Psychedelic Science for the People

• Cannabis, Ceremony, & Autoimmune Disease ft. Meagan Pilawski, BSN, MS-MCST

  We can read all of the scientific research studies in the world, but ultimately, we must learn to trust our own intuitive teacher when working with cannabis and plant medicines. Meagan Pilawski, a nurse and cannabis ceremony facilitator, shares her journey using cannabis to treat her own autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis. In this episode, we discuss how cannabis and other psychedelic medicines can help us heal, not just by mitigating the symptoms of illness but also by guiding us to look at the root cause.  Meagan shares how she used her scientific training as well her intuition to design her own cannabis treatment regimen, how to intentionally use cannabis through ceremony, and how we can use plants and entheogens to help us heal.    Donate to our Indigogo Campaign for Season 5: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/psychedelic-science-for-the-people-season-5/x/36089786#/

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• Microdosing ft. Dr. Peter Grinspoon

  Microdosing psychedelics (i.e. taking a fraction of a dose of psilocybin or LSD) is gaining popularity as an alternative medicine for depression, anxiety, and ADHD. What are the benefits? Does it really work? And is it safe in the long term? Dr. Peter Grinspoon, a primary care physician and educator at Massachusetts General Hospital, shares his insight on some of the scientific studies about microdosing. We discuss the power of the placebo effect, the philosophy of ego annihilation, and the differences between microdosing and macro dosing. Finally, he gives some guidance on how to microdose safely if you choose to engage in this practice.   Donate to our Indigogo Campaign for Season 5: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/psychedelic-science-for-the-people-season-5/x/36089786#/ Dr. Grinspoon's Article in Harvard Health: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-popularity-of-microdosing-of-psychedelics-what-does-the-science-say-202209192819 Studies Mentioned: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-022-02039-0 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35773270/

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• How to Use Cannabis to Reduce or Replace Pharmaceutical Medication ft. Collen Higgins, RPh

  Looking to taper off opiates or other pharmaceutical medications? Or seeking guidance on cannabis dosing? Colleen Higgins, a registered pharmacist and the author of The Cannabis Prescription: How to Use Medical Marijuana to Reduce or Replace Pharmaceutical Medications, is here to help. We talk about effective ways to use cannabis to reduce dependency on pharmaceutical medicine, as well as how patients can find their perfect dosing of THC, CBD, and CBN. Colleen discusses how cannabis can help patients suffering from chronic pain and shares how cannabis can slow the progression of inflammatory illnesses like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Colleen’s website and training modules: https://elevatethecannabisexperience.com/about/ Colleen’s Book https://www.amazon.com/Cannabis-Prescription-Marijuana-Pharmaceutical-Medications/dp/1734003448/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8    

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• Ayahuasca’s Effects on Depression & the Brain ft. Dr. Fernanda Palhano-Fontes

  Thirty percent of patients with treatment-resistant depression attempt suicide at least once during their lifetime. Can a psychoactive tea brew from the Amazon help? Dr. Fernanda Palhano-Fontes, a neuroscientist and research engineer in Brazil, reveals the results of a randomized controlled trial examining the impact of Ayahuasca on suicidality. Dr. Fontes and her team have conducted a number of studies testing the effects of this Amazonian brew on humans using FMRI techniques. She explains exactly what is happening to the brain when someone takes Ayahuasca, discussing everything from the default mode network to Shannon entropy to neurotrophic factors. Finally, she shares why this medicine may be a lifesaver for people with treatment-resistant depression. Dr. Fontes' papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=WmhroXIAAAAJ&hl=en Playlists during clinical trials: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5wAyiC2RvBpbZUZeLMERza?si=cH5BAoSlROiTnQZ8TJRzFw   https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6sRsIxM4oNEpCPSFDQxAJB?si=eZVAiiMxSNmoOAs8cie9uA  

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• LSD & Creativity ft. Dr. Isabel Wießner

  The Beatles, Steve Jobs, and Bob Dylan are just a few innovators who credited the hallucinogenic LSD (aka Lysergic acid diethylamide) for their creative breakthroughs. The lab results are catching up. Dr. Isabel Wießner led Brazil’s first double-blind, placebo-controlled study to test the effects of LSD on humans. In this episode, she reveals the effects of LSD on consciousness, thinking, creativity, and cognition. We discuss what differentiates an LSD session from being a blip of psychosis to a healing therapeutic experience, and she shares why LSD shows promise in treating conditions involving memory and language decline such as brain injury, stroke, or dementia.

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