Oregon licenses U.S.’s first-ever legal psilocybin facilitators
In 2020, Oregon voters approved a historic bill permitting licensed service providers to offer a therapeutic treatment of psychedelic psilocybin mushrooms to people 21 years or older, a first in the United States. Now, the state has officially licensed the first three of those providers, another first for the country. The Oregon Health Authority has also approved the first licensed psilocybin manufacturer and several dozen psilocybin worker permits.
Many have heralded Oregon’s embrace of these medicines as an important step for personal freedoms. But perhaps more importantly, the medicines are poised to offer a critical boon to mental health services across Oregon. A growing body of research shows that psilocybin can be remarkably safe and effective at treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other pervasive treatment-resistant conditions, while also providing meaningful insight, peace, and acceptance to the terminally ill.
While this news is quite promising for the people of Oregon, it also appears to be a harbinger of things to come beyond state lines. There are now psilocybin-related bills under consideration in Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, and Washington State. Perhaps not before long, these powerful treatments will be widely available to those in need across the country.
Helsinki University makes Parkinson’s disease breakthrough
Scientists at the University of Helsinki have demonstrated that certain strains of bacteria are probable causes of Parkinson’s disease in most cases. This finding may make it possible to prevent the debilitating disease.
China completes and activates massive solar farm in the Gobi Desert
The first of many solar and wind projects in China’s deserts is now online, and it’s capable of powering a staggering 1.5 million households.
Australia passes tougher emissions reduction law that hits gas investments
Australia’s parliament has passed the country’s most significant emissions reduction legislation in more than a decade. It requires that total emissions from major industrial facilities must come down, not just be offset.
Ecuador to boost protection of Galápagos in biggest debt-for-nature deal ever
Ecuador has launched a plan that effectively wipes out roughly $1 billion of interest on part of its debt in exchange for its protection of the Galápagos Islands.
First-of-its-kind brain surgery on baby inside the womb has successfully prevented heart failure
“In our first treated case, we were thrilled to see that the aggressive decline usually seen after birth simply did not appear,” said lead author Professor Darren Orbach of Boston Children’s Hospital.
British wind power overtakes gas for the first time
Almost a third of Britain’s electricity, some 32.4% came from wind farms in the first quarter of 2023 compared with 31.7% from gas-fired power plants, marking the first quarter where wind power output was higher.
Quebec and Montreal order more than 1200 electric buses
The provincial government is providing $1.1 billion while the federal government will contribute $780 million, making it North America’s largest-ever electric bus acquisition.
Eight Florida mayors sign pledge to support LGBTQ+ youth
The mayors of Orlando, Miami Beach, Tampa, Tallahassee, and four other Florida cities have released proclamations declaring that their communities are safe and affirming places for LGBTQ+ Floridians in defiance of new statewide policies.
Women created almost half of all new businesses in the U.S. last year
Five million businesses were founded in the U.S. in 2022. 47% of those new businesses were founded by women. Before the pandemic, just 29% of American entrepreneurs were women.
The Mixtec culture begins using psilocybin in religious rituals, perhaps the first ever to do so (~1500 B.C.E. ???)
A codex known as the “Yuta Tnoho” that belonged to the Mixtec culture in the 1500s B.C.E. is the earliest historical record of psilocybin use in human history.
The U.S. becomes the largest country in the world to legalize psychedelics for therapeutic purposes (2030 C.E. ???)
Following the lead of several of its states and many convincing peer-reviewed studies, the U.S. federal government allows psychiatrists to prescribe psilocybin and MDMA to those suffering from treatment-resistant mental illnesses.
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Thank you fear
So often, we think of fear as a bad thing, an unwanted trespasser who intends us harm. We try to get rid of it. We yearn to be fearless.
Lately, I’ve been trying a different approach. Rather than a trespasser, I imagine fear as a loyal advisor of mine. He cares about me. He diligently watches over me. He wants the best for me. And yet he’s pretty anxious and emotionally unstable.
Sometimes he comes to me in a panic about something that I know isn’t a big deal. So I soothe him and let him know I’ve got the situation handled. Other times, he sees something important that I’d been missing. So I thank him, praise him, and make sure he knows how valuable he and his guidance are to me.
Regardless, I never push him out of the room. I never make him the bad guy. I treat him as any leader would treat their advisor. Sometimes I heed his advice. Sometimes I don’t. He knows that it is always my decision, never his. And yet, he also knows that he is always welcome and wanted at my side.
What a relief! All of a sudden, he doesn’t seem so worried about everything. He is much more at peace.
And so am I.
Peter Schulte
Purpose & Leadership Coach
Founder & Executive Director, Spark of Genius
Bellingham, WA USA / Lummi & Nooksack lands
he/they
