PSFC Psychedelic Landscape Report
“The report is terrific — well-organized, deeply considered, and comprehensive.”
Letter from the Founders
As 2021 draws to a close, it is staggering to think we are likely less than two years away from legal access to psychedelic therapy under both federally approved (FDA) and state-approved, regulated models.
When psychedelic research restarted in the 90’s after being dormant for decades, the distant hope was that it would someday lead to FDA approval and legal medical access. The vast majority of the resources over the past three decades have gone into research and clinical trials towards this goal. When we founded Psychedelic Science Funders Collaborative (PSFC) in 2017, it was a wide open question whether any psychedelic would one day be available by prescription or whether broad access to psychedelics outside of a medical context would be possible in any form. Since our founding, we have seen the field of psychedelics migrate from a question of “if” psychedelic healing will be made legal and accessible, to a question of “how”.
Over the last four years, we have also seen the field experience a period of rapid expansion, with the introduction of a growing number of nonprofit and for-profit organizations - each aiming to play their part in building out a thriving psychedelic ecosystem. Recognizing the increasing complexity of this growing field, in late 2020, PSFC set out to “map the landscape”. In doing so, we aimed to
Gain a better understanding of the growing variety of organizations, companies and individuals advancing the field;
Gain an understanding of the relationships and interdependencies between these groups that will be necessary to create the robust care delivery system needed;
Identify the highest impact areas for funding to support the field’s continued growth and maturation.
Our team undertook a process of both primary and secondary research - interviewing 59 key leaders and stakeholders throughout the ecosystem, while also conducting a thorough review of key studies, trials, literature, and industry reports.
The result is PSFC’s Psychedelic Landscape Report which we are now thrilled to share with the broader psychedelic community. It is our hope that this report, and the strategic recommendations outlined herein, will serve as a tool for stakeholders to better understand the various components necessary to enable a thriving psychedelic ecosystem – and to inform decision making regarding high impact funding opportunities.
Since sharing an initial version of the report with our members earlier this year, PSFC has used it to help crystallize our two key priorities:
Continued support for the accessibility of high-quality MDMA-assisted therapy in the United States
Ensuring Oregon’s psilocybin therapy program provides a high-quality model for psychedelic healing in a non-prescription context that could be replicated in other states
With work underway to ensure the major components of the Oregon Psilocybin Therapy Services Initiative are on track to launch in January 2023, and FDA approvals for the prescription of MDMA possible later that same year, there is much to be done over the course of the next 12 – 18 months to ensure the infrastructure is in place to create robust, safe, effective and accessible systems of psychedelic care delivery under each model.
The stakes are high for both MDMA by prescription and psilocybin in Oregon. Both will draw national attention while also setting precedents for the rest of the psychedelic field. We believe this is a pivotal moment in which we have an opportunity to show that psychedelic healing can be beneficially integrated into society. If this integration does not go well, however, we risk repeating some of the dark side of the 60’s and the ensuing backlash.
Thus, PSFC is focusing its philanthropic resources to ensure successful care delivery under these two systems. As a community of funders, we recognize the power of working as a collective. We also recognize the important role that philanthropy will continue to play in enabling the build out of critical infrastructure for psychedelic care delivery – particularly for organizations or initiatives that would otherwise go underfunded.
To meet our goals, we are forming several member-led working groups which, with PSFC staff and outside experts, will analyze the sector in depth to understand the gaps in the field that are not being sufficiently supported or funded, but whose growth are critical for the development of a psychedelic delivery system that is safe and accessible. We will vet key non-profit organizations in the sector, recommend philanthropic funding opportunities to our members, and provide support and oversight for grantee organizations in the form of both financial resources and expertise in business, policy, regulation, advocacy, science, and organizational design.
In the coming months, we look forward to sharing additional details regarding the work emanating from our working groups, while amplifying the work of the various organizations and initiatives with whom we will collaborate.
In the meantime, we invite stakeholders throughout the ecosystem to be in touch with us to discuss the contents of this report, to explore possible areas of collaboration, or to inquire about PSFC membership. Inquiries can be submitted to info@psfc.co.
We hope you find value in the Landscape Report and we are very grateful to all who made it possible. We are honored to be able to share in our service to the psychedelic field, and in the advancement of a vision for safe, effective and accessible psychedelic healing for all who stand to benefit.
In gratitude,
Graham Boyd and Joe Green
PSFC Founders
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