The Drug Science Podcast

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

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143. Psychedelics for Palliative care with Prof Robert Schoevers

Drug Science — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Join us in this episode as we talk to Robert Schoevers, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Groningen and one of the pioneers of psychedelic-assisted therapy. He explains why human complexity led him to psychiatry, begoring discussing how his early psychedelic research into esketamine aimed to meet the unmet needs of treatment-resistant patients. Schoevers goes on to explore the ways in which his approach to ketamine-assisted therapy has transitioned over time and has led him to lead bigger projects, like the EU-funded palliative care project, PsyPal.

Links

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142. Animal Research and the Future of Depression with Prof Emma Robinson

Drug Science — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Join us in this episode as we speak with Emma Robinson, a professor of psychopharmacology at the University of Bristol with extensive experience in animal research. She unpacks the regulations surrounding animal research, offering a scientist’s view on animal rights activism, ethical tension, and why this work remains essential. Robinson also delves into the emerging intersection of psychedelics and animal research, describing how these substances are studied and how they might help reshape mental illness.

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141. Clubs, Raves, Drugs and Social Media with Simon Doherty

Drug Science — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode of the Drug Science Podcast, we talk to Simon Doherty, a journalist and content creator with a focus on harm reduction. He explores how reporting on electronic music and rave culture naturally led to his work on harm reduction. He goes on to dissect Talk to Frank and its flaws in providing accurate, evidence-based information. Finally, by comparing the unique landscape of free parties to the regulated club scene, Doherty discusses why and how clubs avoid common sense harm reduction techniques, endangering clubgoers.

Links

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140. Which therapy works best for psychedelics? with Prof Sara Tai

Drug Science — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Join us in this episode as we talk to Prof Sara Tai, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Manchester and an NHS consultant clinical psychologist.

Sara’s research is grounded in biopsychosocial frameworks, with a focus on understanding the mechanisms of change that underpin effective psychological therapies. She has extensive experience delivering therapy, and training other clinicians to deliver interventions with individuals, families, and young people across diverse settings, including acute in-patient units, community mental health services, and schools.

For many years, Sara has been at the forefront of research into psychedelic-assisted therapies, working collaboratively with academic and industry partners to explore how psychedelics bring about therapeutic change. She has been instrumental in manualising psychological support models that integrate the core effective components shared across evidence-based psychotherapies, helping to define best practice in this rapidly advancing area. An experienced researcher, clinician, and trainer, Sara has led and collaborated on large-scale randomised controlled trials and has played a central role in training psychedelic therapists worldwide. Her work continues to bridge scientific research and clinical practice, advancing safe, effective, and compassionate approaches to mental health care.

Sara explores her research into the oft-overlooked role of therapy within psychedelic treatments. She discuses how her work has helped to challenge the notion of psychedelic compounds as medicine in themselves, shifting the focus onto the therapeutic approaches alongside them. Ultimately, Sara underscores the need for more transformative psychedelic experiences grounded in peer support, indigenous knowledge, or therapeutic experience in order to facilitate positive outcomes.

Links

Prof Sara Tai

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Method of Levels

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139. Poppers with Adam Zmith

Drug Science — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we speak with Adam Zmith, podcast producer, writer, and author of Deep Sniff: A History of Poppers and Queer Futures. He describes his motivation behind writing the book, all before diving into the complex history of poppers. By speaking to the policing and regulation of poppers, Zmith explores broader struggles between the queer community and the government, in addition to the necessity for greater harm reduction for poppers. Despite these struggles, he underscores the ways in which queer culture has been shaped by poppers and how, in return, poppers have been shaped by queer culture.

Links

● Adam Zmith

● Deep Sniff

● Poppers

● The Log Books

● Switchboard

● Sir Thomas Lauder Brunton

● UK Man Consumes Poppers Accidentally

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138. Scottish Ambulance Service - Frontline Trauma with John, Joanne and Ryan

Drug Science — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Join us in this episode as Prof Nutt speaks to John, Joanne, and Ryan of the Scottish Ambulance Service in Glasgow. They explore their backgrounds in the Service and how their work exposed them to challenging situations that caused severe detriment to their mental health. After describing the failings of traditional mental health support for emergency workers, they tell their story of travelling to Peru for an ayahuasca retreat, an eye-opening and profoundly heartening experience.

Links

Scottish Ambulance Services

Scottish Psychedelic Research Group

Heroic Hearts Project UK

The Shipibo

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137. Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom with Dr Andy Letcher

Drug Science — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:58:40 +0000

In this episode of the Drug Science podcast, we speak to Dr Andy Letcher, a religious scholar and author of the book Shroom: the Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom. He explores his complimentary background in science and the humanities, depicting how this combination structured his thinking. Noting the religious potential of psychedelic experiences, Letcher links the spiritual with the psychedelic, explaining what he sought to capture in his book and where it has gone since. Finally, he discusses how his interest in transdisciplinary perspectives on psychedelics has coalesced in the University of Exeter’s psychedelic postgraduate courses.

PSYCH SYMPOSIUM 2025

Links
Shroom: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom

Psychedelics: Mind, Medicine, and Culture

Seeking the Magic Mushroom by R. Gordon Wasson

Psychedelia Britannia: Druids on Drugs

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136. Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology with Jenny Chapman and Dr Stephen Naulls

Drug Science — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Tune into the latest episode of the Drug Science Podcast, where we talk to Jenny Chapman and Dr. Stephen Naulls, researchers at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) and authors of ‘Psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental health: Policy considerations, a briefing for Parliament’ on the state of psychedelic research. They explore the remit of POST in highlighting objective, emerging scientific research, and how psychedelics have come into their focus. With backgrounds in biology and medicine, both Jenny and Stephen stress the interwoven nature of science and policy. Through this intersection, they highlight the policy levers holding psychedelic researchers back and what Parliament and the greater public can take from the POST brief.

Links

Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

POST report on Psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental health: Policy considerations, a briefing for Parliament

Psychedelic drugs to treat eating disorders

Psychedelic drugs to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat anxiety disorders

Psychedelic drugs to treat depression

Psychedelic-assisted therapy in the treatment of addiction

POST Board

Fellowship opportunities

POST All Reports

Knowledge Exchange Unit – KEU

Horizon Scanning

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135. Ethnomycology with Darren Le Baron

Drug Science — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode of the Drug Science Podcast, we speak with Darren Le Baron, an accomplished mycologist and educator. He discusses how his hardships from his upbringing in East London have informed his current work, where he uses horticulture to connect with children at risk of being drawn into crime. He transitions to explore his series Psychedelics in Africa, explaining some of the many links between psychedelics and African culture, both in ancient times and modernity. Throughout, he emphasises the importance of African perspectives and similar indigenous ones, challenging their absence in mainstream psychedelic discourse.

Links

Darren Le Baron

Who is Darren Le Baron

Darren's Instagram

We Are Grow Mushrooms

Psychedelics in Africa: The Untold Story

About Kilindi Iyi

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134. Tribe with Bruce Parry

Drug Science — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Join us in this episode as we speak to Bruce Parry, the creator and star of the BBC series Tribe With Bruce Parry. He explains his sharp career change from a Royal Marine to an advocate for indigenous rights, where he’s developed a humble approach to learning from indigenous tribes, defined by listening and witnessing. He talks about his experiences of psychedelics in these contexts, namely ayahuasca, which have vastly shaped his outlook on life. Through this lens, he lends his opinions on topics like ayahuasca tourism and capitalist culture in the psychedelic space.

Tribe with Bruce Parry

Psychedelic Training in the UK

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133. Psychedelic Ethics with Dr Edward Jacobs and Sam Bloomfield

Drug Science — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode of the Drug Science Podcast, we speak with Sam Bloomfield, founder of PsyEdu, and Dr. Eddie Jacobs, the first person to complete a doctorate in psychedelic ethics. Drawing on their backgrounds in education and ethics, they explore why these perspectives are essential to the evolving field of psychedelics. They also discuss the role of trials, clinics, and retreats within the broader psychedelic ecosystem, highlighting a major blind spot: the vast majority of psychedelic experiences occur outside of these settings. The conversation additionally examines how understandings of medicine often must adapt to the unique nature of psychedelics. Throughout, they underscore the importance of education in driving long-term policy change that ensures safer, more equitable, and more ethical psychedelic access.

Public Attitudes to Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy

HOPE Statement

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132. The Fellowship of the River with Dr Joe Tafur

Drug Science — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode of the Drug Science Podcast, we meet with Dr. Joe Tafur, MD, an integrative Family Physician, curandero, author and speaker. He discusses his book, The Fellowship of the River, exploring the role of spiritual healing in modern healthcare. Within this episode. Tafur further delves into topics such as biological and psychological links to Generational trauma as well as the relationship between spiritual practice and healing.

Dr Joe Tafur

Modern Spirit

Medicine Song

Fellowship of the river

Intro into Therapeutic psychedelics

Peyote

Free Radicals: How a Group of Romantic Experimenters Gave Birth to Psychedelic Science

Emotional dysregulation

Support the Podcast Link

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131. Scientists, Poets and Dissidents with Mike Jay

Drug Science — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 08:36:00 +0000

In this episode of the drug science Podcast, we meet with Mike Jay, author and 2024 Cheiron Book Prize winner who has written extensively on scientific and medical history with a special interest in Psychedelics.

In this Podcast, he discusses with us his newest book, Free Radicals: How a Group of Romantic Experimenters Gave Birth to Psychedelic Science, which tells the story of early invention and experimentation with Nitrous Oxide (Laughing gas). He discusses various key figures at this time and the work they conducted, including Humphry Davy and Thomas Beddoes as well as discussing early theories into the potential use of gas in medicine which lead to the development of the Pneumatic Institute. Further, they discuss how this 18th-century research links to the psychedelic renaissance

Mescaline Drug Science Podcast with Mike Jay

Link in show notes

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130. Psychedelics and Women's Health with Dr Grace Blest-Hopley

Drug Science — Wed, 21 May 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Join us in the latest episode of the Drug Science Podcast, where we talk with Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley, Director of Research for Heroic Hearts Project UK, Chief Scientific Officer of NW PharmaTech, and founder and CEO of Hystelica. In the episode, she explore where psychedelic studies have largely ignored women’s physiology, particularly in failing to acknowledge and control for hormonal fluctuations. Grace particularly emphasises the necessity for greater investigations and understandings around the intersection of psychedelics and the menstrual cycle, explaining how Hystelica attempts to bridge this gap with naturalistic and observational studies. Throughout, the discussion examines how, by researching these unknowns, we can discover new treatment opportunities that better serve women’s health.

Heroic Hearts Project UK

Hystelica

NWPharmaTech

MDMA

Psilocybin Retreats Study

Mothers of the mushroom

Microdosing Study

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129. Decolonising Plant Medicine with ICEERS

Drug Science — Wed, 07 May 2025 08:00:00 +0000

In this latest episode of the Drug Science Podcast, we talk with Natalia Rebollo and Jesús Alonso Olamendi of the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service (ICEERS). They discuss the lasting legacy of colonialism in the psychedelic culture of indigenous communities, stressing the need for the sacredness of these substances to be uplifted and not commodified. Throughout, they explore their work with ICEER’s Ayahuasca Defense Fund and how it has begun to change the narrative surrounding psychedelics in prohibitionist countries. Operating between indigenous communities and the Western world, they provide a unique perspective that shows how both communities can learn from each other.

ICEERS

Ayahuasca Defense Fund

Ayahuasca Legal Battle in France

DMT

Technical Report on Ayahuasca

Colombia's CND68 Resolution

Howard League for Penal Reform

Spanish Ibogaine Trial

Contact Email

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128. Former Doctor, Former Prisoner with Dr Tim Kerr

Drug Science — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Tune in to the latest episode of the drug science podcast where David Nutt meets with Tim Kerr, a doctoral research student in Psychiatry at King’s College London. Tim discusses his journey from slowly falling into drug addiction and dealing whilst studying for his medical degree eventually leading to arrest and imprisonment. Tim shares how he used this time in an open prison to apply for and study a Neuroscience masters with Kings College London with the support of the Longford trust, a charity that supports people with lived experience of prison to access higher education.

The Longford Trust

NHS Practitioner Health

Alcoholic liver disease

Open and closed Prison

Alcoholics Anonymous

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127. Psychedelic Therapy in the UK with Dr Laurie Higbed and Dr Owain Winfield

Drug Science — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Join us in the latest episode of the Drug Science Podcast where David Nutt meets with Psychedelic psychotherapy experts Laurie Higbed and Owain Winfield to dive into how to use psychedelics in psychotherapy. In this episode, they discuss the different techniques used with different psychedelics for different conditions to optimise this type of therapy and why these differences are necessary. They discuss MDMA, Ketamine and Psilocybin in a range of applications including trauma and addictions.

MDMA study into Substance Use Disorder

Compass Pathways

Compass Pathways Psilocybin for Treatment Resistant Depression

Awakn life sciences

Amygdala

Link in show notes

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126. The body keeps the score with Dr Bessel van der Kolk

Drug Science — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 07:54:00 +0000

In this episode, we meet with Bessel van Der kolk, a trauma based psychiatrist, author, researcher and educator. Since the 1970s his research has been in the area of post-traumatic stress and he is the author of four books including best seller “the body keeps score”. Within this episode, he dives into what trauma is and different research into the impact trauma can have on the body and brain. He further discusses various traditional and alternative treatments for trauma and where these may be appropriate for different people with specific emphasis on EMDR and MDMA.

The body keeps score

Nutt's paper lancet psychiatry 50 years of failure

When the spirit catches you, you fall down

Neuroplasticity

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125. The 5-HT hypothesis of depression with Prof Philip Cowen and Dr Sameer Jauhar

Drug Science — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode of the Drug Science Podcast, David Nutt meets with psychopharmacologist Phil Cowen and Psychiatrist Sameer Jauhar to discuss the neuroscience behind and treatments for depression. Within the episode they touch on various neurotransmitters involved in depression as well as research studies into each of their impact, stigma around antidepressants and the role of psychedelics in treatment.

Hamilton depression scale

Serotonin

Tryptophan

Antidepressants

Geddes paper on preventing relapse

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124. The power of Medicine with Josh Dugdale

Drug Science — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode of the Drug Science podcast, we speak with Josh Dugdale of the Wasing Estate, described as a "mindful aristocrat." He shares his experiences with Ayahuasca in the Amazon and how they influenced his journey upon returning to the UK. Josh discusses the creation of a mindful and spiritual festival during the pandemic, its evolution over time, and its wider impact. He also explores the challenges surrounding psilocybin access rights, the changes needed in this area, and what the future of psychedelic reform might look like.

Medicine Festival

Psilocybin Access Rights

Drug Science Reschedule Psilocybin

Medical Cannabis

PTSD Veterans

Industrial Hemp Licensing

DEFRA

Subscribe to podcast

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123. Memory, Movies and Psychedelics with Prof Ravi Das

Drug Science — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 19:19:37 +0000

Prof Ravi Das is a leading expert in psychopharmacology and cognitive neuroscience, with a career dedicated to understanding and developing innovative treatments for addiction and anxiety disorders. He completed his BSc in Psychology and MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London (UCL), followed by a PhD in Psychopharmacology at the UCL Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit.

Prof Das’s research takes a translational and experimental medicine approach, focusing on the mechanisms of memory plasticity and their role in the development of addictive and anxiety disorders. A key area of his work is memory reconsolidation—the process by which established memories become temporarily unstable when retrieved, creating an opportunity to modify maladaptive memories. By targeting these unstable memories, Prof Das explores how drug or behavioral interventions could potentially disrupt the cravings and relapse associated with addiction, the fear underlying anxiety disorders, or the flashbacks experienced in PTSD.

In addition to his work on memory reconsolidation, Prof Das is deeply interested in the phenomenology and effects of illicit drug use, as well as the role of cognitive and mindfulness-based strategies in treating substance use disorders. His research bridges the gap between scientific discovery and clinical application, with the ultimate goal of developing more effective, evidence-based treatments for mental health challenges.

Prof Celia Morgan

Prof Val Curran

Prof Sunjeev Kamboj

Memory Research and consolidation

Biggest DMT study

Placebos in psychedelic clinical trials

Prof Mitul Mehta

Psychedelic gold rush

RFK Jr pro-psychedelics

FDA reject Lykos decision

UNITy screening form

Wellcome Leap

LSD study

Preparation for Psilocybin study

UNITy

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122. Street Drugs Discussions with Prof Chris Chandler and Dr James Morgan

Drug Science — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Tune in to the latest episode of the drug science podcast where we meet with Dr James Morgan, Prof Chris Chandler and Prof Jo Neill, the founders of Street Drugs Discussions (SDD). They discuss the process which led to them founding SDD, a series of webinars featuring experts on drug policy and drugs featuring topics surrounding overdose prevention centres, trafficking, specific substances and more. They reflect on the journey which got them to their current position as well as future hopes for SDD. Further, in this episode, the speakers discuss specific research conducted into long term heroin use and learning theory of addiction.

Street Drugs Discussions
Buvidal

Wedinos

Barod

psycare

Diamorphine assisted treatment

Drug Science Community Member

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121. What is Naturalistic Research? with Dr Matthew X. Lowe

Drug Science — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 07:00:00 +0000

A conversation between Prof David Nutt and research scientist Dr Matthew X. Lowe.

Dr Matthew X. Lowe PhD is Director of Research for Realm of Caring and Executive Director for Unlimited Sciences, a not-for-profit, observational research organisation with a focus on cannabis and psychedelic use by underrepresented population groups and a toll-free info line providing evidence-based support for anyone using psychedelics.

In this episode, they discuss the vital role of observational and longitudinal research when it comes to the medicalisation of cannabis and psychedelics — and the importance for safetyof bringing real-world data into our collective knowledge base.

They start with the genesis of Realm of Caring and Unlimited Sciences. Both organisations were conceived following first-hand experience of the banned compounds they research being profoundly medically transformative — inspiring co-founder Heather Jackson to grow related research and make it freely available to all who stand to benefit from such education. The origin stories of the organisations are followed by Dr Lowe’s personal route to his current research role and the roots of his passion for pursuing psychedelic research questions.

