Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

The current MAPS logo.
Type	501(c)(3) Non-Profit
Founded	1986
Location	Santa Cruz, California (International)
Key people	Rick Doblin Ph.D. (Executive Director and Founder)
Area served	Worldwide
Focus	Pharmaceutical Research, Education
Website	maps.org

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a membership-based 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization working to develop psychedelics and marijuana into legal prescription drugs. MAPS was founded in 1986 by Rick Doblin, and is now based in Santa Cruz, California.

MAPS helps scientists design, fund, and obtain regulatory approval for studies of the safety and effectiveness of a number of currently controlled substances. MAPS works closely with government regulatory authorities worldwide such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) to ensure that all of its sponsored research protocols conform to ethical and procedural guidelines for clinical drug research. Included in MAPS’ research efforts are MDMA (Ecstasy) for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), LSD and psilocybin for the treatment of anxiety and depression associated with end-of-life issues, ibogaine for the treatment of opiate addiction, and alternative delivery systems for medical marijuana such as vaporizers and water pipes. MAPS states that their ultimate goal is to establish a network of clinics where these and other treatments can be provided together with other therapies under the guidance of licensed physicians and therapists.^[1]

In addition to its sponsorship of scientific research, MAPS organizes continuing medical education (CME) conferences, sponsors and gives lectures and seminars on the current state of psychedelic and medical marijuana research, participates in community events like music festivals and Burning Man, and publishes a quarterly Bulletin with updates about its ongoing research efforts, legal struggles, and educational initiatives. MAPS has also published a number of books dealing with the history and culture of psychedelic medicine and psychedelic therapy.^[2]

History

Psychedelics and Psychotherapy

The psychoactive properties of LSD were discovered in 1943 by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann when he accidentally ingested a small dose through the skin while studying the compound. Controlled research on human subjects began soon after and Hofmann's colleague Werner Stoll published his findings about the basic effects of LSD on human subjects in 1947.^[3]

After the earliest European and American research efforts investigated whether LSD could reliably induce psychotic disorders, some began to recognize the potential for LSD to assist in traditional Freudian psychotherapy in the 1950s. Studies into the effects of LSD on human creativity and spirituality were also conducted during this period.

The next major development in the history of psychedelic research was the rediscovery of psilocybin by Western society due to the appearance of an article in a 1957 issue of Life magazine written by R. Gordon Wasson detailing his experiences ingesting psilocybin mushrooms in a shamanic ceremony in Mexico.^[4] European studies into the use of psilocybin as a psychotherapeutic agent (Duche; Delay et al.) were published as early as 1961. An article by Pichot about the basic effects of psilocybin on 137 normal and unhealthy subjects appeared in the medical journal Lancet in the same year.^[5]

In the early 1960s, Harvard University was the seat of two landmark experiments involving psilocybin. The first of these was the Concord Prison Experiment which began in 1961 under the supervision of principle researchers Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert. The purpose of the experiment was to determine if psilocybin-assisted psychotherapeutic techniques could permanently reverse the criminal and anti-social tendencies of 32 state prisoners nearing parole and prevent them from being incarcerated again. Leary's team combined the administration of synthetic psilocybin in guided sessions with a variety of tests and support sessions during and after release. The ambitious experiment provided important insight into how to conduct psychedelic treatment sessions and helped pioneer the technique of having one of the experimenters undergo the psychedelic experience along with the subjects. The study also yielded anecdotal reports from the subjects which hinted at the potential therapeutic power of psilocybin and encouraged further research in this area.

The next Harvard experiment with crucial implications for the development of psychedelic research was Walter Pahnke's Good Friday Experiment of 1962. Pahnke set out to determine if psilocybin could be used to facilitate “mystical” experiences and if these experiences could cause permanent and beneficial personality transformation. In order to do so, he recruited 20 Protestant divinity students, 10 of whom would take synthetic psilocybin and 10 of whom would take a placebo. The experiment took place in a basement chapel in which the audio from a Good Friday service conducted in the main chapel upstairs was broadcast. Pahnke reported greater incidence of mystical experience among the group receiving psilocybin, and like the prisoners in the Concord experiment, they delivered stirring first-hand testimony of their experiences which would help inspire further research.

