Colorado takes steps to de-criminalize Psilocybin Mushrooms

[Bob]

Colorado is becoming the first state to recognize that psilocybin mushrooms may not be as dangerous as the DEA has said they are -

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/05/09/721660053/in-close-vote-denver-becomes-first-u-s-city-to-decriminalize-psychedelic-mushroo

It is not yet 'legal' - but here is what was said -


Denver voters narrowly approved a grassroots ballot initiative to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms, commonly referred to as psychedelic mushrooms.

What appeared to be a failed effort on the evening of Tuesday's referendum made an unexpected comeback the following afternoon, when Denver election officials released the final count. It showed a slim majority of 50.56% voted in favor of Ordinance 301.

The action doesn't legalize psilocybin mushrooms, but it effectively bars the city from prosecuting or arresting adults 21 or older who possess them. In the ballot language, adults can even grow the fungus for personal use and be considered a low priority for Denver police. The changes could take effect as soon as next year.

What happened in Denver may be the start of a much larger movement, which seeks safe access to psilocybin for its purported medicinal value. Supporters point to research suggesting psilocybin is not addictive and causes few ER visits compared with other illegal drugs. Ongoing medical research shows it could be a groundbreaking medicine for treatment-resistant depression and to help curb nicotine addiction.

Iowa, California and Oregon are trying for similar Bills for decriminalization.


Officials with the DEA office in Denver said they will continue prosecuting cases of psilocybin possession and trafficking. Under federal law, it remains a Schedule 1 drug that's considered to have "no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse."

[Strat]

I'm on an o2 tank right now because of ****ing cluster headaches, which can be treated with mushrooms. I may start a thread about cluster headaches later today.

[Bob]

Hi Strat - cluster headaches are one of the most debilitating headaches known to man. God Bless man I feel for you! I'll do some research to see what can assist, if I find anything I'll either PM or comment in your thread on such should you get that rolling.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/05/07/720828367/a-growing-push-to-loosen-laws-around-psilocybin-treat-mushrooms-as-medicine


Denver is at the forefront of a national movement that seeks to access these mushrooms, largely for medicinal use.

Research suggests that psilocybin is not addictive

In a study Matthew Johnson, who has spent the past 15 years researching psychedelics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, conducted with other researchers at Johns Hopkins, says they found even a single dose can positively affect an individual for several months.

and


Johnson says he thinks that, in as little as five years, research on psilocybin will lead to the first medication approved by the Federal Drug Administration. Once that happens, he thinks the government will have to remove it as a Schedule 1 drug

From the Beckley Foundation - https://beckleyfoundation.org/science/clinical-therapeutic-actions/cluster-headaches/


Cluster headaches are among the most painful human illnesses (experts have suggested that they may be the most painful condition known to medical science) and involve excruciating pain that occurs in ‘clusters’ or ‘bouts’ of several weeks, followed by headache-free periods.

These headaches are far more painful than migraines, and can cause significant suffering and severely affect quality of life. In fact, they have been called ‘suicide headaches’ as a result of the high rate of sufferers who take their own lives. Cluster headaches affect ~1-2 in 1000 people.

from their website:


In collaboration with Profs Matthias Karst and Torsten Passie at the Hannover Medical School, we demonstrated that non-psychoactive lysergamide compounds could also be promising.

Our pilot, open-label study investigated the effectiveness of bromo-LSD (a non-psychoactive analogue of LSD), and demonstrated that three doses of this compound could either break a cluster headache cycle or considerably improve the frequency and intensity of attacks.

The goal of this research is to increase our understanding of the underlying causes of cluster headaches, and also to develop a treatment plan using Bromo-LSD.

The results of this initial study provide real hope for suffers of cluster headaches by decreasing the severity and duration and frequency of their attacks.

From NCBI (PubMed) - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5584001/


Discussions on preventing episodes of CH and migraines by avoiding certain “triggers” were present in the data.

Alcohol, chocolate, fermented cheese, opiates, histamines, carbon oxide, carbon monoxide, sumatriptan, phenethylamines (2C− substances), sudden drops in blood pressure, and changes in weather were discussed amongst the suggested triggers to avoid: “Phenethylamines can trigger terrible migraines, especially 2C-series”/“Sumatriptan caused me to have 51 attacks in 7 days.”

[Strat]

Hi Strat - cluster headaches are one of the most debilitating headaches known to man. God Bless man I feel for you! I'll do some research to see what can assist, if I find anything I'll either PM or comment in your thread on such should you get that rolling.


I truly appreciate your post Bob. God bless you. Regarding research I'm not really open to it at the moment.

Hopefully that doesn't sound rude or unappreciative, it's just that I'm very over it. I learned a long time ago not to look to hard into 'triggers' or causes for clusters. I've heard it allllllllllllllllll. Feel free to PM or whatever but I may not reply. Again, not to be rude, it's just that I've heard it all.

Just being an ear to talk to is generally what I prefer moreso than advice. With headaches you spend months locked in your house, screaming and punching holes in the wall. THere's nobody to talk to. Then when someone shows up and pats you on the arm with a big grin and says "whats up"....its rough. So just being able to vent is nice.

