cannabis and psychedelics. And who knows what opening the magic mushrooms door could do to grease the wheels for other psychedelics like DMT, mescaline, or LSD. If the idea is really to improve the health of residents, Thailand might be on board to evaluate more legalization policies for other drugs in the future. Drug tourismThe Thai government hasn’t been unclear that it hopes both the new cannabis industry, and a potential mushrooms industry, could greatly help the economy of the country. As a part of this, it’s not just about selling to residents, or even exporting to other countries, but establishing a tourism market for these drugs in Thailand. Medical cannabis tourism, and medical mushroom tourism, refer to going to a place to access their medical services related to those plants. Thai Tourism and Sports Minister, Pipat Ratchakitprakan, made the comment in 2019, “We would like to provide medical tour packages, such as detox, Thai massage and other wellness courses that use marijuana substances.” When he said this, there was draft legislation on the subject which would have allowed foreigners to come to Thailand with their own medical cannabis, so long as they had a valid prescription. It’s not clear what current thoughts are on this now. ![]() According to another more recent source, “Thailand’s health ministry as part of accelerated plans to legalize cannabis for recreational use in the country is contemplating the setup of a so-called ‘cannabis sandbox scheme’ for interested foreign tourists…” And that “The planned tourism scheme, comparable to the current Covid-19 sandbox schemes which allow foreign travelers access to designated areas under various pandemic control regulations, would determine certain regions in the country where cannabis could be consumed as a pastime.” However, none of this is confirmed. With already operational centers for treatment with psilocybin mushrooms (whether legal or not), it’s not that far a stretch to imagine this could be pushed to the forefront and advertised as a legal tourist activity. Such places already exist in countries like Jamaica, the Netherlands, and Costa Rica; and it seems Thailand has a great set-up for a much-better-priced market, than what exists in a place like Oregon. ConclusionThailand is truly a country on the move. Like watching a child grow to adolescents and then bloom out into adulthood. With all the recent – and quick – moves to update drug policy concerning cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms, Thailand has really separated itself from its neighbors, and started a major charge to drug reform. Hello and welcome readers! We appreciate you stopping at Cannadelics.com, a cannabis and psychedelics news source of the independent variety, with daily stories on current events going on in the industry. Join us whenever possible to stay updated on important stories, and sign up for the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, to ensure you’re always on top of whatever is going on. The post Thailand Getting in on Psilocybin Mushrooms Therapy appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/09/12/thailand-getting-in-on-psilocybin-mushrooms-therapy/ Any label, any name, any word has a story. First it begins with the etymology – what it literally means – and then it moves on to what that word stood for and what it grew into. Then, in some cases, you have to trudge your way through the various generational meanings that took place, each decade a new group of people either accepting, rejecting or changing it. The word hippy is no different. For decades, perhaps even centuries, this word has been used to stand for anti-establishment movements and free-thinking. However, for some more involved in that establishment, it is also used as a derogatory label. Meaning those who go against society and don’t want to align with its values. How can the word be two things simultaneously? Let’s delve deep into the truth behind the word: hippy. To stay current on everything important happening in the industry, subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Also, it’ll get you premium access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more! We’ve also got standout offers on cannabinoids, like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which won’t kill your bank account. Head over to our “Best-of” lists to get these deals, and remember to enjoy responsibly! EtymologyEtymology, simply speaking, is the study of the meaning of words and the ways in which they have changed over time. How was a word created, and how has that word meant different things in different moments in history. An example of this is the word avocado. For the majority of the world, an avocado is a fruit (yep, it’s not a vegetable) that people enjoy with eggs for breakfasts, in smoothies or in salads. However, the etymology of it is quite interesting. Babbel writes: “The word avocado comes from Spanish aguacate, which in turn comes from the Nahuatl ahuacatl, meaning testicle. Surprised? Perhaps, but the more one thinks about it, the less surprising it gets — they do rather resemble a man’s soft spot, and this resemblance becomes even more pronounced when you see avocado duos dangling clumsily from trees.” This new-found knowledge may just as well make you look at avocados in a different way next time you’re using them in a dish. But, as you can see, the meaning behind avocado has changed over time. Nowadays, it would be unlikely for most people to know the etymology of the word, whereas in another time it would have been. Evolution of WordsThe ability to speak and communicate is something that takes