🫠 This Week in Psychedelics

Welcome to Tricycle Day. We’re the psychedelics newsletter that goes there. And today’s issue is spicier than a ghost pepper. 🌶️

Here’s what we got this week.

• Results from the largest ketamine study ever 🤯

• Lykos flips its anti-patent stance 🤨

• AZ is a signature away from legal psychedelic therapy 🏜️ 

• Psychedelics and sexual power 🍑 

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MICRODOSES

🔬 Research

Seeing is believing: UC Berkeley is launching a study to explore how psilocybin interacts with the brain to shape human perception.
Data drops: MindBio Therapeutics reported more positive results from its clinical trial of microdosing for depression.
Shelf life: Psilocybin mushroom potency can degrade by nearly 50% in six months.
Golden years: Older adults who’ve used psychedelics tend to have better executive functioning and fewer depressive symptoms.
Get curious: Psilocybin enhances exploratory behavior without impairing learning.
The dose makes the poison: Amanita muscaria may be fatally toxic at high enough doses.

🏛️ Policy

Medical 🤝 Decrim: The American Medical Association has formally endorsed drug decriminalization.
Their state, their rules: Colorado state officials issued licensing and training rules for psychedelic facilitators.
Tightening the reins: New Jersey lawmakers narrowed the scope of a psilocybin bill to therapeutic use.
Tell us how you really feel: A Republican Congressman slams the FDA AdComm that voted against MDMA.
Want to shape the future? The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta is seeking advisors for a committee on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.

📈 Business

It ain’t over til it’s over: Despite an unfavorable FDA panel vote, the Lykos CEO hasn’t lost hope for MDMA.
From the peanut gallery: Psychedelic industry leaders respond to the FDA panel’s vote on MDMA.
No takesies-backsies: Oregon Health Authority may revoke the the approval of a psilocybin business for the first time.
Don’t call us guinea pigs: Beckley Psytech and PsyPAN are launching a peer support program for participants of psychedelic clinical trials.
Shine bright like a… More people have been hospitalized since the FDA issued its warning on Diamond Shruumz brand chocolates.

🫠 Just for fun

Think of the children: Parents are choosing psychedelics over SSRIs for their teens.
Globe tripping: Psychedelic vacations are trending.
Meth-addicted fish: Manmade drugs are causing unexpected changes to animals in the wild.
X-Files: Harvard researchers say aliens may be living among us.
Meme of the week: When you hear the opening notes of the medicine song…

THE PEAK EXPERIENCE

Go big and go home

We need to talk about access.

When most people hear that word, their heads immediately go to $$$. Or maybe you think of education—i.e., access to the rare knowledge that psychedelics won’t turn your brain into a fried egg or a glass of orange juice.

But what about physical access? As in, can you get to a location where psychedelic medicine is available? And assuming you are within driving tricycling distance of a clinic, do you have it in you to get out of bed?

Thank Gaia for modern telemedicine. As long as you have a WiFi connection and a dream, you can get healthcare in your PJs. Amazingly, that includes psychedelic therapy.

This week, Mindbloom, one of the leaders of the ketamine telehealth market, published the largest peer-reviewed study on ketamine therapy to date. The study, which included more than 11,000 participants, spun out some impressive results.

• 🤗 The majority got better. 62% reported significant improvements in depression or anxiety after taking ketamine. 28% achieved full remission.

• 🚀 Results came on fast. Symptoms improved after just four sessions.

• 👍 Few had complaints. <5% of participants reported ay adverse effects.

Now, plenty of psychedelic advocates are critical of the whole direct-to-consumer ketamine trend. They’d rather see folks get treated in a clinic, where they’re under the direct supervision of a professional. In theory, they’d get better outcomes and there’s less abuse potential.

The way we see it, the bigger question is, will these at-home ketamine therapy companies be able to continue at all?

They only got a pass to start shipping ketamine sight-unseen because of a temporary change in policy during the Covid pandemic. The loophole hasn’t closed yet, but no one knows how long it will last.

The future is uncertain, but one thing’s not up for debate. When it comes to set and setting, my cozy house > my doctor’s office. 🫠

AFTERGLOW

About time for an about-face

Well, well, well. Looks like Lykos Therapeutics (formerly MAPS PBC) has had a change of heart. You know, the MDMA company that once swore off patents? Apparently they've been quietly filing them since December 2022. A recently published application reveals that Lykos is seeking to patent MDMA compositions with specific particle sizes.

We know what you’re thinking: A pharma company wants to secure its IP. And? The shocker isn’t so much that a for-profit company is protecting its assets. It’s the 180° pivot from MAPS founder Rick Doblin's anti-patent stance. For decades, he argued that patenting MDMA could throttle access and stifle research. So what gives? Our hunch is, as Lykos has moved away from its nonprofit roots (see: slick rebrand, institutional investors), the pressure to secure a competitive edge beat out its idealistic vision.

Now, that doesn’t mean Doblin has gone full pharma bro. Lykos and MAPS may well stick to their principles and prioritize access. Besides, they still need to land FDA approval for MDMA-assisted therapy, or it’s all a moot point. In the meantime, if you’re struggling to see their side of the story, we heard there’s this medicine that really helps with empathy. Can’t recall the name…

Arizona’s got that dog in ‘em

Days like these, we’re grateful for federalism—because the states are officially done waiting for Capitol Hill. This week, the Arizona House of Representatives passed a bill that would legalize psilocybin service centers across the state. If Gov. Katie Hobbs signs off, Arizonans could be next in line to receive psychedelic-assisted therapy under state-regulated medical supervision.

Sponsored by Sen. T.J. Shope, the bill would allow the Department of Human Services to license centers where qualified facilitators could administer psilocybin. Only clinicians would be eligible for licensure, and even they’d have to complete 132 hours of training to wear the badge of “medical director” for a center.

But don’t hold your breath. Even if the bill is signed, AZ officials won’t start accepting applications for these centers until January 1, 2026. In the meantime, an advisory board would be tasked with watching the space and making policy recommendations to ensure psychedelic therapy remains “safe, accessible, and affordable” to the fine people of Arizona. *opens Zillow and resumes aggressive scrolling* 

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DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. The use, possession, and distribution of psychedelic drugs are illegal in most countries and may result in criminal prosecution.