Their focus then shifts to the present day with a comparison of roadblocks and red tape around researching cannabis and psychedelics in the UK and the US, noting the pioneering role that parents so often play in advocating for research into medicinal cannabis. Next comes a deeper exploration of specific properties of psychedelics that relate to their potential therapeutic applications, including their anti-addictive nature and positive habit-forming potential resulting from the neuroplastic window they potentiate — Unlimited Sciences has conducted the world’s largest naturalistic study on psilocybin use with further papers coming out on these implications.

For the remainder of the episode, Prof David Nutt and Dr Matthew Lowe go into specifics on several key projects from Realm of Caring and Unlimited Sciences, including:

- The Realm of Caring Observational Research Registry, being done in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Cannabis Science Laboratory. This ongoing research is an IRB-approved online survey study looking at the effects on a variety of health conditions, in people who do and do not use cannabis. It is open to everyone in the world with internet access.

- The Cannabis and Health Research Initiative (CHRI), another collaboration between Johns Hopkins and Realm of Caring, examining the patient-level impact of therapeutic cannabis use, through data collection and dissemination — aiming to aid clinical decision making and policymaking.

And finally, two ceremonial research projects looking at ayahuasca, foregrounding the role of community and context in ceremonial psychedelic experiences — both exemplifying Unlimited Sciences’ diversification of the evidence base on psychedelics by collecting real world data on underrepresented population groups:

- With subjects who were Arabic-speaking women, a study exploring the psychological benefits of ayahuasca for refugees — with DrugScience collaborator Dr Robin Carhart-Harris.

- And, currently in data analysis, with first results set to release in 2025, an IRB-approved study about ayahuasca use in the LGBTQIA+ community in collaboration with Costa Rica plant medicine retreat Jungle Gayborhood, with an emphasis on the importance of set and setting being truly safe spaces in the sense of meeting the specific needs of participants involved.

Find out more about Dr Matthew X. Lowe and Unlimited Sciences below!

Dr Matthew X. Lowe

Realm of Caring

Unlimited Sciences

The Psychedelic Info Line

Charlotte’s Web, Charlotte Figi and Realm of Caring

Realm of Caring’s research library

Long-term CBD study (Realm of Caring)

Observational Research Registry (Realm of Caring)

World’s largest naturalistic study on psilocybin use (Unlimited Sciences)

Psychological benefits of ayahuasca for refugees (Unlimited Sciences)

Jungle Gayborhood

The LGBTQIA+ study

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120. Ask David Anything

Drug Science — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 07:02:00 +0000

Tune in to the latest episode of the drug science podcast where Prof Nutt meets with several Drug Science Community members for a session of “Ask David Anything”. Together, they explore questions such as the use of cannabis as a psychoactive substance in psychedelic therapy and the latest developments in regulatory decisions on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.

Oxford Ketamine Clinic

Mike Jay Psychonaughts book

Breathwork

Psychedelic Cannabis book Daniel Mcqueen

Treatment resistant depression

Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll Book

Maps

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119. American Politics vs Science with Zoe Cormier

Drug Science — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 08:00:00 +0000

In the latest episode of the Drug Science Podcast, David Nutt sits down with Zoe Cormier, author of ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll’. In this episode, Zoe draws upon her two great passions of music and science and how these lead to her interest around Drugs - she discusses the current landscape of drug policy, drawing upon similarities and differences between the UK, Canada, and the US. She shares insight on the political situation in the US, with reference to recent elections and the potential impact this may have on future drug policy.

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118. Psychotherapy with Andrew Feldmár

Drug Science — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode of the Drug Science Podcast, we hear from Andrew Feldmár, a psychotherapist with over 52 years of experience. He discusses his journey into psychotherapy, his departure from mainstream psychiatric and therapeutic practices rooted in the concept of mental illness, and his experiences with LSD. Feldmár also critiques various techniques used in contemporary psychedelic research and offers a fresh perspective based on what he has learnt in his years of experience.

Radical Adventure: An Inquiry into Psychedelic Psychotherapy Book

Auschwitz

1956 Hungarian uprising

Jon Hopkins Medical School

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117. Drugs and Music with Jon Hopkins

Drug Science — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Prof Neil and Dr Thurgur speak with electronic musician Jon Hopkins.

Together, they explore the intersection of music, mental health, and psychedelics. Jon shares his personal journey, from his early love of music to his experiments with electronic sounds as well as discussing how experiences with meditation and psychedelics have profoundly influenced his music, shaping albums like ‘Music for Psychedelic Therapy’ and ‘Ritual’. They delve into the therapeutic potential of music, especially within psychedelic therapy, and reflect on how music can serve as a powerful tool for healing and self-discovery.

Find out more about Jon Hopkins and his music below!

Jon Hopkins

Ritual

Music For Psychedelic Therapy

Links

Mercury prize

Leo abrahams

Qigong shaking practice

TM - transcendental meditation

Mendel kaelan wave paths

Ram dass foundation talks

Kundalini yoga breathing meditation

Yoga nidra

Vedic mantra meditation

Wim hof

Kundalini yoga breathing meditation

Brat album

Yoga nidra

Vedic mantra meditation

Wim hof

Drug consumption Rooms BBC

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116. Reducing drug harms in the UK with Dr Gillian Shorter and Prof Alex Stevens

Drug Science — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Prof Nutt meets with Prof Alex Stevens, researcher in drug policy, treatment and harm reduction and Gillian Shorter, a researcher into the health and wellbeing of people who use alcohol and drugs.

In this episode they discuss harm reduction strategies in the UK. They delve into the root causes of the stigma surrounding substance use disorders and explore the effectiveness of various harm reduction approaches, such as needle exchange programs and drug consumption rooms. The conversation also considers the politics surrounding these strategies and the limitations imposed by the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Drug Science Enhanced Harm Reduction Working Group

Needle Exchange

High Tolerance Housing

The Merseyside Model

Drug Testing

Drug Consumption Room

Drug Testing Kits

International Harm Reduction Association

HIV and AIDS

Opiate Substitution Therapy

Winter Comfort Case Support the Podcast

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115. Six years of medical cannabis in the UK with Dr Leon Barron, Dr Callie Seaman and Michael Sassano

Drug Science — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:00:00 +0000

What is the UK medical cannabis industry looking like in 2024?

We are 6 years on from legalisation of cannabis-based medical products in the UK and although many patients have now been able to access these products, many others are still struggling to get access.

In this episode of the Drug Science podcast, Prof. David Nutt is joined by three leading experts in cannabis science and the evolving landscape of regulation. Dr. Callie Seaman, Dr. Leon Barron, and Michael Sassano share their insights into the future of cannabis as a medicine, the current regulatory environment, and the scientific innovations driving the industry forward

Cannabis Industry Council

Medical Cannabis Working Group

SOMAI Pharmaceuticals

Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society

London Resilience Clinic

German medical cannabis market

NHS Cannabis-based products for medicinal use

Cost effectiveness paper

HHS report

This episode has been supported by the Cannabis Industry Council

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114. Chemsex with Darren Murphy

Drug Science — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we meet with Darren Murphy, a Chemsex Specialist Practitioner at Forward Leeds, to discuss chemsex, addiction, as well as addressing the link with the LGBTQ+ community. Darren shares his personal journey, navigating the challenges of drug addiction and everything which came with it. Realising the limited support available for people engaging in chemsex, Darren shares how he uses his experiences to help others overcome similar struggles.

ChemSex and Being Safer

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113. Psychiatrists and Curanderos with Dr Simon Ruffell

Drug Science — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Simon Ruffell, a psychiatrist and ayahuasca researcher with extensive experience working with Indigenous communities in the Amazon Basin. He discusses the potential of Indigenous medicines to complement Western psychiatric care and reduce relapse rates. Dr. Ruffell compares Western and Indigenous approaches to using spiritual plants, addressing the ongoing debate about how to respectfully integrate Indigenous medicine into Western healthcare as well as highlighting the key differences between commercial ayahuasca retreats and authentic Indigenous practices. Lastly, he discusses aspects of Shipibo culture and a journey into Shamanism.

Revolving door syndrome

Participation in an indigenous Amazonian-led ayahuasca retreat associated with increases in nature relatedness

Ceremonial Ayahuasca in Amazonian Retreats

Modulatory effects of ayahuasca on personality structure in a traditional framework

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112. Parties, drugs and young people with Dr Karenza Moore

Drug Science — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we meet with Dr Karenza Moore as she discusses changes in drug trends in the UK, focusing on the motivations, risks, and patterns of drug use, particularly among young people. Karenza identifies trends in drug use, including the impact of the lockdown on substance abuse. She also examines various drug trends within dance music culture, which leads to a discussion of safer partying practices, with a particular focus on the LGBT community and the importance of staying safe during a night out. Finally she addresses the challenges of conducting research in this area and outlines strategies for overcoming these barriers to gain a comprehensive understanding of substance use.

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111. OCD and Psychedelics with Rose Cartwright

Drug Science — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Prof Nutt meets with Rose Cartwright as she discusses the impact of psychedelics on her Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). She reflects on some of the common misconceptions around OCD as well as the impact diagnosis and traditional treatment had on her life. Throughout the episode, she reflects on her own psychedelic experiences, mistakes made along the way and the steps she would have taken differently going into this with the knowledge she has today.

Rose Cartwright is a screenwriter whose memoir, Pure, about her life with intrusive sexual thoughts, was adapted for Channel 4. Her revolutionary new memoir, The Maps We Carry, reveals how the failure of the mental health system to cure her OCD led her to radical action. While she explored her trauma through a series of mind-bending psychedelic trips, she began to interrogate our dominant medical paradigm. Her writing about psychedelics, consciousness and mental health has also been published in The Face, Vice and the Guardian. Rose is a writer on the Netflix adaptation of Liu Cixin’s The Three Body Problem.

The Maps We Carry
Rose Cartwright

Psychodynamic therapy

Person centred therapy

Working With Psilocybin - Training Course
Ayahuasca

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110. Ancient Wisdom in the Modern World with Satya

Drug Science — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we meet with Satya, a consciousness activist, who has been entirely dedicated to the expansion and evolution of human consciousness for 15 years. Throughout this time, she has facilitated retreats for over 63,000 people around the world, with profound processes of transformation. Satya is the founder of Working With Satya and of the Awareness Facilitator School, that is currently training facilitators with the method she has developed, uniting modern therapies with science, meditation and ancient wisdom.

She discusses the process of her work through a wide range of transformational processes, with a special focus on combining ancient rituals with contemporary therapeutic techniques. Satya shares how her personal healing journey, following sexual abuse, led her to discover the transformative power of Ayahuasca. Inspired by this experience, she became passionate about sharing this sacred medicine and supporting others on their own paths to healing.

Indigenous ethics in psychedelic work

The risk matrix: Drug-related deaths in prisons in England and Wales, 2015–2020

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109. Prisons and Drugs with Prof Karen Duke and Prof Susanne MacGregor

Drug Science — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we meet with Prof Susanne MacGregor and Prof Karen Duke to explore the issues surrounding drug use in prisons. They discuss the ways vulnerable inmates can be targeted by gangs, as well as how various aspects of the prison environment can increase the potential harms of psychoactive substances.

Responding to ‘wicked problems’: policy and governance on drug-related deaths in English and Welsh prisons, 2015-2020

Producing the ‘problem’ of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in English prisons

‘Keeping a lid on it’: Exploring ‘problematisations’ of prescribed medication in prisons in the UK

'Risk, Intoxication and Death: contemporary media framings of drug-related deaths

ACMD report: ageing cohort of drug users

City roads
PPO
Pregabalin

Rory Stewart 10 Prisons Project

Antisocial personality disorder

Australia MDMA and psilocybin

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108. Psychedelic Education in the UK with Dr Duncan Still

Drug Science — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, David Nutt meets with Dr Duncan Still, a GP with significant interest in integrative medicine. He highlights the importance of adopting a holistic approach when providing support for patients and connecting traditional medicine with modern medicine as opposed to discounting it. Duncan explains how this holistic and integrative approach led to him becoming involved in psychedelic retreats and explains the process participants will undergo.

Mind medicine Australia

Nature connectedness

James Hawkins

Kava Myths and Misunderstandings

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107. Kava with Dr Apo Aporosa

Drug Science — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode we meet with Dr Apo Aporosa

He discusses his unconventional route to his PhD, having not finished school and joined the Army followed by the police only to break into academia at a masters level and continuing studies from there.

Apo talks about his PTSD diagnosis and his subsequent journey with Kava, a spiritual drink consumed in Fijian culture. He discusses the affect this had in treating his PTSD symptoms as well as it facilitating his work overcoming his trauma. In this episode, Apo explains cultural aspects of the Kava experience.

Finally, Apo discusses methods of translating Kava into the medical field without impacting on its traditional and cultural uses. as well as its position of legality within the UK.

Kava Drug information

What is Kava?

Become a drug science community member

PTSD in Veterans

Fijian Kava Ceremoney

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106. The Microdot Gang with Kate Hayes

Drug Science — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Kate Hayes reflects on her experiences with the LSD Microdot Gang, drawing upon her interactions and experiences with Dr. Christine Bott and Richard Kemp. She addresses Richard and Christine’s aspiration to bring about positive change in the world using LSD which led to their eventual arrest following involvement in an LSD production and distribution network. At the time, however it was not uncommon for there to be a separation from LSD funders and manufacturers with distributors and dealers. Kate, therefore, further reflects on her own personal experiences with having fallen victim to the drug trade and trafficking at a young age and how this impacted on her experiences going forwards. Kate further reflects on the historical issues in treating mental health conditions and the current limitations of this, drawing further upon Christine and Richards aspirations for LSD.

Buy the books here

Listen to Acid Dream here

The Club of Rome report

University Occupation for Palestine

March on Washington

Martin Luther king

Death of the Family, David Cooper

History of The Club of Rome

Gabor Mate

Josef Rael

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105. MDMA medicalisation in the US with Dr Julie Holland

Drug Science — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode we meet with Dr Julie Holland.

She discussed how MDMA influenced her career and inspired her to investigate its therapeutic potential. Controversially, she has investigated the effect of MDMA in schizophrenia and its potential in preventing paranoia and inhibiting auditory hallucinations during its effects.

Dr Holland touches upon debate subjects such as the likelihood of addiction following consumption of MDMA as well as classifications of various substances under regulatory bodies.

Finally, Dr Holland highlights the ‘alpha bias’ in current clinical research as expressed through her book ‘moody bitches’ and indicates the implications this could have.

Psilocybin psychotherapy

Telehealth Ketamine Study

Australia Law on MDMA and Psilocybin

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104. Psychedelics in New Zealand with Dr Suresh Muthukumaraswamy

Drug Science — Wed, 22 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we meet with Dr. Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, an Associate Professor of Pharmacy in Auckland. Dr. Muthukumaraswamy discusses his early research, exploring the functional connectivity of substances like DMT and Ketamine. He proceeds to share insights into his breakthrough realisation regarding the disparity between the self-reported success of microdosing outside the lab setting and why it has failed to be replicated in controlled research settings. Finally, he shares his opinions on recent developments of drug policy in Australia and the prospects of New Zealand adopting a similar policy.

Menstural Cycle Hormones

Research

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103. Neuroimaging with Prof Mitul Mehta

Drug Science — Wed, 08 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Professor Mitul Mehta explains how his studies in neuroscience and the role of dopamine in learning and memory led to his own career in neuroimaging. He offers an overview of what neuroimaging entails and how these scans can contribute to the advancement of research.

Drawing from his latest research centred around Schizophrenia, Mitul delves into our understanding of drug interactions within the brain and how these can be used in drug development.

102. MDMA and the Octopus with Dr Gül Dölen

Drug Science — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Prof Neill and Dr Thurgur meet with Dr Gül Dölen, a neuroscientist known for studying social behaviour and psychedelic drugs. Together, they explore the role of critical periods in trauma and mental health; following the potential of Psychedelics in reopening critical periods which were previously thought to be closed, they debate whether a critical period closing is ever truly permanent.

Blitzed – drugs in nazi Germany book

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101. LSD, Nazis and the CIA with Norman Ohler

Drug Science — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Prof Nutt meets with German author Norman Ohler as he speaks about his new book “Tripped” which addresses drug use in post-Nazi Germany. Ohler shares how a secret history held back therapeutic research of psychedelic drugs for decades and eventually Nazi policies became part of the foundation of America’s War on Drugs. Ohler discusses theories as to why substances have been omitted from certain parts of history. This episode delves into deep debates regarding the weaponisation of substances within war environments, touching upon the CIA’s attempts to weaponise psychedelics such as LSD in their MK Ultra experiments.

Methamphetamine

Amphetamine

Blitzkrieg

Psychedelics David Nutt

Become a drug science community member

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100. 100 Years of the Maudsley Hospital with Dr James Rucker

Drug Science — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

On the 100th Episode of the Drug Science podcast, Prof David Nutt meets with Dr James Rucker to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Maudsley Hospital. James shares his experiences as one of the first clinicians in a psychedelic study hosted by David Nutt before explaining his own personal journey into psychedelic research.

Starting from a PhD in Genetics, James’ interest shifted, becoming increasingly interested in psychiatry and discusses his research into psilocybin regarding both its optimum dosage as well as its effectiveness in treatment resistant depression.

Maudsley Hospital Psychedelic Research

Maudsley Hospital

NIHR

Compass pathways

Magic medicine documentary

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99. Anyone's Child with Anne-Marie Cockburn and Jane Slater

Drug Science — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we meet with Jane Slater, co-founder of Anyone’s Child and Anne Marie, a mother who tragically lost her child, Martha, to an accidental overdose. Anne and Jane discuss the consequences of drug policy failures and the need for safe drug use education, drawing in on Anne’s personal journey. She discusses the pain of losing a loved one to a preventable drug related death and how this pain led to the start of Anyone's Child - creating a voice for those who have been directly impacted by drug policy failures and are now calling for the legal control and regulation of the drug market.

Anyone's child

Transform drugs

Anyone's Child Get involved

Release Harm Reduction Advice

Drug information

Ecstasy

Overdose prevention centres

The loop

How to regulate psychedelics book

Good Morning Britain

Dealing with grief

UNGAS 2016

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98. The Merseyside Experiment with John Marks

Drug Science — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

In this week's episode, we feature John Marks, an Addiction Psychologist who spearheaded the Merseyside experiment in northwest England from 1982 to 1995. Throughout this 13-year period, Marks fearlessly operated clinics in Liverpool, basing his practice on the long-term maintenance prescribing of opiates to opiate users.

