psychedelics Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Bills to allow some, regulated access to psilocybin unlikely to move forward

By Lauren Gallup February 21, 2025

Gymnopilus luteofolius, a type of mushroom which contains the psychoactive component psilocybin growing in Port Orchard, Washington. A group is Washington is drafting a state ballot measure to legalize a number of plant- and fungi-based psychedelics for personal use, including psilocybin mushrooms. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Alan Rockefeller.

Washington state lawmakers still can’t pass bills to allow for some legal access to psychedelics. With Feb. 21 as the cutoff for bills to move out of policy committees, two pieces of legislation that would have allowed regulated and supervised access to psilocybin for adults won't be moving forward — Senate Bill 5201 and House Bill 1433. The bills faced opposition from Read More

Tacoma City Council lowers enforcement priority for psilocybin, similar substances

By Lauren Gallup January 30, 2025

Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata, a type of mushroom that has psilocybin, a psychoactive compound, photographed in Issaquah, Washington. The use of entheogens like psilocybin has been shown to treat some mental health conditions. Photo by Alan Rockefeller, courtesy of WikiMedia.

Tacoma has joined a number of Washington cities and at least one county in a growing movement to make enforcing activities related to the use of psychoactive substances, such as psilocybin mushrooms, a lower priority for law enforcement. On Tuesday, the Tacoma City Council unanimously passed a resolution to lower enforcement priorities for entheogen-related activities. Read More

MDMA, Or Ecstasy, Shows Promise As A PTSD Treatment

By NPR News August 14, 2019

Therapists Marcela Ot'alora and Bruce Poulter are trained to conduct MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. In this reenactment, they demonstrate how they help guide and watch over a patient who is revisiting traumatic memories while under the influence of MDMA. Courtesy of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

Drugs like molly and ecstasy may be best known for giving partyers euphoric feelings. But MDMA, the drugs' psychoactive ingredient, is proving effective at treating severe trauma when used in therapy.Read More

‘Reluctant Psychonaut’ Michael Pollan Embraces The ‘New Science’ Of Psychedelics

By NPR News May 15, 2018

Michael Pollan is out with a new book about the science behind psychedelics. CREDIT: Images Etc Ltd/Getty Images

Author Michael Pollan, who experimented with mushrooms, LSD and other psychedelics while researching his latest book, says: "I had an experience that was by turns frightening and ecstatic and weird."Read More