Medical Cannabis and Psychedelic Drug Research Help to Revolutionize
Modern Medicine
http://santacruz.patch.com/articles/medical-cannabis-and-psychedelic-drug-research-help-to-revolutionize-modern-medicine
Some of the world's leading cannabis and psychedelic research
organizations are based here in Santa Cruz.
By David Jay Brown
November 20, 2010
It's no accident that Tom Wolfe's classic book about the Merry
Pranksters and the origins of Western psychedelic culture, The
Electric Kool-Aid Acid Trip, begins in Santa Cruz. Our beautiful
seaside town has such a strong psychedelic culture established here
that it's influenced virtually every aspect of our city's
lifestylečšnspiring alternative forms of spirituality, art, medicine
and education, as well as unique fashion styles, increased ecological
awareness and enhanced political progressiveness.
Santa Cruz has been the home to numerous well-known psychedelic
researchers, writers, artists, musicians and many unique,
psychedelically inspired cultural institutions that are having a
significant influence on the rest of the world were founded here.
For example, Santa Cruz is the home of the oldest and most successful
medical marijuana organization in the country, the Wo/Men's Alliance
for Medical Marijuana (WAMM), and it's where the world's premier
psychedelic medical research organization, the Multidisciplinary
Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), is centered.
The Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM)
WAMM was not only the first medical marijuana collective established
in Santa Cruz, it was the first medical marijuana collective
established in California and the United States, as well as the first
medical marijuana collective to receive nonprofit status from the
U.S. government. Founded in 1993 by Valerie and Michael Corral and a
handful of seriously ill patients, WAMM has grown into a politically
powerful collective membership of 250 patients who suffer from a
variety of serious illnesses. WAMM is considered by many people to be
the "gold standard" of medical cannabis collectives, and it serves as
a model for other collectives around the world.
WAMM is internationally recognized for its unique alliance that
allows patients to cultivate their medicine together, in order to
avoid the high price of cannabis in both the black market and
dispensaries, as well as to provide essential physical, emotional and
spiritual support for one another. WAMM focuses on providing hope,
building community and offering a safe, organic supply of medical
marijuana for the treatment of terminal and chronic illness on a
donation basis. WAMM is a vital part of the Santa Cruz public health
system, and it acts as a legitimate city agent, functioning in
compliance with HS11362.5, and acting in accordance with Santa Cruz
City Ordinance SC 2000-06 & 2000-12. WAMM's financial support is
entirely dependent upon donations and funding.
To find out more about WAMM see: wamm.org
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
MAPS is a membership-based, IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit research
and educational organization that is working to develop psychedelic
drugs and marijuana into legal prescription medicines. The
organization was founded in 1986 by Rick Doblin, and it is based here
in Santa Cruz.
MAPS helps scientific researchers design, fund and obtain regulatory
approval for studies into the safety and effectiveness of cannabis
and psychedelic drugs. MAPS works closely with government regulatory
agencies throughout the world, such as the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), to
ensure that all of its sponsored research protocols conform to
ethical and procedural guidelines for clinical drug research.
Some of MAPS' research efforts include studying MDMA for the
treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder; LSD and psilocybin for
the treatment of anxiety and depression associated with end-of-life
issues; ibogaine for the treatment of opiate addiction; and
alternative delivery systems for medical cannabis, such as vaporizers
and water pipes. MAPS states that its ultimate goal is to establish a
network of therapeutic clinics where these treatments can be provided
under the guidance of licensed physicians and therapists.
To find out more about MAPS see: maps.org
.
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