Apr 21, 2025 06:28 PM
(This post was last modified: Apr 22, 2025 04:01 PM by C C.)
More Americans are using psilocybin—especially those with mental health conditions, study shows
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1081089
EXCERPT: “What really surprised us was how quickly these numbers changed and how many people using psilocybin had conditions like depression, anxiety or chronic pain,” said Rockhill. “New laws or growing interest in its potential mental health benefits may be prompting people to seek psilocybin as a form of self-treatment.”
Psilocybin has been studied as a possible treatment for conditions like PTSD, depression and substance use disorders, though it is not yet approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Public views on psilocybin are shifting. However, that means we also need to make sure people understand the risks, know how to use it safely if they choose to and that health care systems are prepared,” said Joshua Black, PhD, co-lead author and senior scientist at Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety, a division of Denver Health.
The study also revealed a gap in how well current medical coding systems track psilocybin-related problems in emergency departments. While poison center calls have gone way up, very few cases are recorded in hospital ambulatory data.
“If hospitals and public health systems aren’t seeing the full picture, they can’t respond appropriately,” said Black. “Improved tracking tools and education are critical as more states consider regulating or legalizing psilocybin.” (MORE - missing details, no ads)
People are using cannabis as pre-workout
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/19/couch-p...ners-high/
EXCERPT: Many people associate cannabis with couch time and Netflix, but the “lazy stoner” stereotype has actually been debunked. In fact, runners and gymgoers are increasingly getting high before their workout to enhance the effects.
“Name an activity and someone's getting high and doing it,” said Dr. Whitney Ogle, a physiotherapist at Cal Poly Humboldt University. “From archery to water skiing, someone's getting high and doing that activity.”
Although studies show that cannabis use may reduce exercise performance, they also show that cannabis can help people enter the flow state and make exercise more fun, ultimately promoting physical activity. For Mark, it was a great way to avoid getting bored on long-distance runs.
“I just found it very enjoyable to zone out and have the right kind of music on and just sort of keep going,” Mark said.
Understanding the impact of cannabis on exercise is important for recreational athletes but also for professionals. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibits the use of cannabinoids, saying they “pose a health risk to athletes” and “violate the spirit of sport.” However, many have argued that it’s time to remove cannabis from this ban because it is based on false assumptions about the effect of cannabis on exercise and disproportionately targets athletes of color — similar to the criminalization of cannabis overall.
In general, research shows that cannabis does not help performance. Yet other studies have shown that cannabis users engage in more exercise and have a lower body mass index than nonusers. Whether cannabis use is influencing these outcomes or people with these health metrics tend to use cannabis more for one reason or the other is unclear. But it does suggest that cannabis does seem to have some relationship to physical activity.
To look into this relationship, Dr. Angela Bryan, a psychology and neuroscience professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, conducted a study last year that compared various aspects of participants' runs when they were sober and when they had used cannabis before. These runners had all previously exercised while on cannabis... (MORE - missing details)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1081089
EXCERPT: “What really surprised us was how quickly these numbers changed and how many people using psilocybin had conditions like depression, anxiety or chronic pain,” said Rockhill. “New laws or growing interest in its potential mental health benefits may be prompting people to seek psilocybin as a form of self-treatment.”
Psilocybin has been studied as a possible treatment for conditions like PTSD, depression and substance use disorders, though it is not yet approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Public views on psilocybin are shifting. However, that means we also need to make sure people understand the risks, know how to use it safely if they choose to and that health care systems are prepared,” said Joshua Black, PhD, co-lead author and senior scientist at Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety, a division of Denver Health.
The study also revealed a gap in how well current medical coding systems track psilocybin-related problems in emergency departments. While poison center calls have gone way up, very few cases are recorded in hospital ambulatory data.
“If hospitals and public health systems aren’t seeing the full picture, they can’t respond appropriately,” said Black. “Improved tracking tools and education are critical as more states consider regulating or legalizing psilocybin.” (MORE - missing details, no ads)
People are using cannabis as pre-workout
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/19/couch-p...ners-high/
EXCERPT: Many people associate cannabis with couch time and Netflix, but the “lazy stoner” stereotype has actually been debunked. In fact, runners and gymgoers are increasingly getting high before their workout to enhance the effects.
“Name an activity and someone's getting high and doing it,” said Dr. Whitney Ogle, a physiotherapist at Cal Poly Humboldt University. “From archery to water skiing, someone's getting high and doing that activity.”
Although studies show that cannabis use may reduce exercise performance, they also show that cannabis can help people enter the flow state and make exercise more fun, ultimately promoting physical activity. For Mark, it was a great way to avoid getting bored on long-distance runs.
“I just found it very enjoyable to zone out and have the right kind of music on and just sort of keep going,” Mark said.
Understanding the impact of cannabis on exercise is important for recreational athletes but also for professionals. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibits the use of cannabinoids, saying they “pose a health risk to athletes” and “violate the spirit of sport.” However, many have argued that it’s time to remove cannabis from this ban because it is based on false assumptions about the effect of cannabis on exercise and disproportionately targets athletes of color — similar to the criminalization of cannabis overall.
In general, research shows that cannabis does not help performance. Yet other studies have shown that cannabis users engage in more exercise and have a lower body mass index than nonusers. Whether cannabis use is influencing these outcomes or people with these health metrics tend to use cannabis more for one reason or the other is unclear. But it does suggest that cannabis does seem to have some relationship to physical activity.
To look into this relationship, Dr. Angela Bryan, a psychology and neuroscience professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, conducted a study last year that compared various aspects of participants' runs when they were sober and when they had used cannabis before. These runners had all previously exercised while on cannabis... (MORE - missing details)