Personal Trainer | 2x Author | Former Journalist | Jiu Jitsu purple belt | Mennonite | “Do no harm, take no shit"
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Articles by Amanda Siebert
“It Was Exactly What I Needed - Until I Was Arrested For Growing It”: Former Nurse Avoids 10-Year Prison Sentence For Microdosing Psilocybin
In July 2022, a story sent shockwaves through the psychedelic community: an Indiana nurse and mother of five was about to be sentenced to 10 years in prison for growing mushrooms after she’d learned that microdosing psilocybin might improve her 20-year struggle with treatment-resistant depression. Jessica Thornton (who now goes by Jessica Fitzmaurice) was charged with two felonies: dealing a scheduled substance and child endangerment.
The Differences Between Colorado and Oregon's Psilocybin Laws
By Colorado oregon psilocybin Psilocybin Articles psilocybin laws psilocybin mushrooms It’s an exciting time for psilocybin laws changing in America: On January 1, Oregon became the first state to legalize the adult use of psilocybin and will soon allow for dedicated psilocybin healing centers. Then, on January 4, psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs were effectively decriminalized in the state of Colorado following a November 2022 ballot initiative.
Kentucky Summit To Explore Ibogaine Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder
Although it seems an unlikely place to study a psychedelic drug, the state of Kentucky could be the first to fund research into ibogaine. At the end of the month, a summit in La Grange will offer Kentuckians a chance to learn about it and other potential “breakthrough” treatments for opioid use disorder.
Why Jiu Jitsu-Not Psychedelics-Is the Real Hero In My Life
Want to listen to this post? Stay tuned for a podcast version, which will be posted on Sunday, September 17. (For the month of September 2023, all posts on A to Z of Altered States will be included with a free subscription.) A discretionary note for readers: In this piece, I talk about sexual assault. In journalism school, one learns several important rules of the craft in the name of truth, accuracy, and objectivity. Some are critical and ought to be adhered to: Take notes. Do your research.
The Little Book of Cannabis: How Marijuana Can Improve Your Life
A pragmatic and informative look at better living through cannabis. Cannabis. Weed. Bud. Whatever you choose to call it, it's been a health aid, comfort, and life-enhancer for humankind for more than three thousand years. But while cannabis is used by hundreds of millions of people around the world, more than a century of prohibition has resulted in confusion about its status: Is it healthy? Is it medicinal? Will it make you crazy?
Welcome to A to Z of Altered States
Want to listen to this post? Tune into the podcast version here. (For the month of September 2023, all posts on A to Z of Altered States will be included with a free subscription. In October, podcast posts will only be available to paid subscribers.) Welcome to A to Z of Altered States, my little corner of the internet.
Meet The Thai Entrepreneurs Building Bangkok’s First Cannabis Wellness Complex Original
Whether for its white-sand beaches, spicy cuisine, or ancient temples, Thailand has long been a popular destination among international travelers. More recently, tourists have been flocking there for another reason: to enjoy cannabis. Thailand became the first Asian country to decriminalize recreational cannabis in June 2022.
Meet The Thai Entrepreneurs Building Bangkok’s First Cannabis Wellness Complex
Together with Canadian partners, Jamiez Rayzoowaht Spaunpullsate and Boss Asakon Singsikornkun ... [+] (pictured here at Raymi Bar in Bangkok) are opening an upscale cannabis wellness complex where guests can enjoy a massage, a meal, and locally grown cannabis under one roof. Photo Courtesy Remedy's & Charlie's Whether for its white-sand beaches, spicy cuisine, or ancient temples, Thailand has long been a popular destination among international travelers.
3 Tools To Help You Prepare For, Enhance, And Integrate Your Next Psychedelic Trip
Psychedelic drugs like these psilocybin mushrooms may still be federally illegal, but demand for all ... [+] things psychedelic has increased dramatically over the last five years, creating a rich environment for ancillary goods and services. getty The drugs themselves may still be federally illegal, but demand for all things psychedelic has increased dramatically over the last five years, creating a rich environment for ancillary goods and services.
New York City’s Psychedelic Athenæum: A Place To Find The Others
Located in Midtown Manhattan, The Psychedelic Athenæum is part library, part museum, part ... [+] performance venue, and part social club. Photo courtesy the psychedelic assembly Four women united by their appreciation for psychedelics have launched a cultural forum and member-supported library in the heart of New York City, providing a community hub for well-travelled psychonauts and the psychedelic-curious alike.
