MAPS (organization)

MAPS (organization)
Name	Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
Abbreviation	MAPS
Formation	1986
Founders	Rick Doblin
Type	Nonprofit research and educational organization
Headquarters	Santa Cruz, California
Region	International

MAPS (organization) is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization focused on the development of psychedelic and psychedelic-assisted therapies, as well as broader drug policy reform. Founded in 1986, it operates at the intersection of psychiatric research, regulatory affairs, and public health, collaborating with clinical investigators, academic institutions, and regulatory agencies. MAPS has been central to efforts involving MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, psilocybin research, and global conversations about substance scheduling and therapeutic access.

History

MAPS was founded in 1986 by Rick Doblin amid the aftermath of the Controlled Substances Act scheduling of psychedelics and the shifting regulatory landscape of the Food and Drug Administration. Early work involved small clinical studies, outreach to researchers associated with Johns Hopkins University, Imperial College London, and community clinicians influenced by figures such as Stanislav Grof and Timothy Leary; later initiatives engaged with institutions like Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies collaborators and international trial sites in Israel and Switzerland. The organization navigated changing policy contexts including the influence of War on Drugs era legislation, outreach to agencies like the National Institutes of Health, and interactions with courts and municipal decriminalization efforts inspired by campaigns in Santa Cruz, California and Denver, Colorado. Over decades MAPS expanded from small compassionate-use programs to large Phase 3 trials, adapting to developments in clinical trial methodology established by groups at Massachusetts General Hospital and New York University.

Mission and Activities

MAPS states goals to develop medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from safe, supervised psychedelic-assisted therapies. Core activities include clinical research collaborations with universities such as Harvard Medical School, Yale School of Medicine, and University of California, San Francisco; regulatory engagement with agencies including the Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency; and training programs for therapists modeled on standards influenced by American Psychiatric Association guidelines and landmark trials at Johns Hopkins University. MAPS also conducts public education campaigns interacting with media outlets like The New York Times and policy forums at institutions such as Brookings Institution and The Lancet conferences. Partnerships extend to pharmaceutical development networks, philanthropic funders connected to foundations like the Heffter Research Institute and donors associated with initiatives in Silicon Valley.

Research and Clinical Trials

MAPS has led and sponsored trials of 3,4-Methyl​enedioxy​methamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder in multi-site Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies conducted at sites affiliated with University of Southern California, Massachusetts General Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital (Manhattan), and international centers in Canada and Israel. Other programs include research into psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy with collaborators at Johns Hopkins University and Imperial College London exploring depression and existential distress associated with palliative care. Trials adhere to protocols influenced by the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice standards monitored by institutional review boards such as those at Stanford University and trial registries overseen by ClinicalTrials.gov. MAPS maintains data coordination and safety monitoring committees with experts from entities like National Institute of Mental Health and publishes outcomes in journals including Nature Medicine and The New England Journal of Medicine.

Advocacy and Education

MAPS engages in advocacy efforts related to drug policy reform, harm reduction, and therapeutic access, working alongside organizations such as Drug Policy Alliance, Harm Reduction Coalition, and municipal movements inspired by ballot initiatives in Oregon and California. Educational programming includes training for clinicians, certification initiatives paralleling curricula at Columbia University and public symposia attended by stakeholders from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime dialogues and policy panels at World Health Organization-related meetings. MAPS has produced outreach materials distributed through conferences like Psychedelic Science and lectures hosted at institutions including Brown University and New York University.

Organizational Structure and Funding

MAPS operates as a nonprofit corporation with a board of directors, executive leadership, scientific advisory boards, and research staff coordinated across clinical sites in North America and Europe. Leadership has included founders and advisors who have affiliations with academic institutions such as Harvard Medical School and research centers like Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Funding sources have included philanthropic grants from private donors, support from foundations like the Heffter Research Institute, revenue from fundraising events, and cooperative agreements tied to investigator-initiated trials; MAPS also established a for-profit arm to manage pharmaceutical development comparable to models used by some academic spin-offs associated with biotech startups and university tech-transfer offices. Financial oversight involves auditors and compliance with tax authorities including the Internal Revenue Service.

Controversies and Criticism

MAPS's work has attracted debate involving researchers, clinicians, and policymakers associated with institutions like American Medical Association and critics in publications such as The New Yorker. Criticisms have centered on ethical concerns raised by scholars at Yale School of Medicine and commentators in The Lancet Psychiatry regarding trial design, informed consent, and long-term safety monitoring; regulatory scrutiny has involved interactions with the Food and Drug Administration and questions posed by oversight bodies similar to those at National Institutes of Health. Debates also engage advocacy groups like Transform Drug Policy Foundation and municipal policymakers in Denver, Colorado over decriminalization vs. medical models, and discussions with bioethicists at University of Oxford and University of California, San Diego focus on equitable access, commercialization, and indigenous rights linked to traditional use of substances by communities represented in forums such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States Category:Psychedelic research organizations