Senator Larry Campbell

But, that was not all! 

A Secret Microdose

For the first two weeks of his microdosing experience Senator Campbell had been unaware he was doing it at all. Unbeknownst to him, his wife had been “spiking his coffee with psilocybin.” 

Senator Campbell only noticed because his usually turbulent moods — caused by a mixture of depression, PTSD and aging were greatly improved. He was feeling good in a way that he hadn’t for a long time, despite his 20 years on antidepressants. He told his wife about his transformation, and very soon the jig was up! She revealed her plot.  

The reason Senator Campbell used this personal anecdote was to underline his support for continued research into psilocybin treatments, as well as a reform on its illegal status. 

However, his admission threw up some pertinent questions. Firstly about consent. We definitely do not condone administering drugs to someone without their permission, however good the intention may be. Even though psilocybin is completely non-toxic, it is agreed that consent is always king. Many people were shocked that the Senator’s wife would have taken such a step.

A Question of the ‘Placebo Effect’

However, the Senator’s ignorance threw up another question for those who dismiss microdosing as a ‘placebo effect.’ If the Senator was unaware he was taking it, the placebo effect was a moot point. Due to the ethical issues we outlined above, studies in which the subject is unaware they have been dosed with a substance are not possible. But ethical questions aside — here was basically that. And the unknowing subject was a Senator with an influence on drug reform.

Pretty crazy!

As you can imagine, the story blew up.

So Senator Larry Campbell gave another interview, this time to Insider.com, to clarify what the heck really went down.

Senator Campbell Clears the Air

Firstly, he is still a dedicated psilocybin microdoser. Five times a week in fact, alongside his current antidepressants. Such a convert that he has become, he even takes it as part of the ‘Stamet’s Stack’. This is the combination of psilocybin, lion’s mane mushroom and niacin (or vitamin B) popularized by mycologist Paul Stamets. The shroom lifestyle clearly agrees with this Senator, even if he began it unknowingly!

And, Senator Campbell was keen to clarify that controversial part of his story. He now states his wife had informed him of her plan. But, in his typical formally-grumpy style, he hadn’t paid attention. 

He also was keen to qualify his experience with a dose of reality. 

“I’m not suggesting that the skies got blue and there were rainbows and I saw unicorns.” He explains. But after years of being “cranky” with a hare trigger causing him to “…take off like a rocket” at the smallest thing he suddenly felt calm — “It was just better”.

Psilocybin is Not a One-Size-Fits-All

He also doesn’t wish for his experience to be seen as a one-size-fits-all. Explaining his experience of speaking at the Summit he states;

“I looked down at these people and I just thought, somebody has to understand that this may not work for everybody. This may not, it’s not a silver bullet, but it certainly works for some people. And it has worked for me, not all the time, but it has worked for me.”

What psilocybin microdosing has given the Senator is the ability to be in charge of his emotions — not to simply numb them. 

“Now it’s like a switch in my brain. I get ready to be upset, and my brain goes: ‘Do I really want to do this?’. And the answer is always ‘no.'”

A Friendly Face For the Psychedelic Cause

A Senator like Larry Campbell speaking out about his positive experience with psychedelics will only push the already promising Canadian reform further. While British Columnia is touted to have decriminalized ALL drugs by 2023 and provinces such as Quebec are approving magic mushroom therapy for patients, adding a friendly and traditionally ‘respectable’ face to proceedings could be key to convincing any doubters.

Campbell even has a story that demonstrates that it is basically impossible to overdose of psilocybin — something those less ‘in-the-know’ may not be aware of — recalling when he accidentally took twice his usual dose;

“…It was blue out there, really blue, and I laid down and had a nap, that was it. I wasn’t getting the urge to listen to Deep Purple or Jimmy Hendrix,”

For those who grew up having ‘The War on Drugs’ hammered into their psyche, these down to Earth anecdotes from a pensioner could be just the ticket. 

The ‘Most Important’ Thing is Psychedelic Research

There are some doubters on the World-Wide-Web who suspect that this whole story was cooked up so Larry could admit publicly to taking psilocybin without being culpable. It at least partially absolves him of any guilt in the minds of those who still think psychedelics should be illegal.

At the end of the day — who knows? And does it even matter?

You can microdose with shrooms OR magic truffles

As Senator Larry Campbell states; the “most important” reason that he has chosen to speak out is that it will aid psychedelic research in the medical field.

“I want there to be a real conversation on this and a discussion with real scientists and with real doctors who can argue both sides. That’s fine. I don’t mind arguing both sides, but let’s do it.”