MAPS Bulletin Summer 2020: Research Edition Now Available Online

September 29, 2020

Dear friends and supporters,

As psychedelic research continues to expand at a rapid rate, our organization continues to grow in parallel. MAPS, MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC), and MAPS Europe are currently hiring multiple positions. Make your mark on the psychedelic renaissance by applying to join our team. Help expand our education and fundraising initiatives as a Director of Communications and Marketing or Strategy and Partnerships Officer. Contribute to the field of scientific research by applying for one of our many open clinical research associate positions, or support global access for psychedelic therapy by exploring research-based jobs at MAPS Europe for our growing body of studies regulated by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The MAPS Bulletin Summer 2020: Research Edition is now available online and arriving in donor mailboxes! In this edition of the MAPS Bulletin, you’ll learn about our latest research updates, MAPS mentions in major media, the Zendo Project’s initiatives in a time of change, and our MDMA Therapy Training for Communities of Color. The triannual MAPS Bulletin is a key part of our work to educate the public and encourage scientific research into the safest and most beneficial ways to use psychedelics.



Dr. Bronner’s, the family-owned maker of the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America and avid MAPS supporter, has launched the Heal Soul campaign to support psychedelic-assisted therapy and medicines to treat depression, PTSD, addiction, and end-of-life anxiety. The company has donated over $3 million this year to support these efforts and created a special limited edition “Heal Soul!” label on its 32oz. Castile Liquid Soaps. The label aims to educate the public about these life-saving therapies and medicines, and the advocacy organizations and ballot initiatives that are advancing this work. During the month of October, all sales of these unique soap bottles will support MAPS and other initiatives that Dr. Bronner’s supports. Watch the new video or visit the Dr. Bronner’s website to learn more.

Zendo Project will be launching a 5-part webinar series this October, with the first webinar session in the series a free offering from Zendo Project staff. The webinar goes from October 22 through November 19, with regular occurrence on Thursday afternoon at 12:00 PM Pacific Time. We’re still getting our final speaker list confirmed, though our general themes include:





Zendo Project: Psychedelic Peer Support: Compassionate Care for Difficult Times Psychedelic Decriminalization Psychedelic Harm Reduction & Peer Support in BIPOC Communities Harm Reduction, Psychotherapy & Psychedelics Integrating Psychedelics into Society

Stay tuned for an email announcement this week to explore the full list of speakers, registration links, and more details!

Videos from EntheoGeneration 2020, a free virtual psychedelic speaker series for Burning Man: the Multiverse starting on Sunday, August 31, 2020. EntheoGeneration is a psychedelic speaker series that examines how we can integrate our entheogenic experiences and wisdom into action. EntheoGeneration is a dialogue between individuals across generationsthat bridges the generational gap in perspectives, ideologies, and life experience.



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 treatment of PTSD. MAPS conducts clinical trials under the guidance and regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in collaboration with 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.



In this month’s edition of the MAPS Newsletter, you’ll also learn:





All experimental treatment visits have been completed at the sites for the MAPS-sponsored first of two Phase 3 studies of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with enrollment starting at six sites for our second Phase 3 study

MAPS Founder and Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D., appeared on the Higher Practice Podcast to discuss the data MAPS has gathered about MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD

The MAPS policy team appears on NPR and Chacruna’s Community Forum series

MAPS-sponsored researcher and trauma expert Eric Vermetten, M.D., Ph.D., provides psychedelic education in a 15-minute lecture in a video produced by the University of the Netherlands, focusing on the rationale for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. The video was recorded June 18, 2020, in a green room studio and professionally edited with 3D objects.

Follow MAPS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and reddit.

Have a lovely fall, and thank you for subscribing to the monthly MAPS Newsletter!

With appreciation,

Amy Mastrine

MAPS Web and Email Marketing Associate

Treating PTSD with MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy

Phase 3 Trials of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD

As of September 15, 2020, all experimental treatment visits have been completed at the first of two MAPS-sponsored MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) study sites.

MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC) will lock the database of the first of two FDA-regulated Phase 3 clinical trials in late October.

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 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.

