The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has been admirably resistant to the pressures of the market economy for a long time. But capital has won, again, and in a somewhat sad move, MAPS’s pharmaceutical arm, the MAPS Public Benefit Corporation, has now become a conventionally structured pharmacological company called Lykos Pharmaceutical. 

To be clear, MAPS did not sell out, as some carelessly claim. It simply yielded to the great financial pressures associated with bringing a new drug and therapy to the market. MAPS, the non-profit, still intact, seems to be doing everything possible to protect the integrity of its global healing mission. And many who have been associated with the energy of rejuvenation that MAPS has generated over the years still remain hopeful that this great movement led by MAPS will be spared from the darker edges of profit. However, with MAPS having less than 50% voting rights in Lykos, only time can tell how this is going to unfold.

Lykos is now the new pharma company responsible for getting MDMA-Assisted Therapy through the FDA and Health Canada regulatory approval process. The name Lykos (“wolf”) is a bow to the legendary Rick Doblin, the founder of MAPS, who at some point raised a very cute, and later very assertive, wolf pup. Rick is on the Board of Lykos to guard the mission. He and other MAPS members who are on the Board of Lykos decided to opt out of having shares in the company in order to make themselves more immune to the corrupting power of cash.

It is hard to know how much of the big dream has died with this recent unexpected development. After all, it is perfectly possible for a for-profit company to do an immense amount of good and make good profit at the same time.

Some say the grand script is already all written, so maybe the best we can do is let it unfold according to the grand plan, while at the same time tending with care our own local gardens of healing.