In 1966, Allen Ginsberg thought psychedelics could save America’s soul, like a magical, groovy band-aid. Fast forward, Rick Doblin, founder of MAPS, is on a mission to create a trauma-free world by 2070, using psychedelics as his secret weapon. Even Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is on board, thinking these mind-bending substances are the misunderstood superheroes of healing.
MDMA, the life of the psychedelic party, is hailed as a PTSD treatment star. But the FDA was a party pooper, rejecting MAPS’s application to market MDMA for PTSD, causing a psychedelic PR hangover. Lykos Therapeutics, MAPS’s pharma sidekick, hit a brick wall, leaving psychedelic legalization efforts in a psychedelic twilight zone.
Not everyone is a fan, though. Critics accuse MAPS of being more about the psychedelic scene than helping veterans. One critic even called it a “therapy cult” with a side of festival vibes. Concerns over “functional unblinding” (fancy for “everyone knows they’re on drugs”) and placebo effects put the study’s objectivity on shaky ground. Reports of increased suicidality and therapist misconduct didn’t help MDMA’s reputation.
Despite the drama, some researchers, like Dr. Matthew Johnson, see the FDA eventually giving MDMA the green light but warn against turning the psychedelic field into a quasi-religious movement. The quest for a quick fix to our existential woes fuels the psychedelic hype, echoing the “therapy culture” vibe that we’re all broken and need healing products.
The bottom line: psychedelics might have potential, but they’re not a utopian cure-all. The focus should be on rigorous clinical
Reference: https://www.thefp.com/p/the-great-american-acid-trip-rfk-jr
Published Date: 2024-11-21