Study Finds Psilocybin Therapy Has Long-Lasting Results

If you’re new to the world of psychedelics, this is a pretty incredible headline. If you’re well versed in the power of hallucinogens, then you’re probably glad that the medical world of today took yet another step to catch up. No matter how you look at it, progress is progress, and this is definitely progress. So, what am I talking about? The ability for psilocybin (and other psychedelics) to exert long-lasting results for depression patients (as well as those with other psychological ailments.)

New study results tying psilocybin therapy to long-lasting results for major depression, mirrors what was learned about LSD and the treatment of alcoholism and psychotic disorders, in the mid-1900’s. If the drugs had remained legal this would all likely be common knowledge! We’re all about getting you the best news possible on the emerging field of psychedelics. Sign up for The Cannadelics Newsletter to stay informed on everything important going on in the industry now.

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Psilocybin therapy and long-lasting results

On February 15^th, 2022, this study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology: Efficacy and safety of psilocybin-assisted treatment for major depressive disorder: Prospective 12-month follow-up. The goal of the study was to investigate how safe and effective psilocybin treatment is for moderate to severe major depressive disorder (MDD). The study looked at a time period of 12 months.

The study included 27 patients from the ages of 21-75, with major depression, who measured over seven on the GRID-Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. The study was randomized in whether each participant would receive treatment immediately, or at an eight-week delay. The treatment regimen was for only two doses of psilocybin, along with assisted therapy. Of the 27 initial participants, 24 made it through both parts of the trial, and were followed for a full year.

According to the study results, all 24 patients showed large decreases from their original baselines at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months on the GRID-Hamilton Depression Rating Scale . The general response (over 50% reduction from original baseline) was 75% at 12 months, and the remission rate was 58% at that time. No adverse reactions of a severe level were associated with the therapy. No participants reported using magic mushrooms outside of the study. It was found that how the participants rated the meaning, spiritual experience, and mystical aspects of their sessions, was a good predictor for increased feelings of well-being at the 12 month mark, but not as a predictor for depression improvement.

How was it all measured? Using two scales that measure depression. The “two patient-rated measures of depression (QIDS and BDI-II) showed similar large magnitude and stable antidepressant effects on mean scores and on response and remission rates.” This indicates long-lasting antidepressant effects after only two doses of psilocybin, even a year after taking it.

Of note is the fact that eight of the patients in the study started regular antidepressants at some point during the study. These patients did not exhibit significantly different outcomes at 12 months, than those who did not take antidepressants.

The overall conclusion of the study, was that a two-dose model of psilocybin treatment, along with supportive therapy for MDD, produced significant and long-lasting antidepressant results that lasted for at least as long as 12 months.

Magic Mushrooms Heal the Brain, According to New Yale Study

Why this isn’t entirely new information

The idea that at least some psychedelic compounds like psilocybin can instigate long-lasting psychological results, is not new. In this case, we’re not looking back to ancient history either, or reading old texts to gain insight. The information we have on psychedelics for treating mental disorders comes from the 1900’s, and started with the synthesis of LSD in 1938 by Albert Hofmann.

LSD, like psilocybin, is a psychedelic compound, but though its created from the ergot fungus, its actually synthetically made, with no natural form of it. Hofmann did some interesting self-experimentation with the compound in the 1940’s after realizing what it was capable of, and later passed on this information to psychiatrists that he knew.

LSD grew in popularity in the 1950’s when different psychiatrists used it for patients with different issues. Two doctors in particular contributed largely to our understanding of what LSD can help with. The first was Humphry Osmond, who began using LSD to treat alcoholism as well as other mental disorders in the 1950’s. Osmond was first to use the term ‘psychedelic’, and much like Hofmann, did his own self-experimentation before giving the compound to patients. In his first experiment with just two patients, after one dose of 200 micrograms of LSD, one stopped drinking immediately, and one quit after six months.

He followed this up with the Saskatchewan trials, aptly named after where the mental hospital in which they took place, was located. These trials were done in collaboration with Abram Hoffer, started in 1951, and went through the 1960’s. Over 2,000 patients were treated as a part of this study, and it was repeatedly shown that a single dose of LSD led to positive results in controlling the addiction, with as many as 40-45% of patients not relapsing in one year after the single treatment.

In the UK, another psychiatrist was also doing some interesting research into LSD, but using psychoneurotic patients rather than alcoholics. Ronald Sandison had already begun using alternative psychotherapy methods including the likes of art and music. He met Albert Hofmann on a trip to Switzerland, and subsequently began treating patients with LSD. In 1954, Sandison published a study he did on 36 psychoneurotic patients who were treated with several smaller doses of LSD (in contrast to Hofmann’s one larger dose treatment). Over the course of a year, 14 patients fully recovered, with all but two of the rest showing some amount of improvement.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Britain’s National Health Service agreed to pay out  £195,000 to 43 former Sandison patients in a settlement in 2002. All former patients had been administered LSD, and all cases were about damage suffered. Given the amount of lapsed time, however, it becomes extremely questionable if this was a result of actual damage done, or opportunism to get money for having been a part of a treatment course that used a drug later illegalized. As there aren’t a lot of other complaints of this nature, the latter explanation is certainly considerable.

Can LSD Treat Your Mental Illness?

Psychedelic-assisted therapy

One of the things that the LSD studies from the 1900’s have in common with this recent psilocybin study which showed long-lasting results, is that the treatments were always coupled with therapy. Though the term ‘psychedelic-assisted therapy’ seems to be the term of choice at this point, at the time of Osmond and Sandison, the term ‘psychedelic therapy’ was used to represent the single dose method, while the term ‘psycholytic therapy’ was used to define Sandison’s model of many smaller doses.

In either case, the idea isn’t to give a patient drugs and hope for the best, its to walk them through the experience, to help them better understand their issues, and to try to help them through those issues during their trip. This is done in a few stages, and follows this general procedure, though its not written in stone, and can be modified based on therapist desires, and regulation. There are three basic steps that make up this therapy.

The first step is preparation – In this step, the therapist gets to know the patient and their problems during regular sessions. It’s also a time to give guidelines to the patient about how to respond to things that come up in their trip. Like opening a door if one is there, or not running from something scary, but facing it and asking it a question. It’s important that the therapist and client have a good relationship, and that the patient is comfortable with the therapist.

The second step is the psychedelic session – This is done when the patient is in a good mindset, and takes place in a comfortable room. The patient takes the drug and has the trip, which is generally attended by more than one therapist, (presumably to ensure no issues since the patient is in an altered state for treatment). The number of people required in the room is something that is subject to relevant regulation. At this time, the therapist will lead the patient through the trip, but perform little-to-no psychoanalysis.

The third step is integration – This takes place shortly after the psychedelic session, and is done in one or more sessions. This is when the therapist can help the patient to process their experience and gain meaning out of it, with the hope of decreasing some of the issues that had brought them into treatment in the first place.