The psylocibin thing DOES work. It worked for me. Only problem is it's a PITA to obtain because, well, it's not something you go to buy at the drug store. I can get it but I don't wanna get into that. Also FWIW you don't just start chomping on shrooms whenever you want like some hippy. There's a protocol that must be followed and if you do it wrong it won't work. It's amazing though, even though I am dealing with this bs now it's extremely comforting to know there are solutions out there.

The suicide thing is very real and some ****ing dickhead on wiki changed the name (at least they did for a while, not sure what it says now). I would love to talk with them, I'd basically recreate the scene from fight club, "You don't know where I've been, Lou." Sad thing is for the folks that killed themselves I'm sure not all of them were actually depressed or in that sense suicidal. After a lot of thought folks come to the conclusion that it's the right and logical decision. I mean honestly it's not hard to escape the thought. Cluster headaches will teach you if you truly want to live or not.

[Sandy123]

And another first for Colorado. We have our first teenage trans-gender high profile mass shooting. I wonder where these teenagers learned about "trans-gender" from? From school , news, movies, songs, heroes like Bruce/Kaitlyn Jenner? Trans-gender really hasn't been around that long or in the mainstream society.I recently met a middle school counselor in Colorado and she was amazed by how many students were coming in confused about being trans-gender. What are we teaching and promoting - starting in grade school now. My gosh I'm confused about what is going on, how much more the young people are going through. Love and compassion is needed in our present society! The young man who died and stopped the shooter had courage and love for other human beings. My heart and prayers go out to his parents.


I know I'm being selfish when I say this but darn it, I'm worried legalizing mushrooms will just send more people here. They should be moving here for our beautiful nature but most of them want to build new and bigger business. More buildings, roads, restaurants and less nature. Although I'm thinking folks who like mushrooms are a different type which I appreciate.

I agree with Graham Hancock, the government should not be able to dictate what we consume.

[DeDukshyn]

People mistakenly believe (due to lies and propaganda) that "magic mushrooms" are addictive. They are not in any way, in fact they have "anti-addictive" properties. I have used psilocybin in the past for both recreational and medicinal/spiritual uses and I can say that they indeed do have anti-addictive properties, and can even combat addiction to other substances - just from having one experience.

They are a powerful mind tonic that clarifies your overall perception on things - I'm not referring to the hallucinogenic effects (which certainly can be said to provide temporary clarity), but the experience itself is what gives you the newfound clarity - and it is a lasting effect that occurs after the drug has worn off, not a temporary one. I can 100% see how this is potentially a powerful medicine for your mind, something that Big Pharma would not want you to know - they want you to be dependent and addicted to their drugs (https://www.addictions.com/opiate/the-role-of-pharmaceutical-companies-in-the-opioid-epidemic/).

Re: its anti-addictive properties, to explain: if I take some mushrooms today, I'll get a strong effect. If I take the same amount the next day I'll have very little effect. If I take them the following day there will be no effect whatsoever. If I triple my dosage on the fourth day, there will still probably be zero effect. If I wait a week, almost zero effect. If I wait 2 months, I'll probably get the effect again. That's the way it works. It forces you to stop using, as there is no amount that can get you "high" again, until you stop trying for a long period.

Re: its ability to potentially combat addiction to other substances, an article here from PsychologyToday on using hallucinogens to combat addictions: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/201705/radical-new-approach-beating-addiction

I think its time this subject gets some weigh in again now that the past propaganda and lies have somewhat subsided, I'm actually happy to see that Colorado is at least throwing it down on the table and giving it an earnest look.

[Sandy123]

Wow just watched NBC nightly news and they showed the students walking out of a memorial service for the victims. They were angry that the service was too much focus on politics. There is hope yet.

[Bubu]

it's just that I've heard it all.



Hey Mate, I dont know what is cluster headache but the way its describe seems to be very bad. I read your statement like you have closed your mind to any possibility of being cured. That's your choice. But I dont want you to be like that for as long as you exist so I will suggest that you look again. Coming from someone who dont believe in the impossible. If your mind can conceived it then you can achieve it.

[Bob]

Strat and the group -

I did a bunch of research on the different styles and substances being looked at for cluster headache treatments - it's very large, and some work and some have awful side effects.

Vaso-Constriction and turning OFF serotonin receptors appears to be the most effective. Lithium carbonate is said to be useful for in-between maintenance from cluster events. When Strat was saying he was currently using O2 (pure oxygen) that is one of the first line methods to stop a lot of the cluster headache effect. A very high flow rate of pure oxygen..

We'll get to more references on Colorado's initiative shortly for decriminalizing. I thing the importance of Psilocybin for folks needing it in life saving situations should not be under-stated. Cluster headaches are the worst pain ever imagined, debilitating, and spiritually harmful. For the folks back in 1968-1970 to say NO USEFUL MEDICAL purpose is outdated and ignores the benefits, and the very well established medical use. People are suffering and this substance is a solution to improve the quality of life, the spirit, and to allow for pain to be eased where there is hardly any other way to achieve that.

