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Newsletter: December 10, 2015

MAPS Email Newsletter: Last Experimental Treatments Completed in Colorado Study

Newsletter cover image

Last Experimental Treatments Completed in Colorado Study

Phase 2 trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD near completion

December 10, 2015


Dear friends and supporters,


Hania, Boulder study participant
(Top image: Jessi, study participant)

Change is in the air. After almost 30 years, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is near the end of Phase 2 of our international MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) research program, and on track to launch our much larger, multi-site Phase 3 trials in 2017. “These are exciting times building on work of many decades,” writes MAPS Founder and Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D., in the Winter 2015 MAPS Bulletin. “We have the real potential to make transformative progress not just within our own lifetimes, but in the near future.”

On December 4, 2015, the last participant received their final experimental treatment in our Phase 2 study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for 23 subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD in Boulder, Colorado. We have already raised 94% of the funds we need to complete this study, with only $44,000 needed. Thanks to two generous donors, we have the opportunity to match the first $7,000 donated to complete this study. Please give now so we can complete this vital study.

Last month, three new subjects participated in our ongoing Phase 1 study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for therapists in tra
ining
to conduct clinical MDMA research. “It was such an incredible experience to be able to train in this exciting new type of therapy,” reports Mat Hoskins, MBBS (M.D.), who is developing an upcoming fMRI neuroimaging study of the effects of MDMA on the brains of people with PTSD, to be sponsored in part by MAPS. “I’ve learnt so much from the therapists, but also from the experience of MDMA in a clinical setting…I feel confident and competent to support our study participants through their own experience.”

In the December 2015 edition of the MAPS Email Newsletter, you’ll also find:

  • Our fresh new website is cleaner, brighter, and optimized for mobile and desktop browsers
  • The all-new Winter 2015 MAPS Bulletin is now available online and in member mailboxes, including our 2015 Annual Financial Report and original articles
  • The ninth subject is enrolled in our nearly completed Israeli study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD
  • Additional subjects are enrolled and treated in our ongoing studies of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening illness and MDMA-assisted therapy for social anxiety in autistic adults
  • The MAPS Store Winter Sale
    continues through January 7, with great gifts, new products, rare art, and discounts up to 40% on select items

Stay connected with the psychedelic science and medical marijuana community—follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

As we enter 2016—and get ready to celebrate MAPS’ 30th anniversary—we reflect on how far we’ve come and how excited we are to take the next steps with you. With your ongoing support, a world where psychedelics and medical marijuana are safely and legally available for science, therapy, spirituality, creativity, and personal growth could be just around the bend.

Always upwards, together,

Brad Burge's signature

Brad Burge
MAPS Director of Communications
and Marketing

P.S. Right now you can help complete our crucial study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in Boulder, Colorado!

Contents


Treating PTSD with MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy

1

Boulder: Last Subject Receives Final Experimental Treatment

2

Therapist Training: Three Participants Receive MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy

3

Israel: Ninth Subject Enrolled

4

U.S. Veterans: 20 of 24 Participants Complete Long-Term Follow-Up

MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated with Life-Threatening Illness

5

Marin: Sixth Subject Enrolled and Treated

MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety in Autistic Adults

6

Social Anxiety in Autistic Adults: Tenth Participant Treated, 11th Enrolled

Support MAPS

7

November Giving Report: We Rely On Your Gifts to Achieve Our Mission

Media

8

KQED, Salon, Rolling Stone, Blaire Magazine, and more…

MAPS Store

9

NEW! To Fathom Hell or Soar Angelic by Ben Sessa

10

Signed Light Portrait of Sasha and Ann Shulgin by Dean Chamberlain

Events

11

Report: Catharsis on the Mall: A Vigil for Healing the Drug War

12

WEBINAR Psychedelic Science and Spirituality: How to Apply What We’re Learning to Your Life: Now through December 16, 2015

13

Ibogaine for the World Panel Discussion and Benefit Concert: December 12, 2015, Mill Valley, CA

