The term Psychedelic Renaissance has been used since 2014 to qualify the resurgence of interest from the medical and scientific communities into psychedelics. Almost 10 years later, I believe we are past the point of the Renaissance and are now in full Gentrification mode.
5 signs that psychedelics are going mainstream. Illustration: Frieda Ruh/The Guardian
I see five signs that we have now entered what I call the Psychedelic Gentrification.
🍄 Mainstream Consumers and Daily Usages
Let’s do some free association with the term “psychedelics.” What comes to mind? Maybe a 1970s-era Rockstar tripping for fun and creative inspiration after a show? Perhaps a group of long haired, free spirited guys zoned out on a beach somewhere? Or someone locked away for committing a federal offense?
However, these images are definitely a thing of the past. Psychedelics that were used in the past in large quantities for “trips” by hippies, are now used daily in micro doses by CEOs, VCs and Moms for performance, mental health, happiness and personal transformation.
🍄 Surged in Visibility
Answering to the growing interest from millions, world-class publications such as The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and The Washington Post, have been widely reporting on the progress psychedelics have made in the last few years. And thus after decades of psychedelics being shunned by mainstream media.
Even more telling, magazines for women have been tripping over themselves to cover the advance of psychedelics by showcasing stories of women (usually Moms) who have seen their lives transformed thanks to psychedelics - mostly by microdosing psilocybin (aka magic mushrooms).
🍄Legal Framework in Rapid Motion
After 50 years of unfair stigmatization, courtesy of the Nixon’s administration, the legal establishment, never one to moves fast, has surprised players all around the world with weekly announcements of legalization, decriminalization, and reclassification of psychedelics.
Most recently Australia has announced that it will recognize psilocybin and MDMA as medicines that can be used to help those who suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
In Canada, while still officially illegal magic mushrooms dispensaries have begun to pop up across the country, in a move not dissimilar to what we have witnessed with Cannabis pre-legalization.
At this pace, psilocybin will be legalized in Canada before a decision is made on Open Banking😀
🍄 Scientific Studies on Steroids
It was only in 2018 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration named psilocybin a “breakthrough therapy” in treatment for severe depression, a designation the agency applies to drugs that in early trials demonstrate substantial improvement over existing treatments.
Across the globe, scientists have been actively engaged in an exponential number of clinical trials with organizations such as the U.S. and Canadian Department of Veterans Affairs that have been testing the use of psychedelics to support the mental health of their members since 2022.
🍄 Business Creation and Increased Capital Allocation
The market for psychedelics is projected to grow from $2 billion in 2020 to $10.75 billion by 2027; accordingly savvy investors and businesspeople have been busy developing new companies and investment funds to capture the profits.
Brand name investors such as Christian Angermayer, Tim Ferris, and Peter Thiel have been active in the space alongside institutional investors such as JLS Fund, Noetic Psychedelic Fund, and The Conscious Fund.
There are already more than 50 publicly traded companies related to the development and administration of psychedelic-like drugs in the United States alone.
🍄 What does it mean for you?
There may still be a stigma today, but it’s clear that the wheels of a cultural revolution around use of psychedelics are already beginning to turn.
There are two main reasons you should care about the Psychedelic Gentrification;
Increasing your well-being
As more and more studies have been demonstrating psychedelics have the ability to significantly improve your mood, mindset and overall level of happiness. I am delighted to be able to benefit from this general uplevelling now, versus in five years, and would have loved to actually have benefited from it five years ago (ten years ago?).
Riding the biggest wave early
I like to be early on trends. It was the case for me with Fintech and now it is the case with psychedelics. I pivoted most of my activities towards psychedelics, not only because I am a believer (which let’s be honest was the main initial reason), but also because I recognize the value of riding the biggest wave early. Psychedelics are not a wave, they are a tsunami and I want to be ideally positioned to capitalize from the disruption.
Similarly, you have the opportunity to benefit from the Psychedelic Gentrification now for your own personal transformation, as well as for your investments and career.
The time is now, you have been warned 😀
Thank you for reading this newsletter. This post is public so feel free to share it.
If you are interested in knowing more about me, you can visit my website or my YouTube channel.
😎Key Takeaways:
Psychedelic Renaissance; resurgence of interest from the medical and scientific communities into psychedelics;
We are past the point of the Renaissance and are now in full Gentrification mode;
5 signs that we have now entered what I call the Psychedelic Gentrification; Mainstream Consumers and Daily Usages; Surged in Visibility ; Legal Framework in Rapid Motion; Scientific Studies on Steroids ; Business Creation and Increased Capital Allocation;
The wheels of a cultural revolution around use of psychedelics are already beginning to turn;
What does it mean for you? 1) Increasing your well-being; 2) Riding the biggest wave early;
You have the opportunity to benefit from the Psychedelic Gentrification now for your own personal transformation, as well as for your investments and career.
At this pace, psilocybin will be legalized in Canada before a decision is made on Open Banking😀