We are recruiting participants in the following locations:

Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Boulder, Colorado, United States

Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Los Angeles, California, United States

San Francisco, California, United States Private Practice

Not yet recruiting:

San Francisco, California, United States Institution

Madison, Wisconsin, United States

New York, New York, United States

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Be’er Ya’akov, Israel

Tel Aviv, Israel

MDMA Therapy Training Program Update: August 2020

Best wishes from the Training and Supervision Department at MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC)!

MAPS PBC trainers Marcela Ot’alora, G, L.P.C., and Bruce Poulter, M.P.H., delivered a course on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in collaboration with Naropa University from September 25-27, and will deliver a course from October 23-25 and October 30 - November 1. The 9-day course will include training in contemplative psychotherapy from Naropa faculty. Annie Mithoefer, B.S.N., and Michael Mithoefer, M.D., will be providing an online training November 5-6 and November 9-12 to prepare additional therapists in Europe for the new study protocol, the open-label lead-in study for the European segment of Phase 3, also researching MDMA-assisted psychotherapy as a treatment for PTSD.

The Training and Supervision department is hiring one training coordinator and two adherence and supervision coordinators. We are excited for our growing department! The training team is continuing to carry out a training design project. The current focus of the project is aligning a competency framework for the MDMA Therapy Training Program with a training design plan. The next stage of design will consist of curriculum development and is anticipated to start in October. We are excited to re-open enrollment for the MDMA Therapy Training Program later in 2020 and launch our next round of trainings in 2021. Individuals interested in applying may visit the MAPS PBC website to learn more about our application procedures. We are still accepting applications and we will resume our admissions process once we schedule our next round of trainings.

Sign up for the MDMA Therapy Training Program Newsletter to receive updates on future trainings. • Learn More

Support MAPS

August Giving Report: MAPS Completes $30 Million Capstone Campaign

In August 2020, MAPS raised $2,520,912 in donations and pledges from nearly 1,300 supporters. Of that amount, $2.246 million was pledged toward our $30 million Capstone Campaign to make MDMA a medicine. On August 20, 2020, the successful close of the $10 million challenge organized in partnership with Tim Ferriss and the Psychedelic Science Funders Collaborative (PSFC) was reported in an exclusive in the Wall Street Journal. Meeting this challenge marked the successful end of the $30 million Capstone Campaign. We are deeply grateful to the over 2,700 donors who contributed to reaching this incredible milestone.

Additional funds raised in August include $182,039 for general support, $71,000 for health equity, $20,880 for other MDMA research, and $108 for harm reduction. An additional $80,845 was raised by organizations that MAPS fiscally sponsors including Auryn Project – North Star ($50,000), ICEERS ($30,085), Bay Area Healers Resilience Fund ($308), Somatic Center Portland ($300), Bluelight ($50), Ceremony Health ($50), MAPS Canada ($30), Ayahuasca Foundation ($20), and Kaphi ($2).

We appreciate donations of any size and are particularly grateful to the following supporters for their generous contributions of $1,000 or more:



Capstone Campaign

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation ($1,929,000)

Kasey Crown & David Comfort ($250,000)

ROLLO ($25,000)

Jon Brandon ($1,800)

Torben Anker Sorensen ($1,030)

Lou Lukas ($1,030)

William A. Richards ($1,000)

Anonymous ($1,000)

Anonymous ($1,000)

Anonymous ($1,000)

Phase 3 MDMA/PTSD

Nathalie Marciano ($5,000)

Health Equity

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation ($71,000)

MDMA – Emory University

Sarena Snider, The Snider Foundation ($20,000)

Unrestricted

Tod Chubrich ($103,366)

Rockefeller Family Fund ($25,000)

Threshold Foundation ($15,821)

David Putterman, Cigna ($5,000)

Margarita Deminskaya ($5,000)

Highfield Foundation ($1,000)

Jeeshan Chowdhury ($1,000)

Jiri Techet ($1,000)

MUD\WTR ($1,000)

Anonymous ($1,000)

Fiscal Sponsorship Grantees

MAPS is honored to support a number of like-minded organizations by providing a fiscal sponsorship so that contributions for their social benefit projects may be tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Threshold Foundation ($30,000 – ICEERS)

David Bronner, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps ($25,000 – North Star Project, Auryn Project)

Ford Smith, Ronin Health ($25,000 – North Star Project, Auryn Project)

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 Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC) and MAPS Europe are currently hiring!

