The pandemic has resulted in a lot of health risks, whether they originated from the disease itself or by living through this stressful time.
COVID-19 has affected all of us, from the ones who caught the disease, to others who’ve managed to avoid it, but who have witnessed it nonetheless. In fact, according to scientists, the rate of one specific health issue in the U.S. has risen significantly since the start of the pandemic.
Published in the journal Circulation, a new study found that Americans’ blood pressure had risen during the pandemic when compared to data compiled during the three previous years.
Researchers examined data from over 460,000 people from all over the country, with an average age of 45.7 years, and the majority (53%) being women. The study found that during the months of April and December 2020, blood pressure increased significantly, particularly in women.
While the changes in blood pressure were minimal, researchers are still concerned, since a small change can have a big impact when it comes to our circulation. Prevention spoke with Luke Laffin, M.D., lead researcher of the study, who explained why it was important to keep track of your own blood pressure. “Even small changes in average blood pressure in the United States population can translate in significant increases in heart attacks, heart failure, and more down the line,” he said.
High blood pressure has been correlated with a variety of cardiovascular diseases, including strokes and heart attacks. In order to prevent these, it’s important to take care of your health by adhering to an active lifestyle, keeping an eye on the foods you eat, and knowing your blood pressure, thus keeping an eye on its fluctuations.
Researchers theorize that these changes are due to the stressors of the pandemic, particularly during the time when there were strict restrictions against the virus, causing people to stop their workout classes, gym visits, and eating different types of foods. Then there’s also the emotional toll of the pandemic, with feelings like anxiety and uncertainty affecting people’s blood pressure.
Not every part of the industry sees business heat up during the holiday season. For some, like those in cultivation and packaging, it marks a wind-down on work and profits.
The holiday season is underway and so too are sales. The cannabis industry is no exception, with December sales expected to be strong once again.
Data firm LeafLink reports that sales jumped 33% the week leading up to Christmas 2020 (December 21-December 24) compared to the previous four weeks. Christmas Eve saw a 61% increase compared to the previous four Thursdays.
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“December is a massive sales month for cannabis, with sales figures in the company of other big cannabis spending days including 4/20, Green Wednesday, and Black Friday,” said Akerna Corp CEO Jessica Billingsley, who added that December 23 and December 31 were two of the top three sales days for 2020, respectively earning $87.4 million and $89.4 million.
“While I don’t see any December holiday beating 4/20 this year, which was the largest sales day for the industry ever at $118 million, I do expect to see a couple of December days make the top 5 of the year,” she added.
A Strong December Expected As Green Wednesday Gains
History shows that 2021 should produce another strong performance for the market. If November’s Green Wednesday sales are any indication, the market could be bracing for another massive bump in sales as the gift-giving dates approach.
The early days of the month haven’t revealed much in the way of findings yet. However, returns from the Green Wednesday 2021 sales indicate that consumer demand continues to surge. LeafLink reported that sales through its site increased 10.61% in November leading up to Green Wednesday.
Cannabis delivery platform Lantern reported record days on Monday, Tuesday and Green Wednesday, noting a 44% daily increase across Michigan, Massachusetts and Colorado on Green Wednesday compared to previous days.
California-based Glass House Brands Inc. saw a 41% sales increase across its four locations compared to the previous Green Wednesday. Jushi Holdings Inc. and its retail brand Beyond/Hello saw a 120% increase on Green Wednesday compared to the year prior.
A rep for Ohio dispensary chain Terrasana told Benzinga that December is projected to be the company’s highest-grossing month for the year.
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Expectations rose after the company increased revenue by 23% and transactions by 33% in November 2021 compared to the year prior.
eCommerce retailers expect sales to boom in December as well. Tyler Browne, owner of California-based online retailer To the Cloud Vapor Store said Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales traffic spikes kick off the December shopping season.
He added that December sales should be good for the entire marketplace, especially those looking to start new in 2022. “This also serves as a time for retailers to liquidate inventory ahead of the new year.”
