An unmissable lineup centers diverse perspectives and experiential offerings
On April 27 and 28 at San Francisco’s Brava Theatre, Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines will host its unmissable spring conference: Psychedelic Culture. This year’s theme is Cultivating Roots for Cultural Change. Registration is still open for the event, taking place at the historic Brava Theatre Center (2781 24th St.) in San Francisco’s vibrant Mission District. Register now for your seat; limited spots remain.
With deep ties to many of the psychedelic space’s culture keepers and groundbreaking thinkers, Chacruna has led the way in centering people and traditions critical to – but often left out of – conversations about psychedelics. As with all things Chacruna does, the conference will platform the often marginalized voices in the psychedelic movement. Conference attendees can expect wisdom from Indigenous traditions in dialogue with perspectives of psychedelic scientists and queer and BIPOC scholars, healers, and creatives. The conference tracks are organized around Chacruna’s main initiatives: Indigenous Reciprocity & Decolonial Dialogues, Psychedelic Justice, Protection of Sacred Plants & Cultural Traditions, and voices from the Global South.
For Chacruna co-founder and Executive Director Dr. Bia Labate, Psychedelic Culture celebrates the beauty of many traditions. “In these times, when the psychedelic field advances both in the medical/FDA track, as capital explodes across the country, and as decriminalization initiatives and start-ups are popping up everywhere, it is more important than ever to keep the true spirit of the psychedelic movement alive, including a respect for the lands and people where these substances originate, as well as the values of service, reciprocity, and firsthand experience,” says Dr. Labate.
In the lovingly restored 1920s-era Brava Theatre, a space long-stewarded by a women-led co-op, in the beautiful Latin neighborhood of San Francisco, attendees will hear from a once-in-a-lifetime lineup, and will have additional opportunities to participate via the conference’s unique experiential components. Panels will feature visionary speakers and thinkers on topics critical to the future of psychedelic culture, including Indigenous voices; Indigenous reciprocity; biocultural conservation; religion and psychedelics; holding mindful ceremony; legislation reform; law and policy; racial equity and access; queering psychedelics; women, veterans, and disabled populations and psychedelics; perspectives from the global South; critical reflections on psychedelic science; and dialogues between neuroscience and shamanism.
“There is truly no better way to build professional relationships, seed the beginnings of new projects and dive into meaningful discussions about justice and equity in the psychedelic field.”
Jamie Beachy, Ph.D.
“I’m most looking forward to connecting with researchers, practitioners, activists, and enthusiasts from all over the world, who share a common interest in the protection of plant medicines and plant medicine traditions,” says conference presenter Jamie Beachy, Ph.D., M.Div., Spiritual Care Educator, and Chair of Chacruna’s Board of Directors. “There is truly no better way to build professional relationships, seed the beginnings of new projects and dive into meaningful discussions about justice and equity in the psychedelic field.”
A remarkable lineup of 87 speakers includes Monnica T. Williams, Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa in the School of Psychology and Canada Research Chair in Mental Health Disparities; Mona Polacca, educator/facilitator on Indigenous water issues and culturally appropriate health treatments for Native Americans and of Havasupai, Hopi and Tewa tribal lineage; Alex Horton, Army SOF combat Veteran, writer, speaker, leadership coach, and psychedelic integration coach; Indigenous Mazatec historian and sociologist Dr. Osiris García Cerqueda; Dr. Sidarta Ribeiro, professor of neuroscience and co-founder of the Brain Institute at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil; Dr. Joe Tafur, Colombian-American physician, author of The Fellowship of the River: A Medical Doctor’s Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine, and co-founder of Modern Spirit; Kanyon Sayers-Roods, a Costanoan Ohlone-Mutsun and Chumash artist, poet, author, activist, and teacher; Dr. Adana Omágua Kambeba, the first Indigenous woman of her people (the Kambeba, or Omágua) to graduate in medicine in MIna Gerais, Brazil, David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s and activist; John Walsh, Director for Drug Policy and the Andes at the Washington Office on Latin America; Dr. Darron T. Smith, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington and Co-Director at The Center of Novel Therapeutics in Addiction Psychiatry; comedian and writer Adam Strauss; Dr. Artionka Capiberibe, an anthropologist working with Amerindian Peoples in Brazil, and the author of Baptism of Fire: The Palikur and Christianity (2007); Victor Cabral, Assistant Director of Community Care at Naropa University and one of Students for Sensible Drug Policy’s “40 Under 40 Outstanding BIPOC Leaders in Drug Policy,” and Chacruna co-founders Dr. Bia Labate and Dr. Clancy Cavnar.
Attendees will choose from three simultaneous tracks to support deep engagement. Panels and talks will be punctuated by performances and creative expression, including music, dance, and art circles; rapé (tobacco) ceremonies, and affinity meetup groups.
Chacruna has long been regarded as a bridge builder between psychedelic science and the world of plant medicines, fostering conversation and promoting cultural understanding. As speaker Glauber Assis, Ph.D, Associate Director of Chacruna Latinoamérica in Brazil and Research Associate at Brazil’s Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies, notes, “PCU is a unique opportunity to remind us that psychedelics are closely linked to ancestral traditions and have bravely resisted colonization, religious fundamentalism, and social stigmas for centuries, being a powerful symbol of cultural and political resistance.”
The conference’s experiential sessions will support that reminder, providing authentic moments of connection, celebration, and reflection. That’s key, says Henrique Antunes, Ph.D., Chacruna’s Ayahuasca Community Committee Coordinator. “We cannot reduce the psychedelic renaissance to psychedelic science. There is also a living psychedelic culture that needs to be embraced. Psychedelic culture is not only about consciousness, but also about embodied experiences and cultivating perception.”
“We cannot reduce the psychedelic renaissance to psychedelic science. There is also a living psychedelic culture that needs to be embraced. Psychedelic culture is not only about consciousness, but also about embodied experiences and cultivating perception.”
Henrique Antunes, Ph.D
“Centering Queer, BIPOC, and Indigenous perspectives, Chacruna’s Psychedelic Culture breaks through the typical conference constraints of lectures and presentations and embodies the vision of a more integrated psychedelic community by uniting diverse voices on a journey towards our collective wellness and liberation,” says presenter Joseph McCowan, Chacruna’s Board member, Co-therapist and Supervisor in the MAPS sponsored Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD. “Join us in forging these cross-cultural collaborations as we reimagine and shape a more equitable future where healing with psychedelics and in community is accessible to everyone, everywhere.”
“This conference is a coalescence of the topics that have set Chacruna apart from other players in the field since its launch,” says Chacruna Program Coordinator Alejandra Barajas. “With a focus on psychedelic justice, we are covering topics that are rarely considered in other conferences and educational offerings, such as Deaf experience in psychedelics. We are thrilled to have an entire panel dedicated to this experience and to continue learning about the ways in which we can make the field more accessible for all. It’s our hope that from now on all conferences in the field will be aware of the needs of specific underrepresented populations and work towards inclusion.”
“It’s our hope that from now on all conferences in the field will be aware of the needs of specific underrepresented populations and work towards inclusion.”
Alejandra Barajas
The conference will also mark the official book launch of Women and Psychedelics (Synergetic Press, 2024), Chacruna’s fourth book. This remarkable collection includes short essays that examine the place of women in the history of psychedelics. Essays range in formats, from academic and anthropological critiques to intimate interviews, and explore how women have informed the past, present, and future of psychedelic culture.
Scholarships are available, in keeping with Chacruna’s commitment to accessibility. If you would like to attend the conference, but cost presents a barrier, we encourage you to apply here. Conference-goers can also get a 15% discount at the Phoenix Hotel, a short driving distance away in the Tenderloin neighborhood, with code CHACRUNA.
Chacruna would like to thank the sponsors of Psychedelic Culture. At the Gold level, we celebrate the contributions of Dr. Bronner’s, InnerTrek, and Harmoniously. Silver level sponsors are Calyx Law, Polaris Insight Center, Auryn Project, Wonderland Project, McAllister Law Office, Soltara Healing Center, MAPS Canada, MAPS, and BRĒZ. This event would not be possible without their generous support.
See the full schedule and register here.
About Chacruna Institute
The Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization co-founded by Brazilian anthropologist Dr. Bia Labate and American psychologist Dr. Clancy Cavnar, based in Northern California and with strong ties to Brazil and Mexico. We promote reciprocity in the psychedelic community, and support the protection of sacred plants and cultural traditions. We advance psychedelic justice through curating critical conversations and uplifting the voices of women, queer people, Indigenous peoples, people of color, and the Global South in the field of psychedelic science.
Contact Information
Lorien Chavez
Chacruna Institute
[email protected]
415-390-6157
Take a minute to browse our stock:
Did you enjoy reading this article?
Please support Chacruna's work by donating to us. We are an independent organization and we offer free education and advocacy for psychedelic plant medicines. We are a team of dedicated volunteers!
Can you help Chacruna advance cultural understanding around these substances?
Become a Chacruna Member
To make a direct donation click the button below:
