As psychedelics gain mainstream acceptance, ethical, legal, and safety challenges emerge. Chacruna’s 80-hour Certificate in Ceremony, Ethics & Reciprocity equips facilitators with essential skills, blending traditional knowledge and modern science. The program emphasizes harm reduction, legal frameworks, cultural respect, and accountability, fostering responsible psychedelic practices for long-term sustainability.

The year 2024 marked a tumultuous period, with record-breaking global heat, escalating carbon emissions, political turmoil, and setbacks in psychedelic therapy. Despite FDA rejections and failed decriminalization efforts, 2025 offers hope through new research, European investments, and shifts in U.S. health policies under Trump’s presidency. Optimism remains cautious.

The União do Vegetal (UDV), a prominent ayahuasca group in Brazil, faces scrutiny for leaders' ties to far-right Bolsonarism and alleged involvement in anti-democratic actions. Operation Contragolpe revealed coup plots and extremist rhetoric. Internal divisions and declining membership challenge the UDV's spiritual mission amid political entanglements.

In Brazil, two recent events highlighted challenges and opportunities for psychedelic therapies in mental health. The most recent was the 16th Symposium on Psychobiology, which discussed integrating psychedelics into Brazil's public health system (SUS), emphasizing communal and therapeutic contexts over reductionist models. Experts called for political support, Indigenous wisdom, and innovative research to counter stigma and regulatory hurdles.

The II Brazilian Congress on Psychedelics, held at IPUB-UFRJ, focused on integrating psychedelics into Brazil's SUS healthcare system, highlighting accessibility and regulation challenges. Experts discussed clinical trials, cultural practices, and political obstacles. Researchers are exploring alternatives like DMT for accessibility, while critics have emphasized community-centered approaches and combating systemic barriers, including elitism and prohibitionism.

Science in Brazil faces many challenges. such as funding shortages, that affect psychedelic research. Postgraduate courses draw interest, but face ethical concerns. Training often focuses on ketamine and ibogaine, the only legal psychedelics in Brazil. Integration therapy is gaining momentum in the country, while clinical trials remain rare.

The Eclectic Church of the Fluent Universal Light (ICEFLU), the main Santo Daime organization in Brazil, responded to accusations of sexual and labor abuse against Paulo Roberto Souza e Silva, leader of the Céu do Mar temple. This case, under review in Rio de Janeiro’s Labor Court, reveals longstanding concerns within the Daimist community. Although ICEFLU’s decentralized structure limits direct oversight, a U.S. branch previously sanctioned Paulo Roberto for similar allegations in 2008. ICEFLU’s code of ethics advocates reporting abuse, but Roberto’s leadership complicates adherence, raising concerns about accountability in the church.

The FDA's call for another phase 3 study of MDMA-Assisted Therapy delays approval, revealing biomedical reductionism, misunderstanding of therapeutic roles, and social prejudices against psychedelics. Despite setbacks, research continues to influence drug reform and public perception. Chacruna remains committed to safeguarding plant medicines, advocating for marginalized voices, and fostering cultural and scientific integration in the psychedelic movement.

Recent advisory groups ICER and AdComm have recommended against FDA approval of MDMA for medical use, citing questionable efficacy and safety concerns in treating PTSD. This unexpected stance disrupted the anticipated swift approval, casting doubt on the potential of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Criticisms include methodological flaws, conflicts of interest, and reported ethical violations in trials. As the FDA decision nears, stakeholders are grappling with the mixed opinions, regulatory hurdles, and future of psychedelic medicine. Further research and rigorous oversight remain imperative.

Geoff Bathje, initially supportive of Psymposia’s critiques within the psychedelic field, has grown skeptical of their recent approach. Bathje argues that Psymposia’s criticism of MAPS and Lykos lacks nuance and may perpetuate stigma and hinder drug policy reform. He believes Psymposia’s tactics and rigid views could harm efforts for a balanced, inclusive approach to psychedelic therapy.