Chacruna

When the Feds Come A-Knocking: Psychedelic Churches and the Law
2025-04-16 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Mexico_City) | Virtual
Wednesday, April 16th, 2025 from 12:00-1:30pm PST
Join us for an insightful discussion on the intersection of psychedelic churches and U.S. law, focusing on religious protections for ayahuasca and other plant medicines. We’ll explore whether these churches should apply for DEA exemption permits or operate without approval, the high costs of litigating against the government, and what the future holds for ayahuasca churches in the U.S. Our conversation will also address who decides what qualifies as a “sufficiently religious” practice for legal protection, the balance between practitioners’ rights and responsibilities, and how governmental interests in enforcing the Controlled Substances Act affect these religious practices. We will examine whether using multiple sacred substances in ceremonies could hinder religious exemptions and what the Jensen v. Utah County case means for religious freedom. This forum will offer valuable perspectives on how religious freedom and plant medicine practices could evolve within the current legal framework. You’ll hear from our speakers, including Martha J. Hartney, a private practice attorney and drug policy reform advocate. She is Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants Advisor and the first steward of the Religious Use Subcommittee of the Psychedelic Bar Association. Allison Hoots, an attorney advising churches on the religious use of sacraments, Chacruna’s Law and Drug Policy Reform Advisor and the lead author of Chacruna’s Guide to RFRA and Best Practices for Psychedelic Plant Medicine Churches. Lastly, William Barzee, a criminal defense attorney with extensive ayahuasca-related case experience, has secured religious freedom-based dismissals of federal charges and advocated for ayahuasca use during federal probation.

Course: The Science of Psychedelic Healing
2025-04-22 10:30 - 2025-06-24 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
REGISTER HERE
Price $700 USD
This course will teach students the science of psychedelic healing. Psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical trials have shown promise for treating a variety of behavioral health indications, and the topics covered in this course will describe some of the potential mechanisms of action for these psychedelic benefits. We will focus on specific psychoactive substances such as 5-MeO-DMT, cannabis, MDMA, psilocybin, and others. Within this realm of psychedelics, we will discuss topics such as critical periods, acute subjective effects, altered states of consciousness, characteristics of psychedelics, nervous system resilience, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drug-drug interactions, post treatment integration, historical usage of these psychedelics and potential therapeutic applications. Evidence from psychedelic neuroscience, epidemiology and pharmacology will be presented to help students gain a greater appreciation for how psychedelics may impact health and wellness in clinical care. We will analyze different scientific research studies and data that have been presented within these realms in order to discuss therapeutic efficacy. We will ultimately strive to bridge the gap between the use of these psychedelics within western medical practice to recreational and Indigenous use.

Psychedelics and Attachment: Fundamentals, Implications, and New Frontiers
2025-05-21 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Join us for this dialogue that delves into the exciting intersections between psychedelics and attachment theory, exploring both the foundational aspects and the novel implications of their convergence. Our speakers will unpack the fundamental concepts of attachment theory and its key terminology, laying the grounds for a deeper dive into the forum’s topic. They will also pivot into attachment-and-psychedelic research up to date (its promise and implications), as well as present ongoing innovative theoretical and empirical research projects pertinent to the topic at hand. This forum is designed for both seasoned researchers and newcomers to the field, providing a comprehensive overview of where psychedelic-and-attachment research stands today and where it might head in the future. You’ll hear from Esenia Cassidy, an interdisciplinary psychedelic researcher who is a co-founder of The Psychedelic Humanities Lab; and Chris Stauffer, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University and co-founder of the Open Psychedelic Evaluation Nexus.

Jornadas de Diálogo: Imaginarios Culturales, Políticas y Prácticas en Torno a las Plantas Psicoactivas en Latinoamérica
2025-05-28 | Palacio de Medicina, Mexico City, Mexico
Conference in Spanish
La concepción de las drogas ha variado mucho a lo largo del tiempo, y la distinción entre «drogas ilegales» y «medicamentos legales» sigue siendo objeto de controversia (Courtwright 2001). Cada vez son más los científicos que afirman que es necesario desmitificar las drogas y revisar su percepción como una amenaza para la sociedad. América Latina desempeña un papel fundamental en este debate, ya que las sustancias psicoactivas forman parte de sus recursos naturales y de la historia cultural de sus pueblos indígenas. Las Jornadas de Diálogo “Imaginarios Culturales, Políticas y Prácticas en Torno a las Plantas Psicoactivas en Latinoamérica” tendrán lugar los días 28, 29 y 30 de mayo en el Palacio de Medicina de la Ciudad de México y abordarán la evolución de la percepción de las «drogas» en América Latina desde la independencia del continente hasta la actualidad (1820-2020).

