The Psychedelic Syndicate: Selected Primary Source Documents
How Silicon Valley Used Veterans to Hijack the Psychedelic Industry
Principal authors: Neşe Devenot, PhD; Russell Hausfeld; Brian Pace, PhD; and Brian Normand. Contributing authors: Meaghan Buisson and James Curtis.
Executive Summary | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Download PDF
A year-long investigation reveals how a small group of Silicon Valley elites sought to capture the psychedelic therapy industry — using a network of affiliated organizations to scapegoat critics while pressuring regulators to approve their botched MDMA clinical trials.
Psymposia compiled “The Psychedelic Syndicate” report through analysis of hundreds of internal documents from influential psychedelic funders covering nearly a decade.
This appendix makes available numerous previously unreleased primary source documents to serve as resources for other researchers and reporters.
- Document #1: Atul Pande Financial Assessment of MAPS’s Phase 3 Trials
Budget assessment of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Public Benefit Corporation’s clinical trials, produced by Atul Pande of Verity BioConsulting for the Psychedelic Science Funders Collaborative in 2020. - Document #2: David Bronner email, August 13, 2022 – FW: Update on 519 and Psychedelic Reform in CA
2022 email from David Bronner thanking New Approach for “coordinating our [PSFC’s] lobbying strategy.” - Document #3: David Bronner email, April 30, 2020 – Props to David Bronner for his $1M to Oregon Psilocybin
David Bronner discusses Oregon Psilocybin Therapy campaign and its connection to Françoise Bourzat. - Document #4: Update from PSFC summit and preview of upcoming PSFC events
PSFC members discuss creation of working groups to identify psychedelic organizations they can influence, with intent to “refine” these organizations to better align with PSFC’s goals prior to making funding recommendations. - Document #5: Joe Green email, June 15, 2023 – MAPS Equity Financing CONFIDENTIAL
Joe Green, Protik Basu, and Stephen Simon discuss investment opportunities in MAPS PBC/Lykos Therapeutics. - Document #6: Joe Green email, June 27, 2023 – “Not So Good Article WSJ”
Joe Green discusses Wall Street Journal article about Silicon Valley elites using psychedelic drugs. - Document #7: PSFC Landscape Report November 2021
- Document #8: Joe Green email, November 13, 2019 – Psychedelic Science Quarterly Update #3 from PSFC
PSFC quarterly update email discussing MDMA commercialization planning, PSFC participation in MAPS therapist training strategies, and PSFC participation in Françoise Bourzat’s book launch. - Document #9: Draft Outline Oregon Facilitator Training
Draft outline of the therapist training program criteria that Oregon’s Psilocybin Therapy campaign which David Bronner said was “led by Francoise [sic] Bourzat, Tom Eckert and other luminaries.” - Document #10: Overview of work ahead for Training Subcommittee, Psilocybin Advisory Board
2021 Powerpoint presentation about the Oregon Psilocybin Training Alliance (OPTA), which includes Françoise Bourzat. - Document #11: PSFC Landscape Report May 2021
- Document #12: Joe Green email, May 7, 2021 – Sign up for sessions at the PSFC Summit by Monday EOD
Details on PSFC’s 2021 summit at Steve and Genevieve Jurvetson’s home. - Document #13: Joe Green email, March 26, 2020 – Subject: Atul Budget Evaluation
Joe Green 2020 email about Atul Pande’s budget evaluation of MAPS PBC’s trials. - Document #14: Joe Green email, May 8, 2021 – Re: PSFC Summit: *Time Sensitive Requests* COVID safety protocol and NDA/Waiver
Joe Green requests nondisclosure agreements (NDA) from summit guests, and one guest responds that they will not be signing an NDA and writes that “conferences don’t last minute propose a confidentiality pledge.” - Document #15: Robyn Thomas emails, July 25, 2024 Social Media Toolkit – Oprah Daily and Katie Couric!
Robyn Thomas of the Psychedelic Communications Hub sends out a “Social Media Toolkit” to Hub members, suggesting news she wants shared and language to use when posting. - Document #16: Reason for Hope and Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition Pitch Deck
- Document #17: Genevieve Jurvetson email, May 31, 2023 – Subject: Re: Kentucky Announces $42mm for Ibogaine Research!
Genevieve Jurvetson email to PSFC members, expressing thanks to members who help fund Reason for Hope and discussing the potential funding of ibogaine research in Kentucky. - Document #18: Letter supporting support the Right to Try Clarification Act in 2022
Letter shows the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition Advisory Board, which includes Dr. Walter Dunn — one of the FDA Advisory Committee voting members who voted on Lykos’ MDMA-assisted therapy application. - Document #19: Graham Boyd email, June 7, 2021 – The political window for psychedelics
Graham Boyd has stressed this political urgency of psychedelic approval to PSFC members, telling them “we are living in a window of political opportunity that may be vanishingly small.” - Document #20: Meaghan Buisson’s 2021 personal impact statement to the FDA
- Document #21: Major Psychedelic Science Funders and Philanthropists (2025) Mind Map
- Document #22: The PR Campaign Against ICER, FDA’s AdComm, and Psymposia: Visual Timeline of Events
The Psychedelic Syndicate: Executive Summary
A year-long investigation reveals how a small group of Silicon Valley elites sought to capture the psychedelic therapy industry — using a network of affiliated organizations to scapegoat critics while pressuring regulators to approve their botched MDMA clinical trials.
The Psychedelic Syndicate: Part 1
Part 1 of The Psychedelic Syndicate reveals how the Psychedelic Science Funders Collaborative (PSFC) — a wealthy network of Silicon Valley elites and Burning Man devotees — systematically captured the psychedelic movement by influencing MAPS, funding its subsidiary Lykos’ MDMA clinical trials, and promoting underground therapy through state legalization initiatives.
The Psychedelic Syndicate: Part 2
Part 2 of The Psychedelic Syndicate exposes the compromised foundation of PSFC's influence network — from the abuse scandals that undermined their preferred therapy model, to undisclosed ties with the sole FDA advisory committee member who voted unequivocally for MDMA approval.
The Psychedelic Syndicate: Part 3
Part 3 of The Psychedelic Syndicate exposes how Silicon Valley's "move fast and break things" mentality infected psychedelic therapy, creating a culture where leaders rationalized patient harm as unavoidable for progress and ultimately embraced Trump administration officials who promised regulatory shortcuts.
The Psychedelic Syndicate: Part 4
Part 4 of The Psychedelic Syndicate reveals PSFC’s strategy to manufacture spiritual and moral authority through academic capture — even as some members align with far-right ideologies that deepen the very crises psychedelics are meant to heal.