Aug 31 2024

Meta-Analysis Finds Psilocybin is “Highly Effective” in Reducing Severity of Depressive Symptoms

According to the results of a newly published study, “psilocybin is highly effective in reducing depressive symptoms severity” among patients with major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms (photo credit: Shutterstock).

Published in the journal Brain Sciences, the study is titled Comparison between Single-Dose and Two-Dose Psilocybin Administration in the Treatment of Major Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Current Clinical Trials. It was conducted by researchers from Sigmund Freud University of Milan, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, all in Italy

“Current pharmacological treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) are often only partially effective, with many patients experiencing no significant benefit, leading to treatment-resistant depression (TRD)”, states the study. “Psilocybin, a classical serotonergic psychedelic, has emerged as a notable emerging treatment for such disorders.”
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Aug 31 2024

Former President Trump Announces Support for Legalizing Marijuana in Florida

Former President Donald Trump, the current Republican nominee for president, has announced his support for Florida’s Amendment 3 to legalize marijuana, while adding that lawmakers should ban public smoking.

“As everyone knows, I was, and will be again, the most respected LAW & ORDER President in U.S. History. We will take our streets back by being tough & smart on violent, & all other types, of Crime”, starts Trump in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. “In Florida, like so many other States that have already given their approval, personal amounts of marijuana will be legalized for adults with Amendment 3. Whether people like it or not, this will happen through the approval of the Voters, so it should be done correctly.”

Trump continues: “We need the State Legislature to responsibly create laws that prohibit the use of it in public spaces, so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat run Cities. At the same time, someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States.”
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Aug 30 2024

Kentucky Sees Surge in Medical Marijuana License Applications: Over 1,000 Come In Before Deadline

Kentucky’s Office of Medical Cannabis saw a surge in business license applications, receiving over 700 submissions in the first three days of this week, just ahead of the Saturday deadline.

This sharp increase contrasts with the 28 applications received throughout July. To date, more than 1,000 applications have been submitted by businesses aiming to operate as medical marijuana dispensaries, cultivators, processors, or safety compliance facilities. This number is expected to rise further before the deadline at midnight on Saturday.

Starting January 1st next year, licensed dispensaries will be allowed to sell cannabis products to qualifying patients. The state will award these licenses in October through a lottery system.
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Aug 30 2024

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is Sending Marijuana Seeds to Space

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to deliver marijuana seeds to space, reports V13 Media.

(Photo credit: Futurism).

This mission, scheduled for March, will transport a variety of cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), including strains provided by FastBuds, a cannabis cultivation company. The seeds are part of a broader experiment aimed at understanding how the unique conditions of space travel and the space environment might influence plant growth and genetic mutation.

The primary goal of this project is to explore whether space can induce beneficial genetic changes in plants, potentially leading to the development of crops that can withstand adverse conditions on Earth. Scientists will closely examine the marijuana seeds after their 30-day stay in space to determine if they can be genetically modified to grow in harsher climates, a critical consideration as climate change continues to challenge traditional agriculture.
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Aug 30 2024

Nebraska Secretary of State Says Medical Marijuana Initiatives Can Appear on November Ballot

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen announced today that Nebraska Medical Cannabis Patient Protection has officially submitted enough valid signatures for their two initiatives to appear on the November 5 ballot.

“The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Patient Protection initiative petition has collected 89,051 valid signatures and has met the 5% distribution requirement in at least 51 counties”, said SOS Evnen today in a press release. Evnan also said “The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Regulation initiative petition has collected 89,005 valid signatures and has met the 5% distribution requirement in at least 51 counties.”

The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Regulation initiative would legalize the use, possession, and licensed distribution of marijuana and marijuana products for qualified patients who have a written recommendation from a healthcare practitioner. The measure would establish the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to oversee the registration and regulation of individuals involved in the possession, manufacture, distribution, delivery, and dispensing of medical cannabis.
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Aug 30 2024

LSD, Psilocybin and Ayahuasca Show Promise in Treating Alcohol Use Disorder, Finds Study

Researchers at the University of Southern Santa Catarina in Brazil have conducted a comprehensive review, revealing the potential of “classic psychedelics” such as LSD, psilocybin, and ayahuasca in treating alcohol use disorder (AUD).

LSD (top left), dried psilocybin mushrooms (top right), ayahuasca (bottom left), and beer (bottom right).

The study, published in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, highlights the pharmacotherapeutic effects of these substances, particularly in cases where traditional treatments have failed.

The study’s abstract emphasizes the challenge posed by alcohol dependence, noting that it is often resistant to conventional treatment methods. “Classic psychedelics have demonstrated promising pharmacotherapeutic effects in the treatment of treatment-resistant psychopathological conditions, such as addiction, especially related to alcohol dependence,” the researchers wrote. They attribute these effects to the substances’ ability to modulate neuroplasticity in the brain, which could play a crucial role in overcoming addiction.
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Aug 30 2024

Florida: Trulieve to Open Medical Cannabis Dispensaries in Cocoa, Miramar Beach, Niceville, and Tampa Next Week

Today, Trulieve Cannabis Corp. announced the opening of new medical cannabis dispensaries in Miramar Beach, Niceville, and Tampa today and Cocoa on Saturday.

Grand opening celebrations will be held at all four locations Friday, September 6, beginning at 9 a.m., featuring music, specials, discounts, and opportunities to register for upcoming patient education sessions as well as learn about #YesOn3 and the ballot initiative to legalize adult cannabis use in Florida.

“We are excited to open these new dispensaries, expanding access to medical cannabis in the panhandle, Space Coast and Tampa Bay regions,” said Trulieve’s Chief Executive Officer Kim Rivers. “We look forward to building more relationships with patients and caregivers in Brevard, Hillsborough, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties.”
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Aug 30 2024

Five Statewide Marijuana Initiatives Being Considered This November

With news that Arkansas activists have submitted well more than enough signatures to place their marijuana proposal on the presidential election ballot, we now have a clear picture of which statewide marijuana initiatives will be considered this November 5.

This November, three states will vote on measures to legalize recreational marijuana, one will vote to legalize medical marijuana, and one will vote to expand their medical marijuana law while creating a federal trigger for full legalization.

Below is a look at these five measures:
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Aug 30 2024

Arkansas Initiative to Greatly Expand Medical Marijuana Program to Appear on November Ballot

An Arkansas campaign seeking to expand the state’s medical marijuana law and create a trigger for the legalization of recreational marijuana has submitted well more than enough signatures to put their measure to a vote this November.

In July, Arkansans for Patient Access (APA) submitted 111,402 signatures for their initiative, with signatures spread across 62 counties. Although this was above the 90,704 signatures required across 50 counties in order to make the November Ballot, the state said that not enough of the signatures were valid. This gave APA 30 days to collect an additional 11,000 signatures.

Today, the group submitted nearly 40,000 additional signatures, bringing the total to around 150,000. This all but guarantees the initiative will be placed on the November 5 ballot, given less than half of the signatures need to be valid for the group to reach their goal.
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Aug 29 2024

The Most Critically Well Received Stoner Movies of All Time

When it comes to “stoner movies”, a select set of films have not only captivated audiences and pop culture, but also earned critical acclaim.

Using data from Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 most critically well-received stoner movies of all time, ranked by their combined Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes scores.

Below are the most critically well received stoner movies of all time.
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