The high media profile of his work, set against the backdrop of febrile local politics in Liverpool, brought immense political pressure. This pressure eventually led to the closure of the clinics.

Tune in to this episode as John Marks shares his first-hand experiences, recounting the challenges, triumphs, and controversies surrounding his work on the experiment. He provides insights into the intricacies of the UK's drug laws and discusses their impact on his experiment.

Alcohol

heroin

Misuse of drugs act 1971

The ‘Classic paper’ – The North Wind and the Sun

Accidy, Addiction and the Prohibition

Electroencephalographic Correlates of Psychometry

EEG and Psychometry

The Cartesian Bridge: On the Psychology of Consciousness and the Psychopathology of Addiction and Schizophrenia

North wind and the sun

County lines

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97. 5-MeO-DMT with Patrick Cox

Drug Science — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we meet with Patrick Cox, a fashion designer with a background collaborating with Vivienne Westwood. Patrick shares his personal journey from his lifestyle in fashion, led to confronting deep-seated intergenerational trauma. Patrick opens up about undertaking the highly secretive Hoffman Process, and the transformative impact this had on him. From there, he further recounts his journey through the healing use of psychedelics, emphasising the transformative power of ego death. Patrick highlights how this journey led to him becoming a 5-MeO facilitator, and guiding others through these healing experiences.

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96. Ayahuasca: Before and After with Evgeny Lebedev

Drug Science — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, David Nutt meets with Evgeny Lebedev, owner of the Independent and Evening Standard newspaper. Lebedev shares his transformative journey during his first Ayahuasca ceremony in Costa Rica. Throughout the episode, Lebedev not only shares insight into the ceremony's practices but also describes each personal ayahuasca experience and the themes that tied them together. He highlights his revelations resulting from the ceremony and they discuss the potential of psychedelics within healing practices.

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95. Psilocybin for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder with Sorcha O'Connor

Drug Science — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 07:00:00 +0000

In the last episode of our live series, David meets with Sorcha as she explains her ongoing research into using low dose psilocybin in treating OCD. She discusses the pre-existing treatment paradigms for OCD and highlights the potential benefits of Psilocybin assisted psychotherapy in future treatment. She overviews her current study and the theories behind it.

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94. Can psychedelics help us improve our romantic relationships? with Tommaso Barba

Drug Science — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Tomasso discusses his journey on how he became interested in neuroscience and how that lead to him becoming involved with the UK's leading Psychedelic Research Centre. He discusses the potential of psychedelics in promoting positive sexual wellbeing and healthy relationships. He discusses research into the advantages of using psilocybin as an alternative to SSRI’s as well as the potential uses of MDMA in promoting communication within relationships.

Treatment resistant PTSD

Oxytocin

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93. Psilocybin for Anorexia Nervosa with Hannah Douglass

Drug Science — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

David talks to Hannah, a 3rd year PhD student as she discusses her research into using psychedelics to treat eating disorders. She highlights how following personal experiences she came to find current treatment methods for anorexia were not sufficient and instead began conducting her own research with Imperial College London to investigate psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat eating disorders. Hannah explains the theories underlying this research as well as the neuroplasticity following from psilocybin which may increase its effectiveness in mental health treatment

Bill Wilson AA Psychedelics

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92. Psilocybin for Gambling Addiction with Dr Rayyan Zafar

Drug Science — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

In the first of our LIVE Psilocybin Series, David Nutt speaks to Rayyan Zafar a final year PhD student at Imperial College London. Rayyan discusses his interest of the connection between the mind and the brain and how it led to his research into using psychedelics to treat addiction. Rayyan delves into various behavioural and neurochemical theories into why dependency occurs and highlights neuroimaging studies which indicate these varied reactions. He further goes on to discuss his current research in using psychedelics to treat addiction and why this treatment is proven to be so successful.

Become a drug science community member

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91. The Psychedelic Industry with Josh Hardman

Drug Science — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 23:35:58 +0000

In this episode, Josh Hardman, the founder of Psychedelic Alpha, explores the multitude of challenges currently being encountered by the psychedelic industry. He engages in discussions regarding the progress of decriminalisation and legalisation initiatives, upcoming clinical trial milestones, and delves into the current state and the potential evolution of the Psychedelic industry.

Oregon Psilocybin Services

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90. Investing in Psychedelics with Dustin Robinson

Drug Science — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Prof Jo Neill and Dr Hannah Thurgur sit down with Dustin Robinson, the visionary founding partner of Mr. Cannabis Law and a co-founder of Mr. Psychedelics Law. These law firms possess the expertise needed to navigate the intricate and strictly regulated realms of cannabis and psychedelics, addressing a wide range of legal and business challenges within these unique industries.

Their discussion covers a range of thought-provoking topics, including US drug policy and reform, the intricate relationship between mental health and these substances, issues around integration of indigenous psychedelics into Western medicine, and the challenges surrounding research funding.

Mr Cannabis Law

Mr Psychedelic Law

Adventure Capital Firm

The Beckley Foundation

Awakn

Psychedelics: The revolutionary drugs that could change your life – a guide from the expert

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89. David Vs David with Dr David Erritzoe

Drug Science — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 07:55:00 +0000

Recorded live from the launch event of David Nutt's latest book, "Psychedelics: The Revolutionary Drugs That Could Change Your Life – a guide from the expert," in this episode Dr. David Erritzoee and David Nutt engage in a discussion about Psychedelics. During the conversation, David Nutt provides valuable insights into the research that initially ignited his interest in Psychedelics and narrates his career journey from chairing the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to becoming a co-chair of Drug Science.

Equasy — An overlooked addiction with implications for the current debate on drug harms

Australia using MDMA and Psilocybin as Medicine

The Doors of Perception Book

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88. Psychonauts with Mike Jay

Drug Science — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Mike Jay explores the contents of his latest book titled "Psychonaut," which offers a thought-provoking and unique account of the scientists, writers, artists, and philosophers who engaged in drug exploration to uncover the enigmatic realms of the mind. The podcast delves into the historical perspective of psychedelics, shedding light on the evolving societal perceptions of these substances. Moreover, it seeks to rediscover a forgotten intellectual legacy of drug experimentation that contributed to the development of psychology, the exploration of the unconscious, and the rise of modernism.

The High Society book

Mescaline Book

Psychonauts Book

Brave New World Book

Cocaine Papers Sigmund Freud

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87. Mental Health in Academia with Dr Meg Spriggs

Drug Science — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Meg Spriggs shares her firsthand experience dealing with the challenges mental health while pursuing her studies in academia. She candidly talks about the difficulties she faced with anorexia and mood disorders which led to her investigating the potential of psilocybin for treating Anorexia Nervosa.

During the discussion, Meg reveals the shame she felt was associated with various mental health conditions and the consecutive impact this had on her; emphasising the significance of open communication when it comes to mental health, stressing the need for more dialogue and understanding in both the workforce and academia. Additionally, she underscores the importance of prioritising overall wellbeing within these environments.

Anorexia Nervosa

Beat Eating Disorder Support

Antidepressants

Overdose prevention centres

Meg’s Writing

Support Meg’s writing

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86. Diamorphine Assisted Treatment with Danny Ahmed

Drug Science — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Jo Neill, and Hannah Thurgur are joined by Danny Ahmed, a highly experienced Registered Mental Health Nurse and Integrated Psychotherapist with over two decades of expertise. Together, they delve into a comprehensive discussion on a variety of harm reduction techniques.

Throughout the episode, Danny shares his wealth of insights into the complex world of harm reduction. The conversation spans a broad spectrum of topics, including drug consumption rooms, the notion of ‘recovery’ and women who use drugs amongst much more. Danny offers an enlightening look into the multifaceted world of harm reduction. His expertise not only illuminates effective strategies but also underscores the importance of employing compassionate and empathetic approaches when supporting individuals on their path to well-being.

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85. MDMA, Ketamine and Cannabis with Prof Valerie Curran

Drug Science — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Professr Valerie Curran, discusses the psychological effects of drugs that act on the human brain.

Valerie Curren holds the position of Professorial Fellow in the Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program at ACU's Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre. She has an esteemed background as an Emeritus Professor of Psychopharmacology at University College London (UCL), having established the UCL Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit in 1996. Furthermore, she is a founding member of the charity Drug Science and serves as an advisor to the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform.

Tune in to learn about her latest research into the short- and long-term effects of psychoactive drugs on mental health, cognition, memory and the brain as well as how CBD combined with psychological therapy may aid the treatment of cannabis use disorder.

MDMA midweek blues paper – in journal Addiction (mid 90s)

Inappropriate benzodiazepine use in elderly patients and its reduction

Combined and individual effects of CBD and THC on memory

David Nutt and Psilocybin in Australia

Cannabis potency

CBD treating clinical psychosis

CBD in treating cannabis use disorder

Project 2021

Medical cannabis reducing opiate use

Jon snow takes cannabis

Endocannabinoid system

Chris Timmermann - Human brain effects of DMT assessed via EEG-fMRI

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84. Will DMT be a medicine in the UK? with Dr Carol Routledge

Drug Science — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Join us for an insightful episode featuring Dr. Carol Routledge, a distinguished senior scientist and the Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Small Pharma Labs. Dr. Routledge takes us on a journey through her remarkable career path that ultimately led her to work at Small Pharma. With a wealth of experience in both preclinical and clinical settings, she has delved into psychiatric and neurological indications, honing her expertise in understanding and treating mental health disorders.

In this conversation, Dr. Carol Routledge draws upon her extensive clinical and psychedelic research background to shed light on the latest developments in DMT research and psychedelic integration therapy. With her profound insights, we explore the potential of these groundbreaking approaches to become formal medicines, revolutionizing the field of mental health treatment.

Tune in as Dr. Carol Routledge shares her passion for advancing mental health treatments through innovative research.

CMC

British technology group (BTG)

SSRI

Psychedelic experience

Alzheimers research uk

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83. Australia medicalises MDMA and psilocybin with Peter Hunt

Drug Science — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Peter Hunt discusses the journey which led himself and his wife co-founding Mind Medicine in Australia. Mind Medicine work to alleviate the suffering and suicides caused by mental illness in Australia through expanding the treatment options available to medical practitioners and patients, particularly through the establishment of safe and effective psychedelic-assisted therapies.

Delving into the heart of their mission, Peter Hunt explores the groundbreaking potential of psychedelic-assisted treatments in addressing a wide range of mental illnesses. Mind Medicine Australia's commitment to providing accessible and innovative therapies shines through every step of their path.

Peter delves into a comprehensive discussion of the recent developments surrounding the rescheduling of Psilocybin in Australia, shedding light on both the obstacles faced and the triumphs achieved throughout the process.

Trigger Warning: Sexual assault and rape

Therapeutic goods administration

Australia Psilocybin Rescheduling

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82. Psychedelics in Europe with Tadeusz Hawrot and Frédéric Destrebecq

Drug Science — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0000

This weeks Podcast features Frédéric Destrebecq and Tadeusz Hawrot as they discuss the latest developments in research and clinical development with psychedelics in Europe.

Frédéric Destrebecq is the Executive Director of the European Brain Council (EBC), a non-profit organization based in Brussels, Belgium. The EBC is a network of organizations and individuals dedicated to promoting brain research, raising awareness about brain disorders, and advocating for better policies and funding for brain-related issues at the European level. As the Executive Director, Frédéric Destrebecq leads the organization's efforts in advocating for brain research and policy development, facilitating collaborations, and coordinating initiatives to improve brain health and well-being across Europe.

Tadeusz Hawrot is involved in the European federation of neurological associations and the founder and Executive Director of PAREA Science. The Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance (PAREA) is a multistakeholder alliance bringing together organizations representing EU-wide patient advocacy groups, professional organizations, umbrella alliances, psychedelic foundations, and companies active in the field, advocating for implementing safe, effective and accessible psychedelic assisted therapies in Europe.

Live Drug Science Podcast Recording in London

PAREA

European Brain council

European Federation of Neurological Associations

The Value of Treatment Project

Maps MDMA phase 3 trial

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81. Head Injury, Professional Rugby and Psychedelics with Rory Lamont

Drug Science — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 07:53:29 +0000

This weeks podcast features Rory Lamont, a former professional Rugby Union player, as he discusses his experiences discovering the transformative healing potential of plant medicines such as Iboga and Ayahuasca.

During the 2012 Six Nations tournament, while playing for Scotland, Rory suffered a severe leg break that brought his career to an end. Subsequently, he faced a debilitating health crisis that disrupted his life and vitality. As mainstream medicine failed to provide adequate assistance, Rory sought alternative healing methods. This experience marked a significant shift in his self-awareness and improvement in his overall well-being.

Six Nations: Scotland shock as Rory Lamont suffers broken leg during defeat to France

Scottish psychedelic research group

Jo Rogan and Aubrey Marcus Podcast

Psychedelic Integration

Ayahuasca Ceremony

Link for the drug science event

National Institutes of Health

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80. Cannabis for Epilepsy with Dr Evan Lewis

Drug Science — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0000

In this week's episode of the Drug Science Podcast, Prof Nutt and Dr Thurgur are joined by Dr Evan Lewis of Numinus!

Dr. Evan Lewis is a Paediatric Neurologist and Clinical Neurophysiologist with expertise in epilepsy, epilepsy surgery, electroencephalography (EEG), tele-neurology and medical cannabis for the treatment of neurologic disorders. He is the director of the Neurology Centre of Toronto (NCT) which he established in January 2017. At NCT, Dr. Lewis treats children with a variety of neurological disorders and he also treats adults for concussions, headaches and epilepsy.

In addition to this, Dr Lewis is the Vice President of Psychedelic Neurology at Numinus.

His research area of interest (and the topic of this podcast episode) is cannabis and psychedelic-related neurology, for the treatment of epilepsy & other neurological conditions and the delivery of novel virtual care models in neurology.

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79. Smoking vs Vaping with Dr Alex Wodak

Drug Science — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 06:00:00 +0000

In this week’s episode, join Professor David Nutt as he engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Dr Alex Wodak, an internationally renowned authority on harm reduction and the esteemed president of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation. With a rich background as the former director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, Australia, Dr Wodak has been instrumental in pioneering groundbreaking initiatives such as Australia's inaugural needle exchange program and the first-ever Australian medically supervised injecting center in Kings Cross, Sydney.

While Dr Wodak's expertise is widely recognised in the realm of drug policy and harm reduction, this podcast episode takes a compelling twist as he delves into a topic of immense global significance—the harm reduction approach to one of the most pervasive and widely used substances: tobacco. With an unwavering focus on promoting public health and minimising the detrimental impact of addictive substances, Dr Wodak shares his profound insights on the subject.

Throughout the episode, listeners will have the opportunity to explore the nuances surrounding tobacco consumption. Dr Wodak's analysis sheds light on the complexities that contribute to the enduring prevalence of smoking, despite the well-documented health risks and the availability of potential alternatives. From psychological, sociocultural, and economic factors to the powerful grip of addiction, this thought-provoking conversation delves into the multifaceted reasons why individuals continue to smoke.

FDA

Anthony Fauci

Harm Reduction International

Heated Tobacco Products

China National Tobacco Corporation

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78. Are Psychedelics Anti-inflammatory? with Dr Charles Nichols

Drug Science — Wed, 24 May 2023 10:05:14 +0000

Join us on this enlightening episode of the Drug Science podcast as we delve into the fascinating world of serotonergic pathways and their potential applications in treating psychiatric disorders and combating inflammation. Our special guest, Charles Nichols, a distinguished professor of pharmacology at LSU New Orleans, shares his groundbreaking research on the psychedelic 5-HT2A serotonin receptor.

During our conversation, we explore the intricate relationship between the 5-HT2A receptor and its role in both anti-inflammation and the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Charles Nichols guides us through the mechanisms behind these processes, shedding light on how psychedelics like LSD can play a crucial role in modulating the 5-HT2A receptor.

Drawing from his innovative studies, Charles Nichols reveals a surprising avenue of research involving the administration of LSD to depressed fruit flies. We uncover the intriguing results of these experiments and discuss the implications they hold for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying depression and potential treatments.

As we venture further into our conversation, we explore the broader implications of Charles Nichols' work, touching on the potential of psychedelics in revolutionizing mental health treatments and redefining our understanding of brain function. We examine the challenges and prospects of translating this research into practical therapies for individuals suffering from psychiatric disorders.

Tune in to this thought-provoking episode of the Drug Science podcast to discover the cutting-edge advancements in psychedelic research, and gain a deeper appreciation for the therapeutic potential of serotonergic pathways in treating mental health disorders and combating inflammation.

British Association for Psychopharmacology

Serotonin 5-HT2a receptor

Functional selectivity

Porsolt forced swimming test

2,5-Dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI)

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77. Is Depression Evolutionary? with Dr Charles Raison

Drug Science — Wed, 10 May 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Is depression evolutionary? Is inflammation good or bad? Can sleep be bad for you? Tune in to find out.

Depression is a complex and debilitating mental health disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite the prevalence of depression, its causes and origins are still not entirely understood. In this episode of the Drug Science Podcast, we explore the evolutionary perspective on depression with renowned psychiatrist and researcher, Dr. Charles Raison.

Dr. Charles Raison is a psychiatrist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Emory University. Having moved from the field of anthropology into psychiatry, Dr. Raison is now internationally recognized for his studies examining novel mechanisms involved in the development and treatment of major depression and other stress-related emotional and physical conditions, as well as for his work examining the physical and behavioral effects of compassion training.

The New Mind-Body Science of Depression

Andrew H. Miller

Interferon alpha

Paroxetine for the prevention of depression induced by high-dose interferon alfa

Infliximab

Tumor necrosis factor

A randomized controlled trial of the tumor necrosis factor antagonist infliximab for treatment-resistant depression: the role of baseline inflammatory biomarkers

Antidepressant treatment resistance is associated with increased inflammatory markers in patients with major depressive disorder

Burning down the house: reinventing drug discovery in psychiatry for the development of targeted therapies

Pivotal mental states

Usona Institute

COMPASS Pathways

Centre for Psychedelics and Spirituality

MAPS

Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression

5-MeO-DMT

Sleeping with one eye open: loneliness and sleep quality in young adults

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76. What is Decriminalisation? with Kassandra Frederique

Drug Science — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Are you curious about the impact of drug policies on marginalized communities? Then tune in to this week's episode of our podcast! Our guest, Kassandra Frederique, the Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance, joins Dr. Hannah Thurgur to discuss the impact of drug policies on Black, Latino, Indigenous, immigrant, and LGBTQ communities.

