Researchers throw fundraiser to buy 1 kilo of MDMA

A group of researchers in B.C. isthrowing an unconventional fundraiserto raise money tobuy one kilogram of MDMA, the pure form of the party drugecstasy.

• Psychedelic drugs might help treat mental health disorders study says
• Scientists push to renew psychedelic drug research for psychiatry

Researchersfrom MAPS Canada a branch of the California-basedMultidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies, a group thatresearchespsychedelics are raising money tolooking into the effectiveness of using MDMA to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

"PTSD is a very hard illness to treat,"said MarkHaden, director of MAPS Canada. Haden noted that the traditionalsuccess rate for treating PTSD is about 25 per cent, but with MDMA, "we are demonstrating82 per cent effectiveness in one month."

Hesaidprevious research conducted by MAPSshows thattakingMDMAmakes it easier for those suffering from PSTD to access their emotionsand helps build trust between patientand therapist.

"The empathy between people goes up dramatically," said Haden onthe effects of MDMA.

Releases serotonin

Researchsuggests thatMDMAreleases serotonin a feel-good chemical in the brain,andOxytocinthe 'cuddle hormone'that supports touching, hugging, holding and trusting others.

Psychedelic drug therapy which was once legal could greatly help ex-military personnel and first responders overcome their PTSD, said Haden.

The moneyraised from the eventwill be used to fund the next phase of clinical trialsandto pay laboratories tomakethe drug.

The previous phaseof the trial explored the safety and ethicsof using the MDMA for therapy. Itincluded 100 people with severe PTSDfrom around the world. Six individuals were in B.C.

Vancouver psychiatrist,Dr. Ingrid Paceywas the lead principle investigatorof thatclinicalstudy.

She said the findings wereremarkable.

"What we found wasvery powerful therapy," Pacey said.

"With the MDMA, they can get past that state of terror," she said.

"They're really able to talk about the trauma without blocking or getting anxious," she said.

Legalize MDMA therapy

Paceywants MDMAtherapy to be legalized and for therapists to be properly trained to use them in sessions.

She warns that the therapy is to be used to help patients open up about their traumatic experiences. She added that it isnot a magic bullet.

"This is not about prescribing it to people to take on their own, it is to be used with a therapist," she said.

A dinner fundraiser will be held in Victoria on April 28th and an art fundraiser in Vancouver on May 19th.

With files from the CBC'sOn The Island.