Conclusion

This recent study exemplifying how psilocybin treatment can offer long-lasting therapeutic results should certainly help with the legalization process on the medical front. Psilocybin has already been designated twice as a breakthrough therapy by the FDA for major depression, and is the subject of many trials. Which means we might just have magic mushroom medicine in the next few years.

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, and How It Works

More research will need to be done on just how long the effects can last, and when a patient would realistically need to ‘re-up’ with another treatment (or if they would at all). It could be that this is specific to individuals, with some needing more treatments, and some needing less. For now, we have a decent understanding that at least some psychedelic compounds produce long-lasting effects, and apart from the issue with Ronald Sandison’s former patients (which is hard to get a clear story on), they seem to be generally safe in testing.

Hello and welcome! You’ve made it to CBDtesters.co, the #1 web spot for the most current and relevant cannabis and psychedelics-related news going on today. Stop by regularly to stay up-to-date on the ever-changing world of cannabis and psychedelics, and sign up for The Cannadelics Newsletter, for your daily dose of industry news.

Disclaimer: Hi, I’m a researcher and writer. I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or businessperson. All information in my articles is sourced and referenced, and all opinions stated are mine. I am not giving anyone advice, and though I am more than happy to discuss topics, should someone have a further question or concern, they should seek guidance from a relevant professional.

The Psychedelics Weekly Newsletter

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Breakthrough Therapy: How the FDA is Pushing for Legal Psychedelics

The psychedelics boom is underway, that’s for sure, and its moving full steam ahead. Perhaps pushed on by the success of the cannabis industry, which has been lighting the way, psychedelics have much more quickly come into the spotlight and gained acceptance. While they are still mainly federally illegal, recent breakthrough therapy designations given by the FDA indicate that at least one government body is pushing for legal psychedelics.

The FDA might not have explicitly stated it, but its breakthrough therapy designations given to companies studying psilocybin and MDMA make a pretty big statement, and it seems the FDA wants legal psychedelic medications. We cover everything important in the growing field of psychedelics, so subscribe to The Cannadelics Newsletter for more stories like this, and to stay on top of the big news items coming out of the industry.

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What is a breakthrough therapy?

The FDA – Food & Drug Administration, is the US federal agency that governs and regulates all medicines that can be marketed and sold in the US. The FDA sits under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is responsible for more than drugs, also regulating the food industry, tobacco products, dietary supplements, over-the-counter medications, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, vaccines, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting products, animal food, veterinary products, and cosmetics.

In order to get a medication approved, a compound must go through different rounds of testing through clinical trials. After it has passed this part, a company must submit a new drug application to the FDA, and then the FDA decides whether the medicine should be approved or not. The FDA is the sole body to do this, so if it does not approve, a medication cannot legally be sold.

When a drug is in the testing phase, the company that created it and is having it go through trials, can submit it to the FDA for a ‘breakthrough therapy’ designation. This goes for whether the drug is specifically illegal according to the Controlled Substances list, or not. The term ‘breakthrough therapy’ is defined this way by the FDA, as a:

“…drug that treats a serious or life-threatening condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement on a clinically significant endpoint(s) over available therapies.”

What is this designation meant to do? According to the FDA, the “Breakthrough therapy designation is intended to expedite the development and review of drugs for serious or life-threatening conditions.” Let’s say a new drug is going through testing that could be used in place of chemotherapy, and which shows promise as a better option in preliminary testing for treating cancer. Then the company that made the drug can apply for a ‘breakthrough therapy’ designation to quicken its product to market, with the hope that this could in turn save lives.

So the point of it is essentially to speed things up. If the FDA gives this designation, it wants to get the drug through trials, and get it on pharmacy shelves. This, of course, becomes all the more interesting when the drugs in question are Schedule I drugs, deemed by the federal government to be dangerous, and with no medical value. Having said that, we all know the government can get it wrong, as it also has cannabis in Schedule I.

Psychedelics Are Coming: Learn to Grow Mushrooms On Your Own

How does the breakthrough therapy designation apply to psychedelics?

The FDA has now officially given out three breakthrough therapy designations to three different companies studying either psilocybin or MDMA. All of which has occurred within the last few years. Which companies got it? And what are they studying?

One company to get such a designation is Compass Pathways which received the designation in 2018 for research into psilocybin for use with treatment resistant major depression. The following year, the company Usona Institute also applied for, and received, this designation for its research into psilocybin for treatment resistant depression.

It doesn’t stop at psilocybin though. In fact, before Compass or Usona got their designations, a 2017 breakthrough therapy title was given to the organization MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) for its research into MDMA for PTSD. And in this case, the FDA went a step further than simply giving it the title to speed things along.

When it came time for MAPS’ phase III trials, they were designed with help by the FDA. The two organizations came up with a ‘Special Protocol Assessment’ to ensure that trial outcomes would be in line with regulation. So not only has the FDA basically said it’s cool with these drugs being studied for use as medications, but it actually helped one of the companies to make sure that should the study results be positive, that there will be no issue with them breaking regulation. Maybe it’s just me, but this seems to outwardly imply that the FDA wants the drugs approved.

Are all psychedelics illegal?

The recent moves by the FDA to give breakthrough therapy designations to psilocybin and MDMA, is just another part of a general trajectory when it comes to psychedelics. Back in 2019, the FDA very quietly (as in, under cover of night quietly) legalized a form of ketamine for use with treatment-resistant depression, called esketamine. This is odd when you consider just how much of a debate exists with legalizing cannabis, or when it comes to the legalization of pretty much any drug. Why was this done without discussion, or the public being aware at all?

The US government isn’t big on explaining its moves, but it seems the most probable reason for this change, was related to the quickly expanding gray market ketamine industry which relies on off-label prescribing. As ketamine is Schedule III, this is possible within general regulation, but makes for a market that is untaxed by the federal government, at least beyond standard taxing. Think about how many taxes are applied to the cannabis industry. It would be silly to think a psychedelics industry wouldn’t have the same, so ketamine proposes an issue to the US government.

Why the Government Legalized Esketamine and Not Ketamine

If this burgeoning market was the reason for the esketamine legalization, the government failed on a couple levels. For one, it requires a regular antidepressant to be taken as well, and that defeats the purpose of using esketamine for treatment, while also making it more likely to have drug interactions. And second, it was only cleared for treatment resistant depression despite the large amount of evidence for it to be used for pain. This is odd considering the current opioid epidemic, and the ability for ketamine to not only deal with pain issues, but also possibly with the addictions that have grown around opioids. In fact, the US government has made no mention of using esketamine in this way at all, while 75,000+ people die a year from opioid overdoses.

Apart from esketamine, there’s another psychedelic that has been legal for quite some time: DXM – dextromethorphan. DXM is a dissociative psychedelic which is in the morphinan class, and not only has it been legal since 1958, but despite its known abuse, it’s been an over-the-counter drug the whole time. And one that can be accessed by anyone of any age. DXM can be found in tons of cold medicine products, and the US government has actually turned down initiatives to make it a prescription medication, though some states like California and Oregon have made their own regulation to stop the sale of DXM to minors.