Most sources say that while the holiday season has several shopping days that come close to 4/20 sales figures, nothing truly compares. Overall, however, the month of December does prove more lucrative for retailers like Browne.
“While sales are great in April for 4/20, cannabis is becoming mainstream and 4/20 is losing its esteem when every day is 4/20 for most,” he said.
Holidays Aren’t The Busy Season For Every Cannabis Sector
Not every part of the industry sees business heat up during the holiday season. For some, like those in cultivation and packaging, it marks a wind-down on work and profits.
April’s harvest marks a busy time for cultivators, as does October when the new cultivars start to roll out. Once harvested, companies like Grove Bags are tasked with handling the product.
Jeffrey Eisenstodt, Grove’s chief of staff, told Benzinga their busy season begins in the early summer, peaking in September or October. While excited for consumers during the holidays, he said the season marks a downturn in packaging demands.
“While the holiday season is a boom for cannabis purchasing, it marks the end of harvest season and brings about less packaging spending,” he said.
Eisenstodt added, “Ensuring inventory, preparing marketing, and other activities are time-consuming for operators in cannabis, and they consume the majority of their energy during the period.”
The fact the psychedelics legalization movement is similar in many ways to the cannabis movement does not mean that it will or should follow the same course towards legalization.
In both the well-established cannabis industry and the emergent psychedelics space, federal law has fallen behind public sentiment. Marijuana, LSD, Mescaline (contained in Peyote), MDMA, Psilocybin (from “magic mushrooms”) are all listed in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and are all major topics of interest of late, according to Bloomberg.
In addition, states have taken the legality of these substances in their own hands, legalizing medical and adult-use cannabis and legalizing or decriminalizing certain psychedelics or entheogens. However, the fact that most entheogens and cannabis have been stuck in Schedule I of the CSA means that the US is behind on researching these mind-altering substances.
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The cannabis legalization movement has been in the works for decades, and it does seem that federal cannabis prohibition will end soon. The current push to legalize psychedelics is in its early stages. This post examines what cannabis legalization can tell us about psychedelics.
U.S Cannabis Legalization Timeline
Despite some similarities, psychedelic legalization is playing out differently than cannabis legalization, at least in terms of timing. The modern movement to legalize cannabis can trace its first great success to California in 1996, when the state became the first in the nation to legalize medical cannabis. Several states followed suit, including Oregon in 1998. And finally, in 2012, Washington and Colorado voters decided to legalize adult-use, or, recreational cannabis.
Slowly, over time, public opinion on cannabis has changed significantly. Now a majority of Americans are in favor of legalizing marijuana nationally. As the cannabis industry has developed, the focus has shifted from legalizing medical marijuana to legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational cannabis.
Alternatively, public support has come quickly for the psychedelic movement. Oregon was the first state to establish a regulated entheogen back in 2020. While it took years for public support to tip in favor of cannabis, just months after Oregon legalized psilocybin (and years before the program is actually operational) a report from The Hill indicates that more than a third of voters in America already believe that psychedelic substances, such as “magic mushrooms” have medical value.
It took much longer for support to grow for the legalization of cannabis. Bipartisan support for psychedelic treatment is also developing rapidly, with former Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) supporting legislation allowing for clinical research of psilocybin to help veterans suffering from PTSD.
Psychedelics in the Pharmaceutical Space
Big money is flooding the psychedelics space much faster than the cannabis market, as well. According to Psychedelic Stock Watch by early 2021, nearly $540 million had been poured into psychedelic companies. As another article on Psychedelic Stock Watch points out, “unlike cannabis, most psychedelic drugs are much more amenable to a drug patent system. Translation: much more robust profit potential for pharmaceutical companies in comparison to cannabis.” While there is certainly “big money” in cannabis, especially investments in multi-state operators (MSOs), money has flown much more quickly to firms focused on psychedelics.
