26 December 2025
From the Desk of Rick Doblin, Ph.D.
MAPS Bulletin: Volume XXXIV
Dear MAPS community & supporters,
“We must sustain resilience and passionate persistence in the face of adversity.”
In my last letter to the Bulletin, I wrote this quote as a response to the challenging times MAPS and the psychedelic ecosystem faced after the FDA rejected the New Drug Application for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, and the Massachusetts Natural Plant Initiative was defeated. Even though FDA approval has been delayed, MAPS, dedicated therapists, advocates, and researchers, and Resilient Pharmaceuticals (formerly known as Lykos), continue to persist in efforts to make these treatments available to those who are suffering from PTSD.
As we approach the end of 2025, I remember how far we have come since last year’s setback.
We have officially stepped into the next generation of MAPS’ new mission. I have been leading MAPS for almost 40 years with a primary goal of making MDMA-assisted therapy legally accessible for healing, spirituality, and personal growth. In 2014, when MAPS launched the drug development company, now branded as Resilient Pharmaceuticals, we sought to include global humanitarian projects, therapist trainings, and research on cannabis and couples therapy as part of its programmatic offerings. Today, while Resilient is continuing to focus on efforts to obtain market approval for MDMA, MAPS builds on globalizing access and education of psychedelic-assisted therapists to the regions with the highest burden of trauma and the lowest resources.
We have achieved significant milestones this year across our three pillars: advancing research, changing policy, and evolving education. The most significant milestone this year has been the selection of Betty Aldworth and Ismail “Izzy” Lourido Ali as the Co-Executive Directors of MAPS.
I have always approached our work with a multigenerational perspective, and this decision embodies that vision. Izzy and Betty represent the strategic approach that makes MAPS so effective — they’re deeply committed to rigorous research, evidence-based public education, and transformative drug policy reform in service of the beneficial use of psychedelics. Their strong focus on inclusivity makes them ideal leaders as MAPS continues to serve as a catalyst and convener, bringing together diverse voices to build a post-prohibition world where people have legal and equitable access to psychedelics for healing, spirituality, and personal growth.
With Betty and Izzy at the helm of MAPS, we have accomplished the following outcomes:
- In June, MAPS hosted our Psychedelic Science conference in Denver, Colorado. We gathered over 8,000 attendees (including 1,000+ scholarship recipients) and 600 speakers, produced 150 panels, 100 poster sessions, and organized 29 workshops on psychedelic research, therapy, policy, culture, and business. Our program featured leaders in psychiatry and social work; legislators and advocates; Indigenous-led and grassroots organizations; and celebrities and thought leaders. It was incredible to see how the field has grown over these last four decades. Recordings from Psychedelic Science 2025 are now available for free (donations accepted) on The Virtual Trip.
- In August, MAPS took a critical step for its Phase 2 study of examining inhaled cannabis for the treatment of PTSD in Veterans (MJP2), funded by a $12.9 million grant from the State of Michigan. We selected the contract research organization (Changemark), which will manage MAPS’ sponsor obligations, including site and data management, monitoring, and safety reporting. Changemark’s background will ensure that the study is conducted with the highest scientific standards, in accordance with regulatory requirements, and adhering to ethical principles, to deliver the evidence that Veterans and their healthcare providers need.
- In April, MAPS and the Ukrainian Psychedelic Research Association (UPRA) hosted an international therapy training in western Ukraine, and in October, MAPS and Holomind hosted a program in Poland. More than 100 clinicians from around the world gathered to learn foundational knowledge about psychedelic-assisted therapies. Thanks to donor support, we awarded full scholarships to 70 Ukrainian and five Palestinian practitioners. These clinicians bring direct experience from regions facing war, displacement, and food insecurity, where effective PTSD treatment is critically needed.
Serving MAPS for all these decades has been an incredible experience, and I’m excited to work alongside Betty and Izzy as we continue to grow and steward this next generation of our psychedelic movement. MAPS’ 40th anniversary is on April 8, 2026. We are still planning how to celebrate our 40th birthday, but in the meantime, I want to thank all of you for your dedication to the mission.
Our psychedelic work continues,
Rick Doblin, Ph.D.
Founder and President, MAPS
Rick Doblin, Ph.D.
Rick Doblin, Ph.D., is the Founder and President of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he wrote his dissertation on the regulation of the medical uses of psychedelics and marijuana and his Master’s thesis on a survey of oncologists about smoked marijuana vs. the oral THC pill in nausea control for cancer patients. His undergraduate thesis at New College of Florida was a 25-year follow-up to the classic Good Friday Experiment, which evaluated the potential of psychedelic drugs to catalyze religious experiences. He also conducted a thirty-four year follow-up study to Timothy Leary’s Concord Prison Experiment. Rick studied with Dr. Stanislav Grof and was among the first to be certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana, primarily as prescription medicines but also for personal growth for otherwise healthy people, and eventually to become a legally licensed psychedelic therapist. He founded MAPS in 1986, and currently resides in Boston with his wife and puppy, with three empty rooms from his children who have all graduated college and begun their life journeys. Learn more about Rick by listening to his Origin Story, watching opening speech from PS2023, his TED Talk, and his SSDP talk about lessons for political activism from a series of his psychedelic experiences.
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