In the latest episode of “Real Sports”, Killer Mike, along with other activists, lays down some harsh truths about racism in America.

How To Get Edibles To Hit You Faster

Unlike other forms of weed that get you high within the hour, edibles require patience, timing and a correct dosage, which is a lot to ask of someone who’s never tried them before.

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Ask Mister Manners, Thomas P. Farley: Help! I’m Karen — Not A ‘Karen’

Mister Manners, Thomas P. Farley, is a nationally regarded expert who appears regularly in the media to discuss modern-day etiquette dilemmas.

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The University of North Carolina School of Medicine just secured nearly $27 million in government funding to develop a new range of medicines that can provide the benefits of psychedelic drugs without the infamous psychedelic experience. 

A growing body of clinical research has found that plant-based psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and LSD can effectively treat anxiety, depression, addiction, and other psychological conditions. Many of these studies involve psychedelic-assisted therapy, where a subject will undergo a psychedelic experience under the supervision of a therapist. But while research into these new forms of therapy continue, other researchers are looking for a shortcut that can avoid the “undesirable” effects of psychedelics.

“Depression, anxiety, and substance abuse affect large segments of the population,” explained Bryan L. Roth, lead researcher and professor of psychopharmacology at UNC School of Medicine in a statement. “Creating safe, rapidly acting, and more effective medications would revolutionize the treatment of these disorders, thereby diminishing death and disability.” 

“Although drugs like ketamine and potentially psilocybin have rapid antidepressant actions, their hallucinogenic, addictive, and disorienting side effects make their clinical use limited,” Roth continued. “Our team has developed innovative methods and technologies to overcome these limitations with the goal of creating better medications to treat these neuropsychiatric conditions.”

UNC’s new program is partially funded by a four-year $26.98 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), a secretive government agency that develops biotech and other new technologies for the US military. DARPA actually announced plans to develop trip-free psychedelic-based medicines last year, aiming to create treatments for PTSD and other disorders commonly affecting military personnel — without the hallucinogenic side-effects.

Roth and his colleagues plan to use advanced technologies like lipidic cubic-phase x-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, and ultra-large-scale computational chemistry to discover how psychedelic drugs bind to cells called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Drugs ranging from caffeine to LSD work by binding to these receptors in the brain, and researchers believe that a greater understanding of this process will allow them to create new drugs that can provide the benefits of psychedelics without the trip.

“Designing drugs to stabilize these specific cell-signaling complexes represents a ‘grand challenge’ for neuropsychiatric drug discovery, as there are currently no FDA-approved medications with the desired signaling profiles,” said Roth. “Rapidly acting drugs with antidepressant, anti-anxiety, and anti-addictive potential devoid of disabling side effects do not exist, not even as experimental compounds for use in animals. Creating such compounds would change the way we treat millions of people around the world suffering from these serious and life-threatening conditions.”

The US military is eager to create a treatment for PTSD and other disorders that avoids a potentially mind-expanding psychedelic experience. Previous research indicates that the psychedelic experience itself may actually be the primary component that makes these treatments work, however. 

A study published earlier this year found that the psychedelic experience brought on by LSD, psilocybin, or other hallucinogens can increase psychological flexibility and mindfulness, which in turn, can help individuals deal with depression, anxiety, and other issues. Other studies have found that psychedelics can also increase people’s connections with nature, which has also been associated with positive health effects. 

With these studies in mind, other researchers are working on their own ways to decrease the potentially negative effects of a bad trip without completely eliminating the psychedelic experience altogether. 

Canadian and Swiss researchers have developed a pill that can act as an “off switch” for an LSD trip, allowing therapists to conduct a psychedelic-assisted therapy session that will not leave the patient tripping for 12 hours afterwards. And researchers in Washington state have discovered a natural mushroom compound that could help fight anxiety or paranoia experienced during a bad trip.

Ecuador despenalizó el uso de marihuana no psicoactiva, y cáñamo industrial con contenido de THC inferior al 1% para fines terapéuticos e industriales. El ministro Iván Ontaneda Berrú comparte los detalles vía ElPlanteo.com

Prolonged Cannabis Exposure Might Help Treat Migraines

A news study from Israel found that continued exposure to marijuana may reduce the frequency of these bouts in the long term.

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How has lockdown impacted the state of cannabis in Spain?

How Marijuana Reform Intersects With Policing And Racial Justice

Sadly, it’s taken 50 years to reach a place where lawmakers and industry leaders have begun addressing the racial aspects of historical drug policy.

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Miley Cyrus spent a few years as one of the world’s most famous cannabis users. But after weed-themed birthday parties, leafy fashion choices, and repeatedly discussing her love of ganja on national TV, Miley has been “sober sober” for the past six months. Luckily, life without pot hasn’t quelled Miley’s comedic instincts. 

In a new podcast interview with Variety, Miley discussed returning to acting with a role on Black Mirror, a potential Justin Beiber collaboration, and of course, joking about weed with her famous canna-friendly parents.

“One of my favorite interviews is when I say, ‘Anyone that smokes weed is a dummy,’” Miley said. “That one I love to send to my parents, who are big stoners, every now and then.”

Cyrus has been supportive of her parents’ own position in the cannabis industry spotlight — her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, recently collaborated with Lowell Herb Co. on a line of specialty pre-rolls — but that doesn’t mean she can’t poke a little fun at their youthful tendencies, right? 

As for her own lifestyle, Miley told Variety that she first put down the pot to prepare for surgery on her vocal cords, but has continued her teetotaling after the procedure. 

“It’s really hard because especially being young, there’s that stigma of ‘you’re no fun,’” Miley said. “It’s like, ‘Honey, you can call me a lot of things, but I know that I’m fun.’”

For the record, Miley, we still think you’re plenty fun, stoned or not.

You can listen to Miley’s entire podcast interview here.

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Probiotics And Cannabis: What Health Providers Should Know

There is increasing anecdotal evidence of the efficacy of cannabis in treating various gastrointestinal conditions.

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