Chat MDMA

I keep hearing how the Liberal government is there to "Work for Canadians". I am not feeling this. I sent the following letter to Minister Bill Blair on May 14, 2024 and have not even received an acknowledgement of receipt, let alone a response.

Dear Minister Blair,



I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Bradley Gagnon (Badge 6692), and I proudly served as a Toronto police officer under your leadership. I am writing to you today to advocate for a cause that is deeply personal to me and, I believe, profoundly important for the well-being of our nation's defenders and first responders: M**A-assisted therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).



As a former Toronto then Ottawa police constable/detective, I am intimately familiar with the toll that trauma can take on the human psyche. The experiences we encounter in the line of duty can leave lasting scars that are not always visible to the naked eye. For years, I struggled silently with the symptoms of PTSD, feeling trapped in a cycle of fear, anxiety, and despair. Traditional treatments offered some relief, but they never seemed to address the root of the problem.



That all changed when I was granted permission by Health Canada to participate in M**A-assisted therapy. Under the guidance of trained therapists, I underwent a series of 12 preparatory and integration sessions of which 3 of these sessions M**A was used as a catalyst to facilitate deep introspection and emotional healing. The results were nothing short of remarkable.



During these sessions, I was able to revisit traumatic memories without being overwhelmed by fear or distress. With the support of my therapists, I was able to process these memories in a way that allowed me to integrate them into my life without being consumed by them. The M**A did not simply mask my symptoms or provide a temporary escape; it helped me to confront my trauma head-on and emerge stronger on the other side.



Since completing M**A-assisted therapy, I have experienced a level of peace and resilience that I never thought possible. I no longer feel haunted by the ghosts of the past, and I can approach each day with a sense of hope and purpose. My relationships have improved, my work performance has flourished, and I finally feel like myself again.



Minister Blair, the potential benefits of M**A-assisted therapy for PTSD are too significant to ignore. Countless veterans, first responders, and other individuals who have experienced trauma could benefit from this innovative approach to treatment. By advocating for expanded access to M**A-assisted therapy within the Canadian Armed Forces and other branches of the National Department of Defence, you can make a tangible difference in the lives of those who serve our country.



I would be honored to share my lived experience with you in more detail and answer any questions you may have about M**A-assisted therapy. I believe that a face-to-face meeting would allow me to convey the profound impact that this treatment has had on my life and to discuss how we can work together to ensure that others have access to the care they need.



Thank you for taking the time to consider my perspective on this important issue. I look forward to the possibility of meeting with you and discussing how we can advance this cause together.

Thank you.

Interesting article with Dr. Farzin. Psilocybin to treat various mental health issues but notably on the end of life aspects.

Magic mushrooms are helping terminally ill patients go out on a high | Broadview Magazine Despite its potential to help with end-of-life care, psilocybin is still largely illegal in Canada

Here is a transcript of an interview I did on CBC's The Current with Matt Galloway.

Psychedelics for treating PTSD
Guests: Brad Gagnon, Dr. Ingrid Pacey, Dr. Ishrat Husain

MG: Hello again, I'm Matt Galloway, you're listening to The Current. M**A may bring to mind images of sweaty dance floors. Such a drug, also known as ecstasy or molly. But these days that drug is also being used on the therapist's couch. Researchers are combining M**A with intense psychotherapy to treat complex trauma, and the results thus far look promising. M**A is illegal, but health care professionals can use it for patients through a special access program, and Health Canada has authorized 42 requests since 2022. Brad Gagnon recently had M**A assisted therapy approved through that program. He's a former police officer who struggled with his mental health for years, and he is in our Ottawa studio. Brad, good morning.

BRAD GAGNON: Good morning.

MG: Thanks for being here. Let's start with what happened when you were a police officer in 2007. There was a robbery.

BRAD GAGNON: Yes. My partner and I, Ben Beard, who's since passed, we just happened to be in a car in gridlock traffic at 5:00 on a Friday afternoon on July 27th, 2007, when an armed person went into a convenience store and committed a robbery and then came out. We tried to stop him, and it turned into a bit of a running gun battle. He unfortunately got hit and survived. I'm very thankful for that.

MG: He got hit. Meaning you fired your weapon at him?

BRAD GAGNON: We both did. All three of us were firing at each other.

MG: When you go through something like that, what is the impact that that has on you? In the short term, but then after.

BRAD GAGNON: Well, that was a second shooting that I was involved in, and I knew what was coming. The looping, the hypervigilance, the fear, anxiety, lack of sleep, insomnia, just a whole bevy of feelings and sensations that are very difficult to deal with and cope with regular life.

MG: Those are all things that you were living with on a day to day basis? That sense of anxiety, that heightened fear, as you mentioned.

BRAD GAGNON: Yes.

MG: And the looping was what?

BRAD GAGNON: When you keep playing the event over and over and over again in your mind and you try to find ways that you could have prevented it from happening.

MG: What did that do to you, living in that sense of hyper vigilance? And unable to kind of, as you said, stop that movie from playing again and again?

BRAD GAGNON: It's exhausting. Pretty much living in survival mode at all times. So, you're continuously scanning for threats. You know, when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. And that's a very exhausting way to exist.

MG: What were you trying to do to cope with what you were living through?

BRAD GAGNON: I guess I wanted to return to a sense of safety and security.

MG: And so, was there a therapy that you were doing to try to get back to that place of stability?

