Misc. news stories

Cannabinoid receptors in the brain appear to play a key role in the euphoric experience known as the “runner’s high”
24th January 2022 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

Many people have experienced reductions in stress, pain and anxiety and sometimes even euphoria after exercise. What’s behind this so-called “runner’s high”? New research on the neuroscience of exercise may surprise you.

Could psychedelics offer a glimmer of hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s?
19th January 2022 | leafie.co.uk | Humans, Misc.

After a century of research and many life-changing progressions in science, Alzheimer’s disease remains unhindered and incurable…Researchers have now had to think more imaginatively about how to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Remarkably, it appears as though psychedelic drugs may offer unprecedented potential.

Image from: DrOONeil (Wiki Commons)

Could cannabis help fight Covid? New study reveals two chemicals that may block infection
14th January 2022 | independent.co.uk | Humans, Misc.

A non-psychoactive compound found in live cannabis plants could help sabotage the spike protein on coronaviruses, scientists have found.

Image from: Potleaf.jpg (Wiki Commons)

 

PSILOCYBIN AND MDMA APPROVED FOR MEDICINAL USE IN CANADA
11th January 2022 mixmag.net | Humans, Misc.

Canada has amended federal regulations now allowing patients suffering from life-threatening mental illnesses to be treated with MDMA and psychedelic drug psilocybin.

Sadiq Khan plans pilot to ‘decriminalise’ minor cannabis offences in London
6th January 2022 | theguardian.com | Humans, Misc.

Scheme could ‘divert young people found with small amount of cannabis’ away from arrest by police.

Medical marijuana and autism: ‘I’m getting my boy back,’ mom says
21st December 2021 edition.cnn.com | Humans, Misc.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 1 in 44 children in the United States, according to the CDC. It begins early in life, and the core symptoms are social and communication issues as well as repetitive behaviors and rigidity.

It’s Clearer Than Ever – The Active Compound in Ecstasy Can Safely Assist PTSD Therapy
17th December 2021 | sciencealert.com | Humans, Misc.

For people with post-traumatic stress disorder, recalling memories of physical or sexual assault, combat or disaster-related events can induce intense anxiety or panic attacks as well as debilitating flashbacks.

Study links the ceremonial use of ayahuasca to robust reductions in neuroticism
14th December 2021 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A naturalistic study published in the journal Scientific Reports provides evidence that the ceremonial use of ayahuasca can lead to significant reductions in neuroticism, a personality trait associated with depression and anxiety.

Malta to legalise cannabis for personal use in European first
14th December 2021 | theguardian.com | Humans, Misc.

Malta will this week become the first European country to legalise the cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use, pipping Luxembourg to the post, as the continent undergoes a wave of change to its drug laws.

Study suggests psychedelics promote positive mental health through increased spirituality and emotion regulation
6th December 2021 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A new study published in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology sheds light on the mechanism connecting psychedelic use to improved mental health. The study found evidence of a pathway whereby the use of psychedelics increases spirituality, and in turn, leads to better emotion regulation.

Can lucid dreaming help us understand consciousness?
15th November 2021 | theguardian.com | Humans, Misc.

The ability to control our dreams is a skill that more of us are seeking to acquire for sheer pleasure. But if taken seriously, scientists believe it could unlock new secrets of the mind

Psilocybin therapy boosts cognitive and neural flexibility in depressed patients, study finds
12th November 2021 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy appears to increase both cognitive and neural flexibility in patients with major depressive disorder, according to new research published inTranslational Psychiatry. But the findings suggest that psychedelic-induced increases in neural flexibility do not always result in cognitive improvements.

Will the magic of psychedelics transform psychiatry?
8th November 2021 | theguardian.com | Humans, Misc.

Psychedelics have come a long way since their hallucinogenic hippy heyday. Research shows that they could alleviate PTSD, depression and addiction. So will we all soon be treated with magic mushrooms and MDMA?

It’s been three years since cannabis was made available on the NHS. Why has so little changed?
8th November 2021 | independent.co.uk | Humans, Misc.

Imagine having chronic pain so severe you can’t risk expending the energy it would take to get a glass of water – or what it’s like to hold your baby as they have their 100th potentially fatal seizure of the week….You know this medicine exists but you’re prevented from accessing it because – behind the scenes – the avenues to do so have not been set up.

Detroit just decriminalized psychedelics and ‘magic mushrooms.’
6th November 2021 d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net | Earth, Humans, Misc.

Detroit has joined the growing number of cities and states that have decriminalized entheogenic plants and fungi, more colloquially known as “magic mushrooms” and psychedelics.

Image from Magic mushrooms (Wiki Commons)

Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy might help to reduce attachment anxiety
3rd November 2021 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

Scientists have begun to examine whether the psychedelic drug psilocybin… can help people who feel insecure in their attachments to others. Their preliminary research, published in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, suggests that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy might help to reduce attachment anxiety.

Miscellaneous news stories.