Throughout the short history of LSD research, people unaffiliated or loosely affiliated with the scientific establishment distributed supplies of LSD outside of laboratory settings. Soon the lines between legitimate research and personal experimentation began to blur for some, and as early as 1962 fellow faculty members at Harvard openly criticized Leary and Alpert for abandoning scientific principles and experimenting with LSD outside official research settings. A few months later the university would dismiss both professors for violating university regulations by providing LSD to undergraduates. The controversy at Harvard coincided with greatly increased FDA restrictions on the procurement of LSD for scientific research; although some research did continue, most studies underway before the new FDA restrictions did not. After restricting its manufacture and distribution in 1965, the US government fully criminalized LSD in 1968, after which the European nations which hosted psychedelic research followed suit.^[6]

In the United States, legal psychedelic research was reduced to only one program – the studies conducted at the Spring Grove Center in Baltimore which primarily focused on end of life therapy and continued through to 1974. The study, which eventually came to be headed by Pahnke and Grof, resulted in the treatment of over 100 terminal patients, including 31 in a controlled LSD psychotherapy study. Grof argues that “the results... supported the clinical impressions of the often dramatic effects of LSD psychotherapy on the emotional condition and physical pain of cancer patients.” ^[7]

The second wave of modern psychedelic research is associated with renewed interest in MDMA. Throughout the 1970s, the main source of information regarding the still legal MDMA came from independent research unaffiliated with traditionally scholarly settings led by the extensive self-experimentation performed by chemist Alexander Shulgin. Shulgin believed that as with LSD, the primary use for MDMA was to serve as an adjunct to psychotherapy, which prompted him to share MDMA with psychiatric practitioners. Shulgin published extensively in scientific journals with respect to the chemical properties of MDMA.^[8]

Results of studies on the effects of MDMA on human subjects began to surface in the 1980s. George Greer administered MDMA to 29 patients (1983) and subsequently reported nearly uniform positive mental effects such as feelings of closeness to others and enhanced personal insight, results corroborated by Beck and Seymour's survey of therapists who used MDMA with their patients. Downing (1985) concluded “one can only say that MDMA, at the doses tested, has remarkably consistent and predictable psychological effects that are... free of clinically apparent major toxicity.”

Throughout the 1980s, MDMA was administered in psychiatric and counseling settings, but recreational use also became increasingly widespread. MDMA research was mostly halted in 1985 by the United States government's initiation of proceedings to ensure temporary classification of the compound as a Schedule I drug (a classification made permanent in 1988). As psychedelics gained increasing recognition as potential psychotherapuetic agents, so too were they recognized within popular culture for their recreational use.

Founding MAPS

Anticipating that the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) would move to criminalize MDMA in light of the drug's increasing popularity in recreational use, Rick Doblin, Alise Agar and Debby Harlow organized a non-profit group called Earth Metabolic Design Laboratories (EMDL) to bolster awareness of the therapeutic use of MDMA. By 1984 the DEA had announced its intention to designate MDMA as a Schedule I substance, a categorization that would greatly restrict and regulate the drug's availability, as well as indicate that it held no accepted medical use and a high abuse potential.^[9]

Noting that at this time a great number of psychiatrists, marriage counselors, and therapists were using MDMA to enhance the therapeutic process, EMDL organized the scientific and medical communities to petition the DEA for a scheduling hearing regarding MDMA. Dr. George Greer, Dr. Lester Grinspoon, Professor James Bakalar, and Professor Thomas Roberts contributed to the argument that MDMA belonged in Schedule III, a category that would more readily enable future research and permit the continuation of its use in psychotherapy. Despite such efforts, the DEA pursued emergency scheduling in 1985, citing an imminent risk to public health. Although this move was ruled illegal, the decision to place MDMA within Schedule I was reached in 1988 after the DEA overruled a DEA Administrative Law Judge's recommendation that it be placed within Schedule III.^[9]

As MDMA was now deemed illegal, held in the same category as such substances as heroin, the only way for it to be employed in scientific inquiry would be through the lengthy and expensive FDA approval process. Holding the belief that MDMA had the unique potential both to aid psychotherapy and eventually to become a prescription medicine, Rick Doblin sought to gain incorporation for MAPS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization. The founding of MAPS was a primary step toward the future envisioning of what Doblin has called a "nonprofit psychedelic-pharmaceutical company."^[10] Chartered in 1986, MAPS has since contributed over 12 million dollars towards the scientific study of psychedelics and marijuana in therapeutic applications.^[11][12]

Projects

Since 1986, MAPS has distributed over 12 million dollars to fund research and education. These include:

• Sponsored a Swiss study that sought to examine the effectiveness of LSD-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of patients who suffer from anxiety associated with terminal illness.^[13]
• Obtained FDA and IRB approval to study MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Charleston, SC with similar research projects now underway in Switzerland and Israel.^[14]
• Sponsored the first U.S. based study evaluating the therapeutic application of MDMA with treatment resistant PTSD. Results from this study have been published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.^[15] Also being prepared or conducted are MDMA/PTSD pilot studies in Canada, Israel, Jordan, and Switzerland.
• Sponsored a Phase 2 pilot study of the effectiveness of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to treat PTSD in veterans of war.
• Designed a study to examine vaporized or smoked marijuana in the treatment of war related PTSD in veterans, which will evaluate efficacy and safety of multiple strains of herbal marijuana. The study has received FDA approval. MAPS is pursuing the purchase of appropriate strains from the US federal government.^[16]
• Sponsored efforts by Prof. Lyle Craker, Medicinal Plant Program, UMass Amherst Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, to obtain a license from the Drug Enforcement Administration for a marijuana production facility.^[17][18]
• Sponsored pioneering analytical research into the effects of the marijuana vaporizer, leading to the first human study of marijuana vaporizers conducted by Dr. Donald Abrams of the University of California, San Francisco.^[19]
• Opened an FDA Drug Master File for MDMA. This is required before any drug can be researched in FDA-approved human studies.^[20]
• Assisted Dr. Charles Grob to design, obtain approval for and fund the first FDA-approved study in the U.S. to administer MDMA to humans.^[21][22]
• Assisted in the design and is funding the world's first government-approved scientific study of the therapeutic use of MDMA (Spain).^[23]
• Sponsored studies to analyze the purity and potency of street samples of "Ecstasy" and medical marijuana.^[16]
• Funded the successful efforts of Dr. Donald Abrams to obtain approval for the first human study in 15 years into the therapeutic use of marijuana, along with a $1 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.^[16]
• Obtained Orphan Drug designation from the FDA for smoked marijuana in the treatment of AIDS Wasting Syndrome.^[16]
• Funded the synthesis of psilocybin for the first FDA-approved study in twenty-five years to evaluate psilocybin in a patient population.^[24]
• Supported long-term follow-up studies of pioneering research with LSD and psilocybin originally conducted in the 1950s and 1960s.^[24]
• Sponsoring research by Dr. Evgeny Krupitsky into ketamine-assisted psychotherapy as a treatment for heroin addiction and alcoholism.^[25]
• Hosted the conference “Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century,” in April 2010. This was the largest conference on the topic of psychedelic science to have occurred in nearly 40 years.^[26]
• Sponsoring programs and services at festivals, community events, churches, and schools that provide psychedelic harm reduction and education.^[2]

Currently, MAPS has been given a Schedule I license to conduct research with MDMA on veterans and survivors of physical or sexual assault who are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, as well as with advanced-stage cancer patients who are experiencing anxiety associated with this diagnosis, the first licenses the DEA has granted for MDMA psychotherapy research.^[23]

On the 19th of July 2010, the peer-reviewed Journal of Psychopharmacology published the results of the MDMA studies pursued by Dr. Mithoefer and concludes that this work is very promising. It also states that "this pilot study demonstrates that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy with close follow-up monitoring and support can be used with acceptable and short-lived side effects in a carefully screened group of subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD".^[27]

A clinical study for treating cluster headaches using low doses of the tryptamine psilocybin (found in psilocybe mushrooms) is being developed by researchers at Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital in conjunction with MAPS.^[24]

Organization

Board and Staff

MAPS is governed by a board of directors including John Gilmore, Robert J. Barnhart, and Rick Doblin. Ashawna Hailey served on the board until her death in 2011. The staff includes:^[28]

• Rick Doblin, Ph.D. - Executive Director
• Michael Mithoefer, M.D. - Clinical Investigator MDMA/PTSD Studies
• Annie Mithoefer, B.S.N. - Co-Investigator MDMA/PTSD Studies
• Valerie Mojeiko - Deputy Director
• Brad Burge, M.A. - Director of Communications
• Amy Emerson - Clinical Program Manager
• L (Ilsa) Jerome, Ph.D. - Research and Information Specialist
• Linnae Ponté - Executive and Clinical Research Assistant
• Josh Mojeiko - Director of Finance and IT
• Brian Wallace - Director of Field Development
• Berra Yazar-Klosinski, Ph.D. - Clinical Research Associate

