About us

DoubleBlind is a biannual print magazine and media company covering timely, untold stories about the expansion of psychedelics around the globe.

We listen to everyone, from the indigenous communities, who have preserved these medicines for millennia, to the people in our society who most need healing, but don’t have access to it. And we go everywhere, from the ayahuasca tourism industry in Peru to laboratories at leading universities.

We’re not speaking to the veteran tripper nor evangelizing to the anti-drug square. We are speaking to everyone who is curious about psychedelics. And we are speaking to anyone craving fresh perspectives on some of the most important issues of our time: the depression epidemic, the corporatization of medicine, and the aching that people around the globe feel for spirituality or some other collective sense of meaning. Together, we dive deep below the surface of the daily news cycle through long-form reported features, poetry, visual art, and provocative photo essays offered both online and in print.

The conversation doesn’t end there. Psychedelics—as the first class of drugs that heal through inspiring mystical experiences—hold the potential to shift how the Western medical community perceives wellness more broadly. We cover that too.

With an open mind and a commitment to fact-checking, we provide nuance to the reporting on alternative healing modalities and mindfulness movements. Psychedelics aren’t just about the 1960s cultural revolution—or the research renaissance that has followed it in recent decades. They’re a jumping off point for exploring what it means to be well as individuals and a collective: we invite you to contemplate that with us.

Why “DoubleBlind?”

We’re all blind in some ways—blind to our biases, blind to our needs, blind to our habits. That’s what good journalism is for—not for reaffirming our beliefs, but for challenging us to consider new ones that are based on facts.

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That’s also why the double-blind, randomized clinical trial was invented—to ensure that scientists were not accidentally designing their research in a way that just confirmed what they already believed. Today, it’s the gold standard in science.

Psychedelics are the quintessential example of what happens to a topic when it becomes so politicized that it can no longer be discussed in an open and fair way. Despite the fact that in the 1950s psychedelics were already showing incredible promise as a mental health treatment, they were banned from science for decades due to their association with a culture of radical expression that threatened the status quo. Politicians, doctors, and even the American public were blinded by the symbolism of these drugs, incapable of regarding them as a medicine.

Now—thanks to researchers taking psychedelics through the FDA’s laborious double-blind trials—they’re slowly gaining legitimacy. Within the next five years, leading scientists in the field are projecting that MDMA and psilocybin—the psychoactive ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms—will be legal for prescription. A number of cities and states will also soon be following in the footsteps of Denver to decriminalize psilocybin and other plant medicines.

Science is winning over cultural and political biases and this is cause for celebration.

But it’s also cause to reflect so that we don’t neglect important conversations in the name of progress. The cannabis industry—with its many millions of dollars in investment—has arguably already arrived. And despite the good intentions of activists, some state governments and local municipalities have already failed to create an industry that’s equitable for patients and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Many of the ethical questions that arose from the legalization of cannabis pertain to psychedelics, too. How much will they cost when they’re legalized? Will insurance cover them? And should a single company even be able to monopolize psychedelics and dictate how they’re administered? The double-blind research process leading to medicines that are patented by companies provides a certain level of security to patients, but psychedelics have—and are—much more than a pill. What, for example, is lost when they’re taken in a hospital rather than, say, a ceremonial setting the way they have been administered for millennia?

DOUBLEBLIND’S COMMITMENTS

DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES

Our stories strive to reach everyone touched by psychedelics, not just the loudest or most influential voices.

BOLD TOPICS

We cover ideas, news, and stories that are at the cutting-edge of conversations around psychedelics. We don’t shy away from topics because they’re ambitious or because they may not immediately appear interesting. We use storytelling to illuminate why they matter.

RIGOROUS REPORTING

We hold ourselves accountable for our own biases by including all relevant perspectives in our stories, even ones we may not like. The data and research we cite are thoroughly fact-checked.

RELEVANCE

We report on topics that have a wide-reaching impact for the medical community and the public. We ensure that they’re told in an accessible and compelling way.

CREATIVITY

Have an idea for us? Want to collaborate with us on an event? We’re open to all projects that align with our mission. Reach us at: ideas@doubleblindmag.com

Our Team

SHELBY HARTMAN
CEO/ Co-Founder

MADISON MARGOLIN
Editorial Director/ Co-Founder

SARAH SCHNUR
Chief Marketing Officer

ANNA WILCOX
Managing Editor

DAVID GOOD
Creative Director

ALEX FIELD
Head of Video

MAX JOSEPHSON
Chief Technology Officer

GEORGIA LOVE
Head of Photography

ZOE WILDER
Media Relations

RYAN FRAME
Chief Financial Officer

ABOUT US

DoubleBlind is a trusted resource for news, evidence-based education, and storytelling on psychedelics. We work with leading medical professionals, scientific researchers, journalists, mycologists, indigenous stewards, and cultural pioneers to provide nuanced and reliable information about the psychedelic movement—and all that it touches, from healthcare disparities to drug policy reform.

We listen to everyone, from the communities, who have preserved these plants and fungi for millennia, to the people in our society who most need support, but don’t have access to it. And we go everywhere, from the ayahuasca tourism industry in Peru to clinics at universities like Johns Hopkins, NYU, and Imperial College London.

We’re not speaking to the veteran tripper nor evangelizing to the anti-drug square. We are speaking to anyone craving fresh perspectives on some of the most important issues of our time, from the depression epidemic to the corporatization of medicine, the climate crisis, and beyond. Psychedelics aren’t just about the 1960s cultural revolution—or the research renaissance that has followed it in recent decades. They’re a jumping off point for exploring what it means to be well as individuals and a collective: we invite you to contemplate that with us.

“I could see that they really got it. They’re trying to invent and reinvent the culture of psychedelics for a different generation.”

– Michael Pollan, The New York Times

EDITORIAL INTEGRITY

With a devotion to harm reduction and responsible use, we publish well-researched information that has been written, fact-checked, and reviewed by our team of experts in psychology, neuroscience, pharmacology, mycology, policy, and indigenous rights. All data and research cited are fact-checked for rigor and accuracy. We give the full picture, including information on risks, clinical trials, biocultural history, and ethics.

All of our articles and workshops feature leading, qualified experts such as Dr. Rick Strassman, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine; Dr. James Fadiman, a psychedelic pioneer who has been doing research in the field for more than five decades; mycologist Paul Stamets, author of five mycology books most known for his popular TED talk; Dr. Jeffrey Becker, a UCLA-trained ketamine researcher and Chief Medical Officer at Bexson Biomedical, among dozens of other scientists and therapists. All of DoubleBlind’s regular contributors are highly-trained journalists with extensive experience covering the news, ethics, politics, drug development, healthcare, and culture of psychedelics for news outlets including The New York Times, VICE, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Vanity Fair, and beyond.

We also partner with universities and other trusted magazines and news outlets. DoubleBlind has a joint column on Rolling Stone, where we report on the latest developments in the worlds of psychedelic drug development and policy. We’ve also co-published with Playboy, Benzinga, and Quartz—and published an investigation in our print magazine into the psilocybin market, with the support of a fellowship received by reporter Webb Wright from UC Berkeley.

We’ve been invited to speak at dozens of conferences, including PsyTech, The Mt. Tam Psilocybin Summit, Horizons Convention, and SXSW. DoubleBlind’s founders have been featured in and interviewed by numerous publications as experts, including The New York Times, Forbes, Bustle, Business Insider, and VICE. In 2021, Forbes dubbed DoubleBlind “The Master Class of Psychedelics” for our vetted workshops and classes.

“The psychedelic renaissance is here and DoubleBlind serves as a trusted source for people to learn about these compounds, so they can transform, heal, and integrate their experiences into their daily lives.”

–Andrew DeAngelo, Forbes

CULTURAL AND SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD

DoubleBlind’s cultural and scientific advisory board fact-checks our articles for accuracy, keeps us apprised of the latest in the psychedelic ecosystem, and helps ensure value alignment across the organization.

