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- đź’§ Elon Musk wants MDMA therapy legalized
đź’§ Elon Musk wants MDMA therapy legalized
PLUS, the best quotes about DMT
Mary Carreon // Senior Editor
22 Jul
Welcome back to The Drop In! This week is teeming with news and updates, so we’re going to jump right in.
If you’re on psychedelic Twitter (X), you know the past month and a half has been a raging dumpster fire. Since an FDA advisory committee rejected MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) at the beginning of June, a number of advocacy groups have been working overtime to essentially “repair” the public perception of the therapy’s efficacy and MAPS’s clinical trial design.
As a result, critics of MAPS/Lykos and MDMA-AT are getting flamed. But this campaign to bolster the therapy has also drawn the attention of notable figures such as Elon Musk, Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw, and even RFK Jr. All of whom have since jumped on the dog pile in support of FDA approval, standing against MDMA-AT critics. It’s put specific people in opposition to MAPS/Lykos in the line of fire, some of whom have been relentlessly attacked, even threatened, to the point of their safety possibly being compromised IRL.
The internet is a scary place these days — and that’s all we’ll say about that. You can read more about this story below. You can also find other stories about a GOP congressman tripping to improve his mental health and an analysis on the 2024 World Drug Report. Enjoy the brain food!
Hasta Lluego đź‘‹,
Mary CarreĂłn
Senior Editor
Featured
Elon Musk and Rep. Dan Crenshaw Take Public Stand Against Critics of MDMA-Assisted Therapy
The tech tycoon and GOP congressman took to X to publicly oppose researchers and academics who are critical of the MAPS/Lykos MDMA therapy model.
In an unexpected turn of events, tech mogul Elon Musk and GOP Congressman Dan Crenshaw have publicly defended the MAPS/Lykos MDMA therapy model against critics. Musk amplified Crenshaw’s post on X, accusing researchers of opposing the therapy for ideological reasons.
This high-profile support highlights the heated debate over MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, with critics raising concerns about its ethical implications. The FDA's final decision on the therapy's approval is expected next month.
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Our Latest
GOP Congressman Morgan Luttrell has criticized the FDA's rejection of MDMA for PTSD treatment, citing his personal mental health improvements from psychedelics. He emphasized that numerous trials have shown these therapies provide a crucial lifeline for individuals for whom conventional treatments have proven insufficient.
The 2024 World Drug Report from the United Nations highlights the potential risks of using psychedelics outside medically-approved contexts, warning that "quasi-therapeutic" applications could increase harm.
You don’t need a DMT trip to gain insights from this powerful substance; here are some DMT-fueled quotes to ponder anytime, or as a companion to your next journey into the unknown.
& More Must-Reads
Finishing a mind-twisting novel can feel just as psychedelic as eating a cap or two. Here are some of our favorite trippy novels.
Is your gut controlling your emotions? According to emerging research, we really are what we eat—or what the microbes inside us eat, anyway
There are no treatments available to help people cope with dying. Are psychedelics the answer?
Trip Tales
Even the very air is replaced with a divine substance I can almost swim in. It doesn’t only fill my lungs, it fills my heart with every breath. With a smile on my face, I move deeper. With every step discovering more wonder and revelation. Everything is magic in such a calm way, radiating eternity. It will never end so there is no hurry. I watch the shadow of a tree, an atmosphere of light. I can watch, my senses captured, without ever growing tired of it. Sometimes I kneel down, one hand to the ground, one arm pulled to the sky strengthened by a force. The same force that gives shape to the trees and the grass. I suddenly understand how every structure reaches toward the sun. Every blade of grass is a limb of this organism rising up to praise the light and to receive. I rest in this position and I’m like the trees around me, a light-conducting organism.
— Ben R., Berlin, Germany
Have you had a profound experience with psychedelics before? Share your story with us for a chance to be featured in The Drop In. Submit your entry here.
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Are you overwhelmed by the mushroom microdose market? We get it.
With questionable ingredients and mislabeled dosages, it’s hard to know what you're taking. But don’t let that deter you from microdosing! It can alleviate depression, anxiety, and more. Plus, stacking your dose with other plant medicines can enhance your experience.
Don’t miss our free workshop on July 28 with Adrian Lozano on making your own microdoses!
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Learn with Us
🍄 Meet Psilocybe subtropicalis, a species held in high regard by Mexican Indigenous groups and Western psilonauts alike, with a lot to offer the beginner grower.
đź‘… Hypothetically, if you take acid multiple times a week, you could expect to develop an LSD tolerance. Here's why the potency decreases over repeated use.
🔎 Want to forage psychedelic and edible mushrooms? These books will give you the knowledge to forage only the mushrooms you actually want, not the dangerous lookalikes.
🌬️ Smokeable… ayahuasca? Changa is fairly new compared to the centuries-old ayahuasca tradition—but both are ways to consume DMT.
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From the Magazine
The few remaining Mosuo elders preserve a culture of female reverence that challenges contemporary gender roles
Photographer Karolin KlĂĽppel, fascinated by matriarchal societies, was drawn to the Mosuo women, often romanticized in documentaries and books for their "walking marriages" and multiple lovers. However, upon arriving at Lugu Lake in Southeast China, known as the "Kingdom of Women," she found a different reality.
Latest Youtube Video
The Trippiest Cartoons Over the Ages
Before CGI, cartoons allowed storytellers to visualize the unimaginable, from epic journeys to surreal animations with unnatural patterns. Hand-drawn during the Golden Age of Animation, these early animations showcased some of the trippiest visuals ever created. DB’s Shelby Hartman is diving into the best trippy cartoons on our YouTube.
Around the Web
A small new study shows reactions in the brain in people who were given psilocybin in a controlled setting. Read more in The New York Times.
Atop Massachusetts General Hospital, psychedelics scientists grow plants that could change your mind. Read more in WBUR.
UCLA wants to build a rooftop garden designed specifically for psychedelic-assisted therapy sessions. Read more in SF Gate.
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