Much of the current “psychedelic renaissance” focuses on scientific studies where people don eyeshades, listen to classical music, and have mystical experiences on a therapist’s couch. Legalization relies on these substances’ ability to treat conditions like depression and PTSD, and advocates say this medical model helps legitimize psychedelics for a skeptical public. Yet more than 80 percent of participants in psychedelic clinical trials are white, and most are cisgender and straight. While queer and BIPOC communities disproportionately experience trauma, many can’t access—or mistrust—the medical system for its abuse and neglect.
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