On today’s episode of The Confluence:
Republican state lawmaker advocates for using psilocybin in clinical studies
(0:00 - 8:33)
Republican state Rep. Tracy Pennycuick of Montgomery County is the prime sponsor of a bill that would authorize clinical studies that use psilocybin mushrooms for mental health treatment. The studies would prioritize veterans and retired EMS first-responders who suffer from PTSD.
“For the last 20 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, we've had thousands upon thousands of veterans that have come out with PTSD from their time in combat. And we've relied on the standard old list of antidepressants,” says Pennycuick, who served in the U.S. Army for 26 years. “And there are some veterans groups out of Texas that are taking veterans over into Mexico where it is legal, and they're having a phenomenal success with psilocybin treatment. And I'd like to see it here in Pennsylvania.”
Pennycuick says she believes psilocybin’s classification as a Schedule I substance, along with heroin and marijuana, is outdated.
“Look at what we've done with medical marijuana, and this is just literally a clinical trial to explore the efficacy of the substance in treating a very specific set of mental health issues. I don't think you're going to see this become a street drug that'll be abused,” says Pennycuick. “And quite frankly, I think that with the recent DEA increase of the amount allowed to be used in research, I think the federal government is getting on board and understanding that we have to research this drug.”
New survey highlights disparities Black women face in Pittsburgh
(8:41 - 17:18)
A new study conducted by the Black Women’s Policy Center affirms earlier reports about the inequalities Black women face in everyday life. Three years ago, a University of Pittsburgh study found that “Pittsburgh is arguably the most unlivable for Black women,” citing worse outcomes for Black women in income, employment rate, maternal mortality, and other factors.
“Our survey definitely just validated, you know, that this is a very, very poor area for Black women,” says Jackson. “And a lot needs to change in terms of, you know, helping women merely to, you know, to pivot from just surviving to thriving in this region.”
The study asked Black women in the Pittsburgh area about their greatest concerns and employment issues, which include the wage gap.
“More than 50% of the women who took the survey acknowledged that they knew that they were being paid less than their white coworkers who had the same level of education as well as experience,” says Rochelle Jackson, founder and director of BWPC. “They don't have access to networking. They don't have access to opportunities to, you know, advance in their companies.”
The legacy of self-taught Pittsburgh artist Jone Kane
(17:22 - 22:30)
Who is Pittsburgh’s most famous artist? At one time, many people would have said “John Kane.” The self-taught painter improbably broke out in the 1920s. But while Kane is no longer a household name even in Pittsburgh, 90.5 WESA’s Bill O’Driscoll reports he’s back in the spotlight.
