On Thursday, September 24, the Campaign to Decriminalize Nature DC hosted “DC Medical Voices Speak Out for Initiative 81: A Panel Discussion with Members of DC’s Medical Community.” Panelists discussed the current research on entheogenic plants and fungi and the therapeutic applications of entheogens. Panelists also provided a historical perspective on entheogens, including barriers to research resulting from the War on Drugs, the historic therapeutic uses of entheogens among BIPOC communities, and answered questions from viewers.
About the Panelists:
Mikhail Kogan, MD, ABOIM is certified in geriatrics, palliative care, and integrative medicine. He currently serves as Medical Director of the George Washington University Center for Integrative Medicine, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Care, and Associate Director of the Geriatric and Integrative Medicine Fellowships at the George Washington University (GWU) School of Medicine. Dr. Kogan works closely with Capital Carrying, the DC area’s largest 501(c)(3) non-profit hospice organization to establish different alternative medicine programs for patients at the end of life. Dr. Kogan is also the Founder and Executive Director of AIM Health Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that provides integrative medicine services to low-income and terminally ill patients regardless of their ability to pay.
Jesse Walker, M.Psy is pursuing her doctorate of psychology (PsyD) from the George Washington University’s Professional Psychology Program (expected May 2021). She is currently a Doctoral Intern at the Catholic University of America’s Counseling Center in Washington D.C. Walker practices therapy through a relational-cultural lens, working with clients to identify, and strive in, relationships that present opportunities for them to experience mutuality, growth, and wellness.
