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Whilst substance dependence is well-documented as a risk factor for suicide, less is understood about individuals who die by suicide following recreational polydrug use. Cocaethylene, a psychoactive metabolite produced by the co-ingestion of alcohol and cocaine, may be a cumulative risk factor for suicidality.

Drawing on data gathered in the General Social Survey (GSS), this study examined the influence of political ideology, conceived as a measure of personal identity, and party affiliation, an indicator of group identity, on attitudes toward the legalization of marijuana in the United States.

In late April, the Donald Trump administration announced plans to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule III substance.

On Saturday, Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at accelerating clinical research into psychedelic drugs. The order focuses on expanding federal funding, reducing bureaucratic barriers, and speeding up regulatory timelines. The move signals a notable shift in U.S. federal posture toward psychedelics—distinct from ongoing developments at the state level—and arguably represents one of the most significant federal actions on psychedelic research and access to date.

Psychedelic policy in the US is shifting fast, but is public opinion keeping pace? A landmark 2025 RAND survey of over 10,000 Americans explored which psychedelics the public supports legalising, why psilocybin leads the pack, and what the road to reform might actually look like.

Drawing on archival research from the UN, Sweden, and the United States, a recent publication traces how psychedelics were swept into the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances through moral panic, Cold War politics, and the absence of any powerful lobby to defend them.

A new meta-analysis challenges the narrative that psychedelic therapy outperforms antidepressants, showing comparable effectiveness when trials are evaluated under similar conditions.

A landmark training programme will give healthcare professionals in Aotearoa the skills, along with the pathway, to legally prescribe psilocybin.

While mental health support is available, cancer patients often face long waiting times, limited access to appropriate care, and emotional needs that shift rapidly during treatment.

This qualitative study explored perspectives on recreational substance use and harm-reduction practices among festival workers at UK music festivals.

Psychiatric medicine is undergoing a seismic shift as Compass pathways announce successful results from its Phase 3 trial (COMP006).

This year’s theme, “Unheard and Unseen,”brings together leading researchers, practitioners, and culture-shifters to shine light on the voices too often overlooked in the psychedelic renaissance.

On June 11th, 2025, Texas passed Senate Bill 2308, allocating $50 million in state funds towards the research and development of ibogaine for medical use. The bill had support from a large bipartisan majority and was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, authorising universities, hospitals, and drug developers to work towards potential FDS-approved ibogaine treatments for veterans.

In January 2025, the then Minister for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to provide an updated assessment of ketamine-related harms, consider its appropriate legal classification, and advise on how best to reduce harms associated with ketamine use.

For the first time since cannabis-based products for medicinal use were legalised in 2018, police officers across England and Wales now have a shared set of principles to guide interactions with patients who are lawfully prescribed these treatments.

In 2025, DSPL published 21 articles with contributions from 86 different authors, with reviews and original research covering psychedelics, cannabis and harm reduction. This report will summarise the major themes and key findings covered in the journal this year.

The Elmore Court Art Party promises a night where art, music, science, and celebration come together in support of evidence-based drug policy.

This study aimed to develop a high-quality Mandarin version of the 5 Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness (5D-ASC) Rating Scale to increase language accessibility in psychedelic research.

Restrictions on what are now deemed ‘controlled drugs’ and, in New Zealand, ‘prohibited plants’ unjustly impact both medical care and research.

In 2023, the potentially catastrophic consequences of mixing alcohol and cocaine became very real to me, when I made this error myself. Amongst other historically well documented, near universally known dangers of alcohol and cocaine as individual substances, knowledge of the effect they have when combined is much less common.

In Brazil, the debate on the use of psychedelic substances for therapeutic purposes has been gaining momentum, especially when it comes to psilocybin.

Psychedelic tourism and growing demand surrounding species of psychoactive plants and toads might be posing a threat to their survival.

Although psychedelics have shown therapeutic potential in treating conditions such as depression, PTSD, and addiction, concerns remain regarding ethical practices, participant diversity, and the structural limitations of prevailing theoretical frameworks.