#74 Psychedelics Expert: Who is Blocking Psychedelic Research? Cannabis Vs Alcohol, MDMA & Ayahuasca

Nov 13, 2025

Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley, a pioneering neuroscientist and psychedelics researcher focused on trauma and women's health, shares her groundbreaking insights. She discusses the contrasting risks of cannabis and alcohol, dispels myths about cannabis and psychosis, and highlights the therapeutic potential of MDMA for PTSD. Grace reveals why the FDA rejected MDMA trials and explores how psychedelics can treat addiction by rewiring the brain. She emphasizes the importance of cultural contexts and community in healing, and anticipates exciting future developments in psychedelic research.

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INSIGHT

Laws Driven By Politics, Not Risk

Drug laws do not reflect actual risk and are driven by cultural, historical, and political forces.
Rewriting laws based on evidence would dramatically change public health and criminal markets.

ANECDOTE

Veterans’ Transformations In Amazon Retreats

Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley watched veterans at Heroic Hearts transform after psychedelic retreats in the Amazon.
She reports long-lasting improvements in depression and PTSD measures from those experiences.

INSIGHT

Cannabis vs Alcohol Risk Differences

Alcohol causes widespread harm across all heavy users while cannabis harms depend on individual risk factors.
Cannabis is likely safer than daily alcohol for many adults but not for everybody.

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Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley is a neuroscientist and psychedelics researcher whose work is transforming how we understand trauma, addiction, and mental health. From cannabis and psychosis to MDMA and ibogaine, she sits at the frontier of how brain science meets healing.Grace has led research with the Heroic Hearts Project, helping veterans recover from PTSD through psychedelic therapy, and founded Hystelica, the world’s first research initiative focused on women’s health in psychedelic science. Her studies on cannabis, brain development, and the endocannabinoid system have influenced how clinicians, policymakers, and scientists think about drugs and the mind.Expect to learn how cannabis actually affects the developing brain, what the data really says about psychosis and THC, why CBD might protect against those effects, how psychedelics like MDMA and ibogaine are being used to treat trauma and addiction, the biological differences that make women’s brains respond differently to psychedelics, what the FDA’s recent MDMA rejection means for the future of mental health, why psychedelic therapy works on both the mind and the brain, and how this new neuroscience could redefine healing itself — and possibly the future of psychiatry.Subscribe to discover why your brain on drugs might not be what you think — and why the future of mental health may depend on rethinking everything we were told about them.Timestamps:00:00 Cannabis vs Alcohol: Which Is More Dangerous for the Brain?04:15 How Cannabis Affects the Teenage Brain and Memory08:10 Can Cannabis Trigger Psychosis? The Real Science Explained12:00 The Right Age and Safe Use for Cannabis16:25 Why Lifestyle and Genetics Matter More Than You Think21:50 The Forgotten Endocannabinoid System and Medical Cannabis27:00 The Politics of Drugs: How Science Lost to Bureaucracy33:05 The MDMA Ruling That Shook Psychedelic Science38:10 How Psychedelics Are Healing Veterans with PTSD49:40 Ibogaine: The Psychedelic That Can Reset Addiction55:20 How Hormones and Gender Shape Psychedelic Experiences01:03:30 Why Ceremony and Ritual Amplify Psychedelic Healing01:10:55 Can Psychedelics and Cannabis Improve Aging and Mental Health?01:12:35 The Future of Psychedelic Neuroscience and Mental Health...Check out Hystelica (Grace's Non-Profit, that provides education, research and advocacy around women and psychedelics) Check out Heroic Hearts: A Veterans charity that uses psychedelics, that Grace is the research director of.Check out Drug Science (Website - https://www.drugscience.org.uk/Prof Nutt Twitter (X) - @ProfDavidNuttDrug Science SocialsFacebook - @DrugScienceISCDTwitter (x) - @drug_scienceInstagram - @drugscienceinfoLinkedIn - @drugscience-ltdBlueSky - @drugscience.bsky.socialYouTube - @DrugScienceMore Resources on Drug SafetyMedical Cannabis: https://www.drugscience.org.uk/medical-cannabis-working-groupMedical Psychedelics: https://www.drugscience.org.uk/medical-psychedelics-working-groupHarm Reduction: https://www.drugscience.org.uk/enhanced-harm-reduction-working-groupAcademic Research: https://www.drugscience.org.uk/researchNeuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqe