Supporting equitable access to legal and regulated psychedelic medicine for all Canadians.
ABOUT OUR WORK
Working with partners in government, business, and the community, MAPS Canada is committed to advancing psychedelic medicine by supporting scientific, multidisciplinary research; advocating for drug policy reform; offering public education; and supporting equitable access to legal and regulated psychedelic medicine in Canada.
LATEST AT MAPS CANADA
July 4, 2025
MAPS Canada presents:
Healing Racial Trauma with Psychedelics | Dr. Monnica Williams (Part 2)
Dr. Monnica T. Williams, a board-certified clinical psychologist and Canada Research Chair based at the University of Ottawa, specializes in BIPOC mental health and psychedelic therapy. She directs the Behavioral Wellness Clinic, has published over 200 scientific articles, and researches racial trauma and culturally competent care. Her work is widely recognized by major psychological organizations and featured in top media outlets.
In this powerful episode, Dr. Williams joins MAPS Canada Podcast host Osheen Dayal to explore the role of psychedelics in healing racial trauma. From the challenges of recruiting diverse participants in clinical trials to the urgent need for culturally competent therapist training, this conversation offers critical insights into the future of inclusive psychedelic therapy.
Topics include:
Racial trauma & PTSD
Microaggressions towards BIPOC community
Safe spaces for BIPOC healing
Cultural humility vs. cultural competence
Risks of commercialization
Watch the full episode to learn how psychedelic therapy must evolve to support true healing for marginalized communities.
Get Test kits: MAPS Canada Store
Website: Trauma psychedelic healing retreat
Psychedelic training retreat: Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Training Retreat
July 4, 2025
MAPS Canada presents:
Healing Racial Trauma with Psychedelics | Dr. Monnica Williams (Part 1)
Dr. Monnica T. Williams, a board-certified clinical psychologist and Canada Research Chair based at the University of Ottawa, specializes in BIPOC mental health and psychedelic therapy. She directs the Behavioral Wellness Clinic, has published over 200 scientific articles, and researches racial trauma and culturally competent care. Her work is widely recognized by major psychological organizations and featured in top media outlets.
In this powerful episode, Dr. Williams joins MAPS Canada Podcast host Osheen Dayal to explore the role of psychedelics in healing racial trauma. From the challenges of recruiting diverse participants in clinical trials to the urgent need for culturally competent therapist training, this conversation offers critical insights into the future of inclusive psychedelic therapy.
Topics include:
Racial trauma & PTSD
Microaggressions towards BIPOC community
Safe spaces for BIPOC healing
Cultural humility vs. cultural competence
Risks of commercialization
Watch the full episode to learn how psychedelic therapy must evolve to support true healing for marginalized communities.
Get Test kits: MAPS Canada Store
Website: Trauma psychedelic healing retreat
Psychedelic training retreat: Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Training Retreat
July 1, 2025
MAPS Canada presents:
Drug Checking, Harm Reduction, & Community | Jaime Arredondo
In this episode of the MAPS Canada podcast, host Jarred sits down with Jaime Arredondo, Canada Research Chair on Substance Use at the University of Victoria, to discuss what harm reduction looks like in other countries, how Jaime got academically involved on substance use issues, and how he is building drug checking capacity across North America.
Join Jaime and Jarred as they ponder how to be a community in the face of adversity, and what it means to adapt harm reduction measures to fit local environments.
July 17, 2025
MAPS Canada presents:
Research abuses against people of colour and other vulnerable groups in early psychedelic research
Thurs, July 17th 7pm EST / 4pm PST
Did you know that incarcerated Black men were experimented on for decades? From 1947 to 1974, the CIA used and exploited Black men in studies to test psychotropic drugs for mind control. These horrific, non-consensual studies took place at ARC (now rebranded as the National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA), a facility that doubled as a prison and research center. For decades, the truth about these experiments has been buried.
