💧 Netflix under fire for ayahuasca doc

Happy Thursday! Welcome back to the Drop In, DoubleBlind’s newsletter dispatching the latest news, culture, and happenings from the psychedelics space. We hope you’re reading this from inside your refrigerator because this mid-July heat is melting our faces in ways we thought only a bad acid trip could 🫠

Our featured story this week brings us current on a wrongful death lawsuit brought against Soul Quest Ayahuasca Church of Mother Earth. The Florida-based church made the news in 2021 and 2022 for petitioning the DEA to obtain religious exemption from the Controlled Substances Act to use ayahuasca. However, the “church” had a suit brought against it by the family of a ceremony participant who died in 2018 after consuming ayahuasca and Kambo (a purgative made of frog excretion) at the retreat center. 

The owner of Soul Quest had the audacity to gloat on a Netflix docuseries that aired in 2020 about the death of the participant, avoiding all accountability and inaccurately stating why he died. Netflix is still streaming that episode, which begs the questions: What happens when information in documentaries isn’t accurate? What’s the fact-checking process to get a project aired on a major streaming service? Is there one? What happens when new information comes to light after a series or documentary airs? Because spreading inaccurate information—proven in court—has consequences and is extremely harmful to those the misinformation involves. 

We’ll let you read the full story, written by journalist Mattha Louis Busby, linked below! If you keep scrolling, you’ll also find stories about the biggest ketamine study, an Oregon mushroom school possibly getting shut down, and what happens when you take Syrian Rue and psilocybin mushrooms together. That’s all we’ve got for you!

Stay hydrated💧,

Mary Carreón
Senior Editor

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Our Latest

Ketamine telehealth company Mindbloom has released the findings of what it claims to be the largest study yet of at-home ketamine treatment for depression. While the findings were mostly positive, the study also outlined some criticisms about this therapy model, including risks.

The Oregon Health Authority is trying to shut down a mushroom facilitator school, marking the first time the state has sought to shut down such a business since psilocybin therapy was legalized last year. The owner says her training is a religious practice, but the state disagrees.

Filmmaker Mareesa Stertz tried psilohuasca, a mix of psilocybin mushrooms and Syrian rue, in Holland to alleviate anxiety and sleep issues. Despite intense discomfort and vivid visions, she found it transformative, feeling a deep connection to a higher power.

& More Must-Reads

• Chinese Artist Lin Tianmiao draws attention to the oppression of women’s bodies with contorted figures and elaborate costuming

• With cacao ceremonies on the rise, who has the right to access this plant medicine, and what do we owe to the plant's cultural heritage?

• Buddhists have a reputation for living drug and alcohol-free, but author Mike Crowley has found a visionary elixir called "amrita" to play no small role in early Buddhist practice.

Trip Tales

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🍄 Psilocybe caerulescens is a species that's widely revered by Mexican Indigenous groups, with a lineage of use stretching back centuries.

🟪 The seeds of morning glories and some other plants contain LSA, a cousin of LSD. Here's what to know about the effects of LSA, proper dosage, and more.

👁️ Flashbacks, though uncommon, can occur after taking psychedelics, with Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD) being a rare outcome.

💥 We need alternatives to over-the-counter painkillers. Could microdosing for chronic pain be the answer?

DoubleBlind Digs

Here are today’s recommendations to help you live more psychedelically… 

1. Tradition says not to buy a Tarot deck for yourself, but if you're overwhelmed by choices, DoubleBlind has a mini round-up of top picks to help you out.

2. Wakeful Travel's new Mushroom Cultivation Journal* written by mycologist Caine Barlow is a must-have guide and companion for mushroom cultivation enthusiasts. Pre-order now!

3. Get connected to the psychedelic space with the Psychedelic Ecosystem List, a directory of over 500 companies, organizations, media, and people, created by BizDelics. Check it out here.

4. We asked expert herbalists for their favorite brain-boosting products, and if growing your own mushrooms isn't for you, check out these top lion’s mane supplement recommendations.

*We may earn a commission from this link, but we are very intentional about the people we partner with.

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