MAPS

Psychedelic Peer Support

Zendo Project: Virtual Support and Dialogues at Burning Man 2020, Fall Webinars

Virtual Burning Man 2020: The Multiverse

In the absence of a physical event, this year’s Burning Man event was held across eight virtual platforms, celebrating the theme “Multiverse.” Zendo Project created a Burning Man-themed homepage (which will be featured for the entire month of September), a new resources webpage (a collection of hotlines, manuals, websites, and other online resources), and featured our iconic cardboard yurt structure in the Infinite Playa and AltSpace VR platforms.



On Sunday, September 6, the Zendo Project collaborated with the Empyrean Temple Experience to offer virtual peer support before, during, and after the virtual Temple Burn. Our superstar volunteers gave support to those who needed some human connection, and our greeters welcomed additional guests who just wanted to stop in and inquire about and give appreciation to the work we’re doing for the community. We were honored to be part of the virtual Temple experience, and connect with our playa community through these challenging times.



A deep well of gratitude to all our amazing speakers who contributed to the EntheoGeneration speaker series at the virtual Burning Man event this year. A huge thank you to our psychedelic elders, Jim Fadiman, Ph.D., Dennis McKenna, Ph.D., Allyson Grey, Alex Grey, and Annie Oak, as well as our psychedelic leaders, Kwasi Adusei, Undrea Wright and Charlotte James of The Sabina Project, Ismail Ali, J.D., of MAPS, and visionary artist Amanda Sage for contributing their insights, wisdom, and personal passions and purpose to this ongoing community dialogue. Visit entheogeneration.community for more information about the speakers and the series.

The EntheoGeneration videos can be watched on YouTube via the links below:Individual Link: https://youtu.be/tV_B1LyqUBc

Relational Link: https://youtu.be/83g7IOzX5sY

Planetary Link: https://youtu.be/hxWAGQtdOjw

Cosmic Link: https://youtu.be/LjHEOQUU4VQ





Zendo Project will be launching a 5-part webinar series this October, with the first webinar session in the series a free offering from Zendo Project staff. The webinar goes from Oct 22 through November 19, with regular occurrence on Thursday afternoon at noon Pacific. We’re still getting our final speaker list confirmed, though our general themes include:

Zendo Project: Psychedelic Peer Support: Compassionate Care for Difficult Times Psychedelic Decriminalization Psychedelic Harm Reduction & Peer Support in BIPOC Communities Harm Reduction, Psychotherapy & Psychedelics Integrating Psychedelics into Society

Policy and Advocacy

MAPS Policy Team Appears on NPR and Chacruna’s Community Forum Series

On September 9, 2020, Ismail Ali, J.D., appeared on NPR’s “The State of Things” alongside Leticia Brown, an Oakland-based therapist who attended a MAPS MDMA-assisted psychotherapy training last August, to explain the history and current perspectives on the use of psychedelics for healing and psychological well-being.



On September 16, Natalie Lyla Ginsberg interviewed Rick Doblin, Ph.D., MAPS Founder and Executive Director, for “The Promises and Perils of Mainstreaming Psychedelics” on Chacruna’s Community Forum Series, hosted on Crowdcast, to publicly share Rick’s perspective on the benefits and potential risks associated with medicalization of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.

Media

MAPS in the Media:

The Wall Street Journal: New PTSD Treatments Emerge as Cases Rise Among Some Groups September 21, 2020

New PTSD Treatments Emerge as Cases Rise Among Some Groups

QZ: Wall Street Donors Are Racing to Back Psychedelic Therapy August 27, 2020

Wall Street Donors Are Racing to Back Psychedelic Therapy

Events

Browse our Event Calendar page for more opportunities.

