Another university has announced the launch of a psychedelics research institute\u2014and this one is taking special interest in ensuring that participants reflect the diversity of people who stand to benefit from the substances, which has been lacking in studies to date.<\/p>\n
The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy on Monday announced the creation of the Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances. It\u2019s the latest academic institution to prioritize such research as psychedelics reform continues to advance at the federal, state and local level.<\/p>\n
Researchers will look at the therapeutic potential of psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA in the treatment of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder and opioid addiction. It will also work to provide educational training for the next generation of psychedelics scientists and practitioners.<\/p>\n
Importantly, the department stressed in a press release that the center will work to diversify the participant pool in its research, recognizing that people of color have often been underrepresented in psychedelics studies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a substantial imbalance in the numbers of Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American research participants in studies of psilocybin and other psychoactive medications,\u201d Paul Hutson, founding center director and a UW\u2013Madison School of Pharmacy professor, said<\/a>. \u201cThe center will seek opportunities to improve the representation of minorities, elderly and marginalized groups in the forthcoming research on psychedelics.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEfforts to accomplish these goals align with established projects at the university that investigate the role and impact of psychedelic compounds across different cultures, including Indigenous communities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Hutson told Marijuana Moment in an email that the reason for the lack of diversity in this kind of research is multifaceted. Historical exploitation of minorities in health-related studies and challenges associated with having the time and resources to participate within certain communities are some of the factors, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have ideas, but not answers to these challenges,\u201d he said. \u201cOne of our urgent goals with the new center is to establish listening sessions with members of the Black, First Nation, Hispanic and Hmong communities of Wisconsin to learn of their concerns, and to hear their suggestions.\u201d<\/p>\n Researchers also identified the lack of diversity in psychedelics studies in a recent paper published in the journal Chronic Stress<\/a>. For that study, survey data indicated that use of psychedelics seems to be correlated with a decrease in racial trauma symptoms for people of color. But there\u2019s a notable deficit of clinical research on the topic, the authors said.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom cannabis to psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and MDMA (ecstasy), psychoactive agents are the new frontier for potential new therapies and medications,\u201d Hutson said in the press release about the new center. \u201cI anticipate FDA approval of psilocybin and MDMA within the next five years, and the UW Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances will help meet the need for more research into these applications, as well as others, that could dramatically improve patients\u2019 lives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn light of the opioid crisis and the ever-increasing mental health needs stemming from the pandemic, the growing list of psychedelic compounds shows tremendous promise in early clinical studies in helping patients with addiction and psychiatric disorders. We plan to continue being on the forefront of this field with innovation and development of novel therapies through our research and educational programs on psychoactive agents.\u201d<\/p>\n The University of Wisconsin announcement comes as other academic institutions have begun launching similarly focused research centers.<\/p>\n In June, for example, Harvard Law School announced the creation of a first-of-its-kind psychedelics policy center<\/a> that it hopes will inform legislation and help clinicians navigate this burgeoning medical space as reform continues to spread.<\/p>\n The Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation (POPLAR) will be a three-year effort designed to \u201cpromote safety, innovation and equity in psychedelics research, commerce and therapeutics.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2019, Johns Hopkins University launched the nation\u2019s first center\u00a0devoted exclusively to researching psychedelic drugs<\/a>\u2014though its focus is on the therapeutic potential of these substances, rather than delving into the policy side of the issue.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Wisconsin, where the new center is opening, is one of few states that still lacks a comprehensive medical marijuana program.<\/p>\n A state senator recently introduced a bill to legalize marijuana<\/a>, but past efforts have stalled in the legislature. Gov. Tony Evers (D) is a supporter of legalization tried to legalize recreational and medical marijuana\u00a0through his proposed state budget earlier this year<\/a>, but a GOP-led legislative committee\u00a0stripped the cannabis language from the legislation<\/a>\u00a0in May. Democrats\u00a0tried to add the provisions back<\/a>\u00a0through an amendment the next month, but Republicans blocked the move.