Verified by 
Key points
- Operating in the fields of cannabinoids and psychedelics presents a specific set of challenges.
- Important research in cannabinoids and psychedelics has been historically overlooked.
- Remain open to anecdotal evidence as you go through all phases and layers required by worldwide regulators.
It may seem odd that a person who does not use recreational drugs devotes the biggest chunk of her career to teasing out the wellness potential of cannabinoids and psychedelics. But when it comes to making advances in science, I find it’s best to keep an open if not altered mind.
After all, there is so much to be fixed in the human experience. A task this enormous needs creativity and risk-taking. The global pharma industry is not well equipped for either, and in reaction to this I found myself drawn to solutions that others have ignored.
A Start With Cannabinoids
I started off as a young immunology expert working on cell therapy with a cutting-edge scientist from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Professor David Danon. That led to a CTO position developing cannabinoid treatments. I knew I was a strange fit for that world, but I could also identify potential.
Cannabinoids seemed like a wonderful new opportunity, and my research was concentrated on isolated, pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoids (not the full spectrum of the plant). We collaborated with another Israeli researcher, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, who, after being the first person to discover the structure of phyto-derived cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system, developed and synthesized a new chemical structure for cannabinoids to better and more easily bind them to receptors in the body.
This inspired even the work we’re doing now in psychedelics—looking at various compounds and researching how we can develop and synthesize the best ones to develop even more effective and safe treatments.
One application was in treating Tourette’s syndrome. I remember one study at Yale University, in which the patients were adults—a challenge because Tourette’s is a childhood disease mostly overcome by 18. Almost no effective treatment had been developed yet, and the reactions were overwhelming. We received emails saying things like: “I was able to have my life back. I have never had a family dinner… I was never able to be on a flight. I didn’t have a job or a boyfriend.” This kind of thing keeps you going.
Treating Alcoholism with MEAI
The opportunity in the realm of psychedelics is massive. Innovative treatments are being developed that might otherwise have been cast aside. The work I’m doing now is focused on a novel compound known as MEAI, and this is only one psychedelic compound showing potential to treat alcoholism, which is a debilitating global affliction with almost no effective treatment.
We’re observing powerful early results that suggest it will create a feeling of complete satiation, wiping out a person’s desire to continue consuming alcohol. It even shows promise in combating cocaine addiction. However, being that this molecule is a psychedelic, even though it's non-hallucinogenic, it means that operating in these zones will present a specific set of interesting and frustrating challenges.
Regulation and Stigma
With cannabinoids, we faced a blizzard of regulatory obstacles. On the federal level in the United States, for example, you can’t do anything at all with medical cannabis, although it is permitted in most states, and in some, even recreational use is allowed.
Moreover, controlled substances are hell to transfer from one place to another—everything requires permits. For a preclinical study in Halifax, Canada, where cannabis is legal, we waited months for approval to bring a very small portion of synthetic THC.
You also need a massive level of security around storage.
Then you have the stigma, which, in a way, can be much harder to deal with than technical issues. This includes various other partners, including even investors, who can be made reticent by the bad reputation of cannabis companies.
Mainly, though, I fear the stigma comes from the big pharmaceutical companies, who have often left great potential untapped. Sure, there are legitimate concerns, but in my experience, research in cannabinoids and psychedelics is being overlooked.
There are huge fields like mental health and problems of the central nervous system where there are no good treatments, and solutions would come quicker if more resources were invested. It’s clear that the structure of Big Pharma makes it difficult to work the way we do in these areas—but we could certainly use more of a tailwind from their direction.
If you think about the development of pharmaceutical treatments historically, it is often by people starting to treat themselves with something. It all started in nature and with wise people who knew what herb to use for what—and such folk medicine was transferred from generation to generation. It didn’t start from someone sitting at a table, thinking: How do I synthesize something for a headache?
Why not listen with an open mind to people who use these drugs and compounds? Why not be open to exploring them while applying the most rigorous industry standards?
For my part, I’m open to anecdotal evidence while understanding that you do have to go through all phases and layers required by the FDA and worldwide regulatory bodies for the development of new drugs.
Don’t take shortcuts because you’re dealing with real people. But keep an open mind while applying rigorous research. That’s the way to change people's lives and bring new solutions to health challenges that have not been solved.
Then again, perhaps I am simply a contrarian: What attracted me to both the cannabinoid and psychedelic spaces may have been the prospect of finding something very good in something people consider to be bad. There is something rather beguiling about taking the road less traveled.