Funding

MAPS is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) research and educational organization, funded by donations from individuals and foundations.^[29] Donations to MAPS can be restricted to fund a specific project, or be unrestricted.^[30] MAPS also receives revenue from conferences and events, such as the Psychedelic Science conference, as well as from the sale of books, merchandise, and art.^[31] With a policy of transparency in financial matters, MAPS publishes a detailed annual financial report.^[32]

Research

MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD

MAPS has a primary focus in researching the effectiveness of using 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) to assist psychotherapy in the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). MDMA's empathogenic effects may assist individuals in achieving successful results from psychotherapy, especially when suffering from PTSD. Extensive research has demonstrated that moderate doses of MDMA taken a limited number of times are sufficiently safe for human consumption. MAPS is currently the only organisation in the world funding clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, as it is of little interest to commercial pharmaceutical companies. Ultimately, MAPS seeks to achieve FDA approval for the use of MDMA as a prescription medicine.^[23]

MAPS completed a US Pilot Study in September 2008 that investigated the effectiveness of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which took place in Charleston, South Carolina.^[23] The study sought to determine whether MDMA-assisted psychotherapy would be effective in reducing the symptoms of PTSD in 20 subjects identified with treatment-resistant PTSD resulting from sexual abuse, war, violent crime, and other traumas. The randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study yielded results that suggest possible efficacy as over 80% of 20 subjects in the study no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, compared with 25% in the placebo group. Furthermore, preliminary analysis of a long-term follow-up to the study suggest benefits were maintained more than a year after the final treatment.^[33][34]

MAPS is currently conducting a phase 2 pilot study to assess the effectiveness of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of PTSD among veterans of war. The study is taking place in Charleston, SC and is conducting experimental treatment with 16 veterans, both male and female, suffering war-related PTSD. The study will follow a randomized triple-blind protocol and test three different experimental doses.

Outside of the US, MAPS is pursuing the implementation of MDMA/PTSD studies in Canada, Israel, Jordan, and Switzerland. The Canadian study has full approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) and from Health Canada, and is waiting to obtain an import permit to import MDMA into Canada. The Israel Study is awaiting approval from the Israeli Institutional Review Board as well as the Ministry of Health before it can proceed with enrolment. An Israeli Defense Force official has indicated a willingness to refer war affected soldiers suffering from PTSD, thus greatly enabling recruitment for the study. The Jordan Study is in development with limited approval from the IRB. A protocol amendment is to be submitted in the near future. MAPS is seeking to enrol both Jordanian nationals as well as Iraqi refugees living in Jordan who are suffering from PTSD. The Switzerland study has received full approval from SwissMedic and has been submitted and accepted by the FDA in the form of an Investigational New Drug application. The study is currently in progress and nearing completion as MAPS is collecting long-term follow-up data following the experimental treatment of all 12 subjects. The study represents in part MAPS' clinical plan to develop MDMA as a prescription medication with both FDA and European Medicines Agency (EMEA) approval.^[23]

Aiding clinicians in their ability to lead more effective MDMA assisted psychotherapy, MAPS has developed a training protocol that will allow therapists to take part as subjects in a Phase 1 study on the psychological effects of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy on healthy volunteers. MAPS would thus administer one MDMA-assisted psychotherapy session to the therapists in an effort to offer them training as well as evaluate the effects of MDMA. The study has received approval to proceed by both the US FDA and the IRB. Mithoefer, the primary clinical investigator in this study, has received his Schedule 1 license from the DEA, enabling him to administer MDMA within this study.^[23]

LSD and Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for End-of-Life Anxiety

It is well evidenced that psychoactive mushrooms and a number of other plants containing psychoactive compounds have been valued for millennia by many indigenous tribes across the globe for their spiritual & therapeutic uses.^[35]

Discovered by Albert Hofmann in 1938 and 1958 respectively, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) and Psilocybin, a psychoactive compound found in “Magic” mushrooms, are both well known for their ability to induce deeply spiritual, insightful and often life-changing experiences.^[3]

Although early research into the use of LSD and Psilcybin in clinical psychology demonstrated positive results, an explosion of recreational use during the 1960s gained the compounds a great deal of notoriety and ultimately led to their categorization as Schedule I illicit drugs in 1970.^[36]

