This week’s spotlight is on a unique product that everyone is talking about: Amanita Mushroom Caps. These legal psychedelic mushrooms have been used for hundreds of years due to their spiritual and mind-altering effects. Recently, we’ve secured a significant quantity of Amanita caps from a verified supplier, with prices starting as low as $99 per pound.
Amanita Muscaria Caps: The First Legal Psychedelic Product
Finding legal psychedelic products isn’t easy, as most of them are illegal. However, since Muscimol, and Ibotenic acid (the two active compounds found in these mushrooms) are legal in most parts of the world, you can freely order them online. Amanita mushrooms, traditionally used, offer a less hallucinatory and more spiritual experience compared to regular magic mushrooms. Yet, with the right dosage, they can also become highly psychedelic, often accompanied by very vivid dreams in the nights following consumption.
While various Amanita products, such as vapes, gummies, chocolates, and even joints, are available today, it’s Amanita mushroom caps that should be your first choice. Sourcing A-grade mushrooms allows you to create a range of products, from powders and teas to edibles, chocolates, vapes, gummies and joints. This is why, while the sales of gummies and vapes are rising, it’s Amanita caps that most people are seeking.
Purchasing the mushrooms themselves is also very affordable, especially when sourced from reputable suppliers, like the one we’ve verified for you. You can obtain them at an attractive price, even when buying small amounts. If you’re ready to invest a bit more, bulk orders offer a fantastic opportunity to stock up on these premium mushrooms, with prices starting at $99 per pound.
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The numerous benefits of psychedelics have been coming to light in recent years, and women are taking notice. With little options in the way of pharmaceutical drugs, especially when it comes to treating mental illness and hormonal imbalances, it’s no surprise that women are experimenting with hallucinogens to see what can actually help. And better yet, a recent study found that psilocybin can help regulate menstrual issues. Let’s dig deeper into how and why psychedelics are so valuable for the fairer sex.
Women and psychedelics
The psychedelic renaissance is in full swing, and women are at the heart of it. After decades of prohibition and condemnation (following a brief period of them being studied and used medicinally), the western world is finally starting to reexamine the many therapeutic benefits of these substances. LSD, Ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin have been undergoing various clinical trials to see how they can be utilized to address a growing mental health crisis in the United States.
Jennifer Gural, a psychotherapist from Los Angeles, California, commented about how hallucinogens have helped change her life, and how she began using them to help her female patients as well. “It shifted the focus of my life,” she stated. “It really helped me to tackle how my brain works and how I was thinking … It was such a profoundly life-changing experience. I have done ayahuasca and I’ve done psilocybin. I don’t know if I’ll ever do it again, but I’m open to that if it’s needed—which I think is how we should use psychedelics.”
While there seems to be a recent influx of ladies trying psychedelics, self-medicating is nothing new for women. This could stem from frustrations with our existing health-care system, and how it has been historically geared toward treating men and either dismissing our issues or over-medicating us.
As women – daughters, mothers, sisters, grandmothers, wives, friends – we have many struggles that we are often forced to face alone. Women are more likely to suffer from PTSD than men – particularly women of color, transgender, and gender-diverse individuals. Women also deal with depression and anxiety more often, and one in seven women have postpartum depression after childbirth.
New studies have found that even a couple experiences with psychedelics, especially when combined with talk therapy, can lead to lifechanging, psychological developments. As a matter of fact, MDMA and psilocybin have been labeled as “breakthrough therapies” by the FDA, a designation given to “promising drugs proposed to fill an unmet need”. With so many pharmaceutical antidepressant and antianxiety drugs on the market, and the number of mental disorders still rising, we can clearly see that treating our troubled human minds is that unmet need.
Is this the beginning of a brighter, more beautiful future for women’s healthcare? One where common mental illnesses, chronic pain, and hormonal conditions are treated successfully with psychedelic trips, rather than a lifetime of pharmaceutical medications? It seems quite promising.
The new research on psilocybin and estrogen
Although no clinical trials have been conducted, researchers from John Hopkins University have been looking over case files and anecdotal reports on women and psychedelics, and how estrogen can change the effects of psilocybin specifically. We know that estrogen can impact binding at serotonin receptor sites, and because most hallucinogens interact with serotonin receptors as well, experts believe that our cycles can influence how psilocybin works in our bodies, and vice versa, the psilocybin itself can have an impact on our hormones.
Based on the aforementioned case studies, researchers discovered that psilocybin seemed to help regulate menstrual cycles. One of the women studied had premenstrual dysphoric disorder, which is a very severe form of PMS, and she used psilocybin to help regulate it. In another case, a woman suffered from polycystic ovarian syndrome and was having irregular periods. At one point, menstruation completely stopped for a while, but after taking psilocybin, it came back.
“Our menstrual cycles occur along the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, so as one hormone kicks off, it tells another hormone what to do in this feedback loop and that’s the trajectory of our menstrual cycles,” says Jennifer Chesak, author of The Psilocybin Handbook for Women. “We also have the axis that manages our stress response, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. These two axes sort of overlap, and so they each impact one another. When we use psilocybin, we are at doing something along that stress response along the HPA axis.”
Chesak added: “We already know from research outside of psychedelics, that these two axes do impact each other: our stress response can impact our cycle, and our cycles can impact our stress response. So, it’s not a stretch to think that when we are using psilocybin, that something is going on with our stress response that then impacts the menstrual cycle”
Although we only have these few case studies and anecdotal reports at the moment, the results are telling. And it begs the question of when we can see a real clinical trial on this topic, so we can better understand the mechanisms of how it works from a scientific perspective.
Aside from medical benefits, do women experience psychedelics differently than men?
Honestly, who really knows? Obviously, no studies have been done on whether women trip differently than men. But it’s possible that because women tend to be more emotional, empathetic, and receptive to spiritual experiences – this could be beneficial to producing better and more positive, even more therapeutic highs.
