We Are Hiring a New Director of Harm Reduction
February 24, 2020
Dear friends and supporters,
We are excited to announce MAPS and the Zendo Project are currently hiring! The new Zendo Project Director of Harm Reduction will direct day-to-day operations of MAPS’ Department of Harm Reduction and will be focused on the functional operation of the Zendo Project. This position is located in Oakland, California, or Santa Cruz, California. To learn more and apply, please visit our careers webpage.
Since announcing the FDA’s decision to allow MAPS to move forward with an Expanded Access protocol for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, the world has taken notice. Featured reports about the historic achievement appeared in mainstream news publications such as Stars and Stripes, KQED, Fortune, and more.
We are continuing to accept applications for research volunteers for MAPS-sponsored Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. Volunteers in this study will help us better understand if MDMA-assisted psychotherapy works for the treatment of PTSD. MAPS conducts clinical trials under the guidance and regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in collaboration with all federal regulators, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). For more information on study participation, please visit our website.
You’re invited to join the Zendo Project for a psychedelic peer support workshop on April 25, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee. Workshop attendees will learn how to provide support for someone having a difficult psychedelic experience. The Zendo Project is seeking volunteer applications for Lightning in a Bottle 2020. To be notified of ticket sales and workshops, please sign up for the Zendo Project Newsletter.
The Way of the Psychonaut by Stanislav Grof, M.D., Ph.D., is available for purchase in the MAPS Store and on Amazon. One of the most important books ever written about the human psyche and the spiritual quest, this comprehensive work is possibly Grof’s greatest contribution. Purchase the two-book paperback set in the MAPS Store or buy eBook Volume 1 and eBook Volume 2 on Amazon.
In this month’s edition of the MAPS Newsletter, you’ll also learn:
- MAPS Founder and Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D., will speak at Wisdom 2.0 on March 2 in San Francisco
- “Portrait of Ram Dass” archival art print, signed by Ram Dass and Martina Hoffmann, is available in the MAPS Store
- The twenty-eighth participant receives experimental treatment in our ongoing study of the effects of MDMA on the startle response
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We are glad you are a part of the MAPS network! Thank you for receiving the monthly MAPS Newsletter.
With appreciation,
Amy Mastrine
MAPS Web and Email Marketing Associate
Treating PTSD with MDMA-Assisted Therapy
Phase 3 Trials of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD: Now Enrolling
We are currently seeking research volunteers for Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. Volunteers will help contribute to scientific knowledge and will help us better understand if MDMA-assisted psychotherapy works for the treatment of PTSD. MAPS conducts clinical trials under the guidance and regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in collaboration with all federal regulators, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). To learn more about our clinical trials or apply to be a study participant, visit our website: mdmaptsd.org.
Startle Testing with MDMA: Twenty-Eighth Participant Receives Experimental Treatment
On February 19, 2020, the twenty-eighth participant completed experimental treatment in our ongoing study of the effect of MDMA on startle testing in healthy volunteers. Led by Principal Investigator Barbara Rothbaum, Ph.D., this study is conducted at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. If you have tried MDMA, you may be eligible to enroll in this study investigating the effects of MDMA on the startle response. You will receive monetary compensation for completing the study. All involvement is confidential. This study takes place at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, please contact callan.m.coghlan@emory.edu. • Learn More
MDMA Therapy Training Program Update: February 2020
The MDMA Therapy Training team is currently focused on program development to support the growth of the training program for the years ahead. There are no dates scheduled for 2020 trainings yet. Dates and tuition fees for the 2020 training year will be announced through the MDMA Therapy Training Newsletter. Stay tuned to the Training Program Newsletter for more updates.
Sites in the U.S. and U.S. territories interested in being considered to participate in an MDMA/PTSD protocol may now apply with MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC) to assess eligibility and obtain the prerequisite training to administer MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. The basic requirements of a qualified site are 1) treatment facility conducive to MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, 2) therapy team, qualified and able to complete MDMA Therapy Training Program, and 3) prescribing physician who can obtain a DEA Schedule I license for MDMA.
Additional site and practitioner requirements are posted on the MAPS PBC website. Each site must submit one site questionnaire, and all applicants interested in training must complete a therapy training application for providers. Only applicants affiliated with a qualifying site can be considered for training at this time. MAPS PBC will review applications on an ongoing basis, as they are received. The MAPS PBC Therapy Provider Connect Portal is a community discussion forum for therapy providers, physicians, and facilities to connect with one another to develop a site or treatment staff, in order to become eligible to participate in a MAPS PBC MDMA/PTSD protocol.
The MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC) Training and Supervision Department is hiring a Video Systems Developer (Contractor) to support the implementation of new features, provide support with the optimization of existing systems, and develop scalable, fast, and robust web-based solutions. Please visit our careers webpage to read more about the position and apply.
Sign up for the Training Program Newsletter to receive updates on upcoming trainings. • Learn More
Zendo Project: Career Opportunity, Harm Reduction Workshop, and LIB Applications Open
The Zendo Project is currently hiring! The Director of Harm Reduction will direct day-to-day operations of MAPS’ Department of Harm Reduction and will be focused on the functional operation of the Zendo Project. This position is located in Oakland, California or Santa Cruz, California. Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. Applications will be accepted until February 28, 2020. To learn more and apply, please visit our careers webpage.
Join the Zendo Project for a psychedelic peer support workshop in Nashville, Tennessee on April 25, 2020. Workshop attendees will learn how to provide support for someone having a difficult psychedelic experience. Topics include: physical, mental, and emotional effects of psychedelics, factors that contribute to a difficult experience, Zendo Project’s four principles of psychedelic support, tools, techniques, and protocols, sitter self-care, assisting the integration of a psychedelic journey, and ethical guidelines for psychedelic peer counseling. To be notified of ticket sales, please sign up for the Zendo Project Newsletter.
Zendo Project volunteer applications for Lightning in a Bottle 2020 are now open! Lightning in a Bottle takes place from May 20-25, 2020, in Buena Vista Lake, California. To apply as a volunteer, please visit the Zendo Project website.
Support MAPS
January 2020 Giving Report: MAPS Raises $74,191 in Donations and Pledges
In January 2020, we raised $74,191 in new donations and pledges from 845 supporters. Of that amount, $72,227 was for general support, $921 for Phase 3, $753 for harm reduction, and $250 for ibogaine research. Additional funds were raised for fiscal sponsorships ($8,416).
We launched our year-end fundraising campaign, Expanding Psychedelic Medicine, on November 19, 2019. Over 1,450 donors from 36 different countries helped us exceed our initial fundraising goal, raising a total of $908,943 for psychedelic research and education! We are particularly grateful to our supporters who offered matching grants including John A. Griffin ($100,000), Frank Kavanaugh ($25,000), Matt Khoury ($15,000) and the TinMan Fund ($10,000).
We extend a special thanks to those who so generously supported MAPS last month:
General Support:
- Chris Ergen via The Telluray Fund – $20,000
- Maeve Rockefeller – $10,000
- Colin Wilson – $3,000
- Anonymous – $2,000
- Jody Uttal and Jeffrey Gold via the Gold Charitable Fund – $1,500
- Oskar Demmer – $1,300
- Pearl Baker-Katz – $1,000
- Paul DeJoe – $1,000
- Claudia Marseille – $1,000
- James D. Northrup – $1,000
- Holly Turner – $1,000
Fiscal Sponsors:
- Madhu Kandadai – Ayahuasca Foundation ($5,000)
MAPS relies on the generosity of individual donors to achieve its mission. Psychedelic science is again being conducted under federal guidelines, but no funding for psychedelic psychotherapy research is yet available from governments or major foundations.
Together, we can legalize psychedelic medicine.
Donate now at maps.org/donate. Learn how to include MAPS in your will or estate plans.
We’re Hiring!
MAPS, MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC), and MAPS Europe are currently hiring!
MAPS:
- Director of Harm Reduction, Zendo Project (Oakland, California or Santa Cruz, California)
MAPS PBC:
- Manager, CMC Regulatory (Remote)
- Administrative Assistant for Clinical Operations (Oakland or Santa Cruz, California)
- Clinical Study Assistant (Santa Cruz, California)
- Clinical Research Associate (Remote)
- Study Coordinator (Brookline, Massachusetts)
- Study Coordinator (New Orleans, Louisiana)
- Video Systems Developer (Contractor) (Remote with occasional visits Santa Cruz, California)
- Study Coordinator (Fort Collins, Colorado))
MAPS Europe:
- Clinical Research Associates (Finland, Germany, and Portugal)
- Independent Rater (Norway, Portugal, Germany and Finland)
- Video Systems Support Specialist (European Union)
- Clinical Program Lead (European Union, Remote)
You can support psychedelic science by referring qualified applicants to these open positions.
