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New proposal considering magic mushrooms use as mental health treatment for Atlanta first responders

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New proposal considering magic mushrooms use as mental health treatment for Atlanta first responders


ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The City of Atlanta is exploring new alternatives to address mental health among first responders.

A new proposal by Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhatiari looks to add psilocybin and ketamine as mental health treatments.

Psilocybin is the active compound found in some mushrooms that causes a psychedelic effect, also known as “magic mushrooms.”

Ketamine is a synthetic pharmaceutical originally developed as an aesthetic. Ketamine is legal in Georgia under the supervision of a licensed professional. Psilocybin, which is illegal, is making similar strides in the medical setting.

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Dr. Bradley Cooke, a former Georgia Tech professor of neuroscience, said clinical trials have proven the drugs are effective in treating severe PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

“There is considerable evidence especially from placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials that drugs like psilocybin and ketamine are quite effective at treating people with depression and anxiety and PTSD,” Cooke said.

It’s something police, fire and EMS departments across the nation are exploring across as suicide rates continue to rise.

Bakhtiari said she was at an out-of-state event with first responders who praised how the drugs helped with trauma experienced on the job. She said the resolution directs the human resources department to research the positives and negatives.

Bakhtiari said the goal is to see if they can be added as mental health treatments under the city’s healthcare plan.

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“We have a higher case of suicide rates and suicide ideation. If we expect people to be here in our city on the front lines protecting folks, we need to expand what mental health services, look like,” she said.

The human resources department is set to bring those findings back to the city council at the end of this year.



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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta police hunt for tall woman in Buckhead bar assault case

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Atlanta police hunt for tall woman in Buckhead bar assault case


Atlanta police released these images showing a woman wanted for an assault at Moondogs Sports Bar located at 3179 Peachtree Rd NE in Buckhead on Jan. 13, 2024.  (Supplied)

Atlanta police are searching for a woman wanted for an assault at a Buckhead bar in January. 

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The incident happened at Moondogs Sports Bar located at 3179 Peachtree Rd NE on Jan. 13. According to the Atlanta Police Department’s General Crimes Unit, the woman seen in images released on Thursday assaulted the victim in the doorway of a restroom. 

Police say the woman is about 6 feet tall or taller. 

A reward of up to $2,000 is offered for the arrest and indictment. 

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Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta anonymously at the tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477), online at StopCrimeAtl.org, or by texting CSA and the tip to CRIMES (274637). 



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OKC Thunder to Face Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks in Home Opener

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OKC Thunder to Face Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks in Home Opener


The NBA announced the 2024-25 regular season schedule on Thursday which allows everyone to map out the 82-game marathon ahead. As the Oklahoma City Thunder are set to be contenders this season, their schedule reveal holds a bit more weight this year than in the past.

Fresh off a 57-win season in 2023-24, where the Thunder revitalized the Oklahoma City fanbase in their return to the playoffs where the Paycom Center began rocking just as it had in the 2010s, a flurry of offseason moves which sees everyone pegging them to win the Western Conference ahead of this season.

While being the odds-on favorites out West, this has led to the 2024-25 regular season being the most anticipated year since 2017-18. With everyone champing at the bit to see this new look Thunder squad with the massive signing of Isaiah Hartenstein, the swap that landed defensive ace Alex Caruso and another year of growth for their young core.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will open up their 2024-25 campaign on the road in Denver against the Nuggets with the game being broadcasted on TNT on Oct. 24. The Thunder have no started a season in Bricktown since that 2017-18 campaign.

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Oklahoma City will play their first game inside the Paycom Center in the regular season on Oct. 27 against the Atlanta Hawks headlined by Norman, Ok. native Trae Young. Just like a year ago, this game will come on a Sunday in Bricktown but on the second night of a back-to-back fresh-off playing Josh Giddey’s Chicago Bulls.

This will be the second time in as many weeks the Thunder will battle the Hawks in Oklahoma as the two teams meet up for the Thunder’s final preseason tilt on Oct. 17.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.





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WATCH: Michael Harris’s Storybook Return to Atlanta Braves

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WATCH: Michael Harris’s Storybook Return to Atlanta Braves


Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II was activated on Wednesday after a two-month stint on the IL with a hamstring injury. The Braves were hoping to get the player back that won the 2022 Rookie of the Year, rather than the one that had struggled much of the 2024 season before becoming injured.

The early returns were good on Wednesday night in a 13-2 blowout of the San Francisco Giants.

Harris belted his first-career grand slam, a no-doubter into McCovey Cove to give the Braves a 5-0 lead before the Giants would even pick up a bat.

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“Just being patient,” Harris said after the game about his journey back to the Braves. “Just getting back knowing I can some way help the team. Tonight, I was able to do that in the first at bat. It’s been a long journey, but I’m glad to be back to be able to help.”

As it turns out, Harris is the first Atlanta Braves player to splash down in the cove.

“Last year I thought I got one in there,” Harris said with a grin. “I wasn’t strong enough. So I knew when I came back I had to get one in there. Just being a Braves fan, I wouldn’t have believed I was the first one to go in there, but I’m glad to be the first I guess.”

The ball in the water opened the flood gates for the Atlanta offense. Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Sean Murphy each had home runs in the blowout win.

It just wouldn’t be the Atlanta Braves without some potential bad news as well. Jorge Soler exited the game in the fourth inning with hamstring tightness. He’ll undergo an MRI on Thursday to check for any damage. Soler has been playing great for the Braves since being re-acquired before the deadline.

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The Braves have won three-in-a-row since hitting rock bottom in the Rocky Mountains on Sunday. The Giants had a chance to pass the Braves in the wildcard race. Instead, Atlanta has opened up a two-game lead on the Mets, and San Francisco has fallen 4.5 back.

Max Fried is scheduled to take the bump at 3:45 p.m. EST as the Braves look for a rare-four-game sweep of the Giants.





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