Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
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The '''Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies''' ('''MAPS''') is a [[United States|U.S.]]-based [[non-profit organization]] that assists scientists to design, fund, obtain approval for and report on studies into the risks and benefits of [[psychedelic drug]]s (including [[MDMA]], [[ibogaine]] and [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]]). MAPS' mission is to develop these drugs into FDA-approved prescription medicines, and to educate the public honestly about their risks and benefits. MAPS has often been at odds with the [[National Institute on Drug Abuse]] (NIDA) and the [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] (DEA) in their efforts to research the medicinal purposes of cannabis. MAPS founder [[Rick Doblin]] claims that NIDA is "scared of the research" MAPS is performing.<ref name="Respectable Reefer">{{cite news|last=Greenberg|first=Gary|title=Respectable Reefer|publisher=Mother Jones|date=[[2005-11-01]]|url=http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2005/11/Respectable_Reefer-3.html|accessdate=2007-04-03}}</ref> MAPS has a $5 million, 5 year plan to conduct the research necessary to obtain FDA approval for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy as a treatment for [[post-traumatic stress disorder]] (PTSD). In addition to its research efforts, MAPS has recently published six books, and publishes a quarterly journal, the MAPS Bulletin. The organization was founded by [[Rick Doblin]] in 1986.
==Achievements==
Since 1995, MAPS has disbursed over three million dollars to research and educational projects and has:
* Obtained FDA and IRB approval to study MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Charleston, SC with similar research projects now underway in [[Switzerland]] and [[Israel]].
* Sponsored efforts by Prof. Lyle Craker, Medicinal Plant Program, [[UMass Amherst]] Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, to obtain a license from the Drug Enforcement Administration for a marijuana production facility.
* Sponsored pioneering analytical research into the effects of the marijuana vaporizer, leading to the first human study of marijuana vaporizers conducted by Dr. [[Donald Abrams]], UC San Francisco.
* Opened an FDA Drug Master File for MDMA. This is required before any drug can be researched in FDA-approved human studies.
* Assisted Dr. Charles Grob to design, obtain approval for and fund the first FDA-approved study in the U.S. to administer MDMA to humans.
* Assisted in the design and is funding the world's first government-approved scientific study of the therapeutic use of MDMA (Spain).
* Sponsored studies to analyze the purity and potency of street samples of "Ecstasy" and medical marijuana.
* Funded the successful efforts of Dr. Donald Abrams to obtain approval for the first human study in 15 years into the therapeutic use of marijuana, along with a $1 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
* Obtained [[Orphan Drug]] designation from the FDA for smoked marijuana in the treatment of AIDS Wasting Syndrome.
* Funded the synthesis of psilocybin for the first FDA-approved study in twenty-five years to evaluate [[psilocybin]] in a patient population.
* Supported long-term follow-up studies of pioneering research with [[LSD]] and psilocybin originally conducted in the 1950s and 1960s.
Currently, MAPS has been given a [[Controlled Substances Act|Schedule I]] license to conduct research with [[Ecstacy (drug)|MDMA]] on veterans and survivors of physical or sexual assault who are suffering from [[post traumatic stress disorder]], as well as with advanced-stage [[Cancer]] patients who are experiencing anxiety associated with this diagnosis, the first licenses the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] has granted for MDMA psychotherapy research.
A [[clinical study]] of these treatment of [[cluster headaches]] using low doses of the tryptamine [[psilocybin]] (found in magic mushrooms) is being developed by researchers at [[Harvard Medical School]], [[McLean Hospital]] in conjunction with MAPS.<!--
--><ref>{{cite web | author= | title= Research into psilocybin and LSD as potential treatments for people with cluster headaches | work=LSD and Psilocybin Research | url=http://www.maps.org/research/cluster/psilo-lsd/index.html | date= | publisher=Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies | accessdate=2006-09-22}}</ref><!--
--><ref>"Response of Cluster Headache to Psilocybin and LSD" Chapter 5 in "Psychedelic Medicine: New Evidence for Hallucinogens as Treatment" Michael Winkelman and Thomas B. Roberts (editors) (2007) Westport, CT: Praeger/Greenwood.</ref>
==References==
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==External links==
*[http://www.maps.org/ MAPS Website]
*[http://www.maps.org/news MAPS Monthly News]
*[http://www.maps.org/news-letters/ MAPS Bulletin Online]
*[http://www.maps.org/catalog MAPS Online Store]
*[http://www.maps.org/support.html MAPS Funding Priorities]
*[http://www.litmuszine.com/feature/side_5.07.07.html Interview with Rick Doblin at LitmusZine]
[[Category:Psychedelic research]]
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Drug policy organizations]]
[[Category:Research organizations]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1986]]
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