The Psychedelic Press: Navigating Censorship, Ethics, and the Market
2025-05-28 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
This community forum will explore the evolving ecosystem of psychedelic publishing and the critical role media plays in shaping public discourse, ethical frameworks, and cultural narratives around psychedelics. As interest in psychedelics rapidly expands, the need for thoughtful, responsible, and financially sustainable platforms – across books, journalism, and academic journals – has never been more urgent. Together, our speakers will reflect on the challenges of peer review, the ethics of mainstreaming, and the tensions between credibility, accessibility, and market pressures. We will explore questions such as: How has the publishing landscape responded to the resurgence of psychedelics after decades of prohibition? What are the ongoing challenges with censorship on social media? How do we balance financial sustainability with editorial integrity? What is still missing in the psychedelic publishing space, and who remains underserved? Join us in conversation with Deborah Parrish Snyder, co-owner and publisher of Synergetic Press, and publishing partner of MAPS; Attila Szabo, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Psychedelic Studies and Research Fellow at the University of Oslo; and Shelby Hartman, Co-Founder and CEO of DoubleBlind, whose work sits at the intersection of investigative journalism, psychedelics, and cultural critique. Please join us!

State Programs Happy Hour: CO x OR x NM
2025-06-19 17:30 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Woods Boss Brewing Company, 2210 California Street, Denver, CO 80205 US, Denver, CO, 80205, United States
Chacruna is Co-hosting The State Programs Happy Hour alongside the Healing Advocacy Fund on June 19, during Psychedelic Science 2025. Join fellow licenseholders, advocates, policymakers and community members in the state-legal psychedelic programs to connect, share learning, and deepen ties. Our goal for this event is to create an opportunity for connection across the states, with the belief that these bridges can help us build a stronger foundation for psychedelic healing. All involved in the state programs in Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico as well as efforts underway in other states are welcome to join. This happy hour will take place within walking distance of the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference and refreshments will be provided.

What Does Mindful Consumption of Cannabis Look Like?
2025-07-02 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
We are delighted to invite you to Chacruna’s upcoming Community Forum, which will explore the evolving landscape of cannabis use in today’s society. This discussion will challenge outdated models of cannabis prohibition and treatment, and instead foster nuanced, safety-based conversations about mindful and moderate consumption. How can we approach cannabis more like exercise – acknowledging both its benefits and its risks? In what ways has prohibition-driven “all or nothing” thinking prevented realistic dialogues about cannabis use? With a growing array of products and easier access than ever before, how can American adults find balance and moderation amidst the marketing and normalization of consumption? Furthermore, how do new product forms like edibles and vape pens, and the increasing prevalence of multiple daily use, shape our relationships with cannabis? We will also discuss how traditional substance use treatment models often fall short for cannabis users, and why new approaches – rooted in harm reduction and the recognition that cannabis can have real benefits – are essential for addressing Cannabis Use Disorder without erasing the positive aspects of cannabis use. Join us as we hear from Amanda Reiman, a longtime researcher, educator – holding a PhD in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley – and founder of Personal Plants, an educational platform dedicated to cultivating healthy, balanced relationships with cannabis. Also joining us is Owen Wheeler, a Master’s student in Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation at UW Madison and Chacruna’s Education Program Intern. Let’s come together to rethink the story of cannabis and uncover paths to mindful, moderate use.

Course: Roots of Psychedelic Therapy - Shamanism, Ritual and Traditional Uses of Sacred Plants - Live/Online
2025-07-08 10:30 - 2025-10-21 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
REGISTER HERE
Price: $1,100
This course will be composed of a series of independent lectures taught by the Chacruna Institute’s team and affiliates. It will lay out the foundation of the use of sacred plants through historical, cultural, indigenous, ‘traditional’ and contemporary lenses. We will explore topics such as shamanism in Amazonia, peyote use among the Wixárika, psilocybin use among the Mazatec, iboga in Africa, and many other cultural practices amongst other groups. We will discuss and analyze critical social issues such as globalization, tourism, cultural appropriation, commodification, patents, reciprocity, conservation, legality, ethics, sexual abuse, practitioner’s training and more. The course will create bridges between the worlds of ceremonies and psychedelic therapies. Students will learn how to incorporate this knowledge into their professional practices – either clinical or social science research, work clients or ceremonial circles – as well as their personal lives. Through multiple perspectives and the rich histories and cultures of psychedelic plant medicines, students will be able to deepen their understanding of the expanding future of psychedelic plant medicines in ways that are equitable, safe, and just, and ways we can give back to and honor the cultures from which these practices stem. The course will be taught from an anthropological viewpoint that considers different cultures and peoples worthy of respect and considers their own perspective and values.

