Monthly Archives: January 2021

Research shows that hallucinogens can be highly effective treatments for anxiety, depression, addiction, and trauma. Here's everything you need to know:

Aren't psychedelic drugs illegal?Under federal and most states' laws, they are, but a push to legalize or decriminalize the drugs is gaining momentum. On Election Day, Oregon voters made their state the first to legalize the active ingredient in "magic mushrooms" psilocybin for mental health therapy in a controlled setting with a therapist. Washington, D.C., voters passed Initiative 81, making the city at least the fifth to decriminalize magic mushrooms. Similar legislation has been proposed in California, Vermont, and Iowa. Last summer, Canada issued four terminally ill patients exemptions to take psilocybin for end-of-life anxiety and depression. British Columbia resident Mona Strelaeff, 67, got an exemption for treatment for trauma, addiction, depression, and anxiety. "All the unresolved trauma," Strelaeff said, "it came back and I was beyond terrified, shaking uncontrollably, and crying." She said that psilocybin therapy helped her conquer "those tough memories" and today she "ain't afraid of jack (s---)."

How does psychedelic therapy work?Participants usually take psilocybin or LSD in a relaxing setting, lying down with blindfolds and headphones on, listening to music. Trained supervisors encourage them to "go inward and to kind of experience whatever is going to come up," said Alan Davis, who studies psychedelics at Johns Hopkins University. Bad psilocybin trips are rare Johns Hopkins and NYU researchers conducted 500 sessions without observing any "serious adverse effects" but they can occur. Advocates say careful dose control, supervision, and controlled settings are very important. Psilocybin sessions typically last between four and six hours, while LSD sessions go on for 12. Robin Carhart-Harris, who runs the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College in London, theorized that such sessions can "reboot" the brain in a way similar to a near-death or intense spiritual experience.

What's the neuroscience?Psychedelics have been shown to stimulate new brain cell growth and create more complex connections that enable various far-flung areas of the brain to communicate with one another. Habitual, rigid patterns of thinking are broken. At the same time, these drugs temporarily dissolve the ego the sense of separation of the self from everything else and produce an "oceanic" feeling of oneness with the universe, which is why many indigenous societies have used them in spiritual practices. "I didn't know where I ended and my surroundings began," one patient told Michael Pollan, author of a book on psychedelic therapy, How to Change Your Mind.

Why does the ego disappear?Experiments have shown that psychedelics diminish blood flow and oxygen consumption in an area of the brain called the default mode network, or DMN. The DMN, which scientists have nicknamed the "me network," acts as a gatekeeper for consciousness, filtering out information so that the brain can operate more efficiently. As the DMN gets turned off, people experience a sudden opening of the gates of perception, ideas, and visions, with vivid hallucinations that give participants new insights into themselves and into life itself.

What are the benefits?Researchers say they can be profound and wide-ranging. One 2014 Johns Hopkins study found that 80 percent of smokers who underwent psilocybin-assisted therapy reported that they remained smoke-free six months afterward. "The universe was so great, and there were so many things you could do and see in it that killing yourself seemed like a dumb idea," one smoker told Pollan. A 2016 study reported that 83 percent of cancer patients with depression and anxiety enjoyed profound increases in life satisfaction or well-being from a single psilocybin dose. About two-thirds of study participants ranked the therapy among the "top five spiritually significant" events in their lives. One professed atheist recalled feeling "bathed in God's love." Fear of death often disappears.

Why are these drugs illegal? During the 1950s, some psychologists thought psychedelics could revolutionize mental health treatment. But when recreational use of these powerful substances became popular among hippies in the 1960s, it sparked a backlash, with tales of bad trips and psychotic breaks. In 1965, the federal government banned psychedelic drugs, and the companies stopped producing them for research. Timothy Leary, the rebel psychologist who encouraged youngsters to "turn on, tune in, and drop out," was branded "the most dangerous man in America" by President Richard Nixon. But after decades of underground use, research into their value has experienced a renaissance. In 2018, the FDA designated psilocybin as a "breakthrough therapy" for depression and anxiety. A year later, Johns Hopkins University launched the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research the same year that Imperial College in London launched its center. "The hoary '60s platitude that psychedelics would help unlock the secrets of consciousness," Pollan says, "may turn out not to be so preposterous after all."

