Aaron Rodgers and Tim Ferriss coming to psychedelics conference
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and prominent podcaster Tim Ferriss are among the dozens of speakers making a trip to Denver this summer for a conference dedicated to all things psychedelics.
Psychedelic Science takes place at the Colorado Convention Center June 19-23, bringing with it five days’ worth of lectures, workshops and networking opportunities with some of the biggest names in drug research, advocacy, venture capital and more. Billed as “SXSW for psychedelics,” presentations and vendors will extend beyond the most technical applications of science to include “the wider orbit of health, wellness, science, business, and supporting services,” according to a statement.
Founded and hosted by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, one of the country’s foremost research organizations on the topic, the conference’s previous iterations were industry- specific gatherings for a couple thousand professionals in the space to discuss the latest research. In 2017, Psychedelic Sciences welcomed 3,000 attendees in San Jose, Calif. The last time it convened was in 2019 in Austin, Texas.
This year marks the first time the event has opened its doors to the general public, and organizers expect about 10,000 attendees.
Psychedel ic Science comes to Colorado on the heels of a historic election in which voters opted to legalize medicinal psychedelics, including psilocybin and psilocin, two compounds found in “magic mushrooms.” The Centennial State is now the second, behind Oregon, to erect a legal psychedelics industry, which is one reason organizers decided on Denver as an apt location.
“With Colorado serving as a relevant backdrop, it’s shaping up to be a truly special, week-long experience,” Benjamin Greenzweig, the conference’s executive producer, said in a statement. “The industry continues to evolve in real time, so this year we’ll have a greater emphasis on the business of psychedelics, ethical models for success, state-specific regulatory environments, and the leaders at the helm of mainstreaming psychedelics.”
Psychedelic Science covers a myriad of topics aimed at educating a wide range of attendees, whether you’re a professional practitioner or looking to get into the nascent industry. A preliminary schedule includes lectures on ethnobotany, drug reform, neuroscience and pharmacology, religious and sacramental uses of psychedelic substances, indigenous perspectives, equity in access to psychedelic treatment, addiction and substance abuse, and more.
Workshops, which often carry additional fees, cover topics from how to provide guidance during psilocybinand Mdma-assisted therapy sessions to leveraging integration and harm reduction in clinical settings to best practices when working with veterans.
Passes to Psychedelic Science cost $755 for the general public, $995 for health, medical and scientific practitioners, and $1,695 for business founders, executives and entrepreneurs. All passes include access to the main conference programming June 21-23, access to an exhibit hall and an immersive show called “Deep Space,” and networking opportunities at a cocktail reception. Buy yours at psychedelicscience.com/register.