Building a Supportive Infrastructure for the Emerging Psychedelic Industry

As the psychedelic space expands rapidly and exponentially, there is a dire need for infrastructure to support the needs of the industry. Psychedelics have unique needs, and many of those needs have only become apparent recently. Only a few companies and non-profit organizations have been anticipating these needs for longer than a couple of years. So, there is an influx of programs scrambling to set up shop so that the industry can continue to grow at such an accelerated pace.

In the quarter that just ended, new programs and tools were practically announced on a weekly basis. And, that already seems to be a theme that will continue into the final quarter of the year. Just this week, Neuly launched an updated version of its platform with new data and tools to help people from various areas of the industry access the help that they need to be successful.

With this launch, Neuly focused a great deal on its education directory— helping health professionals find courses that will help them better support the growing number of patients who want to use psychedelics to improve their health and well-being. Neuly is one great example of a company that has identified a significant need in the industry and stepped in to meet it. 

Psychedelic education has been a particularly big focus for the industry this year. Though MAPS is close to getting FDA approval for MDMA-assisted therapy, they cannot start training therapists until approval is given. This, unfortunately, creates a problem for the rollout of this therapy. 

Psychedelic treatment requires a unique skill set that even the most seasoned therapists and doctors need to learn. There is expected to be a great deal of demand for MDMA-assisted therapy when it becomes available, but a shortage of clinics and therapists to provide treatment is going to make it difficult for patients to gain access. To help bridge this gap, there has been an influx of psychedelic educational programs over the past year.

One of the organizations pioneering these programs is Therapsil— a Canada-based nonprofit that supports the industry through regulation reform advocacy and education resources. Therapsil’s Communications director, John Gilchrist, told Psychedelic Invest: “We’re looking at over 500k Canadians who tried psychedelics in 2019… So, we’re going to have a lot of people trying to access these medicines, and we won’t have enough trained professionals to actually deliver the therapy safely and effectively. So, on the training side, we are doing everything we can to ensure that there is a big pool of trained healthcare professionals.” 

This is precisely the concern that is driving Therapsil, and a handful of other organizations to start rapidly building out educational programs. Neuly’s EDU directory includes over 450 courses, compared to under 100 just a few years ago. 

Though the growing number of educational programs goes a long way in bolstering the supply of psychedelic-trained therapists, there is also a need for resources like Neuly that connect people to the information that they need to make informed decisions. 

A novel industry like this requires a range of tools and resources to help facilitate smooth growth. Some of those resources have been available for a few years now. For example, there are a handful of psychedelic-focused venture capital funds that support the industry through investments. There are also many advocacy groups that have been crucial in increasing legal access to psychedelics. 

Therapsil, which also works in advocacy, said, “The big hurdle that we see is the actual regulatory processes that are keeping patients from accessing psychedelics like psilocybin. So, on that side, to address the infrastructure, we’re pushing for regulatory change.” 

Helping patients access psychedelics through legal advocacy is crucial, but what is the point of getting legal access to psychedelics if there is no one to facilitate treatment or the cost is too high for most people? The point is that there are a lot of different needs that have to be met in order for the psychedelic industry to flourish. It requires advocacy, legal support, capital, technology platforms, and education— to name just a few. 

There are dozens of companies and non-profit organizations working to meet these needs. Some of these companies are the first to enter the space with new services and products. Such as the Neuly Data platform which provides information to help others succeed in the industry. 

Another great example is the psychedelic-focused real estate fund that launched earlier this year— Healing Reit. The fund is the first of its kind, supporting the psychedelic and holistic health space through a service that makes opening clinics possible. The company launched in February, and is already having success building partnerships with major brands, our sources tell us. 

We’ve highlighted just a few of the companies and organizations that are developing the infrastructure to support the psychedelic industry as it continues to grow. There are tons more who are working to do their part in building gout this novel space. The industry is experiencing an unprecedented surge, and it requires a robust and diverse infrastructure to support its unique needs. 

A handful of companies and non-profits have anticipated these needs and have been preparing to support this growth for some time. However, the majority of initiatives have emerged recently in response to the industry’s accelerated growth. In the past quarter alone, dozens of new educational programs and other services have been announced. 

Various figures in the industry have identified needs that they are working to meet, and are doing so quickly. However, as the industry continues to grow, new issues will arise that require companies to be able to act quickly. 

The industry is in a pivotal moment, brought about by regulatory shifts that are gradually bringing psychedelic treatment into the mainstream. The emphasis on education and training for therapists shows a commitment to responsible and informed practices that are essential for safe and effective psychedelic-assisted therapies. 

However, challenges lie ahead— balancing accessibility, affordability, and ethical concerns is important. Yet, amidst these challenges, a promising truth emerges—an ever-expanding network of individuals and organizations are passionately working to address these needs. Each initiative, whether educational programs, cutting-edge platforms, or advocacy efforts, contributes a vital piece to the intricate puzzle that is the psychedelic industry.

As this mosaic of efforts comes together, one thing is apparent—an industry once suffocated by harsh laws is now on the brink of revolutionizing mental health care. The power of psychedelics, once dismissed and stigmatized, is being harnessed in a way that could redefine therapeutic landscapes and provide hope to countless individuals grappling with mental health challenges.

The psychedelic renaissance is no longer a vision—it’s an unfolding reality. As the pieces fall into place, it is clear that the momentum is unstoppable, and the possibilities are boundless.