Science and Research committee  Thank you for your question. Ultimately, I am a scientist and I use the scientific method, so I would approach this by looking at outcomes and offering to patients what we know about this approach and what we know about the indigenous approach. We may not know anything about an indigenous approach and we would explain it using our own scientific methods, but that doesn't mean it's without value.

Science and Research committee  This is true and unfortunate. Almost everything we know about psychedelic-assisted therapy has come from indigenous practices that have been westernized and appropriated with little credit, recognition, glory or money going back to the original sources of this knowledge and these techniques.

Science and Research committee  There is so much research being done right now in the U.S. and Canada. In fact, Canada has been a leader in some of this work, showing the benefits of substances like psilocybin for end-of-life distress and for other indications, such as anxiety, PTSD and depression. Substances like MDMA, ketamine and many others are emerging.

Science and Research committee  First of all, we need more clinicians who have the right training and skills to conduct psychedelic-assisted therapies and prescribe those medicines. I think the nature of the program does pose barriers to people who may be marginalized, who may have fewer resources and who may not have access to psychiatrists.

Science and Research committee  We know that many of the empirically supported treatments for PTSD, although they are effective, are not effective for everyone. So many people who have served our country are suffering from PTSD and are not able to have a good quality of life because they've done all the treatments, they've tried all the medicines and they're still suffering.

Science and Research committee  Thank you for having me here. My name is Dr. Monnica Williams. I am an African American and permanent resident of Canada. I'm a board-certified and licensed clinical psychologist and tenured professor at the University of Ottawa in the School of Psychology, where I serve as a tier 2 Canada research chair in mental health disparities.