Dear John,

Welcome to the May 2011 edition of the MAPS E-mail Newsletter.

On April 28, 2011, the Food and Drug Administration approved our planned study of marijuana for PTSD in veterans of war. This is a historic first for medical marijuana research, being the first time the FDA has approved an outpatient marijuana study. The next step is to convince the National Institute on Drug Abuse—a very different agency with explicitly political motivations and a monopoly on marijuana for research—to sell us the marijuana we need to conduct the study.

Meanwhile, our MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD research program is charging ahead. We're intensifying our fundraising efforts, expanding our range of research projects, and developing the world's first training program in psychedelic therapy.

We need your support to turn psychedelics and marijuana into prescription medicines.
Make a Contribution

I've lost count of how many committed and talented people have contacted MAPS to request information about how they can receive training in psychedelic therapy. A few times, I've had the privilege of meeting them in person. I've witnessed firsthand the hope and dedication in their eyes when they ask how they can help MAPS bring psychedelic healing to those traumatized by violence and disease.

As we prepare to move to the next phase of our drug development program, there will be more need for therapists trained in MAPS' approach to MDMA-assisted psychotherapy than ever before. And ultimately, the need for these skills will go far beyond the narrow context of clinical research. The establishment of legal psychedelic therapy clinics in the U.S. and elsewhere will require an entirely new generation of medical professionals trained in the techniques of psychedelic therapy.

We're planning not just for the future of MAPS, but for the future of psychedelic medicine worldwide.

Since 1986, MAPS has distributed over $12 million to psychedelic and medical marijuana research and education—every dollar of which has come from our members. Please donate today and help us share this knowledge with the next generation of healers.

Finally, I'm delighted to announce that the Spring 2011 Special Edition of the MAPS Bulletin on "Psychedelics and the Mind/Body Connection" is now available online and in members' mailboxes. With breathtaking visionary artwork and dozens of thought-provoking articles on everything from immunology and neuroscience to surfing and skydiving, this issue is sure to inspire.

Sincerely,

Brad Burge, M.A.
MAPS Director of Communications 


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Research News:

FDA Accepts Protocol for Planned Study of Marijuana for PTSD
Psychedelic Education Program to Train Next Generation of Psychedelic Therapists
First Subject Treated in MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Training Study
Israeli Ministry of Health Requests More Information about Planned Study
Swiss LSD Study Team Submits Annual Report to FDA; Study Nears Completion
Fundraising News:

MAPS Receives $25,000 Grant for Clinical Ibogaine Study
Synopsis and Budget Prepared for Proposed UK MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Study
Clinical Research Intern Wins Psychedelic Therapy Research Grant
Events:

Speakers Confirmed for MAPS' 25th Anniversary
MAPS Canada to Host Two Benefit Events This Fall
Transpersonal Pioneers Offer 6-Week Course on Psychology and Consciousness
Tickets on Sale Now for Horizons Psychedelics Conference in NYC
MAPS to Co-Host International Drug Policy Reform Conference in November
Media:

Honor Thy Daughter by Marilyn Howell Now Available; Kindle Edition Released
MAPS Featured in ELLE and Good Times
Scientists Publish First Comprehensive Review of LSD Pharmacology
Other News:

MAPS Needs Your Old iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch
Professional Credit Still Available for 2010 Psychedelic Science Conference Videos
Psychedelic Science Film Seeks Contributions
Help Build the World's First Psychedelic Art and History Museum
New Documentary Project Explores Human Impact of War on Drugs


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MDMA Research News

1. FDA Accepts Protocol for Planned Study of Marijuana for PTSD

On April 28, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted MAPS' protocol design for our study of marijuana for symptoms of PTSD in war veterans, stating that our revised protocol successfully addresses their previous concerns, pending information on the source of the marijuana to be used. Once again, the FDA has demonstrated its willingness to evaluate studies on the basis of scientific merit rather than political partisanship.

Although both MAPS and the FDA are satisfied with the protocol design, we cannot begin the study until it passes yet another review process with the National Institute on Drug Abuse/Public Health Service (NIDA/PHS). This redundant review, which may take another year or more, is required solely because NIDA has a monopoly on the supply of marijuana for research. NIDA/PHS must review and accept the protocol before allowing us to purchase marijuana from NIDA. This process is biased from the start, since NIDA's mission does not include exploring the potential beneficial uses of marijuana.

MAPS has been pressuring the federal government through hearings, lawsuits, and appeals for over a decade to allow us to grow our own marijuana. The DEA has refused to accept the recommendation of its own Administrative Law Judge that it would be in the public interest for Professor Lyle Craker of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, to receive a license to grow marijuana for research regulated by the FDA. We're now waiting for the final ruling to come from the DEA. We will then sue yet again in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals and make an even stronger case against the federal obstruction of research and for the need for state-level reform.

Many U.S. veterans already use medical marijuana to deal with their symptoms of PTSD. MAPS is seeking to conduct the first clinical trial testing the use of the smoked or vaporized marijuana plant in PTSD patients. Now PHS/NIDA will decide if MAPS can obtain marijuana for 50 suffering veterans.


Lets give our protectors all the help they need.
the bb

Well, now....how f'n cool is that?

It's all about support and voting. Register..vote
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