On March 15, 2004, the lead investigator for MAPS’ concluded Spanish study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, Jose Carlos Bouso, PhD, submitted this political analysis:
Now that the progressive party won the national elections, I think drug policies will hopefully change for the better. The disappointing part of the story is that in the regional elections in the State of Madrid that took place last October, the conservative party won again which makes it difficult to restart the study since they are the same politicians who stopped it. Since all the hospitals in the State of Madrid belong to the government of the State of Madrid, it will be quite difficult to restart the study. But I will try anyway.
Since last Thursday all the media are talking about PTSD and now it seems clear that we need better therapeutic approaches. This is the argument, besides the beginning of the US MDMA/PTSD project, that I will use when I start again to ask for permits from the politicians in the State of Madrid. I am not optimistic, but I will try. It is sad, because last October if the progressive party had won, I am sure the study would have been restarted by now. So, though we have now have a new general government, it doesn’t have relevance to restarting the study.