Cultural Heritage and Pharmacology of the Eleusinian Mysteries
2025-07-23 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
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Join us for a deep dive into the cultural, spiritual, and scientific legacy of the Eleusinian Mysteries, one of the most enduring ritual traditions of the ancient world. This Community Forum will explore the intersection of mythology, entheogenic pharmacology, and Greek cultural heritage, asking how modern research into the kykeon – the sacred psychoactive brew at the heart of the Mysteries – can inform contemporary understandings of altered states, healing, and epistemic justice. Together, we’ll explore key questions such as: What can the Eleusinian Mysteries teach us about initiation, secrecy, and transformation? Can ancient psychospiritual frameworks help shape today’s psychedelic science and therapeutic practices? What are the ethical implications of reviving sacred rites in a modern Greek and global context? Speakers include Eleana Baskouta, cultural strategist and Co-Founder of Elkeen, the Hellenic Center for Entheogenic Research; Dr. Evangelos Dadiotis, pharmacologist and researcher of ancient psychedelics; Nikos Katsaounis, storyteller and systems thinker exploring myth and altered states; and Romanos Antonopoulos, natural product chemist bridging ethnobotany and pharmacognosy.

Students of Spiritual Science Symposium 3.0: The New Earth
2025-07-26 11:30 (Europe/London)
This event is a piece of sacred activism. The community of humans gathering will showcase how to restore balance within ourselves and society by celebrating work that challenges dominant, extractive, individualistic, and hierarchical systems and fosters more holistic, interconnected ways of being.

Course: Queering Psychedelics - Intersectionality, Healing, Spirituality and Liberation - Live/Online
2025-07-28 10:30 - 2025-10-06 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
REGISTER HERE
Price: $700
Psychedelics have encompassed a colorful history of the enchanted, wayward, and weird; this history also includes concrete ways queer folk have fundamentally shaped the substance, style, and spirituality of the psychedelic movement. At the same time, some queer people have been harmed by psychedelic culture’s heteronormative assumptions. As the psychedelic renaissance reaches a pivotal moment of mainstream interest and regulatory legitimacy, this course aims to foster accessibility and diversity in psychedelic science, practice, and discourses by addressing and dismantling sexist, heteronormative, transphobic, and homophobic forms of oppression in the psychedelic movement. This course will cover topics such as the cruel effects of patriarchy, practicing self-acceptance, the dark sides of psychedelic research such as conversion therapy, the move towards LGBTQ+ affirmative psychedelic-assisted therapies, transpersonal queer spirituality, sex positivity, trans and BIPOC issues, Indigenous perspectives in queer psychedelia, and pleasure. The course also grapples with how modern psychedelic research might address the unique needs and traumas of sexual and gender minorities—populations that can suffer from challenging mental health conditions brought on by social exclusion, pathologization, criminalization, and stigmatization. It is vital that queer spaces be established for exploring the unique needs, gifts, and strengths that LGBTQ+ communities bring to psychedelic medicine, and how psychedelic medicine can help queer folks move towards healing and liberation.

Black Psychedelics: A Weapon for the Revolution
2025-07-30 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
We invite you to join us for an inspiring conversation at the intersection of psychedelics, Black liberation, and collective transformation. This Community Forum will explore how entheogens can support movements for racial justice, community healing, and radical imagination. Grounded in both lived experience and historical insight, our speakers will examine how psychedelics might move beyond personal wellness to become tools of collective empowerment and spiritual revolution. Together, we’ll explore urgent questions such as: How can the “Psychedelic Renaissance” serve the needs of Black and BIPOC communities? What obstacles stand in the way of mass participation and healing? Can entheogenic practices help us reclaim power beyond the political realm, and even beyond the self? What models from history can guide us today? And what does liberation actually look like, within and without? Speakers include Dr. Nicholas Powers, author of Black Psychedelic Revolution and a longtime commentator on race, politics, and psychoanalysis; Sia Henry, lawyer, abolitionist, and senior policy associate at MAPS working at the intersection of criminal justice reform and psychedelic equity; and Soi Kene Witan, Shipibo-trained plant medicine practitioner and educator, exploring Black identity and healing through Indigenous Amazonian traditions.

2025 SALSA XV Biennial Conference
2025-08-04 - 2025-08-06 | The University of Helsinki, Finland
The conferences of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America (SALSA) strive to provide an environment conducive to extensive discussion and exchange of ideas and information among scholars specializing in all fields of lowland South American anthropology and related disciplines.
SALSA held twelve sesquiannual (every one and a half years) conferences since the Society was organized in 2001 until 2017. Since the XII conference in Vienna in 2019, SALSA conferences have continued to be organized biennially. Ideally (contingent on local host sponsorship), the site of our conference rotates among Europe, South America, and North America. To date, SALSA conferences have included thematic panels and workshops, as well as research posters, film screenings, discussion forums, publication exchanges, museum receptions, and other events.
Reciprocidad indígena: Reflexiones y controversias
El debate sobre la reciprocidad indígena está rodeado de retos y controversias. El genocidio histórico de los pueblos indígenas y otras tácticas coloniales, como la supresión de sus lenguas, prácticas y tradiciones, han creado un legado de opresión que no puede borrarse ni superarse mediante ninguna forma de reparación. No obstante, estamos asistiendo a un aumento de iniciativas dedicadas a promover la reciprocidad hacia los pueblos indígenas. Aunque a menudo se critica a estos proyectos como nuevas formas de colonialismo, se han realizado serios intentos por establecer parámetros y definiciones actualizados para la noción de reciprocidad indígena, reconociendo las tradiciones indígenas y su autonomía para estipular sus propios objetivos y prioridades en la ejecución de proyectos y el uso de fondos. A raíz del creciente interés mundial por las plantas medicinales, los rituales y las tradiciones indígenas, estas iniciativas están ganando protagonismo en el Renacimiento Psicodélico. Teniendo en cuenta estas cuestiones, el presente panel aborda temas apremiantes, tales como: ¿Puede considerarse la «reciprocidad indígena» como el resultado de un diálogo entre las cosmologías indígenas y las teorías occidentales de los derechos humanos, la reparación histórica y la decolonialidad? ¿De qué manera siguen influyendo los legados coloniales en los esfuerzos por establecer relaciones recíprocas? ¿Qué propone el movimiento psicodélico mundial para construir relaciones de reciprocidad con el Sur Global? ¿Cómo afectan las propuestas de reciprocidad de los indígenas a sus estructuras comunitarias? ¿Cómo pueden actores con visiones del mundo diferentes y desigualmente posicionados en términos políticos y económicos establecer una relación recíproca que vaya más allá de los intercambios puramente mercantiles y promueva nuevas formas de justicia social?

