| Formation | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profit |
| Location |
|
| Leader | Pål-Ørjan Johansen |
Psynapse (formerly known as EmmaSofia) is a nonprofit organization based in Oslo, Norway, which aims to increase access to MDMA and psychedelics for medical and scientific purposes, as well as advocating for the legalization of psychedelics for human rights reasons. Psynapse was founded in 2015 by researchers Pål-Ørjan Johansen and his wife, Teri Krebs.
Background
Teri Krebs is a former research fellow at the Department of Neuroscience at the Faculty of Medicine of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Pål-Ørjan Johansen is a clinical psychologist who has spoken out about having self-medicated with psilocybin and MDMA to treat his PTSD and alcoholism. Both researchers are known for their studies on the use of LSD to treat alcoholism, as well as a meta-analysis of 130,000 randomly chosen people, including 22,000 people who had used LSD, peyote or psilocybin mushrooms at least once. The latter study led them to conclude that there was no link between these psychedelics and mental health problems and that in fact, they found some significant associations between the use of psychedelic drugs and fewer mental health problems.
According to Johansen, the ban on psychedelics goes against human rights as the substances are less harmful than other common activities and because psychedelics play an important role in belief, spiritual practice, personality development and leisure.
References
- "Emmasofia - Increasing access to quality-controlled MDMA". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
- "Behandlet seg selv med forbudte stoffer - VG+". 4 March 2015.
- "LSD could be used to treat alcoholism - NTNU". Archived from the original on 2019-05-18. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
- "Psychedelics not linked with mental health problems - NTNU". Archived from the original on 2017-10-27. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
- Campbell, Scott (6 March 2015). "Legal ban on LSD and magic mushrooms 'against human rights', say scientists".
- "Psychedelic Drugs 'Safe as Riding a Bike or Playing Soccer'". Newsweek. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
Further reading
- Higgins, Andrew (4 May 2015). "Odd Push in Drug-Averse Norway: LSD Is O.K." The New York Times. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- "MDMA And Psychedelics For Free? Researchers To Use These Drugs For Therapy, Not Tripping". International Business Times. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- "Could ecstasy be a potential treatment for PTSD?". Maclean's. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- "EmmaSofia and the case for psychedelic legalization". Salon. 3 April 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- "Norwegian Doctors Say Psychedelic Drugs Are as Safe as 'Riding a Bike or Playing Soccer'". Mic. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2016.