In post 3 above, Matthew Johnson from John Hopkins med center is saying also, it works and it helps. It should be removed from the Sched-1 list according to those observations because it does have a useful medical purpose.

As @DeDukshyn pointed out and this is documented in the studies, it is not addictive - the articles point out a minimum effective dose is required, and exceeding the dose does no good. There is a proper level which most likely will have to be tailored to the body and weight.

[Strat]

it's just that I've heard it all.

If your mind can conceived it then you can achieve it.

I generally agree.

That being said, heal me right now. Use YOUR mind to conceive and achieve this.



I did a bunch of research on the different styles and substances being looked at for cluster headache treatments - it's very large, and some work and some have awful side effects.

Vaso-Constriction and turning OFF serotonin receptors appears to be the most effective. Lithium carbonate is said to be useful for in-between maintenance from cluster events. When Strat was saying he was currently using O2 (pure oxygen) that is one of the first line methods to stop a lot of the cluster headache effect. A very high flow rate of pure oxygen..

We'll get to more references on Colorado's initiative shortly for decriminalizing. I thing the importance of Psilocybin for folks needing it in life saving situations should not be under-stated. Cluster headaches are the worst pain ever imagined, debilitating, and spiritually harmful. For the folks back in 1968-1970 to say NO USEFUL MEDICAL purpose is outdated and ignores the benefits, and the very well established medical use. People are suffering and this substance is a solution to improve the quality of life, the spirit, and to allow for pain to be eased where there is hardly any other way to achieve that.

In post 3 above, Matthew Johnson from John Hopkins med center is saying also, it works and it helps. It should be removed from the Sched-1 list according to those observations because it does have a useful medical purpose.

Keep in mind I can't take most drugs - I have severe side effects. I take depekote every day to treat my epilepsy (see my post: http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?105054-What-it-s-like-to-live-with-epilepsy-what-it-s-like-to-have-a-seizure), other drugs can interact w/ it. I'm also somewhat bipolar/OCD. It wasn't a hard diagnosis but the doc said I had it. It's MUCH better with meditation and I no longer take drugs for it.

That being said certain drugs can kick it off (bi polar). One of them changed my character completely, it's a miracle I was never arrested cause I was acting like an animal. One of the abortive medications (imitrex) is very popular but I genuinely though I would die at one point when I took it. I crawled to my bed so that when someone found me they'd think I died peacefully in my sleep. Fortunately that didn't happen.

O2 is my damn savior.

In an alternate timeline, definitely not this one cause I wouldn't do anything wrong, I may be growing mushrooms specifically to treat said CH's. It just sucks cause they're a ways off from being ready and they need to be taken at the early stages of a cluster period or whatever (gotta think of another name for that, can't be sayin I'm on my period!).

[Tam]

I'm on an o2 tank right now because of ****ing cluster headaches, which can be treated with mushrooms. I may start a thread about cluster headaches later today.

Hey, man. Cluster migraines are hell. I'm very saddened to hear you're suffering from it.

I saw in this thread, you mentioning that psilocybin could help you. I understand it's illegal, and that can be a deterrent, but I would still 100% advise you to look into it very seriously. Do NOT forage, that is very, very risky. I would grow my own, or in your case, have someone do it for you. Paul Stamets is an incredible mycologist with a very comprehensive yet simple book about the growth and cultivation of mushrooms. These principles can be applied to psilocybin, and will teach you all you need to grow mushrooms safely. In fact, by sheer coincidence, a lot of the pictures in the book are of psilocybin mushroom strains :)

Stamets in overall has incredible insight into the miraculous power of fungus and mushrooms in general. But I digress.

If the trip is a concern to you, I would highly advise microdosing. You can have all the medicinal benefits, minus the potential for a horrifying experience should your high go South. Microdosing is not psychoactive at all. Furthermore, the small amounts mean it may very well not mess with your medications and bipolar disorder. A lot of people have said microdosing mm changed their lives for the better. People stripped of crippling anxiety, suicidal depression, MS, the list goes on.

I actually plan on microdosing myself. If I were you, I'd look into it, legality be damned.

[DeDukshyn]

Wow just watched NBC nightly news and they showed the students walking out of a memorial service for the victims. They were angry that the service was too much focus on politics. There is hope yet.

Wrong thread I think ... :) I assume this has something to do with the recent school shooting?

[Caliban]

Michael Pollan wrote an op ed today in the NY Times (sorry, too lazy to find a link right now), basically throwing up a Pause Flag at this mushroom legalizing reality.

Maybe he's got a few points, I'll grant him that. "We may not be ready," for it, type of thing. Oh, really Michael Pollan? When are we going to "READY"? In the year 3261 ? When M. Pollan says we're ready?

So tired of these guys who are "re-discovering" what Leary, Kesey, Alpert and their friends knew 70 years ago.

We don't need prohibition or Mike Pollan. We need some good guides and some common sense. If we're not ready now, we'll never be ready. Jeez......................

[Bubu]

Bubu - heya - please take a look at your quote string, you used my tag for Strat's comment.

fixed it Bob, thanks for the heads up.