MAPS — Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
The organization that has driven MDMA and psychedelic clinical research for three decades — currently running the Phase 3 MDMA-PTSD program and funding global psychedelic research.
Type: research
Location: San Jose, California (National)
Membership: Open — donor and supporter membership
Venues: Clinical trial sites nationwide
Activities: Clinical trials, FDA approval advocacy, therapist training, international research support
About
MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) was founded by Rick Doblin in 1986 with the explicit goal of developing psychedelic substances into FDA-approved prescription medicines. Over nearly four decades, MAPS has funded and designed the clinical research programs that have brought MDMA-assisted therapy to the verge of FDA approval.
MAPS operates both as a nonprofit research organization and, through MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC), as a pharmaceutical development company. This dual structure has allowed it to pursue FDA approval while maintaining a mission-driven orientation.
The organization funds research into MDMA, psilocybin, LSD, cannabis, and other substances. Its Phase 3 MDMA-PTSD trials have produced the strongest evidence for any psychedelic treatment in veteran populations. While the initial FDA submission was rejected in 2024 and required resubmission, MAPS remains the leading institutional force in psychedelic drug approval.
MAPS also trains psychedelic therapists, hosts the annual Psychedelic Science conference (the largest in the world), and publishes the Bulletin of MAPS with ongoing research updates.
Why It Matters
Without MAPS, there would be no clinical psychedelic research program in the United States. Doblin and MAPS have sustained the effort through three decades of regulatory hostility, funding crises, and cultural skepticism to reach the cusp of FDA approval.
Key People
State Legal Context
See current psilocybin laws in California.