MAPS Researchers Explore the Potential for Psychedelic Drugs to Treat PTSD

published on March 5, 2018 by Joseph Keller in The Runner

Vancouver will soon host one of 15 research sites for the study

MDMA, a stigmatised psychoactive drug that many associate more with parties than with medicine, could soon be a powerful tool for treating post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric afflictions.

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) will soon be embarking on a multinational study on the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. This marks the third phase of a nearly three decade-long endeavor for MAPS, during which public perception of MDMA as “party drug” has remained a constant barrier.

Despite this, researchers see incredible potential in the drug as a groundbreaking treatment to not only reduce symptoms for sufferers of PTSD, but to actually eliminate the disorder.

“The preliminary research that has been done so far, both on the MDMA studies and with other psychedelics for treating things like addictions, anxiety, depression, shows that these are extremely promising medications,” says Dr. Kenneth Tupper, Director of Implementation & Partnerships at the B.C. Centre on Substance Use. “Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is yielding very, very promising results such that we want to continue to expand and do more clinical studies.”