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Thursday, December 5, 2024

PT488 – The Cost of War: Veterans’ Mental Health and Government Responsibility


In this episode, Joe interviews Matthew ‘Whiz’ Buckley: former decorated US Navy F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilot and now, founder and CEO of No Fallen Heroes Foundation, a non-profit focused on healing veterans and first responders with psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Buckley met Joe in D.C. while they were both campaigning for psychedelic therapy to any lawmaker they could speak with. He talks about how the government is spending a fortune on the military, but not paying the total cost, since so much of that is externalized onto the soldiers themselves. He points out how many of them care more about making money than saving lives, and how we need “We the people” moments to wake them up or remove them from office.

He discusses:

  • His time in the Navy and his transition back to civilian life, coming to terms with trauma and realizing how much was physical (including tinnitus)
  • His life-changing experiences under ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT with the Mission Within
  • How we should be teaching veterans about various mental health options (including psychedelic-assisted therapy) as part of their transition process
  • The signing of the National Defense Authorization Act and the disappointing amount of money reserved for psychedelic research: Was it all just lip service?
  • The complications that arise when trying to get benefits from the VA while also trying to move on: When honesty about mental health isn’t incentivized, when do you tell the truth?
  • His experience operating legally in Colorado and how he plans to stay on top of Governor Desantis to bring psychedelics to Florida

and more!

Notable Quotes

“The military does an incredibly good job of turning us into human beings that are capable of doing some pretty horrific things to another fellow human being. And then when they’re done with us, they do a pretty shitty job of transitioning us back to being a human. They pay lip service to it, but there’s no return in it: ‘Hey man, you’re getting out. You’re not our problem anymore. We’ve got to focus on the next generation of killers.’”

“If we can get our first responders healed along with our military, I think this world would be a better place. …These medicines have the potential to turn warriors into peacemakers. And maybe that’s also why they’re illegal; they need little uniform killing machines that don’t do critical thinking.”

“Veterans: it’s interesting because it’s a tough community. We don’t listen to advertising or bullshit or anything; it needs to come from another vet for anything to have credibility. So you know, a Marcus Luttrell or a me or a JT looking a bro or a sister in the eye and going: ‘Hey man, this is what happened to me.’ Even in the back of their mind, if they’re like, ‘What the? That’s insane,’ there’s still a lot more of: ‘I trust this person. They would not steer me wrong.’”

Links

Nofallenheroesfoundation.org

MAX Afterburner podcast: Ep. 60 – Psychedelics Today Co- Founder Joe Moore

MAX Afterburner podcast: Ep. 84 – Healing Trauma from Columbine

HunterSeven Foundation

Militarytimes.com: First-ever provision for psychedelic studies included in defense bill

Psychedelics Today: PT427 – The Philosophy of Law Enforcement, The Criminalization of Self-Directed Behavior, and Transformative Care for Police, featuring: Sarko Gergerian, MS, MHC, CARC

Missionwithin.org

DoD TAP: Transition Assistance Program

Kranews.org: Can psychedelics combat prolonged grief? Dell Medical School launches study to find out

Psychedelics Today: PT432 – From NBA Dreams to Cultural Healing: Iboga and a Mission to Empower Gabon, featuring: Stéphane Lasme

Psychedelics Today: Could the Sonoran Desert Toad Cure Narcissism?

Tucsonherpsociety.org

Feb. 23 – 25: The Sacred Mycology Summit



Dr. Jen Chalmers
Dr. Jen Chalmers
Dr. Jen Chalmers is an accomplished writer and cannabis enthusiast. With a Ph.D. in Botany and years of experience as a researcher, she brings a scientific perspective to her captivating articles on cannabis news, recipes, and the fascinating world of psychedelics.

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