Dr. Charles Nichols

Professor of Pharmacology

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Charles Nichols is currently a professor of pharmacology at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, LA. He received his undergraduate education at Purdue University, PhD at Carnegie Mellon University, and performed his postdoctoral training at Vanderbilt University. He has been studying the cellular, molecular, genetic, and behavioral effects of psychedelics for 25 years and is considered one of the world’s top experts on the biological effects of psychedelics in the brain and body. Key discoveries he and his team have made include elucidation of the effects of psychedelics on gene expression in the brain, identification and characterization of specific cells in the brain that directly respond to psychedelics, and that psychedelics are extremely potent anti-inflammatory agents and represent potential therapeutics for diseases like asthma and cardiovascular disease. He is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Psychedelic Medicine, and the President of the International Society for Research on Psychedelics.

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Dr. Jeffrey Becker

Doctor of Neuropsychiatry

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Dr. Jeffrey Becker trained at UCLA/NPI in both medicine and psychiatry with a focus on neuropsychiatry and functional medicine. He is board-certified through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) and the American Board for Integrative and Holistic Medicine (ABIHM). He maintains clinical offices in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara and is affiliated with UCLA/NPI as Volunteer Clinical Faculty. Dr. Becker’s integrative and holistic approach to psychiatry examines mind and brain function in reference to the health of the whole body. He combines conventional medicine with evidence-based nutrients, lifestyle modifications, and complementary treatments to restore synergy and balance to baseline physiology.

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Monica Cadena

Psychedelic Movement Worker

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Monica Cadena is an Afro-Chicana, California-based writer/journalist, movement worker, digital alchemist, plant ally, and advocate of ending the war against drugs. The former co-founder of Wear Your Voice Magazine, an intersectional feminist digital publication, Monica’s passionate about highlighting stories from those at the intersections of healing and social justice activism and centering healing-based initiatives. Monica works with many organizations within the psychedelic and entheogenic space, and is committed to the healing and liberation of Black and Indigenous communities.

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Natalie Ginsberg, MSW

Global Impact Officer at MAPS

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Natalie Lyla Ginsberg (MSW) is the Global Impact Officer at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, (MAPS), and the co-founder of the Jewish Psychedelic Summit. Natalie joined MAPS in 2014, founding the Policy & Advocacy department, and serving as its director for 5 years. At MAPS, Natalie initiated and co-developed MAPS’ Health Equity program, including MAPS’ first MDMA Therapy Training for Communities of Color, and co-authored the first study interviewing Palestinians and Israelis who have shared ayahuasca ceremonies. Natalie was born and raised in New York City and currently lives in Los Angeles, CA. She received her B.A. in history from Yale College, and her master’s of social work (M.S.W.) from Columbia University.

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Ophelia Chong

Plant Medicine
Entrepreneur

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Ophelia Chong was the visionary behind Stock Pot Images, the pioneering stock photo and video agency showcasing cannabis, hemp, psilocybin, an extensive array of distinct strains, and authentic portrayals of cannabis consumers without racial biases. In addition to her groundbreaking work, she established Asian Americans for Cannabis Education (AACE) to enlighten the AAPI community and dispel misconceptions surrounding these substances. Her unwavering commitment is focused on reshaping the discourse surrounding cannabis and psychedelics, all driven by a singular mission: advocating for legalization and offering genuine representations of the diverse faces and communities embracing alternative medicines.

Shayla Love

UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellow

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Shayla Love is a freelance science journalist based in Brooklyn, and a staff reporter for The Guardian and Psyche. She started writing about psychedelics as a senior staff writer at VICE News, and has extensively covered psychedelic research, culture, ethics, and business. Her work has also appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, WIRED, Scientific American, The Washington Post, STAT, The Atlantic, Undark, Harper’s, and more. She has a Master’s Degree from Columbia University in science, environment, and medicine journalism, and has received a number of awards and fellowships, including The Ferriss – UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowship.

