Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Policy
Harm reduction is a public health philosophy that aims to lessen the dangers that drug use – and drug policies – cause to society. Because some drugs, such as psychedelics and marijuana, have proven therapeutic and medicinal uses, a harm reduction strategy not only seeks to reduce the harms that drugs can cause, but also to maximize their potential benefits. People who use psychedelics sometimes have challenging emotional experiences that can become dangerous when they lead to counterproductive medical interventions or contact with law enforcement. In response, some harm reduction services aim to empower people who use psychedelics and their peers with techniques for assisting others
through difficult experiences and, in doing so, to provide a new framework for looking at “bad trips” as opportunities for psychological growth. What are the policy implications of psychedelic harm reduction services? And how might the scientific research community, policy advocates, and harm reduction practitioners work together to improve and expand existing theoretical models and on-the-ground practices?
This video is from Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century, a conference taking in place in San Jose, California on April 15-18, 2010. The conference was organized by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) in collaboration with the Heffter Research Institute, the Council on Spiritual Practices, and the Beckley Foundation.
This video was produced by Green Fuse Media, contact Nathan at greenfusefilms@gmail.com
To learn more about MAPS or to support our work, visit www.maps.org.
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