You'll also discover how the Drug Policy Alliance is working to build alternatives grounded in justice and equity. Join us to explore how we can end the war on drugs not just in the US, but worldwide. Listen now!

Through innovative campaigns on policing, overdose crises, and marijuana legalization, Kassandra has been fighting for justice and equity in drug policies. Her work lies at the intersection of science, compassion, health, and human rights. With her guidance, the Drug Policy Alliance has been mobilizing cities to rethink their approach to drug policy from the ground up.

Rudy Giuliani

Lindesmith Center

Supervised Consumption Centers in New York

Transform Drug Policy Foundation

Release

Regulating Right, Repairing Wrongs: Exploring Equity and Social Justice Initiatives within UK Cannabis Reform

Scottish overdose prevention service

David Nutt >< David Badcock Hepatitis C project

Narcan

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T21 - Medical Cannabis bonus episode

Drug Science — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

T21 (formerly Project Twenty21) is a pioneering medical cannabis registry launched in the United Kingdom in 2019. It aims to create the UK's largest body of evidence for the effectiveness and tolerability of medical cannabis in treating a range of conditions.

T21 focuses on patients with conditions that can be treated with medical cannabis such as chronic pain, anxiety conditions, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Tourette's syndrome, and substance use disorder. A list of conditions that qualify for medical cannabis treatment can be found here. The registry provides patients with access to discounted medical cannabis from licensed producers and clinicians who have undergone training in the use of medical cannabis while collecting data to strengthen the evidence base The project is seen as a significant step forward in promoting research into the potential therapeutic benefits of medical cannabis, and in improving patient access to this treatment option in the UK.

In this very special episode of the Drug Science Podcast, we will be joined by three members of the Drug Science team:

David Badcock – Chief Executive Officer of Drug Science

Prof Michael Lynskey – Chief Research Officer

Alkyoni Athanasiou-Fragkouli – Research Officer for T21

*Please note that in this episode we make reference to a medical cannabis legal document that will be provided in the shownotes, this document is VERY close to being finished but it needs a few last-minute reviews to ensure that all of the information is 100% accurate, we appreciate your patience.

Meet the presenters!

Find out more about T21

T21 latest data & data nuggets

T21 publications:

· Medication sparing after medical cannabis initiation: A case study of a chronic pain patient in Project Twenty21

· Developing a real-world evidence base for prescribed cannabis in the United Kingdom: preliminary findings from Project Twenty21

· Characteristics of People Seeking Prescribed Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Chronic Pain: Evidence From Project Twenty 21

· The value of real world evidence: The case of medical cannabis

· Preliminary findings from project Twenty21 Australia: An observational study of patients prescribed medicinal Cannabis for chronic pain, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and multiple sclerosis

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75. DMT for Depression with Dr Graham Campbell

Drug Science — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Are you curious about the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy? Tune in to this week's episode of our podcast, where we have a fascinating conversation with Dr. Graham Campbell, a renowned consultant psychiatrist and researcher in the field.

Drawing from his extensive experience in both psychedelic research and clinical work, Dr. Campbell shares his insights on a range of topics. Discover his thoughts on the possibility of introducing psychedelic treatments by the NHS, the differences between magic mushrooms and DMT in the treatment of depression, and the crucial role of music in a psychedelic journey.

Join us for an engaging and informative discussion on the cutting-edge of psychedelic-assisted therapy, with one of the leading experts in the field. Don't miss out - listen to our latest episode now!

Listen to Graham's music here!

Psychedelic Assisted Therapy

Small Pharma

DMT

Intranasal Esketamine (SpravatoTM) for Use in Treatment-Resistant Depression In Conjunction With an Oral Antidepressant

Schizophrenia

Bipolar disorder

Schizoaffective disorder

Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression

Ashleigh Murphy-Beiner

Institute of Psychedelic Therapy

The Readiness of Psychiatrists to Implement Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Monoamine oxidase inhibitor

Serotonin

The ACE Model

The hidden therapist: evidence for a central role of music in psychedelic therapy

Max Cooper

Music and the Mind by Anthony Storr

Mind Foundation

Maria Papaspyrou

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74. Welcome to Season 4 with Dr Thurgur and Prof Neill

Drug Science — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Welcome to season 4 of the Drug Science Podcast! In this episode, we're introducing our new hosts: Professor Jo Neill and Dr Hannah Thurgur!

Jo Neill is a professor of psychopharmacology at the University of Manchester and the chair of the Medical Psychedelics Working Group of Drug Science. Following years of clinical and scientific experience, Jo decided to focus on spreading knowledge about the use of psychedelic medicines to tackle the mental health crisis head-on!

Hannah Thurgur is a doctor of neuroscience. After finishing her studies her research focus shifted from the lab to working with patients in clinical trials involving medical cannabis and psychedelics. She is the study coordinator for the Drug Science Long Covid study which aims to test a high cannabidiol (CBD) containing medical cannabis oil to see if it can improve the symptoms of this challenging condition.

Tune in to meet Jo and Hannah and hear about the upcoming events, podcasts, and plans for Drug Science!

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Drug Science LIVE - Part 2

Drug Science — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 07:00:00 +0000

This week we present you with part 2 of the podcast recorded live at the book launch of 'Drug Science and British Drug Policy’. We’re going to hear panel discussions on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and different approaches to drug policy with co-authors of the book. This time, professor David Nutt will talk with Niamh Eastwood (Release), Steve Rolles (Transform drug policy foundation), and Cara Lavan (Anyone’s Child).

The Numbers in Black And White: Ethnic Disparities In The Policing And Prosecution Of Drug Offences In England And Wales

Sentia GABA Spirit

Drugs, Crime and Public Health: The Political Economy of Drug Policy

The Loop

Lewisham Diversion Scheme

Utrecht MDMA shop

Legal Regulation of Drugs in Colombia

Synthetic cannabinoids

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Drug Science LIVE - Part 1

Drug Science — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 06:00:00 +0000

This week we present you with a podcast recorded live at the book launch of ‚Drug Science and British drug policy’. We’re going to hear panel discussions on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and different approaches to drug policy with co-authors of the book. In part 1 professor David Nutt will talk with Prof Alex Stevens (Professor in Criminal Justice), Prof Val Curran (Professor of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology), and Roz Gittins (Director of Pharmacy). Tune in to hear about 50 years of failed drug policy, and what you can do to influence change.

Drug Science and British Drug Policy: Critical Analysis of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Sentia GABA Spirit

Professor Alex Stevens

Ecstasy (MDMA)

‚Drug policy ratchet’

Cannabinoid

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

Harm reduction

The Drugtakers. The Social Meaning of Drug Use by Jock Young

Overdose prevention centre (OPC)

Foil for harm reduction

Baroness Wootton of Abinger

Dame Carol Black

Controlled Drug Classes

Ronnie Cowan

National Institute of Drug Abuse

Drug Science Student Society Network

George Ricaurte MDMA Research Controversy

Human psychobiology of MDMA or 'Ecstasy': an overview of 25 years of empirical research by Andrew Parrott

Nitrous oxide

Sadiq Khan plans pilot to ‘decriminalise’ minor cannabis offences in London

Intranasal Naloxone

Khat

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73. Overdose Prevention Centres with Gillian Shorter and Mat Southwell

Drug Science — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Dr Gillian Shorter is currently a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast, with 17 years’ research experience on substance use and allied works. Her main research focus is supporting people who use drugs or alcohol who are not seeking formal treatment. She led the evaluation of the UK’s first unsanctioned drug consumption site in Glasgow, Scotland run by Peter Krykant, and has an interest in developing models for overdose prevention centres including community engagement, evaluation, understanding, and delivery in partnerships with people who have lived or living experience of substance use.

Matt Southwell is a high-level advocate, technical advisor and drug user activist. He was one of the UK’s first generation of harm reduction workers in the late 1980s founding the pioneering and award-winning Healthy Options Team (HOT). In 1999 Mat decided to come out publicly as a drug user on a BBC documentary leading to dismissal from his position in the NHS Drug Services and the loss of his successful private consulting firm. Since this time Mat has supported drug user organisations and led different drug user networks from the local to the global level. Mat is currently Project Manager for the European Network of People who Use Drugs (EuroNPUD).

Is the UK on its way to opening first official drug injection sites? How can one influence police officials and politicians to lobby for a positive change? How effective are these solutions in preventing drug related deaths?

Tune in to listen to this highly insightful and simply important episode.

EuroNPUD

Supervised Injection Facilities

Harm reduction

coAct

Overdose Prevention Centres

Needle and syringe programmes

Reducing drug-related harms in Sandwell: the need and feasibility of an overdose prevention service

Opioid agonist therapy

Diamorphine (Heroin-assisted treatment)

Buprenorphine

Drug Science Enhanced Harm Reduction Working Group

Illicit drugs classification in the UK

Peter Krykant

CAS Baluard Barcelona

Drug consumption rooms

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72. The Student Society Network with Libby Furminger and Ben Clayden

Drug Science — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Libby and Ben are third-year students from Swansea University and the University of York, who are deeply interested in the use of psychedelics in medicine and drug policy. At their universities, they are presidents of their respective Psychedelics in Medicine societies which raise awareness on the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs among fellow students. Tune in to the episode to find out about their journeys into the world of Drug Science and how to get involved yourself!

Get in touch with the Student Society Network!

Find out more about the Drug Science Student Society Network

Psychedelics in Medicine Podcast

Serotonin

Neuroscientifically Challenged

MDMA and psychotherapy in alcohol dependence treatment

Drug Science Student Society Network

Brain and Mind Made Simple by David Nutt

UK Patient Conference: Medical Cannabis Awareness Week 2022

Medical cannabis awareness week

Anything Can Happen

Secondary School Education Resources

Transform Drugs

Anyone’s Child

Should All Drugs Be Legalized

Harm Reduction

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71. Drugs in the Media with Mattha Busby

Drug Science — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Mattha Busby is a freelance journalist for publications including the Guardian, Observer, London Times, Vice, Jacobin and Leafly. Based in Mexico, Mattha writes about health, drugs, nutrition, human rights, blockchain, the environment, and events in Latin America. 'Should All Drugs Be Legalized?’ reads the title of his first book, listen to this week’s episode to find out the answer!

Mexican drug war

Medical cannabis

Oaxaca

Awakn Life Sciences Group

Jamaican Psilocybin Retreats

Maria Sabina

Peyote

R. Gordon Wasson

“Seeking the Magic Mushroom” by Gordon Wasson

‘I’m a lighter me’: Can Mike Tyson and psychedelics help boxers with brain trauma?

Hunter S. Tompson

Mexico’s Supreme Court rules personal marijuana possession legal, again

Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán

Jalisco New Generation Cartel

Dutch Ecstasy “Shop”

LSD could help alcoholics stop drinking, AA founder believed

Mick Lynch

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70. The Placebo Effect with Andrew Gold

Drug Science — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 08:00:00 +0000

This week’s episode features Andrew Gold of the On the Edge with Andrew Gold podcast. Andrew Gold is a journalist and TV presenter who lived in 6 countries, producing documentaries on bizarre and controversial subcultures. His documentaries range from the award-winning Exorcism: The Battle for Young Minds to stories on hunted UFOs.

★ Support this podcast ★

69. Amphetamine, Heroin and Cocaine with Prof Aldo Badiani

Drug Science — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Professor Badiani received his doctoral degree in Medicine and Surgery from Sapienza University of Rome and carried out post-doctoral research in Italy (CNR), Canada (CSBN), and USA (University of Michigan) to then return to Sapienza University Medical School as Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, progressing to the rank of Full Professor in 2008. At Sapienza he also served as Associate Chief Physician in the Drug Addiction unit of the University Hospital. Additionally, he has been President of the European Behavioural Pharmacology Society (EBPS) from 2011 to 2013.

Professor Badiani conducts research in the field of drug addiction with the focus on the role of environmental factors in determining individual vulnerability to drug addiction in both humans and animals. In this episode of Drug Science podcast you’ll learn about the most recent research on the science of drug addiction from a leading expert in the field.

Drug sensitization (reverse tolerance)

Psychotomimetism

Psychosis

Incentive sensitization theory of addiction

Naloxone precipitated withdrawal increases dopamine release in the dorsal striatum of opioid dependent men

Russell’s Circumplex Models

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68. Bipolar, Schizophrenia and Depression with Prof Allan Young

Drug Science — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Professor Allan Young is a psychopharmacologist and the Director of the Centre for Affective Disorders in the Department of Psychological Medicine in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London. Prof Young is the clinical academic lead in the Psychological Medicine and Integrated Care Clinical Academic Group in the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust where he is also a Consultant Psychiatrist and the head of the National Affective Disorders Tertiary Clinic.

Professor Young’s research interests focus on the cause and treatments for severe psychiatric illnesses, particularly mood disorders like depression. He has received research grant funding from the UK Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, and numerous other respected funding agencies worldwide. He has published over 400 peer-reviewed publications and a number of books about psychopharmacology and affective disorders. According to the 2014 Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher list, Professor Young was recently ranked as one of the world's leading scientific minds in the field of Psychiatry and Psychology.

Immuno-metabolic depression

Bipolar disorder

Major depressive episode

SSRI

Rapid cycling bipolar disorder

Tricyclic antidepressants

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)

Dopamine receptor D2

Cognitive Remediation Therapy

Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

CBT

Psilocybin: From Serendipity to Credibility?

Esketamine: Ketamine nasal spray

Bioavailability

COMPASS Pathways

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67. Why People Don't Like Science? with Robin Ince

Drug Science — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Listen in to hear Robin’s valuable perspective on matters such as assisted death, private education and the difference between a debate and a conversation.

The Demon-Haunted World

The Infinite Monkey Cage

Amusing Ourselves to Death

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66. Benzos, Dope and Tranq with Manisha Krishnan

Drug Science — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Coming from Canada, home to one of the most progressive drug addiction services in the world, Manisha was reporting for VICE News in their new documentary 'Beyond Fentanyl' which looks at how drugs like “benzos,” "dope” and “tranq” are ravaging North American communities and how U.S. policy affected the latest flood of synthetic street drugs.

Tune in to this week’s episode for a VICE journalist’s perspective on drug policies around the world.

Downer and upper drugs

“This Is Something That Changed My Life”: A Qualitative Study of Patients' Experiences in a Clinical Trial of Ketamine Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorders

Supervised injection sites

Beyond Fentanyl documentary

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65. Addiction, Rats and Nazi Germany with Professor Bruce Alexander

Drug Science — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 08:00:00 +0000

This week’s episode features Professor Bruce Alexander, a psychologist and professor emeritus from Vancouver, BC, Canada, author of two books about addiction: Peaceful Measures: Canada's Way Out of the War on Drugs and The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit.

Professor Alexander conducted a series of experiments into drug addiction known as the Rat Park experiments. Which brought into light the true complexity of addiction and the influence of our environment on how we use drugs and how they affect us. Listen to this episode to find out why the “demon drug myth” is extremely out of date with the scientific world and what we can do to debunk it.

How permanent was Vietnam drug addiction

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64. Autism with Melanie Sykes

Drug Science — Wed, 25 May 2022 08:00:00 +0000

This week’s episode features English television and radio presenter, and model Melanie Sykes.

Melanie is an advocate for medical cannabis use for childhood epilepsy and other chronic conditions. In 2021 she became an Ambassador in Medcan Support - a non-profit community interest company who provide free resources and educational material on medical cannabis, the endocannabinoid system and the positive outcomes cannabis treatment has had on so many people throughout the UK. With her support, she helps fight the stigma and raises other issues which are preventing access to the natural medicine.

Listen to this episode of the podcast to find out more about medical cannabis and also how an autism diagnosis at 51 can change your life!

Don’t ‘Talk to FRANK’ but do check out the Frank magazine -> The Frank Magazine

The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum

William Broke O’Shaughnessy

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63. Indigenous Wisdom with Mark Plotkin

Drug Science — Wed, 11 May 2022 09:00:00 +0000

This week’s episode features yet another great speaker at the ESPD55 conference Mark Plotkin, an ethnobotanist, advocate for tropical forest conservation and the host of Plants of the Gods podcast.

Following research at Harvard under Richard Evans Schultes and years of working in a close relationship with the native communities of Amazonia, Mark with his books, podcasts and talks educates the public about the wondrous world of plants, their history, medicinal and cultural significance. Accordingly, he advocates for saving tropical forests as entities inseparable from their indigenous cultures. His group Amazon Conservation Team focuses on helping the communities to survive within the modern world rather than subordinate to it.

Tune in to the episode to find out how we can help these communities grow but also how wine, magic mushrooms and other substances might have influenced our own culture.

The Plants of the Gods

Stoned Ape Hypothesis

Drunken monkey hypothesis

The Ethnobotany of Wine as Medicine in the Ancient Mediterranean World

Richard Evans Schultes

Scopolamine

Erik the red

The Shamans and Apprentices Program

Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice

Timothy Leary

Amazon Conservation Team

Alfred Russel Wallace

★ Support this podcast ★

62. Blood of the cocaine war with Wade Davis

Drug Science — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 17:28:37 +0000

Wade Davis is a Canadian cultural anthropologist, ethnobotanist, author, and photographer. Davis came to prominence with his 1985 best-selling book The Serpent and the Rainbow about the ‘zombies of Haiti’. He is professor of anthropology and the BC Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk at the University of British Columbia.

Davis has published articles in Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Outside, National Geographic, Fortune, and Condé Nast Traveler. He is an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society and had produced 18 documentary films. His work has largely focused on worldwide indigenous cultures, and has taken him to, among others, East Africa, Borneo, Nepal, Peru and Tibet.

As a honorary citizen of Colombia, Wade Davis educates about the true culture of a country known mostly for its drug cartels and cocaine scandals. Listen to this week’s episode to find out about Colombia and its sacred plant - Coca, a stimulant milder than tea and with more nutritional benefits than all the plants we know of.

How Coffee Fuelled Revolutions

Coca wine (Vin Mariani)

Dennis McKenna

Albert Hoffman

Peyote

Richard Evans Shultes

Alkaloid

Volstead act

Andrew Weil

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61. Ethnopharmacology Part 2 with Dr Dennis McKenna

Drug Science — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Dennis Jon McKenna is an American ethnopharmacologist, research pharmacognosist, lecturer and author. He received his doctorate in botanical sciences from the University of British Columbia and completed post-doctoral research fellowships in the National Institute of Mental Health and in the Department of Neurology at Stanford University School of Medicine.

