Beloved members of our global psychedelic community, dear friends from Latin America, welcome to the 2025 Psychedelic Culture Conference. It is an immense honor to stand before you today as we embark on this critical gathering of minds, bodies, experiences, and visions. Over the next two days, we will engage in deep and transformative discussions about the ever-evolving psychedelic landscape, a field that continues to be shaped by an intricate relationship between tradition and innovation, spirituality and science, grassroots activism and investor money, Prohibition and regulatory frameworks, local scenarios and global ones. Psychedelic Culture (PCU) 2025 unfolds as a rich tapestry of conversations, bridging personal stories, cultural narratives, policy debates, and critical reflections. It brings together voices from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, each offering a unique perspective.
This conference is about much more than psychedelic substances, it is about the traditions, the stories, and the struggles that surround these plants, their territories and their uses. It is about recognizing that these plants are not just tools for personal transformation but are deeply embedded in broader social, political, and environmental realities. The very categories we use to speak about them—terms such as “drug,” “substance,” “effect,” and “active ingredient”—are not neutral; they reflect and reinforce particular ways of seeing the world, ways that privilege certain forms of knowledge while marginalizing others. These classifications create hierarchies, determining what is considered science and medicine, what is criminalized, and who is granted authority to determine who has the right to use these substances. Scientific discourse, biomedical knowledge, legal frameworks, and public policy all rest on these distinctions, often erasing the perspectives of those who have safeguarded these plants for centuries.
Too often, we hear psychedelics referred to simply as “drugs,” a term burdened with the weight of criminalization, misunderstanding, stigma, and fear. The prohibitionist paradigm has long grouped vastly different substances under the same category, criminalizing plants and practices that have been integral to cultural and spiritual traditions for centuries. This has not only led to social stigmatization but has also fueled violence, inequality, and the marginalization of those Indigenous and traditional populations. Instead of policies rooted in repression and fear, we must advocate for frameworks that respect the historical, social, and therapeutic significance of these plants, ensuring that regulation does not become another tool of exclusion.
While terms such as “psychoactive substance” carry a more neutral and scientific tone, it can also reduce these plants to their molecular compounds, stripping them of their relationality, meaning, and place within networks of reciprocity between humans, the natural world, and the non-human world. Too often, psychedelic discourse focuses only on the mind, overlooking how the experiences with these plants are deeply embodied. In many ayahuasca traditions, for instance, healing and knowledge are not just cognitive processes but are carried through the body—through breath, posture, song, and movement. Yet, much of the mainstream conversation remains detached from these embodied dimensions, reducing ayahuasca to neurochemistry rather than recognizing it as a practice rooted in lived, somatic, and collective experiences. As we navigate the future of psychedelics, let’s not forget that these traditions are sustained not only through ideas but through embodied ways of knowing.
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When we talk about ayahuasca, peyote, psilocybin mushrooms, San Pedro, tobacco, or coca, we are not just speaking of their chemical properties; we are speaking of sacred territories, of histories of resilience, of knowledge passed down through generations, of rituals that are inextricable from the ecosystems that sustain them. Reclaiming the language we use to describe these plants is part of a larger effort to challenge dominant paradigms, to resist the commodification of sacred traditions, and to honor the voices of those who have long understood that these are not just substances but living sentient beings, with intentionality, carrying wisdom, responsibility, and the possibility of new ways of relating to the world.
In this moment, we must critically reflect on what it means for psychedelics to enter the mainstream. There is no doubt that we are witnessing a historic shift in policy and public perception, with states like Oregon and Colorado pioneering legal frameworks for psychedelic use. While this offers new opportunities for access, we must also ask: access for whom? Who benefits from these policy shifts, and who is left behind? We are witnessing a phenomenon where regulation efforts often neglect those who have long shouldered the burden of prohibition—communities of color, Indigenous practitioners, and underground healers who have kept these traditions alive despite legal persecution. The promise of psychedelics as healing tools cannot come at the cost of excluding Indigenous and traditional practitioners, nor can it be driven solely by capitalist motives. The psychedelic renaissance must recognize the risks of over-medicalization, commodification, and the erasure of historical and cultural contexts.