14

Global Ibogaine Conference: March 14-16, 2016, Tepoztlán, Mexico

15

Psychedelic Science 2017: April 19-24, 2017, Oakland, CA

More News

16

Help the Women’s Visionary Congress Reclaim Women’s Wisdom

17

Brazilian Scientists Launch Crowdfunding Campaign for MDMA/PTSD Research

18

Drug Policy Alliance Hiring Novel Psychoactive Substances Fellow

19

Survey: Psychedelic Experiences Related to Death and Dying


The Winter 2015 edition of the MAPS Bulletin includes our Annual Financial Report, plus
updates about our psychedelic and marijuana research, harm reduction, and outreach efforts.
Read the new issue.

On December 4, 2015, the last subject received their final experimental treatment in our Phase 2 study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for 23 subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD in Boulder, Colorado. This study has enrolled a total of 29 subjects, with six dropouts. Each participant who completed this study received three experimental MDMA-assisted psychotherapy sessions along with multiple preparatory and integrative psychotherapy sessions. Primary outcome data is collected four weeks following each subject’s second session, when the subjects and therapists are unblinded. Subject scores on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) following the unblinded third session will not be included in the primary statistical analysis, and is intended to provide additional data to guide the design of our upcoming Phase 3 trials. “For the first time in my life, I was able to face my worst fears and memories with the quiet knowledge that they could no longer reach out and destroy me,” reports Hania Sakal, who participated in the trial. “The certainty was absolute: with the help of MDMA and the therapists who were there to witness and
guide my journey, I was safe from harm and from the people in my past who no longer had the power to hurt me.” The final results will begin to be prepared for publication in early 2016, with publication expected in late 2016.

Your tax-deductible donation will be matched up to $7,000 by two generous donors (Bailey Gimbel and John McCormick). This offer ends on December 31, or when all matching funds have been met. We have already raised $727,000 of the $771,000 needed for the Boulder study, with just $44,000 needed to complete the study.

Learn more…

Therapist Training: Three Participants Receive MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy

From November 11-13, 2015, three new subjects were treated in our ongoing Phase 1 study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for therapists in training to conduct clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. Led by Principal Investigator Michael Mithoefer, M.D., this study is designed as a placebo-controlled, double-blind study to assess the psychological effects of MDMA when administered to healthy volunteers. These participants included Ben Sessa, MBBS (M.D.), Mathew Hoskins, MBBS (M.D.), and Chrissie Wilson, BSc., who are preparing for an upcoming fMRI neuroimaging study of the effects of MDMA on the brains of people with PTSD, co-sponsored by MAPS, The Beckley Foundation, Anton Bilton, and the Mosley Foundation.

“It was such an incredible experience to be able to train in this exciting new type of therapy,” reports Dr. Hoskins. “I’ve learnt so much from the therapists, but also from the experience of MDMA in a clinical setting. As a result we’ve changed the timings of our own protocol, and I feel confident and competent to support our study participants through their own experience.” This study has now treated 10 participants since it began in 2010. In preparation for Phase 3 of our MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD development program, we are currently updating the protocol to request approval for a multi-center study, with a new location in Boulder, Colorado, under the direction of Marcela Ot’alora, in order to increase enrollment to cover training needs over the next five years.

Learn more…

Israel: Ninth Subject Enrolled

On November 4, 2015, the ninth subject was enrolled in our ongoing Israeli study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. Led by Principal Investigator Moshe Kotler, M.D., this Phase 2 study will treat up to 10 subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD from any cause. We will close enrollment at the end of this month in order to gather the data for submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of our End-of-Phase 2 meeting, in preparation for Phase 3.

