Stream of Consciousness

TheraPsil is a non-profit coalition of healthcare professionals, patients, and advocates dedicated to obtaining legal access to psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for Canadians. On August 4th, 2020, four individuals grappling with end-of-life distress who were supported by TheraPsil in their application for a Section 56 exemption to the Canadian Drugs and Substances Act were approved! This was the first time that a personal application for psilocybin therapy was approved in Canada since it was made illegal in 1974. In today's episode, we interview Spencer Hawkswell, TheraPsil's Chief Executive Officer, and discuss everything from the organization's inception through to the scientific, moral, and legal arguments in favor of expanding access to psilocybin in Canada. Our conversation includes tactical tips for grassroots activists, discussions of what's on the horizon for their organization, as well as calls-to-action and information for advocates and patients in palliative care.

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Dr. Dennis McKenna is a visionary ethnopharmacologist, research pharmacognosist, university lecturer, repeat author, non-profit founder, and advisor. He has received post-doctoral research fellowships in the Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology, the National Institute of Mental Health, and in the Department of Neurology at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is also a founding board member of the Heffter Research Institute, and was a key investigator on the Hoasca Project, the first biomedical investigation of ayahuasca. In this episode we talk about everything from the mytho-poetic psychedelic adventures of his youth through to his current work at the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy where he “explores modern and traditional practices, ideas, and technologies that foster the understanding of nature, consciousness, the cosmos and their interweavings with humanity.”

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On today’s episode, we interview Ronan Levy, the Founder & Executive Chairman of Field Trip Psychedelics. Field Trip Health, the first of the verticals Ronan is involved in, is a pioneer in the psychedelic therapy space, working to make psychedelic therapies more effective, safe, and accessible to all. Prior to Field Trip Health, Ronan worked to expand access to therapeutic medical cannabis, ultimately driving a multi-million dollar exit that defined the clinic vertical. We explore Ronan’s background in law, entrepreneurship, and cannabis before reaching forward into the future of both Field Trip and the broader psychedelic industry. 

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In our first episode we introduce ourselves, the podcast, and help you understand this so-called ‘Psychedelic Renaissance’. We synthesized over 7000 years of history to explain how cave paintings of mushroom-wielding shaman have led to FDA approved research, millions in VC funding, and an emerging early-stage industry. If you want to dive deeper into some of the leading academic research we referenced you should start with the work at Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research [https://hopkinspsychedelic.org/publications] and Imperial College’s Center for Psychedelic Research [https://www.imperial.ac.uk/psychedelic-research-centre/research/]. 

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We’d love to read your feedback and answer any additional questions that you may have; email us at [email protected] and follow-us on Twitter (@arminkhaya & @colinrball) to continue the discussion. Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved.

There’s a psychedelic renaissance afoot. Join us on our exploratory trip.

Hosts: Armin Khayatian & Colin Ball

Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved.