April 27, 2021

In the past few months, the Psychedelic Association of Canada (PAC) has been working hard to strengthen its role as a leading voice in the psychedelic industry. With the hiring of Cory Firth as our new Executive Director, and a strong governance board committed to the responsibility of representing the psychedelic community from coast to coast, we believe we are headed in the right direction.

As we keep to our platform promise of “forging ethical alliances with local, national, and international organizations,” we are prepared to engage on issues of national significance, specifically ones that impact the psychedelic landscape in Canada and the community that we serve.

We have seen incredible movement on policy in the last nine months, led by TheraPsil’s push for section 56 exemptions, and now Health Canada’s request for public input on regulatory amendments to the Special Access Program. It is important for us to continue to support this momentum.

As the PAC continues to expand its membership base, we stay rooted in our mandate to provide value and access by responding to your questions, listening to your needs and supporting issues which bring our community together and help establish relationships with government policymakers.

Today, the PAC is pleased to announce that we are launching a campaign to promote the case for psychedelic medicine during the upcoming Bill C-7 – Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) Parliamentary Review.

The Parliamentary Review will be overseen by a special joint committee of the Senate and the House of Commons to review the provisions of the Criminal Code relating to MAID and their application, “including but not limited to issues relating to mature minors, advance requests, mental illness, the state of palliative care in Canada and the protection of Canadians with disabilities.”

Furthermore, Justice Canada and Health Canada are required by law to strike an expert panel to conduct an independent review of the MAID mental illness exclusion and, recommend the “protocols, guidance and safeguards that should apply to requests for assisted dying from people suffering solely from mental illnesses.”

Why is the PAC speaking on this issue?

• The PAC has no interest in taking a political position on the right to access MAID. However, we do believe the process is as much about improving quality of life as it is about ending it and offering future solutions to the growing mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic.
• The fact is the evidence shows psychedelic therapies are helping palliative and end-of-life patients die more peacefully and humanely. Also, the growing body of research demonstrating the efficacy of psychedelics on patients with extreme mental health disorders, is astounding. Their stories are at the heart of our campaign, a place where politicians and policymakers of all political stripes should have no problem looking for answers.
• The Parliamentary Review is an opportunity for non-partisan, compassionate dialogue and action on end-of-life distress and mental health solutions.
• The MAID process is a powerful and deeply personal journey. That process should involve therapeutic medicines that have the power to improve quality of life. To delay or ignore the growing chorus of research and science will set mental healthcare back years.

Our MAID campaign website and other advocacy activities will launch later this week, so please stay tuned. In the meantime, we hope you will consider joining our efforts. Here is how you can help:

1. Join our MAID coalition as a signatory on future communication with government stakeholders.
2. Donate to our MAID campaign to assist with communication costs.
3. Petition Members of Parliament, the Senate, and Parliamentary Review Committee.
4. Provide operational and networking support.

For more information, please contact maid@psychedelicassociation.net

Sincerely,
The Psychedelic Association of Canada's Board of Directors