Like Weed, It’s Time To Normalize Psychedelics

This year is the 50th anniversary of President Nixon declaring the War on Drugs. A war that, we could argue, drugs are winning.

Over the past half-century, billions of dollars have been spent on failed policies that have only shed light on systemic racism and stigmatized communities.

Meanwhile, levels of drug use have seen no change.

Luckily, after years of legal battles and scientific studies, things have turned. Society understood that prohibition wasn’t taking us anywhere and that a regulated drug industry could benefit everyone.

Today, legal drug industries like cannabis produce billions for businesses and governments. Marijuana has been legalized nationwide in some form in dozens of countries and over 30 US states.

And while weed is on the verge of becoming federally legal, another long-time stigmatized substance begins to follow the same path—psychedelics.

The psychedelic movement is taking the country by storm. In May of last year, Denver became the first county to decriminalize psilocybin. Oakland did the same less than a month later but with every natural psychedelic, from San Pedro cactus to psilocybin mushrooms.

Now, there are more than 100 cities worldwide where activists are working on their own decriminalization measures.

Every single of these efforts is a piece of a genuine grassroots mobilization run by volunteers on the streets who care deeply about the potential of psychedelics to transform individuals, communities, and, ultimately, the planet.

The traces of a white-washed psychedelic hippie counterculture are fading, giving space to a more conscious and informed movement.

Nowadays, it’s common to see mainstream media covering the benefits of psychedelics, proved day in and day out through research and trials.

Study after study, we learn that these substances can be helpful to and have a place in treating multiple mental conditions and play a role in a healthy lifestyle.

The culture around psychedelics has shifted from weirdos to informed, aesthetically-minded users searching for health and wellness.

A few months back, we saw the creation of Marley One, the world’s first global brand of functional psychedelic mushrooms. This company will offer a range of practical mushroom tinctures to promote health and wellness benefits, from immunity and gut health to cognitive function and sleep enhancement. 

Throughtout the years, the idea of the psychedelic user has evolved thanks to the demystification of these substances by brands like DoubleBlind Magazine, the most prominent psychedelic print magazine; Michelle Janiakin’s book A Psilocybin Mushroom Companion; Mister Green, a friendly accessory shop for “HIGH-minded people” that promotes psychedelics; and most recently, YAWN. 

Launched this March, YAWN is an educational platform and culture brand with an online shop that pairs its mushroom merch with raising money for a psilocybin-specific research funding organization—The Heffter Research Institute. 

The two female founders of YAWN are harm reduction advocates who promote safe, informed, and intentional usage —they are highly invested in making sure people have a safe psychedelic experience. 

Since not everyone will have access to the medical system or want a sterilized experience, YAWN provides knowledge from various doctors, scientists, industry leaders, underground healers, artists, and more. They aim to create more room for conversation so that the psychedelic space can be more inclusive.

They will also be launching a first-of-its-kind product that will help people be more conscious about the importance of safe storing: the MUSH-STASH. 

The MUSH-STASH is a portable mushroom storage bag designed for those who wish to keep their mushrooms in a dark space, secured from moisture. It can hold microdose bottles, edibles, dried mushrooms, and more.

Each bag will come with a complete manual on properly storing mushrooms and the education to go along with it.

Most people ignore that light, moisture, and heat will affect dried mushrooms’ quality, potency, and psychedelic properties. They are organic matter, which means they can quickly spoil or mold if they get in contact with any kind of moisture.

YAWN will be donating 15% of the MUSH-STASH proceeds to the Drug Policy Alliance to bring awareness to the still prevalent War on Drugs and lack of equity in the space.