MAPS is committed to exploring the potential use of LSD and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of patients suffering with the deep anxiety associated with life-threatening illness. Currently developing new research protocols to meet modern drug development standards, MAPS’ pilot LSD and psilocybin studies will be used to guide development of future treatment methodologies.^[24]

Currently MAPS is conducting a study on LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy in the Treatment of Anxiety Secondary to Life Threatening Illness. The study is taking place in Solothurn, Switzerland and is the first study in 35 years to investigate the therapeutic use of LSD in human subjects. The study's primary focus is to assess the safety and effectiveness of conducting LSD-assisted psychotherapy with a population of individuals who are experiencing anxiety associated with life-threatening illness. The study has received approval from the BAG (the equivalent of the DEA in Switzerland), the Ethics Committee (the Swiss IRB), and SwissMedic. Enrolment began in April 2008 and is currently complete.^[24]

MAPS has also developed a protocol to study the effectiveness of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in treating anxiety related to the experience of having a life-threatening illness such as advanced stage cancer. This study is to be conducted in the US under the principle investigation of Sameet Kumar, Ph.D.^[24]

Ibogaine Treatment for Drug Addiction

Ibogaine, a psychoactive alkaloid present in the root-bark of the West-African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, has in recent years gained popularity as an effective treatment for severe alcohol and drug dependence.

Traditionally used in healing and initiation ceremonies by followers of the West-African Bwiti religion, the drug has stimulant properties in low doses and can induce a hallucinogenic dream-like state in higher doses. It is the higher-dose hallucinogenic effect which is widely credited with the ability to help users understand and reverse their substance-dependent behavioral patterns.^[37]

A number of clinics situated outside the US currently offer ibogaine treatment for alcohol & drug dependence, yet with a relatively high estimated mortality rate of 1 in 300, ibogaine treatment is not without its risks.^[38]

MAPS is currently collecting observational data from two ibogaine treatment centers in Mexico to study the long-term effects of this treatment on opiate-dependent subjects.

MAPS has released a request for proposals (RFP) to find a research team interested in conducting clinical trials on ibogaine; a $25,000 grant has been made available to help fund such a study.^[39]

Medical Marijuana

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) currently holds a monopoly on the supply of marijuana grown for research in the United States, as they fund the only laboratory licensed to grow it. Since NIDA is solely interested in researching the negative aspects of marijuana use and abuse, studies to explore its potential medical benefit are currently impossible within the US.

MAPS is the only organization working to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of botanical marijuana as a prescription medicine to the satisfaction of the FDA. For nearly ten years, MAPS has been involved in lengthy and ongoing legal battles with the DEA to end NIDA’s monopoly on research grade marijuana.^[40]

Alternatively, MAPS has received full approval from the FDA to study the effectiveness of marijuana, both smoked and vaporized, in the treatment of individuals experiencing war related PTSD. This marks the first time the FDA has approved an outpatient marijuana study.^[41]

Other research projects

MAPS has pursued a number of other research studies examining the effects of psychedelics administered to human subjects. These studies include, but are not limited to, studies of MDE, Ayahuasca, DMT, Ketamine, LSA, Mescaline, Peyote, and Salvia divinorum.

MAPS has also conducted multi-drug studies as well as cross cultural and meta-analysis research.^[42]

Educational outreach

MAPS Bulletin

The MAPS Bulletin (called the MAPS Newsletter before 1995) is the organization's official publication. It provides summaries of psychedelic research conducted under the auspices of the organization and other worldwide research efforts in addition to discussions of psychedelic culture, personal reflections on psychedelic experiences, and writings from leading figures in the psychedelic research community.

The MAPS Newsletter began modestly in 1988, containing only a one-page essay by Rick Doblin entitled “MDMA Can Become a Legal Medicine.” Only one issue of the Newsletter appeared in both 1988 and 1989, and it began appearing on a tri-annual basis in 1991, a schedule maintained by the current Bulletin. For over two years as of April 2011, David Jay Brown or Randolph Hencken has edited the Bulletin. Design/Build is always credited to Noah Juan Juneau.

In its earliest issues, the Bulletin focused entirely on psychedelic research projects and the associated legal struggles. As it expanded from a single-page publication to one typically consisting of 40-60 pages, the Bulletin began to feature writings relating to a wider variety of subjects ranging from personal spirituality and inter-generational relationships in families which take psychedelics to ethnobotany and anthropological studies of cultures using naturally occurring psychedelic agents for entheogenic purposes. Other common features are summaries of international conferences, book reviews, interviews with notable users of psychedelics, and advocacy regarding the War on Drugs.