At this time, it seems unlikely that psychedelics legalization will eventually allow for the non-medical or recreational use of psychedelics. This distinguishes psychedelics from cannabis in the sense that many states are legalizing cannabis for recreational, non-medical use. Simply put, psychedelics are stronger than cannabis and may not be safe for recreational use. Because psychedelics are better for patent purposes, there is also more incentives for the development of pharmaceutical psychedelics.
Priorities of the Psychedelic Industry: Spiritualism or Commerce?
However, there are other avenues that policy makers should explore in legalizing psychedelics. For thousands of years, human have used psychedelics for spiritual or religious purposes. Many entheogens are considered sacramental. In the United States, most of the discussion around cannabis has focused on the difference between recreational and medical use or the difference between marijuana and hemp. In contrast, in Jamaica, cannabis legalization has not just impacted medical and recreational cannabis, it has also legalized the sacramental use of cannabis, or ganja, in the Rastafarian tradition.
I am hopeful that as states and the federal government begin legalizing and regulating psychedelics, there is a place in the industry reserved for traditional, spiritual use, as is the case with ganja in Jamaica. Although legalization of psychedelics has been pushed rapidly by commercial interests, that does not preclude the use of psychedelic for non-commercial purposes.
Recreational Cannabis vs Recreational Psychedelics
The fact the psychedelics legalization movement is similar in many ways to the cannabis movement does not mean that it will or should follow the same course towards legalization. In many ways, the legalization of cannabis at the state level has laid the groundwork for the rapidly evolving psychedelic movement, but that does not mean that we should expect to see a push for recreational psychedelics down the road. Advocates for psychedelic legalization should learn from the cannabis movement but should not attempt to recreate the exact trajectory towards legalization as what makes sense for cannabis may not make sense for psychedelics.
Daniel Shortt is a corporate and regulatory attorney based in Seattle, Washington who works extensively with entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry. You can contact him at info@gl-lg.com or (206) 430-1336.
Guinness World Records, however, no longer accepts applications or creates new record titles that are related to the consumption, preparation or use of tobacco, cannabis or nicotine products.
Many have tried, most have failed, According to Guinness World Records, the largest was created in 2013 and weighed 243 pounds. However, there’s a new contender in town. And this one will get you high. The world’s biggest cannabis brownie unveiled for national brownie day.
On Wednesday, in time for National Brownie Day, MariMed Inc. unveiled an 850-pound cannabis-infused brownie featuring 20,000 mg of THC. To make the 400 square foot brownie, MariMed’s kitchen engineers used 450 pounds of sugar, 212 pounds of butter and more than 1300 eggs. It’s 3 feet wide by 3 feet long and 15 inches tall. But why the fuss? Turns out, MariMed is also celebrating the launch of a new brand: Bubby’s Baked.
Let’s Get Baked
Inspired by the original, homemade canna-brownie, every delicious, soft and chewy Bubby’s bite is made in small batches and infused with precision-dosed, full-spectrum cannabis.
The bites are perfect for sharing with friends or eating alone and come in three classic confectionery recipes: brownie, chocolate chip, and snickerdoodle.
The line is available throughout Massachusetts and is expected to hit dispensary shelves in Delaware and Maryland early next year.
“Bubby’s Baked fills a big hole in the edibles market that cannabis consumers crave – high-quality, delicious baked goods that stay moist and chewy,” said MariMed chief product officer and SVP of sales Ryan Crandall. “For many of us, homemade brownies were our first taste of cannabis-infused edibles. Bubby’s recreates and elevates that nostalgic experience, infusing full-spectrum, craft-quality cannabis into timeless recipes, for a reliable high reminiscent of simpler times. Strategically, Bubby’s is part of our effort at MariMed to build a house of brands that meets different consumer needs across a diverse range of occasions.”
Bubby’s edibles were previously piloted in Massachusetts under the name “Bourne Baking Co.”
A bit of added controversy: MariMed applied for the Guinness World Record for the largest edible brownie. The organization, however, replied that “Guinness World Records no longer accepts applications or creates new record titles that are related to the consumption, preparation or use of tobacco, cannabis or nicotine products.”
