PECC is all about information accessibility. This holds also in access of alternative therapies. With the rise and accessibility of psychedelic therapies in communities of affluence. Similar to access to healthy foods, yoga, and mindfulness, access to psychedelic therapies need to be available as an option to explore for all socio-economic communities. Fruiting Bodies Meet-Up Womens Plant Wellness Support Group offers just the space to safely discuss and explore.
Communities with little access to well-being programs and therapies would benefit the most from this type of access. With decriminalization progressing around entheogens, there are more and more curiosity as people explore options outside what may not be working for them like Western medicine and pharmaceuticals and/or other mood-altering substances.
The August meeting of Fruiting Bodies explored the world of psychedelics in general with a robust discussion around safety, trip sitters, safe supply, and access for wellness and mental support.
Resources
The Drug Users Bible by Dominic Milton Trott
PIHKAL: A Chemical Love Story and TIHKAL: The Continuation by Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin
The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys by James Fadiman
Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge by Terence McKenna
DMT: The Spirit Molecule by Rick Strassman
Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers by Richard Evans Schultes, Albert Hofmann, and Christian Rätsch
https://www.tricycleday.com/ - Newsletter, Community, and Resources (tons!)
LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)
History: Discovered in 1938 by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann while working at Sandoz Laboratories. He accidentally ingested a small amount in 1943, leading to the first LSD trip. It gained popularity in the 1960s counterculture but was criminalized in the 1970s.
Microdose: 5-20 micrograms. Reported effects include enhanced creativity, focus, and energy without major visual or perceptual changes.
Macrodose: 100-250 micrograms. Causes vivid visual hallucinations, altered perception of time and space, euphoria, and introspective experiences.
Neurotransmitters: Primarily affects serotonin (5-HT) receptors, especially 5-HT2A. Also impacts dopamine and glutamate to a lesser extent.
Reported Uses: Personal growth, creativity, spiritual exploration, and therapeutic applications for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and addiction (in clinical settings).
Negative Side Effects: Can cause anxiety, paranoia, and bad trips at higher doses. In rare cases, users may develop Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD). No significant hangover, but fatigue is common post-trip.
Global Status:
Illegal in most countries. LSD is classified as a Schedule I drug in the United States (Controlled Substances Act) and similarly in most countries around the world, meaning it is considered to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
Notable exceptions:
Portugal: Personal use is decriminalized, though trafficking remains illegal.
Switzerland: LSD can be used in clinical trials or research settings, especially in psychotherapy.
Canada: Psilocybin-based clinical trials and research are allowed, with some overlap for LSD research.
MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine)
History: Synthesized in 1912 by Merck and rediscovered by Alexander Shulgin in the 1970s, who popularized its use in psychotherapy. MDMA became illegal in the 1980s but remains in use in underground therapeutic practices and clinical trials.
Microdose: 10-30 mg. Users report subtle mood enhancement, increased empathy, and reduced anxiety without the full euphoric effects.
Macrodose: 80-150 mg. Produces euphoria, heightened empathy, emotional openness, and enhanced sensory perception.
Neurotransmitters: Primarily increases serotonin, but also impacts dopamine and norepinephrine.
Reported Uses: Therapeutic use for PTSD, anxiety, and trauma, as well as recreational use in social settings or for emotional bonding.
Negative Side Effects: Serotonin depletion can lead to a "hangover" (commonly called "Suicide Tuesday") with low mood and fatigue. High doses can lead to hyperthermia, dehydration, and neurotoxicity with frequent use.
Global Status:
Illegal in most countries. MDMA is classified as a Schedule I drug in the US, UK, Australia, and many other countries, considered to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use outside research.
Notable exceptions:
United States: MDMA is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials for therapeutic use, especially in the treatment of PTSD, and may be approved for medical use in coming years.
Portugal: Personal use of MDMA is decriminalized, as part of broader drug decriminalization policies.
The Netherlands: While pure MDMA is illegal, certain "party pills" containing MDMA analogs can sometimes be found in gray areas of legality.
Ketamine
History: Developed in the 1960s as a safer alternative to phencyclidine (PCP) for anesthesia. It became popular as both an anesthetic and a dissociative recreational drug. It is now being explored for treating depression and PTSD in clinical settings.
Microdose: 10-20 mg (intranasally). Mild dissociation, relaxation, and mood enhancement without full anesthetic effects.
Macrodose: 50-150 mg. Produces dissociation, detachment from reality, hallucinations, and "out-of-body" experiences.
Neurotransmitters: Primarily impacts glutamate by antagonizing NMDA receptors. Also increases dopamine levels.
Reported Uses: Treatment for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain (in clinical settings), as well as recreational dissociation.
Negative Side Effects: At high doses, users can experience the "K-hole" (intense dissociation). Frequent use can lead to bladder and kidney problems (ketamine bladder syndrome). No physical hangover, but psychological aftereffects like confusion may occur.
Global Status:
Varied legality, but generally legal for medical use.
Medical Use: Ketamine is widely used as an anesthetic and is legal in hospitals and medical settings across the globe. It is increasingly being approved for off-label use to treat depression, with a related compound, esketamine, approved by the FDA in the United States and some European countries for depression.
Recreational Use: Illegal for recreational use in most countries, including the United States, UK, Australia, and Canada.
Notable exceptions:
Brazil, Canada, and parts of the United States: Legal ketamine clinics operate where ketamine is used to treat depression and other mental health conditions.
Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms)
History: Used for thousands of years in Mesoamerican religious ceremonies. Rediscovered by Western culture in the 1950s and became a symbol of the psychedelic movement in the 1960s. Recently reintroduced in clinical trials for depression and end-of-life anxiety.
