Elon’s Ketamine Crisis, U.S. Open Cannabis Scent, and Protests for Native Inclusion

Elon’s unsettling behavior raises concerns about his ketamine addiction, a cannabis scent interrupts the U.S. Open showdown, and the Native Coalition of Colorado calls for healing rather than profit at Denver’s Psychedelic Science 2023 conference.

Let’s dive into this week’s canna-news.

Elon Musk’s Ketamine-Fuled Spiral

Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s erratic behavior has made him a headline mainstay over the last couple of years. In recent months, however, his behavior has escalated from a simple “personality quirk” to something entirely more worrisome. Elon’s declining mental health was the topic of a recent New Yorker article from investigative reporter Ronan Farrow. In it, Elon’s friends and coworkers point to the billionaire’s worsening ketamine addiction as the source of his unstable state.

The Wall Street Journal was amongst the first publications to report on Elon’s ketamine use. The story alleged that Elon uses ketamine to treat his depression. Though he has not commented on the reports, Elon has not rebuked them either. In fact, he recently tweeted (or is it X-ed now?): “Zombifying people with SSRIs for sure happens way too much. From what I’ve seen with friends, ketamine taken occasionally is a better option.”

As Musk said in his tweet, occasional ketamine use has indeed been shown to effectively treat patients with depression and bipolar disorder. Of course, this kind of treatment needs to be done under the care of a qualified physician. Furthermore, individuals must space out ketamine treatments over time to prevent causing harm to mental health.

According to associates, Elon is doing the exact opposite of this. People close to the billionaire said that Elon’s ketamine use has skyrocketed in recent years. This worrying use, along with his isolation and tendency to argue with the press, is at the center of his recent unpredictable behavior, Farrow argues.

Cannabis Steals the Show at the U.S. Open

An unexpected guest made an appearance at this year’s Tennis U.S. Open in New York. In the middle of a match between No. 8 seed Maria Sakkari and Rebecca Masarova, the smell of cannabis wafted over the court.

The smell was so strong that Sakkara, in possession of a 4-1 lead in the first set at the time, had no choice but to alert the chair umpire. “The smell, oh my gosh, I think it’s from the park,” Sakkara told the ump.

Sakkara wound up losing the match but was adamant that the cannabis odor was not to blame. While talking to reporters, Sakkara said, “I smelled it, but that was it. Like it wasn’t something I paid attention to. Sometimes you smell food. Sometimes you smell cigarettes. Sometimes you smell weed.” Further, Sakkara added that she had picked up on the smell while practicing on the same court a couple of days before the match.

While this ended up being nothing more than a funny story to recount, previous incidents with cannabis smell at the U.S. Open have not gone as smoothly. Last year, Open participant Nick Kyrgios complained about the exact same smell. Unlike Sakkara, Kyrgios noted that the smoke likely had an effect on his performance because he is asthmatic.

Do you think the smell of cannabis was enough to end Sakkara’s hot streak? Let us know in the comments!

Protest at Psychedelic Science 2023 Conference Highlights Need for Native Inclusion

Just outside of the Psychedelic Science 2023 conference in Denver, the group Native Coalition of Colorado (NCC) staged a protest. The reason? The group wanted to ensure that the same Native communities who originated psychedelic therapy had a say in the quickly commercializing psychedelic sector.

The group warned of corporate greed making it tough for Native communities to get their hands on plants that have been central to their rituals for generations. Furthermore, the NCC wanted to ensure proper administration of these substances when treating patients. Lastly, the NCC wanted to remind everyone that these plants are not meant to generate profit but to heal.

As more and more states embrace a looser stance on psychedelic therapy, it will be interesting to see how—and if—these efforts will take Native Americans’ perspectives into account.

Do you agree with the NCC’s fight for inclusion? Let us know in the comments!