This Week in Psychedelics

Plus psychedelic treatment for veterans gains traction at the Rand Corporation and George W. Bush Institute.

December 23, 2022

This Week...

The Rand Corporation, the global policy think tank that’s been around since 1948 and is financed by the U.S. government, various corporations, and universities, released a new report entitled Psychedelics and Veterans’ Mental Health: The Evolving Legal and Policy Landscape in the United States. You can read it in its entirety here: https://bit.ly/3N7a7Sh

In early May, the George W. Bush Institute co-hosted a roundtable with The Bob Woodruff­ Foundation to discuss psychedelics and mental health in the military and veteran community. The discussion addressed the necessary preparation for psychedelic-assisted therapy, any concerns regarding clinical implementation, and the equity of care.

A new paper sharing a summary of key discussion points was just published, and you can check it out here: https://bit.ly/3N8nP7A


Gilgamesh, one of our favorite portfolio companies, was featured in Business Insider. CEO Jonathon Sporn was interviewed about the company’s next generation of psychedelic medicines. You can read the interview here: https://www.businessinsider.com/psychedelics-startup-gilgamesh-pharmaceuticals-series-b-2022-12

Did You Know?

Did you know mushrooms biosynthesize psilocybin from the same thing in turkey that makes you sleepy?

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid commonly blamed for making you feel sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner. That’s not really true. Two servings of turkey contain only about 410 milligrams of tryptophan, and the recommended daily allowance is estimated to be between 250 mg and 425 mg. But even though two servings of turkey may not even be enough to make you drowsy, tryptophan does promote good sleep overall, and a good mood—and it is what Psilocybe mushrooms need to make psilocybin.

Read more about the biosynthesis of psilocybin from tryptophan here.