State’s rights and psychedelics

Everything I just went through relates to federal guidelines, but there’s a caveat here, and it’s the same reason we have legal cannabis in 18 states: whatever isn’t covered explicitly by the constitution, falls under ‘states’ rights’, which are also ‘personal rights’. Because of this, psychedelics are not illegal everywhere.

Several locations throughout the US have instituted decriminalization measures, including: Denver, Colorado; Oakland, Santa Cruz, and Arcata in California; Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, and Detroit, Michigan; Washington, DC; Somerville, Cambridge, Northampton, and Easthampton in Massachusetts; and Seattle, Washington.

Not only that, but as of the 2020 elections, the entire state of Oregon decriminalized psychedelics, while legalizing them for medical use. Three more states are looking to up the ante with full state recreational legalization policies: California, Michigan, and Washington. Though they propose different measures in their respective bills, in all cases legalizations would be made for the recreational use of at least some psychedelics, generally in the form of entheogenic plants (plants with psychedelic compounds).

Conclusion

Right now psychedelics are on the cusp of a major growth spurt, aided in part by breakthrough therapy designations from the FDA, the momentum of the cannabis industry, and the lightening mood of the population toward these two drug classes. I tend to think, when there’s this much of a rally, it can be expected that change is coming. So even if the three current states don’t get their bills through this time, something will pass soon enough. The one thing for sure is, psychedelics are coming.

Washington Wants to Legalize Magic Mushrooms Statewide

Welcome readers! Thanks for joining us at CBDtesters.co, the preeminent internet location reporting on the most relevant and thought-provoking cannabis and psychedelics-related news of today. Check us out daily to stay aware of what’s going on in the fast-paced world of cannabis and psychedelics, and subscribe to The Cannadelics Newsletter, to ensure you’re always first to get the news.

Disclaimer: Hi, I’m a researcher and writer. I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or businessperson. All information in my articles is sourced and referenced, and all opinions stated are mine. I am not giving anyone advice, and though I am more than happy to discuss topics, should someone have a further question or concern, they should seek guidance from a relevant professional.

The Psychedelics Weekly Newsletter

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Non-Metal Vape Carts for Heavy Metal-Free Vaping

In the world of cannabis vaping, the story that has slowly been coming out, is how dangerous vape carts can be in terms of leaching toxic heavy metals into vape oil. Now, companies are trying to find ways around this, by creating non-metal vape carts that won’t leach out metals over time. Here’s a little more info.

Non-metal vape carts provide a great alternative to standard carts that can leach out dangerous heavy metals. Will we be seeing more of these in the future? We’re on top of everything going on in this industry, so sign up for the THC Weekly Newsletter to stay informed on everything happening, as well as to get access to exclusive offers on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and many more products! Plus, our deals on cannabinoid compounds, like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, will save you lots of $$. Head over to our “Best-of” lists, and remember to always enjoy responsibly!

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Vape carts

Vape carts are small containers that are filled with oil and attached to a battery, to make vapor in place of smoke. With all the information out there linking smoking cigarettes to a myriad of health issues, vaping has become a huge trend, with everyone from high school kids to senior citizens using this method over smoking. And for the most part it seems to be better.

As an asthmatic who switched from smoking to vaping, I can personally attest to the difference it makes. It’s a difference I can feel. Smoking was tearing up my throat and lungs, causing asthma attacks, and leading to multiple cases of bronchitis. Vaping has left me with less issues with my asthma, and overall better feeling lungs.

In the short term, there’s very little that can be said to make vaping worse than smoking. And as vaping deaths are few and far between (based on additives and not the cannabis compounds themselves), this says a lot against the 480,000 people that die a year from smoking, 40,000 of which die not from their own habit, but from secondhand smoke. Ever hear of a second-hand vaping death? Didn’t think so.

The long term is different though. Not every product with toxic elements shows its toxicity right away. Sometimes it’s about the repeated use of something, the buildup of toxins in the system, or long-term damage something can cause that can’t be seen in the short term. And this becomes the issue with vape carts. In the short term they provide a significantly less harsh way of inhaling a product, but in the long term, its unknown how much issues like heavy metals could hurt a user’s health, especially with frequent exposure over many years of time.

Heavy metals in vape carts

To understand why this is an issue, it helps to know how vape carts are built and how they work. A cartridge is a small capsule looking object usually made of polycarbonate plastic, but which can also be made of stainless steel, glass, or ceramic. Carts contain an atomizer, which is a metal coil that heats up when a button is pushed to vaporize the oil. There are also metal solders inside the cartridge as well.

The understanding of the issue of heavy metals in vape carts is slowly coming into prominence, though no real legislation exists on a large scale. In fact, not only are there no federal regulations, but the only state thus far to institute a policy to measure heavy metals, is Colorado. Colorado now requires vape liquids, concentrates, and vape emissions to be tested for heavy metal content. However, Colorado failed to account for heavy metals that leach into the oil while simply sitting in the cart, and only account for that which comes from the cannabis.

Rock On! Heavy Metal Testing in Vapes

California is also starting to act on this matter. It passed a law requiring cannabis products to go through testing, including for heavy metals. But the law merely states that a testing regimen must be created, it does not actually offer regulation just yet.

Non-metal vape carts

What’s the best way to deal with the issue of metals leaching into vape cart liquid? Make non-metal vape carts from different materials. And this is already being done by a few companies.

clēēn:tech is one company that is already invested in creating alternative lead-free vape carts. The company’s A3 Vape Cartridge line uses state-of-the-art materials that are food and medical-grade, and are absent of detectable levels of lead, as well as arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. The company’s site shows safety testing from 3^rd party labs, but does not actually say the specific materials its carts are made of.

Another company, O2VAPE, creates non-metal vape carts made of All Glass and Full Ceramic to deal with the increasing issue of heavy metal contamination. The company’s vape carts can ensure that no heavy metals will leach into vape oil, by taking the metal out of the equation entirely. According to the company, its alternative All Glass vape carts are made of a sturdy material made of quartz.

The company explains that their carts employ “ceramic cell technology with a casing and center post made entirely from glass for the ultimate in clean, metal-free vaping. With the All Glass Cartridge, your oil never comes in contact with any metal surfaces. The only metal used in the cartridge is for the 510 threads, connection plate and the internal wires in the heating element.” The company does stipulate that glass isn’t as strong as plastic or metal, but that their carts are thicker to stave off breakage.

The Full Ceramic carts also use “ceramic cell technology with a ceramic pole, tip and glass tank for premium quality vaping.” And that once again, “your oil never comes in contact with any metal surfaces. The only metal present is once again in the threads, which allows for the electrical conductivity that heats your oils.”

