In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Joe and Kyle are back at it, talking about news and what’s going on at Psychedelics Today (applications for Vital close this Sunday, March 26, and we’ve just announced a new neuroscience course!).
Following up on last week’s news that Field Trip Health had closed five clinics, they start with more unfortunate news: that Field Trip is laying off a lot of people, Ronan Levy has resigned as the CEO, trading has been suspended, and the company has obtained CCAA Protection (which, through the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, essentially allows a struggling company a chance to restructure its finances to avoid bankruptcy, all through a formal Plan of Arrangement). And in similar news, all Ketamine Wellness Centers (an Arizona company recently acquired by Delic Holdings) would be closing immediately, with employees let go with little warning or explanation. These stories (and Synthesis Institute’s downfall) highlight the sad reality many of us in the psychedelic space forget: that just because a business is heart-centered and psychedelic-minded, it’s still a business, and businesses need to be profitable to survive.
Next, they cover Melissa Lavasani and the Psychedelic Medicine Coalition creating the Psychedelic Medicine PAC (Political Action Committee) to get more government funding behind psychedelic research. Members of PMC went to D.C. last week, presenting a psychedelic briefing to begin the process of educating legislators about the realities of plant medicines and psychedelic-assisted therapy (and Joe was there).
And they discuss more: concerns over Australia’s recent about-face on MDMA and psilocybin being used legally; a recent study where researchers used EEG and fMRI together to record what is happening in the brain while under the influence of DMT (and we should probably have Manesh Girn on again to explain it better than we could); and an interview with Eric Andre at SXSW where, in about 2 minutes, he brilliantly shines a light on drug exceptionalism, the lies of the drug war, and the need for more education on psychedelics – all to a bewildered reporter who didn’t seem prepared to talk to Eric Andre (we are- please come on the podcast!).
Links
Navigating Psychedelics/Beckley Retreats giveaway
Psychedelicalpha.com: Field Trip Health & Wellness Obtains CCAA Protection
Meetfieldtrip.com: Field Trip Health & Wellness Obtains CCAA Protection
AZfamily.com: Ketamine Wellness Centers in Arizona and across county abruptly shut down
NBCnews.com: Candidates who support psychedelics as medicine get a political action committee
Psychedelicmedicinecoalition.org
ABC.net.au: ‘Serious concerns’ over TGA’s decision making on landmark psilocybin, MDMA ruling
Interestingengineering.com: Scientists unlock effect of psychedelic drug DMT on the human brain
Pnas.org: Human brain effects of DMT assessed via EEG-fMRI
Vox.com: Wilder Penfield redrew the map of the brain — by opening the heads of living patients
Beyond the Brain, by Stanislav Grof
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, by Thomas S. Kuhn
Fox26houston.com: Eric Andre talks his love of psychedelics at SXSW
