Latest news with #PsychedelicScience2025
CBS News
a day ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Gov. Jared Polis announces pardons for Coloradans convicted of psilocybin possession at psychedelics conference
This week Colorado's governor said he's pardoning some people who were convicted in the state for possessing certain psychedelics. Gov. Jared Polis made the announcement on Wednesday at the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference in Denver. The conference is going on all week at the Colorado Convention Center. Gov. Jared Polis speaks at the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference on Wednesday. CBS The pardons cover people convicted of possessing the drugs found in so-called "magic" mushrooms: psilocybin and psilocin. "This is a step forward for the individuals -- they'll now have this cleared from their records," he said. "But also truly acknowledge the error in public policy that led to their conviction creating a more just system to break down barriers." In his speech, Polis also showcased the progress Colorado has made in the eventual legal use of psychedelic mushrooms, and the future of the psychedelics industry. In 2022, Colorado residents voted to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms for people 21 and older in 2022. The measure also green lighted state-regulated "healing centers" where participants can experience the drug under supervision. The governor says he hopes Colorado can take on a leading role for the rest of the country when it comes to the legal framework, and research, around psychedelic mushrooms. "Colorado has been a national leader in breaking through outdated laws around cannabis, and now we are doing the same for natural medicine," Polis said in a prepared statement.
Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Ibogaine by David Dardashti Takes Center Stage on Day One of Psychedelic Science Conference 2025, Emphasizing Collaboration, Education, and Industry Synergy
DENVER, CO - June 19, 2025 - Ibogaine by David Dardashti, a leading initiative in ibogaine research and advocacy, today commenced its participation in the highly anticipated Psychedelic Science Conference 2025 in Denver, Colorado. As the conference officially began its main programming today, June 18th, the presence of Ibogaine by David Dardashti marks a pivotal moment for the burgeoning field of psychedelic medicine, championing a collaborative approach to advance ibogaine's therapeutic potential, particularly in the realm of addiction treatment. On this crucial first day of the conference, which runs from June 16-20, 2025 (with workshops on June 16th and 17th preceding the main conference), representatives of Ibogaine by David Dardashti are engaging with a diverse array of stakeholders, focusing on three key areas: potential collaborations with integration-based psychedelic therapies, offering internship opportunities to students of psychedelic studies, fostering synergy with other industries for enhanced news exposure within the psychedelic sub-sector. "The future of psychedelic medicine, especially ibogaine, lies in our collective ability to integrate these powerful experiences into comprehensive, supportive care models," stated David Dardashti, the driving force behind Ibogaine by David Dardashti. "Our discussions here at Psychedelic Science 2025 are centered on forging partnerships with organizations dedicated to integration-based therapies. It's not enough to simply administer a compound; we must ensure individuals receive the robust psychological and spiritual support necessary to process and implement the profound insights gained from their ibogaine journeys." Recognizing the critical need for a skilled workforce in this evolving field, Ibogaine by David Dardashti is also actively promoting internship opportunities for students pursuing psychedelic studies. "The next generation of researchers, therapists, and advocates will be instrumental in shaping the trajectory of psychedelic medicine," Dardashti emphasized. "We are committed to providing hands-on experience and mentorship to talented students, empowering them to contribute meaningfully to this vital area of healthcare." These internships aim to bridge the gap between academic learning and practical application, offering students invaluable exposure to clinical research, patient care, and policy development related to ibogaine. Furthermore, Ibogaine by David Dardashti is keen to expand the reach and understanding of ibogaine within the broader public discourse. The initiative is exploring collaborations with media and other industries to facilitate greater news exposure for the psychedelic sub-sector. "Accurate and responsible media representation is paramount to dispelling misconceptions and fostering public acceptance of psychedelics as legitimate therapeutic tools," Dardashti noted. "By partnering with key industry players, we can ensure that the scientific advancements and profound patient stories surrounding ibogaine receive the attention they deserve, moving beyond sensationalism to substantive reporting." The engagements of Ibogaine by David Dardashti at Psychedelic Science 2025, particularly on this opening day of the main conference, underscore its commitment to fostering a holistic and collaborative ecosystem for ibogaine's integration into mainstream medicine. The initiative's vision extends beyond singular research efforts, encompassing a comprehensive strategy for patient support, professional development, and public education, all crucial elements for the responsible and effective rollout of psychedelic-assisted therapies. About Ibogaine by David Dardashti: Ibogaine by David Dardashti is a renowned initiative led by David Dardashti, dedicated to exploring ibogaine's potential in treating addiction and other mental health challenges. With a deep commitment to ethical practices and patient well-being, the initiative champions a holistic approach to psychedelic therapy, emphasizing the importance of integration and ongoing support.
