Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, as well as other psychedelics are being researched as mental health treatments for issues like PTSD, depression, or anxiety. Psilocybin in particular holds great promise to alleviate terminally ill patient’s end-of-life or illness related distress.

Our guest today is at the forefront of the fight for the right to have legal access to therapeutic psychedelics. Spencer Hawkswell is the CEO at TheraPsil, a non-profit group of healthcare professionals, patients and advocates dedicated to facilitating legal access to psilocybin-assisted therapy for terminally ill patients in Canada. Since 2019, Therapsil has successfully advocated for patients and healthcare practitioners, helping dozens to gain Section 56 Exemptions and launched a training program for qualified health care practitioners to offer psilocybin assisted therapy. 

Spencer believes that responsible drug policy requires effective organization and leadership and is focused on bringing together the experts and advocates, to facilitate change that results in increased access to compassionate care, harm reduction, and treatment options for those in need.

In this discussion with Spencer Hawkswell, you'll discover:

-Spencer's personal journey into the realm of psilocybin...03:00

-Efforts to change medicinal laws in Canada for the better...07:00

-Bigger obstacles to gaining traction in the psilocybin world as a young man...10:15

-Spencer's mother a catalyst to his success...15:05

-Psilocybin an aid to "end of life stress" and extreme anxiety...17:30

-The present legal landscape in Canada regarding psilocybin and psychedelic medicines...22:45

-Encouraging news regarding the immediate future of TheraPsil...29:20

-And much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

TheraPsil Website

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