us away from a lot of other animals, and it has allowed us to build civilizations, plan for the future, as well as reminisce and learn from the past. But this also means that we have around 7100 languages being spoken in the world today – all of which are evolving and changing to fit the modern world. Science Node writes: “Anyone who knows how ‘to google’, heard a ‘vuvuzela’, used ‘the grid’ or witnessed a ‘bromance’ will know that a language can change over time as well; new words regularly appear in our vernacular, words change their meaning and old words slowly die away. Dictionaries try to keep on top of changes; around 2,000 new words were added to the New Oxford American Dictionary in 2010 alone.” It’s not only new objects that need to be added to the dictionary, but also new fashions and trends. For example, ‘twerking’ became a popular hip-hop dance and was subsequently added to the list of dictionary words. This was the same with ‘selfie’, which has become so popular that it’s impossible to ignore. The Word “Hippie”It is possible, however, for a word that has existed for centuries to completely change its meaning. This can happen very quickly too. This is what happened with the word hippy, in a way. In the 1960s, hippy was being used both as a label of pride, as well as a derogatory term. But let’s figure out where it stems from. One theory is that it derives from the word ‘hip’, which means keeping on-trend and in fashion. However, in a sense, this is the opposite of what hippies stood for. Being a part of the hippy movement wasn’t about being in-fashion, it was about standing against the establishment and all that came with that. According to World Wide Words, the word hippie was first recorded in print in the 1950s so, before then, it wasn’t being used to the same magnitude as it was about to be. Wikipedia writes: ![]() “The terms hipster and hippie derive from the word hip and the synonym hep… The words hip and hep first surfaced in slang around the beginning of the 20th century and spread quickly, making their first appearance in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1904. At the time, the words were used to mean “aware” and “in the know”. In the late 1960s, African language scholar David Dalby… claimed that hipi (a word in the Wolof language meaning “to open one’s eyes”) was the source for both hip and hep” Looking at these supposed origins, it seems plausible. You would agree that the hippie movement believed to be ‘in the know’ and were ‘aware’ of the truths behind the mask of capitalist, war-ridden society. In addition, the idea of opening someone’s eyes to these truths also aligns quite nicely with that same movement. However, it’s also true that the word ‘hip’ is used to mean being fashionable. You could imagine your cringey grandpa coming home wearing a cap and asking: do I look ‘hip’? So perhaps we’ll need to go a little deeper to understand what the word hippie really means. For this, we will need to know what it stood for and what it still does stand for. The Hippie MovementThe hippie movement was born in the 50s-70s from turmoil and desperation, during a time when the world was polarized. In the USA, there were many groups being marginalized: the youths, women, and, of course, none more than those of color. The civil rights movement was perhaps the largest battle, with many brave folk talking to the street to try and create an epic shift in people’s opinions. The aim was equality. This was what the hippie movement stood for. For people of all races, colors, genders, abilities, classes – to be treated the same. The peak of the movement came during the Vietnam War, where hundreds of thousands of self-proclaimed hippies went to Woodstock music festival in 1969. Some unbelievable musicians played, including the likes of: Jimmy Hendrix, The Who and Jefferson Airplane. It was here where hippie culture could be seen in full force. Loads of people, with colorful clothing and sometimes crazy hair, dancing and enjoying the many recreational substances that mother Earth can offer. Not only that, but they were able to converse and protest against the many wrongs in society at the time. There is something worth noting, however, and it is best explained by Britanica: “Hippies were largely a white, middle-class group of teenagers and twentysomethings who belonged to what demographers call the baby-boom generation. They felt alienated from middle-class society, which they saw as dominated by materialism and repression. Hippies developed their own distinctive lifestyle, whereby they constructed a sense of marginality. They experimented with communal or cooperative living arrangements” There was a growing group of disillusioned middle-class youths in America who felt lost and without aims. Lots of these young people – angered by the obsession with possessions and the state of the world – started searching for alternative ways to live. Did the civil rights movement really involve them? Not really, no. Were a lot of these people poor? Probably not. But whilst the movements that the hippie culture stood for may not have always been directly involving them, they still stood for them. This meant that, in the end, the hippie movement sort of encompassed the entirety of anti-establishment America – rather than only the lost middle-class white kids. It was the beatles, it was the peace sign, it was “make love, not war”, it was free-thinking, it was sex, it was rock n roll. DemonizationIt was this all-encompassing definition that inevitably led to the word ‘hippie’ being weaponized by the government and the media. They saw the hippie movement as a threat. They