Learn more…

U.S. Veterans: 20 of 24 Participants Complete Long-Term Follow-Up

On November 2 and 3, 2015, the 19th and 20th participants completed 12-month follow-up interviews in our largest Phase 2 study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for 24 U.S. veterans, firefighters, and police officers with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD. All treatment sessions have been completed. Led by Principal Investigator Michael Mithoefer, M.D., and Co-Therapist Annie Mithoefer, B.S.N., in Charleston, South Carolina, the data from this study are now being prepared for analysis and publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. “When we applied to the FDA for our first study in October 2001, primarily aimed at treating people with crime-related trauma such as childhood sexual abuse, rape, or other assault, we didn’t know that the Afghanistan and Iraq wars would be starting soon,” writes Dr. Mithoefer in his all-new article in the Winter 2015 MAPS Bulletin. “Since then, the need for additional treatments for returning veterans with PTSD has become painfully and increasingly pressing.”

Learn more…

MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated with Life-Threatening Illness


Marin: Sixth Subject Enrolled and Treated

On November 30, 2015, the sixth subject received their first experimental treatment in our ongoing study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening illness. This subject was enrolled on November 4. Led by Principal Investigator Phil Wolfson, M.D.,
with co-therapist Julane Andries, LMFT, in Marin, Calif., this study will treat 18 subjects suffering from anxiety related to a life-threatening disease that is either ongoing or in remission with a possibility of recurrence. “I lost my oldest son Noah to leukemia when he was nearly 17. He taught me about the passion to live and to try anything, no matter how difficult, to keep his life going,” recalls Dr. Wolfson in his Winter 2015 MAPS Bulletin article. “Our current study with 18 subjects embraces Noah’s path. His inspiration guides my work with those who struggle with life-threatening illnesses.” We currently expect all experimental sessions in this study will be completed in late 2016.

Learn more…

MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety in Autistic Adults


Social Anxiety in Autistic Adults: Tenth Participant Treated, 11th Enrolled

On November 14, 2015, the 10th participant was treated in our ongoing study of MDMA-assisted therapy for social anxiety in 12 adults on the autism spectrum. The 11th subject was enrolled on November 15. We plan to enroll one final subject in this study. “Unlike the PTSD studies, the social anxiety study includes interactions with the researchers that are intended to boost social confidence and provide practice opportunities to try new social skills in a safe setting,” report Principal Investigator Charles Grob, M.D., and Co-Investigator Alicia Danforth, Ph.D., in their new Winter 2015 MAPS Bulletin article. “Additionally, participants complete a video-based assessment of non-verbal social cues that involves watching actors in various social interactions.” Sponsored by MAPS, this is a collaborative study between MAPS and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, with blood plasma biomarker analysis being conducted by researchers at Stanford University.

Learn more at mdma-autism.org…

Support MAPS


November Giving Report: We Rely On Your Gifts to Achieve Our Mission

Over 230 people gave nearly $270,000 in the month of November 2015 to support MAPS’ psychedelic and medical marijuana research and education programs. We thank everyone who contributed, no matter the amount. A special thank you goes to all those who generously lead the way for psychedelic science:

General Support

  • Joby Pritzker through the Scorpio Rising Fund ($200,000)
  • Jeremy P. Tarcher Trust ($50,000)
  • Justin Rosenstein ($10,000)
  • Anonymous ($2,373.08)
  • Mack Fuhrer ($2,000)
  • Psymposia ($1,175)
  • Jerry Greenfield ($1,000)

MAPS relies on the generosity of individual donors to achieve our mission. Research into the beneficial potential of psychedelics is again being conducted under federal guidelines, but no funding for psychedelic therapy research is yet available from governments or major foundations. That means that the future of psychedelic and marijuana research depends on individual donors and family foundations. Please consider making a gift today.

Learn about including MAPS in your will or trust.