From a sample representing approximately 146 million adults in the U.S., 14.5% reported recent cannabis use — which was not associated with frequent daytime sleepiness.
Recent cannabis use is linked to extremes of nightly sleep duration—less than 6 hours or more than 9 hours—reveals a study of a large representative sample of US adults, published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. This pattern was even more pronounced among heavy users, reported neurosciencenews.com
While popularly consumed for its perceived benefits as a sleeping aid, the impact of cannabis on sleep-wake regulation in clinical studies is inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between cannabis use and nightly sleep duration in a nationally representative dataset.
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The cross-sectional analysis of adults was undertaken using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2005 to 2018.
Respondents were classified as recent users or non-users if they had used or not used cannabis in the past 30 days, respectively. Sleep duration was defined as short (less than 6 hours), optimal (6–9 hours), and long (more than 9 hours).
From a sample representing approximately 146 million adults in the U.S., 14.5% reported recent cannabis use. And recent cannabis use was not associated with frequent daytime sleepiness.
According to the study, recent users were more likely than non-users to report both short sleep and long sleep. Defined as consuming cannabis on 20 or more out of the preceding 30 days, heavy users were 64% more prone to experience short sleep and 76% more likely to experience long sleep compared with non-users.
Heavy users, thought to be at the extremes of nightly sleep duration, were 34% reported short sleep and 56% were more likely to report long sleep than those who hadn’t used cannabis in the preceding 30 days. Furthermore, they were 31% more inclined to report difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping too much in the preceding 2 weeks.
Moderate users, defined as using marijuana fewer than 20 of the past 30 days, were 47% more likely to sleep 9 or more hours a night compared with non-users.
Tricking drug tests is no easy feat, but there are ways of getting cannabis out of your system, even if they might take some time.
Despite the fact that cannabis is becoming legal in more and more states, there are still organizations that ask for drug tests. It could be a school, a prerequisite for acquiring a job, etc. If you’re a regular cannabis user, it’s important to know how these tests work and how to flush the THC out of your system.
When you consume cannabis, THC stays in your body long after the “high” feeling goes away. Matters get more complex once you account for the fact that there’s no precise way of knowing how long THC will stay in your system once you account for your body weight, metabolism, body fat, physical activity, frequency of use, potency of strain, and much more.
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It’s also important to know which drug test you’ll take since THC’s presence varies depending on what sample of your body the drug test is analyzing. For example, saliva tests have a short reach, measuring the presence of THC consumed a couple of days ago, while hair samples can show THC that was consumed over 3 months ago.
Here are 4 safe ways that can help you get clean for a drug test. Be aware that the more time you have to prepare, the more successful these methods will be. They’ll help your body get rid of toxins, but it’s also important to remember that they can’t create miracles and are a bit of a gamble. In short: if you have a drug test coming up and it’s important for you to get a negative, steer clear of weed until you take it.
Dilution method
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This method works best for tests for urine tests, which measure THC in your urine sample. The dilution method works best when done at least three days ahead of time and it functions by basically drinking a lot of water, thus increasing your urine flow in order to dilute the drug concentration in the sample you’ll be providing. Diuretics like cranberry juice and coffee can help you speed the process along as well.
Since you’ll be drinking tons of fluids and your urine will be pretty clear-colored, NORML suggests taking vitamin B2, since it’ll color your urine yellow and will prevent suspicions from whoever’s analyzing your sample.
If you know when the test will be and are nervous about your possible positive result, try testing yourself at home and checking up on your progress. Many drug abuse centers provide drug tests for free and there are also pharmacies, which sell home kits for drug testing.
Stall for time
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There are a million methods and marijuana detox kits that seem silly at best and dangerous at worst. Don’t fall for them and do your research. Most importantly, if you have a drug test coming up soon, get clean a few weeks in advance and stick to a cannabis-free environment for a while. It’s not forever, and it’ll do your body good to take a break and return to it once you’re stress-free.
