💧 Grow shrooms with Mike Tyson (sort of)

Happy Monday, and welcome back to The Drop In! We have a lot in the works for this week (and many interesting news and culture stories coming your way!), so we’re going to skip the pleasantries and jump right into the juicy center of today’s psychedelic dispatch.

Our featured story is a bit different from what we’ve been serving up lately, and for a few reasons. The first is that you can’t actually read this story on our website. Why, you might ask? Well…that answer leads me to the second way this story is different from the others: It’s a collaboration between DoubleBlind and Rolling Stone! 

Journalist Mattha Busby penned a bombshell investigative feature on a clinic in Mexico administering ibogaine, the psychoactive alkaloid found in iboga, a West-Central African shrub used ceremonially by Indigenous communities (like the Bwiti) as part of their spiritual practice. But the ibogaine industry isn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows… You’ll have to read the story to find out why. It’s linked below!

If you keep scrolling, you’ll find stories on psychedelic research in California, Mike Tyson launching an at-home mushroom grow kit, and why blue molly might be more dangerous than other MDMA. 

Also, if you want to hang out with us, we’re hosting a workshop on how to prepare for a macrodose on Sunday, August 25. You can find out more here!

Until next time 🖖🏾,

Mary Carreón
Senior Editor

Together With…

Ready to find your path in the psychedelic field?

Vital’s got you covered with specialized tracks that align with who you are:

• Regenerative Business and Leadership: Lead with integrity in the psychedelic space.

• Somatics and Trauma: Heal trauma through body-based practices.

• Depth and Jungian Perspectives: Gain transformative psychological insights.

• Microdosing: Discover the benefits of sub-perceptual dosing.

• Spiritual Emergence: Guide others through profound experiences.

Plus, new in 2024—one-on-one mentorship with experienced psychedelic leaders.

Don’t miss out! Enrollment closes THIS FRIDAY, August 23. Classes start September 17. Apply here.

Our Latest

The governor of California has signed a bill into law that’s meant to streamline the processing of applications to study psychedelics and marijuana. While advocates have experienced a series of setbacks in the push to provide legal access to certain psychedelics over the past several sessions, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) approved the modest reform about two weeks after it cleared the legislature.

Celebrity boxer and wannabe drug mogul Mike Tyson has launched his first magic mushroom product: a DIY mushroom grow kit. It’s called “Mikeadelics,” and the kit is a partnership with Advanced Mycology, a company specializing in shroom cultivation. It will primarily consist of a bag filled with substrate materials like coco coir, vermiculite, and crushed oyster shells that mushrooms can grow on.

LSD has been a significant influence on modern art, with its cultural impact in the 1960s shaping the aesthetics of psychedelia. Artists like Alex Grey and Rick Griffin have pushed the boundaries of creativity, often working outside the mainstream art world. Despite the stigma, LSD-inspired art continues to evolve, with new generations of artists redefining the genre while honoring its rich history.

& More Must-Reads

• Ever wondered why paper tabs are the most common delivery method for LSD? We broke down a 1991 US Supreme Court ruling that made it this way.

• If molly is blue does that mean it’s more pure? The answer is no. Experts say blue molly may actually hide adulterants more easily.

• Domestic violence is rampant in Mexico—and disproportionately impacts indigenous women. These Mazatec curanderas are quietly working to address that.

Trip Tales

Have you had a profound experience with psychedelics before? Share your story with us for a chance to be featured in The Drop In. Submit your entry here.

Join Us

Are you looking to get more out of your entheogenic experiences?

Don’t miss our workshop on Preparing for Your First Macrodose on August 25! This workshop is designed to help you prepare for the nuances of working with plant medicines and consciousness-altering agents at large. 

You’ll learn the right questions to ask, key factors to consider, how to prepare ahead of time, what to expect, and what to do post-experience to ensure you are discerning and informed for the best, most intentional journey—in community or at home.

Our monthly workshops are a DoubleBlind+ member benefit. Click here to sign up for a 1-month free trial and get on the list for the event. 

If you’re already a DoubleBlind+ member, click here to register.

Learn with Us

☮️ Sometimes you trip a little (or a lot) harder than you planned. Weigh your dose, folks! Here are a few strategies to keep in mind before you trip so that you can bring yourself back down if you get too high.

🌰 Nutmeg is an underestimated psychoactive that’s long been overlooked. These recipes help you tune in.

🔍 The Panther Cap (Amanita pantherina), with its brown cap with white warts, is often overshadowed by its bright showy relative. But, the potent mushroom has as many reasons to merit discussion.

🤝 Want to take a guided psychedelic journey? Make sure you vet your guide. Here are our tips for getting references, asking questions, and following your gut.

DoubleBlind Supports

SUPPORT: The Huachuma Collective is a Peru-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving the bio-cultural sustainability of the San Pedro Cactus. Led by curanderos, Indigenous leaders, and Andean community members, they empower communities to protect and revitalize traditional medicine practices in Peru. Donate today to help sustain these vital cultural traditions.

READ: The Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund launched their new journal. Read the first piece published by writer Ocean Malandra. In this piece, he uncovers the power of Spiritually-Informed, Indigenous-Led conservation and why it’s crucial for the health of our planet. Read it here.

At DoubleBlind, we believe in reciprocity—the idea that everything in the world is interconnected and that we have a responsibility to uplift a psychedelic ecosystem that centers equity, inclusivity, and healing for all. Through our work, we hope to help our community participate in this effort with us.

From the Magazine

Choreography for Conjuring, Communing with, and Cultivating Creativity

Do you remember how to play? Pure, free-based, raw uncut childlike wonder? How did you let this happen? You’re not too old to fold under the weight of forgotten fun! Lucky to you we have a manual. 

Grab DoubleBlind Issue No. 11 to get writer and cartoonist Matthew Kramer’s illustrated guide on How to Play Again (psychedelic aid optional).

Latest Youtube Video

The DEA rescheduled cannabis back in April. What does it mean?

The Drug Enforcement Administration made a historic decision to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The decision cames more than 50 years after cannabis was first listed as a strictly prohibited drug, on par with heroin, and defined as a substance with no known medical value and significant abuse potential.

DB’s Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief Shelby Hartman walks us through this decision and what it means for the future of drug legalization more broadly on our YouTube.

Click here to watch our latest video.