Newsletter: May 21, 2010

Dear MAPS Members and Supporters,

This week NPR broadcast a story about the use of marijuana to treat symptoms of PTSD. It is increasingly evident that more clinical research with marijuana is needed so that the medical community can make recommendations about its use based on scientific evidence, not just anecdotal reports. However, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have set up enormous obstacles to conducting privately-funded research aimed at developing the marijuana plant into a prescription medicine. NIDA continues to have a monopoly on the supply of marijuana for clinical research and has unnecessarily made it difficult for researchers to obtain marijuana. The DEA rejected their own Administrative Law Judges recommendation that it is in the public interest to end NIDAs monopoly. Despite these obstacles, and due to the growing social need, MAPS is planning to conduct research into the use of marijuana to treat symptoms of PTSD. Weve prepared a research protocol that we will submit to the FDA in the next four to eight weeks. With the help of MAPS Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D., Ive provided a thorough explanation of the challenge of doing this research in the item about our marijuana protocol linked to from this email. I strongly encourage you to read it.

This email also contains links to updates about other projects that MAPS is working on, including our MDMA/PTSD research in Canada, Switzerland, and in the U.S. with veterans of war; our LSD/end-of-life anxiety study in Switzerland; and our new ibogaine/opiate addiction study.

We have several new items in the MAPS webstore, including shirts, Shulgin commemorative goblets from the Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century conference, books, a poster, and art. Please take a look at these items and know that profits from your purchases support our work.

If you are still looking for something to do this Memorial Day weekend, you can join MAPS Director of Field Development Brian Wallace and I at Lightning in a Bottle. Taking place near Irvine California and hosted by The DoLab, Lightning in a Bottle is one of the west coasts premier music and arts festival. The festival has several talks and workshops focused on progressive issues and sustainable living/community. On Sunday May 30 at 6 PM, Brian and I will be presenting about MAPS and the psychedelic research renaissance in the Temple of Consciousness. If you are there, please come by and say hi to us.

P.S. Our fiscal year is coming to an end on May 31. We are trying to raise additional funds to cover the costs of posting videos to the Internet of presentations from our Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century conference, for free viewing. We estimate that it will cost us approximately $30,000 to cover all the costs associated with creating the videos and getting them online. There are about 90 presentations, so each video will cost around $333 to post. In exchange for a $333 donation, you can be listed as the sponsor of a video of your choice. This notice is the start of our online campaign to raise these funds. Please donate any amount you are comfortable with today.

Sign up for our twitter feed and get instant updates from Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D. and other MAPS staff.

50 limited-edition, signed and numbered prints of Ann and Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin by Alex Grey

On Saturday, April 17, during the Shulgin tribute dinner at Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century, Alex Grey unveiled his newest portrait of Ann and Sasha Shulgin, “The Shulgins and Their Alchemical Angels.” Fifty numbered limited edition prints of this portrait, signed by Alex, Sasha, and Ann are available through the MAPS webstore. Nearly half of these prints have already sold. Prices vary from $1500 to $3500, depending on the number (#1 sold at auction for $6600). Proceeds will be split between MAPS MDMA/PTSD research with veterans of war and Alex and Allyson Greys Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, with an honorarium to Ann and Sasha.