Sutton King, MPH

President of Urban Indigenous Collective

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Sutton King, MPH, Afro-Indigenous, descendent of the Menominee and Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, is a graduate of NYU School of Global Public Health. As an internationally-recognized Indigenous rights activist and social entrepreneur, she is dedicated to developing and scaling innovative solutions to improve Indigenous health equity across sectors. Her advocacy centers mental health, women’s rights, bioculture conservation, and access and benefit sharing for Indigenous people. For the last decade, she has implemented culturally appropriate and equitable methodologies within healthcare, technology, and philanthropy for Indigenous communities. Sutton is the co-founder and President of Urban Indigenous Collective, an Indigenous lead public health NGO supporting access to culturally-tailored health and wellness services for self-identified Indigenous peoples in Lenapehoking (NYC) and the greater NYC area (NY, NJ, CT, PA) through community-based participatory research, advocacy, community programming, and direct services.

“Truly, a magazine like none other. Thank you for staying true to your vision.”

– Dr. James Fadiman, leading researcher and author of The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys Paperback

OUR TEAM

Shelby Hartman is Co-Founder and Publisher of DoubleBlind. Her work has appeared in VICE, Playboy, Quartz, LA Weekly, the Huffington Post, Thrillist, and Rolling Stone, among others. Shelby worked in broadcast news production for CBS News, covering presidential elections, protests, natural disasters, and other breaking news. Spurred by a passion for print, she transitioned to magazine writing, working as an editor at Pasadena Magazine and receiving her Master’s Degree in long-form journalism from Columbia University in 2015. Since then, Shelby has worked as a columnist at LA Weekly and reported extensive features on post-traumatic stress disorder in the veteran community, the cannabis industry, psychedelics and mysticism, and the psychedelic research boom. Shelby has spoken and written on topics like psychedelics in the media, the ethics of mainstreaming psychedelics, and others at SXSW, Horizons: Perspectives in Psychedelics, Harvard Law School, and more. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Business Insider, Cool Hunting, and Bustle, among others. In 2020, she was named by Forbes as a female leader in cannabis and psychedelics.

Maxwell Josephson is the Chief Executive Officer at DoubleBlind. Max is committed to using technology to help (vs. hurt) people’s mental health and has developed original mental health software for platforms such as Spire.io (breath biofeedback wearable), Magic Leap (Augmented Reality) and Apple Watch (Infinity Breath on the app store). He is a recent winner of UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Impactathon (a social benefit hackathon). He lives in Joshua Tree California where he guides regular meditations as a certified Taoist Meditation instructor (including with psychedelics) and creates interactive (breath-based) meditative art and music using computer programming.

Madison Margolin is Co-Founder and Editorial Director at DoubleBlind. Having written for Playboy Magazine, Rolling Stone, Nylon, VICE, LA Weekly, High Times, Tablet, and other outlets, her reporting is concentrated on psychedelics, cannabis, drug policy, and spirituality. A graduate of Columbia Journalism School and UC Berkeley, Madison has traveled everywhere from pot farms in the Emerald Triangle to the shores of the Ganges River, and all over Israel-Palestine, exploring the role of plant medicine in religion, mental health, and conflict resolution. She got her start in journalism with a column on cannabis at the Village Voice, after having lived in south Tel Aviv working with Eritrean refugees. With more than 4 years’ experience covering cannabis and other drugs, Madison has spoken on topics like social equity, cannabis feminism, cannabis journalism, and so forth at conferences like Digital Hollywood, the Association of Alternative New Media, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, The Rind’s Women in Cannabis, Pepperdine’s Cannabis Law Symposium, and others. She most recently published a book on the intersection of psychedelics and judaism, titled “Exile and Ecstasy.”