Polaris Insight Center: Trainings for Clinicians, July - November 2020, San Francisco, California

Polaris Insight Center provides didactic, experiential, and residential trainings in ketamine-assisted therapy. These programs are designed to provide interested physicians, psychologists, therapists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals with principles and procedures of KAP and how to use ketamine in combination with psychotherapy in a clinical setting. • Learn More

Horizons Presents: Introduction to MDMA Therapy for Clinicians, October 8, 2020, Online

Join MDMA research pioneers Michael Mithoefer, M.D. and Annie Mithoefer, B.S.N. for an in-depth exploration of the history, present, and future of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for clinical applications such as treatment of PTSD and depression. •Learn More

Covid-19, Black Lives, and Psychedelics Film Screening, October 9, 2020 Online

This is a documentary film with perspectives from leaders in the psychedelic community on a turbulent and transformative season like no other, examining its impact on research, public health, activism, communities, and deep reflections on the nature of race and identity. •Learn More

Psychedelic Psychotherapy Forum, October 14-18, 2020, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

Now in its fifth iteration, the 2020 Psychedelic Psychotherapy Forum // Vision & Visionaries is Canada’s premiere conference, facilitating dialogue and shared learnings about psychedelic-assisted therapies and research, including the ethical, cultural, indigenous and spiritual use of plant medicines and psychedelic substances for personal and collective healing and transformation. Our forum and workshops offer continuing education credits for health practitioners including psychologists, clinical counsellors, psychotherapists, nurses, and family physicians. • Learn More

PsyTech Summit, October 17, 2020, Online

PsyTech is excited to announce its upcoming PsyTech Summit 2020, taking place October 27, 2020. This will be a one-day, international event bringing together decision makers, investors, clinicians, thought leaders, and advocates for the purpose of advancing psychedelic science, business, and reform. The Summit will cater to thousands of virtual attendees as well as live guests at select city hubs across four continents. • Learn More

MDMA and Psychedelic Assisted Therapy: Ethics and Law Webinar featuring Rick Doblin, Ph.D., November 7, 2020, Online

This conference will examine in depth ethical, clinical, and legal issues related to MDMA-Assisted Therapy, a new form of therapy that combines psychological treatment and a powerful psychoactive MDMA medication. Promising clinical research suggests that this unique therapy might become medically available in Canada and USA for treatment of trauma as early as 2022. Presenters will discuss issues such as safety, training and regulation, equity and access, and broader future healing potential such as relationship healing. The conference will consider MDMA-assisted therapy within the broader context of psychedelic-assisted therapy, and will offer global and historical perspectives on the issue. • Learn More

International Summit on Psychedelic Therapies for Mental Illness, November 16-19, 2020, Melbourne, Australia

Mind Medicine Australia is holding a two-day International Summit on Psychedelic Therapies for Mental Illness. This global event will bring together clinicians, scientists, academics, mental and public health professionals, philanthropists, government, law and policy makers, business, industry, investors, and other interested stakeholders. • 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 MDMA/PTSD trial participant enrollment is now open. Please bookmark our Participate in Research page and check it frequently for updates.

Ayahuasca Ceremony and Retreat Participant Survey

This is an anonymous survey gathering preliminary data about the safety and ethics of ayahuasca ceremonies in various settings. The data collection is a part of the doctoral dissertation work of the principal investigator, Jessica Brown, M.A., L.M.F.T. • Learn More



More News

The Revolution We Expected: Cultivating a New Politics of Consciousness by Claudio Naranjo

In his last work as an author, celebrated psychotherapist Claudio Naranjo makes a final call to humanity to awaken to our collective potential and work to transcend our patriarchal past and present in order to build a new world. This book argues not only for a collective individual awakening, but a concerted effort to transform our institutions so that they are in service to a better world. • Buy Now

Conversation with Merlin Sheldrake and Michael Pollan on Entangled Life: What the Secret Social Networks of Fungi Reveal About Nature’s Genius and Being Human

In this conversation, which originally aired as a sold-out ticketed event and is now being made available to the public, author Merlin Sheldrake and bestselling nature and culture writer Michael Pollan delve into “The Wood Wide Web”: an enchanting “superorganism” whose secrets just might save the world. The video will be released August 26 at 7:00 PM PST. • Watch the Teaser• Register Now

Survey on the Awareness of Sexual Abuse in Ayahuasca Settings

In this survey we would like to understand whether the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicine’s Guidelines for the Awareness of Sexual Abuse have had an effect on your understanding of how sexual abuse and sexual exploitation can occur in Ayahuasca Settings. We are also interested in whether you, or someone you know, has been exposed to sexual abuse in these settings so that we can better evaluate the extent of sexual abuse, and how to best support the victims. • Take the Survey

Thank you to Dr. Bronner’s for their company’s support of the MAPS Newsletter!