💥 LSD Breakthrough, FDA Bombshell

👋 Welcome

Happy Friday, friends!

This week brings two seismic shifts: LSD proves itself in a landmark anxiety trial, while the FDA finally reveals why it turned down MDMA.

Add in fresh science on genes, mushrooms, and breathwork, plus policy moves and cultural clashes, and you’ve got a week that shows just how fast the psychedelic frontier is moving.

🔝 Weekly Highlights

• 🧬 Genes & psilocybin — A new study shows your DNA may shape how psilocybin affects you. That could explain why some people feel cosmic unity while others barely feel a buzz. Take a look
  

• 🙏 Doctor fights for the dying — One physician is pushing to give terminal patients legal access to psilocybin and LSD. This is one of the many issues we are incredibly passionate about. Read the story
  

• 🧘 Breathwork as medicine — Scientists show high-ventilation breathing with music lights up the brain like a trip. Participants reported bliss, unity, and emotional release — without a single dose. See the science
  

• 🌌 Higher consciousness measured — Popular Mechanics reports on research suggesting psychedelic states literally elevate consciousness levels. Science is catching up with what psychedelic enthuesists have said for decades. Explore it

🧬 Quick Hits

RESEARCH 🔬

• 🧠 Rewired brains — Psychedelics rapidly reorganize brain function, offering hope for durable therapies. Read more
  

• 🔬 Receptor mapping revolution — Neuroscientists revealed psychedelics act on far more than serotonin receptors in a pretty groundbreaking study. Details here
  

• 🌿 Cannabis & emotions — Cannabis use linked to stronger emotional responses, and faster recovery, in anxiety patients. Check it out

POLICY 🏛️

• ⚖️ Constitutional right to shrooms? — A Utah mushroom center claims psychedelic use is protected under the Constitution. See the case
  

• 🏛️ RFK Jr. has psychedelic plans — He discussed plans for advancing therapies with Colorado’s governor. Read it
  

• 🌿 Kentucky MMJ rollout — Governor Beshear says medical marijuana sales should start by year’s end. More here

BUSINESS 📈

• 💼 Shake-up at Cybin — Doug Drysdale steps down as CEO of the psychedelic biotech. Full story

CULTURE 🎭

• 🧸 Comfort science — Not psychedelic related, but still interesting. Teddy bears tell us more about care and comfort than you’d think. Read the piece
  

• 🎬 Jeff Bridges was high — The actor admits to being stoned during an Oscar-nominated presidential performance. Backstory
  

• 🎓 Campus clash — Students fight for the right to celebrate psychedelics at the University of Michigan. See the battle

🌈 Main Features

1. LSD and Anxiety: A Clinical Turning Point

For decades, LSD has been treated as cultural taboo. Now, science is finally catching up to what many suspected — it’s a powerful medicine.

This week, JAMA published the first randomized, placebo-controlled trial of LSD for generalized anxiety disorder. The study tested MM-120 (lysergide D-tartrate) in 198 patients and found clear, dose-dependent reductions in anxiety symptoms. Improvements weren’t fleeting — they lasted for weeks. Safety was strong, with no serious adverse events.

A companion report in New Scientist put it bluntly: one LSD session can rival traditional treatments. This isn’t fringe data anymore. It’s clinical evidence that a psychedelic long vilified in policy debates should be a frontline option for mental health.

👉 Full study here

2. Why the FDA Slammed the Brakes on MDMA

Last year, the psychedelic world braced for a celebration: MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD was on the verge of FDA approval. Instead, regulators issued a rejection. Now we know why.

The FDA’s newly released complete response letter outlines major concerns with the pivotal Phase 3 trials from Lykos Therapeutics. Problems included therapist bias, inadequate blinding, and issues with data integrity. In short: the science wasn’t airtight enough.

For advocates, it’s a blow — but also a blueprint. The FDA didn’t close the door on MDMA, it raised the bar… but that bar can still be reached. Future trials will need more rigor, more transparency, and tighter oversight to meet regulatory standards. The stakes remain high: for thousands of veterans and trauma survivors, MDMA could still be life-saving medicine.

👉 Read the letter

💡 Honorable Mention

🌍 Europe’s Psychedelic Access Breakthrough

Europe has taken a historic leap forward with sweeping new policies expanding access to psychedelic-assisted therapies across multiple nations. This coordinated step marks one of the most ambitious efforts yet to integrate psychedelics into mainstream healthcare.

Advocates see it as a model for how countries can responsibly scale access while keeping patient safety at the center. Explore it

🎁 Psychedelic Utility Belt

• 🍋 Lemon Tek: Ultimate Guide — The complete walkthrough of this classic mushroom prep. From citrus choices and soaking times to dose adjustments and safety tips, this guide takes you step by step. Read it
  

• 🍄 Functional Mushrooms: Ultimate Guide — Lion’s mane, reishi, chaga, cordyceps: these fungi won’t make you trip, but they can sharpen focus, support immunity, and reduce stress. Includes recipes, supplement advice, and science-backed benefits. Check it out

👋 Signoff

Progress doesn’t come in a straight line, but every breakthrough adds momentum.

From clinical wins to policy shifts, each step is proof that ideas once dismissed are becoming reality.

Stay bold. Stay curious. And remember — healing journeys don’t just change individuals, they change the world.

Have a great weekend, friends!

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