Axios
4 days ago
- Health
- Axios
Denver hosts massive psychedelics conference
The Psychedelic Science 2025 conference returns to Denver this week to celebrate a culture that's fully emerged from the shadows. The big picture: Hosting the five-day event in Colorado, where adults can legally use psychedelics recreationally, is a chance to showcase a state that's "living" the kind of policy many advocates want to see, Ismail Lourido Ali tells us. Ali is interim co-executive director at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), the conference organizer, which has long advocated for legalizing the use of psychedelics. Why it matters: With psychedelics now firmly mainstream, the conference offers a chance to further legitimize the research, policies, treatment potential and culture behind these substances. Catch up quick: Colorado started issuing licenses for healing centers and treatment providers for its psychedelic therapy programs this spring after years of planning. People 21 and older can use DMT, ibogaine, mescaline, psilocybin and psilocin recreationally. By the numbers: More than 7,000 people are expected to attend the event, which boasts 500-plus speakers on topics including therapy, ethics, safety and plant medicine. Between the lines: While Colorado's industry is slowly growing, legalization efforts appear to be stalling outside the state. The FDA last year rejected using ecstasy as an option for treating post-traumatic stress disorder. And California and Massachusetts both saw similar bills legalizing medicinal psychedelic use fail. MAPS founder and president Rick Doblin told The Denver Post, "there's been a sobering" over the optimism about the substance's potential since the 2023 conference. The intrigue: Ali tells us MAPS will host more than 20 state and federal lawmakers from both Colorado and across the country, including some who will participate in a tour of a licensed therapy center in Colorado. He says the effort aligns with the organization's role as "mindful stewards" of psychedelic use. What they're saying: While psychedelics can be beneficial for personal, spiritual and mental health purposes, Ali tells us the organization wants to set realistic expectations.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Former Kansas City Chiefs opponent reveals journey into alternative recovery
Former Kansas City Chiefs opponent reveals journey into alternative recovery This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Robert Gallery, a retired offensive lineman who played eight seasons in the NFL and was selected with the second overall pick by the Oakland Raiders in the 2004 NFL draft. The conversation explored how psychedelic therapy is helping him heal from PTSD, depression, and family issues. On Wednesday, June 18, at Psychedelic Science 2025—the world's largest psychedelic conference, Gallery will be joined by fellow NFL standouts Jordan Poyer and Jon Feliciano, who will headline a keynote conversation titled Unseen Work: Healing Behind the Highlights. "As my career ended and I was trying to figure out who I was as a person in the next part of my life, issues started popping up that I thought were just part of normal life, but then they got very intense, as far as my rage and depression. Then it turned into suicidal nightmares, suicidal ideation, and to the point where I was abusing alcohol to help cope with it," said Gallery. "I was having issues, times remembering my kids' names or trying to get words out, just the mental issues of things. I hit my head often during my career, but that's who we were. It was our job, and I didn't think much of it, so I got to rock bottom and reached out for help. It was actually through my workers' comp case that I had a brain scan, and that gave me the answer to why these things were going on. I had a ton of brain damage on that scan, and that started my healing journey. I went all in to try to heal my family. After a couple of years of trying all the modern medicine-type treatments, such as the hyperbaric chamber, IVs, different medicines, and all these different things, I wasn't any better." Galley listened to a podcast featuring former college football player, retired Navy SEAL Marcus Capone and his wife. They talked about their organization, VETS (Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions), and their use of Ibogaine, which healed him and helped him get through tough times. "Long story short, three weeks later, I was in Mexico with a group of special ops veterans going through Ibogaine and DMT (Dimethyltryptamine), and it was the changing point of my life. I came out of it cognitively, much better, emotionally, came back with zero suicidal thoughts and ideation, no anxiety, just I was 100% a different person, and so that became my real journey with plant medicine." Said Gallery. "Since then, I've done a ton of work and experienced other plant medicines. I've done Ibogaine a total of three times. That's the medicine for me. Ibogaine was the catalyst, and it has worked for me, getting me into this lifestyle. I was not the person who would meditate on breathing things. So it has changed my life, how I live my life, how I think, opened my mind to new things, how I think as a person, overall, the type of person I am, and how I live my daily life." In his playing career, Gallery battled in the AFC West, often against the Kansas City Chiefs, and earned a reputation for fighting in the trenches as an offensive lineman. He continues to fight hard off the field for athlete safety and health through his foundation and by raising awareness. "I started the foundation' Athletes For Care', I've done a ton of outreach to and had people reach out to me since seeing my story. I have encountered different people within, whether they were college students or professionals, and I'm not talking about higher-ups in the NFL. Still, I'm talking people that work within these programs." said Gallery, "The openness to healing is much more than I thought it would be; I have people who have great relationships that I've worked with at the professional and collegiate levels, who have either reached out to me or congratulated me on finding something that brought healing, and who have been open to discussions. So I think that's been a pleasant surprise for me and will continue to grow. We will see; I'm not here blaming the NFL or the University of Iowa for my brain damage and all the things that I've lived through; this is not me going after them. This is about healing and helping others heal and myself heal."
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Kansas City Chiefs rival discusses support for alternative therapy
Former Kansas City Chiefs rival discusses support for alternative therapy This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Jordan Poyer, a former All-Pro and Pro Bowl safety who played twelve seasons in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins. The conversation explored how psychedelic therapy is helping him heal from alcohol abuse in his family. On Wednesday, June 18, at Psychedelic Science 2025—the world's largest psychedelic conference, Poyer will be joined by fellow NFL standouts Robert Gallery and Jon Feliciano, who will headline a keynote conversation titled Unseen Work: Healing Behind the Highlights. "I grew up in a small town in Astoria, Oregon. I had a white mother, I had a Polynesian stepfather, who came into my life when I was two, and I never met my birth father, who is African American. I grew up in a predominantly all-white school, with maybe two or three African Americans at the school. I look back, and even at a young age, I had questions about the reality of the world that I was living in." Poyer said, "I was pretty sheltered in high school; parents didn't let me go out much, so I got to college, and that's when a lot of my drinking problems started happening. I just met friends who I'm still friends with, but we're just doing the wrong sh**, and my mother is a recovering alcoholic, my father, who is an alcoholic, and my real father, he's been in and out of prison his whole life for alcohol. So it was kind of an excuse for me always to drink; whether I played well or played badly, we drank. That flowed with me, and I played 12 years in the NFL." Poyer became an impact defensive player with the Buffalo Bills after signing in 2017. He earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. He was part of many battles against the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC crown. "I met my wife probably in my fourth year in the league. And it was at this time that I got injured, the first time I got put out for the season. