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THE BECKLEY FOUNDATION UPATE: SPRING 2008 Dear friends, Please find below an update on some recent advances in the Beckley Foundation's work. It has been a busy period, both in policy and scientific research. As this is the first Beckley Foundation newsletter for some time, it has much to cover. You will find fuller descriptions of all our activities and research projects on our website: www.beckleyfoundation.org . Policy 1. The Beckley Foundation Gains UN ECOSOC Accreditation 2. The Beckley Foundation Contributes to the BBC's Horizon Programme on Drug Classification 3. The Latest Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Report on Humans Rights and Drug Policy 4. Submission of Evidence to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs 5. The Beckley Foundation's Global Cannabis Commission 6. The International Drug Policy Consortium 7. The International Society for the Study of Drug Policy 8 . Publication of the Proceedings Document for the Global Drug Policy Seminar Science 9. Cerebral Circulation, Cranial Compliance and the Aging Process Raising Awareness 1 3 . The Beckley Foundation Sponsors the World Psychedelic Forum 1 4 . The Beckley Foundation publishes ‘ Hofmann's Elixir: LSD and the New Eleusis' 1 5 . Publication of the new Beckley Foundation Brochure Policy Developments 1. The Beckley Foundation Gains UN ECOSOC Accreditation The Beckley Foundation is proud to announce that it has recently received approval for NGO Consultative Status from the Department for Economic and Social Affairs at the UN, ratification of which will be finalised in July. With this status the Beckley will be able to place items on the agenda of ECOSOC, and also attend meetings where we may submit written and oral presentations to governments. This will greatly help the Beckley Foundation's efforts to promote the adoption of more rational, evidence-based drug policies that are effective in reducing drug-related harms, and increase the influence of current projects such as the Global Cannabis Commission. Moreover, it could not have come at a better time with preparations underway for the next ten-yearly UN review of drug policy scheduled for spring 2009, when the drug policy strategy for the next ten years will be laid down. 2. The Beckley Foundation Contributes to the BBC's Horizon Programme: Is Alcohol Worse Than Ecstasy? On Tuesday 5 th February the BBC's Horizon dedicated a programme to the relative dangers of 20 of the most commonly used drugs, both legal and illegal, and how these dangers compared to their legal status. This programme was based on the article in The Lancet 2007: ‘Development of a Rational Scale to Assess the Harm of Drugs of Potential Misuse ', co-authored by Profs. David Nutt and Colin Blakemore. We see this article as one of the most important outcomes of the Beckley Foundation seminar series: Society and Drugs: A Rational Perspective, in which, over a number of years, Colin Blakemore has presented talks on this theme, entitled: The Necessity for a Scientifically-Based Scale of Harm for all Social Drugs and Assessing the Harm of All Social Drugs . As proposed by Prof. Blakemore at these seminars, in order to get a balanced picture of the relative harms of illegal drugs, it is important to compare them to currently legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, which are presently responsible for 90% of all drug-related deaths in the UK . Whilst the Horizon programme recognized that not everyone would agree with the exact positioning of each drug in this relative scale of harm, it strongly supported the methods through which the scale was developed and of the principle that drug policy and classification should be evidence–based. This has been a long held principle of the Beckley Foundation. The programme was led by Prof. David Nutt, and included a contribution from Amanda Feilding. 3. The Latest Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Report: ‘ Recalibrating the Regime: The Need for a Human Rights-Based Approach to International Drug Policy ' This report looks at the tensions between aspects of the global drug control system, and UN human rights standards. The authors point out that, despite numerous instances of human rights abuses perpetrated in the name of drug control, there has been little engagement with this issue by the responsible bodies, the UNODC, International Narcotics Control Board and the Human Rights Treaty bodies. This report is the latest in a series of over 20 reports and briefing papers produced by the Beckley Foundation, analysing current drug policies from around the world and developing a coherent, evidence-base that will help develop policies that minimise the harms associated with the use and misuse of drugs. 4. Submission of Evidence to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' (ACMD) Review of the Reclassification of Cannabis The Beckley Foundation was asked to provide a written and oral submission to the ACMD's review of the reclassification of Cannabis. This was prepared for us by Profs. Robin Room and Wayne Hall, leading experts in the field, both of whom are working on the Beckley Foundation's Cannabis Commission report. The weight of this submission highlighted how, although there are risks associated with cannabis use, the evidence does not support the reclassification of cannabis up from Class C to Class B, particularly when its relative dangers are compared to those of other Class B drugs. 5. The Beckley Foundation's Global Cannabis Commission This important project is progressing well. Once completed, it will provide a comprehensive overview of the latest evidence on the health effects of cannabis; the consequences of prohibition; different approaches to regulating cannabis within the current international regulatory system and their impact; how the international regulatory system might be reformed; and conclusions and recommendations. The Cannabis Commission report, convened by Amanda Feilding, is being prepared by policy-analysts generally recognised as the leading international experts in the field: Profs. Robin Room , Wayne Hall, Peter Reuter, Simon Lenton and Benedikt Fischer. In January we held a two-day meeting of the report's authors along with several experts in international law to advise on the UN conventions and how they might be reformed. The next meeting will be in April to review progress and lay the groundwork for the final report. The final report will be presented to policy makers from around the world in the build up to the UNGASS meeting of 2009, and will provide a blueprint for governments interested in re-assessing their cannabis policies by giving them the latest scientific evidence and expert opinions, along with recommendations for possible options. 6. The International Drug Policy Consortium www.idpc.info This sister organisation, founded by the Beckley Foundation and chaired by Mike Trace, co-director of the Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Programme, is making great inroads towards expanding the network of NGO's working together in advocating for drug policy reform, and sharpening the focus of governments on the need for drug policy reform. We have recently hosted several meetings bringing together NGOs and policymakers, the last one at the Residence of the British Ambassador in Vienna , to raise awareness of the latest research into, and evaluations of drug policy. Further details on this and other developments can be found in their latest newsletter: 7. The International Society for the Study of Drug Policy www.issdp.org Another organisation founded by the Beckley Foundation and chaired by Peter Reuter is holding its annual conference in Lisbon on April 2 nd -4 th at which drug policy analysts from around the world will come together to exchange papers and make presentations. 8. Publication of the Proceedings Document for the 2005 Beckley Foundation Seminar: Global Drug Policy After a long delay, the Proceedings Document for this fascinating and wide-ranging three-day seminar is finally here. Speakers include Profs. Colin Blakemore, Charles Schuster, Les Iversen, Dave Nichols, Dave Nutt, Peter Reuter, and Trevor Robbins amongst many others. Talks on the first day focussed on the international regulation system and harm minimisation, as well as a discussion of how this system constrains and even prevents scientific and medical research involving prohibited substances, thereby limiting the potential benefits to individuals and society. The second day was organised in conjunction with the Government's Foresight review of Future Policy Challenges and included discussions of how best to manage the production, sale and use of controlled substances for the benefit of both the individual and society over the next 25 years. A rise in the use of cognition enhancers and ‘off-label' use of prescription drugs will blur the boundaries between pharmaceutical and recreational drug use, whilst advances in our knowledge and ability to manipulate biochemistry will change patterns of drug use. This publication is available to download from our website, or hard-copies are available to purchase from the Foundation. Scientific Developments Recent months have seen a flurry of activity with proposals prepared and approvals sought for a range of new experimental research. Sadly, because of the sensitive nature of much of the research, many of the details of the institutions and our collaborative partners will have to wait until everything is well underway so as not to jeopardize the projects. It is the Beckley Foundation's principle to work with the leading institutions and scientists in the relevant fields. Here is an update on the studies underway or in the process of seeking approvals: 9 . Cerebral Circulation , Cranial Compliance and the Aging Process The Beckley Foundation's ongoing collaboration with Prof. Yuri Moskalenko , world-recognised pioneer in the study of cerebral circulation, has recently revealed important data concerning changes in cerebral circulation and cognitive functioning, by measuring with a new, unique, non-invasive and inexpensive method, the dynamic changes in the systemic inter-relation of the two fluid volumes within the skull - blood and cerebrospinal fluid. This research, which has already in its three years of progress, yielded some fascinating and important findings and produced 11 academic papers published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. The research is rapidly evolving our understanding of the dynamics of cerebral circulation through the development of the new concept of cranial compliance . Recent findings include: · The degree of elasticity of the skull is a primary determining factor in cerebral circulation. · As we age, elasticity is lost, due to the natural ossification of the skull, which results in a decrease in blood supply to the brain, due to the inability of the cranium to accept the full volume of each heart-beat. · With the loss of elasticity, the measures of cranial compliance diminish, reaching a low point between 40 and 50 years of age. This is accompanied by a decline in cognitive functioning and other symptoms of cerebral insufficiency such as headaches and stokes, which have long been recognised by physicians, but without a known cause. · In old age, should dementia strike, there is a rapidly declining index of cranial compliance proportional to the ever worsening symptoms of dementia. · Simple craniotomy, or trepanation as it was called historically, increases the index of skull elasticity and consequently, the blood supply to the brain increases by 8-10%. At last a physiological explanation for the oldest operation in the world. · Deep breathing, as practised in Yoga, also increases the mobility of the cerebrospinal fluid and increases the blood supply to the brain. · The healthy movement of cerebrospinal fluid, that accompanies a higher index of cranial compliance, is vital for the removal of large waste molecules, or free radicals as they are called, which can otherwise accumulate in the brain tissue and form plaques, which may lead to Alzheimer's. Thus a high measure of cranial compliance indicates a healthy cerebral circulation. To know and manage one's cranial compliance is of crucial importance for healthier brains and improved cognitive functioning throughout the whole of one's life. Moreover, with this technology, which is inexpensive and mobile, we hope to greatly improve the treatment of head trauma by enabling a rapid assessment of intracranial dynamics during the ‘Golden Hour' following an accident in which any treatments applied have their greatest effects. This will be particularly relevant to the developing world, where there is very limited access to MRI, the only other non-invasive means of measuring intracranial pressure and circulation. We have only just begun using this new technology and have many interesting paths to follow, which may well shed new light on the complexities of cerebral circulation and the physiology of consciousness. You can find more details of this research and a full list of publications produced by this project on the Beckley Foundation website. 10 . Meditation · With Dr. Thilo Hinterberger as principal investigator, a leading expert in brain computer interfaces and the process of neurofeedback, we are using EEG to develop maps of the neural activity associated with higher states of consciousness achieved by high-level meditators from a range of meditative disciplines. These maps will enable us to develop a state-of-the-art consciousness monitoring device, which will make transparent an individual's internal state of consciousness and so greatly aid the instruction of meditation pupils. This device will then be further developed into a neurofeedback system that will help novice meditators reach the higher states normally achieved only after years of practice. [read on…] · This research is being carried out concurrently with the development of a Cognition Detection Device that will be able to assess the cognitive integrity of comatose patients, and so greatly aid the difficult diagnosis of the exact condition of such patients. [read on…] · In collaboration with Prof. Dave Nutt of Bristol University , we are investigating the neural, psychopharmacological and physiological changes underlying the experience that users find beneficial when smoking cannabis. The study will correlate subjective changes with changes in brain activity, as measured by EEG and other brain imaging techniques including MRI. This research marks several innovations: 1) the first to investigate the perceived benefits of cannabis, important in understanding why people choose to use the drug, 2) the use of herbal cannabis inhaled via a Volcano vaporiser, an improvement on the vast majority of previous cannabis research, which has used intravenous THC as a proxy for cannabis, providing an unbalanced representation of cannabis' true effects on the brain. The research will also investigate the biochemical differences that cause some people to find cannabis anxiety-inducing, whilst others find it anxiety relieving. [read on…] · With the Institute of Psychiatry, we have been investigating the psychological effects of the principle psychoactive component of cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, THC is just one chemical amongst many found in cannabis. [read on…] We are now preparing to investigate the anti-psychotic and stress relieving potential of cannabidiol (CBD). Preliminary pilot research has shown that this non-psychoactive cannabinoid may provide a vital new means for treating stress and psychotic states. It has recently come to light that genetically-modified cannabis, grown hydroponically for the illegal market, often has ever increasing levels of THC together with ever decreasing levels of CBD, as opposed to naturally grown cannabis in which these cannabinoids are in balance. This tendency towards higher THC and lower CBD is possibly responsible for the increase in psychotic episodes associated with heavy “skunk” use among the young. · Our LSD study, which in April 2007 was the first study to get full approvals for the use of LSD with human subjects in over 35 years, is on its way. This pilot study will use EEG to investigate changes in the synchronicity and distribution of neural activity following the ingestion of LSD, and relate these changes to subjective changes in consciousness. We are particularly interested in observing whether there is an increased spread of activation and an enhancement of pattern recognition and problem solving, which may indicate the potentiation of creativity brought about by LSD. It will also investigate safety measures by using an initial open-label session to ensure the participant does not suffer any adverse responses, followed by a double blind, placebo controlled procedure with two different doses of LSD in subsequent experimental sessions. [read on…] · In December 2007 Dr. Peter Gasser received the final approvals for his study in Switzerland into LSD as a palliative treatment to ease pain and death-related anxiety among the terminally ill. The Beckley Foundation is delighted to be supporting this study as a co-sponsor with MAPS. · The Beckley Foundation is collaborating on a project currently seeking approvals for a pilot investigation into psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to help overcome otherwise intractable addiction. [read on…] · We are also in the process of developing an investigation into how psilocybin might facilitate remote and repressed memory recall, and so aid in the treatment of mood disorders, including depression. Using MRI, this study will also examine the effects of psilocybin on the cerebral circulatory system to improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which psychedelics work. [read on…] · In a further effort to improve the treatment of depression, we aim to investigate the mechanisms underlying neurogenesis, particularly in the hippocampus, following the ingestion of ketamine, and how this might inform the development of new and more effective anti-depressants. · The final collaborative project for which approvals are being sought is for an investigation into the changes in cerebral circulation of both blood and cerebrospinal fluid following the ingestion of LSD. This study will utilize the latest brain imaging techniques using MRI. To increase our understanding of the changes in cerebral circulation has been a long standing interest of the Beckley Foundation as it will provide new information on some of the fundamental processes that influence our consciousness and its changing states. [read on…] RAISING AWARENESS 1 3 . The Beckley Foundation Sponsors the World Psychedelic Forum, where Amanda Feilding will give a talk on ‘Expanded Consciousness and its Importance to Survival' March 21-24 th : the World Psychedelic Forum provided a rare opportunity for researchers and experts from a wide range of disciplines to exchange views and hear presentations of the latest research on the potential value of psychedelic substances in medicine, psychology, science, religion, culture and the arts. Amanda Feilding, director of the Beckley Foundation gave a talk suggesting that the experience of a fuller range of conscious states can benefit both the individual and society, as has been shown throughout the evolution of human culture. The talk also discussed how the aim of the Beckley Foundation's research programme is to expand our knowledge of the neurophysiology underlying consciousness and its altered states. 1 4 . The Beckley Foundation publishes ‘ Hofmann's Elixir: LSD and the New Eleusis ' Only 102 years old and still inspiring his audience, Dr. Albert Hofmann would be a remarkable man even if he hadn't discovered the chemical compound that helped change the course of the 20th century – LSD. Voted the greatest living genius in a 2007 poll, the self-described 'little Swiss chemist' is much loved and respected for his personal nobility and modesty as well his chemical creations, which besides LSD, include chemicals used every day in maternity and geriatric wards the world over. This unique book, a hundred-year retrospective, collects, for the first time in English, his recent talks and essays. Between them they present a comprehensive overview of Hofmann's relationship to his controversial creation, and reveal his profound mystical outlook, informed both by his own LSD experiences, and by a life lived through one of the most turbulent centuries in human history. The second section of the book contains essays and memoirs from some of those he has inspired, including Huston Smith, Ralph Metzner, Stanislav Grof, Jonathan Ott and Amanda Feilding. The book is illustrated throughout with many rare photographs from the Hofmann archives. 1 5 . Publication of the new Beckley Foundation Brochure Providing a brief but comprehensive overview of all the Foundation's current activities, this brochure will help introduce people to the scientific and policy research we are currently working on, and highlight the importance of continuing the development of both! * * * As our work progresses and new projects are developed, we look forward to providing you with further updates. Until then, if you have time please visit the Beckley Foundation website, which is regularly updated with scientific papers, drug policy reports, news items and other documents, whilst the library contains over 10,000 academic papers on consciousness and its altered states: www.beckleyfoundation.org . The website was recently honoured by being chosen by the British Library to be archived for future generations. Amanda Feilding, Lady Neidpath The Beckley Foundation Beckley Park Oxford OX3 9SY
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© The Beckley Foundation 2008 | info@beckleyfoundation.org - The Beckley Foundation is a registered Charity no. SC033546