Studying MDMA and DMTOther psychedelics besides LSD and psilocybin have shown therapeutic promise. MDMA, long known as the club drug "ecstasy," or "molly," interacts with many of the same neurotransmitters in the brain as conventional anxiety drugs. Studies show it inspires feelings of "empathy and bonding" that can be incorporated into everyday life with the help of a therapist. Researchers at the Santa Cruz, Californiabased Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies have already concluded Phase 2 trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for use in treating PTSD, and are planning Phase 3 trials. Studies have found that ayahuasca, a psychoactive brew of several plants from the Amazon, can also have beneficial effects. Imperial College is studying how DMT, or dimethyltryptamine, known as the "spirit molecule," can help patients suffering from depression and anxiety. During the very intense 20-minute sessions on the drug, "[patients] kind of go on a journey into themselves," said Dr. Carol Routledge. "Sometimes it can be a bit traumatic." Painful, repressed memories and their connection to current problems can be revealed. Routledge and other therapists strongly advise against experimenting with psychedelic substances outside of a controlled setting, warning that the experiences can be overwhelming.

This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.

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Psychedelics as therapy - The Week

In a recent acquisition, BetterLife Pharma obtained a patented process to produce BOL-148, a ... [+] non-hallucinogenic derivative of lysergic acid that does not require the use of a scheduled substance.

An increasing number of studies are showing the potential benefits of psychedelics, and while their results may be positive, a fact remains: no matter how much support this novel therapy may gain, some people will simply never be interested in the tripping part of a psychedelic experience.

As such, some companies in the space have focused on developing compounds that eliminate the mirages, kaleidoscopic visuals and sometimes unpleasant psychomimetic effects that come with the consumption of drugs like psilocybin mushrooms and LSD.

BetterLife Pharma is one biotech company developing and hoping to manufacture and commercialize drugs that check this box. The company refers to these compounds as second generation psychedelics.

Second generation psychedelics are compounds that have some of the therapeutic effects of psychedelics, without the hallucination, says CEO Ahmed Doroudian. If you wanted to summarize in one sentence, its this: these compounds may have the anti-depressive or anti-anxiety and other effects of psychedelics, without the trip.

The need for this type of drug, Doroudian says, is two-fold: first, to fulfill the need of the patient, who may not be keen on a psychedelic trip, and second, to ease the stress on a medical system not equipped to work with hallucinogenic compounds.

In the clinical sense, if youre a patient and you are using LSD or LSD-type compounds, youre going to need a therapist, a doctor, observing you at the time. We envision, after clinical trials, that our compound would be dispensed by a pharmacist and you could take it at home, he says. Its an outpatient administration of a drug that you could safely use at home to treat your anxiety and depression.

In December, the drug development company acquired Transcend Biodynamics, another biotech firm with a robust IP portfolio focusing on next-gen psychedelic compounds, peptides, pro-drugs, and nutraceuticals. One drug in their portfolio was of particular interest to BetterLife, says Doroudian.

The drug is called 2-bromo LSD, also known as BOL-148, and is a derivative of lysergic acid first synthesized by Albert Hofmann in 1957. The compound is a non-hallucinogenic analogue of LSD, and has been studied recently for use in patients suffering from cluster headaches. While there is other research on this compound, much of it dates back to the 50s, 60s, and 70s. The CEO says further study of its potential implications and clinical trials are part of the companys plan.

The version of BOL-148 BetterLife has obtained through the Transcend acquisition is referred to as TD-0148A. Doroudian says what separates Transcends version is that the company has a patent to manufacture it that does not require the use of any scheduled substances.

BetterLife Pharma CEO Ahmed Doroudian

Right now, the crux of this thing is that all these other groups, including Project Lucy and Mind Med, are using substances that are scheduled. If you wanted to manufacture 2-bromo LSD or BOL-148, you have to go through a process that requires you to deal with scheduled substances, and that comes with all the regulatory issues, he said.

Transcends process allows for the manufacturing and production of BOL-148 through a process that does not include the handling of any scheduled LSD-related materials or narcotics.

The BetterLife team is currently made up of several longtime executives, many of whom have more than 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical development and biotechnology. Were all clinical people and we do everything through an IND FDA approach, said the CEO.

The company has previously had success bringing an anti-cancer drug to clinical trial, and Doroudian says the team has much experience with the process of taking drugs from development to manufacturing. BetterLife is currently in the process of working with a group that can manufacture the drugs to the companys specs and GMP standards. He says that within the next couple of months the company hopes to have a finished product.

Were taking two paths here, he said. The first is an independent investigator study in the United States. Then were doing a lot of preclinical work to complete a package for an IND filing for sometime in the fall, for the full-blown phase two clinical trials for BOL-148.

To complement the companys recent acquisition, it has recently brought on two specialized executives: Patrick Kroupa as Chief Psychedelic Officer, and Justin Kirkland as Chief Psychedelics Scientist. Doroudian says the company is continuing to expand its team of experts, and as it does, more areas of study will be considered. For now, TD-0148As efficacy for depression will be the focus.

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BetterLife Pharma Is Developing Second Generation Psychedelics: Drugs That Leave Out The Trip - Forbes

In 2020, psychedelics took the world by storm.Over two dozen companies in the sector became publicly listed.

The industry grewcloserto federal legalization of the first psychedelic compounds for therapeutic use. With scientific, regulatory and corporate developments becoming daily news, its easy to wonder what 2021 will bring to this burgeoning new space.

By the end of 2021, I expect the conversation about access to therapeutic outcomes using what were previously known as psychedelics to be a global conversation, said Bruce Linton, former CEO and founder ofcannabis giant Canopy Growth (NYSE: CGC).

This conversation has got more points of active discussion occurring right now than the cannabis one had for the first five years, he adds.2021 will bring an abrupt start to a real conversation around psychedelic medicine.

Aside from his cannabis endeavors, Linton is an early investor in the psychedelics space and sits on the board of two public companies: MindMed (NEO:MMED) (OTCQB: MMEDF) and Red Light Holland (CSE:TRIP).

He believes that these new categories of molecules and therapies will be a part of the World Economic Forum conversation at Davos in 2022.

Benzinga spoke to several other professionals in the psychedelicsspaceabout the trends that will define the industry in 2021. Here's what to expect:

"New clinical and R&D initiatives will emerge, investment opportunities will increase, and public acceptance will expand, said Payton Nyquvest, Founder, CEO, and Chair of Numinus (TSXV:NUMI).

MindMed co-CEO JR Rahn expects equity analysts and financial media to declare psychedelicsa new biotech asset class and industry.

Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS),says the Veterans Administration will host research on the benefits of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. MAPS will publish the results of the first completed Phase 3 trial for psychedelic-assisted therapy in a major peer-reviewed journal this year. The NGO will also expand research into other mental health conditions such as eating disorders, the viability of group therapy, and effectiveness for psychosomatic conditions.

Strategic Growth

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We're not seeing consolidation yet,Linton says. The psychedelics industry still needs to go through its formative years to reach the consolidation stage within its life cycle.

One of the central themes of the psychedelics industry in 2021 will be a concentration of resources between peer companies in order to accelerate the regulatory process towards legalization.

It's concentrating scientific, academic, regulatory, finance, all these things, so that you have strong teams for the program that has to work through 2021 to deliver big outcomes for 2022, he adds.

CaaMTech CEO Andrew Chadeayne agrees.

There are so many opportunities in this space that it would be impossible to think anyone would be better off going at it alone, he explains.

Until now, companies have been working to establish their niche contribution to the space," Chadeayne says."It will take collaboration to go from arranging atoms in molecules to administering drugs to patients in a healthcare setting."

New Compounds, New Molecules

Expect to see more emphasis on new patentable compounds,Chadeayne says. There will be more derivatives of naturally occurring molecules with proven benefits, beyond the classic list of psilocybin, LSD and MDMA.

We might even see the first human studies on these new molecules during 2021.

So far, only a few psychedelic compounds have been scientifically evaluated in humans. Different psychedelic drugs could provide advantages depending on the use case," he says. "For example, I think we might see researchers investigating shorter-acting or faster-acting drugs.

Approval in Canada?

Novamind (CSE:NOVA) CEO Yaron Conforti said that Canada will lead the way in opening up regulations that streamline patient access to psychedelic medicines.

Throughout 2020, the Canadian Minister of Health Patty Hajdu granted several exceptions to patients and doctors for the possession and use of psilocybin.

So far, 14 patients and 17 healthcare professionals were allowed to consume psilocybin in a legal setting.

This is being very well received by the Canadian public and we should expect to see a lot more coverage of this in the media which will garner more public support, perpetuating a positive cycle of approvals and access to psychedelic treatments," said Penny White, CEO of NeonMind Biosciences (CSE:NEON)

If the anticipated change to the Special Access Program is made in Canada, Nyquvest says, access may be as straightforward as patients simply needing to find a doctor willing to apply for access to the drug on their behalf.

Investing in Psychedelics

In 2021 I believe we will start seeing further institutional investor support for psychedelic medicine companies in the form of biotech index funds and ETFs covering both psychedelics and the greater mental health space, Rahn says.

The first ETF offering coverage of the psychedelics space is set to launch at the TSX exchange under the symbol PSYK on Jan. 15 by Horizons ETFs Management.

If you're only allowing yourself two investments, said Bruce Linton, I would look at a first one, which has some reasonable compliance with regulations in short-term revenue opportunity.

Companies in this category are trying to generate revenues in the short-term, with the objective of using that cash flow to create more value, in order to acquire or build bigger assets.

These can go from Field Trip (CSE: FTRP) (OTCBB: FTRPF) on clinical to -disclosing my association investment- Red Light Holland, says Linton.

Secondly, I would look at a science-driven agenda that's not stuck on a single molecule or approach. I don't like betting on one number, I like the idea of having a portfolio when I'm going long term.

Linton explained that part of the reason he got involved with MindMed is because of the diversified, platform-driven approach this company is taking into researching psychedelic molecules and treatments.

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2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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What Will The Psychedelics Space Look Like In 2021? Experts Weigh In - Yahoo Finance

Mormons have these things called firesides. Essentially, its a once-a-month spiritually-themed TED Talk given by a local church leader to teenagers in the congregation. When I was about 16, I attended a fireside during which the speaker pulled out a laminated spiral nailed through the centre to a block of wood. He then held it up to a Sunday school room full of teenagers seated on metal folding chairs.

The topic Im going to be discussing tonight is deception, he said as he started to spin the spiral. Satan has an incredible ability to make things appear one way until we chase after them only to find out weve been deceived. Now, to demonstrate the power of deception, I want all of you to gaze into the centre as I spin it for 90 seconds.

I obeyed his command and stared intently at the spiral until he lowered it.

Now, I want you to look at the palm of your hand.

I held my hand up to my face, and saw it simultaneously swell and shrink for several seconds.

Right now, your senses are being deceived, said the church leader. And this is why people like doing drugs.

And I thought to myself: Wow. Drugs are awesome.

I grew up in San Jose, California, the fifth of six kids. Ours was a typical size for a Mormon familyone that went back to the earliest days of the church in the 1830s. Outwardly, Id always been completely faithful to the church. I didnt swear. I never touched alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, or even myself. I went to three hours of church every Sunday and an hour of church class every morning before school. I paid 10 percent of my money to the church.

But inwardly, too many things about the churchs beliefs, history and policies didnt make sense. Like how Black people werent allowed full membership until 1978. Or how the church believed the Garden of Eden was in Missouri. I kept these contradictions to myself.

It wasnt until after graduating university and getting a job as an advertising copywriter that I met a fellow Mormon who was curious and authentic in a way Id never seen before.

Whats worse than 10 babies in a dumpster, she asked me the first time we met. One baby in 10 dumpsters.

A year later, we were married in the Mormon temple.

A few years after that my partner confronted her own crisis of faith, largely centred on the churchs history of rampant misogyny and fuelled by a podcast called Mormon Stories. Each episode delved into a controversial Mormon doctrine, practice or historical eventand she binge-listened to dozens of episodes before announcing she wanted to leave the faith.

Around the same time, Id discovered a YouTube lecture from a psychedelic enthusiast, advocate and figurehead named Terence McKenna. Hearing someone discuss the scientific, emotional, anthropological, psychological, and above all spiritual benefits of hallucinogenic drug use stunned me. And what stunned me even more was that McKenna described the psychedelic experience in a way that seemed strikingly similar to Mormon founder Joseph Smiths description of his visionary experiences. In Mormonism, its never really explained how Smith initiated the visions and revelations he claimed to have received, other than him using a seer stone or the power of God. But as I listened to more and more of McKennas lectures, I wondered if perhaps Smith had used hallucinogenic plants to facilitate his experiences.

Shortly after, my partner and I left the faith altogether. My parents were supportive on the outside, but our relationship has never been the same. My partners dad responded with a 12-page letter outlining Mormon scripture and showing why he thought we had been deceived. Considering by that point we didnt believe, his source material was no longer relevant. But that didnt mean it didnt hurt.

Being out left us free to explore beyond our previous boundaries. First a former Mormon friend taught us how to drink, starting with hard cider and hard lemonade. Then, once we got the hang of that, I invited a co-worker over to teach us how to smoke marijuana.

I assumed the pipe he pulled from his backpack was a bong, but he called it a bubbler. I had trouble lighting it but eventually got about five good hits in between my coughing fits. A few minutes later, I was on the floor cracking up for no particular reason, and when I stood it was as though an optometrist had placed a new lens in front of my eyes; I suddenly saw the world from a sharper perspective. For the first time, I was high.

It was different from anything I had ever experienced. The chatter in my brain was gone; I felt I could see my co-workers aura; I had the sensation the whole world was made for me and had a glimpse of what people were thinking when they shouted, I am Jesus Christ!

Over the next year we experimented with marijuana a few more times. Each time Id get really high, but my partner never seemed to respond to it. That is, until one night in June 2017, when about an hour after consuming an edible she stood up from our sofa, walked to a giant map of the world we had on our living room wall and announced that we were going to sell everything and move to Melbourne.

She spent the next hour outlining the whole process: the date wed sell our home, how much wed sell it for, and how Australia was a more enlightened society than a Trump-led America. She also diagnosed specific pain points we experienced as a result of Mormonism, and broke down complicated relationship dynamics in our marriage and families.

Six months later, we sold our condosix days from the day she predicted and for $10,000 less. We then flew to Australia with a few suitcases and started over, free from the baggage of Mormonism.

Its now been five years since we left the faith. In that time, Ive experimented with acid, psilocybin, Amanita muscaria (including drinking my own pee to try to accentuate the highwhich didnt work), San Pedro, MDMA (which would be the absolute best if it werent for the depressing hangover) and even DMT, although I couldnt figure out how to smoke it.

Beyond these boundaries, Ive seen a Hindu goddess create primal elements through the act of singing, received an invitation to visit the underworld, witnessed the collapse of all matter, found myself back in the womb, seen the object at the centre of the universe, and felt what its like to open my heart to unconditional love.

Ive entered each psychedelic experience not having a clue what would happen. It is the opposite of the monotony of modern-day Mormonism. In fact, psychedelics have taken me so far beyond the boundariesmentally and physicallythat I dont even know how to interpret what Ive experienced. And while thats inspiring, its also deeply unsettling.

My partner now works in a new career as a software engineer in Melbourne. Although still painful, shes abandoned Mormonism and embraced agnosticism. Shes also been very successful building a social life around non-Mormons for the first time.

