The RAND Corporation released a new report entitled: Considering Alternatives to Psychedelic Drug Prohibition. In it, the global policy think tank argues that now is the time for federal policymakers to decide how to regulate psilocybin and other psychedelic substances. 

The 161-page report is intended to help provide context about the use of psychedelics as well as possible regulatory pathways for policymakers, not just in the U.S., but internationally.  It’s a fascinating report, which you can access here: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2825-1.html

The University of Colorado announced the creation of the CU Denver Center for Psychedelic Research, which will study the health applications of psychedelics as well as the social impacts of legalization and decriminalization in the state. Its mission is to improve “the quality of life of people by studying the possible benefits psychedelic drugs may have in treating a range of mental, emotional, neurologic, and other health conditions,” per the announcement.

With this new center, the University of Colorado joins the ranks of Johns Hopkins University, The University of California, New York University, Ohio State University, and others with research facilities dedicated to investigating psychedelics.  Here’s more: https://www.denverpost.com/2024/06/27/university-colorado-denver-center-psychedelic-research/

A study on extended-release ketamine tablets was published in the journal Nature Medicine, suggesting that these tablets may help hard-to-treat depression with fewer side effects than other forms of the ketamine. But what makes this particularly interesting is that these tablets can be taken at home, without medical supervision. You can check out the details of the study here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03063-x

Did you know that a California firefighter by the name of Angela Graham quietly funds psychedelic treatments for Bay Area first responders? 

With a combination of her personal money and support from a tech billionaire whose name she won’t reveal, Angela and her husband launched a non-profit that has already funded trips for fifteen firefighters, one firefighter’s spouse, and one police officer.  The non-profit is called the SIREN Project, and you can read more about it here: https://thesirenproject.org/