“LSD is like dreaming—it’s not uniform content, it’s a way of processing content.” This and many more insights came out of this “Ask Me Anything” session. Rick Doblin—founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), appeared on Reddit’s AMA feature (Ask Me Anything) to openly answer questions along with a team of 10 from MAPS on December 3. For those who are unfamiliar, AMA is like the town hall meeting of the digital age, providing a chance for anyone to ask about anything and, if the comment is promoted by other users to the top of the pile, they will receive a response. When President Obama made a surprise AMA appearance as part of his 2012 campaign efforts, he was bombarded with so many questions the flood of traffic momentarily took down the site. In Doblin’s introduction to the AMA session he described MAPS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana. Then, he noted that the staff could answer any questions about: • Scientific research into MDMA, LSD, psilocybin, ayahuasca, ibogaine, and marijuana; • The role of psychedelics and marijuana in science, medicine, therapy, spirituality, culture, and policy; • Reducing the risks associated with the non-medical use of various drugs by providing education and harm reduction services; • How to effectively communicate about psychedelics at your dinner table; • and anything else! Doblin also noted that currently the most promising research at MAPS focuses on treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. The MAPS team was inundated with more than 2,000 questions and had responded to more than 75 by publishing time (2:30pm, December 4). According to Brad Burge, director of communications and marketing for MAPS, the team will continue to answer questions through the end of the week as long as there is interest—and they may even decide to continue answering questions indefinitely. “Educating the public honestly about psychedelics and marijuana is a core part of our mission,” he said.
Read more about 10 Best Answers to Questions About Using Psychedelics
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