Fifty years later, we’re asking: What were the real impacts and consequences for the victims, their families, and Lexington’s Black community?
We are working to uncover the full story through a community-based participatory approach to center the voices of those most impacted and bring justice to this hidden past. Join researchers Sheldomar Elliott, BA and Lianna Tullis-Robinson, MA, to talk about this project, racism in research, and the hidden history of a cold war project called MK-Ultra.
Lianna Tullis‑Robinson, MA, D‑TLLP, is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at Western Michigan University and a certified therapist in Psychedelic Therapies & Integration. Her work bridges Compassion‑Focused Cognitive Therapy and culturally responsive approaches within psychedelic research and clinical settings. She is the first doctoral student at WMU to embed psychedelics into her dissertation, focused on optimizing therapeutic protocols for BIPOC communities.
As a recognized speaker—having won international student competitions at Psychedelic Science and PsychedelX—Lianna advances equity in mental health through research, public education, and intentional integration strategies. Overall, her work champions ethical, inclusive psychedelic healing rooted in compassion, cultural awareness, and evidence-based practice.
Sheldomar Elliott is a dedicated food justice leader and racial equity advocate based in Toronto. Currently serving as the Food Rx Coordinator and Racial Equity Coordinator at FoodShare Toronto, he brings years of hands‑on experience tackling food insecurity and advancing food sovereignty for Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized communities.
Rooted in an anti‑oppressive, community‑centered approach, Sheldomar applies his expertise to program design, policy engagement, and public education—centered on ensuring BIPOC voices lead the conversation around equitable food systems
June 19, 2025
MAPS Canada presents:
Expanding Minds on Post-Secondary Campuses: How Students Who Use Drugs are Reducing their Risk of Harm
Thurs, June 19th 7pm EST / 4pm PST
Around the world, youth and young adults engage in substance use for various reasons, including experimentation, socialization, performance enhancement, and to care for their wellbeing. This population includes post-secondary students; in the post-secondary environment, researchers have found that young adults are more likely to increase their substance use and their role in supplying substances. Post-secondary environments also house cutting-edge technology that can be used to identify ingredients in unregulated substances, preventing harm from unexpected contaminants and adulterants amidst the evolving drug supply. In this talk, Lauren will discuss the background and context of the student-run harm reduction team she co-founded and coordinated. She will share about engagement with the student community, including how students are using classroom knowledge to enhance their psychedelic journeys. Additionally, she will highlight what was shared by participants in an implementation science study of the harm reduction team’s on-campus drug checking service including how decision makers, service providers, and students navigated tensions in this political environment. Speaker Bio: Lauren is a registered nurse with a PhD in nursing from the University of British Columbia. For her PhD, she conducted an implementation science study of a multisector (university – community – health authority) student-run harm reduction drug checking service that she co-founded and coordinated. Presently she is conducting research to build robust harm reduction experiential education frameworks for post-secondary students. She is passionate about re-distributing resources from resource-rich institutions to address public health concerns.
June 12, 2025
MAPS Canada presents:
Psychedelic Safety - Drugs and Hugs: Drug Checking at Electronic Music Festivals in British Columbia
Thurs, June 12th 7pm EST / 4pm PST
Join Antoine Marcheterre and Jarred Aasen as they share their experience and knowledge providing drug checking service at two of the largest music festivals in British Columbia. Drug checking data from these events provides a unique insight into the types of drugs that are used by many of the attendees. The presenters will introduce what the current services offer through a user perspective, breakdown last year’s results and discuss the potential public health impacts of drug checking services in isolated meso-environments. The information presented in this webinar is supported by drug checking data from 2024 Festival Infographic – Interior Health Drug Checking.
