9 June 15-21, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | FIELD TRIP Tour the Lauderhill site dosing patients with LSD. BY THEO KARANTSALIS P atients in the MM-120 clinical trial open the door to a nondescript Lauderhill medical facility off Oakland Park Boulevard and find themselves staring at a large seed-of-life symbol on the wall, which signifies unity and genesis in the world of sacred geometry. A small sign underneath directs them to ascend one floor to Segal Trials’ Center for Psychedelic & Cannabis Research. The center’s lobby has a 1970s living room vibe, and the scent of a narrow hallway lined with scenic art changes from hand sanitizer to sage as one approaches the “trip room.” Here, patients will be transported — in the metaphysical sense, at least. The place is one of about 20 sites around the country where New York-based biotech firm MindMed is testing out the potent hallu- cinogen LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) to treat generalized anxiety disorder. In the Phase II stage, the MedMind study is part of a recent resurgence of clinical trials in which various companies are testing psy- chedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin as treatments for psychiatric conditions ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to de- pression. The compounds had spent decades in the shadows as stigmatized molecules shunned in the realm of psychiatric research. “There is sometimes confusion about what we mean when we say ‘psychedelics,’” Dr. Scott Fisher, the lead facilitator and trainer at Segal’s Lauderhill site, tells New Times. “’Psyche’ means mind or soul, and ‘delic’ means revealing or manifesting.” “We don’t know what you are going to ex- perience because what emerges, we think, is likely to be a very personal experience com- ing from the subconscious terrain of the mind,” Fisher says. A Portal Opens in Lauderhill If you are 18 to 74 years old, suffer from gen- eralized anxiety disorder, and have no history of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or psycho- sis, you may qualify to take a heroic dose of LSD — in the name of science. “You can be a hero and make medical his- tory by joining one of our psychedelic clinical research trials,” Segal Trials’ website says. At the Lauderhill site managed by Segal, patients receive a dose of either the LSD compound or a placebo and are monitored for the following ten to 12 hours and in the 12 weeks after treatment to see if their anxiety symptoms improve. According to the trial webpage, the study will test doses ranging from 25 micrograms to 200 micrograms for safety and effectiveness. Segal Trials invited New Times to tour the facility, which includes the cozy trip room, complete with a stereo, headphones, a futon, and lots of pillows. Fisher says patients wear eyeshades and headphones to avoid external sensory over- load and take their journey inward. A scien- tifically sanctioned music playlist is preferred, but exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for transcendental music like Pink Floyd. The setting is designed to help subcon- scious elements come into con- scious focus. It’s akin to how a dim star at night ap- pears from the side of one’s view, as peripheral vi- sion has more rods for sensing low light. Re- searchers are hopeful that LSD may unlock the mind’s periphery, allowing patients to achieve a greater sense of self and break free from unhealthy mental states. Generalized anxiety disorder is character- ized by persistent, excessive, and unrealistic worry about everyday things, including work and school, a condition that affects nearly seven million adults in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety loops caused by the disorder are hard to break, and those who haven’t found their way out through typical antidepressant or antianxiety meds may find relief via a unique change of consciousness, Fisher says. Single recreational doses of LSD in gel tabs or blotter paper traditionally have contained 20 to 100 micrograms of the compound. The larger the dose, the higher the risk of a user ex- periencing the dreaded bad trip, which can cause a cascade of anxiety and fear. Users’ mental state at the time of the trip, environ- mental factors, and attitudes of those around them contribute to whether the trip is positive. Fisher says that few study participants have had a bad experience in the controlled clinical setting. He says some patients may experience an “emotional breakthrough” or feel like they are on a cathartic, mystical jour- ney that imparts them a sense of unity with the universe and creation. “They experience bliss, love, peace, joy, and laughter,” says Fisher, who recently attended a psychedelic conference in San Francisco. Patients at the study site have included a symphony violinist, a cabinet maker, a pre- med student, and a stay-at-home mom. Oddly, some participants who were given placebos have described psychedelic experi- ences, Fisher says. Bending Brains Since ‘38 LSD was first developed in 1938 by Swiss re- searcher Albert Hoffman, who famously took the mother of all acid doses on April 19, 1943, before he flew his bicycle home from the lab. By the ‘50s, LSD was used in CIA mind control experiments, like Project MK-Ultra, where the agency dosed unwitting partici- pants in a sprawling, illegal operation. The compound was popularized in part by Harvard professor Tim Leary in the 1960s and became a go-to drug for youth seeking to ex- pand their minds. Stanford student Ken Ke- sey, author of the 1962 novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, drove cross country on an old school bus with his Merry Pranksters pro- moting the drug through “Acid Test” parties. In the decades since, LSD research was stifled because of its Schedule I status under federal law, as designated by the 1970 Con- trolled Substances Act, which banned LSD for having “no currently accepted medical use.” The drug continued to be popular in recreational use, and underground propo- nents of the mind bender still celebrate “Bi- cycle Day” on April 19. Funding and operational support for stud- ies investigating psychedelic compounds as medical treatments ramped up again in the 2010s. Several early studies focused on psilo- cybin, an active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, were completed between 2010 and 2016, exploring the compound as a means of alleviating depression and alcohol addiction. The psychedelic research revival reached a landmark in October 2022 as London-based Compass Pathways announced the first-ever Phase III clinical trial for psilocybin in psy- chiatric treatment. The study is investigating the compound’s efficacy in depression that is resistant to other medication. Meanwhile, the Multidisciplinary Associ- ation for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is pur- suing the first-ever Phase III trial on MDMA. As for LSD research, MindMed is at the forefront, with the Phase II anxiety study un- derway, as well as a pending proof-of-concept study looking into the possibility of using low-dose LSD in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. MindMed was formed in 2019 by former Uber executive Jamon Rahn. In short order, it launched a ten-year exclusive collaboration with Swiss doctor Matthias Liechti, a re- searcher at University Hospital Basel in Swit- zerland, who has carried on Hoffman’s torch in the realm of psychedelic pharmacology. The deal gave MindMed the rights to several ongo- ing trials, including the Phase II anxiety study. The “investigational product,” i.e., LSD, that patients may receive as part of the anxi- ety study has been dubbed “MM-120,” where MM stands for MedMind and “120” is just the numerical designation of the compound, ac- cording to a company executive. “We won’t have an official brand name un- til we are closer to market,” MindMed vice president Maxim Jacobs tells New Times. [email protected] Participants in MindMed’s Phase II trial for LSD are guided through their experience in a “trip room.” Photo by Theo Karantsalis | METRO | “WE DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE BECAUSE WHAT EMERGES IS LIKELY TO BE A VERY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.”
