Psychedelic Medicine Coalition CEO Melissa Lavasani On Psychedelics Advocacy On Capitol Hill

In our latest TDR Psychedelics Exclusive, we welcome Melissa Lavasani to the mic. Lavasani is Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Psychedelic Medicine Coalition and the Founder and President of the Psychedelic Medicine PAC.

The Psychedelic Medicine PAC focuses on securing federal funding for research on how psilocybin, ketamine and other psychedelic molecules may be able to treat disorders. So, you can see that for her, advocacy for psychedelics as part of a medical treatment option for Americans is obviously a big deal.

We kick off our interview with her impressions of the impact made by the MAPS Psychedelic Science Conference last month. Data was presented on Ketamine, MDMA, and other compounds. What was the event like for someone who spends so much time advocating for psychedelics to politicians? And exactly how different is the process of bringing psychedelics into the mainstream instead of another kind of medication? She’ll explain.

Not only do we talk about Washington’s reaction to the data presented, we also tackle how congress is processing this information towards solving mental health crisis and redefining the mental healthcare landscape. With billions of dollars on the line and a growing need for care in mental health, what is their perspective on using psychedelics and improving the current system? Do politicians feel that there is a need to change the status quo?

Part of the advocacy process means pushing for more education and changing the narrative. We’ll discuss how far the public has come in grasping the usefulness of psychedelics in mental health, not just the politicians. What challenges will the psychedelics narrative face, and how is perception of psychedelic compounds, especially with loosening restrictions on cannabis?

Lavasani will share more information about Washington advocates and the push to consider rescheduling psychedelics. And lastly, for those who are curious, we talk about the efficacy of some of the different psychedelics.