​Schedule

​6:00pm - Doors Open, Free Pizza, Drinks for purchase
6:00 to 7:00 - Info Table with UCSF Translational Psychedelic Research Program
7:00 to 8:30 - Panel Discussion with Audience Q&A

​Panel Guests

​Gül Dölen is a neuroscientist at UC Berkeley's Center for the Science of Psychedelics. Working primarily with mice and octopuses, Dölen's research with MDMA and "critical periods" of brain development is changing the field.

​Rachel Nuwer is an award-winning science journalist and author. Her 2023 book I Feel Love documents the full history of MDMA, from the German patent application a century ago to the research, advocacy, and policymaking being done today.

​Alia Lilienstein was formerly the lead physician for the Lykos Therapeutics phase 3 clinical trials and the New Drug Application to the FDA of MDMA-assisted therapy to treat PTSD. She is a board-certified Family Medicine physician, with expertise in women’s health, mental health, public health, and psychedelic medicine.

​Background

​San Francisco has long been associated with psychedelics, but when it comes to mind-altering substances, no other drug may be as closely tied to the Bay Area as MDMA, often known as "ecstasy" or "molly."

​MDMA was basically unheard of until 1977, when Bay Area chemist Sasha Shulgin gave therapist Leo Zeff a homemade batch. Zeff found the drug nothing short revelatory and spent the remainder of his life evangelizing its therapeutic potential.

​But the drug quickly caught the attention of ravers across the world, and soon thereafter, the DEA. In 1985, it was classified Schedule One: high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use.

​40 years later — in the midst of the so-called "psychedelic renaissance" — more scientific research is being done on MDMA than ever before. Last year, Lykos Therapeutics applied to the FDA for approval of MDMA assisted therapy. Though the trial results were considered outstanding by many, the FDA ultimately rejected the new drug application.

​But the quest for legal MDMA therapy is far from over. Tonight, we discuss the full history and scientific evidence with researchers, therapists, and journalists who have all played a seminal role in better understanding this misunderstood drug.

​Radio Pacific

​Radio Pacific is a new show about contemporary California. The monthly, hour-long program features journalists, writers, and documentarians who are grappling with life in the country’s most populous and diverse state.

​Eli Benton Cohen is a freelance journalist and host of Radio Pacific. Previously, he produced podcasts for the New York Times, Radiolab, and the New Yorker. Originally from Alabama, he lives in Berkeley.

​Made in collaboration with KALW, Radio Pacific is currently being piloted for one season. The show is actively seeking creative partnerships and fiscal sponsors. You can support us by rating the show in your podcast app, joining our email newsletter, or making a donation.

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