Historically, statistics indicate that men use more drugs than women – and this across the board, from illicit drugs to legal substances like tobacco and alcohol. And since most research is still conducted on male subjects, female drug use patterns and their subsequent experiences remain somewhat of an enigma.
However, we do know that in general, psychotropic drugs impact women differently than men, but sex-based responses to medications are often overlooked. It wasn’t until the 1990s that women were even allowed to participate in clinical trials in the United States, and many studies are still done using a larger number of male participants.
Despite this, women are twice as likely as men to be prescribed psychotropic medication (back to that overmedicating issue), and recent research shows that factors like different hormones, body composition, and metabolism can cause different drug-reactions. For example, the sleep medication Ambien was found to be twice as potent for women.
Additionally, experts claim that women are “between 50 and 75 percent more likely to experience side effects”. An analysis of existing clinical trials published June 5, 2020, in the journal Biology of Sex Differences, authored by Prendergast and Irving Zucker of UC Berkley, they noted 86 drugs which presented “clear evidence of sex differences in how the body broke down the drug.” They found that “For nearly all of these drugs, women metabolized them more slowly than men, leading to higher levels of exposure to the drug; in 96% of cases, this resulted in significantly higher rates of adverse side effects in women.”
Final thoughts
To reiterate, because the foundation of modern medicine is structured around research performed almost exclusively on men, most of what science tells us about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of illness may not be applicable to women. With so much of our population feeling like they are not understood by healthcare professionals, it’s no surprise that a growing number of women are self-medicating with cannabis, psychedelics, and other natural, alternative solutions.
As we learn more about how psilocybin and other hallucinogens interact with female hormones, we can better understand how to use these incredible products to improve our health, and our lives.
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Recently, the Oregon mushroom industry finally opened, after years of waiting and speculation. And now patrons can legally walk in for treatment. Even better, one site created a structure to give free mushroom treatments to those in need, but who lack funds. Learn more about how the facility is doing this, and how it benefits the community
Oregon mushroom industry finally open
We’ve been talking about this one for awhile now. In 2020, Oregon put Measure 109 before voters to legalize the limited recreational use of psilocybin mushrooms. It passed with 55.57% of the population giving it a yes vote. The legalization has many stipulations attached in terms of where its legal to use mushrooms, and how; and it only accounts for the Psilocybe cubensis species of mushroom, no others. But it’s the first system put forth in the US, and its now in use.
The legalization technically began on January 1st, but as it’s an industry that 100% relies on facilitators, and as none were approved at that time, the industry was dormant for many months. This holdup was in part because even though the state legalized use of the mushrooms, their production and sale required further legislation that wasn’t ironed out enough for the facilitators-in-training to actually have access to them.
This meant more of a role-playing scenario in training, which isn’t quite the same as dealing with a person actively on a psychedelic. All of the trainees, incidentally, paid about $10,000 for the training according to the New York Times. As of yet, it seems all aspects of this new industry are pricey, from the regulation for providers, to facilitator training, to the treatments themselves.
Magic mushrooms industry open in Oregon
In early May, things got going more when the state began giving out licenses to therapy centers. The first to get one was Eugene Psychedelic Integration Center (EPIC); which at the time released a dismaying pay structure that indicated users would have to pay out thousands to get treatment. Founder Cathy Rosewell Jonas explained that the high pricing was mostly due to very high regulatory fees, which are indeed much higher than other industries, whether they use medical facilities or not. How much must clients pay? At least $2,800 for a single session.
As of right now, there are a total of eight operational centers with licenses (according to Willamette Week), and the industry is up and running. As per Jonas, when her licensing came through, she already had a waitlist of 60 people looking for treatment, and an expectation to treat about 30 per month.
Bendable Therapy provides free mushroom treatments to those in need
The industry is new, and generally expensive. We knew that it would be for sure since Jonas got her license. However, there is one facility thus far, which already instituted a policy to help those in need, get free mushroom treatments; even if they can’t afford the high pricing. Perhaps this model will die out if abused, and perhaps it foreshadows the direction of the industry in general.
Bend, Oregon is home to the only licensed facility that gives mushroom treatments for free. Called Bendable Therapy, the clinic isn’t looking to give out product for nothing, but is understanding that many in need simply can’t pay the price. The nonprofit organization is specifically designed to get the needed therapy to those who require it most. Regardless of ability to pay.
They do this by asking for donations from those who cannot make full payments. The hoped-for amount is about equal to a single treatment session, at $2,300, but is understandably less for some. The facility gives out a donation form, with a sliding scale, and asks that people pay what they can realistically afford to pay.
Amanda Gow, the co-founder for Bendable Therapy, is hoping that good results propel users to donate more. She hopes their good experiences and outcomes, lead to more giving behavior. As she said, per Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), “We have a sliding scale donation form. And I say: ‘Here are our parameters. You tell me what you can afford to donate’. I think once people go through the program and they see, ‘Oh this is life-changing,’ that maybe they will become monthly donors.”
Some can access free mushroom treatments at Bendable Therapy
She explained previously via CentralOregonDaily, “We’re really focused on working with folks who have an existing mental health practice but are seeking psilocybin as a step on their mental wellness journey.” Gow continued that the pricing is indeed $2,300 a pop, but that for those in need, the price is dropped in place of a request for a donation. She explained, “We seek donations from community members, from participants, from corporations and large donors to help cover this cost, to defer this financial burden.”
I cover this story so people know it exists. So that those who need help, might be able to get it; whether they are in the area, or can manage to get there. For the majority who cannot, sometimes its simply nice to know there are good programs and organizations that truly want to help. Likewise, there are some pretty awesome people, with inventive ways of making it happen. Gow’s set-up is interesting because, as part of it, the idea is immediately not just to help oneself, but to pay it forward to others.