Im a creative director at an ad agency and still figuring things out socially. For instance, I still dont know how to open a tab and make excuses not to go when invited to a pub. Throughout this time Ive held onto aspects of Mormonismspecifically the idea that there are definitive answersand this, perhaps, is to my detriment. But rather than following a system where disobedience and unbelief lead to shame, psychedelics offer me a glimpse into a world beyond boundaries.

I chose to escape and explore beyond the boundaries I was raised in. It opened my eyes to a world full of mystery and certainty, hope and despair, infinity and nothingness. But in any case, I prefer this over the comfort of self-deception.

This is a taste of Brandons upcoming book "Mormon on Mushrooms." For any questions on that, or his experience in general, please get in touch at mormononmushrooms@gmail.com

Excerpt from:

I Was a Mormon. Then I Found Psychedelics. - VICE

TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Revive Therapeutics Ltd. (Revive or the Company) (CSE: RVV, USA: RVVTF), a specialty life sciences company focused on the research and development of therapeutics for medical needs and rare disorders, is pleased to announce that it is one of the seventeen companies in the U.S. and Canada that will be included in the First Psychedelics Exchange Traded Fund, which is managed by Horizons ETF Management.

The Horizons Psychedelic Stock Index ETF index is expected to start trading on Tuesday, January 26, under the ticker PSYK on the NEO exchange.

We are pleased to be included in the First Psychedelics ETF and being recognized as a leading company in the field of psychedelic pharmaceuticals, said Michael Frank, CEO of Revive. We are advancing novel psilocybin-based therapeutics using a proprietary oral thin film delivery technology and a natural biosynthesis enzymatic platform to support clinical research in mental health and substance abuse disorders.

Revive is advancing its psychedelic pharmaceuticals pipeline with a focus on proprietary psilocybin-based therapeutics that includes the development of an oral thin film product in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a novel biosynthetic version of psilocybin based on a natural biosynthesis enzymatic platform developed by Dr. Gavin Williams, Professor and Researcher at North Carolina State University, a clinical study with the University of Wisconsin evaluating psilocybin in the treatment of methamphetamine use disorder, and the research with psilocybin being developed by PharmaTher Inc. (CSE: PHRM, OTCQB: PHRRF).

About Revive Therapeutics Ltd.

Revive is a life sciences company focused on the research and development of therapeutics for infectious diseases and rare disorders, and it is prioritizing drug development efforts to take advantage of several regulatory incentives awarded by the FDA such as Orphan Drug, Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy and Rare Pediatric Disease designations. Currently, the Company is exploring the use of Bucillamine for the potential treatment of infectious diseases, with an initial focus on severe influenza and COVID-19. With its recent acquisition of Psilocin Pharma Corp., Revive is advancing the development of Psilocybin-based therapeutics in various diseases and disorders. Revives cannabinoid pharmaceutical portfolio focuses on rare inflammatory diseases and the company was granted FDA orphan drug status designation for the use of Cannabidiol (CBD) to treat autoimmune hepatitis (liver disease) and to treat ischemia and reperfusion injury from organ transplantation. For more information, visit http://www.ReviveThera.com.

For more information, please contact:

Michael FrankChief Executive OfficerRevive Therapeutics Ltd.Tel: 1 888 901 0036Email:mfrank@revivethera.comWebsite:www.revivethera.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider has reviewed or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Revives current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Forward looking information in this press release includes information with respect to the Offering, including the intended use of proceeds. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by Revive at the date of the information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and Revive is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Reference is made to the risk factors disclosed under the heading Risk Factors in the Companys annual MD&A for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, which has been filed on SEDAR and is available under the Companys profile atwww.sedar.com.

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Revive Therapeutics Included in First Psychedelic Exchange Traded Fund - GlobeNewswire

Its time to really open yourself up and get to the root of the problem, a man with a feathered hat said.

The words, were not directed toward me, but to a Hamilton-area war veteran who has been suffering from extreme post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

He had just ingested a spoonful of an ancient psychedelic plant that was soon to produce a wild, mind-altering experience. And I and our camera operators were invited to witness it all go down.

The veterans name is Patrick and I first met him months before, on a sunny and humid August afternoon at his home in Hamilton.

