Why you should jump on board.
If you haven’t heard people talking about the “psychedelic renaissance” then it’s time to get with the program. While the name might sound like our kind of after-party, this isn’t actually all about getting high. Instead, the focus is on mental wellness because here’s the newsflash: certain natural plants and herbs have healing powers that are not reserved for the Summer of Love circa 1969.
This isn’t all hearsay either. The movement is driven by robust scientific research from experts across the globe, with studies delving into the benefits that psychedelic drugs may have across mental health conditions like anxiety, PTSD, depression and addiction to substances like opioids.
Think psychedelic drugs, and your mind might go to things like mushrooms, LSD or cannabis. Those in the know will have also heard interesting things about plant mixtures like ayahuasca, which has had travellers trekking down to jungles in South America to try it for themselves for some time now.
When we’re looking at psychedelic drugs in this sphere of study, the substances being put under the microscope include psilocybin mushroom spores, AKA magic mushrooms, along with a naturally occurring hallucinogenic called DMT. CBD or cannabis is also an area of intense interest for smart science brains, along with ayahuasca.
Here’s where it gets interesting because while these substances have been illegal in most places for an age, things are changing. We thank the ongoing research for this. Studies into psychedelic treatments versus unsuccessful traditional methods for some people with conditions like anxiety and depression have ushered in a new era.
Some states in the US like Oregon have legalised psilocybin mushrooms while the UK is still chatting about it. At the same time, the laws around CBT are constantly changing, with products like CBD powder and CBD balm showing real benefits and now being readily available at stores across the UK, US and beyond.
Perhaps part of the issue around the psychedelic renaissance is the stigma around these kinds of drugs. That can include those dude-like stereotypes passed down through popular culture. But the reality of this whole thing is a zillion light years away from this image.
It’s fast becoming something that we can pick up and run with as a society, making it feel socially acceptable for the mum-on-the-school-run or the super-successful exec. The fact is, many of us can see the benefits of these treatments, and it’s becoming a no-brainer for people of all ages and all walks of life.
If you’re wondering just how hot CBD is right now, think “on fire”. With it racking up $4.6bn in the US alone in 2020 and growth charts going through the roof, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Clever product developers are working round the clock figuring out the best ways to max out its therapeutic properties. For instance, we already know about how effective water-soluble CBD is in certain things, and innovative product lines range from CBT muscle balm to sexual wellness CBD spray.
That said, turn the clock back a few years and there was a serious culture clash going on between the guys we typically see in a suit and tie, running the country or leading in the boardroom (think middle-aged, greying white guy), and the activists that were campaigning for a relook at the true and might benefits of psychedelics.
If the psychedelic renaissance is getting a big thumbs up from you, you’re not alone. It’s a big deal, and it’s a movement shoved into motion from activists and with significant help of smart, in-depth studies by lab super brains. The good side of this is that you can most probably find a way to explore the benefits of therapeutic drugs like CBD yourself now, without sitting in a parked car on the constant lookout for blue lights.
The threat might not be from this side, but from the suited and booted power players who most definitely have their sights set on profit margins. In the meantime, we can ride the renaissance wave and feel damn good in the process. Yeah, you deserve that.
Hoo raa club