State Psilocybin Programs: Therapy and Legislation in the Southwest
2025-08-06 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Mexico_City) | Virtual
REGISTER HERE
Join us for a timely and nuanced conversation at the intersection of psychedelic policy, therapy, and social equity in the U.S. Southwest. This Community Forum will explore how Latino curanderos, Indigenous communities, healthcare providers, and policy advocates are shaping emerging psilocybin programs in New Mexico and Colorado. Together, we’ll examine the unique challenges and opportunities that arise when traditional healing practices meet legislative frameworks and biomedical protocols. Key questions include: What does equitable access look like in rural and under-resourced areas like much of New Mexico? What purpose and mission guide today’s psychedelic legislation — and how can we future-proof it for a shifting federal landscape? As Colorado and New Mexico develop differing approaches — natural mushrooms vs. synthetic psilocybin — what are the implications for safety, efficacy, and cultural relevance? We’ll also explore how decriminalization and medicalization can coexist, the legal standing of psychedelic churches, and what ethical policy looks like when grounded in reciprocity, reparations, and right relationship with traditional medicine holders. You’ll hear from Joaquin Orozco, board member of several psychedelic boards, including the New Mexico Psychedelic Science Society, Decriminalize Psychedelics New Mexico and the Rhizome Collective; Amy Wong Hope, founder and director of the Psychedelic Studies Certificate Program at Southwestern College in Santa Fe; Josh Kappel is a founding partner of Vicente Sederberg and a founding member of the Council for Responsible Cannabis Regulation; Jaz Cadoch, co-steward of the Global Psychedelic Society and the Community and Public Manager for the Psychedelic Health Equity Initiative; and Tamar Todd, an attorney with expertise in policy advocacy, legislative drafting, statewide political campaign strategy, regulatory implementation, and non-profit management.

Arctic Visions Psychedelic Conference 2025
2025-08-15 - 2025-08-16 | University of Alaska Anchorage fine arts building, 3700 Alumni Drive, Anchorage, AK, United States
Chacruna is thrilled to return to Arctic Visions 2025 with a delegation of 5 members of our team, after an incredible experience at last year’s sold-out Arctic Visions 2024! With over 30 speakers, this psychedelic conference brings together Indigenous wisdom, scientific research, and visionary artistry.
We will host a Chacruna table, and our founders Dr. Bia Labate and Dr. Clancy Cavnar will join Jo Wunderly for the panel “Building a Fair and Just Psychedelic Movement” on August 15, 2025, from 12:05 to 12:40 PM. Lorien is also listed as a speaker.
Beyond the conference, our delegation will spend additional time in Alaska for team building, strategizing, and socializing, as well as recording content for end-of-year and social media campaigns.
Know more about the conference: https://arctic-visions.com/
Team Representing: Bia Labate, Clancy Cavnar, Horacio Guevara, Lorien Chavez, Marta Camagna

Workshop: Psychedelic Churches: From Legal Protections, to Ethics and Reciprocity (2025)
2025-10-01 09:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
REGISTER HERE
As the use of psychedelic plant medicines becomes increasingly visible within spiritual communities, this workshop offers a critical and timely exploration of both legal protections and ethical responsibilities for churches and communities that incorporate plant medicines into their ceremonial practices. It will help participants better understand the rights, limitations, and legal pathways available to psychedelic churches. Participants will gain insight into foundational legal concepts, such as “sincere religious belief,” sacramental protections, religious exemptions under RFRA, and key legal precedents including the UDV, Santo Daime, and the more recent cases, such as the Church of the Eagle and the Condor, the Church of the Celestial Heart, and the Church of Gaia.
Going beyond legal frameworks, this workshop emphasizes the ethical and relational dimensions of practicing with sacred plants. Through a critical analysis of the power imbalances and extractive dynamics within the global psychedelic landscape, it invites participants to consider what meaningful reciprocity, cultural respect, and community accountability might look like in practice. Grounded in over three decades of experience with ayahuasca, mushrooms, and fieldwork across Latin America, this session will challenge attendees to seriously engage with Indigenous claims to plant medicines, and to reimagine their roles as allies rather than consumers.
Participants will be encouraged to reflect on the implications of the psychedelic renaissance for Indigenous communities, explore how to build ethical relationships rooted in humility and horizontal exchange, and examine the true potential of intercultural dialogue and decolonization within the psychedelic ecosystem. This workshop is an invitation to integrate legality with integrity and to align spiritual practice with justice, reciprocity, and respect for the traditions that have long held these medicines sacred.

