Psychedelic Capitalism

Reviews / Votes

"Psychedelic Capitalism offers a timely and incisive analysis of the rapidly evolving psychedelic terrain. Brownlee and Walby expose where the corporate capture trip is headed through hasty medicalization, commercialization, psychedelic tourism, Big Tech, Big Pharma, and intellectual property practices. The book wakes our senses to how powerful interests are reshaping the meaning of psychedelics, largely to the detriment of Indigenous practices, recreational uses, and communities excluded from the benefits of the new psychedelic frontier." -- Shelley Marshall, adjunct professor, College of Nursing, University of Manitoba and harm reduction programme organizer "Psychedelic Capitalism provides an incisively critical analysis of many of the key themes that arise from the renewed interest and legitimacy of psychedelic drugs and substances. In clear and concise prose, Brownlee and Walby weave a cogent and compelling story based on many disparate critical voices and perspectives calling for a closer examination of the often-unbridled enthusiasm for the current psychedelic renaissance. They call for people in-or entering-the expanding field of psychedelic science and therapeutics to critically consider the socio-political and economic foundations of what's driving the popularization of this (re)emergent area of research and practice. The authors have done an excellent job in taking on this task through a penetrating and dispassionate narrative. " -- Kenneth Tupper, adjunct professor, School of Child and Youth Care, University of Victoria "The authors locate these increasingly popular substances within the context of regulation, policy and, notably, capitalism. They offer a close reading of what is happening inside the psychedelic gold rush, in particular its social justice implications. Psychedelic Capitalism contains a diverse array of sources and voices -perspectives that have been shaping the fast-paced environment, even when some of the players inside the psychedelic bubble mourn the slow pace of change." -- Erika Dyck, Canada Research Chair in the History of Health & Social Justice, University of Saskatchewan