The same article details a specific case of an Arizona man who went to Oregon for free mushroom treatments at this facility; and who now donates monthly to the cause. This man says the treatment helped him greatly. He is one of the first people to go on record about his experience, as this is a very new market.
Black market and state funding for magic mushroom industry
At the same time that the legal market is growing, so is something else. It seems the understanding of high prices in legal markets, coupled with the new positive attention on the mushrooms and their therapeutic aspect; have combined to expand out the already existent black market, according to another Willamette Week article. This is perhaps, expected.
Mushroom use was always around, both in ceremonial and recreational capacities. They’ve been a popular drug in the US for recreational use, since the 60’s; before they were made illegal in 1970 via the Controlled Substances Act. However, whereas they were popular in a smaller segment before, they now have the attention of a wider population. Many people want the medical benefit they might provide, but not at the price point of legal providers. And so, the black market has new customers. Considering the slow pace of the legal market, probably a lot.
This is similar to the cannabis industry, which has consistently suffered from high taxes and regulatory costs, making it hard to compete with the lower-priced black market. The black market uses the products and technological advancements of the legal industry, to propel itself along; meaning the legal market has helped the black market grow.
Mushroom industry now with government funding
Another current mushroom issue deals with funding for the program. Though the industry was supposed to be self-supported, according to Measure 9; it seems this was updated. The August 30th Willamette Week, reported that the Psilocybin Services Agency only earned $318,419 in fees thus far. This is likely due to slow processing, more than there not being an interest. But it still means the income is only trickling in. As the program was expected to cost $3.1 million yearly, the government has allocated that amount, for two years; which started in July. The program is now receiving government funds.
According to the Oregon Health Authority via spokesperson Afiq Hisham: “It takes time to build a new section in state government and to become 100% fee-based, specifically because ORS 475A is the nation’s first regulatory framework for psilocybin services and required an intensive two-year development period.”
Conclusion
So there you have it. The Oregon mushroom industry is up and running. If you’ve been waiting for this industry to finalize, and want to get started, contact one of the operational facilities. I’d link to a list, but unfortunately I can’t find one. I expect (and really hope) that Oregon’s Psilocybin Services will initiate something better than this in the future.
And, if you’re financially strapped but think mushroom treatments might change your life for the better; check out Bendable Therapy first to see if you qualify for free mushroom treatments. Just remember, when you’ve been helped, please pay it forward to others in need.
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Labor Day, celebrated today, is a time to honor the contributions of workers and the labor movement. It’s also a time for relaxation, self-care, and, of course, sales! As the summer winds down and we prepare for the fall, many businesses offer significant discounts on their products and services. This year, several wellness brands are joining the festivities by offering incredible discounts on their premium cannabis and psychedelic products. So, as you enjoy your well-deserved day off, take a moment to explore these exceptional offers and make a commitment to your well-being. Your body and mind will thank you!
This year we have decided to focus on several categories: High-quality Hemp-derived THCA, Delta-9P, THC-P, and 11-HXY-THC products, legal psychedelic Amanita Muscaria & Amanita Pantherina mushrooms and and legal psychoactive High-THCA Flower. All products are very potent, but at the same time legal to buy online.
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Picture the greatest dream you’ve ever had. Flying over clouds? Running around naked in a land made out of candy? Lying on a beach with an unlimited supply of your favorite food? Well, imagine if you couldn’t dream. Whilst many of us will know the feeling of dreams becoming less frequent, the idea of not ever having one is quite extreme.
Well, this is the true story about a woman suffering from a condition that meant she hadn’t been able to dream for 34 years and decided to look for some answers. After taking part in a new study – using psilocybin – she was miraculously able to dream once again. But how is this possible? Are magic mushrooms a cure for aphantasia?
What are Dreams?
Every night, as the world plunges into darkness and slumber takes over, our minds embark on a remarkable journey. This journey is one that transcends the boundaries of reality, unleashing a cascade of images, emotions, and experiences that are both bewildering and captivating. These are dreams, the enigmatic tapestries woven within the realm of our unconscious minds. For centuries, dreams have intrigued, mystified, and inspired humans, prompting us to question what dreams actually are and what purpose they serve. Some call them: the theatre of the mind.
Dreams are complex mental experiences that occur during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep. They manifest as a collection of sensory perceptions, emotions, thoughts, and memories that create vivid, often surreal narratives. While dreams can vary widely in content and intensity, they often defy the laws of physics and logic, weaving scenarios that may seem nonsensical when juxtaposed with our waking reality. The origins of dreams can be traced to the intricate work of brain structures. The brain’s cortex, responsible for cognition and sensory processing, communicates with the limbic system, the emotional centre of the brain, during REM sleep. This interaction leads to the creation of dreamscapes that can evoke intense emotions, sometimes even more potent than those experienced during wakefulness.
Why do we Dream?
Throughout history, numerous theories have emerged to explain the purpose and significance of dreams. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, believed that dreams were windows into the unconscious mind, providing a means to understand suppressed desires and conflicts. His theory, which emphasised the symbolism and hidden meanings within dreams, laid the foundation for much of the modern understanding of dream analysis.
Be careful when describing one of your dreams to a Freud-lover – they might start creating some elaborate theory about what it all means. For instance, dreaming about losing your teeth is believed to be about grief or loss. Whether you believe in this or not, contemporary research in the field of neuroscience offers a more nuanced perspective.
The activation-synthesis theory, proposed by J. Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley, posits that dreams arise from the brain’s attempt to make sense of random neural activity during REM sleep. In essence, loads of random stuff jiggles about in our brains when we sleep, and our mind tries to create a sensical narrative from it. Another theory, written by NIH, states:
“An intriguing and detailed evolutionary theory of dreams… stipulates that the biological function of dreaming is to simulate threatening events and to rehearse threat avoidance behaviours.”
This is an interesting theory, as it gives dreams a genuine evolutionary purpose. Whereas the others seem to suggest that dreaming is simply a symptom of other things, or simply just a random collection of left over stuff.