The Bulletin has provided an outlet for the voices of leading figures in the psychedelic research movement such as Richard Alpert (Ram Dass), Stanislav Grof, Rick Strassman, Ralph Metzner, and Albert Hofmann. Additionally the Bulletin often features representatives of other organizations involved with changing the social and legal status of psychedelic agents such as SSDP and DanceSafe. The Bulletin's cover artwork has featured numerous visionary and psychedelic inspired artists such as Alex Grey, Dadara, Naoto Hattori, and Martina Hoffman.^[43]

Psychedelic harm reduction

MAPS offers educational resources that actively promote psychedelic harm reduction. Psychedelic harm reduction is an approach to minimize harmful consequences and risks associated with the therapeutic and recreational use of psychedelic drugs. A harm reduction approach is an alternative to drug prohibition laws that criminalize users of psychedelic substances. Inexperienced or overwhelmed users of psychedelics sometimes have challenging emotional experiences that are resolved through law enforcement or medical intervention, which may lead to psychological damage long after the trip is over.^[44] A harm reduction approach to using psychedelics often includes attention to set and setting, a trip sitter, or framing in the context of psychedelic therapy.

MAPS has provided psychedelic emergency services at festivals such as Hookahville, Burning Man and the Boom Festival. MAPS’ model of psychedelic emergency services is volunteer staffed, peer based and relies on acute intervention.^[44] MAPS also provides training and an educational video, which empowers psychedelic users and their peers with therapeutic techniques for use in assisting others through difficult psychedelic experiences. MAPS’ approach to psychedelic harm reduction encourages a new framework for looking at “bad” trips as opportunities for emotional and spiritual growth.

Additionally, MAPS co-sponsors Ecstasydata.org, an online resource that provides laboratory testing of ecstasy tablets for a minimal cost. Laboratory testing of ecstasy tablets and other psychedelics allows users to know exactly what they are ingesting and to avoid taking mislabeled or impure substances.

Conferences

• MAPS Pharmacologically-Assisted Psychotherapy Conference (Nov. 28th – Dec. 1st, 1990 Bern, Switzerland)^[45]
• Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century (April 15 – 18, 2010 San Jose, CA)^[46]
• Catalysts: The Impact of Psychedelics from Culture to Creativity (Dec. 10th – 12th, 2010 Los Angeles, CA)^[47]

Legal efforts

Medical Marijuana monopoly

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has a government granted monopoly on the production of medical marijuana for research purposes.^[48] In the past, the institute has refused to supply marijuana to researchers who had obtained all other necessary federal permits. Medical marijuana researchers and activists claim that NIDA, which is not supposed to be a regulatory organization, does not have the authority to effectively regulate who does and doesn't get to do research with medical marijuana. Jag Davies of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) writes in MAPS Bulletin:

“

Currently, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has a monopoly on the supply of research-grade marijuana, but no other Schedule I drug, that can be used in FDA-approved research. NIDA uses its monopoly power to obstruct research that conflicts with its vested interests. MAPS had two of its FDA-approved medical marijuana protocols rejected by NIDA, preventing the studies from taking place. MAPS has also been trying without success for almost four years to purchase 10 grams of marijuana from NIDA for research into the constituents of the vapor from marijuana vaporizers, a non-smoking drug delivery method that has already been used in one FDA-approved human study.[49]

”

NIDA administers a contract with the University of Mississippi to grow the nation's only legal cannabis crop for medical and research purposes,^[50] including the Compassionate Investigational New Drug program. A Fast Company magazine article pointed out, "Based on the photographic evidence, NIDA's concoction of seeds, stems, and leaves more closely resembles dried cat brier than cannabis".^[51] An article in Mother Jones magazine describes their crop as "brown, stems-and-seeds-laden, low-potency pot—what's known on the streets as 'schwag'"^[52] United States federal law currently registers cannabis as a Schedule I drug. Medical marijuana researchers typically prefer to use high-potency marijuana, but NIDA's National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse has been reluctant to provide cannabis with high THC levels, citing safety concerns:^[50]