BRAD GAGNON: Yes. I worked with a psychiatrist. I worked with psychotherapists. I've tried hypnotherapy, I've tried neurofeedback, and I was managing PTSD as a gift that keeps on giving and never goes away.

MG: Not so much a gift, but I know what you mean. Yeah.

BRAD GAGNON: You're managing it. And that's pretty much the best you can do. And so COVID was not kind to many, many people. And it took away a lot of my coping mechanisms. And so that's when I think I was probably in my deepest forms of depression, anxiety. Ironically, that's when I heard from Dr. Farzin and we started on this journey.

MG: That sounds really hard to go through.

BRAD GAGNON: It's not easy. I don't recommend it.

MG: Tell me a little bit about how you learned about the possibility of therapy that would be assisted with M**A.

BRAD GAGNON: Well, by nature, I'm a bit of a problem solver, and I had a problem in front of me and I wasn't solving it. So, it was very frustrating. So, it was just through self-education and exploring avenues that would not be the conventional way of going about things. And I just fell upon this. And this seemed like an avenue of hope for me.

MG: Had you had-- it's a strange question, but I think it's important. Did you have experience in using drugs? I mean, was this something that was on your radar? That this kind of drug might be able to unlock something or help you out in a way?

BRAD GAGNON: No, not at all. I'm rather conservative. I'm not a recreational drug user. I never was. I mean, I was a police officer for 15 years. We really frown on that. But I don't see it as a drug. I see it as a medicine. And I think that helped me a lot.

MG: So, tell me about that distinction. You see it as a medicine?

BRAD GAGNON: Yes.

MG: What does that mean to you?

BRAD GAGNON: It's actually a rather profound way to look at it because it changes the stigma around it, if you will. As opposed to me going into, you know, a dark alley, making an illicit purchase and then hiding away someplace and doing this in the dark, this was a structured method of taking a medicine in a controlled environment with a great deal of support.

MG: What happened in that experience?

BRAD GAGNON: It's very difficult to put into words. The best way I can describe it was an opportunity to learn about myself, to see things about myself that I was hiding away in a safe, caring environment that was non-judgmental.

MG: Had you ever experienced anything like that before?

BRAD GAGNON: No.

MG: And what was the, what was the outcome of it? What did it do for you?

BRAD GAGNON: Well, I don't want anybody to have the impression that this is a magic pill where you just take something, and all your troubles go away.

MG: This is a series of sessions, we should say.

BRAD GAGNON: Oh, there was, I wouldn't say upwards of 12 pre and post integration sessions. And then there were three medicine sessions.

MG: And what came out of it in terms of your process of recovery?

BRAD GAGNON: It was almost like an experience of enlightenment. Essentially what the M**A allowed me to do was to go into a safe place and take a box off a shelf that's been hidden, pushed away for many years, and to open that box and to explore those feelings in a safe place so you can process them and then come to terms with it. I've been walking around for 20 years trying to solve a problem that I didn't really know what it was, and I just couldn't crack this nut. And the M**A allowed me to see what the issue was, and now I can address it. And so, I'm continually working on myself. But I have a newfound hope that wasn't there before, because I now know I can get through this.

MG: As I mentioned, Health Canada has authorized, what, 42 requests for M**A associated therapy since 2022. Is this covered through insurance, like other forms of therapy would be?

BRAD GAGNON: No, I don't believe so.

MG: You paid for it out of pocket?

BRAD GAGNON: Yeah. The only thing that was paid for was the time I spent with Dr. Farzin. That was covered by my health card, and I worked with Dr. Lackey who's a Doctor of Psychology and his fees were covered through my insurance.

MG: Do you mind me asking you how much it cost?

BRAD GAGNON: I don't have a total in front of me. You know, some of those sessions were eight hours long. So, a therapist at eight hours with an hourly rate. You can imagine that it goes up rather quickly.

MG: But to you, I mean, this was an experience and a process that was absolutely worth it for you?

BRAD GAGNON: Oh, 100 per cent. One of the things I thought of in my first session, it was a bit of an epiphany, if you will. Through my work, I was working closely with victims of crime from all walks of life who have all experienced trauma in some way. And all I could think of was how this could benefit everybody. This shouldn't just be for veterans or first responders. This should be for all Canadians to have access to this therapy because it is effective, and it does work.

MG: How are you doing now?

BRAD GAGNON: I'm on a path of healing. I'm doing great in a sense where I'm doing a lot of work. I know what I'm working on and I'm making steps forward that I was never making before.

MG: I'm glad to hear you're doing better. And, again, this is personal stuff, so I appreciate you being willing to speak about it. Brad, thank you very much.

BRAD GAGNON: Well, thank you. I just hope that the therapy becomes available because so many of my former colleagues are dying by their own hand. And I would like to see that stop.

MG: Take care of yourself. And thanks again.

BRAD GAGNON: Thank you, Matt.

MG: Brad Gagnon is a former police officer. He now works in the Federal Public Service. Dr. Laura McLean specializes in treating people with sleep disorders on Vancouver Island. And last month, she was part of a group of 20 medical professionals who took part in training to provide M**A assisted therapy.

Wednesday March 13, 2024 Full Transcript | CBC Radio Full text transcript for March 13th episode.

As a former police officer and one of the first Canadians to legally receive M**A for the treatment of PTSD, I want to share, discuss, educate and effect change. I also want to encourage, support and help anyone who is has experienced trauma and give hope.