After trying psychedelics, a group of veterans had varied reactions. “I've never done anything like that before,” says Randy Weaver, a former staff sergeant in the Army. He describes feeling spiritually connected with soldiers he knew who died in the war.

🍄 Another article on the psychedelic frontier: "Genevieve Jurvetson, and her husband, Steve, a venture capitalist, are supporting a Johns Hopkins study exploring whether psilocybin might be able to help stroke victims regain motor control. The couple also plans to support studies into whether psychedelics could treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. “There’s a recognition that we have a mental health crisis and that much of what we are currently doing is not working for a lot of people,” says Taylor West, executive director of the Healing Advocacy Fund, which helps expand state-regulated access to psychedelic healing. “That’s driving increasing interest in these treatments as a new tool.” West’s group is working in three states — Colorado, New Mexico, and Oregon — that have approved controlled access to psychedelics. Oregon’s program, which won approval in 2020, has already helped more than 20,000 people go on psilocybin journeys. [essentially, a huge experiment in safety and efficacy] So far, most philanthropic support has come from individual donors and small and medium-size grant makers like the Cain Foundation. Among the biggest funders in psychedelic healing are the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, which has given more than $69 million for research; the soap company executive David Bronner, who helped bankroll a ballot measure in Oregon; the lifestyle guru Tim Ferriss; and the Jurvetson Foundation. Together, these donors aren’t just etching a road map for the adoption of a once-controversial treatment; they’re demonstrating that philanthropic dollars, when spent strategically, can have an outsize impact on research, policy, and public awareness." — from — join us!

Nearly a year after attending a psychedelics retreat, eight of the nine veterans told 60 Minutes their symptoms improved and called their experience “life-changing.” One veteran said the treatment worsened his condition.

Nearly a year after attending a psychedelics retreat, eight of the nine veterans told 60 Minutes their symptoms improved and called their experience “life-changing.” One veteran said the treatment worsened his condition.