Is Everyone in Power Tripping?

👋 Welcome

This week, we spotlight two figures reshaping the psychedelic landscape in vastly different arenas. Dr. Sue Sisley has tirelessly championed the integration of cannabis and psychedelics into medical research, breaking through federal barriers to study their potential in treating PTSD among veterans. 

Meanwhile, Elon Musk's reported use of substances like ketamine and MDMA during his political tenure has brought psychedelics into the national conversation in unexpected ways. 

Let’s open some mental tabs you’ll forget to close.

🔝 Weekly Highlights

• 🍄 Sue Sisley’s Scientific Smackdown
  Dr. Sue Sisley has spent years battling U.S. regulators to study cannabis and psychedelics for PTSD. She finally got through—and the science is catching up. Read more
  

• 🧠 Elon Musk's Psychedelic Chapter
  Reports reveal Elon Musk's extensive use of ketamine, MDMA, and mushrooms during his advisory role in the Trump administration, sparking discussions on psychedelics in politics. Read more
  

• 💰 $9.8 Million for Tripping Troops
  The Department of Defense is putting serious cash behind psychedelic research for active-duty soldiers. Can shrooms outpace the VA’s pill drawer? Details here
  

• 🎭 Microdosing: Miracle or Placebo?
  AP’s deep dive into microdosing shows that while the hype is real, the data still needs to catch up. Explore the nuance
  

• 👁️ Congress to Schedule a Break From Schedule I
  New federal legislation aims to loosen the rules tying scientists’ hands when it comes to Schedule I drugs. Read more
  

🧬 Quick Hits

RESEARCH 🔬

• Immune System + Psychedelics = Less Fear
  New research suggests psychedelics may work by tweaking immune cells that influence fear responses. Link
  

• Psychedelics for Lyme Disease?
  NPR explores emerging off-label uses of ketamine and psilocybin to manage chronic symptoms. Full story
  

• Depression Relief, Minus the Trip
  Chemists have synthesized new psychedelic compounds that may target depression without hallucinations. Read in J. Med. Chem.
  

• Tripping Towards Transcendence
  The new journal Psychedelic Medicine kicks off with research on psychedelics and religion—exploring how sacred substances might reconnect modern minds with ancient rites. Read more
  

• When Clergy Take the Trip
  In a controversial Psychedelic Medicine study, clergy from major religions took psilocybin—and many called it the most sacred experience of their lives. The sessions boosted prayer, empathy, and interfaith appreciation, but critics say it blurs the line between medicine and mysticism. Full study

POLICY 🏛️

• Texas Hemp Industry in Crisis
  Rubicon’s CEO breaks down how confusing state laws are tanking a once-thriving hemp market. Interview
  

• PA Could Rake in $2B from Legal Weed
  A new report estimates the state could earn billions in tax revenue over 5 years—if it legalizes. Breakdown
  

• Oregon OKs Weed Samples at Trade Events
  New law lets cannabis companies pass out samples at industry expos. More info
  

• Republicans, Psychedelics & the Pentagon
  Rep. Morgan Luttrell—a Navy SEAL turned lawmaker—makes the case for psychedelic therapy in the GOP. WSJ
  

• Inside the Federal Psychedelic Policy Summit
  Psychedelics Today recaps key moments from D.C.'s big meeting on psychedelic law reform. Full piece

CULTURE 🎭

• Could Psychedelics Help Autistic Adults?
  New science asks whether altered states might aid emotional regulation and social connection. Science.org
  

• California Launches Psychedelic Studies BA
  A state university is offering a full undergraduate degree in psychedelics. Class registration just got interesting. Details

🌈 Main Features

💥 Breaking Barriers: Dr. Sue Sisley’s Mission to Legalize Research

Dr. Sue Sisley has been at the forefront of advocating for the medical use of cannabis and psychedelics, particularly in treating PTSD among veterans. Her journey began with skepticism, but witnessing the relief her patients found in these substances transformed her perspective. Overcoming significant institutional resistance, including her termination from the University of Arizona, she persisted in her research efforts. Her work at the Scottsdale Research Institute has led to groundbreaking studies on smoked cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms, offering new hope for those suffering from chronic pain and PTSD. Notably, she holds a unique DEA license to cultivate psilocybin mushrooms for clinical trials, a testament to her dedication and the progress made in this field. Read in Nature

🧠 Special Government Employee… with Special Mushrooms

Recent reports have highlighted Elon Musk’s psychedelic side hustle during his time advising the Trump administration. According to sources in The New York Times, Musk regularly used ketamine, MDMA, and psychedelic mushrooms—allegedly traveling with up to 20 pills a day and even experiencing bladder issues linked to frequent ketamine use.

Technically, Musk was a “special government employee,” a designation that exempted him from some federal drug restrictions. Still, questions are swirling about what happens when the most influential unelected adviser in Washington is microdosing... or maybe mega-dosing.

Was it visionary leadership or vibing too close to the sun? Fans call it radical self-care. Critics call it chaotic neutral. Either way, the story has reignited national conversations about the role of psychedelics in high-stakes environments—and how altered states might affect the state of the nation. Read more

💡 Listen In

🎧 Ponchos & Pitch Decks: A Tech Bro Transformation

NPR drops in on the tech elite swapping spreadsheets for spirit quests. It’s Burning Man meets boardroom, with a playlist of ego death and elevator pitches. 

Listen here

🎁 Psychedelic Utility Belt

• 🧖 Treat Yourself: Melt your worries with FunGuy's Chill Chocolate—microdosed and delicious.
  

• 🎟️ Don’t Miss: Portal Dome with Snow Raven—a multi-sensory journey into sonic psychedelia.

👋 Signoff

That’s all for right now, friends! Stay curious, stay grounded, and if your reality starts to ripple, just breathe. 🎧 Tune into this 528 Hz playlist and ride the good vibrations.

See you on the next wave.

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