saw it all as one thing – Woodstock, civil rights, women rights, anti-war protests, rock n roll music – all of it went against the world the government wanted to preserve. Nixon’s war on drugs and promotion of Middle America was what began the demonization of the hippie movement. He proclaimed that he stood for the ‘Silent Americans’, the people who spent their time doing their duties and not complaining and disrupting innocent people’s lives. This was how he got the support he needed. His enemies were the hippies and the civil rights movement. Nixon’s domestic policy chief John Ehrlichman, said: ![]() “We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin. And then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities… We could arrest their leaders. raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.” This association of drugs, anarchy, aggression, irresponsibility and the hippie movement was a successful smear campaign. It won Nixon the election in 1968, as well as changing the definition of hippie forever. Whilst for many it would always mean peace and love, for others it now stood for the complete opposite. Still to this day, people will throw the word hippie around to mean something derogatory and negative. Final ThoughtsThe meaning of words will forever shift and change, but there are pivotal moments in time where events can radically alter their meanings. For ‘hippie’, it was the 60s. This period both created the word and destroyed it simultaneously. The hippie movement stood against the powerful establishment and, in consequence, it was retaliated against with the full force of the police and the media. Of course there’s still time for the word ‘hippie’ to shift and change but, for now, we must celebrate that there was a time when it stood for so much and we can hope that it will once again. Hello readers! We appreciate you joining us at Cannadelics.com, a top choice news platform for independent coverage of the growing cannabis and psychedelics landscapes of today. Come by the site whenever possible for updates on current and world-changing events, and head over to the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re always up on what’s going down. The post The History of the Word Hippie appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/09/11/the-history-of-the-word-hippie/ Every idea comes from somewhere. Just as the apple fell on Newton’s head and he began to create his theories on universal gravitation, the eureka moment does not come from nowhere. Like the film 2001: A Space Odyssey questions, when the first monkey decided to use tools, what was going through its head?A spark, a moment of genius, it is quite remarkable to imagine how we as a civilization go from something not existing to something existing. Especially when that ‘something’ can change the fabric of society forever. The invention of the computer, the internet and everything that came with that, was an example of one of these ‘somethings’. Nothing had existed like it before, and yet suddenly within around 30-50 years, it was all anyone could talk about. But how did the computer revolution happen and was it really caused by the mind-opening qualities of LSD? To stay current on everything important happening in the industry, subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Also, it’ll get you premium access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more! We’ve also got standout offers on cannabinoids, like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which won’t kill your bank account. Head over to our “Best-of” lists to get these deals, and remember to enjoy responsibly! The Computer RevolutionThe invention of the computer began in the 20th century and has continued to evolve and develop ever since. In fact, we are now at the point where almost 85% of the world’s population owns some sort of smartphone and – whether we like it or not – the metaverse is growing. It’s quite difficult defining what the metaverse actually is because, like in the 70s, the computer then is very different to what it is now. The metaverse is a futuristic concept that will one day be much further developed than it is now. In essence, it is a virtual, online space that people can live in – whatever that actually means. In a sense, this already exists. People spend, on average, around 2-3 hours a day on social media, which is an online space. The more developed version of the metaverse would exist even more sensorially, with people being able to see, hear and perhaps even touch the online space, and be there for longer periods of time. Wired writes: “Broadly speaking, the technologies companies refer to when they talk about “the metaverse” can include virtual reality—characterized by persistent virtual worlds that continue to exist even when you’re not playing—as well as augmented reality that combines aspects of the digital and physical worlds. However, it doesn’t require that those spaces be exclusively accessed via VR or AR. Virtual worlds—such as aspects of Fortnite that can be accessed through PCs, game consoles, and even phones—have started referring to themselves as “the metaverse.” Nonetheless, where we are now is far from where we were in the 20th century. So let’s take a step back and discover how the computer revolution started. It is hard to decipher when the invention of the computer actually happened because they didn’t look a thing like they do now. In fact, the first computers were thousands of complex wires, requiring just as many separate transmitters. Very few people came into contact with these machines, and even fewer knew how they actually worked. It