Psychedelics and the 'Gift of Trauma'
By Amanda Siebert Ketamine for PTSD mdma therapy mental health psychedelics PTSD trauma With 0 comments If you’ve been to the depths, what’s next? Dr. Edith Shiro has an idea. A fresh perspective on psychedelics, trauma, and recovery. Born in Venezuela, she moved to the United States as a first-generation immigrant “carrying a lot of stories of trauma from my ancestors,” she says.
Artist Chor Boogie Pursues the Nganga Path
Today, at the height of the so-called psychedelic renaissance, the word “shaman” is tossed around with little regard for its deeper meaning. Surprisingly (or not, depending on how cynical you are), it’s an identity people seem increasingly comfortable with bestowing upon themselves.
Little Saints Offers Plant Magic In Mocktails And New Non-Alcoholic Mezcal
While some come close, most non-alcoholic cocktails and spirits fail to match the feel of a real drink in both mood shift and sensation. When plant medicine enthusiast Megan Klein set out to create Little Saints, she wanted a drink that did both. In January 2021, Klein decided to try Dry January—something she’d attempted at least a dozen times in years previous and failed.
Designer Psychedelics: Can We Improve DMT?
By Amanda Siebert anxiety Designer Drugs DMT With 0 comments Can drug companies improve the classic psychedelics? Build better versions of LSD or psilocybin? Clinical trials may answer the question. One of the most interesting uses designer DMT. Cybin is investigating whether a designer DMT might be better suited for psychedelic-assisted therapy than, well, regular DMT. What Does ‘Designer DMT’ Even Mean? Cybin’s new designer DMT is a deuterated analog they call CYB-004.
Cultivating Potential
Green Light Michael Spengler ’00 is another recent arrival to the industry. A week after graduation, the former Marketing major began what would be a nearly 20-year career in the electronic component distribution industry. Cannabis, he says, was “not at all on my radar” until a friend who owned a 150-acre property newly zoned for cannabis cultivation asked if he’d be interested in working in Massachusetts’ emerging recreational market. This was 2018.
Psyched: a psychedelic book event
It’s an exciting time to be involved in psychedelics. Many people have chosen to put down their long-held biases towards these powerful medicines, embracing both psychedelics and adaptogens as tools for healing, hope, and human improvement. It’s this tide change that inspired Amanda to write Psyched. Psychedelics also create a wonderful sense of community.
A Guide To Vancouver’s Magic Mushroom Dispensaries
By Amanda Siebert psilocybin Psilocybin Articles psilocybin dispensaries psilocybin mushrooms psilocybin therapy With 0 comments As legislation permitting the use of plant medicines is passed in a growing number of jurisdictions, dispensaries selling mushrooms are quietly popping up in cities throughout North America, including in Oakland, Portland, and Toronto. However, no city is home to more psilocybin dispensaries than Vancouver.
“Nobody Wants A Synthetic-Only Future”: Filament Health Is Formulating Natural Psilocybin And Standardizing Ayahuasca
By Amanda Siebert ayahuasca Psilocybin Articles psilocybin mushrooms psychedelic therapy psychedelics With 0 comments Up until recently, all clinical studies involving psilocybin relied on a synthetic iteration of the drug for standardization purposes. When the second wave of psychedelic research began picking up in the late 2010s, Filament Health CEO Ben Lightburn and his colleagues asked themselves why no one had thought to create a natural version of the drug.
3 Great Books About Psychedelics For Integrating Your Psychedelic Experience
By Amanda Siebert psychedelic books psychedelic drugs psychedelics With 0 comments Your psychedelic trip has ended, and now it’s time to work through your experience. But there’s one small problem: you’re not quite sure where to start with this whole ‘psychedelic integration’ thing. Or perhaps, you’ve been microdosing for a while want to track the changes you’ve noticed — and you just don’t know which books about psychedelics is best to get you started.
Zero-proof, zero problems: Why an alcohol-free holiday is no longer out of the question
Food by Amanda Siebert on December 14th, 2022 at 5:22 PM For most Canadians, the holidays are a time “to eat, drink, and be merry”—but in this writer’s experience, that has often translated to “eat, drink, and be hung over.” Drinking in excess is very much the norm during the month of December, so for folks who are trying to avoid alcohol, it can be a challenging time.
