Mattha Busby
- Mattha Busby is a freelance journalist with a keen interest in health, human rights, and the environment. He's contributed to the Guardian, Observer, London Times, VICE, Jacobin, and Leafly. His first book, 'Should All Drugs Be Legalised?,' was published by Thames & Hudson in 2022. Find his work here. Follow him on Twitter here.
Latest Articles
News
Massachusetts is Leading the Way on Psychedelic Reform. Here’s the Latest.
Oregon and Colorado have been getting a lot of attention. Meanwhile, Massachusetts has been decriminalizing city by city—and is now considering statewide change
LEGALIZATION
It’s Going to Cost $2800 to Have a Psilocybin Session at Oregon’s First Licensed Center
It hasn’t stopped people from signing up on a waiting list
Health & Wellness
Ravers Swear by Magnesium to Ease MDMA Side Effects—Does Science Back It Up?
From jaw clenching to emotional comedowns, magnesium has become a go-to supplement for MDMA users. Here’s what the experts say about its efficacy.
News
Should Psychedelic Researchers Disclose Personal Use of the Drugs They Study?
Advocates argue disclosing psychedelic use fosters transparency, while critics warn it could fuel bias and undermine credibility.
News
Finally, A Company Verifying Which Shroom Products Are Legit
A new certification program aims to tackle mislabeled and unsafe products to protect consumers and the credibility of the psychedelic movement.
Magic Mushrooms Explained
Scientists Think DMT Is Responsible for Life’s Most Mysterious Experiences
DMT might be the vehicle behind dreams, spiritual awakenings, and even wild visions during near-death experiences.
News
Turn On, Tune In, and Get a Degree in Psychedelics
Psychedelics are entering the classroom, with groundbreaking degree programs poised to redefine how we study consciousness, culture, and healing.
News
The VA Is Funding A Study to Determine If MDMA Can Really Treat PTSD
The VA is stepping up with its first psychedelic research study in decades, aiming to determine if MDMA-assisted therapy can offer real relief for veterans struggling with PTSD.
Magic Mushrooms Explained
Pro Golfers Are Turning to Mushrooms and Ayahuasca to Sharpen Mental Performance
Golf players are trading pharmaceuticals for psilocybin and ayahuasca to improve psychological performance and elevate their game.
News
BREAKING: Massachusetts Rejects Legalization of Psychedelic Therapy
Bay State voters struck down Question 4, a ballot initiative aimed at legalizing psilocybin therapy and decriminalizing a variety of psychedelic plants.
News
Psychedelic Church Takes Legal Action to Serve Sacramental Psilocybin
A Quebec-based mushroom church is taking on the Canadian government to win religious exemption from federal drug laws to legally serve psilocybin.
News
Bad Trips Can Leave Lasting Impacts on the Psyche, Study Suggests
While psychedelics can be profoundly healing for some, the Journal Psychedelic Medicine shows they can be destabilizing for others.
News
Researchers Seek Couples Planning to Take MDMA or Other Psychedelics Together
Planning on consuming a psychedelic substance with your partner in a real-world setting? Imperial College London wants to hear from you.
News
Man Self-Amputates Penis After Eating Psilocybin Mushrooms
The man had a history of mental health challenges, but according to his surgeons is making a remarkable recovery.
News
Congress Wants Your Input About Safe Psychedelics Use
A couple of congressmen are asking for your assistance to better understand how to safely incorporate psilocybin and MDMA into therapy.
News
Dennis McKenna Is on a Mission to End the Prohibition of Coca
Dennis McKenna and anthropologist Wade Davis are working together to organize a movement dedicated to ending the vilification of the coca plant, and the persecution of its consumers.
Culture
Trinity Is Known As the “Three-Way” Psychedelic Mushroom Hybrid
The "Trinity" mushroom strain has become so popular that it's being compared to Blue Dream, but is trendiness necessarily a good thing?
News
Court Rules Psychedelic Mushroom Dispensary Can Remain Open in Vancouver
A mushroom dispensary in Vancouver won in court after the city failed to provide enough evidence that its products contained psilocybin.
News
New Documentary Details Pilot’s Mental Health Crisis After Mushroom Use
“Lie to Fly” is a New York Times documentary on Joseph Emerson, the off-duty pilot who experienced a mental health crisis mid-flight two days after eating psilocybin mushrooms.
News
The DEA Threatens to Crackdown on the Overprescribing of Ketamine
In the wake of Matthew Perry’s death, the DEA is drawing comparisons with the early days of the opioid epidemic and hinting at taking action against ketamine “pill mills.”
News
Soul Quest Ayahuasca Church of Mother Earth Is Officially Closing
After a court found Soul Quest and its owner guilty of wrongful death, the church is closing its doors. But is it really the end?
