Reports
Can Psychedelics Help Alcoholics Quit Booze? New Studies Just Released on Psilocybin and Alcoholism
Can alcoholics get help and quit alcohol with the use of mushrooms and psychedelics?
Courtesy of the pandemic, the need for adequate treatments for alcohol addiction has become pressing more than ever before. According to a major study published earlier this year, it was discovered that alcohol-related deaths increased during the pandemic. A total of 99,000 alcohol-related deaths were recorded in 2020 which when compared to the previous year, increased by 25%. This figure indicates that more non-senior adults died from alcohol than Covid in 2020.
Frankly, this public health situation isn’t new — alcohol consumption and addiction have seen an exponential increase in the U.S for many years now. Between 1999 and 2017, alcohol-related deaths increased by 100% a major reason life expectancy reduced during that period. Nonetheless, adequate treatments still prove tricky. But as it stands Ralph Gerber and several other scientists and therapists believe that psychedelic can work their magic in alcohol addiction.
From the latest report, approximately 15 million adults living in America battle with alcohol addiction. Many have tried but failed to find an effective therapeutic approach to solving their addiction. However, Gerber has always been raving about psychedelics and their emotional effects which helped him conquer his alcohol addiction. Now, for the very first time, an international multidisciplinary collaboration has revealed a similar mechanism behind the psychedelic treatment.
The International Multidisciplinary Research
Spearheaded by a neurobiologist from the Central Institute of Mental Health, Marcus Meinhardt, the researchers discovered how psilocybin repairs the brain’s molecular circuits in alcohol addicts. Hence, helps to reduce relapses.
A lot of people addicted to cocaine, nicotine, and alcohol exhibit injury of mGluR2, a certain glutamate receptor. In simple terms, Meinhardt defines the mGluR2 as an antenna that receives brain signals. When these signals are not received or processed, humans begin to exhibit specific behavioral patterns like alcohol craving. However, with psilocybin, Meinhardt believes the reception can be repaired and functional again.
From the experiment, Meinhardt made use of a single dose of psilocybin on rodents which was sufficient to alter their behavior. If the experimental results can be reproduced in humans, it would prove to be a big breakthrough in addiction therapy. Considering a lot of adults take daily prescription pills, the use of psilocybin would be considered a great success.
However, there’s the need to carry out more research to determine the lasting effect of psilocybin and any side effects on the brain. In fact, there are so many questions still left unanswered which satisfactory answers must be given before psilocybin is legalized for medical use.
To provide answers to these questions, Meinhardt is looking forward to kicking off human trials in his next study. To provide all the tools and information Meinhardt needs, his university has been in collaboration with three others in Italy, France, and Switzerland since 2018. The focus has primarily been on discovering the prospect of psilocybin in alcohol addiction.
The Core Research
In the human trial, 60 alcoholic patients were gathered to study psilocybin’s effects on alcohol addiction. The study was kicked off by one of Meinhardt’s colleagues, a neuropsychologist from Zürich University, Katrin Preller. Even though the results are yet to be published, she affirmed that they were very promising. Before this trial on alcohol addicts, she had previously run similar trials on depressive patients which were very successful. She believes the result on alcohol addicts have similar results as they draw up to a close of the study.
However, she clearly admits that even with her experience in the field, there’s still much to learn about the effects of psychedelics on the brain. She went on to say that before one can conclude on effective therapy, there’s the need for bigger and more controlled research. But the reality is that it is very difficult to carry out such research in the last 3 decades. Besides, one of the issues with psychedelics is that patients can always tell if they got the real deal or placebos.
Meanwhile, distinguished universities like UCLA, Yale, and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have confirmed initial signs of success that suggest the positive lasting changes of psychedelics.
According to Roland Griffiths in an interview with Scientific American, one of the incredible features of researching psychedelics is their potential transdiagnostic applicability. Griffiths has been involved with several psychedelic research that evaluated psilocybin for the treatment of depression, alcohol, and nicotine addiction. At John Hopkins, about two-thirds of the patients treated with psilocybin described the experience as a meaningful one.
Is legalization too soon or not?
At the moment, cities like Washington, D.C, Oakland, and Denver have legalized the use of psychedelics for medical use, and several states (California for instance), have announced to follow suit. Nonetheless, the drug stays illegal under federal statute. In Switzerland, doctors can also call for compassionate usage of psychedelics for addiction, post-traumatic stress, and depression.
