💧 Trip-free psychedelic awaits FDA nod

Welcome back to The Drop In! We know you get hundreds of emails, so we just want to take a sec to express our appreciation for reading our newsletter and being part of the growing DB community! 💜

This week The Drop In is highlighting some of the best stories currently on the website, so we’re going to use this time to talk about them all. We’ve got a story about a drug called Captagon—ever heard of it? Us either. According to reports, it’s like that by design of the US government. Journalist Michelle Lhooq details the captagon situation and why we’re all of a sudden hearing about it now.

There’s a ton of patent movement happening in the psychedelics industry right now, too. The co-founder of Google is helping fund a biotech firm attempting to patent ibogaine treatments—and advocates are not okay with it. Journalist Mattha Busby gives us the latest on that story. 

Enveric Biosciences also just secured three (3!) patents for its “next-generation” psilocin pro-drug, which is currently awaiting FDA-approval. Enveric is also hoping to push through a trip-free psychedelic it’s working to get patented. We should hear more about that in the beginning of 2025. You can find a story on this biotech update immediately below!

We’ll catch up with you again in a few days. Enjoy the brain food until then 🍇🧠🌴

🫶 
Mary Carreón
Senior Editor

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Our Latest

Captagon, an amphetamine-like stimulant, has been flooding the Gulf countries and the rest of the Middle East, fueling the region’s party scene while also turning Syria into a narco-state. While drugs like hash have been used in the Middle East for centuries, Captagon is a new phenomenon and is catching on amongst both the youth and military fighters.

Sergey Brin, Google co-founder, is funding biotech startup Soneira, which is launching clinical trials to investigate ibogaine as a treatment for traumatic brain injury, with a focus on mitigating the risks of long QT syndrome. However, the patent application for their ibogaine protocol has sparked concerns among advocates who argue this is standard practice.

While many authors, activists, and psychonauts have written about LSD, there's no definitive guide for the experience, as it varies for each individual. However, some general pointers from seasoned users can benefit both novices and veterans, so here are our favorite quotes from authors, musicians, activists, and actors—some insightful, some funny, and some both.

& More Must-Reads

• Troubled by the common phenomenon of white people appropriating Indigenous traditions in the psychedelic space, this author rediscovered the folklore of her own ancestral lineage.

• Experts weigh in on the connection between the spiritual and the psychedelic and why some trippers feel like religious figures.

• Psychedelic businesses have an opportunity to disrupt existing paradigms with regenerative economic practices. The question is: will they take it?

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.

Learn with Us

🍄 For decades, the cause of the bluing reaction in psychedelic mushrooms baffled scientists. German researchers finally cracked the code.

🧐 Ayahuasca, shrooms, and LSD, oh my! How do you know which psychedelic is right for you? Here’s our guide to help you (or a loved one) get started.

👅 Is 1P-LSD really a legal trip? This novel psychedelic is viewed as an alternative to regular acid—but it's complicated.

🚀 "Is this trip ever going to end?!" Yes, we promise you, it does. Some acid trips seem to last forever—we found out why.

DoubleBlind Digs

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

1. Just like with functional mushrooms, there are tonssss of cacao brands out there that are diluted versions of the real deal. Cacao can be a gentle but potent medicine as a coffee alternative or on a day you’re doing yoga, journaling, and looking to go inward. This is our absolute favorite place to source cacao.*

2. Creating the right set and setting is crucial for a positive psychedelic journey, and one way to achieve this is through a carefully selected playlist that uplifts you and helps you delve into your consciousness. While music affects everyone differently, we've curated a list of songs uniquely suited for enhancing psychedelic experiences. Check out our list to elevate your journey!

3. If you're into apps that enhance your personal, spiritual, and mental wellness, you have to check out Breathwrk! As avid proponents of intentional breathing, we love how this app helps you calm down, focus, increase stamina, and fall asleep quickly through its various exercises and classes. This isn't a sponsored placement—we genuinely love this app! Click here to learn more and download.

4. We dig knowing our dose. Duh. The potency or psilocybin-containing shrooms can vary tremendously between species, variety and batch. The Psilocybin QTest from Miraculix can quickly and easily determine the potency of any batch of dried mushrooms. How sweet is that? Get a test kit here.*

*We might make a small commission when purchases are made using this link, but we only promote brands we actually use and trust.

Together With…

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From the Magazine

From a regenerating jellyfish to the microbes within our guts, Iraqi-American artist Hayv Kahraman zooms in on parts of our ecosystem that illuminate the interconnectivity of all things

“There has to be some kind of silver lining somewhere,” asserts Hayv Kahraman. The Iraqi-American artist who left Baghdad as a child and now has paintings on display in exhibits spanning multiple continents makes the case for optimism while interviewing with DoubleBlind in her car outside her Los Angeles studio. 

The faith in a silver lining is itself a silver lining for Kahraman. Her paintings—the subjects of which are often women navigating surreal yet sparse terrains of human body parts—are attempts at resolving the trauma she met as a refugee-come-émigré. 

Get DoubleBlind Issue No. 11 to read the full story.

Latest Podcast Episode

Have you wondered how ancient shamanic wisdom can enhance modern psychology? Don’t miss our latest episode of The DoubleBlind Magic Hour.

Join DB’s Shelby Hartman and Dr. Ido Cohen, a clinical psychologist and psychedelic integration facilitator, as they explore the convergence of shamanic traditions and modern psychology to address personal and collective healing.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and more.