Microdose: 0.1-0.5 grams of dried mushrooms. Users report improved mood, creativity, and focus without intense hallucinations.
Macrodose: 2-5 grams of dried mushrooms. Strong visual hallucinations, emotional introspection, time dilation, and mystical experiences.
Neurotransmitters: Primarily acts on serotonin (5-HT2A) receptors.
Reported Uses: Therapeutic treatment for depression, anxiety, addiction, and PTSD. Also used for spiritual exploration and personal insight.
Negative Side Effects: Can cause anxiety or panic attacks in some users. Rarely, individuals may experience HPPD. No major hangover, but users may feel physically exhausted or emotionally drained.
Global Status:
Illegal in most countries. Psilocybin is classified as a Schedule I drug in the US and similarly in most countries.
Notable exceptions:
United States: Psilocybin has been decriminalized in several US cities (e.g., Denver, Oakland, and Washington D.C.) and Oregon has legalized psilocybin therapy.
Canada: Psilocybin-based treatments are currently under research, and the drug can be accessed through special exemptions for therapeutic use.
The Netherlands: Psilocybin-containing truffles (underground parts of the mushrooms) are legal and sold openly, despite the prohibition of actual mushrooms.
Portugal: Personal use is decriminalized.
Jamaica: Psilocybin mushrooms are legal and often used in wellness retreats.
DMT (Dimethyltryptamine)
History: Naturally occurring in various plants and animals, DMT has been used for centuries in indigenous South American rituals, especially in Ayahuasca brews. It was isolated in 1931 and gained attention as a powerful psychedelic in the late 20th century.
Microdose: Not typically microdosed due to its intense effects. In some studies, sub-threshold doses may be tested, but it’s rare outside clinical settings.
Macrodose: 30-60 mg (smoked or vaporized). Results in short but intense experiences often described as entering alternate dimensions, encountering entities, and rapid ego dissolution. Effects last 10-30 minutes.
Neurotransmitters: Primarily acts on serotonin receptors (5-HT2A), similar to other psychedelics.
Reported Uses: Spiritual exploration, personal insight, and mystical experiences. In traditional settings, it's used in religious rituals.
Negative Side Effects: Can induce fear, anxiety, or confusion due to the intensity of the experience. No significant hangover, but the experience can be mentally overwhelming.
Global Status:
Illegal in most countries. DMT is classified as a Schedule I drug in the US, UK, and many other countries.
Notable exceptions:
Brazil and Peru: Legal for use in religious contexts (e.g., Ayahuasca ceremonies).
The Netherlands: DMT is illegal, but certain plants containing DMT, such as those used in Ayahuasca, can sometimes be found in a legal gray area.
Portugal: Personal use decriminalized.
United States: While DMT is illegal, religious organizations like the Santo Daime and União do Vegetal churches have been granted legal exceptions to use Ayahuasca (which contains DMT) in their rituals.
Ayahuasca
History: A traditional Amazonian brew made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and DMT-containing plants like Psychotria viridis. Used for centuries in shamanic ceremonies. Gained popularity in the West for its spiritual and therapeutic benefits.
Microdose: Not typically microdosed due to the complex interaction of MAO inhibitors and DMT in the brew.
Macrodose: 1-2 cups of the brew. Produces intense hallucinations, emotional catharsis, and personal insights. Often accompanied by purging (vomiting or diarrhea).
Neurotransmitters: The DMT component affects serotonin receptors (5-HT2A), while the MAO inhibitors in the brew prevent its breakdown.
Reported Uses: Healing from trauma, addiction, depression, and anxiety. Used for spiritual growth and connection with nature.
Negative Side Effects: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea ("the purge"). Can induce intense emotional distress during the experience. No hangover, but physical and emotional fatigue may follow.
Global Status:
Varied legality, often tied to religious use.
Illegal in many countries where DMT is a controlled substance (including the US and most European countries).
Notable exceptions:
Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador: Ayahuasca is legal, often in religious or therapeutic contexts.
United States: The aforementioned religious exceptions allow some churches to use Ayahuasca legally for ceremonial purposes.
Canada: Exemptions for religious use have also been granted in some instances.
Mescaline
History: Found in cacti like peyote and San Pedro, mescaline has been used for millennia by indigenous cultures in the Americas for religious ceremonies. It was popularized by Western figures in the 1950s and 1960s, like Aldous Huxley in The Doors of Perception.
Microdose: 50-100 mg. Mild perceptual changes, improved mood, and heightened connection with nature.
Macrodose: 300-500 mg. Intense visual and auditory hallucinations, deep introspective thought, and heightened spiritual awareness. Effects last 10-12 hours.
Neurotransmitters: Primarily acts on serotonin (5-HT2A) receptors, but also affects dopamine.
Reported Uses: Spiritual exploration, connecting with nature, and personal insights. Used in religious and healing ceremonies.
Negative Side Effects: Nausea and vomiting are common, especially in the initial stages of the trip. No major hangover, but users may experience physical and emotional exhaustion.
Global Status:
Illegal in most countries. Mescaline is classified as a Schedule I drug in the US and similar classifications exist in most other countries.
Notable exceptions:
United States (for Native American use): In the US, the use of peyote (which contains mescaline) is legal for members of the Native American Church for religious purposes under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.
Mexico: Peyote is illegal for recreational use, but is legal for ceremonial use by indigenous groups.
Canada: Mescaline is a controlled substance, but some Native groups may use it legally for religious purposes.
Peru: The use of San Pedro cactus (which contains mescaline) is legal in traditional spiritual contexts.
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