News
Texas Judge Dismisses Church of Sacred Synthesis’s Defamation Case
The Church of Sacred Synthesis, formerly known as the Church of Psilomethoxin, plans to appeal the court’s decision.
News
The FDA Officially Denies MDMA-Assisted Therapy as PTSD Treatment
The FDA denies Lykos Therapeutics' push to legalize MDMA-assisted therapy, citing limitations that prevent the agency from deeming the drug safe.
News
Two Former Presidents of Gabon Consumed Iboga for Spiritual Purposes
The past two presidents of Gabon in West Africa were Bwiti initiates, contributing to the resurfacing and growing acceptance of Iboga.
News
Google Co-Founder Funds Biotech Firm Seeking to Patent Ibogaine Treatment
Sergey Brin is funding a biotech start-up to launch clinical trials and patent an Ibogaine treatment, but advocates aren’t having it.
Mycology
The Origins of Albino Penis Envy, According to the Man Who Created It
"It's been almost two decades since I started working on it and it is still popular, and I find that amazing."
News
Wellness Influencer Will Spend Eight Years in Prison for Human Trafficking
Kat Torres has officially been sentenced to eight years in prison for human trafficking and slavery of a Brazilian woman who followed her on Instagram.
Culture
Elon Musk and Rep. Dan Crenshaw Take Public Stand Against Critics of MDMA-Assisted Therapy
The tech tycoon and GOP congressman took to X to publicly oppose researchers and academics who are critical of the MAPS/Lykos MDMA therapy model.
Mycology
6 of the Best Books About Foraging for Edible and Psychedelic Mushrooms
Arm yourself with the knowledge to forage only the mushrooms you actually want, and not the dangerous lookalikes.
News
Oregon Wants to Shut Down Psilocybin Facilitation Program Over Religious Training Claims
The owner says her training is a religious practice, but the state disagrees, making this issue the first legal battle of its kind in Oregon.
Culture
Major Streaming Service Under Fire for Spreading Misinformation About Ayahuasca Retreat Death
Despite a lawsuit proving its inaccuracy, a Netflix docuseries featuring Soul Quest Ayahuasca Church of Mother Earth continues to air false information about a participant's death.
Mycology
An Intro to Psilohuasca, the Latest Understudied Psychedelic Drug Combo
The use of psilohuasca is a relatively new practice that is still steeped in mystery.
Culture
Mushrooms Are Everyone’s Favorite Psychedelic, According to Data
The RAND Corporation reports that psilocybin mushrooms are overwhelmingly the most popular psychedelic, followed by MDMA in second place and LSD in third.
News
People Are Accidentally Tripping on Weird Fishes
Several species of fish are known to have psychedelic effects, but most people who have tried them did so accidentally—and had an unpleasant experience.
Magic Mushrooms Explained
Which Psychedelic Mushroom Is the Strongest?
It seems like a simple question, but it's surprisingly thorny.
Health & Wellness
Cluster Headache Patient Wins Federal Court Case to Access Mushrooms
A "suicide headache" patient wins a federal court case in Canada that will grant him access to legally use psilocybin mushrooms.
News
Colombia’s President Admits to Drinking Ayahuasca
The Colombian president might be the first sitting government official in the world to admit to drinking the Amazonian brew.
News
“A Wild West”: How Amanita muscaria Gummies Mislead Buyers
Some manufacturers say they're selling Amanita muscaria gummies, while in practice, packing the gummies with other drugs.
How to Grow Mushrooms
4 of the Best Mushroom Grow Bags For Beginners
Many retailers sell mushroom grow bags designed to help mushrooms thrive without requiring a ton of background knowledge.
Science
Psychedelic Visuals Are Produced in the Backs of Our Eyeballs, New Theory Suggests
Why do we trip? One neuroscientist out of Maastricht University says our retinas are responsible for the visuals we experience on psychedelics.
Mycology
The Best Books About Growing Psychedelic Mushrooms
These books have enabled readers to become amateur mycologists and grow their own shrooms at home.
News
Psychedelic Church Sues for Defamation After Lab Test Raises Hope for Presence of Novel Drug
The Church of Sacred Synthesis, formerly known as the "Church of Psilomethoxin," says lab tests confirm their sacrament contains a rare psychedelic called psilomethoxin. Now, they're suing everyone who discredited them on the internet.
Mental Health
Dr. Ben Sessa Gets Suspended From Practicing Psychiatry for Sexual Misconduct
The prominent psychedelic researcher will be prohibited from practicing psychiatry in the UK for a year after having an intimate relationship with a former patient.
