Illegal Drugs

The Brazilian sharpnose sharks were purchased from fishers between September 2021 and August 2023.

Thirteen Sharks Test Positive for Cocaine Off the Coast of Brazil

All of the wild Brazilian sharpnose sharks tested in a new study had the drug in their bodies, but many questions remain about cocaine's effects on aquatic creatures—and the humans who eat them

A heat map of brain activity shows stable patterns before and after taking psilocybin in blue and green, while temporary changes are shown in red, orange and yellow.

See How the Brain Responds to Psychedelic 'Magic Mushrooms'

A new study mapped large, temporary changes in brain areas related to introspection and one's sense of self, after participants took a dose of the drug psilocybin

A Parkinson’s patient in Nice, France, is prepped for a surgery to implant electrodes into the brain. The technique, called deep brain stimulation, is being used experimentally or in small studies to treat addiction.

Can a Brain Implant Treat Addiction?

Some experts tout deep brain stimulation as a lifeline for people struggling with opioid use. Others question the hype

Leaves from the iboga plant, collected in 1933 from Angola. The psychedelic drug ibogaine can be derived from the plant's root bark.

A Lesser-Known Psychedelic Drug Shows Promise for PTSD Treatment

Ibogaine, derived from a central African shrub, has been used in rituals for two millennia. But in a small study, it appeared to reduce symptoms of PTSD among veterans

Hippos swimming close to the Magdalena River in Doradal, Colombia.

Pablo Escobar's Multiplying 'Cocaine Hippos' Will Be Sterilized in Colombia

The country’s hippo population has grown to about 170, and officials warn it could reach 1,000 individuals by 2035 if left uncontrolled

MDMA, also called molly or ecstasy.

MDMA Moves Closer to Approval for PTSD Treatment After New Clinical Trial

If endorsed by the FDA, the drug would become the first psychedelic approved for mental health treatment in the United States

Test strips can determine within minutes if drugs are laced with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid.

Lifesaving Fentanyl Test Strips Are Being Legalized in More States

The paper strips, which can help prevent drug overdoses and death, remain illegal in several states under drug paraphernalia laws from the 1970s

This worm is genetically engineered so some neurons and muscles are fluorescent. Green dots are neurons that respond to cannabinoids, while magenta dots are other neurons.

Tiny Worms Get the Munchies, Too

When dosed with compounds found in cannabis, nematodes eat more and show an even greater preference for their favorite foods

The DuPage County Health Department in Illinois made Narcan available for free from a vending machine at the Kurzawa Community Center last year. Health deparments in the U.S. have tried to reduce opioid overdose deaths by making the overdose-reversing treatment more widely available.

Opioid Overdose Treatment Might Soon Be Available Over the Counter

An FDA panel recommended the lifesaving nasal spray be distributed without a prescription

Over several decades, researchers have identified more than 140 active compounds, called cannabinoids, in the cannabis plant. 

The Scientific History of Cannabinoids

Hundreds of these cannabis-related chemicals, both natural and synthetic, now exist, and researchers want to know how they can hurt and help us

Public health officials are warning about xylazine, also known as “tranq” or “tranq dope,” an animal sedative that's infiltrating the nation’s illicit drug supply in substances such as heroin and fentanyl.

What to Know About 'Tranq,' the Animal Sedative Infiltrating Street Drugs

Public health officials are sounding the alarm about xylazine, a substance that causes gruesome wounds and knocks users out for hours

Researchers are studying psilocybin therapy to treat conditions like alcohol addiction and major depressive disorder.

Adults Can Now Use Magic Mushrooms With Supervision in Oregon

State-certified facilitators will guide patients in hallucinogenic trips, which may help treat mental health conditions

More than 150 people die every day from synthetic opioids.

Scientists Create a Vaccine Against Fentanyl

Researchers hope the vaccine, which blocked the drug from entering rats’ brains, could help reduce overdoses in humans

 The federal government considers marijuana an illegal Schedule I drug, making it notoriously difficult to research.

New U.S. Law Will Boost Marijuana Research

The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act will make it easier for researchers to access marijuana and study its therapeutic uses

Sonoran Desert toads live at least ten years and possibly as many as 20. 

Don’t Lick This Toad, National Park Service Says

Sonoran Desert toads secrete a psychedelic toxin strong enough to kill a full-grown dog

Magic mushrooms remain illegal in the U.S. for recreational use, but researchers have tested psilocybin as a treatment for a variety of mental illnesses. 

Psychedelic ‘Magic Mushroom’ Ingredient Could Help Treat Alcohol Addiction

Study participants taking the drug psilocybin with talk therapy showed an 83 percent decline in heavy drinking

In 2020, 75 percent of all overdose deaths involved an opioid.

Drug Overdose Deaths in the U.S. Are Increasing More in Black and Indigenous Populations

The CDC reports a 44 percent increase in drug overdose fatalities in Black people and a 39 percent increase in Native Americans from 2019 to 2020

The 15 freed hostages and their rescuers arrive at San José del Guaviare airport in July 2008.

The Daring Rescue Mission That Freed 15 Hostages Held in the Colombian Jungle for Years

A new exhibition at the International Spy Museum revisits Operación Jaque, a covert 2008 plot led by the Colombian military

Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms (pictured here), has been designated by the FDA as a breakthrough therapy for treatment resistant depression.

Why Psychedelic Drugs May Become a Key Treatment for PTSD and Depression

Ecstasy and the active ingredient in magic mushrooms have shown promise in clinical trials, but more testing is needed

This year's list includes Four Lost Cities, About Time and The Man Who Hated Women.

The Ten Best History Books of 2021

Our favorite titles of the year resurrect forgotten histories and help explain how the U.S. got to where it is today

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