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Rethinking Drug Education: From D.A.R.E. Scare Tactics to an Evidence-Based Approach

April 16, 2024
Featuring: Joey Lichter, Ph.D.

In this episode, Joe interviews Joey Lichter, Ph.D.: professor in the Chemistry & Biochemistry department at Miami’s Florida International University, and one of the few professors in the U.S. teaching a course about psychedelics at the collegiate level.

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In this episode, Joe interviews Joey Lichter, Ph.D.: professor in the Chemistry & Biochemistry department at Miami’s Florida International University, and one of the few professors in the U.S. teaching a course about psychedelics at the collegiate level.

He talks about his path towards the course, the challenge of creating a curriculum that covers everything in a few months, and the importance of teaching young minds about psychedelics the right away; shifting drug education from the “Just say no!” D.A.R.E. model to a more balanced, honest, and evidence-based approach. He aims for his students to think critically, ignore the hype, and see all possible angles with a fairly simple approach: Present the full story.

He discusses:

  • The importance of teaching history, from Stan Grof to MKUltra
  • The work of David Nichols, David Nutt’s drug harm scale, and the greatest lesson William Leonard Pickard took from LSD
  • The representation of Spravato as a new drug, and his concerns with the over-medicalization of psychedelics
  • Teaching about the complexities of Timothy Leary: Was he a positive or negative force?
  • Decriminalization, legalization, and how he gets students to think about drug policy

and more!

Links

PT304 – Jerry B. Brown, Ph.D. – Vital Psychedelic Conversations

Mindapps: Multistate Theory and Tools for Mind Design, by Thomas B. Roberts Ph.D.

Imdb.com: Dirty Pictures

American Trip: Set, Setting, and the Psychedelic Experience in the Twentieth Century, by Ido Hartogsohn

David Nutt’s drug harm chart

PT334 – Prof. David Nutt – The Human Brain, Addiction, and Telling the Truth About Drugs

The Rose Of Paracelsus: On Secrets & Sacraments, by William Leonard Pickard

PT311 – William Leonard Pickard – LSD, Fentanyl, Prison, and the Greatest Gift of All: The Natural Mind

Psychedelics Today: Dr. David Nichols – A Rich and Historical Overview of Psychedelic Chemistry

Mindmed.co: MindMed Collaborators Announce Positive Topline Data from Phase 2 Trial Evaluating LSD in Anxiety Disorders

Nejm.org: Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression

PT471 – The Evolution of LSD Psychotherapy, the Power of Breathwork, and Why We Should be Taking Archetypal Astrology More Seriously, featuring: Stanislav & Brigitte Grof

Psychedelicreview.com: Walter Pahnke

Npr.org: The CIA’s Secret Quest For Mind Control: Torture, LSD And A ‘Poisoner In Chief’

YouTube: Spravato Commercial (2023)

Open-foundation.org


Book links are affiliate links, meaning that Psychedelics Today will receive a percentage of the sale.

Joey Lichter_ Ph.D.

In this Episode

Joey Lichter, Ph.D.

Joey Lichter, Ph.D., holds a few different academic positions at Florida International University in Miami, FL. He has been a professor in the chemistry & biochemistry department since 2009, and the director of the office of pre-health advising since 2019, assisting the many FIU pre-meds, pre-dental, and more on their academic journey. For the last 4 years, he has created and taught courses on psychedelics through the FIU Honors College and liberal studies department, with the intention of a multidisciplinary, even-tempered, evidence-based approach to psychedelic education. Dr. Lichter is also the club advisor for the FIU Psychedelics Club, who have hosted conferences on psychedelics at the university. Most recently, he is a part of the ever-growing Psychedelic Educators Network. Outside of teaching, Joey can be found achieving altered states of consciousness brought on from ultra-running, as he has completed events in the 200 and 300+ mile range.

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