A Psychedelic-Science Advocate Takes His Case to the Pentagon

[MAPS]

A Psychedelic-Science Advocate Takes His Case to the Pentagon
Wired
05/03/13

For Rick Doblin, being invited to the Pentagon was an emotional experience. Growing up in the 60s, Doblin embraced the counterculture and protested the Vietnam war and the military-industrial complex behind it. Yesterday he was at the Pentagon trying to persuade military medical officials to permit a clinical trial that would test MDMA, the active ingredient in the party drug Ecstasy, in conjunction with psychotherapy, in active duty soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder.

http://wired.com/wiredscience/2013/05/doblin/

 

[amanitadine]

Awesome, go Rick, been cheering you on for years, and man oh man how much progress we've made. Thanks!

 

[Al_S_Dee]

Seriously, Rick is THE MAN! Been following his work for years and nothing but respect for this guy.

 

[MyDoorsAreOpen]

Rick Doblin is one of my heroes. It's guys like this who keep my cynicism about psychoactive drug laws from running wild.

 

[Putingrad]

Wired: The Psychedelic Science conference that MAPS helps organize does not feel like a typical scientific conference. Is it hard to foster serious scientific research without excluding people?

Doblin: That is a delicate balance. Some people were excluded from speaking, and we were careful about which vendors were there. We tried to make a very strong pitch to people that the science is the key.

Wired: So why not exclude the folks who are just interested in recreational use?

Doblin: They’re me. I grew up loving to trip and dance all night. They’re part of the family. We gain strength because we didn’t cut our ties with our roots. We let the counterculture in, but we took precautions, so that the message wouldn’t be about reckless abandon.

%)

Rick is the real motherfuckin' deal.

 

[B1tO'RoughJack]

^ that's a great quote. WINNING

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

I really don't get it. Why not start with safer psychedelics? Mescaline for instance. I get it that nothing discovered is quite like MDMA though.

 

[slimvictor]

Rick Doblin is a voice of reason and science, and of hope and freedom.
I LOVE that guy and what he is trying to do.
Respect.

 

[B1tO'RoughJack]

You mean biochemically safer, or what? I would say MDMA because it's not trippy. Mescaline is trippy. MDMA is useful for sooooo much when dosed right. I wouldn't advocate anyone who hasn't done any kinda psychedelic drug (inc MDMA and ganja) before to take a trip.

I really don't get it. Why not start with safer psychedelics? Mescaline for instance. I get it that nothing discovered is quite like MDMA though.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Well I was under the impression that mescaline extremely rarely leads to a negative outcome. And yes I do mean in regards to the brain.

 

[Lightning-Nl]

Why only for service men? Why not for everyone?

I've been dealing with awful PTSD for the past 3 years, wouldn't I benefit from MDMA therapy?

 

[xx001]

Why only for service men? Why not for everyone?

I've been dealing with awful PTSD for the past 3 years, wouldn't I benefit from MDMA therapy?

You would, but it might be easier to convince the government to allow testing on soldiers.