Dream Deprivation
Imagine trying to conjure an image in your mind’s eye – a beach at sunset, a loved one’s face, or even a simple geometric shape. For most people, this mental imagery is a natural and intuitive process, as they can effortlessly visualize these images in their mind. However, for individuals with aphantasia, this mental canvas remains blank, devoid of visual images. What is it like to not be able to dream?
Aphantasia is a cognitive condition characterised by the inability to create vivid mental images or visualise objects, people, or scenes in one’s mind. People with aphantasia lack the ability to generate sensory experiences within their imagination, including both visual and auditory. The term ‘aphantasia’ was coined by neurologist Adam Zeman in 2015, and since then, it has garnered increasing attention within the fields of psychology and neuroscience. The term in Greek literally means: ‘without imagination’. Around 2-5% of the population suffer from this condition, and it tends to be more common in men than women. The woman that we’ll be discussing today recently described her experiences in the Metro:
“If someone tells me “imagine a castle”, I can only imagine a castle that I know, like Hogwarts, and it takes the form of descriptions I have read, not images.”
People suffering from aphantasia find it difficult to remember or plan routes when travelling, and can often get lost. There’s a bit of a spectrum with the condition – with some people having a complete absence of visual imagery, while others might possess a limited capacity to conjure faint, vague, or abstract images. At present, there is very little research into the cure for this condition. However, this year, there may have been an interesting breakthrough using magic mushrooms to cure dream deprivation.
The Dream Study
A recent 2023 study investigated the effects that psilocybin – the psychoactive ingredient in magical mushrooms – would have on a woman who suffered from aphantasia. This woman was unable to see things in her mind’s eye. As much as she tried, she was unable to imagine anything basically. She could not picture it – only think of desriptions. However, after using magic mushrooms, this all changed. She was able to imagine and dream. She said:
‘I found it incredible because it was the first time I had images in my mind, and I realised that you can play with images, zoom in, zoom out, break down colours,’
The dream study proved that her perception of visual images had increased from a minimum to a maximum after taking the psychoactive substance. After this experience, the individual’s ability to to visualise thoughts became less colourful than when she experienced psilocybin, but her imagination and dreams were left at an average state. In a sense, she was cured.
Researchers are still struggling to understand exactly why the magic mushrooms were so effective in helping with her aphantasia, but they assume it’s something to do with the substance’s ability to alter perception. As it stands, this study was done on only one individual, so a lot more needs to be done before any conclusive evidence can be released. However, at present, it looks very promising. Could magic mushrooms really be the cure for people that cannot dream?
Magic mushrooms have been used as a recreational substance to awaken the mind and alter perception for centuries. Anyone who has ever used this drug will know the power it has. But in recent years, scientists and academics have started to realise that these magic mushrooms have a bigger potential than just being used for recreational purposes. A CNN article writes:
“Let’s be adults about this. These are no longer ‘shrooms’. These are no longer party drugs for young people… Psilocybin mushrooms are non addictive, life-changing substances.”
When used responsibly, magic mushrooms can help people change their lives. When thinking of a mushroom trip – and all of the magic visual world’s that can arise – it is no surprise that this woman was able to cure her aphantasia. The colors, the sounds, the sensations, the emotions – these would have awoken her mind and perhaps unlocked it too. Drugs like magic mushrooms, LSD and MDMA need to be continued to be explored to see what else these substances can do for people’s various conditions. Like this specific case, the possibilities could be breathtaking. The world of medicine can be greatly benefited by an open approach to the world of recreational substances.
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Summary: A Phase 2 clinical trial has shown that a single dose of psilocybin, a psychedelic substance found in magic mushrooms, significantly reduced depression symptoms up to 43 days into the trial. The study, published in JAMA, involved 104 participants with documented diagnoses of moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder. Participants received either a 25 mg dose of psilocybin or a 100 mg dose of niacin (a placebo), along with psychological support. The psilocybin group experienced greater drops in depression severity scores than the placebo group at eight and 43 days, although they also reported more mild-to-moderate adverse events.
One Dose of Psychedelic Psilocybin Reduces Depression Symptoms Up To 43 Days
A recent Phase 2 clinical trial investigated the use of psilocybin, the psychedelic substance found in magic mushrooms, as a treatment for major depressive disorder. The study found that participants who received just one dose of psilocybin had significantly less severe depression symptoms than those receiving a placebo, up to 43 days into the trial. This study, published in JAMA, adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that psilocybin may be an effective treatment for depression.
Psilocybin is believed to work by binding and activating serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptors in the brain, which could help rewire the brain and increase its interconnectedness and flexibility. Previous studies have suggested that psilocybin might be an effective treatment for depression, but they involved small numbers of participants and did not show how long the beneficial effects might last.
The latest trial was conducted from December 2019 through June 2022 across 11 different sites in the U.S. It involved 104 participants, aged 21 to 65, with documented diagnoses of moderate-to-more severe major depressive disorder for at least 60 days. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin or a 100 mg dose of niacin (a placebo), along with psychological support. The study was double-blinded, meaning neither the study personnel nor the participants knew who was receiving what during the trial.
The researchers used the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Sheehan Disability Scale to measure the severity of depression symptoms and their impact, respectively. Participants in the psilocybin group experienced greater drops in MADRS scores than those in the placebo group at the eight-day and 43-day marks. However, a higher percentage of participants in the psilocybin group (82%) reported at least one treatment-related adverse event, compared to 44% in the placebo group. Most of these were considered mild-to-moderate adverse events, although four participants in the psilocybin group reported serious adverse events, including a migraine, headache, illusions, panic attack, and paranoia.
The results of this trial are encouraging and suggest that psilocybin could potentially be an effective treatment for depression. However, more studies are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of psilocybin over longer periods and across broader populations. Existing depression medications have many potential drawbacks, including a range of side effects, so there is a real opportunity to break the mold when it comes to depression treatment.
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According to Willamette Weekly, nearly three years after voters in the state approved a ballot measure to legalize it, “Oregon Psilocybin Services is nowhere near paying its own way,” despite promises from its backers that “Oregonians would get access to a life-changing compound in a safe, legal setting, and, after a two-year startup period, it wouldn’t cost taxpayers a dime.”
The outlet noted that advocates of the 2020 ballot proposal, Measure 109, asserted that the licensing fees paid “by mushroom growers, testing labs, trip facilitators and service centers would cover the costs of a new bureaucracy within the Oregon Health Authority.”
That has been far from the case.
“Fee revenue is anemic because too few people are seeking the various licenses (“Stuffed Mushrooms,” WW, May 24). Just four manufacturers, two testing labs, and eight service centers have been licensed. All three types of entities pay a one-time fee of $500 and then $10,000 a year to operate. Many more facilitators have been approved (88), but they pay only $150 up front and then $2,000 annually,” Willamette Weekly reported in a story published on Wednesday.
“So far this year, Psilocybin Services has raised just $318,419 in fees, OHA says. That’s in line with estimates by WW. Tallying the number of permits issued and multiplying by all the fees, we came up with a total of $342,425 since the program began licensing participants on Jan. 2.”
“Backers of Measure 109 said the program would cost far more—$3.1 million a year—to run. To fill at least part of that gap, Oregon lawmakers appropriated $3.1 million from the taxpayer-supported general fund for the two-year period that started July 1. OHA is betting that shroom fee revenue will pick up as the biennium proceeds, making up the rest of the shortfall,” the outlet continued.
Measure 109 passed in 2020 by a fairly narrow vote, with 50% of Oregon voters approving and 44% voting against. It made Oregon the first state in the country to legalize psilocybin.
Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) Section Manager Angie Allbee called it “a historic moment as psilocybin services will soon become available in Oregon, and we appreciate the strong commitment to client safety and access as service center doors prepare to open.”
At the time of the announcement, Oregon Psilocybin Services offered a refresher on how the program will work.
“Under the statewide model, clients 21 years of age or older may access psilocybin services. While they won’t need prescriptions or referrals from healthcare providers, clients must first complete a preparation session with a licensed facilitator. If they meet the criteria to move forward, they may participate in an administration session at a licensed service center, where they may consume psilocybin products in the presence of a trained and licensed facilitator,” the agency explained. “Afterwards, clients may choose to join optional integration sessions, which offer opportunities to be connected to community resources and peer support networks for additional support. Once licensed, service centers can employ and/or contract with licensed facilitators who are trained in providing preparation, administration, and integration sessions to clients. Service centers will sell psilocybin products that were produced by licensed manufacturers and tested by licensed laboratories. To date, OPS has issued three manufacturer licenses, one laboratory license, five facilitator licenses, and 84 worker permits. OPS expects to issue more licenses and worker permits in the coming months.”
The state finalized the rules for the psilocybin program at the end of last year.
Albee and André Ourso, the administrator of the Center for Health Protection in Oregon, said at the time that Oregon Psilocybin Services “received over 200 written comments and six hours of comments shared in the public hearings during the November 2022 public comment period.”
“These comments helped to further refine and improve the rules, which have now been adopted as final. The final rules are a starting place for the nation’s first regulatory framework for psilocybin services, and we will continue to evaluate and evolve this work as we move into the future,” they said.
In response to this week’s report by Willamette Weekly, Oregon Health Authority spokesman Afiq Hisham urged patience.
“It takes time to build a new section in state government and to become 100% fee-based, specifically because ORS 475A is the nation’s first regulatory framework for psilocybin services and required an intensive two-year development period,” Hisham told Willamette Weekly.
The Hawaii Office of Wellness and Resilience recently announced that the Breakthrough Therapies Task Force held its first meeting on Aug. 29.
The task force consists of 11 individuals whose role is to research and explore the therapeutic potential of MDMA and psilocybin. “It comprises local physicians, psychiatrists, mental health professionals and government partners,” a press release from Hawaii Gov. Josh Green stated. “This first meeting represents a significant milestone in advancing the recognition and understanding of the potential benefits of therapeutic psychedelic access in Hawaii. Members include Hawaii-based mental health professionals, government agency representatives, legislators, physicians, therapists and more.”
The press release explained that “modern science is now catching up” to the benefits of specific psychedelic substances, despite the fact that many indigenous cultures have used those substances for thousands of years. Inspired by states such as Oregon, which passed a therapeutic psilocybin access program in 2020, and Colorado, which passed a similar program in 2022, Hawaii is dedicating an effort to also examine its benefits. “Research has shown that both psilocybin and MDMA have significant and unprecedented efficacy in the clinical treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, end-of-life anxiety in terminal patients, eating disorders, treatment-resistant depression and more,” the press release continued.
One of the task force members, Sean Munnelly, M.D., is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and addiction specialist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, who prepared a statement about the importance of the task force. “We are now on the precipice of an exciting movement in health care and consciousness,” said Munnelly. “The FDA designation of MDMA and psilocybin as breakthrough therapies ushers in a potentially paradigm-shifting moment. For this to be done safely, it is crucial to create a multidisciplinary task force of experts. These individuals will be responsible for creating guidelines for safe and responsible practices here in Hawaii.”
The task force is required to submit a report on its findings by the end of 2023, which will include an analysis of both Oregon and Colorado’s currently existing psychedelic therapy programs. The report will also address other crucial questions about psilocybin supply, licensing in relation to both guides as well as integration coaches, administrative requirements, and discuss patient “safety, access, and affordability.”
