The New World of Psychedelics

Medicinal mushrooms, ketamine clinics, microdosing, macrodosing and other adventures in therapeutic hallucinogens

A huge movement is afoot. Suddenly in Toronto, clinics seem to be popping up all over, offering “guided trips” on magic mushrooms, MDMA, ketamine and other psychoactive drugs. People are microdosing and macrodosing and every other imaginable type of dosing. Not to get high, necessarily, but to get better.

Clinical trials are showing that psychedelics can help treat chronic depression, PTSD, mood disorders and addiction. Did the illicit drugs of our youth suddenly gain superpowers? Will they—like weed—be legalized for casual consumption? You have questions. We have answers. In the stories below, we investigate the new frontier of therapeutic hallucinogens, from the clinics to the substances to the frequent flyers benefiting from it all.

 


The New World of Psychedelics

The FAQs: Answers to some of your burning questions

The Clinics: Three Toronto centres offering psychedelic-assisted therapy

The Substances: A recent history of therapeutic psychedelics

The Recipients, part 1: Andrea Bird, a 60-year-old artist and former art educator, on microdosing psilocybin

The Recipients, part 2: Patrick Fletch, a 50-year-old automotive service business owner, on the effects of ketamine combined with psychotherapy

The Recipients, part 3: Janine Bajnauth, a 33-year-old tech worker, on how psychedelic-assisted therapy saved her life

 


This package appears in the November 2021 issue of Toronto Life magazine. To subscribe for just $29.95 a year, click here.