🫠 This Week in Psychedelics

Welcome to Tricycle Day. We’re the psychedelics newsletter that has no boss (not to brag). No one’s forcing us to write this. We do it for the impact, the vibes, and the 5-shroom reviews, of course. (You can leave one at the bottom of this email.) 😘

Here’s what we got this week.

• RFK Jr. confirmed as head of HHS 🇺🇸

• Pain patients drop opioids for psychedelics 💊

• Can a state bill decriminalize mushrooms? 🍄

• The unofficial SXSW event for psychonauts 🌵

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MICRODOSES

🔬 Research

One and done: A recent study suggests a single intramuscular ketamine injection can provide relief from severe OCD.
Have some self control: Psychedelics may curb cravings.
Across the spectrum: LSD can support individuals with exploration and acceptance of gender identity.
ALBUS: According to this theory, preconceived beliefs may be relaxed or strengthened under the influence of psychedelics.
Still stigmatized: Social workers find SSRI-assisted therapy more acceptable than MDMA-assisted therapy for adolescents with PTSD.

🏛️ Policy

Aloha: Hawaii lawmakers advanced a proposal that would create a special fund to support clinical research into psilocybin and MDMA therapy.
Copy that: Nevada lawmakers plan to introduce bill that would establish a psilocybin pilot program, loosely based on Utah’s model.
Right to try, try again: A federal appeals court upheld the DEA’s decision to deny a doctor’s request to administer psilocybin to terminally ill patients.
For our Canadian Cyclists: Here’s a recap of the key shifts in psychedelic policy and access since 2022.
Soma strikes back: After this court ruling, India may be relaxing its psilocybin laws.

📈 Business

$651 million: Psychedelic Alpha just put out their yearly review of psychedelic fundraising activity, public markets, and M&A for 2024.
Career opps: MAPS and Fireside Project are both seeking new Executive Directors.
Ante up: atai Life Sciences set the share price for a public offering to raise $55 million.
Dead weight: Numinus Wellness is winding down five subsidiaries to focus on its research and training businesses.
Gray area: Axios profiled a Denver business offering psychedelic mushrooms outside state’s regulated model.

🫠 Just for fun

The final trip: Why do people hallucinate before they die?
DIY: Veterans are brewing their own ayahuasca to beat PTSD.
Wanna sleep over? Executive-coaching psychedelic slumber parties are a thing now.
Meme of the week: When we say “let’s hang,” this is what we mean…

THE PEAK EXPERIENCE

Secretary of altered state

It’s official. POTUS has a psychonaut in his cabinet.

Last Thursday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

To be fair, RFK’s enthusiasm for psychedelics is hardly his most controversial take. (Brain worms and vaccine skepticism have entered the chat.) And that’s probably why the community is divided on whether to celebrate or cringe.

Either way, this is a pretty big deal for psychedelics, since HHS directs the FDA and collaborates with the DEA—you know, the guys and gals who get to tell us whether these compounds are medicines or menaces to society.

And RFK's made it pretty clear which side he's on. For the record, he has:

• 🫵 Repeatedly accused the FDA of "suppressing" psychedelic treatments alongside other alternative therapies

• ✍️ Promised to make psychedelics legally available through some form of regulated access

• 🎤 Shared stories of family and friends who've used psychedelics to heal from trauma, depression, and OCD

• 🤝 Spoken out against the War on Drugs and advocated for alternative methods to address addiction and drug use

Even so, critics worry his prickly positions on medical science could ultimately hurt psychedelic movement. After all, having an ally who questions the healthcare establishment might not be the best look for an industry fighting to be taken seriously by, well, the healthcare establishment.

Still, as Cybin CEO Doug Drysdale put it, "It's always good to have a bit of a champion." With the FDA's rejection of MDMA therapy still stinging, maybe regulators could use someone willing to shake things up.

… or at least put a worm in their brain bug in their ear. 🫠

AFTERGLOW

Take away the pain

For many people, psychedelics are like spirit vitamins. But for others, they’re painkillers. We’re not just talking about heartache, either. A new study surveyed 466 adults who've turned to psychedelics to treat chronic physical pain. And what it found is that, in many cases, psychedelics not only worked; they replaced other pain relievers altogether.

86% of participants reported cutting back or quitting other drugs (including alcohol and opioids) as a result of their psychedelic experiences. And these weren't just temporary changes—one in five people maintained their reduced substance use for at least six months. Psilocybin emerged as the clear favorite, with participants ranking it most effective for both physical and mental health symptoms.

Of course, not everyone had the same response. About 28% of participants actually increased their use of opioids, and 22% upped their cannabis consumption. Unsurprisingly, a motivation to stop using substances was associated with actually doing so. But come on… try speaking an intention like that into an ibuprofen tablet, and see how far it gets ya.

The little state that could

While Oregon and Colorado grab headlines with their flashy regulated psilocybin programs, tiny Rhode Island is quietly attempting something far more radical: becoming the first state to pass psychedelic decriminalization through its legislature. No healing centers, no facilitators, no bureaucracy. Just a common-sense decision to stop arresting people for growing mushrooms.

Here's the wild part. This seemingly simple approach has never worked before. While a few states have passed regulated access models or approved decriminalization through ballot measures, no state legislature has ever successfully passed basic decrim. The Rhode Island House already approved a similar bill 56-11 last year, but like every other attempt nationwide, it died in the Senate.

This time feels different though. At last Tuesday's House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Brandon Potter emphasized the bill's simplicity as its strength. After watching Oregon's regulated program struggle to cover its own costs, it’s finally dawning on these lawmakers that there’s a reasonable option with a much lower barrier to entry. Namely, just getting out of the way.

CYCLISTS’ PICKS

UNTIL NEXT TIME

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DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. The use, possession, and distribution of psychedelic drugs are illegal in most countries and may result in criminal prosecution.