Can Psychedelic Medicine Fix Our Mental Health Crisis with Rick Doblin

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Cozy Earth, Beekeeper’s Naturals, and Levels. We’re in the midst of a psychedelic renaissance. Compounds that have long been considered recreational drugs by conventional standards are finally being recognized through science as powerful tools for overcoming hard-to-treat health issues, like PTSD, depression, addiction, and more. Mental health problems are the number one driver of indirect healthcare costs, loss of productivity, and diminished quality of life. Yet, we aren’t very successful at treating them with modern medicine. This is a pivotal moment for turning the treatment of mental health around as we explore psychedelic medicine. Today, I’m excited to talk to a leading expert and advocate in the field of psychedelic medicine, Rick Doblin. Rick Doblin, Ph.D., is the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana, primarily as prescription medicines but also for personal growth for otherwise healthy people, and eventually to become a legally licensed psychedelic therapist. This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Cozy Earth, Beekeeper’s Naturals, and Levels. Rupa Health is a place where Functional Medicine practitioners can access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, and Great Plains. You can check out a free, live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com. Get 40% off your Cozy Earth sheets. Just head over to cozyearth.com and use code MARK40. Beekeeper’s Naturals is giving my community an exclusive offer. Just go to beekeepersnaturals.com/HYMAN and enter code “HYMAN” to get 25% off your first order. By leveraging biosensors like continuous glucose monitors, Levels provides real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Right now you can join Levels and receive an additional two free months on your annual membership when you order at levels.link/HYMAN. Here are more details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version): Rick’s early life and introduction to psychedelics (8:36 / 3:55) The history of psychedelic research and the psychedelic renaissance (30:02 / 25:24) Is psychedelic-assisted therapy practical and scalable? (32:34 / 27:55) Group and couples psychedelic-assisted therapy (36:53 / 30:40) The economics of providing psychedelic-assisted therapy (38:53 / 34:15) Drug policy reform (39:55 / 35:15) How psychedelics affect the brain (41:26 / 36:58) Reframing the public perception of psychedelics (1:02:19 / 57:50) Moving toward a world of net-zero trauma (1:04:10 / 59:30) The future of drug policy reform (1:17:47 / 1:08:50) Learn more about MAPS at maps.org.