Welcome to Your Dose of Dr. Molly: Issue #4!
The Wonderland Conference, Psychedelic Decriminalization, Semaglutide, The Spark Factor Presale (including major discount on my course), and my Holiday Gift Guide.
Wow! What a month it has been! November went by with nonstop movement and ended with some much-needed rest over the holidays. I’m so excited to share with you all that I’ve learned, experimented with, and have to offer you! Beyond the things in my realm, I’ll share some review of my new book, updates from my time at Wonderland (a conference on the business of psychedelics held in Miami), other big news in the psychedelic movement (s/o Colorado), and all the rage surrounding semaglutide. And, I’ll end with updates on my book, course, and holiday gift guide.
Check out what people are saying about The Spark Factor
“Dr. Molly helped me work through a stressful point in my life and find new ways to manage challenges. Her data-driven yet holistic approach in The Spark Factor will offer women an opportunity to learn about her unique philosophy of health.”
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— Frank Lipman, MD, New York Times bestselling author of The New Health Rules
“Dr. Molly has more than a decade of experience as one of the leading doctors in Silicon Valley and consultants in health tech. Now in this game-changing book, she's offering everyone the latest tools to increase energy and resilience for immediate results and long-term well-being."
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“Globally, we are sick and losing our spark of aliveness. Enter The Spark Factor. At the intersection of metabolism, blood sugar stabilization, hormone balance, and biohacking, this smart book provides the answers you seek for radiant health.”
— Sara Gottfried, MD, four-time New York Times bestselling author, and Director of Precision Medicine at Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, Thomas Jefferson University
Wonderland was Wonderful
When I arrived in Miami, I was super excited to be a part of a panel about Sex and Psychedelics with some truly brilliant women, including Nicolle Hodges, Jemima Kelly, Sarah Tilley, Jenny Martin, and Lia Jiannine.
Some of the topics covered during the panel were:
Sexual ethics
Self-induced psychedelic states
Psychedelic-assisted couples therapy
Whether or not companies will succeed at introducing psychedelics for sexual dysfunction
As it turns out, there’s a great book on the topic called “Transforming Orgasms” that you can read since this idea is 5-10 years away from becoming mainstream.
To be honest, it was my peak experience. Being on stage with amazing women talking about two edgy, controversial topics in a beautiful, real, heartfelt way was enlivening. Especially given how this harmonious energy contrasts the warring energy that pervaded the space.
There are a number of doctors and psychologists already practicing ketamine-assisted couples therapy around the country, so it does appear the movement that started in the 60s is experiencing a revival.
The modern psychedelic movement started powerfully in 2020. I believe it was greatly influenced by the consequences of the collective trauma and social isolation that contributed to the mental health crisis we are experiencing today. Many companies blossomed, funding was everywhere, valuations were high, and people were hopeful of the power of these medicines to heal.
As time has gone by, the psychedelic space has become an altered state in itself. The conference has controversy around this banned list of people now allowed in. And there were a lot of stories of companies suing one another over various controversial things. I heard fairly heartbreaking tales of people whose ideas were hijacked and rumors the online ketamine space is going to face a reckoning.
After my time at the conference and the experiences I’ve had being in the space for many years, I am still hopeful but also cautious and skeptical about some of the paths to commercializing psychedelics. The psychedelic space is now, not surprisingly, filled with mercenary pharma bros, patent trolls, and opportunists who only see dollar signs and don’t actually care about humanity's healing. Mind-altering medicines in the wrong hands is a very risky business.
In short, I’m cautiously optimistic about the pharmaceutical psychedelic movement itself. I believe MAPS and Compass may see MDMA and psilocybin approved for PTSD and treatment-resistant depression, respectively. I genuinely hope we see great research emerge that can help people heal from the many diseases of despair plaguing our country and the world.
As someone with an insider’s view of the industry, I’m excited about the decriminalization movement happening in Oregon, Colorado, and elsewhere. We’ll see how this all plays out. We can’t have a psychedelic free-for-all like the 60s, but we also can’t over-medicalize what has been used as sacraments for thousands of years.
I’ll end this essay with a quote from my friend Justin Mares’ newsletter:
“In every relationship I’ve been in, there have been a few ‘things you can’t say’ to your partner. Things that, when brought up, are near-guaranteed to upset one of you. In the context of psychedelic therapy, we’ve been able to actually talk through some of the hot-button issues in our relationship and work through a lot of stuff as a result. In a world where divorce is so prevalent, I’m bullish that this class of therapies will help more couples deepen their relationships, work through challenges, and develop better partnerships, period.”
Another (Psychedelic) Domino Falls…
Let’s shout out Colorado, who followed Oregon’s lead in the psychedelic movement. This forward-thinking state legalized facilitated psilocybin sessions and decriminalized personal use of psychedelics. Now, these changes won’t go into effect for at least a year, but it is a hopeful shift in thinking about these tools for transformation.
But Oregon’s experience shows that it’s easier to eliminate criminal penalties than to ramp up behavioral health services and get more people to use them. In fact, critics of decriminalization say such policies could decrease access to treatment because fewer low-level offenders will be pushed into court-ordered programs.
Supporters of the Oregon law, approved in 2020 through a ballot initiative known as Measure 110, say it’ll take time to implement such a large shift in policy and are urging their critics to be patient.
