Betel nut is the fourth most-used psychoactive drug in the world – and new evidence suggests it was being used in Indonesia as long as 25,000 years ago.
Articles on Psychoactive substances
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Pharmaceutical giants like Johnson & Johnson as well as smaller startups are investing in psychedelic drug development, and both are pursuing FDA approval for their patented psilocybin formulations.
Decriminalizing drugs is not intended as a solution to drug problems. Rather, it is a critical first step that’s necessary, but not sufficient, for replacing prohibition with a public health approach.
Many people wrongly assume that cannabis use during pregnancy is safe. Research is increasingly documenting a host of serious health harms from prenatal exposure to cannabis and other substances.
A scholar of religion who is writing a book on sacred drugs explains how today’s ‘psychedelic renaissance’ reflects a millennia-long history of using intoxicants to seek insight and connection.
They tend backyards brimming with cactus varieties, consuming the produce. Prudence Gibson meets a hidden group of gardeners and ponders the allure – and – danger of psychoactive plants.
Scholars weigh in on the known and unknown about marijuana and its incarnations.
Legalization and social acceptability of marijuana have contributed to a false perception that it’s safe to use in pregnancy. The truth is, there is no known safe level of prenatal marijuana exposure.
Some people on very low-carb diets say they feel euphoric, have clear minds and lose their appetite. Here’s why.
Students taking ‘smart drugs’ to boost their academic performance are putting their health at risk.
The market for sythnetic cannabinoids, or spice, shows no sign of decreasing.
Western science is “discovering” the medical potential of ayahuasca, which Amazonian indigenous groups have used ritualistically for centuries.
Theresa May has been the longest-serving home secretary since the 19th century, but her tenure is distinctive for other reasons, too.
A growing number of young men are using steroids, but there are few public services to help this vulnerable group.
Legal highs are now illegal in the the UK but why has it taken so long for the law to be changed?
Changing drugs laws can have some very unexpected consequences.
By not only “outing” himself as a poppers user but emphasising their necessity, the Conservative MP for Reigate took a bold step.
Here’s how the Psychoactive Substances Bill will stand in the way of human flourishing.
Successive governments haven’t always followed expert advice, but they have in the new bill to end ‘legal highs’.
Psychedelic drugs alter consciousness in a profound and novel way that increases the breadth and fluency of cognition. However, until recently, we were unable to offer an explanation for how the brain…
Top contributors
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Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London
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Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, University of Birmingham
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Associate Professor in Law, University of Canterbury
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Professor of Criminology and Social Policy, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Professor of Global Legal Studies, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham
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Professor, Department of Politics, University of Liverpool
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Professor of Law, University of Kent
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Associate professor in Criminology, University of New England
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Visiting research fellow, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Hon. Professor Drug Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
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Research Co-ordinator, Department of Pharmacy, University of Hertfordshire
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Professor of Psychology, Edge Hill University
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Alcohol and other drug specialist, UNSW
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Distinguished Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, Director of Psychedelics Division at Neuroscape, University of California, San Francisco
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Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Manchester Metropolitan University