PT515 – The Economics of Psychedelics, with Elliot Marseille, DrPH, MPP

In this episode, Joe interviews Elliot Marseille, DrPH, MPP: founding director of UC Berkeley’s Collaborative for the Economics of Psychedelics (CEP), a network of health economists and researchers analyzing the economics behind emerging psychedelic-assisted therapies.

In the early days of drug research, efficacy was the leading factor in decision making, but as time has gone on, people are looking much more into the economics of everything: If a government is granted X amount of money, what should they spend it on that will be the most beneficial to the most people? How do you create models for future research and regulations based on the data we have now? Can there be a time in the near future when someone sits before Congress and says, “This is the exact societal cost of not making psychedelic therapy accessible”?

He discusses:

• His early work with the SEVA Foundation, studying at the economics behind HIV/AIDS treatments in developing countries
• His experiences working with Ram Dass and having a big psychedelic journey with Leo Zeff
• His issues with the recent ICER (Institute for Clinical and Economic Review) report which said they couldn’t endorse MDMA-assisted psychotherapy
• Why we need more studies tracking people for long periods after psychedelic therapy, specifically analyzing their healthcare utilization over time

and more!

For links, head to the show notes page.