The Amazon rainforest is home to countless medicinal plants, many of which have been at the heart of Indigenous spiritual and healing traditions for centuries. And yet, even as the modern world rushes to patent, extract, and commodify these substances, the forests are burning, rivers are flooding, and the people who have safeguarded these traditions face land theft, violence, and erasure. It is imperative that discussions about psychedelic access and commercialization include robust commitments to biocultural conservation and fair compensation for Indigenous knowledge.
Conversations about psychedelics cannot be separated from biocultural conservation, Indigenous land rights, and climate justice. We must go beyond seeing psychedelics as simply substances to be studied and approved by regulatory agencies. We must recognize that their sacredness is tied to ecosystems and cultural traditions that predate the Western medical model. The question is not just how we can integrate psychedelics into clinical settings, but how we can protect the worlds from which they originate. The psychedelic renaissance must not repeat the mistakes of colonial science, which has historically extracted knowledge while disregarding its original keepers and communities of color. If we are to truly honor these medicines, we must also honor the people and the ecosystems that sustain them. This means advocating for policies that ensure Indigenous communities retain sovereignty over their sacred medicines, rather than being forced into Western legal frameworks that often fail to acknowledge their unique relationships to these plants.
This brings us to a crucial point: the medicalization of psychedelics is only one part of a much larger picture. The recent rejection of MDMA-assisted therapy by the FDA reminds us that government institutions still struggle to recognize the legitimacy of psychedelic healing. But let us be clear: The medicalization of psychedelics is a very recent development. The idea that these substances should only be used in clinical settings, under the supervision of professionals, is an anomaly when viewed from the perspective of history. The vast majority of psychedelic use throughout human history has occurred outside of medicalized frameworks, within spiritual, cultural, and social contexts. And this remains true today. Across the world, people gather in ceremony, in religious communities, in social settings permeated with harm reduction techniques, in underground therapeutic circles, and in diverse set of informal and organic networks to engage with these plants. We must ensure that biomedical discourse and government scheduling of substances are not the sole frameworks guiding our conversations. While state-regulated access, like in Oregon and Colorado, offers important strides toward legitimacy, it is equally crucial to recognize the diverse ways these substances have been used for millennia by traditional communities and underground practitioners. Western scientific and legal models should engage in dialogue with these lived realities, respecting the long-standing cultural practices, ethos, and values surrounding their use.
While we fight against exclusionary regulatory frameworks, we must also confront the historical biases within our own field. Psychedelic research has not always been free from pathologizing, oppressive narratives—particularly regarding communities of color, and LGBTQIA+ identities—and we must ensure that these harmful frameworks have no place in the future we are building. Dr. Stan Grof’s recent open letter, in which he apologized for his past views on psychedelics and homosexuality, has ignited a firestorm of controversy, which we just published in Chacruna’s website. Intended as a step toward healing, his apology has been criticized for falling short, leaving folks questioning its sincerity. This backlash underscores a vital truth: Real progress in the psychedelic movement demands more than just words—it requires deep accountability, genuine justice, and a commitment to care.
Chacruna stands firmly in the belief that responsible, self-regulated communities of practice—whether they be Indigenous spiritual traditions, contemporary psychedelic churches, or grassroots social collective settings—deserve just as much legitimacy and protection as clinical research settings. However, this recognition must come with concrete legal protections, policy shifts, and funding structures that uplift these diverse models rather than marginalize them. The regulation of psychedelics must not prioritize corporate and pharmaceutical interests while leaving behind community-based models of healing. The question we must ask is not whether psychedelics should be allowed solely in medical contexts, but how we can create inclusive frameworks that protect and support the diverse ways in which these plants are used.