His research has included the pharmacology, botany, and chemistry of ayahuasca and oo-koo-hé, the subjects of his master's thesis. He has also conducted extensive fieldwork in the Peruvian, Colombian, and Brazilian Amazon. Having authored numerous scientific articles and books, McKenna’s work led to the development of natural products for Aveda Corporation as well as greater awareness of natural products and medicines. Additionally, together with his brother Terence McKenna and Jeremy Bigwood, he developed a technique for cultivating psilocybin mushrooms, and published what they had learned in a book Psilocybin - Magic Mushroom Grower’s Guide.

With that immense experience and knowledge of psychedelics, Dennis McKenna is a founding board member and the director of ethnopharmacology at the Heffter Research Institute, A non-profit which investigates the potential medicinal uses of these substances.

Tune in to this week’s episode to find out about the true significance of ethnopharmacology and a conference organised by Dennis that you’ll be able to stream online very soon!

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGIC SEARCH FOR PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS

Dennis McKenna

ESPD 50

National Institute of Mental Health

Alexander Shulgin

Andrew Weil

Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs

Ethnopharmacology

Coca

Cody Swift

COMPASS psilocybin trial

“Sea DMT” Tryptamine in Sea Sponges

ESPD 55

New York Times DMT toad article

How to Change your Mind by Michael Pollan

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Kappa opioid receptor

ICCERS - The International Centre for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service

Iboga

Ayahuasca tourism

Mckenna’s mission

DMT: The Spirit Molecule (documentary)

ESPD55.com

Psilocybin Pulse Dosing

Microdosing

Oregon Drug Decriminalization

★ Support this podcast ★

60. Ketamine, Cannabis and Alcohol with Prof Celia Morgan

Drug Science — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 09:00:00 +0000

This week we’re talking about ketamine with Professor Celia Morgan, a Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter and the academic lead for Exeter Translational Addiction Partnership (ETAP) and Ketamine for Reduction of Alcoholic Relapse (KARE). Professor Morgan is interested in the effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain and behaviour. Her research focuses on examining both the benefits and side effects of recreational drugs on cognition, mental health and neurobiology. Through behavioural, neuroimaging studies and clinical trials, she has investigated the potentially therapeutic sides of controlled substances in clinical trials aimed at the treatment of addiction and in particularly looking at drugs such as ketamine and MDMA in combination with psychological therapies.

Tune into this week's episode to find out all about ketamine and how cycling around squats in North London can be part of scientific research...

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59. How to become a psychedelic therapist with Dr Rosalind Watts

Drug Science — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Dr Watts is a clinical psychologist, a mother, and a nature lover. Her work as the Clinical Lead for Imperial College London’s psilocybin trial, and subsequent role as the Clinical Director at Synthesis Institute, have made her one of the most prominent voices and minds in the field of psychedelic research. Dr Watts builds tools and structures to foster connectedness after psychedelic experiences, finding inspiration for their design from nature. The most recent of which is the integration community she’s created - ACER Integration.

While working in clinical practice Rosalind has developed a psychedelic therapy model she coined ACE, which stands for, ‘Accept, Connect, Embody’. Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and the ‘Psychological Flexibility Model’, she mapped the journey that individuals under the influence of a psychedelic go through when they dive into their experience, extract the meaningful lessons to heal, and then integrate and embody them afterwards. Her qualitative research, exploring the perspectives of participants in several psychedelic research studies, gave rise to her interest in the common theme of ‘connectedness to Self, others, and the world’ as an essential aspect of psychedelic treatment. With that patient-centred attitude, she gives insightful talks focusing on the patients’ perspective on the psychedelic journey as a part of the healing process.

Listen to the podcast to learn about the beauty and the nuances of psychedelic experience and healing.

Join Dr Watts for the inaugural launch of ACER Integration here -> https://dandelion.earth/events/622233b3025fc50011891f2e
Learn more about ACER Integration -> https://www.drrosalindwatts.com/

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Psychedelic use and recidivism

William A. Richards (Bill)

Abraham Maslow

Carl Jung

Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT)

Dialectical behaviour therapy

Psychological flexibility

Synthesis Institute

Island (Huxley novel)

Journal of Humanistic Psychology

★ Support this podcast ★

58. The Black Review with Dame Carol Black

Drug Science — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Professor Dame Carol Black studied history at Bristol University, then worked as a schoolteacher, however, in 1965 Black enrolled as a mature student to study medicine which she graduated from at the age of 30.

During her career, she’s been an advisor for the government on issues such as the relationship between work and health. She’d issue reports regarding sick leaves due to physical and mental health, including drug addictions.

In 2019 Professor Dame Carol Black was appointed to lead a major 2-part review that looked into the relationship between drugs and violence but also treatment, recovery and prevention of drug addictions.

Listen to this week’s episode to hear the perspective of a dedicated physician but also a government advisor on the approach to both treatment and social implications of drug addictions.

Cicely Saunders

Scleroderma

Royal College of Physicians

Newnham College

Review of drugs: phase two report

Individual placement and support

Sajid Javid

Matt Hancock

National Treatment Agency of Substance Misuse (NTA)

★ Support this podcast ★

57. British vs US Drug Policy with Ethan Nadelmann

Drug Science — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Ethan Nadelmann studied at Harvard University and London School of Economics and was a lecturer at Princeton University. While at Princeton, Nadelmann’s work focused on drug policy, attracting considerable attention with his articles in Science, Foreign Affairs, National Review and many others. He also formed the Princeton Working Group on the Future of Drug Use and Alternatives to Drug Prohibition.

In mid-90s Nadelmann founded the Lindesmith Center, a drug policy institute that six years later became the Drug Policy Alliance, a group for drug policies "grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.” As the Executive Director of the organisation, Nadelmann advocates for the application of harm reduction principles to minimize the public health effects of the War on Drugs.

In 2021 he launched Psychoactive, a podcast on drug policy, drug use, and drugs research featuring Nadelmann interviewing leading figures in current debates on drugs such as head of the US National Institute of Drug Abuse Nora Volkow, authors Michael Pollan and Andrew Weil.

What’s the future of drug policies? Will tobacco become the next substance politicians will go to war against? Be sure to tune in to find out!

McGill University

Magic Mushrooms (Psilocybin)

Hash

Cops Across Borders

DEA

Andrew Weil

Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin

Tobacco (Nicotine)

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

Kevin Zeese

War on Drugs

George Soros

Foreign Policy magazine

Open Society Foundations

Lindesmith center

Alfred Lindesmith

Drug Policy Alliance

International Harm Reduction Development Program (IHRD)

Ballot initiative

Brompton cocktail

The Heroin Solution by Arnold S. Trebach

Heroin-assisted treatment

Marjorie “Mo” Mowlam

Keith Hellawell

Partnership for a Drug-Free America

Jesse Jackson

Charles Rangel

Chuck Schumer

The Beckley Foundation

Fentanyl

Tobacco Harm Reduction

Smoking Cessation and Psilocybin

★ Support this podcast ★

56. Microdosing Psychedelics with Dr James Fadiman

Drug Science — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 08:00:00 +0000

James Fadiman is a true man of many talents. Wikipedia calls him an ‘American writer’, but actually, he’s worked in multiple fields, from psychology, through to IT and, finally, to psychedelic research.

He studied Psychology at Harvard University and obtained a PhD from Stanford University. As a graduate student at Stanford, Fadiman was Stewart Brand's LSD guide on Brand's first LSD trip, at Myron Stolaroff's International Foundation for Advanced Study in Menlo Park, California.

He was also part of the team in the psychedelics in problem-solving experiment at the International Foundation for Advanced Study, which was abruptly halted in 1966 together with all the remarkable psychedelic research that was happening in the US.

Additionally, Fadiman worked at Stanford's Augmentation Research Center, a division that did research on networked computing. What did the technological research group need a psychologist in their team for? How are psychedelics and technological advances interconnected? And finally, what happens when you give psychedelics to a group of scientists? Listen to this week’s episode to find out!

Richard Alpert (Baba Ram Dass)

International Foundation for Advanced Study

Timothy Leary

Aldous Huxley

The Mother of All Demos

Nixon’s War on drugs

Abraham Maslow

Microdosing

microdosingpsychedelics.com

FDA

Double-blind studies

Lupus

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55. The Right to Try with Spencer Hawkswell

Drug Science — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 08:00:00 +0000

If you were told you had months, weeks or even days left to live...would you care what the law said about consuming psychoactive substances? This week’s episode features Spencer Hawkswell the CEO of TheraPsil - a non-profit coalition dedicated to helping Canadians in medical need access legal, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat end-of-life distress.

Spencer believes that responsible drug policy requires effective organization and leadership and is dedicated to bringing together the experts and advocates, to facilitate change that results in increased access to compassionate care, harm reduction, and treatment options for those in need.

Tune in to this week’s episode to hear how the Land of Maple Leaf implements its patient-centred approach in healthcare. What happened in the UK? Are there lessons to be learnt from Canada?

Holotropic breathwork

Cluster headache

ADHD

Acid (LSD)

Medical assistance in dying

Letter to Minister Duclos

Re: Proposed Regulations for Medical Access to Psilocybin

★ Support this podcast ★

54. Ketamine with Paul Glue

Drug Science — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 08:00:00 +0000

This week’s episode features Paul Glue, professor of Psychiatry at the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.

With a vast experience in both academia and pharmaceutical industry, Paul Glue's research focuses on clinical and basic science to investigate the pharmacology of drug treatments in psychiatry and the disease mechanisms of neurological and psychiatric disorders. He is also interested in psychopharmacology and the development of novel therapeutics for affective disorders. One of these novel substances that have dominated his career is ketamine for treatment-resistant depression.

Tune in to this episode to listen to a fascinating conversation between two great scientists about, well… Drug Science.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Microdialysis

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

NMDA glutamate receptor

Overexcitement and disinhibition
Dynamic Neurotransmitter Interactions in Alcohol Withdrawal by Paul Glue and David Nutt

Methamphetamine

John Krystal

Treatment-resistant depression

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy

Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale

Douglas Pharmaceuticals

Plasma brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and response to ketamine in treatment-resistant depression

Mechanisms of ketamine action as an antidepressant - P Zanos, T D Gould

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

Good manufacturing practice (GMP)

Paroxetine

QT interval

The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate Relation

Noribogaine

Prozac

Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity - Ly et al.

Serotonin 2a receptor

★ Support this podcast ★

53. Moral Panic with Cory Doctorow

Drug Science — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Cory Doctorow is a Canadian-British citizen of Eastern European Jewish descent and, frankly, it is no less difficult to grasp his vast interests and points of expertise than his family roots. After attending four universities without obtaining a degree, Cory’s career started with co-founding free software P2P company called OpenCola and selling it to the Open Text Corporation after four years. Later Doctorow relocated to London and worked as European Affairs Coordinator for the Electronic Frontier Foundation helping to establish the Open Rights Group, before leaving the EFF to pursue both fiction and non-fiction writing full-time.

He is also an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licences for his books. Some common themes of his work include digital rights management, file sharing, and post-scarcity economics.

Academically, he was named the 2006–2007 Canadian Fulbright Chair for Public Diplomacy at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, and in 2009, Doctorow became the first Independent Studies Scholar in Virtual Residence at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. Doctorow is also a Visiting Professor at the Open University in the United Kingdom. In 2012 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from The Open University.

If you want to find out how data surveillance, AI, and monopolization can be connected to drug policy, be sure to tune in to this episode!

Blog: www.pluralistic.net

Books: www.craphound.com/shop

Podcast: www.craphound.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://mail.flarn.com/mailman/listinfo/plura-list/

Medium: https://doctorow.medium.com/

RSS: https://pluralistic.net/feed/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/doctorow

Drugs without the hot air: Making Sense of Legal and Illegal Drugs - without the hot air

“Nutsack”

Harm reduction

Selective enforcement

Electronic frontier foundation

Association for Computing Machinery

Statement on principles for the development and deployment of equitable, private, and secure remote test administration systems.

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52. Drug Laws with Niamh Eastwood

Drug Science — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Niamh Eastwood is the executive director of Release, the national centre offering legal services for drug users.

She started at Release as a legal advisor. Now, having worked in drug policy for the last fifteen years she’s co-authored many of Release’s advice booklets and drug policy related papers including ’The Colour of Injustice: 'Race', Drugs and Law Enforcement in England and Wales’. One of the aspects of drug laws she’s most passionate about is how disproportionately they affect the most vulnerable in society.

Accordingly, she’s advocating for drug policy reform in the UK by giving talks and lectures, contributing to drug policy journals and publications as well as drafting many of Release's briefings for parliamentarians and policy makers.

Release

The Numbers in Black and White: Ethnic Disparities in the Policing and Prosecution of Drug Offences in England and Wales

MDMA (Ecstasy)

Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis

Police told not to use smell of cannabis in stop and search amid racism allegations

Amber Marks

Drug Detection Dogs and the Growth of Olfactory Surveillance: Beyond the Rule of Law?

Cocaine

Psychedelics

Drug Action Against Drugs

Release’s playing cards

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51. Music and Psychedelics with Mendel Kaelen

Drug Science — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 07:30:00 +0000

In this week’s episode we'll meet Dr Mendel Kaelen, CEO of Wavepaths, a London-based company researching and developing methods for music-assisted psychotherapy.

Prior to Wavepaths, Dr Kaelen worked as a PhD student and post-doctoral neuroscientist at Imperial College London with a special focus of the role of music in psychedelic therapy. Combining his passion to both music and neuroscience he advocates for the therapeutic use of music in talks and publications that has been featured in Nature News, San Francisco Chronicles, Vice Motherboard, Rolling Stone, TEDx and others.

Tune in to this week’s episode to gain some insight on how music actually affects our brains and hence ourselves.

Brocas area (inferior frontal gyrus)

Psychedelics

Out of body experience

Hyper-connectivity in the brain under specific drugs

Precuneus

Serotonin 2a receptor

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50. Labour Party with Dan Carden MP

Drug Science — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Dan Carden is a British Labour Party politician serving as the MP for Liverpool Walton since 2017.

A self-proclaimed “proud Scouser”, Carden highlights his close relationship with Liverpool’s working class and recalls his father being the shop steward during the Liverpool dockers’ dispute. From his early years he cared deeply for his community, standing on picket lines as a young boy and then going into politics.

He studied International Relations at the London School of Economics where he also took the position of Chair of the University Labour Club. In his 20s however, while clearly being on a path to a brilliant career in politics, Carden developed a drinking problem. Now, he talks openly about this difficult experience as it brought into light the gaps in support for alcohol users in the UK. Carden therefore, advocates for changes in the logistics behind treating alcohol addiction as well as for ending the stigma affecting its sufferers.

In this week’s episode Dan Carden and Professor, David Nutt will be discussing how we can change the way we deal with problematic alcohol use for the better.

Why is alcohol consumption so normalised despite being far more dangerous than multiple illegal drugs? Why don’t we talk more openly about the harms from alcohol?

Tune in to the episode to find out!

'Choose to live': Dan Carden's emotional speech about alcohol addiction

Unite

Liverpool dockers’ dispute

Binge drinking

Insight (psychiatry)

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49. Medical Cannabis in the UK with Professor Mike Barnes

Drug Science — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Professor Mike Barnes is a consultant neurologist and an expert cannabis physician. He dedicated his career to the development of neurological rehabilitation as well as medical cannabis awareness and education.

After holding multiple senior NHS management positions, chairing Neurological Rehabilitation in the UK and years of clinical practice, professor Barnes brings his expertise to educate clinicians and patients about the benefits of medicinal cannabis and CBD wellness. He also is an advocate for a sensible and robust approach to medical cannabis prescribing and industry growth in the UK.

In his recent discussion paper entitled “Ten Recommendations for Government” he explores what Government can do to address what is currently a great missed opportunity for the country to secure the economic and patient benefits of a new approach to medical cannabis and CBD well-being products.

Professor Nutt and professor Barnes will be talking about medical cannabis. Should our future doctors obtain proper education on how to use botanical medicines? Should we change the way we think about drugs and treatments?

Tune into this week’s episode to find out!

Interested in learning more about Project Twenty21? Find out more about the project here

How to prescribe medical cannabis?

Learn more about medical cannabis

Download medical cannabis resources

Professor David Nutt, live in London

Ten Recommendations for Government - Discussion Paper - UK Medical Cannabis and CBD Market

Neurological rehabilitation

Multiple sclerosis

Hypobaric oxygen therapy

World Federation for NeuroRehabilitation

Botox

Spasticity

Motor neurone disease

Cannabidiol (CBD)

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

GW pharmaceuticals

Sativex

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)

PCDH19 Epilepsy

Schedule 1 drugs

Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society

Maple Tree Consultants

Subarachnoid hemorrhage

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48. Liberal Democrats with Norman Baker

Drug Science — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Norman Baker, described by our host, professor Nutt, as “the first and last truly honest politician” is a Liberal Democrat and former MP for Lewes in East Sussex. Following three years as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Transport he was promoted to Minister of State at the Home Office in 2013. However, rejection of many of his progressive suggestions including ones on drug policy e.g. legal use of medical cannabis for pain relief in cancer and multiple sclerosis patients, lead to his resignation from this position in 2014. Now, he advises the campaign for better transport in the UK and makes his voice heard by having authored multiple books including his autobiography “Against the Grain”. Tune in to this week’s episode to learn more about his interesting insights to UK politics and especially to UK’s drug policies.

Professor David Nutt, live in London

Against the grain

Drug decriminalization in Portugal

Drug consumption rooms in Denmark

Safe injection facilities

Green industrial revolution

Home office

Jeremy Hunt

SpAD - Special adviser

Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill

David Kelly

… And What Do You Do?

Recent Australian TGA Independent Expert Panel on MDMA and psilocybin consultation

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47. Psychedelics for Palliative Care with Dr Margaret Ross

Drug Science — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Dr Margaret Ross is a Senior Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist from Melbourne, Australia and the Chief Principal Investigator for Australia’s first psilocybin assisted psychotherapy study.

Throughout her career, her main focus has been youth mental health and more recently cancer and palliative care. Following working as a research psychologist and clinical trial coordinator for The University of Melbourne and Orygen Youth Health, Margaret decided to move into researching alternatives for her oncology patients who were terrified of dying and experiencing existential distress in the face of their diagnosis.

