Tag: psychedelics

Psychedelic beer may have helped pre-Inca empire in Peru schmooze elite outsiders and consolidate power

The growth of a pre-Inca civilization known as the Wari may have been aided by psychedelic-laced beer, researchers propose in a new study.

The Wari flourished from roughly A.D. 600 to 1000 and are known for their mummified burials, human sacrifices, and elaborate objects created out of gold, silver and bronze. They also built cities such as Huari and Pikillaqta, which contained temples and dwellings for elite inhabitants, and controlled much of Peru as well as parts of Argentina and Chile.

In the new study, published Monday (Oct. 6) in the journal La Revista de Arqueología Americana (The Journal of American Archaeology), the researchers suggest that Wari rulers used psychedelics mixed in beer to help grow their empire. They explain that the “afterglow” — the long-term effect of drinking the mix — would have lasted weeks and that communal feasts where it was drunk would have brought people together. While the body may excrete psychedelics quickly, the aftereffects can last for days or weeks.

The study authors noted that the remains of seeds from a plant named Anadenanthera colubrina (also known as vilca) have been found at Wari sites, including near the remains of beer made from a plant called Schinus molle. Mixing the vilca, which is known to produce a psychedelic effect, with the beer would have “lessened but extended the high,” Justin Jennings, a curator of South American Archaeology at the Royal Ontario Museum and co-author of the paper, told Live Science in an email.

In the paper, the authors noted that scientific studies of similarly acting psychedelics found that people who took them tended to display “greater openness and empathy.”

These traits “would have been highly desirable for a Wari political system that depended on friendly, routine face-to-face interactions between people who had once been strangers or even enemies,” the researchers wrote in their paper.

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From trips to treatments: how psychedelics could revolutionise anti-inflammatory medicine

Once synonymous with hippies and hallucinatory experiences, psychedelic drugs are now being explored for their medical potential. The stigma of that era resulted in research being suppressed by drug laws, yet with mental health treatments hitting limits, scientists have returned to this controversial corner of medicine.

Substances like psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms) and ayahuasca are now being taken seriously by scientists and doctors, not for the visions they induce, but for the healing potential they possess.

Initially, this focused on treating mental health conditions like depression, where currently prescribed drugs only help a minority of patients. But these investigations have now expanded to include diseases driven by inflammation, which psychedelic drugs may help reduce by calming down the immune system.

In both human cells grown in laboratory dishes and animal studies, psychedelic drugs like DMT, LSD, and a compound called (R)-DOI can block the release of inflammatory molecules called cytokines. These protein molecules fuel conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and even depression, as well as increasing brain damage following traumatic brain injury.

Advantage over steroids

But these drugs have a considerable advantage over typical anti-inflammatory medications like steroid drugs because psychedelics appear to work without suppressing healthy immune function, which is a major problem with steroids.

Significantly, these laboratory findings are beginning to be confirmed in studies in humans. Evidence is growing that psychedelics could hold the key to managing inflammation, one of the body’s central drivers of many chronic diseases, including depression, arthritis and heart conditions.

Take psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. In a study involving 60 healthy participants, just one dose was enough to significantly lower levels of two key inflammatory molecules – TNF-alpha and IL-6 – over the following week.

However, not all studies have shown the same clear results. Some only had a few participants and others were complicated by the fact that some participants had previous drug experience, which could affect the results.

One big challenge with studying psychedelics in medical research is that it’s very hard to hide who got the real drug and who got a placebo. When someone has a strong psychedelic experience, it’s obvious they didn’t just take a sugar pill.

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Utah Church That Uses Marijuana, Psychedelics And Vapes As Sacraments Sues Over Police Raids

Months after Utah’s ban on flavored vapes, Blackhouse, a former Sugar House vape shop, became a sanctuary and a safe haven for those searching to get flavored cartridges—for spiritual and religious practices.

The electronic cigarettes joined other sacraments that have been at the center of religious legal challenges in the state like psychedelic mushrooms and cannabis. But, after Utah law enforcement agencies raided the Sugar House location, as well as the Salt City Sanctuary in South Salt Lake in August, all of these sacraments have been put into legal question, with the Sugarleaf Church, the institution overseeing both sanctuaries, initiating a lawsuit to keep them.