was usually specialist men in lab coats, and the computers were mainly used for calculations. In a way, they were like large calculators. The major catalyst towards computer improvement was during the second world war, a time where all industrial and electrical inventions have to be improved fast to better the chances of national victory. Europeana writes: “In 1936, Alan Turing’s paper On Computable Numbers was the first important catalyst driving innovation in computing. That same year, German pioneer of computer science Konrad Zuse started building computers in his parents’ home in Berlin. Zuse continued developing more complex machines and his Z3, finished in 1941 in part with funding from the Nazi regime, was the first freely programmable electromechanical computer ever built.” ![]() As the 70s arrived, computer’s began becoming smaller, domestic and affordable to the average consumer. By the 80s, around 9% of the US had computers in their homes and these were used for minor administrative tasks, playing games and storing data. But then came the internet. A chance for people to communicate and share using their computers. The Invention of the InternetThe inventor Nikola Tesla actually thought up the idea of a world wireless system in the early 1900s but it wasn’t until 1983 that this became a reality. The ‘network of networks’ was assembled on January 1st of that year. Then, in 1990, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web. At this point, the web was simply a series of websites and hyperlinks. In 1992, a group of students at the University of Illinois created Netscape, which allowed users to easily search the web – seeing images and words at the same time – with scroll bars and clickable links. History writes: “That same year, Congress decided that the Web could be used for commercial purposes. As a result, companies of all kinds hurried to set up websites of their own, and e-commerce entrepreneurs began to use the internet to sell goods directly to customers. More recently, social networking sites like Facebook have become a popular way for people of all ages to stay connected.” And so the internet was born and the never-ending evolution of it was started. However, what was the apple on Newton’s head in this case? How did the computers go from mathematical machines to social connectors? Where did the vision of a world wide web come from? LSD and the Computer RevolutionIn the 1960s, those involved in the computer revolution decided to think differently about what its use could be. At a similar time, the US was exploring the uses of LSD after Albert Hofman accidentally invented it in 1938. The International Foundation for Advanced Study led around 350 people through acid trips for research. Some of these individuals were key figures in the development of computing. Doug Engelbart, who created the computer mouse, was one of these individuals. The New York Times writes: “Mr. Engelbart saw much more. His team invented or envisioned “every significant aspect of today’s computing world” — point-and-click screen control, text editing, e-mail and networking” But he wasn’t the only one with an interest in acid. Bill Gates, the creator of Microsoft, was known to dabble in the substance. Plus, Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, also did. He used it to spark his imagination, coming at problems from a different angle. He went on to call it one of the three most important things he did in his life. If it really is true – that all of these silicone nerds were taking LSD to increase their imagination and creativity – then perhaps the computer revolution really was caused by aicd. Afterall, every idea has to come from somewhere and this one truly was something that no one had ever seen before. But, it’s also important to understand how LSD works. Harthoghson – a Thomas Leary supporter- believed that acid did not create ideas, but expanded them: ![]() “LSD’s action is thus primarily not psychotomimetic, psychotherapeutic, creative, or even spiritual—but just what it is: mind-manifesting… It acts as a mirror and magnifying glass to its user’s state of mind. If the state of that mind is anxious, LSD could easily function as an anxiety-inducing drug. If it is creative, then it could equally serve as a creativity enhancer. Should it be spiritual, then spirituality will be enhanced.” In other words, LSD creates and enhances what is already there. If a load of intelligent computer scientists were taking acid in the 60s and 70s, then it was inevitable that they would create something special – like the internet. However, this isn’t necessarily solely due to acid – LSD may have just given them the push towards it. It allowed those individuals – who were known to be recluses, stuck in their own heads – to be creative for a moment. To envisage a future with their ideas. In fact, Thomas Leary – a psychologist and acid advocate – himself called the internet the ‘acid’ of the 1990s. Final ThoughtsIt’s romantic to imagine that LSD was the sole purpose for the creation of the internet. However, the world is far more nuanced than that. The combination of the free-thinking 60s and the electronic advancement – in response to the distress that was existing in Vietnam and at home in the US – brought about a lot of important discoveries. One of these was the beginning of the internet, and one of these was the magic of drugs. In a sense, these went hand in hand. When society is full of inequality and distress, it is common for exploration and creativity to occur. These were both examples of that. Did LSD create the computer revolution? It is hard to tell. But perhaps