“

Most clinical studies have been conducted using cannabis cigarettes with a potency of 2-4% THC. However, it is anticipated that there will be requests for cannabis cigarettes with a higher potency or with other mixes of cannabinoids. For example, NIDA has received a request for cigarettes with an 8% potency. The subcommittee notes that very little is known about the clinical pharmacology of this higher potency. Thus, while NIDA research has provided a large body of literature related to the clinical pharmacology of cannabis, research is still needed to establish the safety of new dosage forms and new formulations. Speaking before the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse, Rob Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project criticized NIDA for refusing to provide researcher Donald Abrams with marijuana for his studies, stating that "after nine months of delay, Dr. Leshner rejected Dr. Abrams' request for marijuana, on what we believe are political grounds that the FDA-approved protocol is inadequate.[53]

”

Boston Globe 2006:

“

Then again, it's not in NIDA's job description-or even, perhaps, in NIDA's interests-to grow a world-class marijuana crop. The institute's director, Nora Volkow, has stressed that it's "not NIDA's mission to study the medicinal use of marijuana or to advocate for the establishment of facilities to support this research." Since NIDA's stated mission "is to lead the Nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction," federally supported marijuana research will logically tilt toward the potential harms, not benefits, of cannabis. In the most recent rejection of medical marijuana by the Federal Government, the DEA denied Professor Craker, Valerie Corral, and MAPS request to end the federal governments monopoly on medical marijuana production and research.[54]

”

From an ACLU Press Release:

“

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Bush administration struck a parting shot to legitimate science today as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) refused to end the unique government monopoly over the supply of marijuana available for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved research. DEA’s final ruling rejected the formal recommendation of DEA Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Mary Ellen Bittner, issued nearly two years ago following extensive legal hearings.[55]

”

Major events in recent proceedings are notable, as in the 2007 ruling by Administrative Law Judge Mary Ellen Bittner, wherein she recommended that Craker receive a license to grow marijuana for research and that NIDA dismantle its monopoly. The DEA in response overturned the recommended ruling in January 2009, and later denied Craker's Motion to Reconsider in December 2010. Most recently, March 2011 saw Craker's lawyers submit their final brief in the case. MAPS is pursuing efforts to have the DEA's final ruling rescinded.^[16] A detailed timeline of MAPS' attempts to gain access to research grade marijuana is available on the MAPS website [5].