Mary Carreon is Senior Editor at DoubleBlind, co-founder of the Hyphae Leaks podcast, and an award-winning journalist from Southern California. Her work has appeared in Billboard, KCRW/NPR, Insider, DoubleBlind Magazine, The LAnd Magazine, High Times Magazine, OC Weekly, LA Weekly, and many other publications. Mary has moderated and been an expert on panels about psychedelics at numerous conferences, including Wonderland Miami, SXSW, MAPS’ Psychedelic Science Conference, the Oakland Psychedelic Conference, California Psychedelic Conference, and more. Mary’s work aims to humanize drug culture and track the real-world effects of policies and trends affecting accessibility and the environment. As a third-generation Mexican and Guatemalan, she’s also dedicated to amplifying Latine and BIPOC voices, issues, and perspectives. Mary is currently a student at UCLA and is earning a certificate in paralegal studies to bolster her legal portfolio.

Dr. Michael Verbora is a medical reviewer at DoubleBlind. He earned an MBA from the Odette School of Business in 2009 and an M.D. from Schulich School of Medicine at Western University in 2013, before entering Family Practice residency at the University of Toronto. To date, he has completed over 5,000 cannabinoid therapy consultations, and is a global medical expert in the field of cannabinoid therapy. He serves as Chief Medical Officer of Aleafia Health, a Canadian Producer of medical cannabis and cannabinoid research. Dr. Verbora is the current Chief Medical Officer of Huxley Health, a psychedelic-assisted therapy company treating patients today in Toronto. He is also the former medical director of Field Trip Health, a mental wellness company focused on psychedelic-assisted therapy. Dr. Verbora completed the California Institute of Integral Studies Psychedelic Therapy course in 2022. Dr. Verbora is committed to helping patients heal through botanical medicines while developing scientific evidence on these therapies. You can follow him on Twitter.

Monica Cadena is an Afro-Chicana California-based writer/journalist, movement worker, digital alchemist, plant ally, and advocate of ending the war against culture. The former co-founder of Wear Your Voice Magazine, an intersectional feminist digital publication, Monica is passionate about highlighting stories from those at the intersections of healing and social justice activism and centering healing-based initiatives. Monica works with many organizations within the psychedelic and entheogenic space and is committed to the healing and liberation of Black and Indigenous communities.

Sarah Schnur is the head of marketing at DoubleBlind, spearheading brand marketing efforts across all channels from our website to social media and beyond. Prior to DoubleBlind, Sarah led her own digital marketing and graphic design agency, building her portfolio working with mission-driven brands across a variety of industries including cannabis, hospitality, and nonprofits.

Alex Field is the Head of Video at DoubleBlind. Alex has over a decade of filmmaking and production experience, having worked with both legacy brands and start-ups alike, as well as founding his own production studio, Snacktime Creative. With a passion for development and documentary, Alex previously produced video for the cannabis lifestyle media company, Civilized. Previously, he worked in video production at Playboy and Maker Studios.

David Good is the Creative Director at DoubleBlind. As a brand strategist, illustrator, and graphic designer, David has worked with clients including the Museum of Sex, Dream Hotel, The Box, and The Center for Optimal Living, among others. He formerly worked as a brand designer at NeueHouse, a private cultural and collaborative space for prominent creatives, artists, and entrepreneurs. In 2017, he received his Master’s in Fine Arts from the Pratt Institute and now is a professor of graduate design at Pratt.

Jenalle Dion has devoted the past 7 years to the plant medicine space, driven by a profound passion for transformative experiences. Her journey has seen her in pivotal roles such as Head of Partnerships, Brand Manager, and Content Strategist at organizations such as Retreat Guru, Tandava Retreats, and Third Wave. With a keen eye for creative collaborations, holistic branding, and strategic content creation, Jenalle founded Wakeful Travel, a ceremony companion company specializing in integration tools for continued healing and self-discovery. She has been featured in Forbes, Psychedelic Spotlight, the Nikean Foundation, and the Modern Psychedelics Podcast. With a dedication to breaking the stigma of psychedelic use, Jenalle weaves together her professional acumen with a commitment to her own personal development.