Hemp Contaminants: Why There Might Be Heavy Metals and Toxins In Your Flowers

Another addition to the non-metal vape carts scene is the company USA Extracts, which produces fully ceramic vape carts to ensure no leached metal. As per the company: “Obviously, cannabis connoisseur or not, there’s no conscious consumer that wants to be inhaling dangerous and toxic chemicals. Ceramic cartridges on the other hand, are free of this fear completely and deliver a few additional benefits that pique the interests of frequent vapers. Especially the dental-grade type of ceramic used in URSA Extracts cartridges.”

A bit more on heavy metals

Heavy metals are defined in different ways, but usually by having high densities, by atomic weight, or by atomic number, with different fields (chemistry, metallurgy, and physics) suggesting different definitions. However, only three meet the definition of all fields: lead, mercury, and bismuth. Lead and mercury are often mentioned in terms of heavy metal concerns when a person is repeatedly exposed to, or consumes, them. This is one of the main points of the argument against vaccines, which use a form of mercury called thimerosal, or issues with children eating lead paint.

In truth, our bodies do require some heavy metals, but many are not in this category. What is there to be afraid of with heavy metals? According to this article from 2021: Toxic Mechanisms of Five Heavy Metals: Mercury, Lead, Chromium, Cadmium, and Arsenic, it’s stated by the authors: “Several acute and chronic toxic effects of heavy metals affect different body organs. Gastrointestinal and kidney dysfunction, nervous system disorders, skin lesions, vascular damage, immune system dysfunction, birth defects, and cancer are examples of the complications of heavy metals toxic effects.”

In terms of low-dose exposure vs high dose exposure, the authors continue that: “High-dose heavy metals exposure, particularly mercury and lead, may induce severe complications such as abdominal colic pain, bloody diarrhea, and kidney failure. On the other hand, low-dose exposure is a subtle and hidden threat, unless repeated regularly, which may then be diagnosed by its complications, e.g., neuropsychiatric disorders including fatigue, anxiety, and detrimental impacts on intelligence quotient (IQ) and intellectual function in children.”

What does the research say about vapes and heavy metals?

Where do we see evidence of vape carts causing issues in this domain? Not much research has been released, but we know a little. In the systematic review, Metal/Metalloid Levels in Electronic Cigarette Liquids, Aerosols, and Human Biosamples: A Systematic Review, metal/metalloid levels in e-liquids, aerosols, and biosamples were measured in e-cigarette users. It was found that heavy metal biosamples of urine, serum, saliva, and blood, showed higher amounts of heavy metals in e-cig users than in regular smokers.

In a presentation from 2019 called Heavy Metal Contaminants from Cannabis Vaporizer Cartridges: Valid Concern or Blowing Smoke?, the aerosol of vape cartridges was studied to see how much the cartridges themselves emit heavy metals, the findings reinforce the idea that heavy metals can leach from the hardware of a vape into the created aerosol. Investigators even used three different sets of hardware to determine if the issue was different with different brands. Standard voltage settings were used to ensure testing matched user experience, and researchers tested formulations of cannabis that are comparable to what is bought in dispensaries.

Trusting Today’s Cannabis Industry? Mislabeled Products, Delta 6a10a, and more

Not only that, it showed how after six months of sitting in a cartridge, the oil inside had 3X the action level of lead than newer carts, which indicates that simply issues from heating are not everything. These chemicals can leach out when no heat is being applied, which means that the heavy metal issue is related simply being in the cart. And this is a problem. Imagine if a vape cart sites on a shelf for three months before being bought, that means three months of metals leaching out into the oil.

Conclusion

I expect as more information comes out on the subject, more companies will invest in creating non-metal vape carts that don’t pose the same threat as carts that employ heavy metals. This is likely the best answer, considering the few testing requirements that are being used, don’t account for the idea of leached metals at all. For now, if you’re a vaper who is concerned about this issue, check out the sites mentioned above, or do your own internet search for non-metal vape carts, and rest a little easier knowing your vaping experience isn’t adding heavy metals to your body.

Welcome readers! Thank you for stopping by CBDtesters.co, your preeminent web spot for comprehensive independent news coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics field. Join us every day to keep abreast of everything going on in the expanding universe of cannabis and psychedelics, and sign up for The THC Weekly Newsletter, to ensure you never miss a single thing.

Disclaimer: Hi, I’m a researcher and writer. I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or businessperson. All information in my articles is sourced and referenced, and all opinions stated are mine. I am not giving anyone advice, and though I am more than happy to discuss topics, should someone have a further question or concern, they should seek guidance from a relevant professional.

The THC Weekly Newsletter

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Is the Death of the Cannabinoid Market Coming?

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Have They No Decency?! The CDC Wants Easier Access to Opioids!

When a title like this comes along, it’s enough to make your stomach drop. Amid constant talk of a growing opioid epidemic, which is now said to be responsible for the vast majority of 100,000 completely avoidable deaths a year, the CDC actually wants to make it even easier to get opioids by loosening prescription requirements. If you still have faith in your government to do what’s right by you, maybe now’s the time to take a harder look at that sentiment.

It is a mind-boggling level of insanity that the US government via the CDC wants to make it easier to get opioids amid the biggest drug crisis it’s ever dealt with. But that’s how much it cares about our collective health, as it does this in the face of better options like cannabis, ketamine, and the Zingiberaceae class of plants. We’re on top of this industry and everything that goes on it it. Sign up for THC Weekly Newsletter for more stories like this, as well as exclusive access to deals on flowers, vapes, edibles, and tons more products. Plus, we have excellent prices on cannabinoids, including HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which won’t break the bank. Check them out in our “Best-of” lists, and enjoy!

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Opioids

It’s in every publication, it’s in tons of titles, and the result of it can really be felt. Opioids have become a horrifying (and embarrassing) mistake by the federal government, which has spiraled out to such degrees, that dozens of people are overdosing every day, making for incredibly high death totals. And this isn’t the coronavirus, which is expected to leave a death toll. These deaths, every single one of them, are completely avoidable.

Opioids are a class of drugs that come from, or are based on, compounds from opium, which can be found in poppy plants. They can appear naturally in nature, like morphine and codeine, which can be extracted from opium. Or synthetically, like hydrocodone and fentanyl. Even naturally occurring versions like codeine are still bought in synthetic form when purchasing opioids from a pharmacy. Opium is often turned into the street drug heroin through processing.

Opioids bind to opioid receptors in the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system, and the gastrointestinal tract. Though they can bind to many receptors, the three main classes for this are μ, κ, and δ (mu, kappa, and delta) receptors. Opioids are best known, and most used, for controlling pain, but are also used medically for cough suppression and diarrhea. Users on opioids are prone to side effects like itchiness, sedation, nausea, constipation, respiratory depression, and euphoria – the main reason for their addictive quality.

These drugs produce a strong tolerance in users, meaning the dosage must increase to gain the same effects. Opioids are incredibly physically addictive, meaning a habitual user will likely go through a painful withdrawal when stopping. They are often used in conjunction with benzodiazepines to minimize feelings of sickness, and this can help lead to fatal overdoses.