Like so many Canadians are right now, he was in the grips of despair and hopelessness.

He had been haunted by the horrors he witnessed on the battlefield in Afghanistan years earlier. He had tried every modern prescribed medicine known to man to treat his severe depression, anxiety and insomnia but nothing worked, he told me.

Patrick was told about Iboga, a plant grown in Africa, which creates an intense high and has been known to help people treat mental health disorders.

This in his words was his last shot.

The next option is death.

Patrick said he contemplated suicide every morning he woke up.

We interviewed him for about four hours while he shared his entire life story.

I could not help but really like this guy. In between tears, emotional breakdowns and episodes of extreme anxiety, he showed strength, courage and a deeply caring heart.

Hes a loving father and friends say that he would go to the far ends of the earth to help ease their burdens. He wanted to do that for strangers as well.

For the first time, he agreed to go public and expose all his vulnerabilities for our documentary, to hopefully show other people suffering there is hope.

That hope was that this plant would lead him on a path to treat his mental anguish and rescue him from the basement of despair. He allowed us to document his experience to show that it works as he believed it would, even though there were no assurances.

His bravery struck a cord with me and I was 110 per cent rooting for him.

Another reason I was so drawn to Patrick personally was that I could somewhat relate to his issues.

When I first met him for this interview, a family member of mine was facing his own mental health issues and turned to alcohol to ease the pain. Our family tried everything to save him, including several rehab stints and counselling but not psychedelics.

I was going to allow this documentary to unfold to see if the effects are as spectacular as being reported and if they were, suggest that as a potential route of treatment for my relative. Sadly, it was too late. He succumbed to alcoholism in the midst of shooting this documentary.

Perhaps it was losing a loved one or just my genuine affection for Patrick, I became determined to see him through this.

My crew and I tracked him for weeks after our first interview as he went to Vancouver to get mentally and spiritually prepared for his Iboga ceremony.

RELATED: Retired firefighter claims psychedelic drug saved his life

There were ups and downs and I truly had moments where I thought he wasnt going to go through with it.

Minutes before what was supposed to be his first Iboga ceremony for our cameras, Patrick got a call that his father was beaten and put in hospital after he was attacked by a man in a parking lot. His father was the victim of road rage.

Patrick had to immediately fly back to Hamilton to care for his dad. Despite this huge setback, he was determined to go through with the ceremony and did so after his father recovered.

That wasnt the only obstacle.

While more and more studies are showing psychedelic drugs can help treat things like anxiety, depression and addiction, they come with risks.

Patrick knew this. I wouldnt have blamed him if he backed out Im not certain I would be as strong as him. Not only trying this powerful medicine but also exposing myself to the world while doing so. It was a heavy burden that this war hero, despite all of his mental woes, was ready to bear.

The ceremony was intense. After feeling the effects of the medicine, Patrick took a deep dive into his past, future and present under the guide of an experienced practitioner.

He had to mentally revisit some very dark places full of terror the very things he has tried to suppress, all while our cameras rolled.

The medicine is said to help you understand that while haunting past events may have been devastating, they should not define your current nor future life.

He came through it fine but spent several days afterwards reflecting on the experience. But did it treat his mental troubles? Ill leave that for the documentary to answer.

RELATED: The Psychedelic Frontier

The one thing I can tell you is that my experience witnessing this psychedelic treatment opened my eyes to the possibility that while more conclusive studies are needed, perhaps we have something here that could change mental health treatment.

Psychedelics such as LSD and magic mushrooms are being heavily studied for this potential and so far, the results from institutes such as Johns Hopkins and N.Y.U. are very promising.

After suffering a loss myself to the grips of addiction and hearing that a psychedelic may have saved this person, I cant help but like Patrick be hopeful for a positive outcome. For him, Canada and the rest of the world.

Pat Taney is the producer of VeraCity, The Psychedelic Frontier which airs Monday, Jan. 25 at 10 p.m., only on CityTV.

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Revisiting dark places on the way to healing with psychedelics: A veterans story - CityNews Toronto