Media
Featured Media: February 2020
MAPS in the Media:
- Forbes: Entrepreneurs At Davos This Week Portrayed Cannabis As A ‘Gateway’ Drug – But In A Good Way – For Mental Health Treatment
- January 23, 2020
- The Post and Courier: After Successful Trials in SC, FDA Expands Access to Ecstasy to Help Veterans With PTSD
- January 27, 2020
- Boston Magazine: Why Massachusetts Should Legalize Mushrooms
- February 6, 2020
Psychedelic News:
- NBC: Single Dose of Psychedelic Drug Eased Cancer Patients’ Anxiety, Depression for Years
- January 28, 2020
- Page Six: Ira Glass On What It’s like to Do MDMA
- February 10, 2020
- CNN: Santa Cruz Decriminalizes Psilocybin Mushrooms and Other Natural Psychedelics, Making It the Third Us City to Take Such a Step
- February 3, 2020
MAPS Store
“Portrait of Ram Dass” Archival Art Print Signed by Ram Dass and Martina Hoffmann
“Portrait of Ram Dass” by Martina Hoffmann was beautifully reproduced as a fine art print after the original oil painting was created in September 2010. Each print in this edition of 50 is numbered and hand-signed by artist Martina Hoffmann and Ram Dass. A certificate of authenticity, signed by the artist, will be issued for each individual limited-edition print. This print is made with archival colours on Hahnemühle Photo Rag, 300g archival paper, and coated with a special archival print shield. During his lifetime, Ram Dass was gifted with 25 of 50 limited edition prints by Martina Hoffmann. With this commemorative portrait, we wish to honour and express our gratitude to a truly beloved spiritual elder. • Buy Now
Signed Chemistry Flask from Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin’s Lab
Signed by world-renowned chemist Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin, this is a genuine piece of chemical glassware used by Sasha in his personal laboratory where he invented and synthesized several hundred psychoactive compounds. The piece is made of Pyrex glass, stands 14.5 inches tall, and was made in the U.S.A. The base and stand in the pictures are not included. A Certificate of Authenticity accompanies the piece, guaranteeing that the glassware was used by Sasha in his lab. Shipped with insurance. • Two-Volume Book Set: Volumes 1 and 2
Events
Browse our Event Calendar page for more opportunities.
Fantastic Fungi Film Screenings, Now – March 2020, International
Fantastic Fungi, a new documentary directed by Louie Schwartzberg, is an important scientific exploration of the little-known realm of fungi, featuring interviews with well-known figures like Paul Stamets, Michael Pollan, and Andrew Weil, M.D. On March 26, 2020, international screenings will take place around the world for Fantastic Fungi Day. • Learn More
Wisdom 2.0, March 5-8, 2020, San Francisco, California
MAPS Founder and Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D., will speak at Wisdom 2.0, a conference which addresses the great challenge of our age: to not only live connected to one another through technology, but to do so in ways that are beneficial to our own well-being, effective in our work, and useful to the world. Wisdom 2.0 strives to bring this conversation to the world in an accessible, innovative, and inclusive way. • Learn More
Pushing the Envelope in Psychiatric Treatments: Rapid Acting Agents, Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, and More, March 21, 2020, Stanford, California
This conference emphasizes the need for high-quality research, scientific/empirical evidence, and safeguards against adverse effects and outcomes in psychedelic research. Additionally, we need the scholarly efforts of all relevant fields and interprofessional collaborations. This CME activity will cover emerging treatment areas in psychiatry including the related basic science, benefits, risks and clinical trial evidence. • Learn More
DOSED Premiere with Q&A, March 20 and 21, 2020, New York, New York
This conference emphasizes the need for high-quality research, scientific/empirical evidence, and safeguards against adverse effects and outcomes in psychedelic research. Additionally, we need the scholarly efforts of all relevant fields and interprofessional collaborations. This CME activity will cover emerging treatment areas in psychiatry including the related basic science, benefits, risks and clinical trial evidence. • Learn More
Fantastic Fungi Film Screening, March 26, 2020, London, United Kingdom
The Psychedelic Society is proud to share Fantastic Fungi with the world on Fantastic Fungi Day. On March 26th, 2020 , Fantastic Fungi Day is bringing the fungi kingdom and all of its inspiration and beauty above ground for a one-of-a-kind immersive consciousness-shifting screening event that will interconnect global communities as we mirror the wisdom of the underground mycelium network and connect with one another. Fantastic Fungi will screen in 500+ venues across the globe followed by a conversation with award-winning Director Louie Schwartzberg , renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, and other luminary special guests.•Learn More
Zendo Project Psychedelic Peer Support Workshop, April 25, 2020, Nashville, Tennessee
Topics include: physical, mental, and emotional effects of psychedelics; factors that contribute to a difficult experience; Zendo Project’s four principles of psychedelic support; tools, techniques, and protocols; sitter self-care; assisting the integration of a psychedelic journey; ethical guidelines for psychedelic peer counseling. • Learn More
The Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research, April 24-26, 2020, Haarlem, The Netherlands
