Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

History

As MDMA was now deemed illegal, held in the same category as such substances as heroin, the only way for it to be employed in scientific inquiry would be through the lengthy and expensive FDA approval process. Holding the belief that MDMA had the unique potential both to aid psychotherapy and eventually to become a prescription medicine, Rick Doblin sought to gain incorporation for MAPS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and educational organization. The founding of MAPS was a primary step toward the future envisioning of what Doblin has called a "nonprofit psychedelic-pharmaceutical company."

MDMA for PTSD

Following the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s rejection of MAPS and Lykos Therapeutics' New Drug Application for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy (MDMA-AT) for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), MAPS laid off 33% of its staff.

Projects

Since 1986, MAPS has funded psychedelics and medical cannabis research and education. These include:

• Sponsored efforts by Lyle Craker, Medicinal Plant Program, UMass Amherst Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, to obtain a license from the Drug Enforcement Administration for a marijuana production facility.
• Sponsored analytical research into the effects of the marijuana vaporizer, leading to the first human study of marijuana vaporizers conducted by Donald Abrams of the University of California, San Francisco.

Organization

Board and staff

MAPS is governed by a board of directors including John Gilmore, David Bronner, Robert J. Barnhart, and Rick Doblin. Ashawna Hailey served on the board until her death in 2011.

Funding

MAPS is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) research and educational organization, funded by donations from individuals and foundations. On August 20, 2020, having raised $30 million in non-profit donations in less than six months, MAPS and the Psychedelic Science Funders Collaborative (PSFC) announced the completion of the Capstone Campaign, a non-profit fundraising effort to fund the final research required to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Legal efforts

Medical cannabis monopoly

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has a government granted monopoly on the production of cannabis for medical research purposes.

NIDA administers a contract with the University of Mississippi to grow the nation's only legal cannabis crop for medical and research purposes, including the Compassionate Investigational New Drug program. United States federal law registers cannabis as a Schedule I drug. Medical marijuana researchers typically prefer to use high-potency marijuana, but NIDA's National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse has been reluctant to provide cannabis with high THC levels, citing safety concerns:

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In 2016, the Obama administration DEA announced their intent to grant additional licenses to marijuana growers for research, ending the NIDA monopoly on federally legal marijuana. The DEA finalized the proposed rule in early 2020.

Controversy

A clinical participant in MAPS's phase 2 trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, Meaghan Buisson, was inappropriately cuddled and spooned by a husband-and-wife pair of therapists while on MDMA during one of her therapy sessions. A few months later, Buisson began living with the pair, Dr. Donna Dryer and Dr. Richard Yensen, in their home on a remote Canadian island for purposes of undergoing more therapy. Buisson eventually entered a sexual relationship with Yensen, allegedly under the guise of it being exposure therapy. The relationship continued for over a year. In 2018, Buisson filed a civil lawsuit alleging that Yensen had repeatedly sexually assaulted her. The suit was settled out of court.

Upon eventually learning of the ethical violation, MAPS cut ties with the therapists, reported the incident to health authorities, issued a public statement about it, gave Buisson US$15,000 to obtain therapy while her civil case against Yensen was ongoing, and instituted a new code of ethics for the trials that explicitly prohibited sexual contact between participants and therapists. A few years later, the incident was further reported on by Psymposia in their podcast series Cover Story: Power Trip, in which they strongly criticize MAPS. In addition, shortly after the podcast, Psymposia and Buisson released video excerpts of Buisson experiencing the inappropriate physical contact that had been recorded during her therapy session. The videos had been voluntarily given to Buisson by MAPS when she had asked for them previously. MAPS has been criticized for missing the video-recorded ethical violation and for not viewing the videos until years after it became aware of the incident.

References

References

1. Doblin R. (2002). "A clinical plan for MDMA ("Ecstasy") in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): partnering with the FDA". Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.
2. (2023-12-13). "FDA to review MDMA-assisted therapy, a milestone for psychedelics". Washington Post.
3. Millard, M.. (October 8–14, 2004). "This is your brain on drugs: Rick Doblin thinks pot, ecstasy, and other psychedelics could unlock the human mind — and he wants to bring them to Harvard, the FDA, and a doctor's office near you". Boston Phoenix.
4. Busby, Mattha. (7 March 2025). "Inside the Billionaire Takeover of Lykos—and Rick Doblin's Comeback".
5. Harris, Gardiner. (18 January 2010). "Researchers find study of medical marijuana discouraged". The New York Times.
6. Stafford, Lindsay. (February–April 2010). "The state of clinical cannabis research in the United States". HerbalGram.
7. (2007). "Vaporization as a smokeless cannabis delivery system: A pilot study". Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
8. MAPS Bulletin Volume XX, 3, "2010 Annual Report"
9. Ramachandran, Shalini. (2020-08-20). "WSJ News Exclusive {{!}} Silicon Valley and Wall Street Elites Pour Money Into Psychedelic Research". Wall Street Journal.
10. Jag Davies. "Letting the Science, Not the Politicians, Decide About Marijuana | Drugs". AlterNet.
11. "MAPS Bulletin Volume XVI Number 3: Winter 2006-7". Maps.org.
12. Department of Health and Human Services. (January 1998). "NIDA - About NIDA - Organization - NACDA - Provision of Marijuana and Other Compounds For Scientific Research - Recommendations of The National Institute on Drug Abuse National Advisory Council". archives.drugabuse.gov.
13. [https://archive.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2006/05/28/weed_control/ Weed Control] Boston Globe May 28, 2006. Retrieved on February 15th 2010.
14. (10 August 2016). "Obama Administration Set to Remove Barrier to Marijuana Research". New York Times.
15. "DEA proposes process to expand marijuana research in the United States".
16. (4 February 2025). "How a Leftist Activist Group Helped Torpedo a Psychedelic Therapy".
17. Lindsay, Bethany. (18 March 2021). "As psychedelic therapy goes mainstream, former patient warns of danger of sexual abuse".
18. Jacobs, Andrew. (12 August 2024). "Three MDMA Studies Are Retracted by Scientific Journal".
19. Goldhill, Olivia. (3 March 2020). "Psychedelic therapy has a sexual abuse problem".
20. Lighthouse, Charles. (14 June 2024). "Lykos Responds to Opposition by FDA Advisors to MDMA-Assisted Therapy".
21. Stone, Will. (13 May 2024). "Transformation or trouble? Research into MDMA plagued with allegations of misconduct".
22. Lindsay, Bethany. (28 March 2022). "Footage of therapists spooning and pinning down patient in B.C. trial for MDMA therapy prompts review".
23. Busby, Mattha. (20 June 2022). "MDMA trials under review in Canada over alleged abuse of study participants".
24. (25 July 2022). "Meaghan thought psychedelic therapy could help her PTSD. Instead it was the start of a nightmare".
25. (25 May 2019). "Statement: Public Announcement of Ethical Violation by Former MAPS-Sponsored Investigators".