How Psychedelics are Taking Capitol Hill by Storm 🔥
Interview with Melissa Lavasani Founder and President of the Psychedelic Medicine PAC 🍄
A lot of exciting initiatives are happening in the psychedelic industry. Not least the legislative changes that are ushering a new era for all the players in the space. Whether you are conscious of your mental health, an investor interested in new opportunities, an entrepreneur looking for your next big thing, or a citizen concerned by the public good, read on! You will learn wonderful insights from my guest, DC’s powerhouse, Melissa Lavasani, Founder and President of the Psychedelic Medicine PAC and Founder and Chief Executive Officer at the Psychedelic Medicine Coalition.
You can access the full interview on YouTube by following the link embedded in the picture of Melissa and I.
I am Peggy Van de Plassche, a former banker and VC who now speaks and writes about the psychedelic industry & the benefits of microdosing psilocybin. I created The Microdose Diet - the 90 Day Plan for Passion, Success and Happiness.
Like many in the psychedelic space, Melissa Lavasani got acquainted with the industry to solve for her personal mental health challenges. After the birth of her second child, Melissa suffered from postpartum depression. Naturally, she tried to find help via the traditional healthcare system, albeit it was clear for Melissa that she would not take prescribed drugs such as anti-depressants - two of her friends had indeed taken their lives while being on anti-depressants. After being told by a M.D. that it was normal to have suicidal thoughts she did what many of us did, she took matters into her own hands. This is when she started to educate herself on psychedelics, after stumbling upon a podcast explaining the healing properties of psilocybin mushrooms. Despite having no previous experience with psychedelics but comforted by all the scientific studies she read, she decided to microdose psilocybin. After her 3rd day of microdosing she felt human again, her husband commented that it was the first time she was playing with her new-born son since the birth.
This is how and when Melissa Lavasani became a fervent advocate for change in the American legislative landscape and saw a gap in advocacy with the Federal government. She indeed had to grow her own mushrooms, illegaly, in order to heal herself. She strongly believes that Americans should have access to psychedelics for their own healing.
12 week online group program: The Microdose Diet - a 90 day plan for success and happiness 🍄
Launch mid-May with limited availability
Stay tuned for the registration process
Lobbying Congress 👩🏾💼👨🏻💼
After her experience, Melissa Lavasani launched in 2021 the Psychedelic Medicine Coalition to lobby Congress, based on the assumption that mental health is a public health issue that needs to be addressed at the federal level.
The Coalition is a membership organization that advocates on behalf of the psychedelic ecosystem on Capitol Hill. By now the organization has educated +250 offices about the amazing potential of psychedelic medicines.
One of the goals of the organization is to influence Congress to develop an entire comprehensive policy outlook. There is a lot of urgency around this issue and it is important to get it right, as it is very challenging to undo bad policies.
From Melissa’s perspective, the discussions around psychedelic medicines needs to remain fact-based, leading with the Science, when advising politicians on the changes needed to better support the mental health of American people. Letting Science speaks for itself will help undo the stigma associated with psychedelic medicines.
A lot of education has been done by the Coalition towards the members of Congress to explain the incredible potential of psychedelic medicines.
Why the Psychedelic Medicine PAC 💸
First things first, PAC stands for Political Action Committee. It is a tool to pool dollars from people who want to influence political elections. The amounts donated by the general public will be directed by the PAC towards elected officials supporting the agenda of giving access to psychedelic medicines for healing purposes to Americans.
The PAC wants to insure that the early supporters of psychedelic medicines remain in office and continue their support of this issue. The next presidential election will be the time to show maturity and get a seat at the table. So far, the bi-partisan support has been very strong, showing the opportunity to unite the country around this topic.
The policy framework will have to be set up properly to insure that the system is equitable and that most Americans can have access to these medicines.
Psychedelic medicine is a healthcare issue, not a political one.
Melissa Lavasani and her team saw a need for a PAC that would be detached from the Coalition but complementary. One of the aims is to educate communities that are not spoken to about psychedelics, similarly to what they have been doing on Capital Hill with politicians. By first polling communities to understand where they stand on the topic and then creating a global messaging campaign, they will target influential communities in need of more education on psychedelic medicines.
Donate to the Psychedelic Medicine PAC
12 week online group program: The Microdose Diet - a 90 day plan for success and happiness 🍄
Launch mid-May with limited availability
Stay tuned for the registration process
A different Approach to Healthcare is Needed 💊
The medical community is trained to treat our bodies as if we are machines and mental health has been considered secondary to all of it. A lot of people struggling from mental health and addiction problems could really benefit from psychedelic medicines.
In order to create a coherent and fair system, there is a need to thoughtfully bring together insurance companies, Medicare coverage, psychedelic advocates, scientific communities, the psychedelic medicine industry and to make workforce investments.
“We need to take a different approach to the healthcare system, particularly mental healthcare.”
On the theme of the healthcare system you can read, watch or listen to a recent piece of mine re the inconsistencies of the healthcare system.
If you are interested in knowing more about me, you can visit my website or my YouTube channel.
This newsletter is designed to entertain and inform, not provide medical advice. You should always consult your doctor when it comes to your personal health or before you start any treatment.