Newsletter: September 2022 - Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

Following Landmark Achievement, California Psychedelic Decriminalization Bill Slated for 2023 Reintroduction

September 22, 2022

On September 1, after California Senate Bill 519 (SB 519) was reduced to a working group tasked with studying potential psychedelic policy options, bill sponsor Senator Scott Wiener announced his disappointment and intention to reintroduce comprehensive psychedelic policy reform next year. The bill, as introduced, would have decriminalized the personal use of certain psychedelic substances and created a working group to study psychedelic education, harm reduction, and the future possibility of regulated, adult-use frameworks.

At the outset, SB 519 was one of the most comprehensive psychedelic decriminalization bills to be heard before a state legislature. The bill had been passed by the state Senate and sent to several committees in the Assembly, advancing further toward enactment than any other. However, the Assembly Appropriations Committee stripped the primary intention from the bill. In a press release, Senator Wiener remarked “I’ve now confirmed that SB 519 – decriminalizing possession and use of small quantities of certain psychedelic drugs – was amended by the Assembly Appropriations Committee to remove the decriminalization aspect of the bill. As a result, the soon-to-be-amended version of SB 519 is limited to a study.”

Also struck from SB 519 by the appropriations committee was language that would have automatically enacted parity in CA state scheduling laws for the psychedelic substances named in the bill. The bill set out to reschedule several psychedelics, should the federal government reschedule those substances in a classification outside of their Schedule I designation. This part of the legislation was a priority to both MAPS and MAPS PBC, and we will strategically advocate for similar provisions to be prioritized in the next legislative cycle.

MAPS Policy and Advocacy Director Ismail Lourido Ali, J.D., a resident of California, presented live witness testimony in support of SB 519 before the Health Committee of the California State Assembly. Read our full statement and watch the video here.

San Francisco Takes Largely Symbolic Action on Psychedelics, but Misses Opportunity to Engage Native Communities
On Wednesday, September 7, a resolution was unanimously passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors after being introduced by Supervisors Dean Preston (D) and Hillary Ronen (D). This resolution “urges the Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco to instruct the City’s state and federal lobbyists to work in support of decriminalizing all Entheogenic Plants and plant-based compounds that are listed on the Federal Controlled Substances Schedule 1” and also urges city law enforcement agencies to make “the investigation and arrest of individuals involved with the adult use of entheogenic plants on the Federal Schedule 1 List be amongst the lowest priority for the City and County of San Francisco.”

While the resolution calls for all Schedule I entheogenic plants to become decriminalized within the city, MAPS is in alignment with the perspectives shared by the National Council of Native American Churches and the Indigenous Peyote Conservation Initiative, which support the exclusion of peyote in initiatives.

World Science Festival Presents Psychedelics: Chemicals, Consciousness, and Creativity

World Science Festival explores the potential impact of psychedelics on creativity, shifting perspectives, increasing connection, and healing medical conditions. In this video, MAPS Founder and Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D., neuroscientist Gül Dölen, M.D., Ph.D., and musician Reggie Watts join Brian Greene for Psychedelics: Chemicals, Consciousness, and Creativity, a mind-expanding and multidisciplinary conversation about the promises and pitfalls of these molecules and their impact on creativity, connection, and consciousness. Available on YouTube, this documentary is part of the Big Ideas series, supported by The John Templeton Foundation.

Call for Submissions: Frontiers in Psychiatry Publication Opportunity
We are accepting submissions for papers to be included in MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Treatment of PTSD and Beyond, a dedicated research topic for an upcoming publication of Frontiers in Psychiatry. The goal of this research topic is to broaden the scientific literature on MDMA across disciplines. Studies are needed to provide guidance on the dissemination of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, future research directions for MDMA-assisted therapy including investigation of other indications, and theoretical frameworks and models of biological mechanisms to explain the therapeutic effects of MDMA-assisted therapy.

We welcome original research, review, and systematic review papers. Themes of particular interest include:

Health economics assessments
Health equity assessments
Replication studies on PTSD
Investigation of other indications
Theoretical frameworks
Biological mechanisms

This is a unique opportunity to include your work in the field of psychedelic science! The deadline for abstract submissions is November 1, 2022. Submit your paper using this link.

Psychedelic Fundamentals: Sign Up for MAPS Digital Learning Series
Sign up for Psychedelic Fundamentals, the first course in the new MAPS Digital Learning series! This introductory course will guide you through the basics of psychedelics via a series of short, easy-to-follow lessons. The course takes just a few hours and provides students with an overview of the most interesting and important aspects of psychedelic history, science, clinical research, therapeutic uses, and harm reduction, backed by over 36 years of MAPS history as an institution of psychedelic education.

In-depth courses on integration, peer support, and more are in development.

Use code HTCYM for 25% off registration for Psychedelic Fundamentals or pre-orders of other MAPS Digital Learning courses, coming soon!

Psychedelic Fundamentals Course

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New LSD: My Problem Child Audiobook: 20% Off with Code AUDIO20
A new audiobook of LSD: My Problem Child by Albert Hofmann, Ph.D., is now available! Until September 30, use code AUDIO20 to receive 20% off your purchase via Synergetic Press or you may purchase via Audible.

LSD: My Problem Child, co-published by MAPS, is the story of the discovery of lysergic acid diethylamide by organic chemist Albert Hofmann, Ph.D. The book traces LSD’s path from a promising psychiatric research medicine to a recreational drug sparking hysteria and prohibition. In LSD: My Problem Child, follow Dr. Hofmann’s trek across Mexico to discover sacred plants related to LSD, and listen in as he corresponds with other notable figures about his remarkable discovery.

MAPS Supporters Raising Funds Through AmazonSmile
We’re grateful to supporters shopping with AmazonSmile for raising an incredible $7,437.34 for MAPS this quarter! To date, supporters have raised a total of $101,438.51 for our organization. Support MAPS by choosing us as your charity of choice on AmazonSmile.

MAPS, MAPS PBC, and MAPS Europe Are Hiring
Check our careers page to refer a friend or apply for one of our many open job positions! All of our organizations — MAPS, MAPS Public Benefit Corporation, and MAPS Europe — are hiring for full-time roles from development to clinical science to regulatory compliance. Don’t see a position that fits your skill set? You can submit a general application to MAPS PBC.

Register for Psychedelic Science 2023

Psychedelic Science 2023 is fast approaching! Join us from June 17-25, 2023, in Denver, Colorado, where MAPS members, researchers, students, clinicians, therapists, political leaders, leaders and shareholders of for-profit psychedelic companies, and psychedelic enthusiasts will gather from around the world to discuss the latest advances in psychedelic research, art, and culture. Sign up for exclusive email updates to receive news, explore the agenda, or book a hotel to secure the best rates.

Horizons: Perspectives on Psychedelics: New York City

Get ready for Horizons: Perspectives on Psychedelics, taking place for the 15th consecutive year in New York City from October 12-16, 2022! Horizons NYC is the longest-running annual psychedelic event in the world with five days of sessions, speakers, forums, and workshops.

As a proud community ally, MAPS is excited to share coupon code MAPS-NY-15 for 15% off registration for Horizons New York.

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Happy September to you! Thank you for staying in touch with MAPS, and we hope to connect with you at upcoming events.