Zoe Wilder is a public relations professional and business consultant specializing in lifestyle, culture and wellness. For over 20 years, Zoe has worked with hundreds of clients across a variety of industries to develop and execute inventive promotional content and campaigns that capture the attention of tastemakers and influencers from around the globe.

Michelle Lhooq is Culture Editor at DoubleBlind. She is a drugs and nightlife journalist who was born in Singapore, and worked for many years as an electronic music reporter in New York City. Lhooq’s work, mainly published in her gonzo newsletter Rave New World, is currently centered on the shifting paradigms of counterculture, underground raves, and psychedelics. She is the author of WEED: Everything You Want to Know But Are Always Too Stoned to Ask (Penguin Random House), and her writing can also be found in The Guardian, GQ, New York Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, and Bloomberg. Once in a blue moon, she throws psychedelic parties in Los Angeles, where she is based.

“We’re honored to be associated with DoubleBlind. You’re doing the work to make this movement have a future.”

– Alex and Allyson Grey, renowned visionary artists

OUR COMMITMENTS

DoubleBlind is first and foremost an impact-oriented organization, committed to providing people with trusted information on psychedelics, community, and rigorous, thoughtful journalism. We have two primary goals: to support people on their journey with psychedelics—if that is something they feel called to—and to report stories that hold psychedelic stakeholders accountable for centering equity, accessibility, and right relationship in their work with plant medicines. Everything we do serves that mission, including all the ways in which DoubleBlind generates revenue. The money we make is in service of paying the people who we work with, from our writers and resident facilitators to our team members.

We began as a print magazine—and when we realized DoubleBlind was something that people wanted to exist in the world, we intentionally chose harm reduction education on psychedelics, as opposed to sponsored content or advertising, as our primary business model as it was something we felt our community genuinely needed and that our team could stand behind ethically.

We fund our journalism through the sale of our classes, workshops, and monthly membership program, which also includes integration circles and community building. That said, we never want anyone to be locked out from the education that they need and we offer scholarships and sliding scale options for all of our educational offerings. (If you’re interested in a scholarship, please email scholarship@doubleblindmag.com.) We also intentionally chose to make classes and community the center of our membership program—as opposed to putting up a paywall over our articles—as hundreds of thousands of people get important information on psychedelics from our articles each month. Since we were founded, DoubleBlind has had more than 20 million visitors to our articles. We have vowed to never have a paywall over our service journalism.

The magazine has advertisers as an ancillary revenue stream, but we only accept advertising from companies that we have thoroughly vetted and whose products we can stand behind. Twenty-five percent of the advertising we do on DoubleBlind is free advertising given to impact-led organizations who we want to support, with an emphasis on BIPOC-led organizations, nonprofits, and other groups doing important work and with access to limited resources.

We pay our freelance writers, photographers, and illustrators on par with other digital media companies. We pay our team members living wages and the highest paid employee, including the founders and company’s executives, do not make more than double the salary of the lowest paid employee. This is all a part of our commitment to imagining a world that centers collective care and reciprocity.

In our journalism and education, we strive to highlight a variety of voices, not just those that are the loudest or most prominent in the field. Our workshops and summits include authorities from around the world and from a wide range of biocultural perspectives. Organizations that we support and that we encourage you to support include Chacruna’s Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative, Esperanza Mazateca, Blessings of the Forest, and the Union of Indigenous Yagé Doctors of the Colombian Amazon, among others.

“DoubleBlind plays such an important role in the psychedelic space. The publication fills a void and provides smart, visual content that’s digestible to novice, curious, and seasoned psychedelic journeyers alike,”

–Merry Jane

DoubleBlind Magazine does not encourage or condone any illegal activities, including but not limited to the use of illegal substances. We urge you to understand and abide by your local laws. We do not provide mental health, clinical, or medical services. We are not a substitute for medical, psychological, or psychiatric diagnosis, treatment, or advice. If you are in a crisis or if you or any other person may be in danger or experiencing a mental health emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency resources. If you are considering suicide, please call 988 to connect with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.