Courses

After decades of suppression, large-scale research into the use of psychedelic medicines to treat mental health conditions has experienced a dramatic revival. Promising results have spurred tremendous investment in an industry that may be worth an estimated $7 billion by 2027. The Food and Drug Administration is on the brink of approving therapeutic uses of drugs such as MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin. Multiple states and cities have decriminalized the use of certain psychedelics, even as the federal government continues to regulate those drugs as controlled substances and a high-stakes election looms. In this context, widespread adoption of psychedelics seems at once inevitable and fraught with uncertainty.

How did substances that are still mostly illegal gain so much traction? Are patents good or bad for promoting innovation and access in this evolving field? Will psychedelics be monopolized by a few giant pharmaceutical companies? And what are the ethical implications of commercializing activity that has traditionally been conducted in sacred Indigenous ceremonies? To explore such questions, we will examine current legal frameworks and academic scholarship through readings, lectures, and sessions with guest speakers. We will conclude by considering emerging policy proposals for shaping the future of psychedelics.