Why is the American right suddenly so interested in psychedelic drugs? | Ross Ellenhorn and Dimitri Mugianis

Magic mushrooms are no magic cure for society ’s ills, and a substance as powerful as psychedelics can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong handsPsychedelic therapies are receiving unprecedented financial and political support – and much of it comes from the right. Peter Thiel has invested extensively in the emerging psychedelic therapeutic industry. Jordan Peterson is a psilocybin fan. In 2018, the Mercer Foundation donated $1m to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (Maps), the leading US psychede lics research organization, for studies of MDMA treatment of PTSD in veterans.The Mercer family also supports the American right wing and climate crisis denial. They ’re a long way from Woodstock – but Maps and some other psychedelic advocates seem glad for any support they can get.Ross Ellenhorn is a sociologist, psychotherapist and author and the founder and CEO ofEllenhorn. His new book,Purple Crayons: The Art of Drawing a Life, is out on 1 November. Dimitri Mugianis is a harm reductionist, activist, musician, poet, writer, and anarchist, with over two decades of experience as a psychedelic practitioner. Ellenhorn and Mugianis are the founders ofCardeaContinue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: US politics Medical research Science Peter Thiel Steve Bannon Greg Abbott Health Source Type: news