Barry Blechman shares at least one thing in common with host Shoshana Ungerleider: cancer runs in their families. Barry was first diagnosed in 1980 and stayed cancer-free for nearly 30 years before it returned. This time, the physical battle was accompanied by deep anxiety and depression, and traditional treatments weren’t enough. That’s when he turned to psilocybin therapy. Psilocybin is the active ingredient in “magic” mushrooms, and Dr. Tony Back — one of the early researchers in medical aid in dying — has been studying the use of psilocybin in treating patients with cancer. To truly understand its potential, he did what most doctors wouldn’t: he tried it himself.

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