Washington Senator Jesse Salomon (along with 20 cosponsors) filed the “Psilocybin Services Wellness and Opportunity Act,” which seeks to legalize and regulate psychedelics for adults 21 and older. Here are the details: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/washington-lawmakers-file-new-psilocybin-legalization-bill-for-2023/

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Lawmakers in nearly a dozen states are already pursuing psychedelics reform legislation in 2023, with proposals ranging from legalizing psilocybin for therapeutic use to decriminalizing natural plants and fungi across the board. Here’s a quick rundown: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/lawmakers-are-already-pursuing-psychedelics-legislation-in-nearly-a-dozen-states-for-2023/

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Can psychedelics repair consciousness after brain trauma? The good folks over at DoubleBlind magazine discussed this question in a recent piece that explores the potential of psychedelic therapies for people in minimally conscious states. Check it out: https://doubleblindmag.com/psychedelics-and-brain-injury/

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Did you know magic mushrooms were legal in Japan until 2002?

Japan is known for having some of the strictest drug laws in the developed world—even the rich and famous are unable to escape their reach. So it may come as a surprise to learn that magic mushrooms were openly sold in the country until 2002.

A 2001 article in Toronto’s Globe and Mail describes the scene: “Sidewalk vendors hawk mind-altering fungi on the streets of Shibuya, Tokyo's hip fashion center, while magazines run advertisements for Hawaiian toadstools and peyote cacti.” While the chemicals psilocybin and mescaline were outlawed, importing, selling, and possessing the mushrooms and cacti that contained them was perfectly legal.

This all changed in 2002, in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup that was held in Japan and Korea that year. Today, possession of magic mushrooms in Japan can result in up to seven years of imprisonment.
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You can read a medieval Japanese folktale about magic mushroom use here.