References

1. ^ Doblin R (2002). "A clinical plan for MDMA (Ecstasy) in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): partnering with the FDA". Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 34 (2): 185–94. PMID 12691208. 
2. ^ ^{a b} www.maps.org
3. ^ ^{a b} Hofmann, Albert (2005). LSD: My Problem Child. Santa Cruz: MAPS. ISBN 0966001982. 
4. ^ http://www.psychedelic-library.org/lifep2.htm
5. ^ Pchot P (1961). "Hallucinogenic drugs. New Drugs". Lancet. 
6. ^ Lattin, Don (2010). The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America. Harper Collins. ISBN 0061655937. 
7. ^ Grof, Stanislav (1994). LSD Psychotherapy: Exploring the Frontiers of the Hidden Mind. Hunter House. ISBN 0897931661. 
8. ^ http://www.erowid.org/culture/characters/shulgin_alexander/
9. ^ ^{a b} http://www.maps.org/dea-mdma/
10. ^ MILLARD, M. This is your brain on drugs, Rick Doblin thinks pot, ecstasy, and other psychedelics could unlock the human mind — and he wants to bring them to Harvard, the FDA, and a doctor’s office near you, Boston Phoenix, October 8–14, 2004
11. ^ http://www.maps.org/about/fiscal/
12. ^ http://www.maps.org/about/mission/
13. ^ Bradley, Simon (20 December 2007). "LSD set to make a medical comeback". swissinfo. http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/LSD_set_to_make_a_medical_comeback.html?cid=6328386. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
14. ^ Brown, David Jay (November 2009). "Treating agony with ecstasy". Discover. http://discovermagazine.com/2009/nov/20-treating-agony-with-ecstasy. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
15. ^ (http://www.scribd.com/doc/34534084/MDMA-PTSD-Mithoefer-Et-Al-2010)
16. ^ ^{a b c d e} http://www.maps.org/research/mmj/
17. ^ Harris, Gardiner (18 January 2010). "Researchers find study of medical marijuana discouraged". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/health/policy/19marijuana.html?ref=us. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
18. ^ Stafford, Lindsay (February–April 2010), "The state of clinical cannabis research in the United States", HerbalGram 85: 64–68, http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbalgram/issue85/article3485.html?Issue=85 
19. ^ Abrams DI; Vizoso HP; Shade SB; Jay C; Kelly ME; Benowitz NL (2007), "Vaporization as a smokeless cannabis delivery system: A pilot study", Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 82 (5): 572–578, doi:10.1038/sj.clpt.6100200, PMID 17429350 
20. ^ US Drug Master File #6293 (24 April 1986), http://www.betterchem.com/DMF/database/6293.htm, retrieved 22 February 2010 
21. ^ "Ecstasy 'may help trauma victims'". BBC News. 19 July 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10663863. 
22. ^ "MDMA (Ecstasy)-assisted psychotherapy relieves treatment-resistant PTSD". Physorg.com. http://www.physorg.com/news198572687.html. Retrieved 2011-04-20. 
23. ^ ^{a b c d e f} http://www.maps.org/research/mdma/
24. ^ ^{a b c d e f} http://www.maps.org/research/psilo-lsd/
25. ^ http://www.maps.org/research/
26. ^ http://www.maps.org/conference/
27. ^ The safety and efficacy of ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study. Retrieved on August 29, 2010
28. ^ "MAPS Staff: Who We Are". Maps.org. http://www.maps.org/about/staff/. Retrieved 2011-10-20. 
29. ^ MAPS Bulletin Volume XX, 3, “2010 Annual Report”
30. ^ "Funding Priorities". Maps.org. http://www.maps.org/about/support/. Retrieved 2011-04-20. 
31. ^ MAPS Annual Financial Report, Fiscal Year 2009-2010 June 1, 2009 - May 31, 2010
32. ^ "MAPS’ Annual Financial Reports". Maps.org. http://www.maps.org/about/fiscal/. Retrieved 2011-04-20. 
33. ^ Mithoefer M. et al. (2010). "The safety and efficacy of ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study". Journal of Psychopharmacology 0 (0): 1–14. doi:10.1177/0269881110378371. PMC 3122379. PMID 20643699. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=3122379. 
34. ^ http://jop.sagepub.com/content/early/2010/07/14/0269881110378371.full.pdf+html
35. ^ Rätsch, Christian (2005). Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and It's Applications. New York: Park Street Press. ISBN 0892819782. 
36. ^ www.maps.org/research/psilo-lsd/
37. ^ Iboga: The Visionary Root of African Shamanism. New York: Park Street Press. 2004. ISBN 978-1-59477-176-7. 
38. ^ http://www.erowid.org/plants/iboga/iboga.shtml
39. ^ [1]
40. ^ [2]
41. ^ [3]
42. ^ [4]
43. ^ http://www.maps.org/media/bulletin/
44. ^ ^{a b} "Horizons 2009: Valerie Mojeiko Psychedelic Harm Reduction – Rethinking the "Bad Trip" on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. http://vimeo.com/10883376. Retrieved 2011-04-20. 
45. ^ MAPS Bulletin - “MAPS' Swiss Pharmacologically-Assisted Psychotherapy Conference” - volume ii - number 1 - Winter 1990/91
46. ^ "Conference 2010 Videos". Maps.org. http://www.maps.org/media/videos/. Retrieved 2011-04-20. 
47. ^ http://www.maps.org/conferences/details/critical_components_a_maps_benefit_event/
48. ^ Jag Davies. "Letting the Science, Not the Politicians, Decide About Marijuana | Drugs". AlterNet. http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/143729/letting_the_science%2C_not_the_politicians%2C_decide_about_marijuana/. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
49. ^ MAPS Bulletin Volume XVI Number 3: Winter 2006-7
50. ^ ^{a b} NIDA - About NIDA - Organization - NACDA - Provision of Marijuana and Other Compounds For Scientific Research - Recommendations of The National Institute on Drug Abuse National Advisory Council
51. ^ Pipe Dream?
52. ^ Greenberg, Gary (2005-11-01). "Respectable Reefer". Mother Jones. http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2005/11/Respectable_Reefer-3.html. Retrieved 2007-04-03. 
53. ^ Robert Kampia's September 19 Testimony
54. ^ Weed Control Boston Globe May 28, 2006. Retrieved on February 15th 2010.
55. ^ "Bush Administration Deals Eleventh Hour Blow To Scientific Freedom" (Press release). American Civil Liberties Union. January 12, 2009. http://www.aclu.org/drug-law-reform/bush-administration-deals-eleventh-hour-blow-scientific-freedom. Retrieved February 15, 2010-02. 

External links

• MAPS Website