A UK university announced that it’s launching one of the world’s first postgraduate qualifications on psychedelics to teach healthcare workers about using psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and other psychoactive drugs in therapeutic work.

The certificate from Exeter University cements psychedelics as an area of scientific importance in the UK, and could help pave the way for clinical therapies becoming available within the next five years, with some treatments being in the final stages of clinical trials. Here’s more: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/21/uk-university-launches-postgraduate-course-in-clinical-use-of-psychedelics-exeter

ESPN ran a new piece on how athletes are turning to psychedelics to help treat everything from anxiety and depression to traumatic brain injuries. The article includes a short video documentary that’s well worth watching. You can check that out here: https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/36226140/magic-mushrooms-psychedelics-pain-hope-science-collide

A North Carolina lawmaker and a bipartisan group of cosponsors filed a bill to create a $5 million grant program to support research into the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and MDMA and to create a Breakthrough Therapies Research Advisory Board to oversee the effort.

The legislation from Rep. Edward Goodwin wouldn’t legalize the psychedelics, but it would provide funding for two competitive grants through the state Department of Health and Human Services for eligible research initiatives focused on “breakthrough therapies.” Psilocybin and MDMA are cited as examples of such therapies that have received special designation from the federal Food and Drug Administration. Here’s more: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/north-carolina-lawmakers-file-bill-to-create-5-million-psychedelic-research-grant-fund/

Did you know researchers are now testing psilocybin as a potential treatment for Long COVID?  

Psychoactive drugs have been shown to regulate neurotransmitters, stimulate the growth of cells in the brain, and reduce inflammation in the central nervous system, so some researchers believe it’s possible those properties could translate to improvements in brain-related symptoms of Long COVID.

There’s already some research to suggest that inflammation may be a target for psychedelic therapies. Charles Nichols, a professor of pharmacology at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine, has found that some psychedelic drugs have anti-inflammatory effects in rodents. If the same turns out to be true in humans, Nichols says it’s logical to think psychedelics could bring some relief to people with Long COVID.

Check it out: https://time.com/6271806/psychedelics-long-covid-treatment/