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DRG's avatar

There was a fifth and maybe more important factor - "Money". Other players had a stake in this game, Atai - Compass Pathway - Johnson and Johnson etc. These companies psychedelic products are being developed along the lines of J&J's Spravato. No therapy connected to the drug, just really good labeling covering side effects and disclaimers. This is way more profitable. Therapy cannot be scaled in the monetary sense. Interesting that Lykos is now going to be run by the guy who brought Spravato to market supported by an Independent- "names not disclosed" Advisory Board - can you say Johnson and Johnson. I'm willing to bet J&J is also providing the financial backing for the new Lykos Phase 3 trials. Watch for other companies to bring synthetic psychedelics to market without the connection the therapy. This will not end well.

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John McIlwain's avatar

Hi Zach, This is a really good and important article. Well done, and thank you for your straight forward clarity. I agree with Don's comment below, which points to a problem with something you said in your column: "It underscores the critical need for unity and collaboration as the field progresses." The amorphous blob of people, as you so accurately identify the people interested in psychedelics today, including people "financially, socially, spiritually, ideologically" involved, is not a group that has any interest in collaborating. There is a fundamental and, I believe, irreconcilable fault line between what has been loosely called the "psychedelic community," and the Peter Theils and other capitalists and corporations (like J &J, as Don mentions). On the one hand, you have spiritual seekers, idealists, New Agers, indigenous community advocates, and believers in the natural, spiritual healing capacity of properly used psychedelics. On the other hand, you have those who have no interest in psychedelics except to make a whole lot of money and move on. You might almost say we are watching the slow motion rape of the current psychedelic renaissance by today's neoliberal, aggressive capitalism, i.e. the culture within which we live today, whether or not we like it. This whole debacle is further proof of the need for a continuation of the underground use of psychedelics, and the ongoing training of those willing to take the risk to offer safe and effective ceremonies. Also, I think Jay is right, that we'll be far more successful following the cannabis path of decrim and legalization than the medical approach, with its overbearing regulatory framework. Keep up the good work!

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