Drugs like heroin are Schedule I in the DEA’s Controlled Substances list, but opioids are prescribed and sold medically under Schedules III, IV, and V. This makes them all more federally accessible than cannabis, which despite all the dangers of opioids and benefits of cannabis, remains in Schedule I.

News: The CDC wants to make it easier to get opioids

This opioid issue has been going on long enough that in 2016, the CDC instituted guidelines on prescribing for opioids. However, in what looks like a total turnaround, and rejection of any care about the current and growing problem, on Thursday, February 10^th, 2022, the CDC actually proposed loosening guidelines for doctors prescribing opioids. And this even though the more strict 2016 guidelines obviously didn’t help make the problem any better. So why is the CDC doing this now in light of the current situation with opioids?

Because they’re saying that by doctors prescribing less (they didn’t), doctors have been cutting off patients who need opioids to deal with their pain, prematurely. Which is odd considering the CDC doesn’t regulate these things, and this news story, along with previous guidelines, are not about legal changes. They’re essentially no more than statements, but they’re statements that show a trajectory of thinking, and that’s why they’re dangerous.

These newer CDC guidelines repeat the 2016 guidelines in saying that “opioids should not be considered first-line or routine therapy for subacute or chronic pain”, as well as some acute pain. They also restate that doctors shouldn’t prioritize opioids over non-opioid treatments including things like exercise and physical therapy. This is great! But since it’s already the current situation, it’s also obviously not doing anything to have that in the guidelines.

30% Death Increase! Is Cannabis the Answer to Massive Opioid Epidemic?

What did change? The whole stipulation that doctors should avoid making increases to medication in the amount of 90 morphine milligram equivalents or more per day. The thing is, if you’ll notice the language, that was never a rule, just a recommendation (since the CDC is not the regulating body). And considering how little doctors have been paying attention to these guidelines anyway, it almost doesn’t matter beyond being a major slap in the face to show this kind of thinking, especially in light of what’s currently going on.

What was it changed to? The much broader statement of: “clinicians should prescribe the lowest dosage to achieve expected effects.” Gone also is the recommendation (still wasn’t a law) for timelines for these prescriptions. The prior guidelines stated that “three days or less will often be sufficient; more than seven days will rarely be needed.” This would not exist anymore, which could promote doctors putting patients on opioids endlessly.

Of course, whereas its often stated that “the guidelines were resulting in physicians unsafely tapering patients or cutting patients off entirely — in part because of the specific dosage benchmarks included in the guidelines”, the growing number of overdoses, the high number of prescriptions written, and the fact that they’re still being prescribed en masse by primary care physicians (who are not supposed to write such prescriptions), essentially points to this being nonsense.

This update would be one of many proposed changes that came out as a 229-page draft which was updated to the Federal Register. There will now be a 60-day public comment period. The CDC will consider all this before finalizing updates. As none of this is law, it doesn’t make a huge difference except to show a general intent of the governemtn. But if the government really wanted to help – if it really did – it would make it illegal for anyone but a specialist to write these prescriptions. Hey look, I’m just an ordinary citizen who came up with a more useful policy.

The opioid crises

While some publications like to tout a decrease in opioid prescriptions, with the AMA in 2021 claiming a 44.4% reduction in the past decade, this logically makes very little sense. And is completely derailed by general statistics. In 2020, NPR wrote how as of 2018 (when statistics were last made available.) that one in five Americans had an opioid prescription filled according to the CDC. In fact, enough prescriptions were being written for half of all Americans to have one. Kind of makes the AMA’s claim one year later sound like a baseless marketing ploy.

To take it a step further, any talk of a reduction in prescribing sounds silly at best. In 2017, over 191 million opioid prescriptions were written, which is actually equal to 58.7 prescriptions written for every 100 people. 45% of those came from primary care physicians who aren’t supposed to write such prescriptions (hence the fact that simply taking away their ability to do so could help hugely). Considering that doctors who aren’t supposed to be writing them were responsible for writing so many – even after the 2016 guidelines were put in place, ends the idea that those guidelines got in the way of anyone getting anything, or that prescription writing for opioids has gone down.

According to the NPR article, in 2018 (two years after the 2016 updates), approximately 40 people were dying of overdoses a day specifically from prescribed opioids. And that’s just deaths, it speaks nothing to the damage caused by those who live with these addictions. This problem is so intense that the CDC estimated the economic burden for all related health care, emergency care, addiction treatment, lost productivity, and criminal justice response to be about $78.5 billion per year. Who pays for that? The same people fed all these opioids – taxpayers.

In 2019, according to hhs.gov (US Health and Human Services) nearly 71,000 people died of overdoses that year. While approximately 14,480 were related to heroin, a massive 48,000 were from prescription opioids, meaning that 62,000 out of 71,000 overdoses were related to opioids. Whereas the agency’s stats put first time misusers at 1.6 million for that year, it listed 10.1 million who misused that year total.

Big Pharma To Pay Native American Tribes $590 Million Over Opioids

In 2020, possibly due to corona, and possibly just showing a trajectory that had already started, the number of overdose deaths skyrocketed further to 93,331, a 30% increase, according to the CDC. And for 2021? While complete statistics have not been made available yet, some statistics have been released, namely in the way of statistics that point to the overdose number now capping 100,000 per year.

According to the final report of the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking, put out in February 2022, for the year ending June 2021, there were over 100,000 total drug overdose deaths, with synthetic opioids claiming two out of three of those. So does it make sense that prescription writing has gone down? No, not even a little. And that makes what the CDC is proposing now, preposterous.

The situation is so bad (beyond the visible death statistics), that Big Pharma companies Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson just offered a settlement to Native American tribes of $590 million because of a case waged against them due to the damage opioids have caused that specific community. And this on top of a $26 billion global settlement that must be paid out by multiple Big Pharma companies including Johnson & Johnson, because of damage done.

What about ketamine?

The weirdest part to all this? Or maybe the part that shows the true corruption of the government? It’s already well understood – since back in 1964 – that ketamine works well for treating pain conditions. As ketamine is nonaddictive (its actually used to treat addiction), with a great safety profile including difficulty for causing overdose deaths, it should be the obvious answer. In fact, not only is it great for pain, but because it’s also been shown to be great for addictions, it creates the one-two punch that’s so badly needed right now.

How does the government so specifically know this? Because the first ketamine study done back in 1964 was done with prisoners. As in, members of a government prison were used in the study. The investigation was done via the Parke Davis Clinical Research Unit at the Jackson Prison in the state of Michigan, but assuming the government wouldn’t get an automatic peek at research being done on government sanctioned prisoners, is preposterous at best. Plus, even if results weren’t shared privately with the government, they were published in 1965. The government has most certainly known since then, backed up by tons of follow-up studies that have been released in the years since.

