Episode 61: Rethinking Psychedelic Access in Canada w/ TheraPsil CEO Spencer Hawkswell

What happens when psychedelic research moves beyond the traditional pharmaceutical model and becomes more patient-centred, grassroots, and responsive to the realities of how people are actually accessing these therapies?

In this episode of the podcast, host and MAPS Canada Executive Director Dr. Rielle Capler speaks with Spencer Hawkswell, CEO and President of TheraPsil, about the evolving landscape of psychedelic research, access, and policy in Canada. Spencer discusses innovative approaches to clinical research, including a participant-funded psilocybin trial focused on wellness, group-based treatment models, and the potential to develop more accessible research pathways for psychedelic therapies. They also explore the challenges created by conventional clinical-trial models and the importance of generating evidence that reflects the needs and experiences of patients.

The conversation also examines the realities of psychedelic access outside formal legal pathways, the role of professional training and harm reduction, and the potential for observational and qualitative research to better understand how Canadians are using psychedelics in the real world. Rielle and Spencer discuss psychedelic-assisted approaches to end-of-life distress, the relationship between psilocybin and MAID, and the role of patient advocacy, public education, and policy reform in shaping the future of psychedelic access in Canada. Together, they consider how research, clinical practice, and grassroots advocacy can work alongside one another to build safer and more accessible pathways to psychedelic care.

To read more about the cost of clinical research discussed in this episode, visit: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2820562

To support Thomas’ Bill for medical psilocybin, visit: https://www.thomasbill.ca/

To participate in a clinical trial, visit: https://therapsil.ca/clinical-trial/

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Working with partners in government, business, and the community, MAPS Canada is committed to advancing psychedelic medicine by supporting scientific, multidisciplinary research; advocating for drug policy reform; offering public education; and supporting equitable access to legal and regulated psychedelic medicine in Canada.

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) was formed in the US in 1986, in response to the US Drug Enforcement Agency’s classification of MDMA as Schedule 1 substance, and has been developing medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics since then.

MAPS Canada was founded as a sister organization to MAPS in 2011, and is a registered Canadian non-profit organization. Based in Vancouver and with hundreds of volunteers from across Canada, MAPS Canada is moving forward to become the leading Canadian source of information, resources and advocacy regarding psychedelic medicine and related clinical research, education, and public policy.

Learn More at https://mapscanada.org/about/

MAPS Canada is entirely funded by public donation and your support really makes a difference. Find out about all the ways you can support MAPS Canada’s mission by visiting our donation link https://mapscanada.org/donate/