Summer 1993 Vol. 04, No. 2 So Close Yet So Far
OVERVIEW
At the beginning of this fiscal year, MAPS had about 350 members and $897 in the bank. By the end of the fiscal year, MAPS’ membership had doubled to 707 and its balance was $46,066 (consisting of $32,066 in cash and $14,000 in receivables related to MAPS’ co-sponsorship of the 50th anniversary of LSD conferences-see pages 34-37 and 52-56). Of MAPS’ assets, $37,000 is restricted to specific research projects and $9,066 is available for other research projects and general operating expenses. (The expenses associated with this newsletter will reduce MAPS’ non-restricted funds to about $6,000.) MAPS’ total income grew in FY 1992 from $28,860 (see MAPS Newsletter, Vol III, #3) to $113,962. Growth stemmed from increased membership donations, gross receipts of about $24,000 from admission fees to the 50th Anniversary conferences and, for the first time in MAPS’ seven-year history, foundation grants. MAPS would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge with appreciation grants of $30,000 from the Dartington Hall Trust’s Nicholas Carr-Saunders Fund (restricted to MDMA research in Russia) and $2,000 from the Tides Foundation’s Breath and Smile Fund for general operating expenses.
MAPS’ ability to cover its organizational expenses from membership donations permits it to offer donors the opportunity to direct 100% of their donations to research projects of their choice. This strategy seems to me to be the key to MAPS’ fundraising success.
Allocation of assets
Russian MDMA Research Project-$30,000
Dr. Evgeny Krupitsky of the St. Petersburg Regional Dispensary of Narcology is leading MAPS’ Russian MDMA research project to study the therapeutic potential of MDMA in the treatment of alcoholism and neurosis. Unfortunately, Dr. Krupitsky was recently denied permission to conduct MDMA research by the governmental Control Committee on Narcotics. Dr. Krupitsky reports that a new law on narcotics (more soft and reasonable) is being worked out now in the Supreme Soviet of Russia, and it should be adopted around January,1994. At that point, new members will be appointed to the Control Committee on Narcotics and the restrictions on MDMA research stand a good chance of being lifted. Nobody can specify the date of these events more exactly because the future is unpredictable, especially in Russia.
MAPS intends to be patient and wait for the newly organized Control Committee to reconsider Dr, Krupitsky’s proposal. At that time, the Committee will have the opportunity to review preliminary results from MDMA research in the US and Switzerland which we expect will support Dr. Krupitsky’s case.
LSD Research Project-$5,000
An additional $5,000 of MAPS’ resources is reserved for the only FDA- approved LSD research project. This experiment will explore the use of LSD in the treatment of substance abuse and will be conducted by Drs. Kurland, Yensen, and Dryers (see related story about ibogaine). Before this study can begin, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval is needed. The researchers hope to obtain IRB approval and begin their study within three to six months.
The $5,000 was donated by two friends, one of whom attended the 50th Anniversary of LSD event in Santa Cruz, April 16 and was deeply moved by Drs. Yensen and Dryer. She encouraged a close friend who was not at the event to help her personally make sure that MAPS’ goal of raising $5,000 for the LSD study was fulfilled. Their generosity was especially fortuitous since the April 16 event only broke even.
MDMA Research in the US-$2,000
An additional $2,000 is restricted to MDMA research in the US. This represents MAPS’ share of the profits (50% to MAPS and 50% to California NORML) from the April 17 event in San Francisco, all profits of which MAPS pledged to use for research. These funds will be spent in the near future.
Pledges to MAPS
MAPS has been pledged $50,000 to support a study comparing smoked marijuana and the oral THC pill in the treatment of the HIV-related wasting syndrome (see page 6). MAPS has also been pledged $15,000 for a study of the effectiveness of water pipes in filtering marijuana smoke (see page 4-5). Since both projects require additional funding, I will ask the donors to make their actual contributions only after I have obtained pledges completely sufficient to fund the studies.
Expenses
In FY 1993, MAPS spent $68,019 (see chart). Of that amount, $22,409 was spent on costs related to the 50th Anniversary of LSD events, all which was recovered from admission fees. MAPS’ expenditures which were not matched by income amounted to $45,610. Of that amount, $ 26,254 was spent on MAPS’ communication and educational activities. This includes postage, phones, copies, newsletters, books, tapes, and informational materials. Not counted is the large amount of time donated by a graphic designer who produces the MAPS newsletter and designed the 50th Anniversary of LSD poster.
MAPS’ office and officer expenses were $16,260. This includes $5,083 for my salary of $1,000 per month, which I began taking for the first time in January 1993 even though such expense was authorized by the Board beginning June 1992. There were $5,689 in travel expenses and conference fees, covering my travels (coach class) to Washington to meet with the FDA (see MAPS Newsletter Vol. III, #3), to Prague for the International Transpersonal Association conference (see MAPS Newsletter Vol. III, #3), to Germany for the European College for the Study of Consciousness conference (see MAPS Newsletter Vol. III, #4), and various other domestic travel to meetings with researchers. This sum also includes travel for myself and one Board Member to the MAPS Board of Directors Annual Meeting. Also included in this category are licenses, office rent, payments on MAPS’ computers, and legal and accounting fees.
The final category of expense is research support, for which MAPS spent $3,096. This sum is small for several reasons, primarily having to do with the fact that research administering MDMA or LSD or marijuana has not yet started. In addition, the physicians working on the MDMA, LSD and rave research projects have so far donated their time. Most of MAPS’ 1993 research support funds went to support travel costs for Dr. Krupitsky and Dr. Andre Vrublevsky of the Moscow Center for the Study of Addictions. MAPS’ support enabled them to meet with other psychedelic researchers and develop plans for the Russian MDMA research project.
EXPENSES
Subtotals Education/ Personnel MAPS Conferences Research Information Copies 3762.02 3762.02 Phones 6194.55 6194.55 Postage 4344.94 4344.94 Newsletter 9005.62 9005.62 Video/ Audio Tapes 2203.82 2203.82 Books to Members 540.38 540.38 Info materials 202.95 202.95 Officers Travel 5127.80 5127.80 Officer Conference fees 559.94 559.94 Office rent 2300.00 2300.00 Professional Expenses 710.50 710.50 Rick's Salary 5082.50 5082.50 Office Supplies and Equip. 2132.47 2132.47 Fees, credit cards 346.59 346.59 LSD 50th Anniversay 22409.03 22409.03 MDMA Human-US 514.32 514.32 MDMA-Russia 2461.75 2461.75 DMT Book 10.00 10.00 Rave Survey 110.00 110.00 Total 68019.18 26254.28 16259.80 22409.03 3096.07
