In a pair of interesting articles focused on psychedelics and war, the New York Times and the New Yorker are covering the burgeoning industry in their own ways.
The Times podcast focuses on the vets fighting for access to experimental medicine. It features a number of the same points we’ve covered here before, including the rise of interest in psychedelics with American veterans and the problems they face trying to get treatment.
The New Yorker article looks at PTSD-affected veterans in Ukraine. Psychedelics are all but outlawed in Central Europe, especially in places like Poland and counties further east. That said, there is a definite uptick in interest by veterans facing a grueling post-war existence.
From the article:
A psychedelic solution has already been under discussion in Ukraine. After the panel convened, Yuriy Blokhin, who moved from Kyiv to Canada and who runs the North American branch of the Ukrainian Psychedelic Research Association, was reached by phone. “Ayahuasca saved my life after an episode of depression,” he said. “Then I met an Army Ranger, and we started using it to help special-ops veterans. We want to make sure that when the war in Ukraine ends there are world-class options. And it can become an additional stream of revenue for Ukraine.” He added that there was “a critical mass of open-mindedness in Ukraine” and mentioned “the government’s dynamic startup culture.” Blokhin wants to train therapists who will treat Ukrainian refugees in the use of psychedelics. “It’s not a good idea to use psychedelics in-country during the war,” he said. “Setting is really important, and you want a safe space.”
It’s great that these topics are even being discussed, especially in the face of such deep tragedy.
