How to Design Packaging for Psychedelic Products With Harm Reduction in Mind

As the push for the legalisation of psychedelics continues, questions around safety and harm reduction should continue to be raised. If psychedelics were legalised for non-medical use in certain US states and countries, they would need to be regulated. But there are differing opinions on what this model of regulation should look like. The commercial…

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Why Do Some People Develop HPPD and Not Others?

Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is a rare condition that can develop after psychedelic use. HPPD involves persisting visual changes that cause emotional distress and/or impairment to functioning. It is not clear precisely how prevalent the condition is, although its prevalence is considered low. In one study, 4.2% of participants said they experienced continued visual…

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Some Psychedelic Users Are Unbothered by HPPD (and Might Even Enjoy It)

Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is a condition – characterised by chronic visual distortions – that can be triggered by psychedelics. It is considered a rare risk of psychedelic use, although the actual incidence of it is unknown (studies are limited and offer differing incidence rates). Many psychedelic users experience post-trip visual changes, but these…

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Could Non-Hallucinogenic Psychedelics Help Treat Schizophrenia?

In psychedelic clinical trials, patients with a history of psychotic experiences, a psychotic disorder like schizophrenia, or a mood disorder with psychotic symptoms are typically screened out. (Other exclusion criteria – again, typically – include a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or recent suicidality.) The reason for excluding people with psychotic symptoms from trials on psychedelic-assisted therapy…

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The Myths and Marketing Behind Psilocybin Mushroom Strains

In the natural world, there are more than 200 psilocybin mushroom species (most of these belong to the genera Psilocybe, but psilocybin-producing mushrooms also belong to genera such as Copelandia, Inocybe, and Panaeolus). There are also many different strains, or varieties, of psilocybin mushroom species. Most of these strains belong to the species Psilocybe cubensis.…

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