Round 1! Mike Tyson fights for cannabis with Trump
The former boxing star leads a celebrity coalition fight with the U.S. government for cannabis reforms, while Beckley Psytech’s BPL-003 and high-dose LSD win scores against mood disorders
We’ve gathered this week’s most compelling showdowns! Сelebrities battle for cannabis reform, Canadian activists demand a legal safe-supply of heroin, scientists wrestle with proving psychedelics are a safe alternative to antidepressants, ChatGPT tries to push tripsitters aside, big tobacco companies use shady tactics to win public favor, and cannabis concentrates duel with flower on labeling accuracy — see who scores the win and and pick a side after reading our weekly digest.
Regulatory
Mike Tyson and the coalition demand cannabis reforms from Trump
Mike Tyson, Kevin Durant, Dez Bryant, Allen Iverson, Antonio Brown, Roy Jones Jr., Ricky Williams, Lil Pump, and Adin Ross ask President Trump to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to schedule III, free nonviolent cannabis offenders, and help legal businesses.
Big tobacco companies & alcohol giants are secretly funding the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation
They use the same strategy R.J. Reynolds used a grassroots coalition in 1994 to block FDA cigarette regulation, to push a flashy, “states’ rights” cannabis law that mostly helps large corporations.
Lawsuit shows DOD forces applicants to admit a cannabis-related crime or lose their job
DOD’s security-clearance process required Robert Filipiuk, an aerospace engineer at Johns Hopkins University, to admit past cannabis use or lose his clearance, and thus his job. The lawsuit argues that it violates his Fifth Amendment rights.
President Donald Trump’s FY 2026 budget proposal threatens medical cannabis patients
The temporary protections shielding state medical cannabis programs from DOJ and DEA interference are in jeopardy under the FY 2026 budget, while Congress is shifting its focus to adult-use legalization, leaving medical patients unprotected.
A co-founder of the Drug User Liberation Front calls for direct action over policy wish-testing
Eris Nyx is demanding that Health Canada and the courts officially authorize a regulated “safe supply” program rather than leave people to a toxic unregulated market.
Market
Survey finds most cannabis users swap it for prescription drugs
In a poll of 485 consumers, 79.6 percent affirmed that they used cannabis as a substitute for pharmaceuticals, showing widespread self-medication with the substance.
Concentrate products far more precise in THC labeling than buds
Testing showed 96 percent of concentrates fell within 15 percent of their labeled THC content, compared to just 56.7 percent of flower products.
Adolescent vaping of both natural and synthetic cannabinoids surges
An estimated 2.55 million teens vaped delta-9 THC, 999,000 vaped CBD, and 620,000 vaped synthetic cannabinoids, with use doubling among 11–13 year-olds and higher rates in females.
Viola teams with Tempter’s on new wellness-oriented THC beverages
The companies announced a curated line of wellness-focused THC drinks through their strategic partnership, aiming to elevate consumer access and experience in the hemp-derived beverage market.
Blüm Holdings inks $5 M stock deal for Northern California dispensary
Blüm agreed to acquire a majority stake in a licensed Northern California cannabis retailer in an all-stock transaction valued up to $5 million.
Scientific
Beckley Psytech’s BPL-003 drives meaningful mood improvements
A single 12 mg dose of BPL-003 produced an 11.1-point decrease in depression symptoms at Day 29 versus 5.8 points for the comparator arm, meeting the trial’s efficacy threshold and pushing the planned merger with atai.
LSD shows strong, lasting antidepressant effects
In a randomized, double-blind phase 2 trial at the University of Basel, participants given 100 µg then 200 µg of LSD saw clinician-rated depression scores drop nearly 13 points versus 3.6 points in the 25 µg group, with improvements persisting up to 12 weeks.
Stevie Williams launches NFC-enabled cannabis lifestyle brand
Skateboarding legend Stevie Williams’s new venture, Lord Williams Farms, integrates NFC chip technology into cannabis products to deliver interactive, tech-driven consumer experiences.
Ayahuasca-inspired formulation blurs neural self-other boundaries
A placebo-controlled EEG study found that a DMT/harmine formulation significantly reduced the P300 differentiation between self and other faces, indicating a neural basis for ego dissolution.
Enveric’s EB-003 engages two serotonin targets for broader neuropsychiatric use
New data confirm that EB-003 is an agonist at both 5-HT1B and 5-HT2A receptors, potentially derisking the molecule and expanding its therapeutic scope in neuropsychiatric drug development.
Social
AI chatbots instead of tripsitters
Psychedelic users choose AI chatbots like ChatGPT during psychedelic experiences as an affordable alternative to in-person psychedelic-assisted therapy. Some of them report positive outcomes, but experts warn this practice is risky.
Psychedelics’ ancient origins are more recent, research finds
Brabec de Mori’s six-year Amazon field study concludes that ayahuasca would have integrated into the life ritual of these communities only a few centuries ago, challenging claims of a millennia-old tradition.
Advocacy groups urge Meta to end shadowbanning of drug content
A coalition led by SSDP and 80+ organizations demands Meta stop ongoing and disproportionate censorship of content related to cannabis, psychedelics, and harm reduction, calling it a form of digital marginalization.
PS2025 highlights psychedelic elitism debates and clergy brain-injury research
At PS2025, psychologist Carl Hart criticized elitism in the psychedelic movement, Jamie Wheal warned against commercialized mysticism, and panels unveiled clergy psilocybin studies and pushed for traumatic brain injury research.