Four members of the task force are involved in an organization called the Clarity Project, which strives to raise awareness regarding the therapeutic benefits of plant medicine. Through the Clarity Project, a public in-person event called “Breaking Through Trauma: The Case for Psilocybin & MDMA” is set to be held on Sept. 8 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
“In line with Hawaii’s commitment to wellness, resilience and mental health care, the Breakthrough Therapies Task Force underscores the state’s dedication to exploring effective and innovative approaches to mental health treatment,” the press release concluded. “By embracing the potential of breakthrough therapies and creating a regulated psychedelic therapy program, Hawaii aims to provide its residents with comprehensive, compassionate and effective therapeutic care options.”
While the potential of psilocybin is still being researched, the case for cannabis in Hawaii is growing strong. The state began licensing medical cannabis dispensaries back in July 2015, 15 years after former Gov. Ben Cayetano signed the bill to legalize medical cannabis. Since the first dispensary began operating in 2017, a total of 22 dispensaries have opened up across the state (two on Kauai, five on Maui, nine on Oahu, and six on the big island of Hawaii). In 2018, the state implemented a new policy that allows those who hold medical cannabis cards in other states or U.S. territories to obtain a special permit to buy cannabis in Hawaii.
As of July 2019, the state has decriminalized small amounts of cannabis, but legalizing adult-use cannabis is still a work in progress. The Hawaii Senate passed a legalization bill in March 2021 but did not proceed further.
Earlier this year in January, Hawaii Rep. Jeanné Kapela joined with members of Marijuana Policy Project, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and ACLU Hawaii to announce new efforts to end cannabis prohibition in the state. “We all know, and Hawaii’s people know, that it is high time to legalize recreational cannabis use for adults in Hawaii. This year we stand on the precipice of history,” Kapela explained. “Following the recommendations of a task force devoted to addressing cannabis policy, we now have a roadmap for legalizing recreational cannabis in our islands,” she said in reference to a December 2022 report published by the Hawaii Department of Health.
In January, a legalization bill called SB669 SD2 was introduced and by March it was overwhelmingly passed in a Hawaii Senate vote. However, it failed to proceed in the House before an important legislative deadline.
If a cannabis legalization bill is able to fully pass in congress, there’s a good chance that adult-use cannabis is in Hawaii’s future. Gov. Green has previously said that he would consider signing legalization into law under certain conditions. “First of all, if marijuana is legalized, it should be very carefully monitored, and only done like cigarettes, or I’ve been very careful to regulate tobacco over the years,” Green said in November 2022. “We should take the $30 to $40 million of taxes we would get from that and invest in the development and recreation of our mental healthcare system for the good of all.”
It’s an ongoing battle in Canada, as the country continually tries to squash out illegal mushroom dispensary FunGuyz. After a third raid at the new Quebec location, in just a couple months, things have certainly heated up. Here’s the low-down on this ongoing battle, and what we can expect in the future.
Magic mushrooms and Canada
Magic mushrooms are illegal in Canada for all uses. This means the production, sale, and possession for medical or recreational purposes, is not allowed. According to the government site, Canada.ca:
“There is increasing interest in the potential therapeutic uses of magic mushrooms and of psilocybin, one of the active ingredients in magic mushrooms. While clinical trials with psilocybin have shown promising results, at this time, there are no approved therapeutic products containing psilocybin in Canada or elsewhere. Clinical trials are the most appropriate and effective way to advance research with unapproved drugs such as psilocybin while protecting the health and safety of patients.”
What Canada does allow, is use through the Special Access Program. Through this program, health care providers can request certain drugs that are in clinical trials in Canada, or already approved in other countries. “This program provides access to non-marketed drugs for the treatment of serious or life-threatening conditions when conventional therapies have failed, are unsuitable or are unavailable.”
Canada’s Special Access Program in theory allows use to magic mushrooms
Psilocybin can be accessed through this program, although its not 100% for sure. The ability to request it at all was put back in place at the beginning of 2022; when the county’s Food and Drug Regulations were amended. Any request for the compound must come with plenty of backing for its claim of need, and there is no guarantee for approval.
Canada vs FunGuyz magic mushroom dispensary
Canadian governments are currently quite unhappy that a specific illicit magic mushroom dispensary, just doesn’t seem to go away. Like the fungi it sells, it seems to keep maintaining and popping back up, despite several raids. In fact, after three, it kind of seems like the mushroom dispensers, might have a decent backup plan. At the very least, they seem prepared.
FunGuyz is an illicit magic mushroom dispensary in Montreal, Quebec that opened its doors on Tuesday, July 11th. It already functions as a chain in Ontario, with 13 different dispensaries throughout the state, according to the locations on the company’s site. All are open and operational, expect for two; which may or may not reopen. It offers products containing psilocybin, the main psychedelic compound of magic mushrooms. Products are not limited to dried fungi; the shop offers psilocybin products in other forms like pills and chocolate bars, as well.
The day it opened, the store was raided by Montreal police, and four were arrested. It was not clear who got arrested; whether cops targeted just store personnel, or if they went after buyers. Also on that day, as per globalnews.co, spokesperson for the company, and possible owner, Edgras Goban (also written as Edgar Gorbans), said he expected the shop to reopen within 24 hours. According to Goban, it was a standard raid, which he classified as a waste of taxpayer money. He said these raids happen in Ontario as well; so the company knows what its dealing with already.
Just how prepared is the operation for police involvement? Said Goban prior to law enforcement performing the raid, “We do expect the police to come in and raid us because obviously what we’re doing, it’s illegal. The idea behind everything is, are the police willing to use the taxpayers’ money for mushroom stuff?”
The second raid came on Thursday, July 20th. This raid was 48 hours after the store reopened from its first raid by the police, two weeks prior. The store was raided this time, along with a residence above the store premises, and another residence in a different location. This time around, five people were arrested, including one woman for drug trafficking.
