The Rhode Island House of Representatives approved a bill to legalize possession and cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms, while taking steps to prepare for regulated therapeutic access pending federal reform.

The legislation from Rep. Brandon Potter, which cleared a key committee last week, passed on the floor in a 54-11 vote on Monday, sending it to the Senate for consideration. Here’s more: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/rhode-island-house-passes-bill-to-legalize-psilocybin-and-prepare-for-regulated-therapeutic-access/

Oprah Winfrey talked to Dr. Roland Griffiths about the power of psychedelics and the gratitude of mortality. Although this was actually last week, it seemed too important to not share in our weekly update. Having one of the most influential media executives in the world sharing Dr. Griffith’s story will have a profound impact on removing the stigma associated with psychedelics. Check it out: https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a44106088/oprah-roland-griffiths-interview/

Big Think, the media platform that shares video content and interviews with some of the world’s smartest, most influential people (including Ray Kurzweil, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Michio Kaku), interviewed Johns Hopkins professor Dr. Matthew Johnson about psychedelics. If you're unfamiliar, Dr. Johnson is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. He’s one of the world’s most published scientists on the human effects of psychedelics, and has conducted seminal research in the behavioral economics of drug use, addiction, and risk behavior. He’s kind of a rockstar in the world of psychedelics research, and this recent interview with Big Thing is fascinating. You can watch it here: https://bigthink.com/series/the-big-think-interview/ultimate-psychedelics-explainer/

Did you know that four children who were lost in the Colombian Amazon for 40 days were rescued by a search team that included members of an Indigenous tribe that had taken ayahuasca that morning? According to members of the tribe, they consumed the powerful brew to see if it would provide them with visions that would point them in the right direction. Remarkably, it appears their trip paid off! Check it out: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/12/colombia-plane-crash-how-four-siblings-survived-jungle