Suggestions
Liana Sananda Sananda Gillooly
Development Officer at Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
MAPS is the largest non-profit investigating the therapeutic uses of psychedelics. Currently, we are in Phase III FDA trials utilizing MDMA Therapy to treat PTSD. Results have been so promising, it earned the designation of Breakthrough Therapy from the FDA. My role is to build awareness of this emergent movement in psychiatry and to fundraise for this groundbreaking research.
Liana Sananda Gillooly is a lifelong advocate for social justice, drug policy reform, ending war, and environmental protection. Liana has worked as a gallerist, art curator, event producer, and held management positions at Greenpeace and Essential Living Foods. Before joining MAPS, she worked as Outreach & Partnerships Manager for a prominent cannabis investment and market research firm, The Arcview Group, where she helped grow the accredited investor network, advocated for legalization, and supported the work of Marijuana Policy Project. It was through her experience witnessing the exponential growth of the cannabis industry that she became inspired to co-found the non-profit North Star, working to integrate psychedelic wisdom into emerging industry surrounding the field of psychedelics, and Auryn Project, non-profit incubator for organizations building equitable, affordable, and accessible psychedelic medicine for all. She is a movement builder deeply committed to collective liberation, and works to build "the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible" by intersecting with movements in humane tech, regenerative ecology, indigenous protection, and purpose driven economics. She enjoys building connection with change-makers, and wrangling the resources needed to transform our world. She has been a featured speaker at numerous events, lobbied Congress, lectured MBA students, given a TedX talk, and is a member of the Summit and TED communities. She a trained death midwife, Vipassana meditator, and immersive artist.
Highlights
I have been supporting the strategy of MAPS for the last 6 years. After Tuesday’s results, I feel the need to share my perspective.
The views expressed below are my own:
The non-binding rejection of MDMA Assisted Therapy for use to treat PTSD by the independent advisory committee to the FDA brings us a deeply humbling moment for Lykos, MAPS, and our entire field. It demonstrates how fragile our collective work is. Victory is not a given. Every step has been hard won over nearly 40 years. Let us not take the progress that has been made for granted. Now is the time that we must be our best, most responsible, honest, and transparent “psychedelic” selves. We must also remember that we are in this together. Lykos and MAPS are imperfect. Yet they have done painstaking work over decades to move the needle. This is incrementalism inside of a megalithic bureaucratic institution. People who have jumped in over the last few years might not realize how difficult, slow, and at times grim it has been. This is a major challenge, yet it is not impossible to overcome it. And harder things have been overcome.
Here are some of my thoughts....