Media


KQED, Salon, Rolling Stone, Blaire Magazine, and more…

KQED

Making Psychedelics Mainstream: Interview with Rick Doblin

April Dembosky | November 30, 2015

  • Blaire Magazine

    Psychedelic Therapy is Healing Mental Illness

    Sarah Long | November 6, 2015

  • Salon

    Veterans Hope MDMA Can Cure Their PTSD

    Christine Jun | November 11, 2015

  • Rolling Stone

    How LSD Microdosing Became the Hot New Business Trip

    Andrew Leonard | November 20, 2015

  • The New Yorker

    A Field Guide to Psychedelics

    Emily Witt | November 23, 2015

  • California Health Report

    The Age of Psychedelics

    Matt Perry | November 9, 2015


  • WMBF News

    "Medical Ecstasy" Helping War Veterans with PTSD

    WMBF News Staff | November 9, 2015

  • CKNW

    Treating PTSD with MDMA

    Lynda Steele | November 11, 2015

Explore MAPS in the Media for more news.

MAPS Store


Find perfect gifts, new products, rare art, and discounts up to 40% in the MAPS Store Winter Sale! Supplies are limited—the sale ends January 7 at midnight PST.

To Fathom Hell or Soar Angelic by Ben Sessa

30% OFF UNTIL JANUARY 7
NEW!

Paperback | 312 pages
Published by Psychedelic Press UK

To Fathom Hell or Soar Angelic is a novel that follows the journey of conservative psychiatrist Dr. Robert Austell as he breaks free of tradition and learns to challenge the failure of conventional psychiatric medicine. The transformation begins when he stumbles upon the field of psychedelic therapy and meets the enigmatic Californian maverick Dr. Joseph Langley.

“Ben Sessa’s first novel is a rollicking tour of the psychedelic imagination. It also illustrates how thin a line there is between psychiatrist and patients.”—Rick Doblin, Ph.D., MAPS Founder and Executive Director

 $10.99  $7.69 | Now available

Signed Light Portrait of Sasha and Ann Shulgin by Dean Chamberlain

10% OFF UNTIL JANUARY 7

This light portrait of psychedelic luminaries Ann and Sasha Shulgin is the third piece from Dean Chamberlain’s “Psychedelic Pioneers” series. Made in 2000 at the Shulgins’ home, a limited edition of 50 prints were created and signed by the Shulgins and the artist.

Chamberlain’s images are created entirely in the camera, with no computer manipulation. His light painting technique involves working with his camera and subject in completely dark spaces. Using extremely long exposures in sessions that often extend to four or five hours, he moves through the composition space with a flashlight and colored gels illuminating each individual element.

100% of the profits from the sale of these prints will support MAPS’ ongoing MDMA research.

Each piece measures 11×14 inches and is printed with archival pigment on fine art matte paper.

$1,500  $1,350 | Now available

Check out what’s new during the MAPS Store Winter Sale!

Events



Photo by Ben Harper

Report: Catharsis on the Mall: A Vigil for Healing the Drug War

On Saturday, November 21, 2015, an interactive art installation dedicated to victims of the war on drugs was burned in the shadow of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., during Catharsis on the Mall: A Vigil for Healing the Drug War. This multi-day event took place during the 2015 International Drug Policy Reform Conference, and was co-sponsored by MAPS with support from the local Burning Man community and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps. The event featured nationally recognized speakers, exhibits, art, community building, music, dance, and volunteers for MAPS’ Zendo Project psychedelic harm reduction service. “The Temple of Essence was made to look like a jail cell with the walls covered in a blackboard on which people could write personal notes about their pain and suffering from the Drug War,” reports MAPS Founder and Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D. “As the burn took place at midnight on Saturday night, the temple exterior fell away to reveal the jail cell which then itse
lf burned away. At sunrise on Sunday morning, as the DJ continued to play, we marveled that the event actually took place. Dreams can become more than a dream.”

Read about Catharsis on the Mall in the Burning Man Journal | Watch the video… | View photos

WEBINAR

Psychedelic Science and Spirituality: How to Apply What We’re Learning to Your Life: Now through December 16, 2015

In this unique course from MAPS and Evolver Learning Lab, you will explore the frontier of current knowledge about psychedelics and spirituality, learn how researchers are studying these fascinating compounds, and discover how you can help create contexts for the safe and beneficial use of psychedelics for healing, spirituality, and personal growth. Brad Burge of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has invited a diverse and fascinating group of experts to help you understand, integrate, and learn to use insights from this transformative field.

