Mike Tyson, Jake Paul, and the Future of Psychedelics
It’s been a rough couple of months for the world of psychedelic medicine. From the FDA’s decision to not move forward on clinical trials using MDMA to treat PTSD, to massive layoffs and restructuring in psychedelic companies and non-profits, and finally, the rejection of Massachusetts Ballot Question four that would have legalized the growing and use of plant-based psychedelics… it’s been a lot. The general public only knows what they are told in the news and the psychedelic affiliation with the deaths of celebrities like Matthew Perry and Liam Payne does not help the cause. But those of us within the ‘psychedelic bubble’ (not my term, although I wish I would have coined it) know that the movement has an ebb and flow to it and our fierce advocacy will continue with resolve. With the United States election having come and gone, the next big thing is the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing match tomorrow night. The event will bring major viewership numbers to Netflix and, regardless of who wins, each fighter is sure to walk away with a sizeable purse. But this boxing match, this brutal sport that has drawn crowds since antediluvian times, can’t have anything to do with psychedelics, can it? Well… maybe so.
Mike Tyson has been a household name for as long as I can remember. His ferocity in and out of the ring is legendary as are his troubles with the law, prison time, and, of course, ear nibbling. Despite this, he also seems to have an endearing quality to us having landed roles in light-hearted bro comedies like The Hangover and lent his name to, undoubtedly, the best video game ever created, Mike Tyson’s Punch Out. He is not shy to admit that the use of cannabis and psychedelics have changed his life for the better and a quick search of any major news outlet will show a story about how Iron Mike trains while using psilocybin mushrooms. Tyson has even taken this advocacy into the business world founding Tyson 2.0, his global cannabis brand, and investing in other companies doing psychedelic research.
Jake Paul is a different story altogether. This YouTuber-turned-Boxer boasts a killer boxing record, 10-1-0, but his investment portfolio is even more staggering. He is one of the top five global, yes GLOBAL, content creators and is financially involved with a wildly diverse menagerie of companies from AI to oatmeal, body wash to sports betting. The point is, in addition to his impactful right hook, Jake Paul has a lot of money to throw around.
So, let’s say Jake Paul wins tomorrow night’s matchup. Now, the little kid from the 80’s in me says this is completely impossible, but it could happen. Will Paul and Tyson be amicable? Will we see Jake Paul starting to dip his toe into investing in psychedelic medicine and research or even becoming involved in Tyson’s companies? Or will we see, perhaps, a new slew of news articles come out about how the use of psychedelics is detrimental to sports performance? I guess we will just have to see who is the victor tomorrow night and what news the propaganda machine churns out the next morning.
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