After seeing the compelling results of US-based research into the use of psilocybin assisted therapy for patients with existential distress in the face of terminal cancer, she decided to set on a fight so that similar treatments would soon become an option within Australia.

Have a listen to this week’s episode in which professor Nutt and Dr Ross talk about the land of Golden Wattle - a DMT-rich plant - fighting for its Drug policies being based on Science.

Randomized controlled trial (RCT)

Open label dose

Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression

Drug Scheduling in the UK

Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (Australia)

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)

Pitjantjatjara

LSD

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46. Human Behaviour with Dame Theresa Marteau

Drug Science — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Theresa Marteau is a British health psychologist, professor, and director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit at the University of Cambridge. Her initial research concerned communicating risk information and found out that people usually don’t change their behaviours despite receiving any form of information about preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes or certain types of cancer. Hence, she decided to redirect her focus on the non-conscious rather than conscious processes that could improve people’s health behaviours e.g. reducing glass size to reduce alcohol consumption. Through that research, she’s demonstrated that it is the change in government policies or population-level interventions - putting nudge theory into practice - that present a potential for the improvement in our population’s health. For these notable findings and contributions she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Nudge theory

Social psychology

Milgram experiment

Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View by Stanley Milgram

Spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns in prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Impact of bottle size on in-home consumption of wine: feasibility and acceptability randomised cross-over study

Shopper lab

Impact of minimum unit pricing on alcohol purchases in Scotland and Wales: controlled interrupted time series analyses

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45. Psycholytic therapy with MDMA and LSD with Dr Peter Gasser

Drug Science — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode features Dr Peter Gasser, the president of the Swiss Medical Society for Psycholytic Therapy.

Professor Nutt and Dr Gasser talk about the rather unusual and innovative attitude to psychedelic research in Switzerland.

How can Britain learn from the Swiss? What are the drug policies in the Albert Hofmann’s - the discoverer of LSD - country?

Dr Peter Gasser is a Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist and the President of the Swiss Medical Society for Psycholytic Therapy since 1997. After LSD was criminalized worldwide he was the first person to conduct research on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Additionally, he holds a permission for and provides treatment using MDMA and LSD.

Swiss Medical Society for Psycholytic Therapy

LSD

International Symposium on the Occasion of the 100th Birthday of Albert Hofmann

Albert Hofmann

Post-traumatic stress disorder

MAPS - Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

War on drugs - US political campaign

The Psychedelic Renaissance

Pilot study on LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated With Life-threatening Diseases

End of life anxiety

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Cluster headache

Psycholytic therapy with MDMA and LSD in Switzerland - MAPS article

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44. Ibogaine with Professor Deborah Mash

Drug Science — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 13:30:55 +0000

This week on the Drug Science podcast, Professor Deborah Mash tells us about Ibogaine. A hallucinogenic compound derived from the roots of a West African shrub, sometimes used as a treatment for heroin or cocaine addiction.

Professor Mash found herself trying to reverse the damage that cocaine had caused on the streets of Miami, Florida. To explore new and novel therapies, she took a flight to Amsterdam to examine whether a West African shrub could be cure to cocaine and heroin dependency. Since that fateful trip, she’s been at the forefront of Ibogaine and Noribogaine research in the US. Now, she’s bringing that research to the UK for a landmark Ibogaine study in Manchester, England. Could Ibogaine be one of the most clinically significant advances in addiction medicine of the 21st century?

Deborah Mash is one of the world's foremost experts on the hallucinogenic drug ibogaine. She is the CEO and Founder of DemeRx Inc., a clinical-stage drug development company advancing ibogaine and its active metabolite noribogaine for the treatment of opioid use disorder. DemeRx has partnered with ATAI Life Sciences -- a global biotech platform with a special focus on psychedelic medicine -- to develop ibogaine for those suffering from opioid use disorder. Building on the extensive human data available around ibogaine, DemeRx and ATAI will submit Clinical Trial Applications for a Phase II study in opioid-dependent patients. This joint venture will also develop screening procedures, dosing guidelines, and best practices for opioid withdrawal management to ensure patient safety.

Enrol to the MAC Ibogaine Clinical trial

DemeRx

Miami’s drug war

Brain Endowment Bank

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Allopregnanolone (Brexanolone)

MAC Manchester

Alexander Shulgin

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43. Opium, Caffeine and Mescaline with Michael Pollan

Drug Science — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode of the Drug Science Podcast, world-renowned author Michael Pollan and Prof David Nutt discuss gardening.

Of course, this being the Drug Science podcast, there’s no mention of sunflowers or strawberries. Instead, these two icons of psychopharmacology discuss the cultivation and everything else you might want to know about psychoactive plants with a particular focus on Opium, Caffeine and Mescaline.

Michael Pollan, a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine since 1987, Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and Director of the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism, is one of the nation’s most influential writers and scientific and environmental investigative journalists. His many award-winning, best-selling books include: The Botany of Desire; The Omnivore’s Dilemma; In Defense of Food; and, most recently, How to Change Your Mind.

Who is Michael Pollan?

Michael Pollan’s latest book -> This is your mind on plants

How to change your mind

John ‘Rick’ MacArthur

Purdue Pharma Oxycontin

Bentley compounds

Bees and Caffeine

Roland Griffiths Caffeine research

The enlightenment coffeehouses

Aldous Huxley The Doors of Perception

American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978

San Pedro

Muscimol

Ibotenic Acid

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42. Alternatives to Prohibition with Sheila Vakharia and Alex Stevens

Drug Science — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 08:52:21 +0000

This week’s episode features Doctor Sheila Vakharia and Professor Alex Stevens, together with Professor Nutt they will be talking about decriminalization and drug policies in the US and the UK. Has both countries’ drug policies arisen from colonialism and social class hierarchy? What are the consequences of the policies that can be witnessed today? Are there any reasons for drug criminalisation?

Sheila P Vakharia, PhD is Deputy Director of the Department of Research and Academic Engagement for the Drug Policy Alliance, a US organisation advocating for decriminalisation of drug use. Prior to joining DPA, Dr. Vakharia was an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Long Island University, and had also worked as a clinical social worker in both abstinence-only and harm reduction settings. Her research interests include harm reduction therapy, drug policy reform, drug user stigma, overdose prevention, and social work education. She is currently on the Board of Directors of HAMS Harm Reduction Network and Filter magazine. She has written op-eds for the Philadelphia Inquirer on the overdose crisis and NY Daily News on drug-induced homicide laws and stimulants.

Professor Alex Stevens has worked on issues of drugs, crime and health in the voluntary sector, as an academic researcher and as an adviser to the UK government. He has published extensively on these issues, with a focus on the sociology of drugs and crime, on risk behaviours by young people, on the use of evidence in policy and on quasi-compulsory drug treatment. His published works include a book on ‘Drugs, Crime and Public Health‘, studies of decriminalisation of drugs in Portugal, of the right to use drugs, on gangs and on the ethnography of policy making.

Professor Stevens’ interest in drugs and crime dates back to his time working with UK charity Prisoners Abroad, which provides advice and information to British prisoners held in foreign prisons, and as European project manager and coordinator of the European Network of Drug and HIV/AIDS Services in Prison for Cranstoun Drugs Services.

Decriminalization in Oregon

Crack house statute legal definition

An article about what this statute actually means

HIV crisis in the 1980s

Uprooting the Drug War

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41. Couples counselling and MDMA with Annie and Michael Mithoefer

Drug Science — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Michael Mithoefer, MD is a Clinical Investigator and acting Medical Director of MAPS Public Benefit Corporation. Together with his wife Annie, they completed the first phase 2 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in 2009 and a subsequent study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in military veterans, firefighters and police officers. They are now supervising therapists in the ongoing MAPS Phase 3 trials of MDMA-assisted Psychotheapy for PTSD, leading training in MDMA- assisted psychotherapy for therapists interested in working on clinical trials, and providing FDA-approved MDMA sessions for research therapists.

Michael is Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, is a Grof certified Holotropic Breathwork Practitioner, has been a Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist, and has been board certified in Psychiatry, Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine.

Annie is a registered nurse as well as a Grof-certified Holotropic Breathwork Practitioner, is trained in Hakomi Therapy, and has 25 years experience working with trauma patients, with an emphasis on experiential approaches to therapy.

Tune in to this episode to find out about their pioneer work with MDMA and their most recent research!

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy

CAPS-5 - Clinician Administered PTSD Scale

Exposure therapy

Cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy

Candice Monson

Amygdala

Relax beliefs under psychedelics (REBUS)

EMA - European Medicines Agency

Heroic Hearts retreat for veterans

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40. Recovery from the SAS with Ollie Ollerton

Drug Science — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode features Ollie Ollerton, a former UK Special Forces soldier and directing staff (DS) of Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins. Mr Ollerton has always been involved in the social cause, serving in the army as well as supporting multiple charities. Thanks to the publicity from SAS: Who Dares Wins he has been, among others, raising awareness of the mental health of soldiers. By the means of supporting Heroic Hearts charity he also advocates for the use of psychedelics such as ayahuasca for the treatment of PTSD which often affects his serving colleagues. Ollie also authored multiple books in which he tells the story of his career and mental journey of overcoming PTSD himself.

Upon Ollie’s return to the UK in 2014 after 13 years overseas he started developing a concept to allow his training and experience to benefit others. BREAK-POINT provides leadership and development courses to the public and corporate sector also supporting veterans suffering the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD.

Ollie is a trained PRISM practitioner, a character assessment tool based on neuroscience that assists him and his team to provide the most engaging and rewarding corporate events focusing on mindset, teamwork and leadership. Along with another member of the SAS team, Ollie and Foxy have launched an app called the BATTLE READY 360 programme that focuses on mindset, nutrition and exercise. Ollie’s second book BATTLE READY launched in April 2020 straight into The Times Best Seller Top Ten, following the amazing success of BREAK-POINT in May 2019 which was a Times Number One Best Seller.

Heroic hearts

Ollie Instagram

United Kingdom Special Forces

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39. Underground Psychotherapy with Friederike Meckel Fischer

Drug Science — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Friederike Meckel is a German psychotherapist who also trained as a medical doctor. Her career involved multiple techniques in psychotherapy including Holotropic Breathwork, hypnotherapy and family constellation work.

Most notably however, regarding the subject of our podcasts, by the means of setting a private underground practice in Zurich, Switzerland she developed her own way of psychotherapy using psychoactive substances. In this week’s episode, she describes the very innovative approaches to her work focusing on patient’s deeper understanding of themselves. Make sure to listen in if you want to find out more!

Underground MDMA-, LSD- and 2-CB-assisted individual and group psychotherapy in Zurich: Outcomes, implications and commentary - Article by Friederike Meckel Fischer and Ben Sessa

Depth psychology

Holotropic breathwork

Hypnotherapy

Systemic therapy

Transpersonal therapy

Behaviour therapy

Family constellations

Therapy with Substance: Psycholytic Psychotherapy in the Twenty-First Century - book by Friederike Meckel Fischer

Stanislav Grof

Peter Gasser

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38. Drug Markets with Julia Buxton

Drug Science — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Julia Buxton is British Academy Global Professor. Her research focuses on illicit drug markets and the impact of counter narcotics policies on development, gender equality and security. In her career she’s led projects and worked with multiple universities around the world including the Central European University in Budapest. Outside of Europe, she has geographical expertise on Latin America and is a specialist on Venezuela.

Now, back in England, she’s working on The Global Drug Survey project, inquiring about the drug policy preferences of drug users themselves. With this innovative approach she’s joining the conversation on drugs on the political scene in the UK.

Tune into this week’s episode to find out about how drug policies that are older than the Internet, Thatcherism and HIV treatment contribute to inequalities arising between different countries and genders.

Shownotes:

Opioids

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Open Society Foundations

Jonathan Soros

Viktor Orban

Populism

Syrian refugee crisis in Hungary

Nativism

The Impact of Global Drug Policy on Women: Shifting the Needle - book by Julia Buxton

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD)

Ingrid Walker

Judith Aldridge

Darknet

“Do Darknet Drug Markets Make the Bad Guys Less Bad?” Aldridge Asks

Greenwich biosciences

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37. MAPS with Rick Doblin

Drug Science — Wed, 26 May 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Richard ‘Rick’ Doblin is the founder and director of Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) - a non-profit research organisation established in 1986.

Somewhere between getting an undergraduate degree in psychology and a doctorate in public policy, Rick, having had discovered psychedelics, began his fight against unjustified criminalisation of psychedelic drugs.

Rick’s main goal has been making MDMA a FDA-approved medicine, tune in to this week’s episode to find out about his progress!

MAPS latest MDMA study in Nature Medicine

Drug Science live podcast recording with Professor David Nutt!

Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)

Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War

Programming & Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer: Theory & Experiments

Realms of the Human Unconscious: Observations from LSD Research by Stanislav Grof

Isolation tank

Stanislav Grof

Primal therapy

New Genesis: Shaping a global spirituality by Robert Muller

Laura Huxley

Island by Aldous Huxley

DMT

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Dissociative identity disorder

Spinal tap

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36. Psychedelic Renaissance with Amanda Feilding

Drug Science — Wed, 12 May 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Together with Professor David Nutt they will be talking about the beauty behind psychoactive substances as well as the, equally interesting, stories from Lady Feilding’s life journey.

Drug Science live podcast recording with Professor David Nutt!

If you want to find out how to travel to Ceylon for 25 pounds do have a listen!

Amanda Feilding is the Founder and Executive Director of the Beckley Foundation, and is widely recognised as a leading force behind the current Psychedelic Renaissance. By establishing key Research Programmes at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions (including Imperial College London, Maastricht University, Sant Pau in Barcelona, IDOR and UFRN in Brazil), she has propelled the field forward over the last 20+ years, conducting landmark studies, such as the world’s first psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression study (on which Compass Pathways based their business), the world’s first LSD, MDMA and DMT brain imaging studies, plus the initiation and collaboration with Johns Hopkins on the first study using psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to overcome nicotine addiction. She has also co-authored over 80 research papers.

Since its inception in 1998, the Beckley Foundation has been at the forefront of exploratory research into psychedelics and cannabis, and evidence-based global drug policies. Through a series of pivotal international seminars at the House of Lords (starting in 2000) with leading figures from around the world in different fields, from science to politics, plus over 60 much-cited books, reports and papers, and numerous meetings with thought-leaders, academics, and policy-makers at the UN and governments around the world, Amanda has ensured that the Beckley Foundation has been at the forefront of global drug policy reform, particularly in the field of cannabis and the psychedelics.

Through her work with the Beckley Foundation, Amanda is bridging the gap between science and policy, creating a positive feedback loop, with the aim of building and harnessing our knowledge of the benefits of currently prohibited compounds to optimise human health, wellbeing and potential.

Drug Science live podcast recording with Professor David Nutt!
Cannabis

LSD

Timothy Leary

Bart Hughes

Psychedelic Microdosing

LSD’s impact on brain interconnectivity

The Beckley/Imperial Psychedelic Research Programme

The effects of psilocybin and MDMA on between-network resting state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers

Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)

Default mode network

Neuroplasticity

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35. Crack Cocaine with Professor Carl Hart

Drug Science — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:00:00 +0000

This week’s episode features Carl Hart, professor of neuroscience and psychology at Columbia University in New York.

Professor Nutt and Professor Hart discuss drug addiction and its political context in the US. Are drug policies racist? Were they made to help or to harm? What does the declaration of independence has to do with drug criminalization?

Coming from an impoverished area in Miami, Florida professor Hart used to believe drugs are the reason for problems he observed in his neighbourhood and hence gained specific interest for addictions in his scientific career. Now, however he is debunking drug addiction himself and acknowledging structural injustices both in drug policies as well as the jurisdictional system in the US as a whole. Besides being featured in the movie “The House I Live In” on the War on Drugs campaign, he’s given talks for TEDMED, Talks@Google, The Reason Foundation, The Nobel Conference and many others.

Professor Hart has also authored books in which he criticizes the criminalization of drugs and advocates the positive effect of recreational drug use. In this week’s episode we’re going to find out about his most recent one - “Drug use for grownups - chasing liberty in the land of fear.”

Shownotes:

Cocaine self-administration study in rats

Nicotine self-administration in rats study

The dopamine theory of addiction review

High Price - book by professor Carl Hart

House I live in

Crack cocaine

Ecstasy

Drug use for grown-ups: chasing liberty in the land of fear - book by professor Carl Hart

Oregon drug decriminalization

Map of US states which legalised the use of marihuana

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34. Psilocybin vs Antidepressants with Dr Robin Carhart-Harris

Drug Science — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 20:00:00 +0000

Robin Heads the Psychedelic Research Group within the Centre for Psychiatry at Imperial College London, where he has designed several functional brain imaging studies with psilocybin, LSD, MDMA and DMT, plus a clinical trial of psilocybin for treatment resistant depression. He has over 50 published papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals; two of which were ranked in the top 100 most impactful academic articles of 2016. Robin’s research has featured in major national and international media and he has given a popular TEDx talk.

Does MDMA impact sleep?

What does the brain look like under the influence of LSD?

How do psychedelics change the quality of brain activity?

Can psilocybin be used to treat depression?

Psilocybin vs Escitalopram for Major Depressive Disorder

Stanislav Grof LSD Psychotherapy

Robin’s first paper – Waves of the Unconscious

Amanda Feilding

Robin’s PhD

Drugs live – Channel 4

Psychedelic resting states

The entropic brain

Homological scaffolds of brain functional networks

The Stoned Ape theory

DMT Neural Correlates of the DMT experience

Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Serotonin and brain function: a tale of two receptors

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33. Trauma and Stress with Dr Gabor Maté

Drug Science — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 07:17:50 +0000

This week’s episode features Dr Gabor Maté, a Hungarian-Canadian physician who’s main interests include childhood development and trauma, and their impact on lifelong physical and mental health.

Professor Nutt and Dr Maté talk about the inseparable nature of our body and mind.

How do they affect each other?

How can psychedelics offer therapeutic potential to both mental and physical conditions?

Dr Gabor Maté was born in Hungary and emigrated to Canada as a young child. Following years of clinical practice, now retired, he travels around the world to speak about how life experiences shape our physical and mental health.