Using burlesque, humour, and seduction, Virago Nation takes a deep look at Indigenous sexuality for Heart of the City
Founded in the spring of 2016, Indigenous burlesque troupe Virago Nation is on a mission to rematriate Indigenous sexuality—something performer Sparkle Plenty defines as “taking it back and exploring it in a way that hasn’t been subjected to the patriarchal gaze.” Plenty is a new mom and says that mission has become all the more real since the birth of her daughter.
Celebrate the Year of the Monkey with Adorable Adoptable Figurines at Oakridge Centre
Article by Amanda Siebert, Georgia Straight, January 28, 2016 The organizers behind LunarFest are celebrating Lunar New Year at Oakridge Centre in a unique way, where hundreds of figurines are on display throughout the mall to commemorate the year of the monkey. Designed by second year Emily Carr student Walter Kao, the figurines are equipped with a movable tail, arms, and legs, and LED light.
Canada’s rich and complicated history of psychedelic research
Leafly @leafly · Sep 20, 2022 In 2022, it’s no exaggeration to say that Canada has become a hub for psychedelic research, but it’s not the first time important work on this fascinating class of drugs has been carried out here. In the 1950s, two humble (and perhaps unlikely) places were home to some of the earliest and most important uses and investigations of psychedelic drugs: The prairie province of Saskatchewan, and the city of New Westminster, British Columbia.
Canada's rich and complicated history of psychedelic research
In 2022, it’s no exaggeration to say that Canada has become a hub for psychedelic research, but it’s not the first time important work on this fascinating class of drugs has been carried out here. In the 1950s, two humble (and perhaps unlikely) places were home to some of the earliest and most important uses and investigations of psychedelic drugs: The prairie province of Saskatchewan, and the city of New Westminster, British Columbia.
Canada's rich and complicated history of psychedelic research
In 2022, it’s no exaggeration to say that Canada has become a hub for psychedelic research, but it’s not the first time important work on this fascinating class of drugs has been carried out here. In the 1950s, two humble (and perhaps unlikely) places were home to some of the earliest and most important uses and investigations of psychedelic drugs: The prairie province of Saskatchewan, and the city of New Westminster, British Columbia.
Psychedelics For Eating Disorders: An Interview With Psychiatrist And Researcher Dr. Reid Robison
By Amanda Siebert psychedelic drugs psychedelic therapy psychedelics psychedelics treatment With 0 comments You may have heard of psychedelics being used to help treat PTSD or end-of-life anxiety. But a small but growing body of work suggests they could be helpful for another group of mental health conditions: using psychedelics for eating disorders.
WOC-led psychedelics conference champions gender equality with all-women speakers
Leafly @leafly · Sep 7, 2022 It’s no secret that cannabis and psychedelics conferences have an imbalance in gender representation: the overwhelming majority of presenters are men. A grassroots organization is working to resolve the average 8:1 male-to-female presenter ratio. Sisters In Psychedelics (SIP) is looking to turn the tables in a big way during its inaugural summit on September 10—with an all-female lineup of presenters.
WOC-led psychedelics conference champions gender equality with all-women speakers
It’s no secret that cannabis and psychedelics conferences have an imbalance in gender representation: the overwhelming majority of presenters are men. A grassroots organization is working to resolve the average 8:1 male-to-female presenter ratio. Sisters In Psychedelics (SIP) is looking to turn the tables in a big way during its inaugural summit on September 10—with an all-female lineup of presenters.
WOC-led psychedelics conference champions gender equality with all-women speakers
It’s no secret that cannabis and psychedelics conferences have an imbalance in gender representation: the overwhelming majority of presenters are men. A grassroots organization is working to resolve the average 8:1 male-to-female presenter ratio. Sisters In Psychedelics (SIP) is looking to turn the tables in a big way during its inaugural summit on September 10—with an all-female lineup of presenters.
Seven Cutting-Edge Psychedelics Changing the World eBook : Siebert, Amanda, Holland MD, Julie: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
Psychedelics including psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, ayahuasca and peyote are poised to revolutionize mental health and alter the wellness industry forever. Once feared and misunderstood, psychedelics have emerged as one of the most promising therapies of the 21st century. Through cutting-edge research, substances such as MDMA and LSD are being recognized as powerful keys to healing and human improvement, offering solutions for mental health issues including PTSD and depression.