In fact, ketamine works so well, that a huge gray market has sprouted up with medical clinics offering off-label use of ketamine for pain. So this drug with a much safer safety profile, which isn’t addictive, and which can offer relief for all kinds of pain without the threat of death, isn’t even being mentioned, while the CDC plans to backhandedly make opioids even more accessible.

Craziest part of all this? Johnson & Johnson is the only pharma company to have an approved version of ketamine out (likely approved with the hope of diverting from the ketamine gray market) in the form of esketamine. It’s also paying out billions for damages from opioids. Yet when Johnson & Johnson filed for its new drug application for esketamine, pain was never mentioned. It seems the desire is not to fix the problem, but to keep it going, as better methods are continuously being suppressed.

Take cannabis, for example. Which has also shown the ability to deal with pain, or kratom. Or plants like ginger and turmeric from the Zingiberaceae plant family which are consistently written about for their pain benefits. Personally, I drink ginger tea nearly every day to help with the accumulated pain and injuries of ballet, and its often the difference between being able to stand up straight, or not. I cannot express better than this what a massive difference that plant makes.

The Ketamine Loophole: Everything You Need to Know

Conclusion

So thanks to the apathy of the US government, and the pushing of Big Pharma, it looks like the CDC has us all set for bigger increases in deaths with even less guidelines for opioids. I guess this is the best that they could come up with to fight the much better working ketamine system, which stands to help the problem for those who suffer from either pain or addictions to opioids. Which is probably because in the end, even as a pharma product, ketamine is easily made on the black market as well as being offered as a generic, indicating that as it gets more popular, this will not necessarily help Big Pharma, making it undesirable.

And considering that Big Pharma literally started this epidemic, along with the US government which allows it through regulation, it makes sense that the two entities would do everything possible to protect the industry. Even at the cost of your life.

Welcome readers! Thanks for making it to CBDtesters.co, the internet’s one-stop shop for the most important and relevant independent news coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics-related industry. Stop by regularly to stay informed on the ever-morphing landscape of legal drugs and industrial hemp, and subscribe to The THC Weekly Newsletter, so you’re never late on getting the news.

Disclaimer: Hi, I’m a researcher and writer. I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or businessperson. All information in my articles is sourced and referenced, and all opinions stated are mine. I am not giving anyone advice, and though I am more than happy to discuss topics, should someone have a further question or concern, they should seek guidance from a relevant professional.

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1960s Ketamine Prisoner Study Highlights What Has Been Known for Decades

Let’s be honest, when it comes to some of the shadiest, unethical studies, they tend to be run by the government. Whether we’re looking at THCO-A testing, or syphilis, it always seems to be the government operating undercover, and then apologizing and making excuses when caught. Now, as ketamine becomes bigger and bigger in a gray market, the ketamine prisoner study from the 1960’s begs the question of why we were never told how useful this drug is, and why we’re still using more dangerous drugs instead if it.

The ketamine prisoner study of the 60’s is a glaring example of US government apathy towards its people, as well as a great showing of how little the government likes to use the information it collects. This brings up the question of why we ever started using opioids when there were better options available. We’re dedicated to providing the most relevant and important stories in this new and blooming industry of psychedelics! Sign up for the Psychedelics Weekly Newsletter, for more articles like this, and to keep your finger on the pulse of the psychedelic world.

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What is ketamine

Ketamine is a Schedule III compound in the DEA’s Controlled Substances list, with approval for use as an anesthetic in humans and animals. This makes it unlike nearly every other psychedelic compound, which all (with the exception of DXM) reside in Schedule I. Having said that, the US’s FDA did legalize ketamine’s close cousin ‘esketamine’ in 2019, but only for treatment resistant depression (updated to include suicidal thoughts the following year), and only with use of a monoamine antidepressant at the same time.

Ketamine was discovered by the pharmaceutical company Parke-Davis in 1962, which was on the hunt for a strong anesthetic. Ketamine is considered a ‘dissociative anesthetic’ because it makes users feel like different parts of their brain are disconnecting from each other, described as “electrophysiological and functional dissociation between thalamocortical and limbic systems.” The term came about because using the word ‘psychedelic’ was frowned on. While the compound showed the ability to sedate, it didn’t actually show hypnotic properties – which means the ability to put people to sleep (though it obviously can knock them out). Both ketamine and cousin esketamine share the chemical formula of C₁₃H₁₆ClNO.

Though ketamine has not been officially cleared for anything but use as an anesthetic, because it is Schedule III, it can be prescribed ‘off-label’. This means a doctor can prescribe it for a different purpose than what it’s approved for. Because of this, a ketamine therapy gray market has opened up, and has been growing wildly in the last few years, likely being the reason for the very quiet legalization of esketamine, to try to battle this unregulated – but not illegal – industry.

Ketamine has been shown to be beneficial for psychological issues like depression, anxiety, PTSD, postpartum depression, and eating disorders. It’s also been shown to be useful for pain management, begging the question of why it is not immediately being switched out for the opioids which are causing deaths left and right. Aside from use in medicine, ketamine has also enjoyed popularity in the club scene since the 80’s, and is a popular recreational drug in general.

Ketamine prisoner study

We always expect that new drugs will go through human trials. It’s a part of testing a drug for mass use. In order to get a pass, it must go through different rounds of testing for efficacy and safety, and this means people being guinea pigs. This usually requires volunteers, since people have rights, and trying out possibly dangerous medications on unsuspecting citizens has always been illegal in the modern day of this country.

Which is probably why when the government conducts covert experiments on people, it tries to keep them as quiet as possible, whether to cover up people getting hurt, or to preserve information from becoming used – for whatever reason. Such is the case with the ketamine prisoner study from the 1960’s, which took place via Parke Davis’s Clinical Research Unit at the Jackson Prison in the State of Michigan.

Want Ketamine or Esketamine Therapy? Here’s What to Do…

In fact, the internet has been so well scrubbed, that the only in-depth account comes from the very researcher responsible for breaking ethics codes, who, of course, calls it a volunteer study. Even back in post-war times, when questions of medical ethics were more in flux, and patients were in the mindset of simply following doctor orders, it was still illegal to use people unwittingly in medical research. Doctors, for their part, used methods of coercion to get patients to comply, since in their minds, in the end, it was all for the patient’s own good. Getting research participants followed a similar model.

Though detractors to the experimentation do admit that some amount of consent was given, the idea of ‘informed consent’ as in, consent to the specifics of what was being tested for, was not a part of it. It should be mentioned, much more dangerous drugs than ketamine are tested, but at the time this happened, there was absolutely no accumulated knowledge pointing to whether it was dangerous or not. Which means ketamine was a blank slate, and no one knew what would happen to study participants. Lead researcher Dr. Edward Domino even went as far as to pat himself on the back for going behind the back of the study’s psychiatric advisor, for fear the guy would assign the drug as ‘schizophrenomimetic’, which would stop research and production. The research began in August 1964

Anyway, regardless of the antics used to do the study, here is some of what was found:

• At higher doses ketamine knocked out prisoners, but at lower doses it had psychoactive effects on patients that remained lucid.

