In this episode, Joe and Kyle interview Jake Mitchell from the Flight of Thoughts Podcast. Jake has spent 4 years as a Paramedic in Canada and leads trainings around mental health, first aid and is bringing better practice of psychedelics into the psychedelic space. 3 Key Points: It’s so important to know your substances and get a testing kit so you know its not laced and you know exactly what you're taking. More people seek help when they look at an overdose or a difficult experience as if they are suffering versus breaking the law. Decriminalization at the least, would help make people be seen as a patient and not a criminal. Most police aren't trained on mental health issues, and they have shot and killed people because they don't know how to correctly respond to issues like schizophrenia. We need more mental health training among our law enforcement. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes About Jake He had major depression and didn't know it, and started to use cannabis as a useful tool for his depression He started to notice some of the first responders use MDMA and Psilocybin off-duty to help with their PTSD “PTSD for those who have been in combat is more understood than for first responders with it, people think that we can just handle it.” - Jake There are levels of trauma that don't qualify daily for PTSD, but for police and firefighters and such, they can be triggered by certain events It's hard to say what percentage of first responders use cannabis, MDMA and psilocybin for personal therapeutic use Jake says he knows of at least a quarter of first responders who have been open about their use There is a new initiative that if police use cannabis, even right before their shift, as long as they are ‘fit for duty’ they won't be scrutinized CBD CBD counteracts the effects of THC, THC binds to CB1 receptors, and CBD binds to CB2 receptors CBD is similar to Advil If someone has taken too many edibles, they can take Advil to counteract the effect of the THC It counteracts the THC similar to how CBD does People used to say to have a good night, eat a pot brownie, but it's a better idea to smoke for the first time than to eat an edible Harm Reduction - Teaching People How to Respond to Overdose They are teaching people about harm reduction kits or when to call an ambulance Know your substances, and get a testing kit so you know its not laced and you know exactly what you're taking Know what breathing technique you want to use if you “feel the fear” setting in If you know someone is on a clean substance, you can try to help them through it, but if it could be laced (with fentanyl, etc) call an ambulance If someone is unresponsive, that's a sign they could be overdosing You can rub as hard as you can with your knuckles on their chest and scream their name, and if they don't wake up, that's a good sign to call 911 Always turn them on their side so that their air passages open up and they don't asphyxiate on their tongue or vomit If you are informed on how to use narcan and you think they are overdosing on fentanyl, use it If they are awake and are psychologically freaking out, just sit them down and simply ask them “how can I help?” They might want something as simple as some water or to go for a walk Knowing your dose is so important LSD and psilocybin don't have cardiac effects, they don't shut off breathing, so you shouldn't have a reason for feeling like your going to actually die unless it's been laced MDMA is one you have so worry about but you'd have to take hundreds and hundreds of milligrams Fentanyl test strips are $2 They are only $1.50 if you buy 100 or more Drug Showmanism The first option should always be cannabis Usually the only reason that people overdose on heroin is because it's laced with