<\/p>\n In any case, the new research center is one of the latest developments to come as the conversation around reforming laws on psychedelics gains steam at the local, state and federal level.<\/p>\n For example, nearly one year after the Ann Arbor, Michigan City Council\u00a0voted to decriminalize a wide-range of psychedelics<\/a>, lawmakers last week approved a resolution to officially designate September as Entheogenic Plants and Fungi Awareness Month<\/a>.<\/p>\n Psychedelics reform is also currently advancing<\/a>\u00a0in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Easthampton, Massachusetts and Arcata, California.<\/p>\n Other Massachusetts cities that have enacted the policy change are:\u00a0Northampton<\/a>,\u00a0Somerville<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Cambridge<\/a>. And earlier this month, state lawmakers\u00a0also heard testimony about a bill<\/a>\u00a0to create a task force charged with\u00a0studying the implications of legalizing psychedelics like psilocybin and ayahuasca<\/a>.<\/p>\n In California,\u00a0Oakland<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Santa Cruz<\/a>\u00a0have already enacted psychedelics decriminalization.<\/p>\n Voters in Washington, D.C. approved a ballot measure to\u00a0decriminalize psychedelics in the nation\u2019s capital<\/a>\u00a0in November.<\/p>\n For the most part, the burgeoning psychedelics movement has been limited to decriminalization\u2014with the exception or Oregon, where voters elected to\u00a0legalize psilocybin for therapeutic purposes<\/a>\u00a0during last year\u2019s election. California activists are also pushing to place\u00a0psilocybin legalization on the state\u2019s 2022 ballot<\/a>\u00a0as a lawmaker works to pass a separate bill to\u00a0legalize possession of a wide range of psychedelics<\/a>\u00a0that has already passed the state Senate and two Assembly committees.<\/p>\n All of these developments are some of the latest iterations of a national psychedelics reform movement that\u2019s spread since Denver became the first city to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms<\/a>\u00a0in 2019.<\/p>\n The Aspen, Colorado City Council\u00a0discussed the therapeutic potential of psychedelics<\/a>\u00a0like psilocybin and proposals to decriminalize such substances at a meeting in May. But members said, as it stands, enacting a reform would be more better handled at the state level while entheogens remain strictly federally controlled.<\/p>\n Seattle lawmakers also recently sent a letter to members of a local task force focused on the opioid overdose epidemic, imploring the group to\u00a0investigate the therapeutic potential of psychedelics<\/a>\u00a0like ayahuasca and ibogaine in curbing addiction.<\/p>\n But in a setback for advocates, the U.S. House of Representatives recently voted against a proposal from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) that\u00a0would have removed a spending bill rider<\/a>\u00a0that advocates say has restricted federal funds for research into Schedule I drugs, including psychedelics such as psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine. However, it picked up considerably more votes this round than\u00a0when the congresswoman first introduced it<\/a>\u00a0in 2019.<\/p>\n Report provisions of separate, House-passed spending legislation also touch on the need to\u00a0expand cannabis and psychedelics research<\/a>. The panel urged the National Institute On Drug Abuse (NIDA) to support expanded marijuana studies, for example<\/p>\n It further says that federal health agencies should\u00a0pursue research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics<\/a>\u00a0for military veterans suffering from a host of mental health conditions.<\/p>\n When it comes to broader drug policy reform, Oregon voters also approved an initiative in November to\u00a0decriminalize possession of all drugs<\/a>. This year, the Maine House of Representatives\u00a0passed a drug decriminalization bill<\/a>, but it later\u00a0died in the Senate<\/a>.<\/p>\n In May, lawmakers in Congress filed the\u00a0first-ever legislation to federally decriminalize possession<\/a>\u00a0of illicit substances.<\/p>\n Ohio Attorney General Certifies 2022 Marijuana Legalization Ballot Petition<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype<\/a> and Apollo<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Wisconsin University Launches Psychedelics Center With Goal Of Increasing Diversity In Research<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Another university has announced the launch of a psychedelics research institute\u2014and this one is taking special interest in ensuring that participants reflect the diversity of people who stand to benefit from the substances, which has been lacking in studies to date. The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy on MondayContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15462],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49565"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49565"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49566,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49565\/revisions\/49566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nRead More: Wisconsin University Launches Psychedelics Center With Goal Of Increasing Diversity In Research<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"