June 6, 2025
MAPS Canada presents:
Psychedelics, Fentanyl & Radical Drug Policy | Mitchell Gomez on Harm Reduction
In this episode of the MAPS Canada podcast, host Osheen sits down with Mitchell Gomez, Executive Director of DanceSafe, to talk about the evolving psychedelic landscape, the rise of fentanyl in recreational drugs, and why harm reduction—not prohibition—is the future of drug policy. Mitchell shares hard truths from the rave scene, the importance of drug testing, the science behind psychedelic safety, and how law enforcement and public health systems must adapt to the new drug reality. Key topics include:
- Why DanceSafe was founded -Fentanyl’s growing threat
- How technology is improving drug testing
- The case for regulated drug sales -Why LSD is less toxic than water
- The risks and benefits of psychedelics -Community support and peer education
- The importance of training for psychological crises
Learn more by checking out this youtube video: Cross-Institutional Collaborations to Address the Unregulated Drug Crisis
May 23, 2025
MAPS Canada presents:
Serotonin, Spirituality & Science: Inside Psychedelics A to Z with Dr Olga Chernoloz
Join us for an insightful conversation with neuropharmacologist and author Dr. Olga Chernoloz as she breaks down the science, culture, and creativity woven into her beautifully illustrated book, Psychedelics A to Z. We explore key topics like harm reduction, microdosing, cultural use of cannabis, the role of music in transcendental states, and why journaling is essential for integration.
June 3rd, 2025
MAPS Canada presents:
Do Clinical Trials Provide Reasonable Access to Psychedelic Therapy?
Tues, June 3rd 7pm EST / 4pm PST
This webinar highlights perspectives of researchers, clinicians and patients across Canada on clinical trials as a pathway to access psychedelic therapy.
Since the introduction of psilocybin and MDMA to the Special Access Program (SAP) in 2022, there have been many questions of whether this access program is appropriate for psychedelic therapy.
Are clinical trials a better option? What challenges, barriers, opportunities and benefits arise from this pathway?
This webinar will also explore funding options and the development of a MAPS Canada working group for clinical research development.
Panelists:
Dr. Emma Hapke, MD, FRCPC, psychiatrist, psychotherapist and psychedelic researcher at the University Health Network in Toronto
Sonia Brodie, neuroscientist, Director of Growth & Partnerships at CaRe Clinics, and sits on the board of MAPS Canada as Director of Research
Pedram Dara, former MDMA-assisted therapy clinical trial participant and director of Psychedelic Lived Experiences
Melanie Dignam, MSW, RSW, integrative psychotherapist, clinical trial therapist
Host:
Erin Prosk, MSC, President and Co-founder Santé Cannabis
MAPS Canada's School of Psychedelics presents:
An Introduction to Cannabis and Psychedelics in Canada
Wed, May 21st 7pm EST / 4pm PST
Join us on May 21st!
We are bringing together a panel of experts who have extensive and varied personal and professional experiences with and perspectives about cannabis and psychedelics in Canada.
This webinar features some of the instructors of the MAPS Canada School of Psychedelics newest courses “Cannabis and Psychedelics: From Conceptualization to Care in Canada”.
These courses consider the similarities and differences between cannabis and psychedelics, exploring whether cannabis is a psychedelic substance, why that matters, and to whom.
Bonus: Attendees will receive a code for 50% off the courses!
MAPS Canada's School of Psychedelics presents:
Cannabis and Psychedelics: From Conceptualization to Care in Canada
From shifting laws to evolving therapeutic uses, the line between cannabis and psychedelics is more blurred than ever. This course explores where they align—and where they diverge.
Now open for registration!
Full Course Bundle includes 3 courses:
Course 1: Conceptualizations and Communities
Course 2: Mechanisms of Action, Clinical Research, Therapeutic Applications
Course 3: Legal Landscape and Policy Pathways
June 16-20, 2025
MAPS presents:
Psychedelic Science 2025
June 16 - 20
We are getting excited for Psychedelic Science 2025: The Integration!
Happening June 16–20 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. This is more than a conference—it’s a collective moment to come together, connect across disciplines, and shape the future of psychedelic science and healing.
