In Memoriam: Roland Griffiths, PhD, Pioneering Psychopharmacologist
A trailblazer in psilocybin studies, Dr. Roland Griffiths passed away at age 77 on October 16, 2023, of colon cancer.
More than 24 years ago, Roland Griffiths, PhD, began a groundbreaking research program with a study that investigated the effects of high-doses of psilocybin in healthy volunteers in a controlled setting (1). With the results from this study and the many more studies on psilocybin that followed, he is credited as helping to bring psychedelics back into the field of research (1,2).
Dr. Griffiths began at Johns Hopkins in 1972, after earning his PhD from the University of Minnesota (1). He was a distinguished Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and his research, both in clinical and preclinical laboratories, included the effects of mood-altering drugs, caffeine, and other substances (3).
One of his several noteworthy studies was, “Psilocybin Can Occasion Mystical-Type Experiences Having Substantial and Sustained Personal Meaning and Spiritual Significance,” a double-blind study on the short- and long-term effects of a high dose of psilocybin, published in 2006 (4). “When administered under supportive conditions, psilocybin occasioned experiences similar to spontaneously occurring mystical experiences,” concluded part of the abstract from the study (4). “The ability to occasion such experiences prospectively will allow rigorous scientific investigations of their causes and consequences.”
Dr. Griffiths authored more than 400 journal articles and chapters, and also trained more than 50 postdoctoral research fellows (3). His work received grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH), where he also served as a consultant (1,3).
“Although Dr. Griffiths will not be around to see all the fruits of his labor, his influence of his legacy will reverberate well beyond his passing,” wrote one article covering his life and accomplishments (5). “One of the psychedelic industry’s true shining lights.”
“A hallmark feature of [psychedelic] experiences is that we’re all in this together,” Dr. Griffiths stated earlier this year (1). “It opens people up to this sense that we have a commonality and that we need to take care of each other.”
References
- Green, P. Roland Griffiths is dead at 77; led a renaissance in Psychedelics Research https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/obituaries/roland-griffiths-dead.html (accessed Oct 18, 2023).
- Smith, B. A. Psychedelic research pioneer Roland Griffiths passes at age 77 https://thedalesreport.com/psychedelics/psychedelic-research-pioneer-roland-griffiths-passes-at-age-77/ (accessed Oct 18, 2023).
- Roland R. Griffiths, Ph.d., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/details/roland-griffiths (accessed Oct 18, 2023).
- Griffiths, R. R.; Richards, W. A.; McCann, U.; Jesse, R. Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance. Psychopharmacology 2006, 187 (3), 268–283 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-006-0457-5.
- Shapiro, M. Pioneering psychedelics researcher Roland Griffiths dies at 77 https://hub.jhu.edu/2023/10/18/roland-griffiths-pioneering-psychedelics-researcher-dies/ (accessed Oct 18, 2023).
Ep 25: Cannabis Quality Differentiation Beyond Cannabinoid Content
February 28th 2025In this latest installment of Noid Knowledge we are joined by Julie Kowalski, a leading mind in analytical chemistry and cannabis testing. Julie has arranged a very compelling symposium for Pittcon entitled Cannabis Aroma: Advances and Challenges in Determining and Commercializing Cannabis Product Quality Attributes. It is taking place on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, starting at 9:30 AM in room 209. The session features top notch speakers, including several previous guests of this show, and yours truly, discussing the next generation of quality assessment in cannabis.
Ep 24, Part III: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Kahn
December 26th 2024In the final part of this episode, Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn discuss the need for a national entity to centralize cannabis data collection, moving from snapshot data to continuous updates. They emphasize the importance of accurate lab data and adverse event tracking, suggesting QR codes on packaging to report issues. Yasha suggests harsher consequences for result manipulation and suggests collaboration between state departments and federal entities to support underfunded regulators. They also discuss the potential benefits of off-the-shelf testing and the importance of stability testing. Finally, Yasha shares his top three reading recommendations for the audience.
