I’m curious why psychedelics aren’t talked about more...
For me, because I didn’t know. Insofar as evidence exists, I’m interested. [Edit: to be an EA focus area, it would have to score well in the importance/tractability/neglectedness framework—might tractability be a problem here?]
I imagine drugs are a more political realm than EA usually goes for, but there are various reasons to build up expertise in political areas—communication, persuasion, lobbying—beyond this particular cause area.
For me, because I didn’t know. Insofar as evidence exists, I’m interested. [Edit: to be an EA focus area, it would have to score well in the importance/tractability/neglectedness framework—might tractability be a problem here?]
I imagine drugs are a more political realm than EA usually goes for, but there are various reasons to build up expertise in political areas—communication, persuasion, lobbying—beyond this particular cause area.
If your worries about tractability are largely due to psychedelics being legally restricted, there might be reasons to be more optimistic:
Psilocybin mushrooms are now on the ballot to be decriminalized in Denver, there’s a vote initiative in Oregon, and psilocybin is already legal in some form in at least 7 counties (including 2 in Europe): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_status_of_psilocybin_mushrooms
Ayahuasca is legal in at least 8 countries (including 5 in Europe): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_status_of_ayahuasca_by_country