Caring and Consciousness: The Role of Nurses in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy
2025-10-01 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Wednesday, October, 1st, 2025 12:00 PM PST

REGISTER HERE

Do you wish you got into this event for free? Become a Chacruna member and receive free or discounted access to all Community Forums, Courses, Workshops, and more! Also get full access to our entire archive of past forum recordings and join our global network of psychedelic professionals and activists to dive deeper into discussion and discovery.

Join us for a conversation on the role of nurses in psychedelic-assisted therapy. As psychedelics find their place in healthcare, nurses bring a unique perspective, combining clinical knowledge, ethics, and compassionate care. This Community Forum will explore how nursing training and ethics prepare practitioners for this work, what barriers exist, and what skills or competencies should be prioritized for nurses entering the field. We’ll dive into questions like: How can nurses treat all drug use as valid and support those who use substances? Who are we not reaching, and why does that matter? How do systemic inequities shape the leadership and culture of psychedelic organizations, and how can nurses help increase access to psychedelic therapies? Speakers include Andrew Penn, psychiatric nurse practitioner and researcher at UCSF; Dr. Ronica Mukerjee, family and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and health justice advocate; Caroline Dorsen, nurse scholar and program director for the University Psychedelic Education Program; and Dr. Megan Miller, nurse researcher specializing in palliative care and psilocybin-assisted therapy. Together, we’ll discuss how nurses can help make psychedelic therapy more accessible, ethical, and rooted in care and justice.

Workshop: Embrace Pleasure: How Psychedelics Can Heal Our Sexuality
2025-10-03 09:30 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
REGISTER HERE
The past two decades have seen a proliferation of research on psychedelic medicines for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other conditions. Slowly but surely, researchers are also beginning to look at how psychedelics medicines can support sexual flourishing, enhance sexual satisfaction, and support greater sexual self-acceptance. This workshop will explore not only the current research on psychedelics and sexuality, but go far beyond that to ask questions about how prohibiting pleasure has molded our current drug laws, why pleasure is omitted from the narrative about psychedelic healing, and how psychedelics can help us to embrace our erotic power for optimal sexual experiences and sexual self-actualization.
This interactive workshop is based on the book, Embrace Pleasure: How Psychedelics Can Heal Our Sexuality. The workshop will aim to foster dialogue about psychedelics and sexuality, explore a “psychedelic” philosophy of sex and pleasure, and provide concrete strategies for psychedelic preparation and integration practices helpful to sexual trauma survivors, couples, and individuals interested in exploring and enhancing their sexuality. Power, desire, ethics, and the dangers and pitfalls that can occur in mixing sex and psychedelics will also be discussed. Undergirding our exploration will be a critique of the neo-liberal and capitalist structures that exist in our society and in psychedelic science that prevent us from embracing pleasure, creating community, and engaging in meaningful erotic connection while centering on the uplifting message that pleasure (and psychedelics medicines) have the power to heal us.
This workshop is suitable for therapists, psychedelic facilitators and guides, sex educators and coaches, as well as those interested in how psychedelics can enhance and heal our sexuality.

Workshop: Ecology, Spirituality and Psychedelics
2025-10-06 09:30 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
REGISTER HERE
Spiritually-integrated and ecologically conscious psychedelic care supports social justice. Through valuing reciprocity, planetary healing, Indigenous wisdom, & the honoring of ecological grief, justice-based psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) views ecosystems as relational networks rather than resources, and extends healing benefits beyond individuals to communities and the global environment. Earth-based rituals, nature-focused treatments for PTSD, and practices that support nature connectedness expand PAT beyond a clinical, biomedical model of care. Attendees will:
– Describe eco-chaplaincy as an emerging specialization within professional chaplaincy and training and certification pathways for professional eco-chaplains
– Discuss the importance of planetary health and the well-being of the more than human world to an conception of human health and well-being
– Describe the mechanism by which increasing nature connectedness and the appropriate use of psychedelic medicine improve mental health, and how their synergistic use may further enhance therapeutic outcomes
This workshop is for professional spiritual health practitioners, eco-chaplains, psychedelic therapists, scholars and anyone interested in the intersection of spirituality, ecological consciousness, and psychedelic care.

