The 12 Biggest Psilocybin Milestones of 2021

 From legal wins such as decriminalisation, and the fight towards it; to new scientific breakthroughs for psilocybin in therapy and mental health; to a burgeoning boom in the psychedelic market as investors finally get see its massive potential. 

 

Are you ready for the 12 biggest psilocybin milestones that made the news in 2021? Well then, let’s rewind back to January, shall we!

No. 1: More Canadians Granted Psilocybin for End-of-Life Care

In January, Health Canada granted the a-okay for using psilocybin-based therapy for a man in Alberta suffering from terminal cancer. It was the next step after a 2020 decision that legalised psilocybin for end-of-life care. A landmark event, considering that psilocybin — the active ingredient in magic mushrooms and magic truffles — was prohibited in Canada in 1974.

Psilocybin is usually illegal to use in the land of ice hockey champions. That’s because psilocybin, together with other amphetamines and hallucinogens, are classified as a Schedule III drug by the Canadian Drugs and Substances Act. Except, of course, for grow kits, spores, and mycelium, which are still as popular as ever.

The patient in question, Anthony White, was legally exempted by Health Canada to use psilocybin therapy for his terminal cancer. Now in his forties, White is also the first person in Canada to get psilocybin-assisted treatment in a regulated setting. 

Psilocybin-assisted therapy was provided to Mr. White by SYNTAC Institute, a Calgary-based nonprofit. Although psilocybin may not cure the cancer itself, the psychedelic drug has given immense relief to Mr. White’s remaining time.

Read the full blog here.

No. 2: UFC to Research Psilocybin for Fighters

In one of 2021’s shocking developments, the hit sporting sensation UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) dived into psilocybin’s ability to help treat fighters’ brain health.

According to MMA Junkie, UFC President Dana White said that plans for psilocybin research are serious, indeed:

“We’re now interested [about] this thing [that] just came out on ‘Real Sports’ about psychedelics, and we’ve actually reached out to the Johns Hopkins guys, and we’re diving into that.”

The decision came after an additional $1 million donation by the UFC to help kickstart a brain study on professional athletes. At the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, scientists are prepping a 10-year study of more than 500 athletes, from mixed martials arts to competitive bull-riding. It’s an important moment in the research into repetitive head trauma.

Read the full blog here.

No. 3: Canadian Companies Invest in Jamaican Shrooms

Hardcore psychonauts know Jamaica to be a mecca for magic mushrooms and magic truffles. It’s an honour they share with the Netherlands and few other countries where folks can trip out on shrooms without fear.

This past year, Canada’s wealthiest flocked to Jamaica to invest in the shroomy subculture big-time. Canbud Distribution Corporation has poured millions of dollars to invest in Jamaica — furthering their reach into science, technology, health, and wellness. In 2021, Canbud started to cultivate magic mushrooms on a massive scale, along with processing the fungi, in Westmoreland. They said of their plans for expansion:

“…construction has started on the psilocybin facility which will allow for cultivation and extraction. The plan is to build modular facilities that enable cultivation of psychedelic mushrooms (also known as magic mushrooms) and extraction in the most cost-efficient manner.”

Read the full blog here.

No. 4: Texas Proposes to Study Psilocybin for Veteran PTSD

In May Alex Dominguez put forth a bill to help soldiers deal with the unintended effects of their service. The bill showcases a breakthrough treatment for veterans’ PSTD — with the main ingredient being psilocybin, the active ingredient in shrooms and magic truffles. House Bill 1802 would give Texas a chance to conduct clinical trials for psilocybin-assisted therapy, once it passes the Senate.

The bill chimed well with the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, on September 11, 2021. The mass exodus took place 20 years after the 9/11 tragedy. This year 2,500 soldiers returned from the war-torn desert of the Middle East.

Urgent care for PTSD is top priority. Around 22 veterans commit suicide in the U.S. due to PTSD and traumatic brain injury (or 1 veteran per 65 minutes). Studies have proven that psychedelics can help heal mental health conditions for good, such as severe depression. 

Up until 2021 there had been no major petition to allow the use of magic mushrooms for veterans. It’s impressive, we must say, for a state as conservative Texas to be at the forefront of psychedelic progress!

Read the full blog here.

No. 5: Canadian Healthcare Workers Given Psilocybin Therapy

One of the biggest agents of the psychedelic wellness revolution is Canada. In 2021, a nonprofit known as TheraPsil secured access to psychedelic therapy for 30 Canadians — most of whom grapple with terminal illness. When combined with talk therapy, giving psilocybin to patients can help relieve end-of-life anxiety. 

This past year, 5 Canadian healthcare professionals were officially trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy. A necessary step, so that the “givers” themselves have already tried psilocybin — thus boosting empathy for their patient.

Among these healthcare professionals is Natasha Fearnely, a former palliative care nurse. After 100+ hours of training, Fearnely feels prepared to explain psilocybin-based therapy to her patients:

“From my own perspective, it would be really weird if I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is what’s going to happen. You’re going to feel this way.’ And if I have no experience whatsoever, they’d be like, ‘Who are you to tell me that?’”

Read the full blog here.

No. 6: Bob Marley’s Family Launch Magic Mushroom Line

The influence on psychedelic progress by Bob Marley — reggae music icon and psychoactive legend — extends far beyond the grave. In 2021, Marley’s family estate launched the first celebrity-backed mushroom line called Marley One. It is in collaboration with Silo Wellness, a ‘spore to door’ company and the leading cultivators of psilocybin in Jamaica. 

