Special Issue on Diversity, Equity, and Access in Psychedelic Medicine

While it is exciting to witness the culmination of decades of drug policy advocacy and clinical research, the psychedelic medicine movement is struggling from similar social issues plaguing other fields of health care. The healing properties of plant medicine derivatives were originally brought to Western consciousness by indigenous cultures from around the world, including notable individuals such as María Sabina. These practices must now be adapted to Western models of healthcare in order to achieve governmental approval as medical treatments. The current models of psychedelic psychotherapy being utilized in clinical trials are resource intensive and therefore likely to remain out of reach for the socioeconomically disadvantaged if approved as medical treatments. Moreover, women and people of color are uncommon in leadership positions in the psychedelic research community, and few people of color are included as research participants in psychedelic studies. This special issue will focus on issues of diversity, equity, and accessibility in psychedelic medicine... continue reading.