Course: Foundations of Plant Medicine Facilitation, Integration and Ethics 2025
2025-10-20 10:30 - 2025-12-22 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
REGISTER HERE
Do you wish you got into this event for free? Become a Chacruna member and receive free or discounted access to all Community Forums, Courses, Workshops, and more! Also get full access to our entire archive of past forum recordings and join our global network of psychedelic professionals and activists to dive deeper into discussion and discovery
Price $700 USD
Plant medicines often exist in two or more worlds – rooted in traditional ceremonial contexts while also emerging as cutting-edge treatments in clinical and therapeutic settings. As interest in psychedelic plant medicines grows in mainstream culture, critical ethical questions are also surfacing. How can practitioners and facilitators navigate the rich landscape of psychedelic experience with respect and reverence? What does it mean to ethically blend traditional spiritual practices with contemporary therapeutic approaches? What is the role of community in experiencing and integrating sacred plants? Geared toward anyone interested in psychedelic facilitation, guiding or sitting, from spiritual practitioners to psychotherapists and clinicians, sessions will explore topics including the role and responsibilities of facilitators, trauma and psychedelic healing, harm reduction and psychedelic facilitation, psychedelic care and ethics, the role of ritual and music in psychedelic facilitation, and fundamental psychology for psychedelic facilitators. This course does not make participants religious leaders, shamans or facilitators, but gives tools for them to navigate their context of use. Completing this course and receiving a certificate does not imply that Chacruna vouches for the conduct of participants outside the course nor does it guarantee an ethical and safe approach by institutions in their daily practices.

Psychedelic Humanities and Knowledge Making
2025-10-29 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
October 29th, 2025 1:00 PM CST
REGISTER HERE
Do you wish you got into this event for free? Become a Chacruna member and receive free or discounted access to all Community Forums, Courses, Workshops, and more! Also get full access to our entire archive of past forum recordings and join our global network of psychedelic professionals and activists to dive deeper into discussion and discovery.
Chacruna is glad to invite you for a conversation exploring the intersections of humanities education and psychedelic therapy. Just as psychedelic-assisted treatments seek to transform consciousness and support healing, the study of literature, art, and culture has long worked to expand imagination, build empathy, and help us grapple with social and political realities. This forum will examine how core methods of the humanities – such as discussion, critical reflection, and encounters with art and media – overlap with the aims of contemporary psychedelic practice. We’ll ask: How can a deeper grounding in the humanities help psychedelic practitioners better understand the cultural and political consequences of their work? What might a more self-aware, ethically attuned humanities education look like, and how could it support the wellbeing of both students and psychedelic communities? Speakers include Ramzi Fawaz, cultural critic and professor of English at the University of Wisconsin, Madison; Arielle Saiber, professor of Italian Studies at Johns Hopkins University; Darieck Scott, professor of African American Studies at UC Berkeley; Jacob Perlson, psychiatrist and psychedelic therapist; and Nico Gusac, Chacruna’s Development and Outreach Support, and researcher in medical anthropology. Together, we’ll reflect on how integrating humanities with psychedelic practice can foster more just, ethical, and transformative approaches.

Can Plant Medicines Heal Addictions?
2025-12-03 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Join us for a transformative conversation about plant medicines, addiction recovery, and the integration of healing across clinical, spiritual, and community contexts. This Community Forum brings together clinicians, practitioners, and recovered people to explore critical questions at the heart of psychedelic-assisted addiction treatment: How can plant medicine approaches reach those most affected by addiction, despite real barriers of cost, housing instability, and access? What role do trauma, stigma, and structural inequality play in shaping outcomes? And how might we honor Indigenous and traditional lineages while developing culturally responsive, ethically grounded models of care? We’ll examine the neurobiology and spirituality of addiction recovery together, exploring how ceremonial plant medicine work interrupts the isolation and disconnection that often characterize addiction, and what safeguards are essential to prevent spiritual bypass or subtle relapse patterns disguised as transformation. Speakers include Danielle Nova, Founder of Lumeria and Executive Director of the San Francisco Psychedelic Society; Ana Juliana Demme, holistic business coach, poet, and recovered addict practicing within the Santo Daime tradition; Nicky Mehtani, Assistant Professor at UCSF researching psychedelic therapies for addiction among medically and socially complex populations; and Danielle Herrera, licensed psychotherapist specializing in “full spectrum” drug use and psychedelic integration. Together, we’ll explore how plant medicines might heal not just individual brains, but fractured relationships to self, community, and spirit.

