How to navigate Utah’s Wild West for psychedelic-assisted therapy options

The revival of psychedelic medicine is alive and well in Utah: ketamine clinics abound. Medical cannabis is available for delivery. Utah researchers continue to study how he likes LSD and drugs it can be used to treat depression and other conditions.

The state legislature also this year legalized psilocybin and MDMA for use as a treatment for mental health problems in its two largest hospital systems and gave more protections to religious groups, such as The Divine Assembly, members of the which use these drugs as sacraments.

It all means that Utahns have options, though some are better (and more legal) than others.

There is a lot of trepidation. There is a lot of excitement. There are just a lot of emotions as we go into this kind of unknown, said Andrea Hanson, founder of the Utah Psychedelic Society. What will the future look like here?

Hanson said the goal is a safe, patient-centered approach that also honors the historical and spiritual role of drugs in Indigenous communities. She acknowledged that some concerns legalization will mean that drugs are synthesized, or that the psychedelic experience it might be too sanitized in a clinical setting.

But ultimately, he said, researchers, gurus and shamans on all sides of the scene can learn from each other about how best to help patients.

It will be an ongoing conversation, Hanson said.

The first formal conference of the organizations to discuss these issues was held this spring. As the landscape evolves, here’s what the speakers wanted those interested in psychedelics to know.

Informed consent

Whether dealing with these drugs in a research, clinical, or spiritual setting, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into before taking any drug.

This includes understanding what the treatment process involves, how it might make you feel, what it might make you see, and how it might interact with other conditions, such as high blood pressure.

In traditional medical settings, informed consent might look like paperwork outlining how much a procedure will cost, said Autumn Kunz, founder and co-owner of Rabbit Hole Wellness. He said providers should expand on that, letting patients know that, in addition to all the possible benefits, psychedelic medicine might not work for them and could lead to problems you’ve buried.

At Anew Therapy in Midvale, co-founder Ashlynn McCarter said informed consent is about patient education — letting them know what an out-of-body experience can be like and how they might feel afterward, and letting a patient let go. to withdraw if you don’t feel ready. for that.

And we were talking every day about how we can make it better, because you can’t do enough, right?, McCarter said. Because if you don’t have a baseline of what that experience is going to be like, you have to get to some sort of baseline.

Consider the configuration

Wherever you decide to go, make sure it feels safe.

Emily Bullock, a licensed clinical therapist who founded Great Salt Lake Medical, said many of her patients have experienced trauma that keeps them in a state of distress, and having a psychedelic in a place that doesn’t feel safe could do more harm than good

If people feel safe, and then they got into a psychedelic [state]that’s one of the factors that will help them experience what they need, Bullock said.

This could look like McCarters Anew Therapy’s inviting, earth-toned, soundproofed rooms, or a private space, such as your own home. It doesn’t often feel like a music festival with hundreds of people you don’t know, Bullock said.

It’s also worth talking to other people who have gone through their own experiences with the clinical and spiritual side of psychedelics who can make recommendations about what worked for them and what providers they liked, Hanson said.

It’s very difficult to know what your options are and have the conversations you need to have around those experiences unless you have some kind of community, she said.

Those conversations are especially important in Utah, where Hanson said many may be traumatized by leaving a high-demand religion and may be especially susceptible to being taken advantage of.

Drugs aren’t the only option for healing either, Kunz said. Breathing practices, yoga or Reiki can also be beneficial.

Where to access psychedelics

Ketamine therapy and medical cannabis are the most readily available psychedelic medicine options.

Utah ketamine clinics operate like doctors’ offices, accepting referrals or curious patients asking for more information.

There is also a state-approved medical cannabis program, and the Department of Health and Human Services offers a step-by-step guide to applying for a cannabis card online at medicalcannabis.utah.gov/patients.

Those interested in participating in research trials can usually register on a provider’s website or ask the provider for more information. Numinus, for example, maintains a list of ongoing trials on its website at numinus.com/clinical-trials and allows prospective patients to apply.

Joining a church is also an option. The Divine Assembly sells membership cards and grow-your-own-sacrament kits on its website at thedivineassembly.org.

while It could likely be a year or more before Intermountain Health and University of Utah Health begin offering MDMA and psilocybin treatments, Hanson recommended contacting those organizations for updates on the program and how to receive information once providers are more in close to deploying these services.

In the meantime, Hanson said he is working on creating a fully vetted staff directory that offers legal psychedelics. Those interested in this list can sign up for the group’s newsletter for more information on the group’s website at psychsocietyutah.org.

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