Mio’s Story: How Psilocybin Therapy For End-Of-Life Anxiety Helps To Treat The Whole Person
By Amanda Siebert mental health Psilocybin Articles psilocybin mushrooms psilocybin therapy With 0 comments Research shows that for patients suffering from life-threatening cancer, complementary therapies ranging from yoga to qigong and psychedelic-assisted therapy can help treat cancer-related side effects like pain, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. And one option growing in popularity is psilocybin therapy for anxiety. Yes, Western medicine can treat most symptoms and ailments with precision.
A Cancer Patient Just Received Legal Psilocybin Therapy At A Toronto Clinic—Accessing It Wasn’t Easy
By Amanda Siebert Psilocybin Articles psilocybin mushrooms psilocybin therapy psychedelic therapy With 0 comments A woman in her mid-40s with life-threatening cancer has become the first patient to be treated with psilocybin-assisted therapy at Field Trip Health (Toronto). While psilocybin is still an illegal substance in Canada, the Special Access Program allowed medical director Dr. Michael Verbora to apply for the drug on the patient’s behalf.
Does LSD Have Nootropic Properties? New Three-Part Study Says Yes
By Amanda Siebert brain health LSD LSD articles psychedelics psychedelics side effects With 0 comments Research shows that an experience with a classic psychedelic can induce neural plasticity, promoting the formation of new connections in the brain. If psychedelic drugs induce neural plasticity — that is, the brain’s ability to modify, change, and adapt — could they also enhance cognition and memory?
Higher Education: Cannabis courses and post-secondary programs in Canada
Leafly @leafly · Aug 5, 2022 Whether you’re keen on applied sciences, looking to specialize in cultivation, or simply eager to learn more about your favourite plant, there are several cannabis-focused post-secondary programs and courses being offered across Canada. From B.C. to the Maritimes, opportunities for specialized cannabis education and training abound, with programs in quality assurance, science, management, and more.
Higher Education: Cannabis courses and post-secondary programs in Canada
Whether you’re keen on applied sciences, looking to specialize in cultivation, or simply eager to learn more about your favourite plant, there are several cannabis-focused post-secondary programs and courses being offered across Canada. From B.C. to the Maritimes, opportunities for specialized cannabis education and training abound, with programs in quality assurance, science, management, and more. If you’re thinking of heading back to school this fall, it’s not too late to apply.
Higher Education: Cannabis courses and post-secondary programs in Canada
Whether you’re keen on applied sciences, looking to specialize in cultivation, or simply eager to learn more about your favourite plant, there are several cannabis-focused post-secondary programs and courses being offered across Canada. From B.C. to the Maritimes, opportunities for specialized cannabis education and training abound, with programs in quality assurance, science, management, and more. If you’re thinking of heading back to school this fall, it’s not too late to apply.
Othership: An Oasis For The Sober-Curious
Young people are increasingly deciding to embrace sober and sober-curious lifestyles, and for good reason: as a recent study shows, for those under the age of 40, drinking carries significant health risks and has no benefits. But with so many venues centered around alcohol, it can be challenging for non-drinkers to find a place to socialize, especially in the company of other people who also choose to lead more health-conscious lives.
Meet The Two Radical Scientists Using TikTok To Make Cannabis Education Accessible
Love it or hate it, social media can be a powerful tool for education and data collection. While the subject of cannabis often triggers the removal of content and banned accounts, pharmaceutical scientists Dr. Riley Kirk, PhD and Dr. Miyabe Shields, PhD are using platforms like TikTok and Instagram to help followers understand cannabis pharmacology, while gathering unique data on their experiences with it.
Meet The Two Radical Scientists Using TikTok To Make Cannabis Education Accessible
Love it or hate it, social media can be a powerful tool for education and data collection. While the subject of cannabis often triggers the removal of content and banned accounts, pharmaceutical scientists Dr. Riley Kirk, PhD and Dr. Miyabe Shields, PhD are using platforms like TikTok and Instagram to help followers understand cannabis pharmacology, while gathering unique data on their experiences with it.
Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund To Raise $20 Million In Support Of Indigenous-Led ‘Psychedelic’ Projects
Psychedelics may offer a new paradigm in mental healthcare treatment, but for the Indigenous communities around the world that have used plant, animal, and fungi medicines since time immemorial, the sudden rush to commodify these entities is both troubling and disruptive.