The latest version of Congress’s defense bill has left out a number of provisions that were in the House-approved National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including the much-anticipated marijuana banking reform known as the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act.
Although the House had passed a version of the NDAA in September that included language to protect banking and financial institutions that work with state-legal cannabis companies, that part of the deal was dropped with Tuesday’s bicameral decision.
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Reaction from cannabis advocates was swift.
“We are disappointed that cannabis reform was among a number of important provisions in the House-approved National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that were not included in the latest version of the bill,” said Steven Hawkins, CEO of the U.S. Cannabis Council, in a statement emailed to Benzinga.
“We see the consequences every day of the lack of banking access, from the rash of dispensary robberies to the ongoing challenges of minority and small business owners to secure capital. The SAFE Banking Act would provide urgently needed relief to cannabis businesses of all sizes and put wind in the sails of the broader push to end federal cannabis prohibition.”
The SAFE Banking Act, which would essentially shield banks that work with the cannabis industry from federal criminal prosecution, is viewed as a major threshold for the industry. The hope was that attaching the banking bill to the already approved NDAA would give it a good push over the finish line. Not to mention that the SAFE banking act has had steady bipartisan support.
Though this development is viewed as a setback, some say it is still possible that the newly negotiated legislation could be further revised.
Marijuana Moment reported that the House Rules Committee is expected to take up the measure on Tuesday and that Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), chief sponsor of the SAFE Banking Act will file an amendment to add his cannabis provisions to the bill.
“The Senate insists on burying its head in the sand and denying every opportunity to reform our outdated cannabis laws to align state and federal law to improve public safety,” Ashley Verville, a spokeswoman for Perlmutter, said. “As a result, Rep. Perlmutter plans to file an amendment to the NDAA at the Rules Committee which would add the SAFE Banking Act back to the bill.”
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, when asked last whether giving cannabis companies access to U.S. banks would facilitate IRS tax collection, replied “Yes, of course it would.”
Researchers from South Africa published a preprint of a study that shows more of how the Omicron variant works.
New evidence is coming out on the Omicron COVID-19 variant. According to a new study, Omicron is capable of producing more reinfections than previous variants of the virus.
The study was conducted in South Africa, where the variant was first detected, and where it continues to rage. Out of 2.8 million positive tests for the Omicron variant, there were 35,670 reinfections, suggesting that Omicron can overcome some of the natural protection developed from a previous infection.
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While these results don’t suggest that Omicron leads to more death and serious disease, it does suggest that it might outpace the Delta variant, resulting in a more problematic virus for the vaccinated and unvaccinated alike.
Experts shared that Omicron’s many mutations might make it more likely to evade immunity. “This does not bode well for vaccine-induced immunity,” virologist Florian Krammer toldScience.
According to Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at Emory University, the study suggests that an early infection provides half as much protection from Omicron as it did against Delta.
As researchers continue to study the variant they’ll begin to draw a clearer picture of the matter. As of this writing, experts hope that the reinfections prompted by the new variant are mild and that the protection granted from vaccines and previous infections will result in a disease that isn’t serious and that will transform COVID-19 into any other disease that can be fought off with a vaccine.
Well-designed virtual reality systems can be used to augment and extend therapy by establishing the proper ‘mindset and setting’ for therapy, and to facilitate post-session cognitive integration.
Legal psychedelic medicine is poised to soon disrupt the multibillion-dollar mental health field. Treatments being trialed today in clinical settings using substances like psilocybin-containing mushrooms will soon offer legal alternatives to the more than 50% of patients receiving therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD) who do not respond to approved depression medications.
As psychedelic substances meet with ever-decreasing resistance from the public — evidenced by the growing number of U.S. cities passing decriminalization laws — the reality of adding psychedelic treatments to the mental health landscape is coming sharper into focus. Along with creating more opportunities of care for patients, the creation of new effective therapies will likely put pressure on healthcare providers to examine the upside of psychedelic therapies and how such treatments will inevitably affect their bottom line.
