Hello everybody and welcome to the Psychedics Today podcast with your host, David Drapkin,

in conversation with the one and only Rick Dublin of Maps.

And somehow this was the first time that we've actually had Rick on the Psychedelic Today show. We've been looking forward to chatting within a few years. And the timing was just perfect because both of us were at the Research to Reality Conference in Toronto a couple weeks ago. And the timing was also perfect because there was some really important

and very current topics that needed to be covered. So, in this episode, Rick and I speak at

great length about the recent media coverage by groups including the Cover Story podcast

and the New York Magazine's for Cut. And these are focused on instances of alleged sexual

abuse within the

maps clinical MDMA trials, particularly involving a husband and wife therapist team.

And we feel that it's important to say first and foremost that psychedelics today doesn't condone

any abuses of power or inappropriate touching or the abuse of patients in a therapeutic setting.

We are aware of reports of abuse in psychedelic spaces and are ourselves very concerned about

the potential for abuse, especially as the therapeutic landscape both above ground and

underground continues to grow out.

It's something we've addressed in our blog in October before the cover story podcast or the

cut series focused on maps trials began.

As therapists, long-time psychedelic advocates and supporters of the responsible growth of

this whole space in which we know there's remarkable potential for healing, it's something

that troubles us deeply.

We also feel it's important to provide

some insight into our approach to the interview with Rick and our approach to reporting more generally

before you listen to this. So as a media outlet, we support balanced fair reporting of any

shortcomings, inefficiencies and any real and potential dangers within and as a result

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