Psychedelic drugs are all the rage, with city and state governments starting to legalize the mind-altering substances and Wall Street investors pumping billions into companies selling them. Although psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin are mostly still illegal, universities are studying their impact and users are championing new ways to take them, such as microdosing LSD, to reduce the potency. But as psychedelics become more commonplace, scientists and researchers warn that while the drugs hold potential to create altered states of consciousness—and are unlikely to lead to overdose—they also pose considerable risks, such as life-changing negative experiences. For example, psilocybin can cause distressing hallucinations or feelings of panic and anxiety in some patients, especially at high doses. And although LSD users have reported feelings of bliss during their trip, they can also suffer last psychological trauma. If you want to use these drugs, do so with professional guidance and make sure the drugs are safe and are in the appropriate dosage.
Meanwhile, with Germany’s new government signaling that it is ready to legalize marijuana, startups are eying the potential of a pot bonanza in Europe’s most populated nation while health officials fret about potential negative consequences. While no bill has yet been tabled, the plan is to sell cannabis in licensed distribution sites, where quality can be ensured, sales taxes collected, and regulations put in place to keep the drug away from underage consumers. The most likely route is pharmacies, which already sell medical marijuana—unlike in U.S. states that have legalized weed and have established a commercial market for it through private companies and with a social-equity component. Germans, and Europeans in general, have been slower than Americans to support marijuana legalization, with a recent survey showing for the first time a slim majority of respondents now in favor of legalization.
And finally, the Biden administration's nominee to run the Food and Drug Administration has appeared before Congress but didn’t say much about one of the country’s deadliest public health crises: the opioid epidemic. Although Robert Califf took some heat from legislators about how the FDA handled opioids during his previous first term at the agency—including its reluctance to crack down on long-term opioid prescribing and its recent approval of high-dose opioids—he insisted that he took the crisis seriously and promised a “very progressive approach” if confirmed, which is likely.