Learn more and register…

Ibogaine for the World Panel Discussion and Benefit Concert: December 12, 2015, Mill Valley, CA

Hear expert panelists speak about ibogaine and its potential for opiate detoxification. Panelists include Amy Emerson of MAPS; Mexico-based iboga therapist Christopher Laurance; a patient from Genesis Ibogaine Clinic in Rosarito, Mexico; Vicka Corey, Ph.D., of Brain Explained; Dr. HIPpocrates of underground press fame; Eugene Schoenfeld, M.D.; and Dana Beal, a long-time advocate for psychedelic harm reduction and the medical use of ibogaine. MAPS is fiscal sponsor of this special evening.

Learn more and register…

Global Ibogaine Conference: March 14-16, 2016, Tepoztlán, Mexico

The 2016 Global Ibogaine Conference will convene experts from around the world to discuss ibogaine therapy, the climate of global drug policy, and the sustainability and traditional uses of Tabernanthe iboga. Speakers will include MAPS-sponsored ibogaine researcher Thomas Kingsley Brown, Ph.D.

Learn more and register…

Psychedelic Science 2017: April 19-24, 2017, Oakland, CA

Mark your calendars! Psychedelic Science is coming back to the San Francisco Bay Area. The conference will return to the Oakland Marriott City Center in California from April 19-24, 2017. The conference will feature the latest findings in the psychedelic research community and is expected to sell out early. We are incredibly excited to start coordinating this monumental event. We will announce ticket sales, as well as opportunities to participate, closer to the date. For past conference information, speaker videos, and more from Psychedelic Science 2013, visit psychedelicscience.org.

Learn more…

More News


Help the Women’s Visionary Congress Reclaim Women’s Wisdom

Since 2006, the Women’s Visionary Congress (WVC) has been providing much-needed balance in the expanding conversation about psychedelics and consciousness. WVC supports the cultivation and preservation of both contemporary and ancestral wise woman traditions across global cultures, and hosts community conversations about the safe and respectful exploration of non-ordinary states of awareness. As WVC takes their next steps, they invite you to help strengthen and integrate the community for decades to come.

Learn how you can help…

Brazilian Scientists Launch Crowdfunding Campaign for MDMA/PTSD Research

From Plantando Consciencia: “Our main goal is to do a small proof-of-concept study in Brazil in 2016, and then to join MAPS in its international Phase 3 [MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD] study in 2017 [or 2018]. For the first study, we already have government approval from CONEP, the group that regulates and oversees clinical trials in Brazil. We have permission to start the study with four patients as soon as we receive the MDMA. We will thus start MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in Brazil, which could benefit thousands of victims of urban violence.”

Learn more…

Drug Policy Alliance Hiring Novel Psychoactive Substances Fellow

Drug war hysteria has fueled the media’s spread of misinformation on so-called “synthetic drugs,” which are more accurately known as a group as “novel psychoactive substances,” or NPS. This hysteria has in turn led to terrible policymaking, with substances being banned and harsh penalties enacted with little review or opposition. In order to keep up with media coverage and new laws popping up in states across the country, the Drug Policy Alliance is looking for an individual who is interested in monitoring these issues and coordinating strategies and responses. The main focus will be NPS that are most frequently in the news: synthetic cannabinoids like K2 & Spice (among others), synthetic cathinones like alpha-PVP (“flakka”), and other substances like kratom.

Learn more…

Survey: Psychedelic Experiences Related to Death and Dying

The Psilocybin Research Project team at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is conducting an anonymous online survey of experiences that fundamentally altered beliefs or understanding about death and dying that occurred after taking a classic hallucinogen (e.g., psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, ayahuasca, mescaline, DMT, etc.).

Learn more and participate…

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