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New Netflix Documentary Shows How Psychedelics Help Military Veterans Heal Trauma

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3 months ago

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“Too many treatments fix the Band-Aid…but psychedelics get into your subconscious.”

By Josh Kasoff, Filter

MAny veteran in the United States suffers endless suffering, long after they return home, from conditions related to their traumatic experiences. This manifests itself in tragic ways.

But the psychedelic renaissance brings new hope to this situation, and sparks broader reform where veterans-friendly legislation can help. open the door for wider access. the movie Waves and WarReleasing on Netflix on November 3rd, it will increase the public’s exposure to dire problems and potential solutions.

The documentary, which premiered at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, details the psychedelic treatment journeys of three Navy SEALs: Marcus Capone, DJ Shipley and Matty Roberts.

“We’re so proud to have made this movie,” Jon Shenk, who co-directed the film with Bonni Cohen, told the audience at a recent screening of the Massachusetts-based veteran nonprofit Home Base. “Marcus was a 13-year-old Navy SEAL who suffered multiple (traumatic brain injuries) and concussions and was living with the consequences of that devastating effect on his mental and physical health. He tried all the pills and conventional therapies. They found this alternative therapy involving psychedelics, and it really saved him.”

Another screening I attended recently was hosted by the Alexander Grass Humanities Institute at Johns Hopkins University, at the Hopkins Bloomberg Institute in Washington. Johns Hopkins, with its Center for Psychedelia and Consciousness Research, has been one of the pioneers in this space since 2000. In addition to post-traumatic stress, the department is researching psychedelic treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and smoking cessation, among others.

On screen, the three veterans candidly share painful memories of serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They suffered frequent nightmares, ambushes, a gunshot wound for which Roberts received a Purple Heart, and Operation Red Wings, after experiencing the events of 2005 in which 19 US troops were killed by Taliban forces.

Many of the scars never healed, and for Capone in particular, the resulting health problems began to cause problems with his family. None of the therapy and medication recommended by the VA was helping, and her condition worsened.

“My mental state has declined. I have tried to hide this for the past two years, but it is very obvious to those close to me that I am struggling in many aspects of my life,” Capone wrote in his letter requesting medical retirement from the Army, part of which he read. Waves and War.

“The audience was deeply moved by the stories of Marcus Capone and his fellow Navy Seals, the efforts of Marcus’ wife Amber, and the ongoing struggles of our military veterans,” said Dr. Virginia Jewiss, DC panel moderator and professor at the Humanities Institute. The filter after the event “We were all shocked to learn of the high suicide rates in the military.”




Jewiss also praised the film’s “creative use of animation to transport the viewer into a psychedelic experience.”

There seemed to be no hope for Capone until his wife learned about the psychedelic treatment options being offered in clinics in Mexico. The therapies used ibogaine and DMT, two natural psychedelics banned under Schedule I of the US Controlled Substances Act.

Capone was scared, but after persuasion and finally an ultimatum from his wife and family, he went to Mexico.

He found the treatment incredibly effective. He described gaining new positive perspective or closure on past traumas, such as the drowning death of a close SEAL friend. He believes that is unlikely to happen through VA-approved therapy.

“To all our friends who are suffering,” he told his wife after the trip, “we must present this to them so they can get better.”

In 2019, Marcus and Amber Capone founded the non-profit VETS (Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions). Both Shipley and Roberts are among more than 1,200 people who have funded psychedelic treatments.

“We can’t fulfill the request,” Capone told PBS News. “We’re inundated with requests. I’d say we can accept about one in 10.”

Advocates have long urged that veterans and others who need it should be able to receive psychedelic treatment without the expense and hardship of having to leave the country.

There are signs that they are being overtaken. In December 2024, it was announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs would fund the first study of psychedelic-assisted therapy since the 1960s, using MDMA for veterans with PTSD and AUD. Recently published VA research is also investigating MDMA and psilocybin for PTSD, treatment-resistant depression and anxiety disorders.

During the film’s animated sequence, three SEALs describe their experiences, using ibogaine and DMT, to overcome or achieve inner peace not only with the trauma of war, but also with traumatic life events long before they enlisted.

“It gets to the root of how ibogaine is affecting your daily life,” Capone told PBS News. “Too many treatments fix the Band-Aid…but psychedelics get into your subconscious.”

“Mexico beat me,” Roberts tells her therapist at the end Waves and War. “But I could feel a connection to everything.”

This the article Originally published by the author The filteran online magazine that deals with drug use, drug policy and human rights from a harm reduction perspective. Keep the filter on Bluesky, X or Facebookand sign up for their newsletter.

user photo Wikimedia/Mushroom Observer.

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Greenhouses and more at Fruit Logistica Berlin

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22 hours ago

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February 9, 2026

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New varieties, new concepts, new packaging, new products, new faces – there was a lot to do in Berlin last week. And, new travel schedules too: due to the black ice, many visitors traveling by plane had to extend their stay or find an alternative mode of transport – or both.

Click here for the photo report.

© Arlette Sijmonsma | MMJDaily.com

Fortunately, our bus drivers got us home safely to the Netherlands, and we were able to take all the photos of the greenhouse suppliers, growers and other related parties, so take a seat and enjoy our Fruit Logistica photo report!

There will be more updates this week, as well as extensive reports from our international Freshplaza colleagues, focused on the fresh produce industry.

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Alaska Government Task Force Recommends Legalizing Psychedelic Therapy Upon FDA Approval

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22 hours ago

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February 9, 2026

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An Alaska psychedelic task force is recommending that the state move forward with plans to provide regulated access to psychedelics if the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows medical use of substances such as psilocybin and MDMA.

According to a law approved in 2024, after working for about a year studying the issue, Alaska Legislative Task Force on Psychedelic Drug Regulation released its findings and recommendations on Thursday.

