Iowa Ketamine Clinic relocated from Urbandale to West Des Moines last month and nearly tripled its capacity to provide mental health therapy.

Why it matters: Demand for ketamine therapy is surging. Prior to the move, some patients had to wait weeks to begin their treatment, Mindy Gingery, an owner of the clinic, tells Axios.

• There's growing concern that unvetted and potentially risky telehealth services will be used more frequently for ketamine treatment if clinics are unable to keep up with patient demand.

Catch up fast: Ketamine is a hallucinogenic drug introduced in clinical practice in the 1960s as an anesthetic.

• Growing research shows it can alleviate severe depression and has been used by some clinics for years as an "off label" treatment.
• The FDA approved an inhaled version of the drug in 2019 for adults resistant to other antidepressant medicines.

The big picture: More startups began offering at-home ketamine treatments after U.S. telehealth regulations were relaxed during the pandemic, Axios' Sabrina Moreno reports

• One example is the Canadian-based TripSitter Clinic, which promotes "Iowa online psychedelic therapy" using ketamine and online doctors.

State of play: There are at least three other ketamine clinics in Iowa, according to online listings.

• They're in Dallas County, Webster City, and Coalville.

How it works: The drug in clinical settings is typically administered via a series of nasal spray treatments over a month.

• An intravenous method can sometimes offer faster results but costs around $3,000 and is less commonly covered by insurance, Gingery said.

Zoom in: There are no telehealth options or walk-in appointments at Gingery's WDM clinic, which can now treat up to 11 patients at a time.

• Only adult patients diagnosed with a major depressive disorder referred by a doctor are eligible.
• Patients are monitored for side effects like intoxication and high blood pressure at least two hours after treatments.

The bottom line: Telehealth revolutionized the ability to provide therapy, but Gingery says it will never be an option for her clinic because of risks associated with the drug.

Of note: TripSitter did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

Bricktop 36 construction starts in coming weeks, adding what developer Caliber Iowa says will be a "boutique townhome community" overlooking downtown and Gray's Lake Park.

Details: The project is on a nearly eight-acre, undeveloped site in the 1300 block of Thomas Beck Road, across from Confluence Brewery Company.

• It has 36 lots for rowhouse-style homes under a development plan approved this week by the Des Moines City Council.

Zoom in: Each unit will be about 1,600 square feet and have two bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms and a deck.

• A price range hasn't been determined, Justin Washburn of Caliber Realty tells Axios.

Of note: Bricktop 36 will be similar to Caliber's Cityview 34 development, located just south of I-235 along Keo Way in downtown.

What's next: Completion of some of the first units is anticipated late this year, Washburn says.

Friday

🌷 Garden: The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden's annual plant sale is open to members today, and the public on Saturday from 8am-5pm. Free!

🥓 Eat: Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival at the Iowa State Fairgrounds from 4-10pm today and noon-10pm Saturday. Tickets: $25-$50.

🎷 Jazz: Grammy-nominated trumpeter Adrian Ruiz and his band play Noce in DSM at 7pm. Tickets: $18-$45.

Saturday

🚴‍♂️ Exercise: Mayor's Bike Ride in Urbandale starts at 9am at Charles Gabus Memorial Tree Park. Free!

🎖️Military series: Learn about the lives of seven Black U.S. Army officers trained at Fort DSM in 1917. The free event starts at 11am at the Fort DSM museum.

⚽️ Soccer game: The Menace is back at Valley Stadium and hosts FC Wichita in the home opener at 7pm. Tickets: $8-$120.

Sunday

💖 Celebrate mothers: Moms get free admission to the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, 10am-5pm.

If you're looking for a unique weekend getaway, stay at an enchanting vegetable farm in Ames dedicated to sustainability.

Flashback: For decades, a piece of land by Onion Creek was grazed by cattle, leaving little vegetation on the forested floodplain.

• In 1975, Joe Lynch acquired the land and built a house on it, but decided to leave the floodplain alone.

The result: 40 years later, a thicket of wildflowers and trees that looks similar to a "dense tropical forest," is now known as Onion Creek Farm.

• "That's literally by doing nothing except leaving it alone," Lynch tells Axios.

Zoom in: Lynch's wife, Lonna Nachtigal, loves growing vegetables and started raising crops for the local farmers' market in 1998.

What you'll find: Onion Creek offers a single room with a queen bed or a two-room suite and kitchenette with a shared bathroom.

• Outside, visitors can look at onion, leek and garlic crops, as well as sheep.

The intrigue: Guests use a compostable toilet inside the home, which is then used for compost on the farm.

• It's mostly similar to any other toilet, except guests add a handful of pine wood chips after using it and the waste is removed regularly.

Price: $80/night for a single room, $140/night for a two-room suite. Limited availability during the summer.

• Reserve a room by calling or emailing Joe and Lonna.

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A pair of cotton-top tamarins have been added to Blank Park Zoo's exhibits, officials announced yesterday.

• They're a critically-endangered primate species native to Columbia.
• DSM zoologists hope they reproduce as part of a species survival plan.

👍 If you go: Open 10am-4pm daily. Admission: $12-$18.