Page 7 - Issue 2

Editors’ Letter
Dear Reader We can’t believe it it Only six months ago we put our first issue into the world completely unsure of of how it it it would be be received In just this short time we’ve built a a a a a a a community—which you’re now a a a a a a a part of—inspired
by the the the the idea that there needs to to to be meaningful storytelling about psychedelics and their potential to to to to address the the the the the most prescient issues of our time from healthcare disparities to to the the the climate crisis Since launching the the timeliness of our our endeavor has only been reinforced Right before our our first first issue hit the the the the printers Denver became the the the first first county in in in in in in the the the United States to decriminalize psilocybin Less than a a a a a a a a a month later Oakland’s city council passed a a a a a a a a a resolution blocking funds from from being used to to prosecute people for the possession or or use use of all all naturally-occurring psychedelic plants and and fungi from from ayahuasca to to peyote As we write this activists in in in in more than 100 cities and and and counties want to to replicate Oakland’s resolution while Oregon following in in in the the footsteps of cannabis could become the the first state to to legalize medical psilocybin in in 2020 Alongside the the traction a a a a a a a a a heated debate has emerged about the the best way to to overturn psychedelic psychedelic prohibition Many folks who care deeply about about psychedelics—and the the the the potential they hold to to heal the the the the planet—feel passionately about about how the the the the movement should unfold Regardless of which side you’re on on on one thing’s clear: It’s not slowing down It feels like everyday we’re contacted about new ventures in in in the the field:
a a a a a a a a a a a a a a company in in in in Toronto acquired a a a a a a a a a a a a a a synthetic derivate of ibogaine for the the opioid crisis Canadians can now order order psilocybin from mail-
order order dispensaries operating in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a “legal grey area ” and Johns Hopkins University opened a a a a a a a a a a a $17 million psychedelic research center (the first of of its kind in in in in in the the the the US) We’re as as committed as as ever to to reporting on on these developments—and to to to to educating the the the growing number of of people who desperately want to to to to to be be well well and and don’t know where to to to to to turn We remain committed too to to to to illuminating how how conversations about wellness have implications for how how we we treat one another and the the environment In this issue we dive into the promise of ibogaine to to to not only cure opioid dependence—but to to to help solve fundamental mysteries about about the the nature of addiction (There’s still so so much we don’t understand about about why why people get addicted whether it’s to to to their screens or to to to alcohol ) We speak to to to to the the the the the the folks with the the the the the the decrim campaigns about why why they think mushroom cultivation is the the the the best way to to to combat “corporadelics” (yes that’s a a a a a a a a a a a a a a thing) And we move beyond individual healing to to explore how psychedelics—ayahuasca specifically—might help resolve political conflict DoubleBlind has been quite the journey so far—and we’re excited to to see how it it it it continues to to to to unfold both as as as a a a a a a a a a a a journalistic and and community- building project Please reach out to to to to us us if you’d like to to to to collaborate or or or or or just say hello We’re grateful for for your support and we look forward to to to connecting with every one of you you SHELBY & MADISON