Thanks to MAPS intern Bryce for making this available!
Originally appearing here.
Thanks to the participation of an engaged and knowledgeable audience, the debate addressed many issues not commonly addressed in the scientific literature or popular press. Topics include: the politicization of psychedelic research, the ways that selective data analysis can be used to emphasize risk vs. safety, the effects of publication bias, and what happens when experts are consulted for their professional opinion. Other major themes include the relative risk/benefit ratio of clinical MDMA vs. recreational Ecstasy and the role of set and setting in helping determine this ratio. The debate was moderated by Ben Sessa, M.D., and includes MAPS founder and executive director Rick Doblin, Ph.D., Swiss MDMA-assisted psychotherapy researcher Peter Oehen, M.D., and psychopharmacology researchers Jon Cole, Ph.D., Val Curran, M.D., and Andy Parrott, Ph.D. Click here for the full debate transcript (PDF).
On April 2-3, 2011, the University of Kent at Canterbury hosted Breaking Convention: A Multidisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness. The first day of the conference featured a rousing debate on the relative risks and benefits of MDMA.