Colorado’s ballot initiative would allow those 21 and older to grow, possess, and share psychedelic substances but not sell them for personal use. It also would allow people who have been convicted of offenses involving these substances to have their criminal records sealed.
Supporters argued that the state’s current approach to mental health has failed and that naturally occurring psychedelics, which have been used for hundreds of years, can treat depression, PTSD, anxiety, addiction, and other conditions. They also said jailing people for the non-violent offense of using naturally occurring substances costs taxpayers money.
Colorado voters have passed a ballot initiative to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms for people 21 and older and to create state-regulated "healing centers" where patients can experience the drug under supervision.
Colorado becomes the second state, after Oregon, to vote to establish a regulated system for substances like psilocybin and psilocin, the hallucinogens found in some mushrooms. The initiative, which would take effect in 2024, also will allow an advisory board to add other plant-based psychedelic drugs to the program in 2026.
The first domino to fall is usually the toughest. Now that another domino has fallen, who knows the butterfly effect of these massive shifts in our societal relationship to psychedelics as medicines? We know that what’s been used hasn’t worked. However, we also know that when used in safe, positive settings, psychedelics are incredibly healing, and we also know it isn’t the psychedelics that heal us, we heal ourselves. The work that comes after these peak experiences creates a shift towards a more harmonious state of consciousness.
Getting on the Semaglutide Train
Semaglutide is all the rage right now. Even Elon Musk, credits Wegovy, Novo Nordisk's brand of semaglutide, for his “healthier figure.” There are even rumors the Kardashians have gotten on the weight loss train using semaglutide, which costs $1,200-$1,500 per month. Originally, these were used to manage diabetes but recently gained FDA approval for chronic weight management.
I’ve had so many people reaching out to me about Ozempic, semaglutide, and Wegovy. And I’m excited to share with you that I believe this method is promising for managing diabetes and weight loss. Per the FDA, semaglutide for weight loss is intended to be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet (which the drug makes easier) and increased physical activity.
That said, there have been some concerns over thyroid cancer. It’s a good thing to note because there’s no such thing as a panacea. However, clinical trials have shown no definitive risk to MTC, a rare form of thyroid cancer, in humans treated with GLP-1 RA drugs.
Another important consideration to be aware of is that while these drugs are profound appetite suppressants and insulin sensitizers that contribute to weight loss, there also appear to be strong correlations to loss in muscle mass (at quite alarming rates). In fact, a study consisting of 18 randomized controlled trials concluded that although antidiabetic drugs have a large weight loss effect, it is important to pay attention to muscle loss because a decrease in fat-free mass was observed.
These once-weekly injectables suppress appetite by balancing out the body's hunger hormones and delaying digestion and has been shown to lead to a 15% to 20% loss of body weight over 68 weeks, Business Insider's Gabby Landsverk previously reported.
And it’s also important to call out the most common side effects being gastrointestinal issues like nausea and diarrhea, which can be so debilitating people stop taking it.
I’ll share that after having Covid, I noticed some worsened insulin sensitivity, so I decided to experiment with the peptide. But, after taking it for two weeks, I noticed mood swings and major anxiety. I discovered it was dropping my blood sugar too low and making me totally lose my cool. Suffice it to say, I don’t anticipate being on this much longer. I’m going to return to the things I know work: low-intensity cardio, balanced eating, stress management, and more time off for human connection.
And while you’re here, I’ll plug my online course, which has helped many of my patients and students reverse insulin resistance without the negative side effects mentioned above. You can save over $1000 on my online course for a limited-time by pre-ordering my book, The Spark Factor and fill out this form with your order details, and I’ll email you the special link.
The Spark Factor Presale Begins
I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am about the upcoming release of my new book, The Spark Factor! And I’m thrilled to announce some incredible, limited-time incentives for anyone who’s expressing their excitement by pre-ordering my book!
Pre-order a copy of The Spark Factor from your preferred retailer and simply share your order confirmation details here to receive the following limited-time, exclusive pre-order bonuses including:
65% off my online course (you’ll save $1,000 just by pre-ordering my book). Just fill out this form after pre-ordering the book and you can get access to the entire pre-sale offer and discounted access to the course within it.
A special offer from Levels for 2 extra months on top of a yearly subscription of continuous glucose monitoring and their food tracking app.
An exclusive discount code for Hanu Health for 20% off the platform plus 1 month free, which is just amazing for training heart rate variability
An unbelievable offer from Othership for 3 months free of their breathwork app.
A promo code from Lumen for $50 off their metabolic flexibility monitoring device.
So, what are you waiting for? Pre-order your copy TODAY to access these exclusive deals and thousand-dollar steals for yourself, your family members, and your friends.
My Holiday Gift Guide
Some my favorite gift ideas:
Books:
My book makes the perfect gift for a friend, coworker, loved one, or, heck, yourself!
My online course! If you pre-order The Spark Factor before January 31st you will can get access to my entire online course on healthspan for $500. Pre-ordering my book helps you save over $1000! Simply fill out this form with your order details, and I’ll email you the special link. If you have already pre-ordered, please fill out the form, and we’ll get you the discounted course link and all other offers.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Surround yourself with relentless humans. People who plan in decades but live in moments. Train like savages, but create like artists. Obsess in work, relax in life. People who know this is finite, and choose to play infinite games. Find people scaling mountains. Climb together.” — Zach Pogrob
With love,
Dr. Molly