Some FunGuyz personnel were arrested for trafficking
Most recent raid and FunGuyz mentality
It reopened once again. And it was raided once again on August 7th. Like the other times, law enforcement took a bunch of products, and arrested one man. After this raid, according to law enforcement, the three raids produced a total in seizures of: four kilograms of psilocybin bulk, 1,600 pills, 753 grams of psilocybin edibles, and $10,000 in cash.
There is obviously quite a bit of vigor behind this operation. There have been three raids now on just this location, and no sign that Goban intends to let up on his end. In fact, it seems like he invites the raids. He explained to CTV News via Psychedelic Spotlight, “With us having criminal charges, it’s a lot easier for us to go through the system in order to do the constitutional challenge.”
Not only does Goban seem to welcome the challenge, he knew full well it was coming. This already happened with all other store locations in Ontario; and he was told – indirectly – it would happen in Quebec. Montreal’s Mayor Valerie Plante warned “Mushrooms [are] not legal in Canada so, of course, we will apply the law and Montreal police officers will be ready to act based on the law.”
It looks like Goban will get his chance to up the ante; or otherwise, give up on that location. It was reported via CBC News that the Montreal police were given an injunction for the building, to keep the business from opening for a fourth time. I expect Goban foresaw the possibility of this move as well. We’ll have to wait to find out his next move.
FunGuyz in Ontario
The most interesting part of this story, is that it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. For whatever is going on in Montreal, FunGuyz already functions broadly and openly in Ontario, with 13 dispensaries in action (or working to be). And just the fact that there are so many, is a pretty good indication that Goban knows what he’s doing.
His store in Windsor, Ontario was raided just a week after opening on June, 29th. At the time, Goban was just as nonchalant as he was with the Quebec raids, saying “It’s normal. I’ve been through multiple raids, right? So it doesn’t shock me anymore.” According to Windsor police, seized products included psilocybin capsules (1,120), dried mushrooms (184 grams), and different infused edible products. Law enforcement also seized $5,535 in cash.
FunGuyz dispensary in Windsor
That location was already the 11th one to open. The first opened six months prior in 2023, and according to Goban and law enforcement reports, all have been raided at some point. However, all currently are open and running except the newest Quebec location, and two in Ontario. Perhaps Goban gets it right, simply by understanding the situation and being prepared. Although it sounds like the guy is certainly gunning for something beyond simply selling mushrooms, and this whole ordeal seems to be his way of building a case.
The two stores that might have closed for good, are the locations in Wasaga Beach and Bradford; both Ontario locations. Google Maps lists both the Wasaga site and Bradford site as ‘temporarily closed.’ These both were forced to close several months ago, and might represent a roadblock for FunGuyz that it might not get through right now. However, the other store locations are operational, and the story isn’t over.
For its part, FunGuyz isn’t trying to make a buck, without care to the safety concerns of the population. It does require all patrons be at least 19 years old, and to show a valid ID. And all must sign a waiver that says they understand their rights, and the liabilities attached; in order to obtain products. The stores certainly aren’t making a point of selling to minors, which is one of the main concerns of a magic mushroom industry.
FunGuyz isn’t the only magic mushroom dispensary in Canada. Stories pop up all the time about operations. Magic mushrooms are sold in both weed and mushroom dispensaries. I’ve seen them in plenty of illegal dispensaries in the US; and there are reports from Vancouver and beyond, of shops selling such products. Beyond that, some stores in America are selling ‘legal’ magic mushrooms, which generally amounts to sales of Amanita mushrooms. Another great hallucinogenic choice, but certainly not psilocybin mushrooms.
Conclusion
Canada is sure trying hard to get rid of FunGuyz magic mushroom dispensaries, with three raids already against the illicit mushroom sellers in just Quebec. As Goban has so far mainly prevailed in Ontario, and is actively seeking change; it seems this fight is gearing up to be a good one. And possibly one that results in a change in formal policy.
There is a lot of push in Canada to reform psychedelics laws, particularly for medical and religious purposes. Right now, both Canada and the US are illegal for psychedelics; while the US does have two states, Oregon and Colorado, that already passed some kind of legalization measures. And psilocybin and MDMA drugs under research with breakthrough therapy status designations.
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Though the Summer of 2023 has been flush with great musical events, from jam band farewells to EDM gatherings, there has also been the unfortunate reality of drug-related police activity resulting in numerous arrests and large amounts of party favors confiscated.
Much of this article will be centered around one particular locale where some of the drug busts—along with one tragic mass shooting—took place: the idyllic Gorge Amphitheatre in Grant County, Washington, a legendary venue situated on the banks of the Columbia River in the eastern part of the state.
The Gorge was the site of the most recent music event spoiled by drug arrests: the Bass Canyon Music Festival, a celebration of EDM (electronic dance music), which took place over the weekend of August 18-20. The Grant Co Sheriff’s Department arrested 13 people while confiscating $20,000 worth of goodies, including cocaine, LSD and ketamine, along with cannabis. Even though weed has been legal in Washington for over a decade, it’s still against the law to sell it without a license.
The Grant Co Sheriff’s Dept. conducted 14 different investigations in total, their heightened response prompted by an earlier shooting on the same concert grounds in June—more on that story to follow.
In their official statement to the media, the Sheriff’s Dept. seemed to be rationalizing their overzealous operation, by stating that the concert grounds can hold up to 25,000 people, the same population as nearby small towns. Yet, modern music festivals have always been about those sorts of cramped conditions, and the vast majority go off smoothly without any overbearing police presence being necessary.
Similar drug raids were also conducted on the East Coast, including at the Elements Festival in Long Pond, situated in Pennsylvania’s Monroe County. A self-described “car camping” electronic music festival that occurred over the weekend of August 11-14, 11 people in all were arrested, charged with selling various substances to festival attendees.