But, beyond being a space for academic inquiry and professional dialogue, this conference is also a cultural celebration, an honoring of the diverse psychedelic cultures that surround us, and a moment of union among us with a shared passion. This is a moment to come together, not only as thinkers and advocates but as individuals who share a common respect for these plants, and a shared commitment to building a more inclusive, ethical, accessible, and sustainable psychedelic future. The Psychedelic Culture Conference is now becoming a tradition in the Chacruna community—a form of coming together, of being present, of joining a shared collective journey and ceremony, of being open to learn, to grow, to change, to be vulnerable, to connect. We are here not just to exchange ideas but also lived experiences. We are here because, more than ever, we need to come together and keep sane in a world full of authoritarians, wars, fires, floods, disease, misery, violence, and madness. We are here because we must wave a flag of hope and optimism and engage in proactive activism for the next generations to come. This is also a calling for us as a psychedelic community to stand together in the face of the new vultures trying to extract from us, our practices, traditions, and knowledge. This is a time when we open our doors to the newcomers to this field, and teach them our true values and a good path forward. Chacruna, despite its tiny budget, has been surviving and holding a place of integrity in the field. We represent a solid pillar of the psychedelic community. We hope you can join us!
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This conference is an embodiment of our commitment to diversity, openness, dialogue, and collaboration, where voices from different traditions, backgrounds, and perspectives are invited, challenged, and honored. We are not just a single voice, but a chorus of voices, multiple languages, disciplines and traditions, each contributing to the broader conversation in their own way. Whether we agree or diverge, it is in the act of coming together, of learning from one another, that we truly build a stronger, more interconnected psychedelic community with the potential to transform the world.
There are deep-seated prejudices and stereotypes between different communities, which often hinder meaningful dialogue and collaboration. PCU aims to bridge these gaps, fostering mutual understanding and providing a platform for people to come together across differences. It also promotes the ability to disagree constructively, recognizing that we can have different opinions and not be enemies, but rather still have a relationship and search for common ground. Anthropology was born from the idea of engaging with difference, with the concept of the Other at its core. Although it has grappled with its colonial roots, the importance of alterity remains central to the discipline today. The key challenge is how to engage with difference in a way that creates new possibilities and fosters deeper understanding. Through this approach, PCU encourages transformative learning by embracing, rather than avoiding difference.
PCU is about fostering real connections, about creating a sense of community and shared purpose. The psychedelic movement is at a crossroads, and what we do in this moment matters. We must build ethical psychedelic economies that center equity, sustainability, and reciprocity, rather than extraction and exploitation. We must support Indigenous and grassroots organizations in their fight for land rights and environmental protection. Let this gathering be a call to action. Let it be a space where we imagine new models, where we forge alliances, where we challenge the dominant narratives, and where we reaffirm our commitment to a psychedelic future that is ethical, inclusive, and grounded in respect for the traditions that came before us, where we center the voices of minorities.
To conclude, Chacruna is not just a non-profit organization; we are part of a social movement, a force of disruption in the mainstream psychedelics landscape too often dominated by flirtation with problematic forces, academic elitism, corporate interests, and colonial narratives. We do not simply participate in psychedelic discourse and movement—Chacruna has been a thought leader and helped shape this movement. We have been advancing discussions around sexual abuse, Indigenous reciprocity, queering psychedelics, psychedelic justice, protection of religious uses, sacred plants and cultural traditions, equity and racial justice, voices from the Global South, knowledge from humanities, and more. While others talk might about “inclusion” and tokenize minorities, we are trying to co-build with them, and we demand to be heard. While some extract knowledge, we stand for horizontal collaboration, decolonization of philanthropy, and reciprocity. We call the mainstream donors, who are driving the vast majority of the funding in the field, to consult with organizations, and co-create more collectively, transparently and horizontally the future of this movement. We challenge the commodification of sacred traditions, the erasure of Indigenous voices, and the co-opting of psychedelic culture into sanitized, profit-driven models. Chacruna is here to build bridges, not to neutralize differences, but to foster a critical, radical dialogue—one that is uncomfortable when necessary, and always grounded in accountability. We call on each of you to move beyond passive allyship—to act, to advocate, to disrupt. Listen with humility, collaborate with integrity, and join us for a future where psychedelics are not just accessible but protected, respected, and liberated from systems of oppression. The psychedelic renaissance is happening—but the question remains: Whose renaissance will it be? That answer is up to all of us.
Welcome to the 2025 Psychedelic Culture Conference. Pick your tracks and let’s do this together!
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