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MAPS Email Newsletter:
DEA Approves License for New MDMA Study;
Medical Marijuana Research Still Blocked
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February 6, 2014
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Newsletter: February 6, 2014
Whether you’ve been a supporter since our founding in 1986 or just learned about our work, the psychedelic and medical marijuana research community is always growing, so you’ll always have a lot to learn. The February 2014 edition of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Email Newsletter is no exception.
We’ve cleared the final regulatory hurdle for our upcoming study of MDMA-assisted therapy for autistic adults with social anxiety. On January 13, we received the Schedule I research license from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the official study initiation is happening this weekend at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center/Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute.
It’s been three and a half months since we resubmitted the protocol for our study of marijuana for symptoms of PTSD in U.S. veterans to the Public Health Service, and we’re still waiting for their response. The protocol has all other required approvals, and the PHS is standing in the way. “We remain eager to engage in a dialogue with the PHS reviewers,” MAPS Founder Rick Doblin reminded the agency. “This delay is itself an obstruction of medical marijuana drug development research.”
There’s much more in the February 2014 edition of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Email Newsletter, including:
- More subjects are enrolled in our ongoing U.S. studies of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Colorado and South Carolina.
- The Chicago Tribune publishes an editorial calling on President Obama to end the obstructive Public Health Service review process for medical marijuana research.
- The MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD workshop with Dr. Michael and Annie Mithoefer from Psychedelic Science 2013 is now available online.
- A supporter explains why he donates bitcoins to MAPS.
Since our last newsletter, over 4,000 people have joined us on Facebook. I also encourage you to stay connected to psychedelic and medical marijuana research on Twitter, YouTube, Google+, and reddit.
Please enjoy this newsletter and share it with anyone who may want to learn about our mission and support our work.
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For balance and growth,
 Brad Burge MAPS Director of Communications and Marketing |
- DEA Approves Schedule I License for Study Pharmacy; Initiation Scheduled
- Boulder: Fifth Subject Enrolled; MDMA Encapsulated for New Dose Group
- U.S. Veterans: 15th Subject Enrolled; Brain Imaging and Heart Rate Sub-Study Starts
- Israel: Site Monitoring Visit Completed
- Over Three Months Later, Still Waiting for Public Health Service Response
- The New Year Brings New Gifts
- This Is Your Brain on Bitcoin
- International Business Times, Medline Plus, The Chicago Tribune, and more…
- Manifesting Minds edited by Rick Doblin and Brad Burge (SALE: 25% OFF)
- Actual Contact Artwork by Jason WA Tucker
- Aya Awakenings Film Screening and Q&A: February 8, Santa Cruz, CA
- Global Transpersonal Symposium: Unity within Diversity: February 8, Palo Alto, CA
- Cannabinoid Medical Science and Political Ecology: March 4, New York, NY
- Pathway to Reform: March 20, Auckland, New Zealand
- Johns Hopkins Survey: Psychedelics and Smoking Cessation
- Ayahuasca Dialogues Webinar Now Online
MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety in Autistic Adults
Treating PTSD with MDMA-Assisted Therapy
Medical Marijuana Research
Support MAPS
Media
MAPS Store
Events
More News
Dr. Richard Rockefeller speaks with Dr. Larry Brilliant about healing trauma with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy at the Commonwealth Club of California.
Clearing the final hurdle:
Dr. Charles Grob receives the DEA Schedule I research license for our upcoming study
MDMA-ASSISTED THERAPY FOR SOCIAL ANXIETY IN AUTISTIC ADULTS
1. DEA Approves Schedule I License for Study Pharmacy; Initiation Scheduled
On January 13, 2014, Principal Investigator Charles Grob, M.D., received from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration the Schedule I research license for our new study of MDMA-assisted therapy for social anxiety in autistic adults. The license was issued on December 27, 2013. With this final regulatory permission in hand, Dr. Grob and co-investigator Alicia Danforth, Ph.D., are now creating the initial waiting list. The official study initiation is scheduled to take place from February 7-10, and the MDMA for the study will be encapsulated in mid-February. Learn more…
$311,000 estimated study cost • $1,000 raised + $15,000 donated by the Betsy Gordon Foundation • $295,000 still needed
TREATING PTSD WITH MDMA-ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY
2. Boulder: Fifth Subject Enrolled; MDMA Encapsulated for New Dose Group
On January 22, the fifth subject was enrolled in our ongoing study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD taking place in Boulder, Colorado. (Note: We are now subtracting dropouts from the total number of subjects treated to more accurately reflect study progress.) The fourth subject received their second experimental treatment on January 17. The second subject, who dropped out after one treatment session due to scheduling difficulties despite feeling improved, has agreed to return for her one-year follow-up. On January 21, the MDMA was encapsulated for the new 100 mg dose group and for Stage 2 of the study protocol. Led by Principal Investigator Marcela Ot’alora, this study will treat 17 subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD resulting from sexual assault, military service, violent crime, or other causes. As of January 31, we have received 214 inquiries for participation in this study. Learn more…
$592,000 estimated study cost • $193,000 raised • $399,000 still needed
Watch the Principles of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Workshop with Michael Mithoefer, MD, and Annie Mithoefer, BSN, from Psychedelic Science 2013.
100+ more videos available at psychedelicscience.org.
3. U.S. Veterans: 15th Subject Enrolled; Brain Imaging and Heart Rate Sub-Study Starts
On January 29, the 15th subject was enrolled in our ongoing study in 24 U.S. veterans, fire fighters, and police officers with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD. This will also be the first subject enrolled in our new brain imaging and heart rate sub-study, which will use heart rate variability (HRV) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the physiological effects of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy and explore correlations between those effects and clinical outcomes. Nine subjects have now completed the study following their one-year follow-up. The regularly scheduled site monitoring visit was completed from January 17-20. As of January 31, the site had received 496 participation inquiries. Learn more….