According to reports, the increased police scrutiny this year was prompted by overdoses at the Elements Fest the previous year, in 2022. Yet once again, the Sheriff’s Dept’s claims raise the issue that the priority should be ensuring people are offered proper medical services, along with taking safe substances in the first place. Because no matter how big or small of a law enforcement presence there actually is, people are going to take drugs at festivals and concerts, because most of the dealers don’t get caught.
It was an actual shooting—not only overdoses—at the Beyond Wonderland EDM Festival held at the Gorge on Saturday, June 17 that made national headlines. Two people were horrifically shot to death, with two others wounded—including the gunman’s own girlfriend, causing permanent injuries to her. The festival’s Sunday schedule was promptly canceled in wake of the mass shooting.
It’s worth noting that the two murder victims were a same-sex female couple engaged to be married; they were walking together when Kelly shot them to death. A male who tried to help the victims, as well as the suspect’s aforementioned girlfriend, were wounded by gunfire. The accused gunman, 26-year old James Kelly, who was captured on the festival grounds, is an active-duty soldier stationed in Washington state. It has yet to be revealed whether or not the shootings were politically motivated. Kelly has claimed it was a bad “mushroom trip” that caused him to shoot down his fellow concertgoers, which the corporate media were quick to exploit in their coverage of the shooting. As told to police, during one of the concert performances, a tripping Kelly was filled with thoughts of the world coming to an end, and so he rushed back to his tent, where his gun was waiting to be fired indiscriminately.
The Wonderland incident provided all the justification required for an intricately coordinated multi-agency operation to conduct over-the-top drug activity during the popular jam band Dead and Company’s farewell tour stop to the Gorge on July 7 and 8.
Mutually involved in the Dead & Co. busts were the Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (INET), Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Moses Lake Police Department Street Crimes Unit, as well as Homeland Security Investigations, meaning the US government was involved as well.
Various substances with a combined estimated street value of over $200,000 were seized, including over 28,000 grams of weed, dabs and edibles, as well as coke, shrooms, molly and acid. In all, 13 people were arrested on drug felony charges.
Posting on their Facebook page July 12, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office issued an official statement regarding the bust, making no apologies for the arrests and seizures:
“The Gorge Amphitheater encourages law enforcement pro-activity at their concerts which are known to have an illegal drug culture based on the number of overdoses and incidents experienced over the years.” The statement also referenced the recent EDM festival shooting.
However, the Sheriff’s Dept failed to address the primary problem of the Wonderland incident, which wasn’t the mushrooms, but the firearm that was illegally brought onto the concert grounds, which as stated in the venue’s official rules, is prohibited. While it’s true that psychedelic mushrooms were prohibited too, that substance cannot be used as a weapon to impulsively kill innocent people. Law enforcement did not provide a statement regarding an apparent plan in place to prevent future gun violence at the Gorge, solely focusing on the drugs.
The arrests and seizures at the Gorge were not the first time during the two-month Dead & Co. summer tour that big busts at one of their gigs made the news. When the band performed at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (aka SPAC), located in upstate New York, on June 17 and 18, local law enforcement was in full force. So full in fact, that the New York State Park Police reported those two D&C shows were among the busiest they’ve ever experienced in terms of drug busts, as well as some actual, violent crime they had to deal with at the venue. The Park Police seized LSD, cocaine, mushrooms, ketamine, meth, weighing equipment and even black-market “packaging”. Additionally, 54 tanks of nitrous oxide were seized, along with arresting over 30 individuals, as well as confiscating $33,000 in cold hard cash from one luckless drug dealer.
Concerts by Phish, the biggest jam band outside of Dead & Co., also experienced unwanted—and perhaps unwarranted—treatment by law enforcement. As reported by Phish fans on Reddit, accompanied by photos that provided visual confirmation of the claim, a circulating memo revealed that a federal/local law enforcement joint endeavor was targeting a pair of Phish shows to be held in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania in late July.
In a memo shared far and wide on the web, the document carried the heading of “Washington County Sheriff’s Office” with an added note “Internal Dissemination Only.” The subject read: “Joint County Task Enforcement Operation ‘Phish in a Barrel’” with the next line indicating the operation was to be conducted at “Star Lake Amphitheatre July 21-22, 2023”, a concert venue outside of Pittsburgh.
The memo listed the “chain of command” of the various agencies purported to be involved with this operation in hierarchical order, designated by phonetics: “Ops Alpha” was Dept. of Homeland Security, “Ops Bravo” was Washington Co Sheriff’s and “Ops Charlie” was the notorious Drug Enforcement Administration, just to throw an extra scare into any who believed this printed chicanery.
The memo designated Highway 22 as the “primary checkpoint”, with Highway 18 as the “secondary” checkpoint in which anti-drug units with colorful nicknames like “Team Wolverine” and “Team Badger” would crack down on any would-be partying Phish fans. Perhaps using a code name based on an actual animal-based Phish song such as “Ocelot” or “Possum” might’ve been too obvious.
Despite the memo seeming quite intentionally comical in hindsight, this document was strongly believed by the Phish and wider jam band communities for a period of time leading up to those concerts.
So much so that Washington Co Sheriff Tony Andronas felt obligated to post on his Facebook page that “Phish in a Barrel” was indeed a hoax, and in fact, a similar prank had been played on the Virginia State Police in 2018. In that case, as with this most recent one, none of the perpetrators were identified.
Despite the hoax, it turns out the Washington County Sheriff’s Department still made their presence felt in the most unwelcome way at those Phish shows, as officers were actually on the Star Lake “lawn” (the general admission area behind the seats), as visually documented on social media. This time it was no hoax/prank, as photos posted on Reddit revealed the cops were disturbing and disrupting concertgoers’ good times, writing tickets for those merely smoking weed on the lawn.
With paranoia over the “Phish in a Barrel” hoax being so widespread, in conjunction with all of the excessive actual busts from coast-to-coast, this demonstrates that law enforcement continues to prioritize drug enforcement over public safety at festivals and concerts—so let the attendee beware.