From Siberia to Super Mario: Amanita muscaria Reconsidered
2025-12-10 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Join us for a timely and necessary conversation about Amanita muscaria’s emergence as a global phenomenon, from traditional Siberian and Sámi ceremonial practices to rapidly expanding retreat centers, commercial markets, and unregulated products. This Community Forum explores the opportunities and urgent risks that accompany this medicinal mushroom’s growing popularity: What happens when untrained facilitators, inconsistent dosing, and commercial pressures outpace scientific and ethical understanding? How do we establish responsible standards for practice, product integrity, and professional competence? And critically, as Amanita muscaria retreats proliferate across North America, Europe, and Asia, what can we learn from the trajectories, both harms and innovations, of ayahuasca and psilocybin tourism?
We’ll examine the paradox of Amanita muscaria’s contemporary moment: a mushroom with deep roots in Indigenous traditions that remains strikingly understudied, overlooked by its own toxicological stigma, and caught in regulatory limbo, neither officially recognized as food nor as medicine. Key questions we’ll explore include: What are the psychological and ethical implications of commercialization, particularly around contested products like “Amanita gummies”? And how can we conduct responsible scientific research while ensuring that Indigenous and traditional knowledge holders are co-creators in relationships grounded in reciprocity and accountability?
Speakers include Kevin Feeney, PhD, JD, researcher in law and cultural anthropology and member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants; Nora Mamblona Fischer, trauma-informed psychologist and neuroscientist conducting PhD research on low-dose Amanita muscaria and initiator of the Amanita Online Congress 2025; and Tristan Kallweit, researcher in social and cultural anthropology with expertise in Amanita muscaria history since 2018. Together, we’ll navigate how to honor this mushroom’s significance while building ethical, scientifically grounded, and equitable frameworks for its responsible use and study.

Course: Psychedelics 101 for Community Religious Leaders
2026-01-15 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
REGISTER HERE
Do you wish you got into this event for free? Become a Chacruna member and receive free or discounted access to all Community Forums, Courses, Workshops, and more! Also get full access to our entire archive of past forum recordings and join our global network of psychedelic professionals and activists to dive deeper into discussion and discovery.
The Psychedelics 101 pilot seeks to build bridges between spiritual, psychological, and scientific understandings of psychedelics. Through interdisciplinary learning and dialogue, it enhances the ability of religious leaders to offer guidance consistent with their spiritual mission while acknowledging the profound potential of psychedelics for healing and personal growth.
By investing in this training, religious leaders can foster informed, inclusive, and spiritually grounded responses to the evolving conversation around psychedelics, strengthening the overall well-being of their communities.

Cannabis & Capitalism: Is Justice Possible in Legalization?
2026-01-21 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
January 21st, 2026, 12:00 – 1:30pm PST

REGISTER HERE
Do you wish you got into this event for free? Become a Chacruna member and receive free or discounted access to all Community Forums, Courses, Workshops, and more! Also get full access to our entire archive of past forum recordings and join our global network of psychedelic professionals and activists to dive deeper into discussion and discovery.
Join us for a critical examination of cannabis legalization’s trajectory in the United States and abroad, from grassroots movement to corporatized industry. This Community Forum explores the tensions between decriminalization, consumer and worker safety, and the realities of cannabis within traditional capitalist structures: How has free-market ideology subverted legalization efforts, particularly through moments like federal rescheduling? What’s the difference between legalization and regulation, and can we undo decades of propaganda-driven overtaxation and overregulation? As consolidation reshapes the industry, what models of organized resistance exist, and what can we learn from workers, drug war survivors, and community advocates building alternatives? Critically, what lessons does cannabis hold for emerging psychedelic markets and broader drug decriminalization efforts facing a re-branded global drug war? Speakers include Dr. Paulo J. R. Pereira, Associate Professor of International Relations at PUC-SP and author of Cannabis Global Co.: Cracked Consensus; Dr. Amanda Reiman, founder of Personal Plants and harm reduction researcher; Dr. Robert Chlala, Assistant Professor of Urban Sociology and Policy at CSU Long Beach, who co-led California’s first statewide cannabis worker equity study; and Chelsea Chism-Vargas, cultural practitioner, community organizer, and Development & Operations Intern at the Chacruna Institute. Together, we’ll examine how to center justice, equity, and solidarity in drug policy reform.

Course: Diversity, Culture and Social Justice in Psychedelics 2026
2026-01-26 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
REGISTER HERE
Do you wish you got into this event for free? Become a Chacruna member and receive free or discounted access to all Community Forums, Courses, Workshops, and more! Also get full access to our entire archive of past forum recordings and join our global network of psychedelic professionals and activists to dive deeper into discussion and discovery.
Taught by leading experts and the first of its kind in the psychedelic field, this course will teach students to consider the cultural, social, historical, and economic context that influences the so-called “psychedelic renaissance.” Students will be introduced to basic concepts around psychedelics and justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion (JEDI). The goal of the course is to explore the ways in which psychedelics influence and are influenced by factors such as social justice, privilege, and diversity and to better understand their reciprocal influences on psychedelic science, therapies, and praxis.

Venezuela and Drug War: What are the Implications for the Psychedelic Movement?
2026-02-04 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
February 4th, 2026, 12:00 – 1:30pm PST

REGISTER HERE

Do you wish you got into this event for free? Become a Chacruna member and receive free or discounted access to all Community Forums, Courses, Workshops, and more! Also get full access to our entire archive of past forum recordings and join our global network of psychedelic professionals and activists to dive deeper into discussion and discovery.

