Best of CASE District V Award
 

Institution: University of Wisconsin Madison

Title of entry: Psychedelics to the Rescue

About this entry: “Psychedelics to the Rescue” explores the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s stunning results in experimenting with psychedelic drugs for therapeutic purposes. Researchers are conducting a series of human trials to explore the use of psilocybin to treat depression and addiction and MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Among the researchers’ challenges is the cultural stigma created by past scholars-turned-prophets in the 1950s and ’60s, like the controversial psychedelics guru Timothy Leary. But the potential for addressing a mental health crisis is putting pressure on federal agencies to reconsider the Schedule 1 status of these drugs, which defines them as having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” “Psychedelics to the Rescue” was one of On Wisconsin’s most-viewed articles online for 2021, along with generating extraordinary engagement on social media. Among the letters we received for this cover story was the comment: “I was a Badger in the 1960s. Glad to know we’re still on the leading edge.” The article prompted the Racine Journal Times to interview author Preston Schmitt and write an editorial praising the university’s research on psychedelics. It also inspired an article in Madison’s Capital Times. The School of Pharmacy requested scores of extra copies and a blowup of the article to hang in its building.