In an unusual turn for an unassuming species, a desert amphibian is at the center of both a potential ecological crisis and an evolving question of drug policy. The creature in question is the ...

A Texas church has claimed to invent a novel psychedelic drug used as its sacrament — and has ostensibly been giving it to members of its clergy as one might a communion wafer. But a recent chemical ...

Christina Haack, host of HGTV's "Flip or Flop," said she smoked psychedelic toad venom to treat her anxiety. The 38-year-old smoked 5-MeO-DMT, a venom that can cause hallucinations. The toad venom is ...

The Sonoran desert toad produces both deadly and psychedelic poisons. It faces increasing poaching pressure because of its trippy toxins. Reading time 3 minutes If you kiss a frog, you don’t get a ...

It’s become a toad-al nightmare out west. The National Park Service has put out a PSA pleading with nature-goers to stop licking toads in the wild to get high off their gland-secreted psychedelic ...

A colorado river toad (Incilius alvarius). The rarely seen amphibian is native to parts of Northwestern Mexico and the Southwestern U.S. Image: Vladimir Wrangel (Shutterstock) A potential depression ...

Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," ...

Celebrities including Mike Tyson and HGTV's Christina Hall have previously admitted to using toad venom Kimberlee Speakman is a digital writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. She ...

The National Park Service (NPS) recently issued a warning against licking the potentially toxic Sonoran Desert toad. The toad, which is also called the Colorado River toad, emits a "weak, low-pitched ...

You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email. Follow Lakshmi Varanasi Every time Lakshmi publishes a story, you’ll get an alert straight to your ...

As people turn to psychedelic drugs to treat depression and anxiety, the Sonoran Desert toad has become a target of poachers who milk them for DMT. A pair of Sonoran Desert toads, Incilius alvarius, ...

The Sonoran Desert Toad, with glands secreting a venom rich in the hallucinogens 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin, is invading Arizona now that monsoon conditions have kicked in for the late summer. They can ...