$1,376,000 estimated study cost • $1,027,000 raised • $349,000 still needed
Help us make psychedelics and marijuana into prescription medicines—donate today!
4. Israel: Site Monitoring Visit Completed
On January 7, 2014, MAPS Clinical Research Associate Mimi Peleg completed the regularly scheduled site monitoring visit for our ongoing Israeli study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. The study is taking place at Beer Ya’akov Mental Hospital in Israel, and is led by Principal Investigator Moshe Kotler, M.D. Learn more...
$492,000 estimated study cost • $39,000 raised • $453,000 still needed
Learn more about MDMA-assisted psychotherapy on 
or at mdmaptsd.org.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA RESEARCH
5. Over Three Months Later, Still Waiting for Public Health Service Response
On January 24, 2013, MAPS Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D., sent an email to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reminding the agency that three full months had passed since we resubmitted the protocol for our Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved study of marijuana for symptoms of PTSD in 50 U.S. veterans with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD. “We remain eager to engage in a dialogue with the PHS reviewers regarding methodological issues,” Doblin writes “This delay is itself an obstruction of medical marijuana drug development research.” Read Rick Doblin’s email to HHS | Learn more...
$10,000 needed for protocol development and approval • $10,000 raised
The Winter 2013 MAPS Bulletin includes the MAPS Sustainability Plan, in-depth research updates, and much more.
SUPPORT MAPS
6. The New Year Brings New Gifts
In January 2014, 210 people gave $39,382 to support MAPS’ research and education programs. Many thanks to Ian Brown for his gift of $10,000, and to James Evens and Chris Rico who each gave 10 bitcoins worth over $8,000. We are very grateful to Board Member David Bronner, who gave $2,500 to support Richard Rockefeller’s and Larry Brilliant’s talk at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco; to Neil Boyer, who gave $850 in general support, and to an anonymous donor for 1 bitcoin worth $803. We also processed $50,085 for fiscally sponsored projects that share our mission and vision, including the Ayahuasca Association, Bluelight.org, and the Ethnobotanical Stewardship Council. A special thank you goes to Max and Elena Talan for giving $450 each month through our Sustainers Program, and to the other 123 people who maintain their support by giving between $5 and $100 a month. These consistent monthly gifts give us a reliable income stream and make it easier to plan for the future. To sign up for our Sustainers Program, visit maps.org/donate and choose the “Monthly” option. Thank you to each and every donor for helping realize the potential of psychedelics and marijuana for healing and spiritual growth.
7. This Is Your Brain on Bitcoin
Since we began accepting bitcoins (BTC) on December 3, 2013, 65 donors have donated a total of 41.12253776 BTC, which we immediately exchanged for $30,220.77 USD. On January 10, an anonymous supporter offered to match the next 10 BTC donated to
MAPS; within a week 22 donors responded and met the entire match.
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“Bitcoin is revolutionizing digital payments, and it will do the same for online philanthropy. The ability to quickly, securely transfer value without the fees associated with traditional banking can radically change the way donations are collected. In January, I decided to donate 10 BTC to MAPS because of their important work in bringing new treatments to those who cannot be cared for through currently available medications.” —James Evans, bitcoin donor
Check out the January 28 Motherboard article about supporting psychedelic and medical marijuana research with bitcoins: “This Is Your Brain on Bitcoin.” Learn more….
MEDIA
8. International Business Times, Medline Plus, The Chicago Tribune, and more…
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The Chicago Tribune: Obama Retreats from the Drug War | view
Steve Chapman | January 23, 2014
Motherboard: This Is Your Brain on Bitcoin | view
Steven Melendez | January 28, 2014
The Daily Beast: Longtime Sufferers of Cluster Headaches Find Relief in Psychedelics | view
Valerie Vande Panne | February 5, 2014
International Business Times: MDMA a Potential Treatment for Anxiety and PTSD | view
Hannah Osborne | January 17, 2014
Medline Plus: Could Ecstasy Help People With Anxiety, PTSD? | view
Robert Preidt | January 17, 2014
Psychotherapy Networker: Ecstasy in the Consulting Room | view
Kathleen Smith | January 28, 2014
Good Men Project: What Your Doctor Never Taught You About PTSD | view
Jed Diamond, Ph.D. | January 27, 2014
Motherboard: In a World of Opiate Addicts, the Internet Plays Doctor and Therapist | view
Steven Melendez | January 15, 2014
Examiner.com: Brad Burge on “Manifesting Minds” | view
Jeffery Pritchett | January 27, 2014
The Libertarian: Ibogaine Still Illegal in US, Despite Medical Potential | view
Brendan Ferreri-Hanberry | January 23, 2014
Explore MAPS in the Media for more psychedelic and medical marijuana research news.
MAPS STORE
9. Manifesting Minds edited by R
ick Doblin and Brad Burge
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Manifesting Minds: edited by Rick Doblin, PhD, and Brad Burge 304 pages | Evolver Editions | Released January 7, 2014 “What an excellent book to courageously transmit psychedelic research into tomorrow.” —Ben Sessa, MD, psychiatrist and author Now 25% off the retail price!
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10. Actual Contact Artwork by Jason WA Tucker
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Artwork series by Jason WA Tucker These signed, matted, limited edition, 12″ x 9″ art prints were donated to MAPS by artist Jason WA Tucker. All proceeds directly support our research and education projects. “My drawings are never pre-planned. I focus only on the line, not knowing what the entire image will look like when finished. The experience is one of total control, but with no control at all.” —Jason WA Tucker $60 | Prints Now Available |
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All purchases from the MAPS Store support our research and education projects.