Fireside Project: The Psychedelic Support Line Matching Callers With BIPOC, Trans, And Veteran Volunteers
Part and parcel to any psychedelic experience is integration, a term used in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to describe the process of making sense of and acting on the lessons one receives while experiencing a non-ordinary state of consciousness. In studies and at ketamine clinics, participants do this crucial work with a therapist or counselor. But most people who take psychedelics do so outside of a clinical setting, and don’t have access to the same kind of help.
Urgent care and cannabis: ER staff aren't just ill-informed about medical marijuana, they're biased
It’s been 21 years since the first iteration of Canada’s medical cannabis program was introduced, and yet, the fact that cannabis is medicine for over 300,000 Canadians is something doctors seem ill-equipped to handle, particularly for patients requiring urgent care. Imagine heading to the emergency room with serious medical concern, and having it dismissed by hospital staff after disclosing that you use medical cannabis. Emergency room staff aren’t just ill-equipped—they are biased.
Urgent care and cannabis: ER staff aren't just ill-informed about medical marijuana, they're biased
It’s been 21 years since the first iteration of Canada’s medical cannabis program was introduced, and yet, the fact that cannabis is medicine for over 300,000 Canadians is something doctors seem ill-equipped to handle, particularly for patients requiring urgent care. Imagine heading to the emergency room with serious medical concern, and having it dismissed by hospital staff after disclosing that you use medical cannabis. Emergency room staff aren’t just ill-equipped—they are biased.
Inside Vision Treks: The Mind Army’s Psychedelic Retreat Takes Strangers Into The Desert
psychedelic retreat hike the Eureka Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park. Amanda Siebert Psychedelics are represented in the media, on the stock market, and in academic journals, but there’s a tie-dye elephant in the room: they’re still illegal. An organization that believes every human should have the right to use psychedelics wants to change that.
British Columbia decriminalizing drugs isn't enough, experts say it's safe supply that will save lives
Decriminalization isn’t legalization – but it’s a start. British Columbia will be the first province in Canada to decriminalize possession of small amounts of illicit drugs. British Columbia has been granted an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. As of January 2023, the federal exemption will remove criminal penalties for people in possession of certain illicit substances provincewide.
British Columbia decriminalizing drugs isn't enough, experts say it's safe supply that will save lives
Decriminalization isn’t legalization – but it’s a start. British Columbia will be the first province in Canada to decriminalize possession of small amounts of illicit drugs. British Columbia has been granted an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. As of January 2023, the federal exemption will remove criminal penalties for people in possession of certain illicit substances provincewide.
Inflation's so insane Snoop Dogg gave his blunt roller a raise
In 2019, Snoop said his professional blunt roller makes up to $50,000 a year—but yesterday’s price is not today’s price. Prices are through the roof. And Snoop Dogg isn’t passing the buck down to his employees. When the UberFacts Twitter account reminded the world that Snoop employs a full-time blunt roller for between $40,000 and $50,000 per year, Snoop quickly clarified that his prized roller’s salary had gone up to keep pace with inflation. On June 7, Snoop tweeted, “Inflation.
Psyched
Psychedelics including psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, ayahuasca and peyote are poised to revolutionize mental health and alter the wellness industry forever. Once feared and misunderstood, psychedelics have emerged as one of the most promising therapies of the 21st century. Through cutting-edge research, substances such as MDMA and LSD are being recognized as powerful keys to healing and human improvement, offering solutions for mental health issues including PTSD and depression.
New Report Warns Excise Taxes Are Destroying Craft Cannabis Cultivators
A new report calls Canada’s excise tax regime “the greatest systemic threat” to cannabis producers, and builds on three years of market data to illustrate that under the current structure, craft cultivators that have put it all on the line to go legal may not be able to survive. In Canada, excise duties or “sin taxes” on cannabis are paid by producers, who remit either $1 per gram or 10 percent of their sale price on dried cannabis; whichever is higher.
Freedom Grams: The Open-Source Cannabis Brand Supporting People In Prison For Weed
Across the United States, cannabis has become a multi-billion-dollar industry, with one in three Americans living in a state where the drug is legal. At the same time, more than 40,000 people are currently in prison for cannabis. A new justice restoration project seeks to help close the gap between the legal cannabis market and those who are serving time.
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