Hi there,
In my previous career, I thrived in a fast-paced, competitive environment, but still struggled with mental health and wellness. I was in pain, and I knew I was not at the peak of my potential. As a result, I know first-hand how hard the experience can be on a person, not to mention on family members and loved ones. I have also seen the societal costs associated with mental illness, addictions, trauma, and unmet human potential. With such high human, community and societal impacts, working on paradigm-shifting solutions is a no-brainer for me.
There is no one solution that works for everyone, and that’s why we started Numinus – to find new approaches and ways of thinking that may supplement other solutions and help when other possibilities have failed or aren't an option. We do this in a variety of ways, including by supporting the research and development of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and providing integrated therapies at our wellness centre.
We are not yet able to offer psychedelic-assisted therapies outside of research in Canada — it will only be possible once approved by Health Canada – but there is positive movement in regulation worldwide, including here.
We were pleased to see Health Canada grant an exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for four Canadians suffering from anxiety related to receiving a life threatening cancer diagnosis. These Canadians will become the country’s first known patients to access psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy with government approval since 1974. We believe this is clearly the beginning of a shift in how these therapies are made accessible and ultimately regulated in Canada.
For our part, we are proceeding with MDMA and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy Compassionate Access protocol implementation as a strategy to develop our internal capacity and systems and to seek to make these drugs accessible to specific patient groups before they are fully approved by Health Canada.
In our next email, you will be hearing from our Medical Director, Dr. Devon Christie, about the future of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Thanks again for your ongoing support!