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While these therapies will not be a cure-all for everyone, over the next three to five years an expanding number of psychedelic treatments will produce alternatives for the many patients who find no relief from FDA-approved, first-line therapeutics like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). How these new systems will roll out is up for debate, but what is certain is the considerable amount of clinician hours that will go into psychedelic therapies.
Since legalizing the use of psilocybin-containing magic mushrooms in 2020 through a ballot measure, Oregon is now in the process of creating an intricate statewide system for qualified caregivers to deliver psilocybin treatments in therapeutic settings. Sessions using psilocybin can last over six hours, which does not include vital therapy before and after treatments.
MDMA-assisted therapy for severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is very close to being an FDA-approved therapy, will likewise require significant clinician involvement before, during and after a session. Ketamine treatments — currently the only psychedelic therapy that is federally legal in the U.S. — has hastened clinics opening up all over North America, providing some degree of relief for those roughly 50% of Americans with MDD who don’t respond to current meds. Just last week, health insurance giant Blue Cross Blue Shield announced eligibility of coverage for ketamine treatments, a major endorsement of such therapies.
All of this relatively recent activity means a considerable bottleneck lies up ahead for clinicians administering psychedelic care at an affordable cost. You can bet that other healthcare payers such as UnitedHealth Group and Anthem are busily crunching numbers and gaming out the more likely psychedelic therapies they will regard as eligible for coverage.
Therapeutic Virtual Reality Is Here
While forward-thinking organizations such as the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and Fluence have been actively positioning ahead of the curve and educating and training mental health professionals to best treat patients in new psychedelic settings, demand in the near term will surely outpace what providers can deliver — at least at an affordable price for most patients. Experts say the solution involves digital and telemedicine approaches to relieve the inevitably escalating caregiver burden and help build systems that can effectively scale up.
Dr. Walter Greenleaf, renowned neuroscientist and medical technology developer working at Stanford University, believes that the number of current therapists equipped to deliver psychedelic therapies does not match future need. Greenleaf is the foremost authority in the field of digital medicine and medical virtual reality (VR) technology with over three decades of experience. He is often referred to in Silicon Valley circles as the “godfather” of therapeutic VR.
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“To be effective, and to be used safely, psychedelic-assisted therapies are reliant on proper engagement, support, and clinical supervision by trained clinicians,” says Greenleaf. “There are very few of those — therefore, the only way to properly support the use of psychedelics in therapy is to leverage technology.”
His point is well taken. Greenleaf’s current research focus is on developing computer supported clinical products, with a specific emphasis on applying virtual reality and digital health technology to address difficult problems, including for use with therapies designed to treat PTSD, anxiety disorders and depression.
The use of VR in medical settings to provide emotional care is not a new concept. Over the past several years VR has been employed with greater frequency and effectiveness in ways large and small. Recently, the staff at a hospital in Long Beach, California, used virtual reality tech in a simple yet valuable context, distracting young patients during medical procedures like removing a cast.
“Kids need more than medicine. We normalize the environment for pediatric patients, usually through play,” Rita Goshert, director of Memorial’s child life program, told the Long Beach Business Journal. “Our role is to help comfort and distract patients during uncomfortable or anxiety-producing procedures.”
In 2020, the startup Olfactory Virtual Reality (OVR) debuted its Architecture of Scent platform to incorporate smell into therapeutic VR treatments. It has been deployed as VR exposure therapy — also known as “stress inoculation” — for military vets with PTSD. The technology adds memory-provoking scents via cartridges to VR experiences creating real-life sensations, including blood, diesel fuel, smoke and Iraqi spices, explains Neo Life. It’s an effective approach for modern military personnel, many of whom have grown up with digital gaming technology and may be more attracted to this style of interactive VR treatment as a substitute for conventional talk therapy.