This is the fourth edition of the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research. ICPR 2020 takes place from Friday, April 24 to Sunday, April 26, 2020, in the beautiful city of Haarlem, The Netherlands. ICPR 2020 is an academic conference focused on high quality scientific and scholarly research into psychedelics. Many academic disciplines have important contributions to make within the field of psychedelic studies. ICPR aims to bridge and connect these disciplines, and to facilitate a dialogue between the diverse academic fields and researchers involved in the study of psychedelics. • Learn More
Psychedelic Liberty Summit, April 25-26, 2020, San Francisco, California
This summit will bring together experts from around the world to discuss the legal, cultural, and political issues around the emerging psychedelic renaissance. The topics addressed will include: the process of applying for religious exemptions with the DEA; psilocybin decriminalization initiatives; the right to ameliorate pain and suffering; cognitive liberty; drug use and human rights; ibogaine bills; the upcoming FDA regulation of MDMA and psilocybin; psychedelic harm reduction; licensed health care providers and psychedelic-assisted therapy; the paradoxes of cannabis regulation and NIDA monopoly for research cannabis; conservation of endangered species; human’s relationship to sacred plants and nature; the continuities and discontinuities between recreational, therapeutic and religious use of drugs; the future legal markets; and the commercialization of psychedelics. • Learn More
Meditation and Psychotherapy: Learning from Non-Ordinary States, May 1-2, 2020, Boston, Massachusetts
Non-ordinary states of consciousness have played an important role in psychotherapy since its inception. This course will explore the history, science, neurobiology, and ethical and legal issues that arise when working with non-ordinary states of consciousness, especially psychedelics. It is intended for mental health, medical, and other professionals who want a deeper understanding of non-ordinary states and their therapeutic potential. • Learn More
Participate in Psychedelic Research
MDMA Studies Sponsored by MAPS
MAPS sponsors clinical trials around the world that offer volunteers the opportunity to participate in our research studies. Our studies have strict enrollment criteria based on the goal of the study and the condition the study is investigating.
Phase 3 trial participant enrollment is now open. Please bookmark our Participate in Research page and check it frequently for updates.
University College London (UCL) Psychedelic Survey
Researchers based at University College London (UCL) are aiming to better understand the relationship between psychedelic drug use and characteristics of people who have used them at least once. We are firstly interested to learn about both the ‘mystical’ and challenging experiences which can occur. We are also interested in psychedelic drug use in people who do and do not meditate, and finally in whether psychedelic use is related to mental health. • Take the Survey
More News
Job Opening: Associate Director of the Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research Certificate Program at California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)
California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco, California, is hiring an Associate Director of the Psychedelic Therapies and Research Certificate Program (CPTR). This is a multidimensional role; the Associate Director will be responsible for administration of the communication, educational, and technological needs of the Center and for oversight of the operation of the certificate program in collaboration with the Center Director. • Learn More
Thank You Plant Medicine
Watch the new Thank You Plant Medicine video about how people have benefitted from plant medicines or psychedelics, featuring MAPS founder Rick Doblin, Ph.D., David Bronner, artists Alex Grey and Allyson Grey, and many others. You’re invited to share your story of how you have benefited from plant medicines at starting February 20, 2020.
ICEERS: Towards Better Ayahuasca Practices – A Guide for Organizers and Participants
The International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service (ICEERS) recently authored the educational guide “Towards Better Ayahuasca Practices: A Guide for Organizers and Participants,” a compilation of basic ethical and security standards for the use of ayahuasca in non-Amazonian contexts, featuring an overview of legality as well as perspective on individual and collective responsibility. While the recommendation that pregnant women should not drink ayahuasca is seen as controversial within some traditions and communities, this resource is significant because it is the first-ever informative guide about ayahuasca consumption published by a health department. • Read the Guide
Now Available: The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma by James S. Gordon, M.D.
James S. Gordon, M.D., offers the first comprehensive, evidence-based program for reversing the biological and psychological damage created by trauma in the newly published book The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma. Dr. Gordon says, “I believe it’s the first comprehensive, step-by-step approach to resolving the physiological, psychological, social and spiritual imbalances that trauma causes, a manual for healing and resilience, and an invitation to embrace the spiritual transformation that trauma can offer.” • Buy Now
Thank you to Dr. Bronner’s for their company’s support of the MAPS Newsletter!