Headlines in psychedelics last week: –Is the boom in toad-derived 5-MeO-DMT built on a false history? –Colorado’s new law lays groundwork for ibogaine access –Personality traits may shape intensity of psychedelic sensory experiences Read more on The Microdose: https://bit.ly/4xEbnBK

37% U.S. voters say that psychedelics are safe to use…in a supervised setting. The latest UC Berkeley Psychedelics Survey tells us about the stigma and perceptions of safety surrounding psychedelics today. Read Tyrone’s 5 top takeaways: https://bit.ly/42NC6O8

In what cases do U.S.voters think psychedelics are most useful? And who do they think should have access? We share the answers to these questions in our latest @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social Survey. To find out more, visit https://bit.ly/42NC6O8

The Microdose takes a deep dive into the history of Psilocybe cubensis, arguably the most widely used psychedelic mushroom in the world, first collected and given a scientific Latin name in Cuba in 1906. Read the article: https://bit.ly/4viUECC

A case report testing psilocybin for advanced Alzheimer’s disease, plus an Amanita mushroom poisoning outbreak in California. This news and more on This Week in Psychedelics on The Microdose: https://bit.ly/43zSvGl

The research Michael Silver and his lab are doing at @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social not only has the potential to help us better understand the human mind and consciousness, but also to transform the treatment of certain mental illnesses. In this video, he explains in 101 seconds:

Can psychedelics protect the aging brain? In a new study, researchers at @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social are exploring whether psilocybin, a compound known to influence brain plasticity, may offer a new avenue to promote healthy aging. Read more: https://bit.ly/4edFCqj

New @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social online summer course open to the public! EDUC 125: Psychedelics Education and the Persistent Taboo on Alternative Ways of Knowing (July 6 – Aug 14) examines how psychedelics are understood, taught and researched. 👉 Enroll now: https://bit.ly/4urm5ZE

The Microdose reports from the ground of the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research (ICPR), one of Europe's largest psychedelics conferences: https://bit.ly/4uNKjy1

In 2023, fewer than half of U.S. voters strongly supported making psychedelics easier for scientists to study. By 2025, that number had risen to 63%. Tyrone Sgambati breaks down the numbers. Learn more about the UC Berkeley Psychedelics Survey on psychedelics.berkeley.edu/survey 📈

Only one third say mental health professionals are “very trustworthy”, while other sources rank even lower. But is there room to build trust? UC Berkeley Psychedelics Survey research scientist Tyrone Sgambati discusses these findings. Learn more: https://bit.ly/42NC6O8

The Microdose speaks to author and mycophile Maria Pinto about retreats for the rich in Jamaica, her experiments with lesser-known psychedelic mushrooms, and the relationship between psychonauts and the broader mycological community. Read the latest 5 Questions: https://bit.ly/4nYfqEt

This week, Veterans Affairs announced a new MDMA clinical trial. Plus, a small trial shows psilocybin’s antidepressant effects are both rapid and long-lasting. Get the latest news in psychedelics on The Microdose: https://bit.ly/4e02QQO

Join us tomorrow, May 27, as we unpack findings from our latest survey and explore what they mean for policy, research and public understanding. Register now: https://bit.ly/4c1RlHg #webinar #psychedelicsresearch

57%. That’s how many U.S. voters reported "proximity" to psychedelics—meaning they’ve either used them or know someone who has. Tyrone Sgambati, PhD breaks down one of the takeaways from our UC Berkeley Psychedelics Survey. Learn more: https://bit.ly/42NC6O8

The Microdose explores the realities of enforcing Trump’s recent executive order on psychedelics, as researchers press for more transparency in a methylone PTSD trial and questions grow around access under the Right to Try Act. Read more on This Week in Psychedelics: https://bit.ly/3RWFunt

The latest in psychedelics news: the FDA Commissioner’s resignation, ketamine infusions during major depressive episodes, plus a new study finds a “rising tide of cautious support” for psychedelics. Get the latest on The Microdose: https://bit.ly/3PNMrXm

Join us May 27 at 10am PDT for a live discussion of the 2025 UC Berkeley Psychedelics Survey. We’ll break down the findings and what they mean for policy, research and public understanding. Register here: https://bit.ly/4c1RlHg

The 2025 UC Berkeley Psychedelics Survey is here. Our latest national survey reveals growing awareness of psychedelics and strong support for scientific research, alongside caution and safety concerns. Explore the findings and access the full report on psychedelics.berkeley.edu/survey

Do psychedelics lead to major life changes? Health behaviorist Nic Carlisle discusses how common it is to upturn your life after a trip on The Microdose: https://bit.ly/4dBrxnp

A deep dive into Colorado’s evolving drug education for teens, reported by our Ferriss journalism fellow @tineywristwatch.bsky.social for @denverpost.com. This work is part of our commitment to support in-depth reporting on the field of psychedelics: https://dpo.st/42Mkthv

Do psychedelics create a shared reality? Health psychologist Talea Cornelius discusses how psychedelic experiences impact romantic relationships. Read more on The Microdose: https://bit.ly/48EL83i

In case you missed it, we invited guests at @exploratorium.bsky.social After Dark: Altered States to explore how psilocybin affects the brain, including through a VR experience. Michael Silver gave a talk about visual perception, followed by Gül Dölen who discussed critical periods.