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All this activity in the VR industry has meant leaps in tech and a reduction in the cost of VR headsets (they now average approximately $300), which has created more accessibility for users. It has also seen the space expand exponentially. In 2020, VR in the healthcare sector was valued at $2.08 billion and is projected to reach $42.84 billion by 2028.
VR As Prep For Psychedelic Treatments
It was just a matter of time before a company like FireflyVR landed on the scene of the expanding psychedelic therapy field. Their technology, called the Sanctuary, is intended for use in clinical psychedelic-assisted therapies, providing value for clinicians by offering patients a tutorial and self-directed tool before and after treatments.
VR tech of this kind isn’t necessarily what you would think. It’s not an experiential total immersion like OVR’s fragrance gaming-tech simulation of urban warfare. It’s not like the app called Tripp either, the tagline of which is “the fitness solution for your inner self,” geared more as a mindfulness tool for consumers (and also used in some clinical settings) and featuring classical psychedelic visuals.
FireflyVR’s Sanctuary doesn’t feature trippy whirling psychedelic mushrooms or dancing machine elves. No astral projection or communion with the universe. It is not a simulated psychedelic trip. Instead, as the name suggests, the Sanctuary follows the zeitgeist of the psychedelic times.
Meant as a kind of preflight checklist to “reduce pre-procedure anxiety and develop positive intentions when the medicine is eventually administered,” it is a specialized clinical tool intended as an adjunct for therapy sessions. The VR product looks to cover the unmet need of assisting people unfamiliar with the use of psychedelics in clinical settings, as well as the many patients who will come to such therapies with no experience at all in psychedelic substances.
“We created the Sanctuary as a clinical tool using virtual reality to prepare a patient for a transformational psychedelic treatment,” says the CEO of FireflyVR, Shel Mann, whose company has had several years of intensive experience in the medical industry working with managed healthcare concerns like insurance monolith UnitedHealth Group. “We see the Sanctuary being used in clinical settings providing value for both patient and payers.”
A first test drive of the Sanctuary displays scenes that are far more subtle than anticipated. Because the concept of virtual reality lends itself to full-throttle immersion, results can sometimes feel far too overproduced. This wasn’t that. The central scene is quiet and understated. A pleasant room with low lighting, Cubist art and low-slung 1950’s decor. The scene is warm and welcoming. An environment to not rush anything. You could be sitting in the celebrated Esalen Institute in Big Sur (the mecca of internal exploration for over 60 years), surely what the makers had in mind, or a bluff overlooking Yosemite Valley. The overall effect is quietness — precisely what you want prior to a mind-expanding flight.
“Well-designed virtual reality systems can be used to augment and extend therapy by establishing the proper ‘mindset and setting’ for therapy, and to facilitate post-session cognitive integration,” says Greenleaf, who is a scientific advisor to FireflyVR.
While the Sanctuary is still in the process of testing, there are currently key industry players who are interested in FireflyVR’s work. Matt Emmer, Vice President of Healthcare Practice at Field Trip Health, a global leader in the development and delivery of psychedelic therapies with treatment centers across the U.S. and Canada, says the company is currently testing the Sanctuary at their New York and Toronto offices and exploring a strategic relationship with Firefly VR. Mann also shares that other organizations have signed letters of intent to conduct a study of the Sanctuary, including Rochester Mayo Clinic at their integrative medicine and health center.
There will be more opportunities for VR to show its transformational upside, as a cascade of clinical studies is occurring at research universities worldwide — Johns Hopkins, Imperial College London, Maastricht University and UC San Francisco to name just a few. There are also nonprofit and for-profit organizations, including Usona Institute, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies and Compass Pathways, all working diligently to usher in psychedelic treatments through important clinical trials with the FDA.
Mann believes that VR is especially effective in this field because it “provides small escapes from your own reality and its distractions,” he says, “Therapy often requires visualization. Many people lack strong visualization skills. VR can help fill that gap.”
Greenleaf notes of innovative VR, “We can shift attitudes and behaviors if we can activate the power of the brain’s reward system. This allows us to activate neuroplastic changes and reinforce behaviors and learning.”