• Test subjects spoke of feeling like they were floating in the air, or a loss of sensation of their arms and legs.

• About one out of three subjects showed side effects to the ketamine.

• There was only a low level of ‘frank emergence delirium’ or delirium associated with coming out from under anesthesia.

• Even at anesthetic doses, participants retained normal blood pressure, respiration, and general vitals.

• Ketamine showed to be extremely safe, with low ability for overdose death.

• Ketamine showed to be an effective analgesic in doses of one to two mg/kg (even being used in the battlefields of Vietnam after this).

• Ketamine was found to have psychotropic effects, defined in the study this way: “Others showed marked alteration in mood and affect, some becoming apprehensive and aggressive and others markedly withdrawn.”

While this study marked the first understanding that ketamine causes a psychotropic reaction, and even though more studies to confirm this came later, it was never approved for anything psychiatric until 2019! Even with the growing opioid epidemic, it still isn’t being talked about for taking over the pain management industry. What should be understood however, is that it was established as a well-working analgesic, without a real death count, in that very first 1964 study. Why opioids ever came out considering this, is extremely questionable on the part of the US government.

The Psychedelic Side of Weed: THC-O-Acetate, And Military Testing

When else has the government done things like this?

Ketamine turned out to be a pretty useful drug, but not everything the government does is for non-dangerous drugs, or useful purposes. And, in fact, its not that surprising that this was gotten away with considering that from 1949-1974, the US government, via the military, ran the Edgewood Arsenal Human Experiments, for which the cannabis compound THC-O-A was tested, along with much more dangerous compounds like tear gas, sarin gas, and the deadly BZ.

Once again, these were called volunteer experiments. Just like in the ketamine prisoner study, which used prisoners (not a population whose rights are taken into account), the military was just as bad. With threats of Vietnam or jail time, study investigators were sure able to make a lot of soldiers ‘volunteer’. These experiments showed their awfulness in the fact that they were so abruptly shut down in 1975 when word about them reached the press, with lead researcher Dr. Van Murray Sim called before Congress. Of course, in standard military fashion, the military did the investigation, which, not shockingly, turned up no abuses, despite the very obvious abuses that were carried out.

And to give just one more idea of how little the government cares about carrying out dangerous experiments on its citizens, remember that the Tuskegee study went on for 40 years between 1932 and 1972, carried out by the U.S. Public Health Service. In this abomination of a study, black men were purposely studied for their syphilis without their knowledge, and then monitored for years, told lies to obtain new blood samples, and allowed to die without intervention. In fact, these men were told they were being treated for ‘bad blood’, with no informed consent given for anything.

To give an idea of just how ridiculous and heartless this was, by the time the study was pulled, only 74 of an original 399 men were still living. Not only did 28 die from syphilis (despite treatments being available), but 100 died of complications from syphilis (which means they died of syphilis), 40 wives had been infected, and 19 children were born with congenital syphilis. And the US government didn’t care a lick about it until the case was in the spotlight and it had to respond.

Conclusion

There is one major takeaway from the ketamine prisoner study. Yes, the government allowed a really awful study to take place to the detriment of prisoner health and rights. And then it DIDN’T EVEN USE THE DATA IT COLLECTED!!! Over 55 years ago it was learned that ketamine can effectively treat pain, yet here we are with a massive opioid epidemic. Over 55 years ago it was learned that ketamine could cause psychotropic effects, with confirming studies done in the years after showing how well it worked for all kinds of things from depression to eating disorders. Yet all we have now is a monoamine antidepressant market that doesn’t work.

It has been well understood for quite some time that ketamine can be an answer to both the opioid epidemic, as well as the depression epidemic going on, yet here we are in 2022, and most people don’t know that any of this happened at all. Thank god our government cares about us!!!

How Psychedelics Can Positively Impact Eating Disorders and Self Image

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Hi, I’m a researcher and writer. I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or businessperson. All information in my articles is sourced and referenced, and all opinions stated are mine. I am not giving anyone advice, and though I am more than happy to discuss topics, should someone have a further question or concern, they should seek guidance from a relevant professional.

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Is Synthetic THC the Same as Natural THC?

There’s a lot of talk about synthetics in the cannabis industry, and for good reason, there are a bunch. But, what exactly does this mean? And why are we sometimes told synthetics are bad, and other times told they’re the only thing we should use? And how close is something like synthetic THC to its natural THC counterpart? The world of synthetics can be a confusing place, let’s take a look.

Synthetic THC can be perfectly fine, just ask the government about dronabinol the next time it tells you synthetics are categorically bad! We cover everything in the cannabis and psychedelics industry, and work everyday to get you the best stories out there. Check out the THC Weekly Newsletter to stay in-the-loop on what’s going on, and to get special access to deals on flowers, vapes, edibles, and more! We’ve also got great offers on cannabinoids, like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which won’t leave a hole in your pocket. Take a look at our “Best-of” lists to find them, and enjoy responsibly!

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What’s a synthetic?

First off, whether you promote them or are scared of them, the definition of a synthetic is the same either way. A synthetic drug is something that’s put together by a human using component parts, rather than being built by nature. A synthetic can’t grow in the ground, but something that does grow in the ground, can have a synthetic version of itself made. In a laboratory, the same compounds that make up the natural one, can be put together using different processes.

Are these processes safe? Sometimes, sure. But sometimes not as much, or with caveats that require chemicals to be used that can interfere with the final product. In essence, a synthetic version of something like THC is meant to be an identical version of natural THC. But that identical version might be tainted by chemical residue.

And then there are synthetic drugs that aren’t made to replicate anything that exists in nature. Some are just drugs created in a lab, like LSD, which though based off the ergot fungus, is its own compound, which isn’t a replication of anything. Or delta-10, which is very similar to delta-9, but which is only created in a lab. They are not exact replicas of something existent, meaning they only show up as synthetic drugs. Big Pharma also provides synthetic THC medications like Marinol/Syndros (AKA dronabinol) and Cesamet (AKA nabilone). While nabilone is said to be based on THC, but not identical, dronabinol is a direct replica of THC, with the exact same chemical formula and makeup.

So the only versions of marijuana with any approval, are strictly synthetics, yet we are constantly told that synthetics are dangerous. And generally, when being told they’re dangerous, the pharma options are left out, and the drugs that get designated as synthetics are Spice, K2, and fake cannabinoids, which are put in a grouping with bath salts and methamphetamine, rather than with dronabinol, nabilone, or any opioid on the market.

Yup the entire opioids industry is all synthetic. The government isn’t handing out poppy flowers for people to smoke, they’re putting them on synthetic versions of opiates like hydrocodone and fentanyl. In fact, every pharma product is a synthetic, since plants can’t be patented, and would never end up in a pharmaceutical product. Kind of takes the air out of the argument against synthetics, when the argument comes from the medical industry and government, which together provide for synthetics only.

Is synthetic THC a big thing?

