Dates are set. Location is confirmed. Psychedelic Science returns to Denver May 3-7, 2027. Early Bird registration begins soon. We’ll share more very soon👀

In today’s Bulletin article, we introduce Fireside Project’s newest offering, TripCheck: a free emotional support service for people in the midst of psychedelic experiences or integrating a previous journey. https://maps.org/news/bulletin/tripcheck-fireside-project/

This Black History Month, we’re sharing a moment that asked for honesty. At Psychedelic Science 2025, Pamela Roundtree, speaking on behalf of the Juneteenth & Black Planning Committee, helped ground the room in present-day realities around harm, exclusion, and access https://virtualtrip.maps.org/

“We take data security and participant privacy extremely seriously and have designed recruitment, consent, and data handling protocols with those commitments at the center.” -Jae Sevelius, Ph.D. Learn more: https://maps.org/couples-therapy-practitioner-study/

Through a partnership with Columbia University, MAPS is documenting practitioner knowledge to help inform ethical guidance, future research, and policy. Learn more: https://maps.org/couples-therapy-practitioner-study/

In September 2026, MAPS and our global affiliate MAPS Italia will host Italy’s first week-long education program, bringing together mental healthcare professionals near Turin. This will be the only available program taking place in Europe, 2026 https://mapsitalia-mdma-therapy-training.lovable.app/

NOW LIVE ON YOUTUBE Reggie Watts and Hamilton Morris are inside the Shulgin Lab, where MDMA was first developed for therapeutic use and where hundreds of psychedelic compounds were synthesized. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUIoNOAZyCw

Science is advancing, yet political caution and structural barriers still shape the pace of progress. The real question isn’t only whether psychedelic therapies work, but whether our systems can evaluate them on the strength of the evidence.

According to new reporting from STAT, an FDA proposal to fast-track a psilocybin treatment for severe depression was blocked after review by the White House and HHS, raising questions about how political considerations intersect with drug regulation.

A place that changed psychedelic history. A tour that opens something much bigger. This Thursday, Reggie Watts and Hamilton Morris step inside the legendary Shulgin Lab. 🎥 Tour drops Thursday at 12pm ET / 9am PT on YouTube 🔔 Subscribe now so you do not miss it! https://www.youtube.com/c/mapsmdma

Breakthroughs don’t come in one shape, speed, or intensity. For some, they’re gradual. For others, they break straight through the ceiling👀 Integration is what helps those moments become insight rather than overwhelm. https://maps.org/integration-station/

N.F.L. Careers Scarred Their Brains. Could Mushrooms Provide Relief?

At a moment when psychedelic medicine is rapidly professionalizing, this piece offers a clear call to action: the field must evolve now, or risk reproducing the very inequities it seeks to heal. Read this full article by Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley from Hystelica, maps.org/bulletin

In this Bulletin feature, Drs. Megan Meyer and Andrew Coop detail how the University of Maryland, Baltimore, is taking a proactive, multidisciplinary approach to workforce education in psychedelic-assisted therapies.  maps.org/bulletin

Today we honor the birthday of Amanda Feilding, a visionary who helped bring consciousness research out of the margins and into serious scientific and policy conversations. Help us wish her a Happy Birthday❤️

In Tending the Living Laboratory, Liana Sananda Gillooly traces the evolution of the North Star Project from articulating shared values to cultivating the conditions needed to live them. https://maps.org/news/bulletin/north-star-ecology-ethics-2026/

🎥: Preparing for the Fourth Drive: Raising Psychedelic-Savvy Teens

In this Bulletin feature, neuroscientist Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley asserts that hormone-informed research is essential for safe and effective psychedelic medicine. Read the full article: https://maps.org/news/bulletin/hystelica-hormone-informed-psychedelic-medicine-women/

New Jersey is taking a meaningful step toward expanding mental health care! Learn more: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026/01/murphy-signs-psilocybin-pilot-program-into-law-00737053

The MAPS Mystery Box is still available — but not for long 🫠 Each box includes: ✨ 2 surprise books ✨ 1 archived shirt or hoodie in your size ✨ 2 mystery merch items from MAPS history Retail value: $120–$150+ Your price: $80 (t-shirt) or $100 (hoodie) Grab your mystery swag today! maps.org/store

In this Bulletin article, Natalie explores one of the challenges of bringing psychedelic-assisted therapy to conflict zones: how to create the structures and containers necessary for individual safety in regions. Read more: https://maps.org/news/bulletin/ethics-under-fire/

Rooted in connection, racial healing calls us to listen deeply, acknowledge harm, and honor the different experiences that shape how we move through the world. These practices are essential for building trust, belonging, and the foundations for mental health and collective

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us that justice is built through action guided by conscience, compassion, and courage. His words challenge us to keep choosing what is right, even when the path forward is uncertain.

Rather than positioning MDMA as the primary agent of change, the authors emphasize that the therapy model itself plays a critical role — ethically, clinically, and scientifically. Read the full paper and let us know your thoughts💭 https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20250554

Psychedelic Induced Insights Survey

MAPS and the HoloMind Institute brought our International MDMA-Assisted Therapy Training Program to Poland — the country’s first international psychedelic therapy training. 60 clinicians from around the world gathered to deepen their understanding of trauma-informed, psychedelic-assisted care.

