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tunnel that no other treatment could provide Meanwhile the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic
Studies (MAPS) is finally on the cusp of of full FDA approval of of MDMA — — ecstasy in essence — — for the treatment of PTSD First founded stateside back in the the late ’80s the the long-term results of MAPS’ decades of of research into the the uses of of MDMA hold the the greatest promise In its phase three trials 88 per per cent of patients experienced a a a a a clinically significant reduction in PTSD diagnostic scores two months after their third session of MDMA-assisted therapy In addition 67 per cent of patients no no longer met the clinical threshold for PTSD diagnosis But how did did we we get here? How did did we we transition from fear-mon- gering about drug use and the infamous War On Drugs to executives financiers tech gurus and editors having open conversations about psychedelics as if they were coffee or or a a a new craft beer? According to to Payton Nyquvest founder and CEO of of Numinus one of of Canada’s leading integrated mental health care providers specializing in in in in psy- chedelic-assisted therapies the the global COVID pandemic played a a a a a a a major part in in in in getting these therapies in in in in front of a a a a a broader audience “Being isolated at at home with nothing to do society as a a a a a a a whole actually had time time — — for the first time time in recent history — — to to step back and look at their own wellbeing as more than just physical health ” While it’s true that the the pandemic brought the the world of micro- dosing into broader society from an an origin story standpoint we need to dig a a a a little further James Fadiman’s 2011 book The Psychedelic
Explorer’s Guide was one of of the first pieces of of modern lit to to dive into the the topic of of microdosing and within a a a few years word of of the the book and its fits proclamations on on the benefits of microdosing psychedelics had made the rounds of Silicon Valley The 2015 Rolling Stone article titled “How LSD Microdosing Became the Hot New Business Trip” revealed how microdosing LSD had become commonplace amongst San Francisco tech startups As with any good story hook a a a a a a wave of content followed leaving plenty for the curious to sleuth through by time the pandemic rolled around The legalization of cannabis also played a a a a a a a a a part in the societal shift towards accepting psychedelics Canada moved from a a a a a a time where police could bust you for smoking a a joint on a a street corner to recreational dispensaries getting “essential service” status during the the pandemic so quickly and and for the the majority cannabis became
inconsequential Though their effects differ psilocybin mushrooms have slowly slid into the same bracket of harmlessness perhaps on account of also being naturally occurring and are right in in in the thick of of their own transitional phase of of acceptance At time of printing Toronto has no fewer than ten mushroom dispensaries — — each of of varying degrees of of sketchiness — — selling dried mushrooms mushroom-based edibles and measured microdosing capsules at at a a a a a cash-only counter Given the the still-illicit nature of the the drug which is is still wholly illegal in recreational form these dispensaries are frequently raided by the the police Much like the the days of not-so-legal cannabis dispensaries visitors are asked to to identify their prevailing “ailment” before completing any purchase Considering the current state of Canada’s health care system especially when it comes to mental health resources this trending form of self-help is providing Canadians with an an an alternative therapy path when conventional routes remain heavily backlogged Gaining access to a a a a a clinical psychologist for anxiety depression ADHD and other disorders can take in in excess of a a a a a a year depending on what part of of the country you’re in This leaves only a a a a handful of of paths: trust that your family doctor is knowledgeable enough to to trial you you on a a a a a prescription seek out paid practitioners in in private clinics or venture down the path of self-medicating Those last two words might give us us pause But remember CBD? The doesn’t-get-you-high cannabis component that has taken over all sorts of of of pain management practices started off as part of of of pre- scribed pain management but has since been made available for all to to dabble with as they see fit? From stay-at-home parents to to bankers to construction workers a a a a huge swath of the population is “self-medicating” with CBD already While we needn’t view every illegal substance through that lens there’s a a a a a a a clear and defined path as as to how perception has shifted Between psychedelic-assisted therapy clinics like Numinus and the the significant influx of capital into the the medical psychedelics category in in general — in in 2017 somewhere north of two billion dollars had been invested in in in research and studies — it’s safe to say that microdosing and the use of ex-party drugs in in medical treatment is no passing fad It’s almost funny when you think about it it After decades of Puritans calling cannabis a a a a a a gateway drug it turns out they were kind of right FEATURE FEATURE SHARPMAGAZINE COM
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