Today I’m speaking with Brad Burge, the Strategic Communications Director of MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies.

The nonprofit MAPS was founded in 1986 to bring life-enhancing psychedelics through the regulatory system to legitimize their use as prescription medicine. Because of MAPS’ diligence MDMA is now in phase III of medical trials in the US and is on track to be rescheduled in 2021 for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

MAPS has a long relationship with the festival community, including offering important harm reduction services from Burning Man to EDC through the Zendo Project, a safe space for psychedelic first aid.

On the podcast, Brad and I talk about harm reduction, his own experiences with entheogens and festivals, and the state of psychedelic research in 2018. Our conversation includes patenting psilocybin, the promises and pitfalls of Ketamine treatment for depression, MDMA and therapy for PTSD, and ayahuasca and cultural appropriation.

Life is a festival, so let’s keep experimenting and do so wisely.