20 April 23rd - April 29th, 2026 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Questions? Feedback? Email me at [email protected] • Follow me on RATING (out of 5 McFly’s) 2026 TOYOTA 4RUNNER TRD OFF- ROAD: DIRT DON’T CARE, AND NEITHER DOES THIS THING 2026 TOYOTA 4RUNNER TRD OFF-ROAD The 2026 Toyota 4Runner The 2026 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road finally joins the TRD Off-Road finally joins the modern world… kinda. You’ve modern world… kinda. You’ve got a new turbocharged 2.4L got a new turbocharged 2.4L i-FORCE engine pushing around i-FORCE engine pushing around 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque, paired with an 8-speed torque, paired with an 8-speed automatic. MPG lands around automatic. MPG lands around 20 city / 24 highway, which in 20 city / 24 highway, which in 4Runner terms feels like winning 4Runner terms feels like winning the lottery. Price should hover the lottery. Price should hover in the mid-$40Ks to low-$50Ks in the mid-$40Ks to low-$50Ks depending on how wild you get depending on how wild you get with options. Translation: you’re with options. Translation: you’re paying for capability, not curb paying for capability, not curb appeal—and honestly, that’s the appeal—and honestly, that’s the point. point. On pavement, it’s still a bit On pavement, it’s still a bit of a brick… but a lovable one. of a brick… but a lovable one. The ride is tighter than the old- The ride is tighter than the old- school bounce house 4Runner, school bounce house 4Runner, and tech finally shows up to the and tech finally shows up to the party with a big touchscreen and party with a big touchscreen and Toyota’s updated infotainment Toyota’s updated infotainment that doesn’t feel like it’s running that doesn’t feel like it’s running on dial-up. But let’s not kid on dial-up. But let’s not kid ourselves, you’re not buying this ourselves, you’re not buying this to dominate your HOA commute. to dominate your HOA commute. You’re buying it because when You’re buying it because when the road ends, this thing just the road ends, this thing just shrugs and keeps going. shrugs and keeps going. Off-road is where the TRD Off-road is where the TRD Off-Road earns its name and Off-Road earns its name and then talks a little trash while then talks a little trash while doing it. Crawl Control, Multi- doing it. Crawl Control, Multi- Terrain Select, locking rear Terrain Select, locking rear diff—it’s basically cheat codes diff—it’s basically cheat codes for dirt. This is the SUV you for dirt. This is the SUV you take out when your buddy’s take out when your buddy’s “built” truck suddenly needs a “built” truck suddenly needs a tow. It’s not flashy, it’s not trying tow. It’s not flashy, it’s not trying to be luxury… it’s just built to to be luxury… it’s just built to go anywhere and come back go anywhere and come back asking if you’ve got more bad asking if you’ve got more bad decisions planned. decisions planned. Comfort: Value: Fuel Economy: Looks: The Drive: Safety & Security: Overall: Sound System: Bells & Whistles: Delayed Effect Shrooms are going mainstream, but science and regulation are lagging behind. BY HOLLIS KAROLY AND KENT HUTCHISON | THE CONVERSATION A mid a renaissance in the science of psychedelics, public interest in psilocybin – or magic mushrooms, as they’ve long been known – is surging. One study found that rates of psilocybin use increased 44% among adults ages 18-29 from 2019 to 2023, and 188% among those over age 30. This amounts to more than 5 million adults using psilocybin in 2023 alone. And those numbers are rising: A study published in early 2026 found that about 11 million adults in the United States used psilocybin in the previous year. In many ways, the growing scientific and public interest in psilocybin mirrors the early days of recreational cannabis legaliza- tion in the U.S. Much like how cannabis commercialization quickly outpaced the development of regulations necessary to protect public health, the expanding psilo- cybin market and surging public interest are moving faster than the science and regula- tions needed to ensure it is used safely. Psilocybin is a prodrug, which means that it has very low activity until the body converts it into psilocin. Psilocin is the compound primarily responsible for the psychoactive effects of psilocybin mushrooms. Psilocin resembles the chemical messenger serotonin, which is involved in regulating a range of physiological and psychological functions, including mood, appetite, cognition and sensory perception. As a result, when psilocin binds to serotonin receptors, it alters how people think, feel and experience the world. Importantly, research suggests that psilocin also alters the brain’s ability to strengthen or weaken neural connections, referred to as synaptic plasticity. This process likely underlies the profound and sometimes long-lasting effects psilocybin mushrooms can have on thoughts, emotions and perception. Psilocybin mushrooms contain numerous other compounds, together known as tryptamines, such as baeocystin, norbaeocystin and aeruginascin. Research on rodents shows that mushrooms containing these compounds may elicit stronger and longer-lasting effects than psilocybin alone. But very little is known about how these other tryptamines affect humans. This is because federal regulations require researchers to use an isolated, synthetic version of psilocybin in clinical studies rather than the entire mushroom. Thus, the many ongoing clinical trials testing psilocybin as a treatment for various mental health conditions use synthetic psilo- cybin that does not contain these other tryptamines. In 2019, Denver became the first American city to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms. Over the next two years, several other U.S. cities followed suit. In 2020, Oregon legalized psilocybin for supervised use in licensed settings, and Colorado did the same in 2022. These legal, supervised-use programs allow access to psilocybin mush- rooms in regulated environments without a prescription. Even for people living outside those states and cities, the barriers to accessing psilocybin mushrooms are low. With a quick Google search and around $35, anyone can legally purchase kits containing the mate- rials needed to grow psilocybin-containing mushrooms. These kits are legal to buy and sell because they contain only mushroom spores, which are tiny reproductive cells from which mushrooms grow. Once these spores begin growing into mushrooms, they can produce psilocybin, making the mush- rooms a federal Schedule 1 substance. Because psilocybin mushrooms exist in this legal gray area and are governed by different rules across states, psilocybin mushrooms are essentially unregulated across most of the U.S. As a result, consumers lack reliable information about what their mushrooms contain, how much they should take and how to use them safely. Much like the cannabis industry, which has seen a steady increase in product variety and product strength since legalization, the psilocybin mushroom market is experi- encing rapid growth. For instance, psilo- cybin edibles are now available and increasingly popular. Despite psilocybin’s therapeutic promise, it also carries risks. Without sufficient research on modern psilocybin products, consumers have little guidance on how to reduce potential harms. Independent laboratories -- including one in Scottsdale -- using state-of-the-art measurement techniques can aid researchers like us by providing information about the potency of the mushroom prod- ucts that people are using. While ongoing clinical trials provide important data about the effects of psilo- cybin under tightly controlled conditions, real-world data is needed to understand how modern psilocybin mushrooms are used and experienced by consumers. These insights matter not only for scien- tists and policymakers but for the growing number of people trying psilocybin mush- rooms for relief, self-improvement or out of curiosity. In a largely unregulated market, and with few clear guidelines on safe use, consumers are left to simply figure it out on their own. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. | CANNABIS |