they were both created together, symptomatic of an American society that called for serious social change. Hello readers! We appreciate you joining us at Cannadelics.com, a top choice news platform for independent coverage of the growing cannabis and psychedelics landscapes of today. Come by the site whenever possible for updates on current and world-changing events, and head over to the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re always up on what’s going down. The post Was the Computer Revolution Caused by LSD? appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/09/11/was-the-computer-revolution-caused-by-lsd/ California’s statewide ballot to legalize entheogenic plants has bit the dust for this election season, but not all is lost in the state. In contrast to the dying measure, San Francisco pulled away and joined the growing number of individual locations with a psychedelics decriminalization for the city. San Francisco and its recent psychedelics decriminalization makes it the fourth city in California to pass such a measure. Want the best news on cannabis and psychedelics? Well, you’re in the right place. This publication focuses on breaking news and ongoing stories in these exciting and growing fields, along with the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter for regular updates to your email, and a range of awesome offers on products. Pick from vapes, smoking devices, edibles, other paraphernalia, and cannabinoid compounds including the super-popular Delta 8 & HHC. All deals are in our ‘best of’ lists, so head over, and choose the products you’re most happy to use. What’ the news?In another showing of a location totally up for change, on the night of September 6th, 2022, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution for a psychedelics decriminalization. The measure includes a number of entheogenic (psychoactive) plants like magic mushrooms, DMT, and ibogaine, among others. According to the wording of the document, this encompasses the “full spectrum of plants, fungi, and natural materials that can inspire personal and spiritual well-being.” The resolution doesn’t stop with possession and use, but includes “planting, cultivating, purchasing, transporting, distributing, engaging in practices with” such plants, as well. It also comes with no possession limits for these plants. Supervisors Dean Preston and Hillary Ronen sponsored the bill, which asks law enforcement to consider those using entheogenic plants as the lowest priority for punishment, including not spending resources on them in the criminal justice system. Though the resolution does nothing for outside of San Francisco, it does call on the state and federal governments to do likewise. ![]() One thing to remember, this resolution passed by San Francisco for a psychedelics decriminalization is not an amendment to the state’s constitution, meaning these compounds remain in Schedule I both in the state’s Controlled Substances list and federally. As of yet, the police department in the city doesn’t have its own policy for entheogenic plants, meaning the resolution doesn’t have to be met. We’ve seen this in other places like Seattle, where the resolution is non-binding as well, meaning its technically only a request to law enforcement to implement these measures, and not an actual directive. In fact, in order for it to become official policy, the San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott and the city’s new district attorney, Brooke Jenkins, would have to institute an official measure. This is not necessarily expected as Jenkins has made a point of encouraging stricter enforcement of drug policy, not lessening it. Part of the purpose of the resolution is to help those using the plants for medical purposes. To that end it includes research that elucidates the possible ability of these plants to assist with ailments such as mental health issues, addiction, trauma, headaches and diabetes. It states, “substance abuse, addiction, recidivism, trauma, post-traumatic stress symptoms, chronic depression, severe anxiety, end-of-life anxiety, grief, diabetes, cluster headaches, and other conditions are plaguing our community.” Then it states how these plants can be useful “to the health and well-being of individuals and communities in addressing these afflictions via scientific and clinical studies and within continuing traditional practices, which can catalyze profound experiences of personal and spiritual growth.” In a statement to the press, Dean Preston stated, “San Francisco joins a growing list of cities and countries that are taking a fresh look at these plant-based medicines, following science and data, and destigmatizing their use and cultivation. Today’s unanimous vote is an exciting step forward.” Other locations that have already decriminalized entheogenic plants in some way, include other California locations like Oakland, Santa Cruz, and Arcata, as well as Denver, Colorado; Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, and Detroit, Michigan; Washington, DC; Somerville, Cambridge, Northampton, and Easthampton, Massachusetts; and Seattle, Washington. And let’s not forget, Oregon legalized recreational use of magic mushrooms in the 2020 elections, but with specific usage guidelines only. ![]() And the California bill?The San Francisco psychedelics decriminalization comes right after a larger statewide setback. Sen. Scott Wiener sponsored SB 519 which would have legalized both the possession and use of small amounts of psychedelics including LSD, ketamine (which is legal through a loophole), and MDMA. In edits, the bill was changed entirely