Another Sunday and another attempt at FYI….
It is 4 am and 92 just wish I had something to take my mind off of this heat….then I thought….hey….’shrooms.
A song by the First Edition back in the 60s…..but that is not what this post is about ….instead it is about the popularity of those magic ‘shrooms with the young.
Not in several decades have young adults in the United States done so much tripping on hallucinogens. That’s the upshot of a new study that found the use of such mind-altering drugs nearly doubled from 2018 to 2021. According to research published in the journal Addiction, based on stats from the “Monitoring the Future” study, 6.6% of subjects ages 19 to 30 used non-LSD hallucinogens of some sort (such as PCP and psilocybin mushrooms, aka “magic” mushrooms), up from 3.4% three years earlier. LSD use also saw a rise in that same period, albeit a more modest one, jumping from 3.7% to 4.2% among the same demographic.
Usage of non-LSD drugs was most prevalent among males, white subjects, and individuals whose parents have a higher educational status, per Medscape. The Hill reports that in 2021, about 8% of young adults used hallucinogens, the highest share since the 1980s. For context, in 1971, which was prime psychedelics time in America, a Gallup poll found that 18% of college students had dabbled in hallucinogens. In addition to the stigma of recreational drugs decreasing over the past few years, largely thanks to the legalization of cannabis around the nation, hallucinogens used therapeutically has also given shrooms and similar drugs a big boost. At least one state, Oregon, is even starting to train magic mushroom “facilitators” to help patients using psilocybin.
Still, scientists warn about the issues associated with the growing use of this type of drug. “While non-LSD hallucinogen use remains substantially less prevalent than use of substances such as alcohol and cannabis, a doubling of prevalence in just three years is a dramatic increase and raises possible public health concerns,” study co-author Megan Patrick of the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research tells Medscape. Among those concerns about “bad trips,” per a 2016 study: fear, paranoia, hallucinations, increased heart rate, aggression, and even depression or risk of suicide. “This isn’t all just peace, love, and light,” Sion Harris, an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, tells the Hill. “There’s the potential to have bad reactions.”
Do you suffer from color blindness?
If so there could be help on the horizon….
Psilocybin magic mushrooms has been proven to help treat many treatment-resistant conditions.
These include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and OCD to name a few. But did you know that psilocybin may also have the potential to treat color blindness?
Color blindness is commonly caused by genetic factors, which means that parents can pass them down to their children. However, in less common cases, color blindness may occur due to damage inflicted on the brain or the eyes. Any color blindness can also get worse with age, usually because of cataracts. Aside from these, diseases such as macular degeneration or glaucoma can also cause color blindness.
To keep with an FYI theme…..
When embarking on a psychedelic trip, responsible and informed decision-making is paramount. By adhering to these guidelines on what to avoid while tripping, you can maximize your safety, comfort, and the potential for positive and transformative experiences. Remember to choose a controlled environment, have a trusted companion, and avoid mixing substances. By prioritizing safety and mindfulness, the journey into the depths of the psychedelic realm can be a profound and enlightening adventure.
Keep in mind that these drugs can rewire the brain….and rewire it for the better….
From ketamine drips to microdosing on LSD, psychedelics are shaking up the way we approach and treat mental health. A growing body of scientific evidence shows that these long-stigmatized substances could be potential antidepressants, alleviating symptoms by slipping into areas of the brain traditional SSRIs can’t reach, and encouraging new neural connections.
Despite these advances, psychedelics remain fairly mysterious. Researchers haven’t yet pinned down the various mechanisms through which they work inside our bodies. But now, they might be one step closer.
An international team of scientists led by the University of Helsinki in Finland believes they’ve struck biochemical gold. In a study published Monday in the journal Nature Neuroscience, the researchers found that psychedelics psilocin (the primary chemical in magic mushrooms) and LSD exert an antidepressant effect by binding to a protein, receptor tyrosine kinase beta (TrkB), which then activates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that plays a crucial role in the growth, development, and maintenance of neurons; kind of like Miracle-Gro for the brain.
https://www.inverse.com/health/lsd-magic-mushrooms-rewire-the-brain-to-treat-depression
For you interested…..
Be Smart!
Be Safe!
“lego ergo scribo”