“Officers arrived using riot gear, AR-15s, pry bars, and battering rams, forcibly entered both sanctuaries, and immediately began disabling the security systems and surveillance cameras with a crow bar,” the church said in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City in August.

During the raids officers confiscated cannabis and psilocybin products, which the church called “sacramental property,” as well as thousands of flavored vape cartridges, blank checkbooks, waivers, clergy rosters, cash donations, tablets and membership records.

The church is asking a judge to order law enforcement to stop interfering with members’ free exercise of religion and to award compensatory damages. The institution is also asking the South Salt Lake Police Department and the Utah State Bureau of Investigation to undergo mandatory religious sensitivity training and for the immediate return of property.

At Salt City Sanctuary the agents seized “4.24 kilograms of packaged marijuana flower; over a kilogram of ‘fresh flower’ marijuana; 956 1-gram pre-rolled marijuana joints, 8 display jars of marijuana flower, 152.5 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, mushroom gummies and sample packs, numerous edibles with THC, and rolling papers,” according to a motion to dismiss filed by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.

At Blackhouse, officers confiscated “significant quantities of raw marijuana; psilocybin mushrooms; THC vapes, cookies, gummies, candies, syrups, oils, and similar products; psilocybin cookies, gummies, and similar products; and over 3,000 flavored vape cartridges and order receipts,” the district attorney’s office said in its motion.

Joshua Robers, a church reverend, was also arrested and booked into Salt Lake County Jail during the Salt City Sanctuary raid. He faces multiple charges in 3rd District Court, including possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, a third-degree felony.

The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit this month and declined to comment because the litigation is ongoing.

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Massachusetts Lawmakers Approve Bill To Create Psychedelic Therapy Pilot Program

Massachusetts lawmakers have approved a bill to establish a pilot program for the regulated therapeutic use of psychedelics.

The pilot program proposal from Sen. Cindy Friedman (D) advanced through the legislature’s Joint Committee on Health Care Financing on Thursday. It’s now been referred to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing for further consideration.

The measure is one of two pieces of legislation on the issue that are set to be taken up at a hearing before a different committee in November.

The bill, S.1400, is light on specifics, leaving many details of the pilot program up to regulators with the Department of Public Health (DPH). But in general, it calls for a “pilot program to allow for the monitored mental health care of clinically appropriate patients using psychedelic materials.”

It would involve the “on-site administration by a multi-disciplinary care team in a supervised licensed mental health clinic setting.”

DPH could only issue licenses for up to three health facilities to administer and study the psychedelics in the state. They would be tasked with “establishing the best and safest clinical practices for psychedelic mental health treatment programs in the commonwealth and for the purposes of collecting patient outcomes data regarding the benefits of psychedelic pharmacotherapy.”

“Eligible pilot program organizations must exclusively focus operations and treatment on mental health and cannot be subsidiaries, affiliates or members of cannabis industry organizations, psychedelic molecule development companies or pharmaceutical companies,” the bill text states.

The department would be required to develop rules for the program, including setting standards for people to apply to participate, patient assessments and ongoing monitoring, clinical staffing and the administration of psychedelic medicines.

“All pilot program participant organizations must track patient care outcomes data related to the identification, diagnosis and psychedelic treatment of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder,” it says. “These data sets must be shared with the department to assist in the refinement of best clinical protocols and final regulatory frameworks for the safe use of psychedelic material in Massachusetts.”

The bill, as well as a separate measure to provide a more limited pilot program for psilocybin therapy alone, will also be the focus of a hearing on November 10 before the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.

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Military To Start Testing Service Members For The Psychedelic Psilocin, Memo Shows

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is expanding the list of drugs that military service members will be tested for to include the psychedelic compound psilocin, one of the two main components of psilocybin mushrooms.

In a memo obtained by Marijuana Moment, a DOD employee performing the duties of the deputy under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness advised military leadership that psilocin will be added to the department’s Drug Demand Reduction Program drug testing panel effective October 1.

The memo, dated August 18, states that the policy change being made due to “the risk of impairment and subsequent deterioration of security, military fitness, readiness, good order and discipline.”

“Drug abuse by Service members is a safety and readiness issue, and the Department must adapt our detection and deterrence program to address new and emerging drug threats,” Dr. Merlynn Carson wrote.

