Pioneering psychedelic research, by Amanda Feilding We are living through a mental health crisis. Existing treatments barely scratch the surface of the problem, and have not translated into real world benefit for a huge number of people. An estimated 1 billion people worldwide now live with a mental disorder, with depression affecting an estimated … Continued
Michael Wakelyn-Green is a Drug Policy Campaigner, Drug & Alcohol Recovery Specialist, and South East Ambassador for the LCDPR. With Lockdown ending mid-June (fingers-crossed), it means many UK festivals will occur this summer. Almost instantly following the news, tickets for the largest festivals in the UK sold-out (I know this because I tried to … Continued
This year the Maltese government announced that reforms would take place to permit the personal cultivation of up to 4 cannabis plants. This Thursday (22nd of April) ECAN are holding an event with reLeaf to discuss human rights, cannabis consumption and cultivation, and this exciting prospect of national policy reform in Malta. “The publication of … Continued
There is no doubt that psychedelics hold incredible healing potential to treat mental illnesses. Their ability is so great, claims circulate that they can ‘cure’ conditions, a term almost unheard of in psychiatry. The psychedelic movement has highlighted the vast benefits of these currently controlled substances, helping to liberalise and destigmatise them. It has … Continued
This piece was originally published for Insite Malta. With the government publishing a white paper proposing a decriminalised framework for responsible cannabis use on March 30, Malta is finally discussing an issue which has long been around. Cannabis reform has been a difficult field to navigate in Malta with current laws doing little to … Continued
Drug policy is a complex sphere to navigate for a whole host of reasons. The most important and difficult being that drug use is perceived to be a moral issue. It is obvious that policies based on morals rather than science are inherently problematic as biases and emotional reasoning cloud our ability to think … Continued
New York has officially legalised adult-use cannabis, becoming the 16th state in the USA to do so. It is predicted to be the largest market on the East Coast generating $2.5 billion in annual sales by its fourth year and approximately $300 million collected in tax revenue. New Yorkers can now possess up to … Continued
It’s Friday night. You’re planning on going to a festival with your friends. But first you take your bicycle and you take a trip to the ‘XTC-shop’. The cashier calculates exactly how much MDMA your pill needs to contain based on your weight and experience. The ingredients of the pill are listed on the … Continued
Psychedelics are making a comeback. We’ve recently witnessed a wave of re-emerging interest and research into psychedelic drugs. This has undoubtedly been a beneficial force for breaking down stigma, whilst highlighting the incredible potential psychedelics have for healing deep-rooted trauma. However, a narrative that isn’t addressed nearly enough is that our psychedelic research perpetuates … Continued
France has the highest use of cannabis in Europe, but it still remains illegal for both adult and medical uses. On the 13th of January 2021 the French government launched a consultation, asking the public’s opinion on the legalisation of cannabis for adult use. This consultation is open until the 28th of February, and … Continued