Definitely, in times past, psilocybin and LSD were hailed as miracle cures especially when Timothy Leary, a Harvard psychologist inspired his followers to use psychedelics. Now, several old psychedelic gurus are restarting the research that took place in the 60s but with a focus on medicinal use rather than spirituality. With the establishment of MAPS, Rick Doblin has now discovered a huge passage for legalization with the research looking for arguments to change the laws.
While Meinhardt is well aware of both new and old research, he’s not willing to raise public expectations. Meinhardt believes that users and scientists working on psychedelics were too ecstatic back then which was why they went underground when LSD was made illegal in the 70s causing funding to stop. He went on to say that such mistakes must be learned from and researchers should focus on research and reach a solid conclusion before thinking about legalization.
After all, while the hype around psychedelics continues to increase, they are not without risks. Psychedelics are known to initiate psychosis, irregular heartbeat, and high blood pressure. As a result, much of the present research does not include patients with hypertension, schizophrenia, or heart issues. Besides, well-curated experimental repeatedly different from supervised use of psychedelics at festivals or parties.
Conclusion
Presently, more people are asking for psychedelic legalization especially as alcoholism becomes rampant, sending people to an early grave. Apart from that, the nonnonaddictiveture of psilocybin has also made it gain attention among American citizens. Now with psilocybin being linked with helping to treat alcohol addiction, its popularity and use can be said to continuously increase.
Business
A Tipping Point for Cannabis: President Trump Champions CBD & Cannabis Science on Truth Social
When the President of the United States shares a video about the life changing potential of hemp derived CBD on his personal social media platform, it is more than news, it is a cultural shift.
For decades our government lied to us about cannabis. It demonized the plant, waged war on its users, and filled prisons while allowing pharmaceutical companies to flood the nation with addictive and deadly drugs. For over a century we have been fighting uphill, not just for legalization, but for truth, for science, and for the right to heal ourselves naturally.
Now in 2025, the most powerful political figure on Earth is using his own voice and platform to talk about the endocannabinoid system and the science backed benefits of CBD. That is monumental. It is validation for everyone who has fought, been arrested, been silenced, and been dismissed for telling this truth. The President’s video post is already being described as a pivotal moment in cannabis history, and President Trump CBD Cannabis Science Truth Social is trending across platforms as advocates celebrate the breakthrough.
The Science Behind the Endocannabinoid System
The video begins by introducing something most people, including many doctors, still know little about, the endocannabinoid system. Discovered in the 1990s, the ECS is a network of receptors and signaling molecules that works as the body’s master regulator, coordinating communication between major systems like the nervous, immune, cardiovascular, and digestive systems.
The roots of this discovery go back much further. CBD was first isolated in 1940 by American chemist Roger Adams, but it was Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, an Israeli organic chemist, who fully elucidated the chemical structure of CBD and identified its stereochemistry in the 1960s. His pioneering work not only opened the door to modern cannabinoid science but also earned him the title “Godfather of Cannabis Research.” It was this foundation that led to the identification of the endocannabinoid system itself decades later, revealing how cannabinoids interact with our physiology on a fundamental level.
The ECS is now widely recognized as a vital part of human biology, with extensive research supported by the National Institutes of Health. When functioning properly, the ECS acts like the conductor of an orchestra, ensuring every section plays in harmony. As we age, the system weakens. That imbalance is linked to inflammation, chronic pain, cognitive decline, sleep problems, and many other conditions associated with aging.
Mainstream medicine often addresses these issues with pharmaceutical band aids, dangerous and addictive drugs that treat symptoms rather than root causes. Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise help, but they only partially support the ECS and do so slowly over time.
Hemp Derived CBD: A Game Changer for Aging
Here is where the science gets exciting. As the video explains, the ECS can be restored much more quickly with hemp derived CBD. Strengthening this system naturally helps the body regain balance, reducing pain, improving sleep, lowering stress, slowing disease progression, and even extending healthy lifespan.
It is not theoretical. One in five seniors is already using CBD to manage pain, arthritis, cancer symptoms, sleep disorders, Alzheimer’s, and more. Despite decades of research and acknowledgment from institutions like the National Institutes of Health, most physicians receive no training on the ECS. There are still no FDA standards for CBD products on the market. If that were the case for any other class of medicine, it would be considered malpractice.
The World Health Organization has confirmed CBD’s excellent safety profile and non addictive nature in its critical review report. The result is that millions of older Americans are suffering unnecessarily when a safe and natural solution exists.