The DOD official said that attachments to the memo lay out “cutoff concentrations” for a positive psilocin test and other drugs in the testing panel.

Marijuana Moment reached out to DOD for copies of those attachments, but representatives were not able to immediately provide the documents.

“The Department of Defense maintains a zero-tolerance policy prohibiting drug use, and we remain committed to continually expanding drug testing capabilities and enhancing our education and prevention efforts by providing effective information on drug misuse, including the use of Psilocin,” an official told Marijuana Moment in an email.

The memo says that the “first priority” for psilocin testing under the revised drug panel “will be given to specimens collected under the auspices of probable cause, consent, or command.”

“In proportion to laboratory capabilities and capacity, second priority will be given to special testing requests for other collection modes, such as routine inspection-based collections, and specimens may also be randomly tested for psilocin,” it says.

At the same time that DOD has moved to test for psilocin, it’s also carrying out a congressional mandated psychedelic therapy pilot program for active duty service members and veterans. A more recent spending bill covering DOD would require a “progress report” on that initiative.

This latest memo also comes about two months after a DOD contractor sued the federal government, alleging that questions about his past marijuana use during a security clearance process violated his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

While the latest DOD policy update concerned a psychedelic compound, questions about federal workers testing positive for marijuana have also ballooned in recent years, as more individual states have legalized the drug.

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The Push Toward Legal DMT: Is The World Ready?

The Rise of legal DMT in the Psychedelic Conversation: As discussions around psychedelic legalization continue to evolve, one substance has gained notable traction: DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine). Known for its intense, short-acting hallucinogenic experience, DMT has historically remained in the shadows compared to psilocybin or LSD. But now, thanks to changing perceptions and renewed research, the movement toward legalizing DMT is growing louder.

Legal DMT? A Patchwork of Global Policies

While DMT remains a Schedule I substance in the U.S. under the Controlled Substances Act, exceptions exist. Religious groups, such as the União do Vegetal (UDV), have received legal protection for ceremonial use of ayahuasca, a DMT-containing brew. Meanwhile, countries like Brazil and Peru tolerate traditional and spiritual use. In Canada, Section 56 exemptions are being considered for DMT therapy, and several psychedelic startups are lobbying for rescheduling.

Why DMT Is Different

Unlike other psychedelics, DMT offers a rapid and immersive experience — often lasting just 10–20 minutes when inhaled or vaped. This brevity makes it attractive for potential clinical applications, such as fast-acting trauma interventions or consciousness research. Companies like Small Pharma in the UK are developing DMT-based treatments for depression, and early-stage results are promising.

The Ethical and Medical Questions

However, the intensity and unpredictability of the DMT experience raises ethical concerns. Critics argue that even in supervised settings, the sheer strangeness of the DMT “breakthrough” could be destabilizing for vulnerable patients. Others emphasize that more controlled studies are needed to determine optimal dosing and preparation methods.

Cultural Roots vs. Commercial Interests

There’s also a growing dialogue about cultural appropriation, particularly regarding 5-MeO-DMT from toads and DMT-containing plants used in Amazonian traditions. Legalization efforts must balance respect for indigenous knowledge with the interests of Western medical and commercial frameworks.

Market Implications and Public Reception

If legalized, DMT could create a new niche within the psychedelic therapeutics market, projected to reach $10 billion by 2027. Yet public perception still lags behind psilocybin. Many associate DMT with “trip reports” and underground chemists rather than structured medical environments — a barrier advocates must overcome.

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RFK Jr. and other Trump admin officials back psychedelics for mental health relief

For decades, advocates of psychedelic substances have brought a bold message to Washington, D.C., that currently illicit, mind-altering drugs, such as LSD and MDMA, should warrant approval for therapeutic use in treating severe depression, PTSD, and other treatment-resistant conditions.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and clinical depression are distinct conditions, even though they often share overlapping symptoms like persistent sadness, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation. However, the underlying causes and mechanisms differ, which is why antidepressants tend to be less effective (or non-effective) for BPD-related emotional distress. Antidepressants target mood-related neurochemistry, not the deep-seated behavioral, relational, and emotional regulation issues seen in BPD.