“Alaska has one of the nation’s highest rates of domestic violence survivors and combat veterans suffering from PTSD, and many Alaskans continue to struggle with traditional treatments,” Sen. Forrest Dunbar (D), the task force’s leader, said in a press release.

“Our approach to these new medical therapies must be properly and independently evaluated so that if the legislature were to make policy changes, we will do so with empirical data in a properly controlled environment,” the senator said.

The panel’s report lists a number of findings based on a review of the scientific literature and expert testimony. This includes findings that some psychedelics do indeed have “potential therapeutic uses” and that “there is a particular focus on the use of these therapies for veterans, survivors of assault and interpersonal violence, and others with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Members emphasized the importance of delivering psychedelic therapies in partnership with “multiple types of providers” to provide comprehensive treatment, rather than leaving it up to the patient.

Among its recommendations, the task force said, “If psychedelic medical therapies are approved by the FDA, the state should take steps to allow them to be used in Alaska, rather than ban their use.”

Alaska regulators should also identify clinical task forces, “whose role is to regularly review up-to-date studies and the evidence base to make recommendations, and rely on those entities to provide ongoing guidance on the use of these therapies,” he said.

“As much as possible, reserve the use of state statute for broad enabling language and essential components of a regulatory structure, and leave most regulatory decisions to the appropriate boards and agencies,” another recommendation reads. “Regulations still require a robust public process to be approved, but they are more predictable and can be updated or changed more easily than statutory amendments that require legislative action.”

“The appropriate parameters for the use of these therapies are likely to change over time as the evidence base matures and FDA approval may be granted for multiple therapies,” he said.

If the FDA continues to approve any psychedelics for medical use, the panel said the Alaska State Board of Medicine should update its guidelines for prescribing controlled substances to include new therapies.

Additionally, if the FDA approves psychedelic drugs and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) federally reschedules substances such as psilocybin, Alaska “should fully reflect federal programming and Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS), without adding duplicative or conflicting state regulations, and follow the rules for determining whether a DEA license is required.” the report he says

“This approach respects federal science and facilitates access for patients and providers,” he continues.

Additionally, as lawmakers and regulators await a federal decision to advance psychedelic therapies, states should consider legislation to “incorporate the recommendations made in this report to encourage statewide implementation action.”

“Legislation on triggers would require addressing various process and regulatory issues, such as the role and involvement of professional licensing boards, state agencies, and the Controlled Substances Advisory Committee,” the task force said.

The report also says that psychedelic reform should include military veterans’ access to FDA-approved therapies, which could involve working with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify opportunities to participate in clinical trials and pilot programs using new drugs.

“The grant should be considered to ensure active efforts by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop billing codes that will promote sufficient reimbursement for the provision of psychedelic therapy, which are essential to ensure patient access post-FDA approval,” the panel said.

Rep. Justin Ruffridge (R), who also serves as co-chair of the psychedelic panel, said the task force “focused on preparing Alaska for potential federal approval of psychedelic therapies.”

“These recommendations came from months of collaboration and work by medical professionals, advocates and legislators who focused on patient safety, evidence-based care and access, especially for those who have not seen progress through traditional treatments,” he said.

So far two other states have facilitated fully functioning psychedelic programs. Oregon voters legalized the therapeutic psilocybin in 2020and Colorado’s program was approved at the ballot box in 2022, with the state’s governor signing the legislation a year later to create the regulatory framework for the program

Meanwhile, a campaign in Alaska announced in December that it did not get enough signaturesAn initiative to legalize some psychedelics like psilocybin and DMT on the 2026 state ballot.– but the activists have emphasized that “the work is far from over” as they focus on putting the reform measure before the voters in 2028.

“While we won’t be on the ballot in 2026, we’re still on track for 2028, and with the determination, focus and support of our community, we’ll continue to move forward,” Natural Medicine Alaska said in December. “This movement is gaining momentum every day. In fact, 65 percent of Alaskans support this initiative, and that number continues to grow.”

A pre-campaign policy outline explained that the proposal is “under construction”. The Natural Medicine Health Act of 2022 passed by Colorado votersunder last year facilitators administered the state’s first legal dose of psilocybin.

A 2024 poll found that nearly half (49.4 percent) of Alaskan adults would support a ballot measure more broadly. remove criminal penalties for the use of substances such as psilocybin mushrooms.

That support rose significantly—to nearly two-thirds (65 percent)—when participants were told that Alaska has high rates of mental illness that could be treated with psychedelics.

Photo elements courtesy of the user carlosemmaskype and Apollo.

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Anti legalization group fails to collect signatures to roll back laws

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2 days ago

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February 8, 2026

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A Maine campaign seeking to significantly roll back the state’s marijuana law failed to submit signatures this week for the November 2026 ballot, meaning anti-cannabis activists will have to move to 2027 if they hope to get the issue before voters.

Amid criticism from reform advocates, industry players and some lawmakers for allegedly deceptive signature-gathering tactics, Mainers for a Safe and Healthy Future apparently couldn’t make the cut by the Feb. 2 deadline.

“Cannabis orders were not returned yesterday,” Assistant Secretary of State for Communications Jana Spaulding told Cannabis Business Times on Tuesday. In Maine, that doesn’t mean the campaign has to start from scratch, though, because they can still put the proposition on next year’s ballot. A Republican Maine lawmaker and marijuana industry advocates raised the alarm last month that prohibitionist campaigners were using deceptive petitions to get voters to sign the petition.

A video shared by Rep. David Boyer (R) appeared to feature an image and audio recording of a person gathering signatures for the ballot measure, in which he grossly misrepresented what the cannabis proposal would accomplish, saying its main goal was to ensure the product’s safety through improved testing.

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