…on. It just does not fit into the Western medical model. There's no way to get approval for a study using ayahuasca. I talked to Health Canada about that. I could do it if I had $3 million. So the experience, the closest I can come to it is to tell…

…it to its full extent are very limited. Can you talk a little more about why that is? Well, ayahuasca is illegal in Canada as it is in the United States. Now Health Canada, which is the regulatory agency has acknowledged that it's neither harmful nor…

…a little more about why that is? Well, ayahuasca is illegal in Canada as it is in the United States. Now Health Canada, which is the regulatory agency has acknowledged that it's neither harmful nor addictive. But for technical reasons, because it contains…

…words, things are not working. And that's just one example. And if you look at the epidemic of overdoses in the States and Canada in this year of 2017, if you look at the many people diagnosed with mental health disorders, the many more children being…

…Again, it has to be used by the right people in the right circumstances. But there's a plant that is not illegal in Canada that can actually help opiate addicts. Again, until a few years ago, I knew nothing about it, despite the fact that I spent…

…communicating with me. They're not saying anything in particular, but they're not separate from me, is what I'm saying. Then this flock of Canada geese. And I got it. That's God. She or he is not going to show up with trumpets and angels, not for me…

…I was going to come back to Vancouver and then to Victoria the same day to lead a five-day retreat, which, thanks to Health Canada, was canceled. That's a long story, but it was going to be with ayahuasca. And they said, buddy, don't do this. And they…

…up again on the Canadian national bestsellers list. So it's doing very, very well. A lot of people are reading it. It's available in Canada and a publisher will pick it up again in the States as well. But right now it's not available in the U.S. Thank…

…and so on. The results were very good. The documentary was seen by a lot of people. And I received a letter from Health Canada, which is our version of the FDA, telling me that this is illegal, and should I pursue with it, I could be facing…

…is illegal, and should I pursue with it, I could be facing criminal charges. And so that's the legal situation, both in Canada, United States, and also in the unnamed country in which I now hold retreats. And... In terms of publicly speaking about it,…

Welcome to our lecture series. Hailing from Vancouver and receiving his medical education in Canada, Dr. Gabor Maté practiced family medicine and palliative care for 20 years before transitioning to a challenging career in the community treating addiction and…

…practice, but I was still a practicing physician when I began to work with the plant. And I actually got a letter from Health Canada, which is our version of FDA, telling me to cease and desist. Otherwise, they might call the police on me. Somebody was…

…about what I knew about ayahuasca and addiction. And so it was in, that was in 2009 when that book was first published in Canada, in the States. So it's been about 13 years ago, but in a rapid immersion ever since, just two weeks ago, I should say…

…2011 or something Yeah, it's an amazing documentary. And then is it correct that the night after it aired, you got a call from Health Canada? No, that's not quite it. So then what happened was we were invited to, by the way, I also, to be honest, you…

…Columbia to come and do this program with them. We did. And that was studied by a group from the University of Victoria. Health Canada found out about it and they sent me a letter saying, you know, you can't do these studies without our permission. So,…

…There was one incident in particular that thankfully it did get back to almost a council through my relationship to Maps Canada. And Mark Hayden approached me. He heard that something had happened and we went through a huge healing process. And that…

…you for having spent this hour with us. As I said at the start, your generosity with, you know, organizations like Maps Canada, organizations like the Canadian Psychedelic Association now, it's just know you're a pretty big deal g so to show up and…

…metaphors throughout the creation of this. Number one, we want to be a beacon so people who are interested in psychedelics across Canada and beyond can find other people who are like minded. then we want to be the tent where everybody can come together…

…to others, and they were just burnt out. What can we do? So here's the truth. The truth is that in Canada, in this advantaged, advanced, industrial, rich... One of the most affluent countries. In history. Yeah. We have people living under conditions…

…that they're cutting off their own head. I want them to see the truth of what they're actually doing. When Canadians think about Canada and they stand at hockey games and they sing our home and native land, I want them to think about the natives on…

…promote that ideology, whether they know it or not. Yes. Yeah, exactly. So do you think that that is partially why Health Canada would not allow you to continue with the ayahuasca treatments? Is it because, in a sense, it's threatening to everything that…

…says that the ingredients in ayahuasca are illegal, therefore ayahuasca is illegal. Even though they themselves, I'm talking about Health Canada, agrees that it's neither dangerous nor addictive. They've said so and so many words. It's just bureaucracy. Then…

…about that. If there is an amazing article spread around going viral or a video on the internet and a lot of people in Canada figure out what ayahuasca really is and what the potentials are, how long would it take to change health Canada's mind? Oh, it…