We invite you to a critical examination of US intervention in Venezuela, the enduring Drug War, and their implications for the psychedelic movement. This Community Forum explores the intersection of military imperialism, drug policy, and how decades of traditional drug war measures have caused the drug economy to evolve rapidly, letting the most efficient operations survive. Does the intervention in Venezuela signal shifts in US policy toward Latin America? How has the “Drug War” shaped relationships between nations? We’ll examine the concept of narco-terrorism and how such framings influence policy and perception. As psychedelic-assisted therapies expand to include veterans and active-duty military personnel, we’ll explore complex questions about access, accountability, and cross-cultural exchange. How do we thoughtfully address psychedelic tourism to Latin American countries, particularly in light of current immigration debates? How can US veterans and service members approach Latin American plant medicines in ways that honor their origins and the communities who have stewarded them? And how did the Trump administration’s intent to seize and control Venezuela’s oil open up the possibility of a prolonged insurgency in the country? Speakers include Sanho Tree, Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and director of its Drug Policy Project; Thiago Rodrigues, political scientist and author of Drugs and Capitalism: A Marxist Critique; Kat Murti, Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy; and Ryan P. Miller, Marine Corps veteran, behavioral health clinician, and advocate grounding his work in critical examination of US militarism and empire. Together, we’ll confront uncomfortable truths about power, extraction, and accountability in contemporary psychedelic spaces.

What does art have to offer to psychedelic therapy?
2026-02-18 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
February 18th, 2026, 12:00 – 1:30pm PST
REGISTER HERE
Do you wish you got into this event for free? Become a Chacruna member and receive free or discounted access to all Community Forums, Courses, Workshops, and more! Also get full access to our entire archive of past forum recordings and join our global network of psychedelic professionals and activists to dive deeper into discussion and discovery.
We invite you to explore how art, design, and cultural identity shape experiences in psychedelic therapy spaces. This Community Forum examines the intersection of aesthetics, accessibility, and therapeutic outcomes in psychedelic research and practice. What makes a psychedelic dosing space feel welcoming and supportive, and whose perspectives should guide these decisions? The visual elements of a therapy room – from,, artwork to lighting to spatial design – interact with participants’ spiritual beliefs, cultural backgrounds, and sense of identity in ways that may influence their therapeutic experience. As psychedelic research expands, creating clinical environments that feel accessible and affirming across diverse communities becomes increasingly important. We’ll discuss innovative approaches to space design, including community-engaged methods for selecting artwork and creating environments that honor multiple cultural perspectives. How might the intentional use of art and aesthetic design contribute to therapeutic outcomes, and what can we learn from collaborative approaches to designing research spaces? Dr. Cody Wenthur, Founding Director of Graduate Studies for the MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences – Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation program at UW-Madison will be interviewed by Owen Wheeler, MSc candidate in Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation at UW-Madison and Education Support Intern for the Chacruna Institute.,

Direitos Indígenas e Propriedade Intelectual
2026-02-25 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Mexico_City)
February 25th, 2026, 12:00 – 1:30pm PST
REGISTER HERE
Do you wish you got into this event for free? Become a Chacruna member and receive free or discounted access to all Community Forums, Courses, Workshops, and more! Also get full access to our entire archive of past forum recordings and join our global network of psychedelic professionals and activists to dive deeper into discussion and discovery.
With Fernanda Kaingang, Maíra Smith, and Lígia Platero

How Cybersecurity, AI and Social Media Shape Psychedelic Future?
2026-03-04 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
March 4th, 2026, 12:00 – 1:30pm PST
REGISTER HERE
Do you wish you got into this event for free? Become a Chacruna member and receive free or discounted access to all Community Forums, Courses, Workshops, and more! Also get full access to our entire archive of past forum recordings and join our global network of psychedelic professionals and activists to dive deeper into discussion and discovery.
Chacruna is glad to invite you for a conversation exploring the intersections of technology, AI, and psychedelic communities. Just as artificial intelligence increasingly shapes how we communicate, organize, and share information online, psychedelic organizations must navigate evolving challenges around data privacy, digital visibility, and algorithmic influence. This forum will examine how AI tools and social media platforms impact psychedelic discourse, from censorship and content moderation to the ways algorithms shape identity and narrative within these communities. We’ll ask: How can psychedelic organizations comply with cybersecurity and data privacy laws while using AI tools? What does fair information practice mean in the context of facilitator and organizational ethics? How do algorithms influence online visibility and community formation in the psychedelic space? Speakers include Victoria J. Cvitanovic, a lawyer specializing in psychedelic medicine, healthcare, and cybersecurity/data privacy; Milica Radovic Mandic, founder of Psilocybin San Francisco and Chacruna’s Digital, Design and Media Advisor; and Ibrahim Gabriell, Digital Operations Strategist for Chacruna. Together, we’ll reflect on how psychedelic communities can navigate the digital landscape ethically, protect privacy, and harness technology while maintaining human oversight and harm reduction principles.AI sych
