Matthew W. Johnson

Dr. Johnson is an experimental psychologist and behavioral pharmacologist. Since 2004 he has played a role in the revival of psychedelic research. He has published research on psychedelics in relation to mystical experience, personality change, tobacco smoking cessation, cancer distress treatment, depression treatment, psychedelic risks and safety guidelines, and ethics. In 2021 he received as principal investigator the first grant in about 50 years from the US government to administer a classic psychedelic as a treatment, specifically psilocybin for tobacco addiction. He is also known for his expertise in behavioral economics, addiction, sexual risk behavior, and research with a wide variety of drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine, opioids, alcohol, sedatives, and tobacco. He has been Interviewed by Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, Fox News, BBC, Michael Pollan, the Lex Fridman Podcast, the Huberman Lab Podcast, and Big Think.

The Journey of Psychedelic Medicine

This talk will provide an overview of the current state of psychedelic science and medical use today. I will provide reflections on my time in the psychedelic field which has spanned more than two decades. I will describe my evolving understanding of what psychedelics do and their potential. Psychedelic science continues to face many of the same challenges that it did during the initial scientific era of psychedelics from a half century ago. I will provide a vision for where psychedelic medicine will go, and how we might navigate challenges for a better future.