The Year Psychedelics Burst Onto The Scene: 10 Stories That Helped Make It Happen

The field of psychedelic medicine is having its moment. 

Throughout 2021, companies in the psychedelics sector achieved more milestones than ever before, gaining wide acceptance from mainstream financial institutions such as major stock exchanges and investment banks. New legislation easing access to psychedelic medicines also reached unprecedented levels this year.

None of this progress would have been possible without the media and the role it played in educating and informing the public on the therapeutic potential of these substances and the stories behind their path towards legalization.

To showcase the work of writers and journalists in the psychedelics beat, Benzinga compiled a list of the top ten 10 stories about psychedelics of 2021.
The 10 Best Psychedelics Articles Of 2021

Psychedelics are transforming the way we understand depression and its treatment by Robin Carhart-Harris for The Guardian

Robin Carhart-Harris, one of the foremost psychedelics researchers of the day, writes an op-ed in The Guardian days after the results from the first head-to-head trial comparing the antidepressive effects of psilocybin against traditional SSRIs. A must-read for anyone looking to become convinced on the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and psychedelics in general.

Is Ketamine A Psychedelic? Depends On Who You Ask by Natan Ponieman for Benzinga

Benzinga’s resident psychedelics writer Natan Ponieman explores whether ketamine, a dissociative drug traditionally used as an anesthetic, fits into the definition of a psychedelic, especially in light of the recent expansion of ketamine clinics using psychedelic-like protocols. 

Investors Are Debating Who Should Own the Future of Psychedelics by Shayla Love for Vice

In March, the psychedelics space was taken over by a public debate around the morality of patents and IP in a for-profit psychedelics industry. In a series of open letters and statements, investors have been debating how patents will shape the future - who will get to use psychedelics and who will profit.

Psychedelic Toads Pushed To The Limit, Conservationists Urge Synthetic 5-MeO-DMT Option - David E. Carpenter for Forbes

5-MeO-DMT is a very powerful psychedelic substance capable of transporting users into profound out-of-body experiences. While there are ways of producing the substance synthetically, its most easily available source comes from secretions produced by the Sonoran Desert Toad. A spike in interest for the substance has led conservationists to worry about the predatory effects the use of 5-MeO-DMT might have on the toad’s population.

Here are the 15 hottest psychedelics startups that are set to take off in 2021, according to top investors by Yeji Jesse Lee for Insider

Public companies in the psychedelics space became the center of attention this year, as their listings gave retail investors access to a share in this burgeoning new industry. This gave public companies an unproportioned amount of attention, leaving many privately-owned startups in the dark. Yeji Jesse Lee talked to 11 venture-capital investors to shed light on some of the most exciting private companies in the space.

How Psychedelics Without Hallucinogenic Effects Could Revolutionize Psychiatry by Natan Ponieman for Benzinga

Non-hallucinogenic psychoplastogens are compounds derived from psychedelics molecules that have the ability to deliver many of the therapeutic effects of psychedelics without producing hallucinations. While their potential is enormous, academics still view their therapeutic success with some doubt.

Inside The Race To Create A Two-Hour Psychedelic Therapy Experience by Will Yakowicz for Forbes

For all of its virtues, psychedelic medicine also presents some problems. Experiences with psychedelic substances can last between 15 minutes (in the case of DMT) to 12 hours (in the case of LSD). Some players in the space believe that two hours is the “sweet spot” for the therapy to induce the most desired effects. To that end companies are racing to find a molecule that can deliver just the right timeframe.

How Psychedelics Are Reigniting Judaism by Madison Margolin for Double Blind Magazine

Double Blind editor Madison Margolin has made a career out of exploring the intersections between drugs and Judaism. In this feature she narrates the story of Rabbi Kamenetz, to help us better understand how psychedelic therapy can fit into the habits of religious people of all sorts.

Hackers, Mason Jars, and the Psychedelic Science of DIY Shrooms by Joanna Steinhardt for Wired

A deep dive into the annals of internet history, to uncover how the web 1.0 was instrumental in the early propagation of magic mushroom culture, helping fuel the early expansion of access to psychedelics through divulging grow-at-home materials.

Amanita Muscaria: A Legal Psychoactive Mushroom With Potential Therapeutic Effects by Natan Ponieman for Benzinga

Amanita Muscaria, the red-capped toadstool recognized universally as the most iconic of all mushrooms, is also known for its mind-altering potential. While some companies are eager to sell this legal mushroom as part of the psychedelic renaissance, others warn that their effects are not quite like those of psilocybe mushrooms.

Más contenido sobre psicodélicos en Español en El Planteo.
Photo by Fredrik Solli Wandem on Unsplash