A new paper explores this question by examining whether psychedelic-assisted therapy could one day support people with gambling disorder. https://jagunifiedinternational.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IJNII-Vol.32-1-October-2025.pdf

Preparation is where integration really begins: thinking about intention, safety, support, and how an experience might be carried into daily life long before anything is ingested. View the full video: https://maps.org/integration-station/

As the MAPS team returns from the holidays, we’ve been taking time to reflect on 2025. We’re grateful to be stepping into the new year with this community by our side, grounded in our values and committed to the long work ahead. Happy New Year from the MAPS team 💫

This week, we’re honored to share the work of InkTally, an artist whose visual language speaks directly to the questions at the heart of psychedelic healing: perception, reality, and the power of awareness. https://maps.org/news/bulletin/about-ink-tally-artwork/

Read the full statement for our Co-Executive Director, Betty Aldworth. https://maps.org/2025/12/18/maps-statement-on-cannabis-rescheduling/

We’re pleased to share a new limited edition hoodie collection created to accompany the 2025 MAPS Bulletin, arriving in mailboxes the week of December 22! This collection was produced in a one-time, limited run. Two designs are available! Visit the link below to get yours: maps.org/store

Happy birthday to Dennis McKenna! In this clip from After the Revolution: Natural Psychedelics and the Right to Symbiosis, McKenna reflects on psychedelics not only as tools for healing the mind, but as catalysts for a deeper reckoning with how we relate to the living world.

In a recent Drug Discovery & Development piece, the potential move to Schedule III is framed as a shift that could unlock long-restricted cannabis research and accelerate pharmaceutical development. https://www.drugdiscoverytrends.com/why-schedule-iii-cannabis-could-be-a-win-for-big-pharma/

Today, we’re featuring a powerful piece from Anne Hamilton, JD, MA—an advanced-stage breast cancer survivor whose own encounter with mortality led her to reimagine what palliative care can look like. Read the full article: https://maps.org/news/bulletin/live-and-die-well-survivorship-collective/

Reports suggest President Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would reclassify marijuana at the federal level, potentially moving it from Schedule I to Schedule III. Read the full article: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/12/cannabis-stocks-trump-regulations.html

A new clinical study examined whether ayahuasca, when paired with a structured meaning reconstruction therapy, could offer early support to people experiencing acute grief within the first year of losing a close family member. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-13251-5

If you’re searching for meaningful gifts this season, we’ve got you covered✨ 40% off everything in the MAPS store by using code “MAPSTURNS40”, and 60% off for Members! Order by December 14 to make sure your gifts arrive on time, and for those extra savings, become a member😎 maps.org/membership

Dancing, psychedelics, community, and transformative experiences often go hand-in-hand.  In this week’s Bulletin article, Ana Flecha, Ph.D., explores how dance and psychedelics work together as powerful tools for transformation, healing and collective connection.  maps.org/news/bulleti...

Today marks the birthday of Timothy Leary, a psychologist and cultural figure who helped bring psychedelics into mainstream awareness.

Zendo Project invites you to enroll in their upcoming SIT course, where you'll master the fundamentals of psychedelic harm reduction, gain tools for handling challenging experiences, and learn best practices for integration. Learn more and register: zendoproject.org/shop/sit/

The global mental health and neuroscience communities are mourning the loss of Nolan Williams, M.D. To those who knew him best, he was far more than a pioneer — he was a devoted husband, an adoring father, and a man who approached life with curiosity, courage, and love. maps.org/2025/10/14/r...

For Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked our Co-Executive Director, Ismail L. Ali, if he had a psychedelic experience that made him feel more connected with his heritage and identity. Learn more about Izzy: maps.org/people/ismai...

Tanya Kammonen of the IMC Fund wrote our next Bulletin article, IMCF at PS2025, where she shares some of the projects and outputs from the conference, including the reading of the Second Declaration by the IMCF Delegation to the Psychedelic Field. Read the full Bulletin: maps.org/news/bulleti...

MAPS is partnering with the HoloMind Institute to deliver its International Psychedelic Therapy Training Program (ITE) in Poland. Visit the link below to learn more about this historic moment! maps.org/2025/10/08/m...

In this new Tricycle Day interview, Ismail reflects on how his Islamic faith shaped his philosophy on psychedelics, where he sees the bleeding edge of policy reform, and why MAPS is narrowing its strategic focus for the chapter ahead. www.tricycleday.com/p/ismail-ali

In this week’s Bulletin article, Elliot Marseille, the Director of the Collaborative for the Economics of Psychedelics at UC Berkeley, explains the research and analyses behind the cost, coverage, and accessibility of psychedelic medicines. Read the full article: maps.org/news/bulleti...

In this article, Court Wing writes about the transdiagnostic potential of psychedelics, including but not limited to, MDMA, LSD, DMT, and Ibogaine. Learn more: maps.org/news/bulleti...

In this MAPS from the past Bulletin, Citlali reminds us that honoring Hispanic and Indigenous heritage means holding space for these truths, acknowledging harm, and creating pathways of respect and reciprocity in the psychedelic future. maps.org/news/bulleti...

In this week’s Bulletin, researchers at Emory University are launching a study on Post-Psychedelic Challenges — investigating what these difficulties look like, their predictors, and how to best support individuals experiencing them.  maps.org/news/bulleti...