Holy Smoke

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When Caio França, a center-left state lawmaker met Neide Martins, a mother who struggled to secure CBD to treat her son’s rare form of epilepsy, he realized families needed help, particularly those unable to afford medication. In 2019 França drafted the country’s first bill aiming to allow families to request medication through the public health care system. For three years, he worked to convince his overwhelmingly conservative counterparts, one by one, using testimonials from families who needed marijuana extract as the most effective alternative for their kids’ treatment.

“The political environment was uninformed and prejudiced against cannabis. It was surprising how little my fellow deputies knew about it,” França said.

Recreational marijuana is still prohibited in Brazil, but following years of deliberations, the Supreme Court in June decriminalized it for personal use, up to a maximum-allowed quantity. In response, Brazil’s conservative Congress started pushing for tougher drug legislation. Even if Congress tightens drug laws for recreational use, that shouldn’t affect access for patients, said Rodrigues, the lawyer. A 2023 poll by Datafolha concluded that opinions about medical cannabis transcend the nation’s deep political polarization.

Use of medicinal cannabis in Brazil is on the rise. In 2023 more than 430,000 Brazilians received cannabis treatment, up nearly 130% from the previous year, according to a survey by Kaya Mind, a business intelligence firm.

Associated Press

 

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The Stoned Ape Hypothesis​

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It could be the title of an episode of The Big Bang Theory, but is actually a concept proposed by Terence McKenna in his book Food of the Gods. According to him, the evolution of our primitive ape ancestors into modern humans came about by the use of psychedelics, notably the psilocybin mushrooms, to induce a revolutionary leap in cognition and consciousness...can't believe it's thirty years since i read it, but time is a relative concept and it's still an thought provoking read.

Since then, new discoveries in archaeology, ethnobotany, and the work of psychologists have brought about a fresh perspective, and an article by Bobby Azarian revisits this theory with a surprising conclusion for McKenna's insights.

 

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I tried magic mushrooms - here's what happened...​

Once relegated to the countercultural fringe, psilocybin in the Centennial State is becoming the focus of serious medical inquiry and entrepreneurial innovation. Colorado’s psychedelic movement has not only been supported by clinicians and policymakers, but it’s also increasingly embraced by private capital financiers, wellness gurus, wine moms, and tech bros. The shift reflects a broader acceptance of altered states that’s focused less on recreation and more on therapy for the overloaded, overworked, and overwhelmed.

Psilocybin works like this: When ingested, the drug transforms into an active compound called psilocin that binds primarily to serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. These are the brain’s molecular regulators—gates that, when opened, can dissolve ego, alter perception, and expose the mind to experiences that often feel profound. Put simply, psilocybin disrupts what’s known as the mind’s “default-mode network,” loosening it in a way that can upend how we view ourselves. In that malleable state, long-standing thought patterns—including depression, trauma, and addiction—can get nudged away, creating space for new insights. Psilocybin can also alter emotional connections to memories, changing the way people respond to them. The result is not simply relief from invasive thoughts, but a mental transformation.

 

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This musical interlude is brought to you by Captain Calvert and his merry band of Hawklords.

Most notable for the deep bass solo performed by none other than the Meister Möterhead himself:.