in form, dropping any legalization, and becoming a bill for a study into these drugs, and nothing more. As a result, Wiener pulled the bill himself, and said he plans to reintroduce it next year. It should be noted, that prior to these edits which essentially tanked the original meaning of the bill, the legislation has passed multiple committees in the House, as well as passing the full Senate. So, though it was eventually killed, it did make it pretty far, showing that there was plenty of support for it by legislators. This isn’t the only setback in California. The state had passed a safe drug consumption site bill (SB 57) in July of this year which was waiting for the governor’s signature. The legislation would’ve provided for locations where drug users could have their drugs tested, use in a safe environment, receive clean needles, and access both emergency services, and help with other social service measures. All without the threat of law enforcement. Though this is a possibly useless answer to the growing opioid epidemic, it is a measure to help those in need, within a growing issue still allowed to proliferate through government regulation. The governor chose to veto the bill, possibly because of political pressure due to a conceivable run for president. Local governors in the state are claiming they will keep moving forward with such initiatives anyway, including San Francisco. Both the mayor and city attorney have made it clear they will carry on pushing for San Francisco’s use of such sites. Psychedelics elsewhere in the USAside from the locations that have already instituted decriminalization or legalization measures, there are a few other initiatives that are up for a vote, or which didn’t make it this time, but might in the future. There are even some initiates meant to limit psychedelic plant use, like in Oregon. If that last part sounds weird, because Oregon passed its legalization measure in 2020, it has to do with opt-out measures for specific locations within Oregon. If they want to bar the use of the ballot initiative that legalized mushrooms in the first place, they must hold ballot measures. Oregon has 36 counties, and about 2/3 are asking residents to vote once again. Some are looking to ban the substances made legal, and some are looking to put a hold on the implication of an industry in their locations. As enough Oregonians originally voted yes on the measure to pass it, it will be interesting to see which specific locales vote to re-ban them this time around. ![]() Then there’s Colorado, which is putting it to voters to decide whether they want to decriminalize entheogenic plants, with the exception of Peyote. In November, voters will get to cast their vote on Article 170, the Colorado Decriminalization and Regulated Access Program for Certain Psychedelic Plants and Fungi Initiative. The measure defines such plants as natural medicine; decriminalizes their use, possession, cultivation, and transport for those 21 and above; and creates healing centers where these compounds can be legally administered (much like Oregon). Colorado did something else interesting lately. It became the first state to preemptively legalize MDMA for medical use, with the caveat that the legalization doesn’t mean anything until the US government first legalizes the substance for medical use federally. HB 1344 passed through both sides of the state’s congress so fast it’s mind-blowing, getting a sign-off from the governor within 2.5 months after initial introduction. This is perhaps because MDMA is in Phase III trials for use as a PTSD medication, with the FDA itself helping to push it toward approval. On a sadder note in the world of psychedelics approvals, Michigan, one of several states looking to initiate a psychedelics legalization law, dropped its attempt to have such a measure on the 2022 ballot. Activist groups behind the initiative say they’re now aiming instead for 2024. The inability to collect enough signatures this time around, was the result of a very short time period to do so, starting March and ending June 1st. The required 340,047 could not be collected in that time, but by putting the vote off for two years, the organizations behind this measure have more time for collection. All signatures already collected are good for 2024 as well. ConclusionSan Francisco pushing through with a psychedelics legalization is just the next reminder of how quickly psychedelics are coming in and taking over. And though California will not be following suit immediately, it might very well have its own state-wide legalization measure passed next year. Welcome to the publication! Thanks for being a part of Cannadelics.com, a top independent news platform for fully-rounded coverage of the expanding cannabis and psychedelics spaces. Join us often to keep updated on breaking stories, and subscribe to the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re always up on what’s going down. The post San Francisco Joins the Ranks with A Psychedelics Decriminalization appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/09/09/san-francisco-joins-the-ranks-with-a-psychedelics-decriminalization/ |
ABOUT MEHallo, ik ben Rosalina Klerkx, ik ben een RHIA-gecertificeerde zorgbeheerder met meer dan 6 jaar ervaring in het creëren van een productieve omgeving voor zorgprofessionals. Leiding gegeven aan een team van 12 opname- en verkoopmedewerkers in een instelling voor langdurige zorg met meer dan 170 patiënten. Opstellen van complexe HIPAA-conforme rapporten aan patiëntendienstcoördinatoren in een zorgkliniek. Archives
April 2023
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