Building Beyond Prohibition
Since our founding in 1986, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has been the leading organization building the movement to foster evidence-based approaches to psychedelics and the people who use them. When used safely and responsibly, psychedelics have the potential to promote personal growth and well-being and treat various mental health conditions. Three pillars guide our efforts to bring access to psychedelic Healing For All who can benefit: advancing research, changing policies, and shaping culture.
We envision a post-prohibition world…
In a post-prohibition world, people have legal and equitable access to psychedelics for healing and personal growth. Rather than criminalizing or stigmatizing people who use psychedelics, we instead look to psychedelics as one of the frontline tools people consider when pursuing optimal health and wellness.
Addressing the Crisis
Half of us will experience a mental health disorder in our lifetime, and we are all impacted by a mental health crisis that has reached a critical level. The effects are devastating, rippling far beyond the individual suffering and extending to families, communities, healthcare systems, and economies. Despite millennia of use in traditional religious and spiritual contexts — and decades of scientific research supporting therapeutic potential — the federal government erroneously criminalized most psychedelics over fifty years ago, deeming them to have “no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” It was known then that these policies and rhetoric were not grounded in science, and evidence has only continued to grow. We work to See Past the Paradox of the War on Drugs, ground future policy in real-world evidence, and transmute our society’s understanding of and approach to these powerful substances through research and education.
Our Pillars
MAPS spent nearly four decades initiating first-in-class psychedelic clinical trials with Open Science, Open Books to create a legal pathway for the medicalization of psychedelic-assisted therapies. We now serve as stewards of the research landscape we helped cultivate. We embody our dedication to Prioritize Public Benefit by incubating, informing, and inspiring research that enables new investigative directions, improves patient access and experience, and informs data-driven drug policy and education.
Read more about our work advancing psychedelic research here.
MAPS envisions a post-prohibition future based on Consciousness, not Criminalization. Our goal is to design a harmonious drug policy ecosystem that balances public health, individual liberty, and equitable access across a variety of regulatory approaches. We educate and advise lawmakers, advocates, and the public in the design and implementation of psychedelic policy reform at local, state, federal, and international levels.
For psychedelics to be safely integrated into societies, we need to be honest about the implications. We recognize the importance of maintaining a comprehensive understanding of their actual risks and potential benefits, teaching people how to navigate altered states of consciousness, and how policies impact individuals and communities. We create cutting-edge education for professionals and the public, provide expert support for the psychedelic and drug policy movement, and seek to Be the Bridge between people who share our vision — all for the purpose of laying the groundwork and co-creating the guardrails necessary for responsible social transformation.
Read more about our work shaping culture here.
Leave your impact!
MAPS is a nonprofit organization and we rely on people like you to propel our crucial work forward. Together, we can Set the Setting for a psychedelic future. Pledge your support to the power held within psychedelics by making a donation or becoming a volunteer.
All contributions will be used to further MAPS’ general mission purposes and may be reallocated to the areas of greatest need, urgency, and impact.
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Our 7 principles
See what guides us towards being the leading organization in psychedelic healing.
Our Values
Integrity
Information is shared transparently. Communications are respectful, honest, and forthright, and our decisions are informed by compassion and research.
Perseverance
We mindfully persist in the face of challenges, and we build with a balanced, long term vision.
Curiosity
We are always open to new possibilities: we try new things, take risks, and learn from our mistakes.
Equity
We work for ethical and equitable access for all.
We’re Committed to Transparency
Since the beginning, we’ve been dedicated to sharing what we learn and create. We believe that sharing our work with the world is a necessary element for accomplishing our goal of bringing mental healing to the masses.