Hemp derived CBD is a powerful first step in restoring balance to the endocannabinoid system, but it is only part of the picture. Research shows that full spectrum cannabis extracts, which include a broader range of cannabinoids and terpenes, can work even more effectively. Complete concentrated cannabis oil, containing the full spectrum of natural endocannabinoids, may deliver the most profound results for certain patients. Expanding access to these therapies will be essential if we want to unlock the full healing potential of this plant.
The Economic and Social Impact
The video cites a powerful figure. A PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis estimates that fully integrating cannabis into the healthcare system could save the United States nearly 64 billion dollars annually. These savings reflect reduced pharmaceutical dependency, fewer hospitalizations, improved chronic disease outcomes, and enhanced quality of life for aging Americans. You can read more about PwC’s research on healthcare innovation here.
It is a financial argument, but it is also a moral one. Why should our elders endure pain, anxiety, and cognitive decline when nature has given us tools to help them live longer, happier, and healthier lives?
A Call to Action: Finish What the Farm Bill Started
The message concludes by crediting the 2018 Farm Bill, championed by President Trump, for legalizing hemp and laying the groundwork for today’s CBD market. The Farm Bill was just the first step.
Now the call is for bold next moves.
- Educate doctors about the endocannabinoid system
- Include CBD under Medicare coverage
- Provide clear federal standards for CBD quality and dosing
These steps would constitute the most significant senior health reform in modern history, one that would transform aging and cement a powerful legacy for any administration that makes it happen.
What This Means for Future Cannabis Medicine
For those of us who have been in the cannabis community for decades, this is not just another news story. It is a signal that our movement is winning. A conversation that was once criminalized and censored is now being amplified by the President of the United States on his own platform.
It means the science is undeniable. It means the truth can no longer be buried. It means the wall of prohibition is cracking, not just legally, but culturally, scientifically, and politically.
It also means that everything we have been fighting for at 420 Magazine since 1993, education, access, healing, and justice, is finally moving full steam ahead. The President Trump CBD Cannabis Science Truth Social moment is proof that science and policy are finally converging.
Business
Pot Odor Does Not Justify Probable Cause for Vehicle Searches, Minnesota Court Affirms
The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed that cannabis odor does not constitute probable cause to search a vehicle.
If Minnesota police search a vehicle solely based upon the smell of pot, they can’t justify searching a vehicle, even if there is evidence found of other alleged crimes. Even after appealing a lower court decision to suppress the evidence—twice—the Minnesota Supreme Court agreed, and the dismissal of his charges stands.
In a ruling filed regarding a case the State of Minnesota Court of Appeals on Sept. 13, the Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed that cannabis odor does not constitute probable cause to search a vehicle.
The case has been ongoing for two years. On July 5, 2021, just before 10 p.m., a Litchfield police officer stopped a car for an obscure local law: the light bar mounted on the vehicle’s grill had more auxiliary driving lights than are permitted under Minnesota law. The officer asked the driver, Adam Lloyd Torgerson, for his license and registration. Torgerson, his wife, and his child were present in the vehicle. The officer stated that he smelled pot and asked Torgerson if there was any reason for the odor, which he initially denied. But cops found a lot more than just pot.
A backup officer was called in. The couple denied possessing any pot, but Torgerson admitted to smoking weed in the past. The second officer stated that the weed odor gave them probable cause to search the vehicle and ordered them to exit the vehicle. The first officer searched the vehicle and found a film canister, three pipes, and a small plastic bag in the center console. The plastic bag contained a white powder and the film canister contained meth, which was confirmed in a field test.
Torgenson was charged with possession of meth pipe in the presence of a minor and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance after the unwarranted search of Torgerson’s vehicle.
Police Aren’t Allowed to Do That, Multiple Courts Rule
But the search had one major problem—cops weren’t searching for a meth pipe. They only searched his car because they could smell pot, and the meth and paraphernalia were a surprise for everyone. Still, they had no grounds to search the vehicle. The man’s charges were later dismissed after the district court determined the odor of cannabis alone was insufficient basis for probable cause to search the vehicle, regardless of whatever other drug paraphernalia they found.
The state appealed the case, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s decision. The case was appealed a second time, this time to the Minnesota Supreme Court, which agreed with the lower court’s ruling.
“This search was justified only by the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle,” the Minnesota Supreme Court decision reads. “Torgerson moved to suppress the evidence found during the search, arguing that the odor of marijuana, alone, is insufficient to create the requisite probable cause to search a vehicle under the automobile exception to the warrant requirement. The district court granted Torgerson’s motion, suppressed the evidence, and dismissed the complaint. The State appealed. The court of appeals affirmed the district court’s suppression order. Because we conclude that the odor of marijuana emanating from a vehicle, alone, is insufficient to create the requisite probable cause to search a vehicle under the automobile exception to the warrant requirement, we affirm.”