Equity + Indigenous Reciprocity
Spanish Police Bust Ayahuasca Syndicate for Unspecified Sex Crimes and Workers’ Rights Violations
Inner Mastery International’s founder, Alverto Varela, died before he was able to face trial following a crackdown on his retreat empire.
Equity + Indigenous Reciprocity
Navajo Nation Decries Funerals on the Moon
These private companies sent cremated human remains to the moon. Navajo Nation spoke up. "We’re turning the moon into a graveyard, and we’re turning it into a waste site.”
Equity and Reciprocity
Shipibo Curandero Stabbed Six Times by Westerner Seeking Ayahuasca
A man seeking treatment for substance use disorder severely injured a 76-year-old Shipibo curandero, highlighting the risks of psychedelic tourism for Indigenous healers.
Culture
The Heirs to a Vault of Novel Psychedelics Take a Trip Into the Unknown
The psychedelic chemist Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin left behind more than 500 psychedelic compounds. A research institute continuing his legacy is scouring the collection for overlooked gems
News
This Veteran-Founded Church Wants to Sell Psychedelics At Your Local Drug Store
After controversy, the Church of Psilomethoxin has far-out dreams for new business
Art + Culture
Drugs and the Making of the Modern Mind
The neglected history of 19th century drug use
Culture
Kava and Kratom: A Story of How Two Plants Became Entangled in the Extremes of Western Culture and Policy
Kava and kratom have been consumed for centuries by other cultures—so why aren’t more people taking these powerful plants?
Mycology
Psilocybin Found in “Legal” Amanita Muscaria Gummies at Florida Shroom Dispensary
These “legal” gummies may not be so legal—but it’s impossible to confirm the results
Mental Health
Unhappy at Work? Maybe Your Boss Just Needs to Trip
CEOs and business leaders are doing psychedelics—and claiming their companies are better off for it
Mycology
Farmer in India Pioneers a Way to Grow Mushrooms in Sub-Zero Temperature
In recent decades, mushroom cultivation has transformed the lives of thousands in the Northern part of the country
News
You Can Now Buy Shrooms Online in the U.S. But Should You?
From magic chocolate bars to gummies, the digital shroom market is in full swing
Mental Health
How Tripping with my Brother Helped Us Grieve Our Father’s Death
With our guards down, we found closure—together
Mycology
The First Legal Magic Mushroom Farms Are Approved to Grow in Oregon
Shroom growers are among the first legal psilocybin businesses to be licensed in the state, which will allow guided journeys in the coming months
OPINION
Should All Drugs Be Legalized?
Journalist Mattha Busby explores a world without prohibition in his new book
Culture
Psychedelic Legend Amanda Feilding is Turning 80—And Her Retreats are Open for Business
After 57 Years, psilocybin retreats are finally a reality for the most influential woman in psychedelic science.
News
Colorado Legalized Psilocybin Experiences. What’s Next?
Over the next year, Colorado will figure out what its regulated psychedelic system will look like. Here’s what’s at stake.
News
Illegal Shroom Dispensaries in the US and Canada are Getting Busted
Nice try, folks, but you may be a little too far ahead of the psychedelic curve
Equity and Access
There’s a Worldwide Spike in Arrests of Plant Medicine Practitioners
From Mexico to the Czech Republic, facilitators are currently being held for transporting ayahuasca, peyote, and other ancestral medicines
LEGALIZATION
BREAKING: Colorado Legalizes Psilocybin Sessions in Historic Vote
Voters in the Centennial state just legalized guided magic mushroom experiences—and decriminalized personal use.
News
There’s Now a Shroom Dispensary in the US
With gummies, powders, and capsules on sale, this Florida shop says they’ve found a legal loophole
News
Why Everyone Cares So Much About Colorado’s Psilocybin Bill
It represents a larger nationwide debate over psychedelic reform—here’s what you need to know
Politics
Where Are Magic Mushrooms Legal?
The legal status of psilocybin globally is in flux. Here's where you can journey without prosecution—sort of
Art + Culture
15 Legal Ways to Trip Right Now
Finding psychedelics is always risky in an era of prohibition. Here's how you can journey without breaking the law.
Art + Culture
Fake “MDMA Shop” Opens so People Can Experience What Buying Legal MDMA Would Be Like
You may be able to buy MDMA in a store like this one day—if Dutch activists get their way
LEGALIZATION
Connecticut to Offer Legal MDMA and Psilocybin Therapy as Early as Next Year
Ahead of federal approval, Connecticut seeks to lay the groundwork for psychedelic treatments in the state
Mycology
The Viagra of the Himalayas—the World’s Most Expensive Fungus—Faces Serious Decline Due to Growing Demand
The caterpillar fungus sells for as much as $140 per gram in the markets of China.