In addition to the conditions mentioned above, a wide range of other mental disorders, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), have also been shown to respond less effectively to pharmaceutical treatments as well.

But now, for the first time, a presidential administration appears poised to give them a try — in the name of mental health.

Trump officials (and nominees) that have expressed an interest in utilizing psychedelics for mental health issues:

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • Doug Collins – Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  • Dr. Casey Means – Trump Nominee for U.S. Surgeon General
  • Marty Makary – FDA Commissioner

“This line of therapeutics has tremendous advantage if given in a clinical setting and we are working very hard to make sure that happens within 12 months,” Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) told members of Congress.

The announcement coincides with a growing embrace of psychedelics in traditionally conservative strongholds like Texas, where former Trump cabinet member and former Texas Governor Rick Perry has emerged as a vocal advocate.

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Psychedelic Retreats ‘Significantly Improved’ Mental Health For Military Veterans With PTSD And Depression, Study Finds

A new study of military veterans who attended psychedelics retreats finds that psilocybin and ayahuasca both yielded significant improvements in participants’ mental health, including reductions in symptoms of PTSD, depression and anxiety as well as improved sleep, quality of life and post-deployment reintegration.

The report, published in the journal Brain and Behavior, describes the research as “the first study to investigate psychedelic retreats as a holistic therapy for veterans’ mental health alongside community reintegration.”

“Psilocybin and ayahuasca retreats significantly improved veterans’ mental well-being, quality of life, PTSD, anxiety, depression, sleep, concussion, and post-deployment reintegration,” it says, adding that the retreats “could provide a treatment framework to aid veterans’ recovery by addressing psychological well-being, communal factors, and reintegration into civilian life.”

The study followed 55 veterans who self-enrolled in psychedelic retreats using psilocybin or ayahuasca following a program by Heroic Hearts Project, a nonprofit that connects veterans with psychedelic therapy in jurisdictions where it’s legal.

“For psilocybin, the substance was taken as a tea brewed from dried psilocybin mushrooms with individualized doses determined by the retreat staff between 1.5 and 3.5 g for Session 1 and between 3 and 5 g for Session 2,” the report says. “One gram boosters of psilocybin were offered one hour from the initial dose.”

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Psychedelic Drug May Slow Aging

Could magic mushrooms hold the key to slowing down aging? New research from Georgia’s Emory University suggests they just might.

A new study has found that psilocin—a compound produced in the body after consuming psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms—extended the lifespan of human skin and lung cells in the lab by more than 50 percent.

The researchers also found that mice treated with psilocybin lived 30 percent longer—not to mention more healthily—than their peers.

“This study provides strong preclinical evidence that psilocybin may contribute to healthier aging—not just a longer lifespan, but a better quality of life in later years,” Dr. Ali John Zarrabi, Director of Psychedelic Research at Emory University’s Department of Psychiatry said in a statement.

“As a palliative care physician-scientist, one of my biggest concerns is prolonging life at the cost of dignity and function. But these mice weren’t just surviving longer—they experienced better aging,” added Zarrabi, who co-led the study.

As part of their study, the researchers ran the first long-term assessment of psilocybin’s systemic effects in living animals.

They treated aged, 19-month-old mice—which is something like 60–65 in human years—with an initially low psilocybin dose of 5 mg, followed by a high dose of 15 mg every month for 10 months.

The team found that psilocybin-treated mice survived around 30 percent longer than their untreated peers. Moreover, the treated mice also looked healthier for it, with better fur quality, fewer white hairs and even hair regrowth.

While psilocybin is usually studied for its mental health benefits, the findings suggest that the compound may also tackle key drivers of aging.

According to the team, the psilocybin treatments reduced oxidative stress, improved the cells’ ability to repair DNA and helped preserve the length of telomeres—the protective caps on chromosomes that guard against damage leading to diseases like cancer, neurodegeneration and heart disease.

“Most cells in the body express serotonin receptors, and this study opens a new frontier for how psilocybin could influence systemic aging processes, particularly when administered later in life,” said senior author and former Emory professor Louise Hecker in a statement.

Though psilocybin may be best known for its hallucinogenic effects on the brain, most cells in the body have serotonin receptors, suggesting it could have much wider impacts.

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