In his books including the most recent “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction” he explores the relationship between “early adversity” i.e. stress, childhood neglect or abuse and susceptibility to addictions, autoimmune diseases, cancer and many others. He is also widely recognised for his perspectives on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Additionally, after being a part of an Ayahuasca retreat program Dr Gabor Maté advocates the therapeutic potential of this and other psychedelic substances in the treatment of a variety of mental and physical conditions.

Gabor Mate’s website

In the Realm of Hungry Ghost

The six realms of Buddhist cosmology

Vancouver harm reduction program

Ayahuasca retreat with Dr. Gabor Maté and Richard Condon

Psilocybin and depression: Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms by Robin Carhart-Harris et al., 2017

Scleroderma patient article:Ayahuasca Let Me Walk Again

United Nation’s Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971

When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress

Stress and the risk of multiple sclerosis

Childhood Trauma in Multiple Sclerosis

Psychedelics for psychological and existential distress in palliative and cancer care

Become a Drug Science Community member

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32. Drug Consumption Rooms with Peter Krykant

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 07:15:00 +0000

Peter Krykant previously used intravenous drugs whilst living homeless in Birmingham. His lived experience has shown him the benefits of drug consumption rooms; to prevent the spread of bloodborne diseases and protect people who use drugs from accidental overdose.

Seven weeks ago, Peter set up the first UK drug consumption room which attracted the attention of the BBC and the local police force. Scotland's Lord Advocate and the Chief Constable of Police Scotland has made it clear that such activities violate national law. However, the local police force has not intervened with Peter’s operation.

Peter is advocating to expand these services to multiple localities with the inclusion of trained medical professionals at each site. This intervention offers a unique insight to gather observational data on UK intravenous drug use. It could be the stepping stone needed to tackle the increasing number of UK drug-related deaths.

Peter Krykant twitter

Birmingham rough sleepers’ team

Drug Death summit 27th Feb Scotland 2020

Diazepam

Copenhagen Drug Consumption Room

Scotland's Lord Advocate and the Chief Constable of Police Scotland

CrowdFunder page

Site 2 – Gazebo

Heroin assisted-treatment

Safe Consumption Glasgow

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Philosophy of psychedelics conference

A Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science

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31. The Philosophy of Psychedelics with Dr. Peter Hughes

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 07:05:00 +0000

After discovering that there was very little literature review regarding the impact of psychedelics on the philosophy of the mind, philosopher Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes started to research how these drugs have impacted western philosophy. On this episode of the podcast, Peter examines the cultural history of the philosophy of psychedelics and how they’ve shaped philosophers’ perceptions of consciousness and reality.

Dr Peter Sjöstedt-H is an Anglo-Scandinavian philosopher of mind who specializes in the thought of Whitehead, Nietzsche, and Spinoza, and in fields pertaining to panpsychism and altered states of mind. Following his degree in Continental Philosophy at the University of Warwick, he became a Philosophy lecturer in London for six years and after which he pursued his PhD (on ‘Pansentient Monism’, examined by Galen Strawson and Joel Krueger) at the University of Exeter – where he is now a research fellow and associate lecturer. Peter is the author of Noumenautics, the TEDx Talker on ‘psychedelics and consciousness‘.

Are altered states of consciousness mere hallucinations or indicative of fundamental truths of reality?

William James

Exploring Frameworks for Exceptional Experience

Psychedelics heightened appreciation of nature

Eliminative materialism

David Luke podcast

Andrew Gallimore - Alien Information Theory

Carl Hart – psychedelic exceptionalism

Albert Hoffman

Bertrand Russell - Mysticism and logic

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Carbogen Inhalation Therapy

A Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science

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30. Getting High Without Drugs with Dr. David Luke

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 07:05:00 +0000

Psychologist Dr David Luke, is a Senior Lecturer studying states of transpersonal consciousness. It is well known that psychedelic drugs can induce altered states of consciousness but is this approach too heavy handed to derive benefit from a transpersonal experience? Activities such as yoga, meditation and sensory deprivation can induce this altered state of consciousness but how can we apply what we have learnt from psychedelic neuropsychopharmacology to evaluate these non-drug induced states? Can religious or spiritual experiences influence an individual’s perception of reality?

Dr David Luke is Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Greenwich. His research focuses on transpersonal experiences, anomalous phenomena and altered states of consciousness, especially via psychedelics, having published more than 100 academic papers in this area, including ten books, most recently Psychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine (2019). When he is not running clinical drug trials with LSD, doing DMT field experiments or observing apparent weather control with Mexican shamans he directs the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness salon and is a co-founder and director and the current chair of Breaking Convention: International Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness.

Holotropic Breathwork

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Mexico Unido Contra Delincuencia

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29. International Drug Policy with Steve Rolles

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 07:05:00 +0000

In 1971, the war on drugs went international when the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances was signed into international law. This Convention broadened the scope of previous UN drug legislation, facilitating the prohibition of almost any drug imaginable at the time.

However, in the past 50 years, various countries across the world have been rejecting this narrative and even the UN itself has agreed that the war on drugs has been a failure. Drugs are here to stay and it was foolish to think that they could be removed from society. An influential cog in this new approach to drug policy are a group called - Transform. Transform take a pragmatic and evidence-based approach to drug policy. Lobbying for harm reduction and alternatives to prohibition.

Steve Rolles is Senior Policy Analyst for Transform Drug Policy Foundation, a UK based think tank and charity focused on drug policy and law reform. Lead author on a range of Transform publications including 2009’s ‘After the War on Drugs: Blueprint for Regulation’, Steve has been a regular contributor to the public debate on drug policy and law for over 15 years; in the media, at UK and international events, and at various UN and Government forums around the world. Steve was recently an adviser for the Uruguayan Government in developing their new cannabis regulation model, and was also lead drafter and technical coordinator for the recent ‘Taking control: Pathways to Drug Polices that Work’ report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy. Previously Steve worked for Oxfam and the Medical Research Council, having studied for his Geography BSc at Bristol University and Development Studies MSc at Manchester University.

Transform

Danny Kushlick

Portugal decriminalisation

Cannabis legalisation in Canada

Cannabis legalisation in Uruguay

Altered States report

William Hague advocating for cannabis reform

Global Commission on Drug Policy

Lib Dem cannabis report

UN common position on drugs

UN task team report on the past 10 years of drug policy

Latin America cocaine war

Luxembourg cannabis reform

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A Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science

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28. Drug Gangs in the UK with Mobeen Azhar

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 07:05:00 +0000

Mobeen Azhar has been a journalist for 17 years investigating the societal harms related to the ‘war on drugs’. Upon returning to his hometown of Huddersfield, Mobeen started to uncover grizzly story behind the roadside execution of Yassar Yaqub.

Described in court as a 28-year-old office clerk, Yassar Yaqub was shot dead by police on an M62 slip road on a cold and wet January evening in 2017. Celebrated by his family as a loving son and beloved father, his death lead to protests on the streets of West Yorkshire and in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement a ‘Justice 4 Yassar’ campaign was born. But with rumours of drug empires, money laundering and high-performance cars, just days into his reporting of the case, Mobeen realises that there is a much bigger story in town. With violence on the streets and a town that is terrified to talk, Mobeen attempts to find out where the truth really lies in a journey that forces him to face some ugly truths about his community and hometown.

Hometown

Justice for Yassar

Neil Woods

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Heffter Research Institute

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27. Pharmacology of Drugs with Dr David Nichols

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 07:05:00 +0000

A special treat this week as the two titans of psychopharmacology discuss the medicinal chemistry of psychedelics. Dr Nichols is the Founding President of the Heffter Research Institute, an organisation designed to promote research of the highest scientific quality with psychedelics in order to contribute to a greater understanding of the mind leading to the improvement of the human condition, and to alleviate suffering.

Professor Nutt and Dr Nichols answer some burning questions of psychedelic science such as:

What will come to market first, LSD, Psilocybin or MDMA?

Could microdosing be dangerous?

Is there such a thing as DMT tolerance?

David E. Nichols, is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. He is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the Purdue University College of Pharmacy, and was the Robert C. and Charlotte P. Anderson Chair in Pharmacology, where he carried out teaching and research for 38 years prior to his retirement in 2012. A major focus of his research was on substances known as hallucinogens, known more popularly as psychedelics. Widely published in the scientific literature and internationally recognized for his research on centrally active drugs, he has studied all of the major classes of psychedelic agents, including LSD and other lysergic acid derivatives, psilocybin and the tryptamines, and phenethylamines related to mescaline. Among scientists, he is recognized as one of the foremost international experts on the medicinal chemistry of psychedelics.

Entactogen vs Empathogen

Drugs Enforcement Agency

Salvia

Arthur Heffter

Psilocybin for depression trial

Psilocybin for OCD Yale study

Psilocybin-assisted Group Therapy for Demoralization in Long-term AIDS Survivors

N,N-dimethyltryptamine and the pineal gland: Separating fact from myth

A Model for the Application of Target-Controlled Intravenous Infusion for a Prolonged Immersive DMT Psychedelic Experience

Fen-phen Weightloss drug

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Tryptamines Found in Hallucinogenic Mushrooms: Norbaeocystin, Baeocystin, Norpsilocin, and Aeruginascin

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The Future of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids

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26. Synthetic Opioids with Bryce Pardo

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 07:05:00 +0000

The US opioid crisis is a result of a fractured and fragmented healthcare service. Federal and state policy created a system whereby doctors were rewarded for prescribing highly addictive substances. This epidemic was compounded when the same federal and state government suddenly restrained these prescriptions, forcing people into the black market. Now underground drug dealers control this oversaturated demand, from Mexican smugglers to Chinese clandestine chemists…the harms of opiates are rising every day.

Bryce Pardo is an associate policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. His work focuses on drug policy with a particular interest in the areas of cannabis regulation, opioid control, and new psychoactive substance markets. Recently, he has provided Congressional testimony about his research on illicit supply of fentanyl to several subcommittees within the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to joining RAND, he served five years as a legislative and policy analyst at the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) within the Organization of American States (OAS) where he worked directly with policymakers and practitioners. He has independently consulted with multi-lateral institutions, including the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Pardo also served as lead analyst with BOTEC Analysis Corporation to support the Government of Jamaica in drafting medical cannabis regulations.

RAND Corporation

RAND Drug Policy Research Centre

2010 additive added to prescription opiates so they couldn’t be crushed or snorted

Oxycodone

Oxycontin

Heroin Assisted Treatment

Supervised consumption facility

Isotonitazene

Carfentanil

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Johns Hopkins Psychedelic Research Unit

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25. Psychedelics for Addiction with Professor Matt Johnson

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 07:05:00 +0000

Tobacco and alcohol are the largest sources of preventable death in the world. Our current treatments are only 15% effective at best. However, psilocybin-assisted therapy has achieved an astonishing 80% success rate in clinical trials. Professor Matthew Johnson is paving the way for this new an innovative treatment to address one of the most damaging social burdens of modern society, drug addiction. It is important to note that Professor Johnson’s research is not looking at casual habitual smokers, but instead, long-term, treatment resistant tobacco users.

Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., Professor at Johns Hopkins, has worked with psychedelics since 2004. He published psychedelic safety guidelines in 2008, the first psychedelic treatment of tobacco addiction in 2014, and with colleagues published the largest study of psilocybin in cancer distress in 2016. His 2018 psilocybin review recommended Schedule IV upon medical approval. He is Principal Investigator on upcoming psilocybin studies treating opioid addiction and PTSD, and LSD research treating chronic pain.

Matt and the Johns Hopkins Psychedelic Research Unit are examining the long-term behavioural changes resulting from a single psilocybin session and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Professor Matthew Johnson

Smoking cessation study

Smoking cessation research

Roland Griffiths Episode

Healthy normals research

Smoking cessation behaviours three months following acute insular damage from stroke

Breathwork for treating PTSD

Twitter - @Drug_Researcher

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Portugal decriminalisation

A Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science

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24. The War on Drugs with Johann Hari

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:05:00 +0000

This week, Professor Nutt speaks to journalist Johann Hari @johannhari101 about the ‘war on drugs’. It is now widely accepted that the ‘war on drugs’ has failed, with many people believing it can never succeed. Despite this, politicians from around the world continue to follow this mantra as an effective strategy to reduce drug-related harms. The reason why… politics.

Currently, it is politically damaging to support the legalisation of drugs because public discourse has been led to believe that legalisation will cause anarchy and chaos. Contrarily, what we have now is a complete lack of control. Legally regulating the supply of drugs is the only way to bring order to this chaos.

Johann Hari is the author of two New York Times best-selling books. His first, ‘Chasing the Scream: the First and Last Days of the War on Drugs’, is currently being adapted into a major Hollywood film by Oscar-winning director Lee Daniels, and into a non-fiction documentary series. His first TED talk, ‘Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong’, has been viewed more than 40 million times across all platforms. He has written over the past decade for some of the world’s leading newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, the Spectator, Le Monde Diplomatique, the Melbourne Age, and Politico. He is a regular panellist on HBO’s Realtime With Bill Maher.

Chasing the Scream

Lost Connections

Professor Nutt fired

Bud Osborn

Safe injection facilities

Crispin Blunt episode

Harry Anslinger

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A Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science

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23. Neuropsychopharmacology with Joss Stone

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 07:01:00 +0000

The tables have been turned in this one-off special of the Drug Science podcast. In this episode, Professor David Nutt is interviewed by renowned singer-songwriter – Joss Stone. Professor Nutt is the Chair of the Drug Science Scientific Committee and currently the Edmund J Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology and Head of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit at Imperial College London. Professor Nutt has steered the psychedelic renaissance toward legitimate research in the UK enabling the next generation of researchers to expand our understanding of these substances.

In this week’s episode, Professor Nutt is interviewed by singer-songwriter Joss Stone. Joss became a friend of the show after appearing in our first season of the podcast to talk about Medical Cannabis. Now she’s back to ask the Professor some burning questions about cannabis, psychedelics, SSRI’s, Adderall, addiction and pain.

A Cuppa Happy podcast

United Patients Alliance

Medical cannabis slides

Prescribed CBD could help people quit cannabis

Twenty21

NICE guideline

Harry Anslinger

Medical Psychedelics Working Group

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Medical Psychedelics Working Group

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22. Medical Psychedelics Working Group Q&A with Professor Jo Neill

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 07:01:00 +0000

On July 14th 2020, the UK’s leading independent scientific body on drugs has launched the Drug Science Medical Psychedelics Working Group. Building off the success of the Medical Cannabis Working Group, the Medical Psychedelics Working Group is a consortium of Drug Science experts, leading academics, researchers and policy specialists, supported by industry partners. The group’s aim is to create a rational and enlightened approach to psychedelic research and clinical treatment. The group will explore innovation within the psychedelic space with a specific focus on how psychedelics can be integrated into primary and secondary healthcare. Evidence-based science, sharing data, and strong partnerships are keys to success for the psychedelic community. The purpose of this group is to break down the barriers of 50 years of medical censorship by creating a rational and enlightened approach to psychedelic research and clinical treatment, ensuring the UK is a world leader in psychedelic medicine.

Jo Neill is Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Manchester (Division of Pharmacy & Optometry). She is Chair of the Medical Psychedelics Working Group for Drug Science and a committee member, a scientific advisor for Heroic Hearts UK and the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group. She is co-founder of b-neuro, a University based Contract Research Organisation developing new treatments for mental illness through animal models. Jo is past President of the British Association for Psychopharmacology (President 2016-2018). She served on the Research Excellence Framework panel for Unit of Assessment 3 (Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy) in 2014. Jo is working with Policy at Manchester to educate the public about the urgent need for drug law reform and suspension of Schedule 1 restrictions to enable research into the medicinal properties of currently illegal drugs.

B-Neuro

Neil Woods episode

Psilocybin for depression episode

Veterans and psychedelics part 1

Veterans and psychedelics part 2

Veterans and psychedelics part 3

Denver decriminalisation

Oakland decriminalisation

Psilocybin in The Telegraph

Magic Medicine Film

US Expanded Access Programme

From Shock to Awe

Anorexia trial at Imperial College

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A Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science

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21. Drugs and consciousness with Professor Roland Griffiths

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 07:05:00 +0000

In this episode of the Drug Science podcast, Professor Nutt is joined by an old friend who he has known for 35 years. Professor Roland Griffiths is a researcher who has examined a wide range of psychotropic substances through the years. He has studied, the abuse potential of a number of different substances; caffeine dependence and withdrawal, and the relative prices people are willing to pay for access to common street drugs.

Roland Griffiths, is a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and founding Director of the Johns Hopkins Center on Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. His principal research focus in both clinical and preclinical laboratories has been on the behavioral and subjective effects of mood-altering drugs.

He has conducted extensive research with sedative-hypnotics, caffeine, and novel mood-altering drugs. In 1999 he initiated a research program investigating the effects of the classic psychedelic psilocybin that includes studies in healthy volunteers, in beginning and long-term meditators, and in religious leaders. Therapeutic studies with psilocybin include treatment of psychological distress in cancer patients, treatment of cigarette smoking cessation, and psilocybin treatment of major depression. Other studies have examined the effects of salvinorin A, dextromethorphan, and ketamine which produce altered states of consciousness having some similarities to psilocybin. Drug interaction studies and brain imaging studies (fMRI and PET) are examining pharmacological and neural mechanisms of action. The Hopkins laboratory has also conducted a series of internet survey studies characterizing various psychedelic experiences including those associated with acute and enduring adverse effects, mystical-type effects, entity and God-encounter experiences, and alleged positive changes in mental health, including decreases in depression and anxiety, decreases in substance abuse, and reductions in death anxiety.

Caffeine

Psilocybin occasioning mystical-type experiences

Benzodiazepines

+14 month follow up

Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research

Journal of Psychopharmacology

William James Religious Experience

Psilocybin for religious clergy

Matt Johnson tobacco addiction study

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Article for Wellcome Trust with Dr Ben Mechen

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20. Sex and drugs with Dr. Alex Dymock & Dr. Leah Moyle

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 07:20:00 +0000

In this episode of the Drug Science podcast, Professor David Nutt is joined by two pharmacosexuality experts to discuss chemsex, drug fuelled sex parties and sexual psychonauts. From the peak sexual experience to sober sex, our relationship with sex and drugs is complicated but intrinsically personal. Find out who chooses to mix sex and drugs, the risks associated with doing so, and what pleasure this provides people who combine the two.

Dr Alex Dymock (@alexdymock) is Lecturer in Law at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her research is concerned with the regulation of sexuality, sexual subcultures, pornography, criminal law, and the history of drugs and drug policy. She co-led the Wellcome Trust funded Pharmacosexuality project (@pharmacosex) from 2018-2019, which examined the relationship between drug use and sexuality.