Yes, synthetic THC is widely used. Partly as a pharmaceutical drug through the use of dronabinol (and similar drugs like nabilone), partly because in some places there isn’t access to regular cannabis because of local government bans, partly because even when real cannabis is available in some places, its not as cost-effective as synthetic products, and partly because there’s a widely used black market that uses cheaper synthetics in products like vape carts and edibles, and often sells them out of fake dispensaries.

HHC, Spice and Cannabis Synthetics. This Is What You Need To Know:

There was a time when I was abroad when all I could get was synthetic weed. It didn’t look like weed, but rather, like a handful of something picked up off the ground. Which I imagine had something sprayed on it. Most of the time it was perfectly fine, but a couple times I get very sick, which ended my use of fake weed. Do I blame this on whatever synthetic compound was in it? No, I think it was more likely related to random vegetation being used, which could have been fertilized, or have rat poison in it, or something else liable to make me sick.

Obviously, we all love THC, it’s the driving force behind weed. The first pharma cannabis product to come out, dronabinol, is synthetic THC, and this is because it’s understood that there is a strong and valid medical value. So regardless of whether its being used to induce the appetite of a cancer patient going through chemo, or used to make yourself super high after a long day, it’s a sought after compound, which explains the consistency of the weed industry, despite constant efforts to thwart it with regulation and smear campaigns.

What about the cannabinoids industry?

The cannabinoids industry is a great example of the popularity of synthetic THC products. The cannabinoids industry is a fringe, but currently stable, part of the cannabis industry that relies entirely on synthetics, both of already existent compounds, and of compounds that don’t exist in nature. Take delta-8 THC, for example. Delta-8 THC exists as a natural compound, but though it can be sourced directly from the plant, it’s available in tiny amounts only, which is not enough for production. Therefore, any delta-8 product you see, is synthetically made by converting either delta-9 or CBD to delta-8.

Delta-8 THC is therefore like dronabinol. They are both the same as what occurs in nature, but made in a lab, which requires the use of chemicals to force the conversion. However, in the delta-8 industry, the lack of regulation means that a consumer isn’t necessarily going to get what they think they are. So though the delta-8 sold is said to be ‘hemp-derived’, or ‘naturally-derived’, its actually synthetic, and since none of the companies producing it are regulated, its also not necessarily delta-8 at all. And that’s a problem.

This is true of the other cannabinoids as well, like CBG, HHC, THC-O, delta-10, and so on. Whether naturally occurring or not, they are only sold synthetically, even though they are said to be hemp-derived. Delta-9 is also being sold as hemp-derived, as a means of getting around regulation, when in reality, just means synthetic delta-9. What else is synthetic delta-9? Dronabinol! What gives dronabinol a leg up? It’s sure to be what it’s supposed to be, whereas cannabinoids sold in the cannabinoids market, have no such guarantee.

Are synthetics dangerous?

This is an interesting question, because if you want a sweeping answer of ‘yes’, then the government and big pharma are pushing dangerous medications. If you want a sweeping answer of ‘no’, then it validates what is actually a very dirty industry. Far as I can tell, the answer is somewhere in the middle.

Artificial High – The History of Cannabis Synthetics

The cannabinoids industry is dirty and disgusting, down to fake labs to give fake results to encourage trust among consumers. When people get sick from vape cartridges, it tends to be from something added in. And that’s one of the big problems with an unregulated market. Add in unsafe chemicals used for flavoring, coloring, stabilizing, or simply to create a stronger drug, and people can definitely get hurt. Just like when I smoked the fake weed that made me sick. It probably wasn’t the synthetic chemical meant to make me high that made me sick, but something bad added in there.

The two main issues that I see with synthetics industries, are 1) added chemicals that can make people sick, and 2) chemicals used in processing that might not be eradicated by the end, making for a tainted product. The positive of the government sanctioned options, is that they should at least be clean of added chemicals, though this says nothing for processing techniques.

Plus, if we decide the synthetics made by Big Pharma are totally cool, then there would be no reason not to allow the plant itself, since these synthetics are identical to, or closely based off, the plant. In fact, the biggest different between the regulated synthetics industry (Big Pharma) and the unregulated synthetics industry (delta-8 sellers etc..), is that one is government approved, and one is not. So one goes by regulation, and one does not. One gets taxed as a cannabis product, and one does not.

Recent news of Shopify banning the sale of unregulated cannabinoids looks to be the first major effort of the US government to thwart the industry. And considering how filthy it is, with fake products that don’t meet description, this isn’t necessarily bad. Realistically, most of us still have access to the plant, so we shouldn’t need synthetics anyway.

As far as answering the question of whether synthetics are dangerous, it really depends on who you ask. Cannabinoid sellers lie about their products being ‘naturally-derived’, which means they’re trying to avoid saying that what they’re selling is synthetic. Companies that outright lie are dangerous to begin with, and its hard to trust that their products are safe. On the other hand, the government loves spreading the line that synthetics are dangerous, while at the very same time promoting them through Big Pharma. So neither side is being particularly helpful in proving a point. It seems to me that the synthetics themselves aren’t necessarily bad, but that the industry around them, or the production techniques to make them, can lead to dirty products.

I find France vs the EU as a great story to highlight just how far governments will go to ban a natural product while selling a synthetic version of it. France lost because it couldn’t show the EU’s highest court how CBD was dangerous, which is probably because if it had tried to make that argument, the same argument could have been used against the country for selling the pharma version Epidiolex. France lost, making natural CBD legal all throughout the EU. If it had won, it would have barred the import of natural CBD from other EU countries, while selling the synthetic version, Epidiolex, in France.

EU Beat France, CBD Legal Throughout EU

Conclusion

I’ve used plenty of synthetic THC in life without dying, and so have many other consumers. Realistically, barely any of us have had an issue. This does nothing to abate safety concerns related to unwanted chemicals, or effects, but it does imply that there generally shouldn’t be a problem. It should always be remembered that there are two parts to this industry, a regulated one and an unregulated one. And whatever is said about safety, is generally guided by which market it’s a part of. That something like bath salts would be considered in any way similar to something like delta-8 THC, is a great reminder of how much information is skewed for consumers.

So just remember the next time the government tells you all synthetics are bad, that the government only approves synthetic medications! Perhaps we’d all be doing a bit better if the government saw fit to hand out poppies rather than fentanyl. In fact, opioids are a great place to see the idea of synthetic vs real, because no one seems to die from poppies, whereas 60,000+ die a year from overdoses on synthetic opioids, with that number on an upward trajectory. The government tends to say what’s convenient at the time to make tax money. If it really wanted to rule out synthetic cannabis, it would be ruling out Big Pharma as well.

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Disclaimer: Hi, I’m a researcher and writer. I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or businessperson. All information in my articles is sourced and referenced, and all opinions stated are mine. I am not giving anyone advice, and though I am more than happy to discuss topics, should someone have a further question or concern, they should seek guidance from a relevant professional.

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