And we want to you to join us!
Use our promo code for 15% off your registration: MAPSC15
Be part of a historic gathering where The Integration becomes real
May 8, 2025
MAPS Canada Research Room presents:
Music and non-music approaches in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy: The sound of silence
Thurs, May 8th 7pm EST / 4pm PST
Dr. Houman Farzin is a physician and researcher specializing in psychedelic medicine and palliative care. He serves as an attending physician in the Division of Palliative Care at the Jewish General Hospital and is a lecturer at McGill University. He is a trainer for Therapsil and was a former trial site physician for MAPPUSX, a multi-site open-label extension study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. He is the founder of Mystic Health, a psychedelic venture currently operating in Southern California. Additionally, he is a DJ and music producer with various international appearances. Talk Abstract: In this talk, the speaker will explore the role of music and silence in Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP). While music is commonly used to guide therapeutic experiences, its absence has been under-explored. The talk will highlight findings from a study with two breast cancer patients in Canada’s compassionate access program, and other experiences conducting PAP. One patient found the silence helpful for mindfulness, while the other used it to explore challenging memories triggered by the music. These results suggest that silent periods in PAP can enhance mindfulness and therapist-patient interactions.
April 24, 2025
MAPS Canada presents:
Cannabis, Opioid Use Disorder & Overdose Prevention: A Harm Reduction Conversation with Dr MJ Milloy
Why isn’t the evidence around supervised injection sites leading to real change? How does cannabis interact with opioid use treatment? In this episode, Dr. M-J Milloy, Interim Director of Research at BCCSU, dives into the data—and the disconnect—between science and policy. We explore gendered and SES experiences of substance use, the link between housing and drug safety, and how research can drive more compassionate public health responses.
March 27, 2025
MAPS Canada presents:
Healing & Harm Reduction in Psychedelics: A Conversation with Erica Siegal
In this episode, MAPS Canada’s Podcast host, Osheen Dayal, talks with Erica Siegal about the ethics, risks, and realities of psychedelic therapy.
Erica is a licensed therapist, harm reduction expert, and the Executive Director of
SHINE Collective, a nonprofit supporting survivors of harm in psychedelic spaces.
February 22, 2025
MAPS Canada Presents:
Cafe Scientifique on Psychedelics and Health Equity
The purpose of this CIHR-funded Cafe Scientifique was to bring together a panel of leading researchers in Canada with expertise on psychedelics and health equity. This hybrid event was held on March 10, 2024 in Vancouver and online with participants across Canada. The program included presentations from panelists: Dr. Erika Dyck, Dr. Monnica Williams, Amy Bartlett and Otis Jasper. This video is a recording of the event, including the panel discussion, a question and answer session, breakout discussions, and an overview of the graphic recording provided by Michelle Buchholz. Kim Haxton moderated the event.
January 13, 2025
MAPS Canada presents:
Catching up with Rick Doblin: FDA's MDMA Decision and What's Next for 2025
Join us online for an exclusive event with Rick Doblin, the founder of MAPS, as we discuss the recent FDA decision on MDMA and what the future holds for 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear firsthand insights from Rick Doblin himself and learn more about the exciting developments in the world of psychedelic research and therapy. Access recording here.
MAPS Canada's SAP CoP Committee presents:
The Special Access Program Tip Sheet
Our SAP Tip Sheet is now live! Learn how you can access Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT) through Health Canada’s SAP program. You can find tips and templates to streamline your application process!
MAPS Canada's School of Psychedelics presents:
Psychedelics in Canada: Past, Present and Future
Experience the full spectrum of psychedelic knowledge with our complete seminar series. These seven insightful courses cover everything from the historical roots to the modern applications of psychedelics.
BALANCING SAFETY AND ACCESS REPORT
Please read our report on Alberta’s Regulations and service standards, and related recommendations.