It amounts to basic human rights that apply—regardless of whether or not a person is addicted to drugs.
Other States do Precisely the Same Regarding Pot Odor as Probably Cause
An Illinois judge ruled in 2021 that the odor of cannabis is not sufficient grounds for police to search a vehicle without a warrant during a traffic stop.
Daniel J. Dalton, Associate Judge of the 14th Judicial Circuit, issued a ruling in response to a motion to suppress evidence in the case of Vincent Molina, a medical cannabis patient arrested for cannabis possession last year.
In that case, Molina was arrested despite the decriminalization of small amounts of cannabis in Illinois in 2019 with the passage of the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act.
In some states, the issue of probable cause and cannabis was defined through bills.
Last April, the Maryland House of Delegates approved a bill that reduces the penalties for public cannabis consumption and bars police from using the odor of cannabis as the basis for the search of an individual or auto. Under Maryland’s House Bill 1071, law enforcement officers would be prohibited from using the odor of raw or burnt cannabis as probable cause to search a person or vehicle.
The rulings represent the rights of citizens when they are pulled over by police, even if there are hard drugs involved.
Business
Legal Marijuana Handed A Nothing Burger From NY State
Following the chaos of the recreational weed rollout, the government is trying to figure out next steps. But it seems legal marijuana has been handed a nothing burger from NY state with their last rollout for potential cannabis retailers.. With an estimated $3.5 billion in sales at stake along with tax revenue for the state’s every growing budget, the fumble is costly for a significant number of players. And it has been a huge loss for the marijuana industry as a whole.
What was quickly seen as an opportunity was pounced on in the city with the most billionaires globally along with endless big and small entrepreneurs, and hustlers. Seeing a huge amount of cash on the table, players acted in a quickly in a way bureaucrats will never understand.
Embracing a Wild West approach, officials decriminalizated and fumbled licensed legalization of sales. Despite promises and initial outlines where existing medical marijuana dispensaries could switch to recreational and a fair, for government quick liscnese process, the state tossed it all in one stroke. In a vision of equity, officials decided to reserve the first retail licenses for felons and other “justice-involved” individuals. Lawsuits started, the desired licensees struggled to raise capital and over 1,600 unlicensed retail stores opened in NYC. For the small time players, they have set sidewalk card tables parks, selling roll-ups and handmade marijuana edibles, in full view of the police.
The updated systems was rolled out, but has left people confused, dispirited, and disappointed. The Office of Cannabis Management rolled out the previous Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensaries (CAURD) program with high hopes. Now, regulators voted to allow the state’s medical marijuana operators to apply for adult-use retail licenses. Multistate operators who have patiently acquired a majority of the state’s 10 registered organization.
“It was more like an orgy of minimalism. While they are getting ready to open the application window on October 4th (notably, originally it wasn’t intended to be a 60-day window, but rolling applications) for most license types (sans on-site consumption and delivery), they refused to address the CAURD program. Other than to suggest that it remains “a priority”, they have offered only some subtle hints in the guidance to the regulations. These include establishing a priority for retail applications which include secured real estate, which will be given priority after the initial 30-days of the 60-day application window have passed (although they do not define what that means). And noting that existing licensees may apply for an additional license so long as they comply with the rules of a two-tier system. The positive news is that these statements can be interpreted as an invitation to current CAURD licensees, many of whom will also meet other Social and Economic Equity (SEE) criteria entitling them to an additional priority.” shares Andrew Cooper, partner at Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP, one of the top cannabis law firms.
Unfortunately, there are multiple losers in the state’s unique approach. One is consumer and medical marijuana patients, including veterans. The unlicensed dispensaries are making a mint and overcharging customers due to high demand. Small investors and companies, including those who could be a player in the CAURD, will not have the financial to compete with multi-state and large players. And taxpayers will lose out for years to come as revue it lost to unlicensed dispensaries.
The good news, consumers will continue to find products easily over the next few years. There is even a thriving unlicensed dispensary a few blocks from City Hall.
While New York is awash with billionaires, fashion, food and smarts, common sense seems to be lack for making a good government plan.
Source: https://thefreshtoast.com/cannabis/legal-marijuana-handed-a-nothing-burger-from-ny-state/
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