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MDMA and psilocybin are approved as medicines in Australia

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Re: MDMA and psilocybin are approved as medicines in Australia

#151

This is fantastic! I am generally very pro-psychadelic - they seem like they can offer unique aid to people and they are not very prone to abuse. The only "downside" is that, because outcomes vary widely (though are generally not negative, simply unhelpful), it's hard to call them "medicine" in the way that, say, asprin is medicine. However, with the proper understanding, I'm hopeful they can be a really helpful tool…

It's not that fantastic. Australia has draconian driving laws. Any drugs found in your system is a fine and 3 month licensed suspension. Permanent loss on secondary offense.

So while we are getting medical access to psychedelics we can't actually use them if we also need to drive a car.

Re: MDMA and psilocybin are approved as medicines in Australia

#152
post #97
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It remains criminal to have any THC in your system when driving even with a prescription though. With no meaningful way to test if someone has consumed THC in the past 5 hours vs the night before it makes it a useless medical aid for anyone who has to drive, which outside of inner suburbs of Melbourne & Sydney is the vast majority of people in Australia.

> It remains criminal to have any THC in your system when driving even with a prescription though Rightly so. I mean maybe it’s too strict (i.e. you’re totally sober but still will be penalized for having anything show up in your blood) but in general driving under THC influence is as bad as driving on alcohol, you could get yourself and others killed.

Driving under the influence of THC is bad, but driving in the morning when you had THC last night while watching The Last of Us and being punished for that is ridiculous. I take it that THC shows up in your blood days after consuming, while the effects last hours.

Re: MDMA and psilocybin are approved as medicines in Australia

#153
post #20

Remember this is Australia - a very conservative country. Marijuana possession remains a criminal offence here in most places, with minimal sign this will change any time soon. When they say "for medical usage", they mean it. This is not just a nice acceptable easing in of liberal recreational drugs policy. Don't expect to be buying party drugs from the chemist before going out on saturday night. Despite the fact tha…

I would peg Australia more as an authoritarian liberal country rather than conservative. Most states in the US are far more conservative than Australia. Australia IMHO has never broken out of the colonial mindset, where the government knows what is best for you. Beyond drugs, that includes pervasive censorship of movies, books, video games, Internet etc. The lack of First and Fourth amendment style protections means…

> Australia IMHO has never broken out of the colonial mindset, where the government knows what is best for you.

I’m not sure where you are from, but Australia doesn’t share the blind scepticism of government you see in many other countries.

Lots of Australians are politically engaged and generally our politicians are quite accessible. It’s not uncommon to see your federal or state member in the community shopping or eating or just generally living their lives.

Our governments are not perfect, in fact some times they do truly reprehensible things, but it still feels like things can change and get better here

Re: MDMA and psilocybin are approved as medicines in Australia

#154
post #52
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Damn that's crazy, I've taken it probably 20/30 times and never had an issue, and taken it with groups of 5 or so folks and never seen that issue, not doubting you at all, just never heard of that reaction. Powder or pill? Are you sure it was good?

I bought it as a powder. We snorted a couple mgs. I tested it with one of the reagents and it checked out. I think I'm sensitive to vasocontriction. I'm aways freezing on psychedelics, this one was particularly bad. Shallow breaths, cold, tight chest. If I wasn't on drugs I would have gone to the hospital. Sex was intense though, and light visuals towards the end with trippy thoughts that just shut off at pretty much…

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Re: MDMA and psilocybin are approved as medicines in Australia

#155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everything I've learned about therapeutic psilocybin treatment is that the doses involved are actually quite a bit higher than I've ever done on a trip at home. For example for psychedelic therapy with psilocybin, you would see a therapist a few times with no psilocybin, then you would have a session where you take something like the equivalent of 1 gram of dried mushrooms, and go through that session with the therap…

I can’t imagine being completely detached from reality, and using that to work through really tough shit. Talk about a bad trip.

From my limited understanding, when a trip is used in a therapy session, it allows a patient to observe past trauma from an (emotional) distance, allowing them to process it. I can see how that would work. If trauma is so severe that you can’t even think of it, you’d push it away to the back of your mind where it would fester.

Re: MDMA and psilocybin are approved as medicines in Australia

#156
post #59
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would peg Australia more as an authoritarian liberal country rather than conservative. Most states in the US are far more conservative than Australia. Australia IMHO has never broken out of the colonial mindset, where the government knows what is best for you. Beyond drugs, that includes pervasive censorship of movies, books, video games, Internet etc. The lack of First and Fourth amendment style protections means…

when was the last time someone was arrested for possession of pornography?

Not sure but they no doubt pick up a few while looking.

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/border-force-searched-more-th...

Re: MDMA and psilocybin are approved as medicines in Australia

#158
post #20

Remember this is Australia - a very conservative country. Marijuana possession remains a criminal offence here in most places, with minimal sign this will change any time soon. When they say "for medical usage", they mean it. This is not just a nice acceptable easing in of liberal recreational drugs policy. Don't expect to be buying party drugs from the chemist before going out on saturday night. Despite the fact tha…

I would peg Australia more as an authoritarian liberal country rather than conservative. Most states in the US are far more conservative than Australia. Australia IMHO has never broken out of the colonial mindset, where the government knows what is best for you. Beyond drugs, that includes pervasive censorship of movies, books, video games, Internet etc. The lack of First and Fourth amendment style protections means…

Possession of X-rated films for personal use is legal everywhere in the country. Sale or hire is only permitted in the ACT and Northern Territory.

Re: MDMA and psilocybin are approved as medicines in Australia

#159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd far prefer people overusing psychedelics than the current trend of overusing alcohol, painkillers, sleeping pills, etc.

you think people would substitute alcohol, opiates etc for psychedelics, and this would result in a net good? I think what would it actually happen is more and more unprepared members of the general public would have really bad trips.

You must have not thought this through very hard to believe it wouldn't be a net good.

I mean we are in a crisis of opiates with fentanyl.

It would be a massive net good.

Re: MDMA and psilocybin are approved as medicines in Australia

#160
post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everything I've learned about therapeutic psilocybin treatment is that the doses involved are actually quite a bit higher than I've ever done on a trip at home. For example for psychedelic therapy with psilocybin, you would see a therapist a few times with no psilocybin, then you would have a session where you take something like the equivalent of 1 gram of dried mushrooms, and go through that session with the therap…

5 grams? Most people would absolutely lose their shit on that. Even an eighth of good mushrooms is enough to obliterate most people. Like complete ego death. How long do these sessions last? What are the logistics? I’m very curious.

An eighth won’t give you ego death. 5 grams is about where you start getting kaleidoscopic visuals and good hallucinations

In all, the whole trip usually lasts a solid 4 hours. You’re going to be ready to pass out at the end

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