What do police think about psychedelic therapy? Psychologist Alexandra Hopkins discusses her work on the perspectives of military and law enforcement. Read more and subscribe to The Microdose: https://bit.ly/4eduQSx

This week in psychedelics, Trump’s psychedelics executive order and how Texas inspired (and may benefit from) it. Read more on The Microdose: https://bit.ly/3QxHLF6

Daughters of the Forest: Mycelium Chronicles — Directed by 2026 Mycoskie - UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellow Otilia Padua — will screen at SFFilm International Film Festival this Sunday, April 26. https://bit.ly/4csM4u2

Ibogaine is making headlines following last weekend’s executive order. Here’s a quick primer on the psychoactive compound: https://bit.ly/3QTzhbq

Altered States' "Is It DMT? Or Is It Heaven?" has won the @thewebby.bsky.social for podcast episode in Science & Education! 🎧 Listen to Altered States, Season 2, Episode 3 wherever you get your podcasts. https://bit.ly/4mOmGm4

Today, Trump signed an executive order to ease restrictions on ibogaine, signaling the administration's willingness to further U.S. research.

Scientists find that key aspects of ketamine’s antidepressant effects are preserved under anesthesia. This news and more in The Microdose's This Week in Psychedelics. Read and subscribe: https://bit.ly/41Gs4Oc

SF Bay Area—join us tomorrow at @exploratorium.bsky.social for After Dark: Altered States. The BCSP team will be there with talks and interactive exhibits all evening. Come explore, ask questions and experience it firsthand. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4spoX8a

High Dose Cinema at The New Parkway concludes with Revenge, selected and introduced by Maya Acharya, on April 21. Get tickets: https://bit.ly/4cdBMwc Don't miss the final films in the Psychedelic Film Festival at @bampfa.bsky.social, ending May 10.

Can you kill a bad trip? Emergency physician Gregory Yates discusses experimental attempts to end a psychedelic trip early in this week's 5 Questions on The Microdose. Read and subscribe now: https://bit.ly/4vlHPHT

Next week, we’ll be at the @exploratorium.bsky.social for After Dark: Altered States on Apr 16 from 6-10pm. Join us for an evening of mind-expanding programs, including interactive exhibits and talks from the BCSP team. Tickets available here: https://bit.ly/4spoX8a

This week in psychedelics, scientists used the same plant to produce 5 psychedelic compounds within a week. Plus, Texas moves forward with ibogaine trials without a drug company partner. Read more and subscribe to The Microdose: https://bit.ly/4vEUBld

"Was it DMT? Or was it Heaven?” has been nominated for a @Webby People’s Voice Award! If this episode made you think or opened your eyes, we’d love your vote by April 16th: https://bit.ly/41JhUfz 🎧 Listen to Season 2, Episode 3 of Altered States now: https://bit.ly/4ltXJvx

Tomorrow, High Dose Cinema kicks off at @TheNewParkway with Mandy, selected and introduced by Ayize Jama-Everett, part of the Psychedelic Film Festival. Get tickets: https://bit.ly/3PZeh2H

The BCSP's Psychedelic Film Festival has collaborated with The New Parkway Theater for High Dose Cinema, a series that explores how film reflects, distorts and reimagines psychedelic experience. Get tickets: https://bit.ly/48iXYUu First up: Mandy (2018) on Apr 9 at 9pm

Don't miss High Dose Cinema from April 9-21 at The New Parkway, part of the Psychedelic Film Festival. Get tickets: https://bit.ly/48iXYUu

“Communicating Vessels” featuring filmmaker Annie MacDonell at @bampfa.bsky.social brings together visionary films exploring psychedelics, consciousness and feminist perspectives in art. April 5 at 1pm PT Get tickets: https://bit.ly/4bZM1o4

Join us in welcoming the 2026 Ferriss - UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellows. This program supports journalists covering the rapidly evolving field of psychedelics, from policy to science to culture. Read more: https://bit.ly/4lXIHy2

In a clinical trial at the Dölen Lab at Johns Hopkins, stroke patients with motor impairment take carefully managed doses of psychedelics and pilot a dolphin in a video game. Professor Gül Dölen has even bigger plans. Read more on @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social: https://bit.ly/4s1EGu5

🌿 Applications are open for the Collective Continuance Fellowship! We’re supporting PhD students bridging Indigenous knowledge & psychedelic research through ethical scholarship. Apply or share: psychedelics.berkeley.edu/collective-continuance-fellowship #IndigenousStudies #PsychedelicResearch

Is the “blue lotus” sold today the same plant revered in ancient Egypt? UC Berkeley student and Flourish Fellow Liam McEvoy investigated. Read more on @DoubleBlind: https://bit.ly/4bwdbUr

The Microdose spoke to historian @JohnLisle about what we know now about the CIA's mind-control program #MKULTRA, the man behind it, and what happened to its victims. Subscribe to The Microdose and read the full Q&A here: themicrodose.substack.com/subscribe

A wonderful interview with the curator of our Psychedelia & Cinema film series with @bampfa.bsky.social. Tickets on sale now at bampfa.org/program/psyc...

The Microdose spoke with filmmaker Courtney Stephens about her documentary on the controversial scientist John C. Lilly. Subscribe to The Microdose and read the full Q&A here: http://themicrodose.substack.com/subscribe

Ferris-@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social Psychedelic Journalism Fellow Clayton Dalton's excellent piece for the @newyorker.com on @ucdavis.bsky.social Professor David Olson's provocative research into redesigning psychedelics-without the trip-to treat mental health disorders. https://bit.ly/4uLcU7R

🎉Congrats to @haleemakshah.bsky.social, who is nominated for a NYC Podcast Award for her Altered States episode "Was it DMT? Or Was it Heaven?"! 🎧Listen to Altered States, Season 2, Episode 3 now. https://bit.ly/4ltXJvx

The Microdose spoke with Daniel Eisenkraft Klein, a drug regulation expert, to discuss the FDA’s new accelerated drug review program. Subscribe to The Microdose and read the full Q&A here: http://themicrodose.substack.com/subscribe