That is perhaps one the best outcomes that psychotherapy can offer people: a shift in mindsets and behaviors.
Still, a significant part of the problem is access to mental health services. A current snapshot of a critical mental health professional shortage across the U.S. shows a troubling view of resources nationwide. A 2021 data visualization provided by Rural Health Information Hub (supported by a wing of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), highlights how a vast majority of U.S. counties fall into the category of “whole county is shortage area” for mental health practitioners.
Virtual reality, much like psychedelic therapy itself, is not a panacea that will singlehandedly fix the problem of access and affordability. But surely VR is a piece of the puzzle that could lend itself to a style of remote medicine that immerses a patient just enough to feel focused, connected and calm when approaching their emotional issues.
The Sanctuary is currently focusing on prep work before a psychedelic experience, says Mann, but with a roadmap that incorporates a comprehensive curriculum, including post-trip integration and eventually for use during actual psychedelic therapy (dependent on the specific molecule).
“The key issue today, which is what we are laser focused on, is that the world demand for mental health care is much greater than the supply, including for psychedelic treatments,” says Mann. “Our mission is to deliver immersive digital solutions that can scale, get this technology to the people that need it, and help solve this issue in tandem with key health providers.”
Whether you’ve noticed are not, some strides in cannabis have already been made in Biden’s short time in office. And more are expected.
President Joe Biden has been a busy man throughout his first year in the Oval Office. From passing stimulus legislation to facilitating the rollout of coronavirus vaccines, it’s hard to imagine when he has time to concern himself with matters regarding cannabis.
But no matter how much Biden has on his plate, cannabis enthusiasts can rest assured that there are plans in place for the young, budding industry. Here are some ways the administration has already made its impact on the world of cannabis.
Cannabis Research
One of the main factors that contributed to the stigma that’s tainted marijuana is the lack of research that has been conducted on the substance. For decades, all federally-approved marijuana research has been primarily conducted from marijuana sourced directly from a facility located on the campus of the University of Mississippi. The current monopoly on marijuana research makes finding details about the marijuana available in dispensaries an uphill climb.
Fortunately, verbiage included in the recently passed infrastructure bill makes it possible for various cannabis companies to become federally approved cannabis manufacturers for research purposes. The legislation which is currently headed to the President desk, calls for the release of a report detailing the effects of marijuana and impaired driving from the transportation secretary, attorney general and secretary of health and human services. The report is slated to be released two years after the bill is signed into law.
Banking Access
Along with making cannabis research more accessible, the Biden administration has also created a framework to make it easier for banks to do business with marijuana-related businesses. When legalized medical marijuana originally entered the fray, most transactions were cash-only presenting numerous problems for cannabis retailers. Nearly three decades later, many marijuana retailers are still encountering the same obstacles.
To the benefit of marijuana retailers, politicians on Capitol Hill have taken note and drafted legislation aimed at helping cannabis retailers overcome those obstacles. The SAFE Banking act is a part of the recently-passed National Defense Spending Act (NDAA) which is currently awaiting committee approval before being signed into law by the President. Congressman Ed Perlmutter, serving the 7th congressional district of Colorado, originally introduced the legislation that would provide federal protections to legally operating marijuana businesses in 2019.
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How the Biden Administration Could Decriminalize Cannabis
Although certain decisions the Biden Administration has made regarding marijuana are likely to have a profound impact for years to come, many cannabis enthusiasts are eager to see whether or not the administration proceeds with further decriminalization efforts such as full legalization and record expungement.
While there are no concrete plans to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule 1 substances, DC politicians have provided numerous opportunities to do so with the help of Congress.
The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, for example, was reintroduced before the House of Representatives in May of 2021 after passing the House, but stalling in the Senate in December of 2020. In July of 2021, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed legislation that would eliminate cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, while introducing regulations that would tax cannabis products. The bill, called the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, would need to garner 10 republican votes in order to reach the threshold of 60 votes needed to pass the senate.
