Roland Griffiths (1946–2023), psychedelic-assisted therapies pioneer
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2 min readRoland Griffiths was a psychopharmacologist and psychedelics researcher who helped pioneer the study of psychedelic-assisted therapy for depression, anxiety, addiction, and PTSD.
- Died: October 16, 2023 (Who else died on October 16?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Baltimore of colon cancer at the age of 77.
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Roland Griffiths’ legacy
Griffiths was a skeptic when he first started researching psychedelics and their potential to treat depression, PTSD, addiction, and other ailments. The scientific method guided his way, however, and the results surprised him. Born in Glen Cove, New York, and growing up in El Cerrito, California, Griffiths began working at Johns Hopkins University after earning his doctorate from the University of Minnesota. For most of his time there, he studied the effects of caffeine and nicotine on the human mind and body.
In the 1990s, however, a future colleague suggested he switch focus and study the effects of psychedelics, specifically psilocybin, found in so-called “magic mushrooms.” He received approval from the FDA and Johns Hopkins and got to work. Griffiths' work became the first major study into the effects of psychedelics in over three decades. His research revealed that safe use in a clinical setting could provide long-lasting benefits for those struggling with depression, anxiety, addiction, and PTSD.
Griffiths became the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research, and his work sparked a second renaissance in the study of these drugs and their effects. He published more than 400 pieces during his life, his work was supported by National Institute of Health grants, and he was a member of the Expert Advisory Panel on Drug Dependence for the World Health Organization.
Notable quote
“What a tragedy it would have been if I had been run over by a bus on the way to that cancer screening. I would have missed so many amazing things.”—from a September 2023 interview in WebMD
Tributes to Roland Griffiths
Full obituary: The New York Times
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