Marley One features a vast array of tinctures made from ‘functional’ mushrooms. As explained by Silo Wellness CEO Douglas K. Gordon:

“The bigger goal is to destigmatize [mushrooms] and to get people to look at it without all the concerns that they have because of all these preconceived notions.”

Read the full blog here.

No. 7: Psilocybin Grows New Neural Connections

In 2021, scientists from Yale University discovered that one dose of psilocybin can grow new neural connections in the brain. The study also showed a physical change in lab mice, not simply emotional — promising a permanent cure for depression and other serious mental conditions. A discovery so stunning, even senior author Alex Kwan was in awe of what they found:

“It was a real surprise to see such enduring changes from just one dose of psilocybin. These new connections may be the structural changes the brain uses to store new experiences.

“We not only saw a 10% increase in the number of neuronal connections, but also they were on average about 10% larger, so the connections were stronger as well.”

The new dendritic spines (or “brain branches”) remained even after a month. The mice became noticeably calmer and friendlier to each other. Their brains also displayed higher rates of thinking patterns after taking psilocybin.

Read the full blog here.

No. 8: Australia’s First Legal Magic Mushroom Harvest

2021 was also the very first time Australian scientists were allowed to pick and study native magic mushrooms and magic truffles — legally. It was a gigantic step for the ‘Strayan Shroom Revolution: right after the federal government offered 15 million Australian dollars in grants for psychedelic research down under. 

The first legal harvest of magic mushrooms happened in the heart of the forest, where rotting leaves and twigs are plenty. Perfect growing conditions for Psilocybe, especially after a good rainstorm! Local scientists such as Dr. Stephen Bright are mighty stoked about the harvest:

“The research that we’re talking about here – in terms of understanding the nature of psilocybin species – could contribute to the international psychedelic science renaissance.”

Read the full blog here.

No. 9: Former U.S. Congresswoman Endorses Psilocybin to Treat Addiction

The U.S. right wing is notorious for their extreme caution towards psychedelics. But in 2021, the began to turn for the better, with help from former Republican congresswoman Mimi Walters. Walters shared how psilocybin had saved the life of a close family friend with his recovery from alcohol abuse disorder. Truly, real world-stories play a crucial role in pushing a bill for decriminalisation forward. 

Sadly, re-voting on California’s SB 519 has been stalled until 2022. However, experts believe that the bill is very likely to pass by then. Surf’s still up, California Dreamers!

Read the full blog here.

No. 10: Hulu’s ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ Depicts Benefits of Psilocybin

The past year also gave us Hollywood A-lister Nicole Kidman as the 2021 version of a psychedelic shaman, in Hulu’s knockout miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers. In the show, nine strangers converge at a 10-day wellness retreat in California. The mysterious host, Masha Dmitrichenko (Kidman) offers her guests a chance to transform through spiritual death and rebirth.

The show is credited for attracting mainstream viewers to the microdosing trend — all by showing how the retreat uses psilocybin for psychological healing. Shockingly accurate at times, and a brazen rollercoaster of emotions, Nine Perfect Strangers is easily binge-worthy fare for psychonauts and newbies alike.

Read the full blog here.

No. 11: Johns Hopkins Launches $4M Psilocybin Study to Cure Tobacco Addiction

2021 birthed yet another “first” as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) backed real money — for the first time in over 50 years! — into the potential use of psychedelics as medicine. The NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse, specifically, has given Johns Hopkins Medicine nearly $4 million in grants. All to study the effects of psilocybin on tobacco addiction.

Scientists have been practically begging for decades to be given bigger budgets. It’s all paid off, it seems! For three years at Johns Hopkins and other institutions, experts can curb smoking cravings using psilocybin, with a multi-million dollar budget to work with. Along for the ride are researchers from New York University and University of Alabama at Birmingham.

It could be the biggest psilocybin study on tobacco addiction yet. Said lead scientist Matthew Johnson, Ph.D:

“The historical importance of this grant is monumental. We knew it was only a matter of time before the NIH would fund this work because the data are so compelling, and because this work has [proven] to be safe.”

Read the full blog here.  

No. 12: Several U.S. Cities Decriminalise Magic Mushrooms and Magic Truffles

The icing on top of the psilocybin cake! In 2021, the scales of legal justice tipped in favour of psychedelic progress. A number of U.S. cities won the battle towards decriminalisation, namely: Washtenaw County, Michigan on January 12th; Somerville, Massachusetts on January 14th; Cambridge, Massachusetts on February 3rd; and Seattle, Washington on October 4th. 

The fight doesn’t stop here, either. Pushing forward in the psychedelic front are the states of Florida, Hawaii, and California. With the scientific evidence for psilocybin growing stronger than ever, even lawmakers of the “cautious” variety can’t help but nod in approval. 

Mahalo magic, indeed!

Are You Ready for Another Fungi-tastic Year?

The past year may not have been the easiest, but it sure gave us the most progress we’ve had in the fight towards full acceptance of psychedelics. Some U.S. states fought and won landmark legal cases. Scientists discovered new ways of using psilocybin for healing, in more ways than one. And now that the evidence is mounting in favour of psilocybin, investors are no longer scared to take the leap in the psychedelic market. We may have gathered the 12 biggest milestones for psilocybin in 2021 but trust us, the coming years will explode with even more mushroom magic to enjoy!