Study Looks at Psychedelics’ Belief-Altering Powers, Minnesota Inches Toward Rec. Cannabis, and Montana’s Cannabis Banking Bill

A study looked at the link between psychedelics and spirituality, Minnesota is closing in on recreational cannabis, and Montana is looking to make cannabis banking easy.

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

John Hopkins Study Looks at Psychedelic’s Effects on Spirituality

Talk to anyone who’s done psychedelics, and they’ll likely go on about how it changed their views on life, spirituality, and the human experience. Despite this vast anecdotal evidence, actual research into psychedelics’ effects on one’s beliefs has been hard to come by. Thankfully, the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Researchers (CPCR) at John Hopkins has stepped up to the plate.

The CPCR’s recent study looked at the connection between the use of psychedelics and changes in one’s beliefs. Researchers looked at data from 2,374 psychedelics users who reported having “belief-changing” trips. The participants were surveyed on how they felt about 45 different belief statements before and after their belief-changing trips.

After compiling the results, researchers found that the percentage of participants identifying as believers in a higher power rose by 30%! Further, researchers also noted an increase in participants’ belief in duality, spirituality, the paranormal as well general superstitions. While this study confirms many of the long-held beliefs about the effects of psychedelics — further investigation is necessary to fully understand the potential of these drugs.

What do you think of this fascinating new study? Do you think it’ll help remove some of the stigmas around psychedelic use? Let us know in the comments!

Minnesota Senate Passes Rec. Cannabis Bill

Minnesota residents received some thrilling news this week as the state Senate passed a bill to legalize recreational cannabis. The bill was approved by a narrow margin of 34-33, with some amendments made to a previously passed House version of the bill.

Notable changes include a 10% tax on cannabis sales and an increased legal possession limit of up to 5 pounds of cannabis. Unfortunately, the tweaked legalization bill also postpones the expungement of non-low-level charges until 2025.

Minnesota’s Senate and House will now meet to work out a compromise of their two bills. Once the final version of the bill is drafted, it’ll be sent to Governor Tim Walz’s desk. The Governor has revealed that he intends to sign the bill as soon as it gets to him.

What do you think of these exciting developments in Minnesota? Let us know in the comments!

Montana’s Cannabis-Banking Bill

A proposed bill in Montana aims to facilitate the interaction between banks and cannabis companies. As it currently stands, cannabis’ federally illegal status makes it difficult for cannabis owners to find safe and secure banking options. As such, many dispensaries have been forced to operate on a cash-only basis. This not only complicates the purchasing process for consumers but also makes dispensaries targets for robberies.

With a bipartisan group of lawmakers backing the bill, there is much hope that it will pass. Make sure to check in with Veriheal to stay up to date on the status of Montana’s cannabis-banking bill.