Dr Leah Moyle (@leah_moyle) is Lecturer in Criminology at Royal Holloway, University of London. Leah’s research focuses primarily on understanding illicit drug markets, cultures of drug use, and ‘non-commercial’ supply. She co-led the Wellcome Trust funded Pharmacosexuality project (@pharmacosex) from 2018-2019, which examined the relationship between drug use and sexuality.

Project website

GBH/GBL

Vice documentary on chemsex

Alcohol

BlueLight

Shulgin – MDMA for relationship work

Erowid

Stephen Port case

ACMD call for reclassification of GHB

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LSD brain imaging studies

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19. DMT with Chris Timmermann and Chloe Sakal

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 08:15:00 +0000

DMT is a drug that’s relatively novel in western neuropsychopharmacology. Not much research has been done on this substance to date and many intoxicants are unable to recount their psychedelic experience. For the first time, this substance is being studied in an fMRI and EEG to elucidate why and how this drug elucidates vivid dreams and near-death experiences.

Chris Timmerman recently completed his PhD in neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, investigating the effects of psychedelic drugs in the human brain with Robin Carhart-Harris and David Nutt. He is developing his research with a focus on the effects of psychedelics in consciousness and brain connectivity. Chris recently lead a study involving the effects of DMT in the human brain and experience, while also understanding its potential use for mental health conditions.

Having gained a BSc in neuroscience, Dr Chloe Sakal went on to study medicine and gain membership with the Royal College of Psychiatrist. She has a keen interest in the psychopharmacology and the potential for the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs in treating a wide range of psychiatric disorders. She is a study doctor for the UKs first MDMA-assisted psychotherapy trial looking at the safety and tolerability of its use in the treatment of alcoholism. She is an assistant-therapist on a phase two study looking at the treatment of psilocybin-assisted therapy for the treatment of depression. Alongside this, Chloe was a study participant in Chris Timmerman’s DMT research.

DMT Brain imaging study (Coming soon)

Life After Life – Raymond Moody

5-MeO-DMT

Psychiachix

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CDPRG report on the cannabis market

A Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science

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18. Conservative Drug Policy Reform with Crispin Blunt MP

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 07:25:00 +0000

Crispin was elected MP for Reigate in 1997 having formerly served as an army officer. In Parliament, Crispin has served in the Shadow Cabinet with briefs including trade and energy and security and counter-terrorism. He has served as both Minister for Prisons and as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. He is currently the co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform. In January 2019, Crispin set up and launched the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group (CDPRG) whose objective is to promote evidence-based drug policy reform on the centre right. He is currently the Group’s unremunerated Chair and Chief Executive Officer.

Crispin takes a conservative look at the lack of regulation in the drugs market, questioning why the UK fails to tackle criminal gangs through prohibition, how the UK economy is damaged by turning a blind eye to the billions made in the cannabis industry and what can be done to win this war. Furthermore, Crispin Blunt and Professor Nutt discuss the racist beginnings of the ‘War on Drugs’ and how those sentiments have continued until present day. The killing of George Floyd antithesis’s the need to challenge this racist war through the Black Lives Matter movement.

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***Free Drug Science event***

Medical Psychedelic Working Group Event <<< register here <<<

***From the best & brightest minds working in psychedelics***

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Mike Barton

PSA 2016

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Florida Church using Ayahuasca

A Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science

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17. Veterans & Psychedelics part 3 – From Shock to Awe with Mitch Schultz

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 07:45:00 +0000

From an early age, Mitch Schultz's curiosity of the unknown universe forged his path in storytelling. His work as a transmedia producer, UX designer, and educator explores the inherent connections among consciousness, nature, culture, and the evolving human mythology.

The Documentary ‘From Shock to Awe’ asks, “how do we heal our deepest wounds?”. This film offers an intimate and raw look at the transformational journey of two combat veterans suffering from severe trauma as they abandon pharmaceuticals to seek relief through the mind-expanding world of psychedelics. Recent scientific research coupled with a psychedelic renaissance reveals that these substances can be used to heal PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) for individuals and their families. Beyond the personal stories, From Shock to Awe also raises fundamental questions about war, the pharmaceutical industry, and the US legal system.

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***Free Drug Science event***

Medical Psychedelic Working Group Event <<< register here <<<

***From the best & brightest minds working in psychedelics***

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Rick Strassman

DMT: The Spirit Molecule

From Shock to Awe

Gonzales v. O Centro Espírita Beneficente União do Vegetal

Ayahuasca/DMT

What is PTSD?

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A Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science

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16. Veterans & Psychedelics part 2 – Ayahuasca for PTSD with Dr. Kate Pate & Nathan Pohl

Fascinate Productions — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 07:45:00 +0000

War continues to hurt people long after the fighting has stopped. Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress often self-medicate with alcohol or they are prescribed a cocktail of anti-depressants and opioids. This story is far too common for Nathan Pohl, A US veteran who served 2000 days of deployment in multiple combat zones. Nathan was not given the support he needed when he returned home, but luckily, he was introduced to the healing power of plant-based medicines before it was too late.

Dr. Kate Pate is a neurophysiologist from a military family and has always been passionate about finding ways to help military service members and veterans. This passion, coupled with her interest in plant-based medicines and her journey to find ways to heal from her own traumas, led her to cross paths with Heroic Hearts Project. Kate joined HHP as the Director of Research in early 2019 and has been working closely with the team to investigate the ways in which ayahuasca can benefit veterans suffering from PTSD and other mental health issues, and how changes in the gut microbiome following ayahuasca consumption may be correlated with long-term behavioural changes. Dr. Pate has been conducting research for nearly 15 years in a variety of different areas.

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***Free Drug Science event***

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***From the best & brightest minds working in psychedelics***

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Heroic Hearts

Colorado Decriminalisation

Entheogen

Psychedelic integration

MAPS MDMA trials

Ketamine Clinics

Dr Christopher Lowry

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Veterans Affairs recommendations for treating PTSD

A Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science

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15. Veterans & Psychedelics part 1 – Heroic Hearts Foundation with Jesse Gould & Keith Abraham

Fascinate Productions — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 08:45:00 +0000

This episode of the Drug Science podcast offers a unique insight into the personal accounts of veterans Jesse Gould and Keith Abrahams. From the Afghan war zone to the Peruvian Jungle, these two have dedicated themselves to helping support their fellow brothers and sisters in arms.

After being deployed in Afghanistan three times, Jesse Gould founded the Heroic Hearts Project in 2017 to spearhead the acceptance and use of ayahuasca therapy as a means of addressing the current mental health crisis among veterans. This project offers veterans who are interested in pursuing psychedelic treatment options, a chance to treat their PTSD.

Keith Abraham served 9 years as a member of The Parachute Regiment, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Throughout the latter years of his military service and during this time working for an investment bank, Keith began experiencing severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. After exhausting the majority of services and options offered by the NHS and military charities without much success, Keith realised a new approach was needed.

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***Free Drug Science event***

Medical Psychedelic Working Group Event <<< register here<<<

***From the best & brightest minds working in psychedelics***

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Psilocybin retreats in the Netherlands

Johns Hopkins Psychedelic Research

Crispin Blunt

Ollie Ollerton

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Wellcome Collection exhibition

A Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science

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14. Mescaline with Mike Jay

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 07:45:00 +0000

Mescaline is one of the lesser used psychedelics of the 21st century, however, its use may be older than any other psychedelic drug we know of. In this episode of the Drug Science podcast, Mike Jay recounts the definitive history of mescaline, exploring its mind-altering effects across cultures, from ancient America to western modernity.

Mike Jay is a writer and curator who has written widely on the history of drugs. He is the author of High Society: mind-altering drugs in history and culture, which accompanied the exhibition he curated at Welcome Collection in London on 2010, and most recently of Mescaline: a global history of the first psychedelic.

Professor Nutt and Mike Jay also discuss:

The stigmatisation of people who use drugs

The lexicology of the word ‘drug’

The cultural revolution of the 1960s

Mescaline tourism

High Society

Mescaline

Mike Jay

Humphry Davy

Psychoactive Substances Act 2016

San Pedro ancient art

Alexander Shulgin

A Different Medicine

From Shock to Awe

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Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction

A Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science

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13. The Vape Debate with Gerry Stimson

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 07:55:00 +0000

The emergence of vaping and e-cigarettes is a relatively new and novel form of harm reduction. The UK has taken a scientific approach to the regulation of vaporisers and has been rewarded with great reductions of new and existing tobacco smokers. However, internationally vaporisers have been met with great distain and in some cases prohibition. In the past few years, we have seen a deliberate attempt to mislead the public over the harms of vaping nicotine and other cigarette substitute products.

Professor Gerry Stimson is a sociologist who has been promoting a harm reduction approach to public health since 1987. This began with harm reduction messaging for drug use to minimise HIV infection rates. This later expanded to other harm reduction tactics such as alcohol and tobacco control. In 2004, Gerry was appointed Emeritus Professor at Imperial College London. In 2017, he was appointed Honorary Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Together, Professor Nutt and Professor Stimson will unravel facts from fiction and answer:

Why are UK regulations so effective?

Should we fear ‘big tobacco’ involvement with vaporisers?

Abstinence vs harm reduction

Why is vaping stigmatised?

How does vaping change user’s relationship with nicotine?

Should we ban flavours?

Tobacco harm reduction and the right to health

GSHR twitter

Needle exchange

What is harm reduction?

Snus

Nicotine replacement therapy

Nicotine

Drug Harm analysis

Nicotine MCDA

Public Health England e-cigarette report

US flavour ban

WHO stance on vaping

COVID and vaping

Vaping by Clive Bates

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Shaman’s pouch containing DMT

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12. Ayahuasca with Dr Simon Ruffell

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 07:45:00 +0000

Over the last few years, Dr Simon Ruffell has worked closely with indigenous communities in the Amazon basin. He is particularly interested in the tradition surrounding the use of plant medicine in the Shipibo tribe. Simon has been looking at the psychological effects of plant medicine and the role that ceremony and spirit play in healing.

In this episode, Simon talks about his research into ayahuasca, the dangers of drug tourism and the ayahuasca diet. Dr Ruffell also explores the cultural history of DMT from a shaman’s pocket to Vogue magazine.

Simon graduated with a degree in medicine from the University of Sheffield before specialising in psychiatry. He has an interest in transcultural psychiatry, working overseas in Northern Uganda. He has a special interest in psychedelic research, namely ayahuasca and has spent the last four years conducting research into the use of ayahuasca in an adapted traditional setting in the Peruvian Amazon. Simon is currently based at The Maudsley Hospital in South London, as well as working as a Senior Research Associate at King's College London looking at the use of psilocybin in treatment resistant depression.

Kings college

Imperial college psychedelic research group

Brazil Ayahuasca RCT

Barcelona brain imaging trials

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11. Policing Drugs – Undercover with Neil Woods

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 07:55:00 +0000

Neil Woods is a former Undercover Drugs Detective Sergeant whose brief was to infiltrate Britain's most dangerous drug gangs, befriending the foot soldiers before taking on their gangster bosses. Neil risked his life to infiltrate some of the UK's most vicious gangs, by doing so he came to realise the terrifying reality of the drug war in Britain.

During this time, what Neil discovered is that (like most wars) the war on drugs was futile at best and corrupt at worst. He’s now a board member of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) in the USA and the U.K. LEAP is a U.N. accredited NGO campaigning for an end to the war on drugs. He’s written two books, a memoir Good Cop Bad War, and Drug Wars, with JS Rafaeli.

Gabor Maté’s book on addiction and trauma - https://drgabormate.com/book/in-the-realm-of-hungry-ghosts/

Burger bar boys - https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-burger-bar-boys-gang-11796968

Chief Constable Mike Barton - https://www.durham.police.uk/news-and-events/Pages/News%20Articles/Chief-Constable-Mike-Barton-announces-retirement-.aspx

Ron Hogg - https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/a-man-people-tributes-ron-17526538

HAT/Heroin Assisted Treatment - http://www.sdf.org.uk/heroin-assisted-treatment-provided-glasgow/

Police and Crime commissioner David Jameson - https://www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/your-commissioner/police-and-crime-commissioner/

Drug Consumption Room - https://www.avert.org/news/world%E2%80%99s-largest-drug-consumption-facility-opens-denmark

Good cop bad war - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1110612/good-cop--bad-war/9781785032707

Drug Wars - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1114855/drug-wars/9781785037467

LEAP UK - http://ukleap.org/

LEAP - https://lawenforcementactionpartnership.org/

The Stop and Search podcast - https://play.acast.com/s/stopandsearch

LEAP UK - @UKLEAP

LEAP US - @policeforreform

Neil Woods - @wudzee0

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10. MDMA-Assisted Therapy with Dr Ben Sessa & Chris Trudgian

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 26 May 2020 08:10:00 +0000

Dr Ben Sessa was the first doctor to administer MDMA assisted therapy in the 21st century and Christopher Trudgian was one of his very first patients. They both join Professor David Nutt to answer the question… can MDMA be used therapeutically to treat addiction and/or PTSD?

The links between childhood trauma/PTSD and adult addiction are very apparent. It is now well documented that MDMA has a therapeutic potential to treat PTSD could that mean that patients suffering with PTSD-related addiction could benefit from this type of therapy? To do this, Dr. Sessa had to examine the childhood trauma, sexual abuse and the selectively impaired fear response.

Dr Sessa is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist working in adult addiction services and with custodial detained young people in a secure adolescent setting. Dr Sessa is currently a senior research fellow at Bristol, Cardiff and Imperial College London Universities, where he is conducting the UK’s first clinical studies with MDMA-assisted therapy for the treatment of PTSD and alcohol dependence syndrome. In the last ten years he has worked on several UK-based human pharmacology trials as study doctor or as a healthy subject administering and receiving test doses of LSD, psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine.

Ben Sessa - www.drsessa.com

Why MDMA Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder and Why Now? Neuropharmacology (2017) - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29126911

Addaction/WeAreWithYou - https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/

MDMA - https://drugscience.org.uk/drug-information/mdma/

MAPS MDMA - https://maps.org/research/mdma

MDMA Assisted-therapy training - https://maps.org/training

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/38/contents

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9. Global Drug Trends with Professor Adam Winstock

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 19 May 2020 08:15:00 +0000

Adam Winstock joins Professor David Nutt to discuss how drug use has changed in the past 20 years and the data that he has collected as a part of the Global Drug Survey (GDS).

Using anonymous online research methods Global Drug Survey runs an annual survey collecting information on people’s drug use. Using this data, the Global Drug Survey creates digital health applications delivering screening and brief interventions for drugs. Survey findings are frank, honest, and revealing. GDS explores the positives and negatives of drug use and detects new drugs trends as soon as they appear. GDS has a unique insight into personal decision-making about drug use. Their international networks of researchers and specialists have extensive experience in data analysis and report writing.

Professor Winstock is a Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist based in London where is he looks after the care of people who use drugs in prison. He is also an honorary clinical professor at University College London, he was previously Consultant Psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital and Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London. Adam has published over 100 research papers and has developed particular clinical and research expertise in the areas of cannabis, new drugs and chemsex. He is also founder and director of Global Drug Survey, the world’s biggest annual survey of drug use trends, the architect of online and smart phone apps drugs meter and Drinks Meter, and the ultra-brief feedback and assessment tool for cannabis use.

Mixmag - https://mixmag.net/

GDS Corona - https://www.globaldrugsurvey.com/covid19/

GHB / GBL - https://drugscience.org.uk/drug-information/ghb-gbl/

GDS highway code - https://www.globaldrugsurvey.com/brand/the-highway-code/

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8. Medical Cannabis, Mum & Me with Lucy and Kate Stafford

Fascinate Productions — Fri, 15 May 2020 08:10:00 +0000

Lucy Stafford is a medical cannabis patient and advocate. Having spent most of her teenage years in severe pain, dependent on opiates and a feeding tube, discovering medical cannabis has transformed her health and quality of life. She is passionate about working towards a healthcare system that integrates the use of medical cannabis in the UK. Lucy is a Director at Patient Led Engagement for Access (PLEA) and patient access consultant for Project Twenty21.

Lucy and Kate Stafford (mother) join the professor to recount their difficulties obtaining a medical cannabis prescription in the UK. From reluctant doctors to Amsterdam coffeeshops, Lucy and Kate have first hand experience of navigating this difficult system.

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ehlers-danlos-syndromes/

Volcano Vaporizer - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16637053

Cannabis - https://drugscience.org.uk/drug-information/cannabis/

PLEA - https://www.pleacommunity.org.uk

PLEA Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pleacommunity/

PLEA Community Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/3199307166781022/

Twenty21 - https://drugscience.org.uk/project-twenty21/

Medical Cannabis education - https://drugscience.org.uk/medical-cannabis-educational-slides/

Wheelchair accessible coffee shop in Amsterdam - https://kooi.business.site/

Lucy’s vaporizer - https://www.storz-bickel.com/en/catalog/product/view/id/139

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7. Ethnopharmacology with Dr Dennis McKenna

Fascinate Productions — Tue, 12 May 2020 08:10:00 +0000

Professor David Nutt begins season 2 by taking a deep dive into entheogenic plants with a legend of the psychedelic renaissance - Dennis McKenna. Dennis deliberates on his life’s work, ethnobotany, innovation within psychedelic industry, the therapeutic potential of DMT and the indigenous use of ayahuasca.

Dennis McKenna's research has focused on the interdisciplinary study of Amazonian ethnopharmacology and plant hallucinogens. He has conducted extensive ethnobotanical fieldwork in the Peruvian, Colombian, and Brazilian Amazon.

Mckenna Academy of Natural Philosophy - https://mckenna.academy/

The Shaman and the Scientist - https://vimeo.com/ondemand/tsats

Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs: 50 Years of Research book https://www.synergeticpress.com/shop/dennis-mckenna/

Symposium launching this book^^^ - www.ESPD50.com

and finally - https://vimeo.com/showcase/4766647 all of the lectures from this symposium on Vimeo

Heffter Research - https://www.heffter.org/

LSD - https://drugscience.org.uk/drug-information/lsd/

Psilocybin - https://drugscience.org.uk/drug-information/psilocybin/

Salvia - https://drugscience.org.uk/drug-information/salvia/

Twitter: @DennisMcKenna4

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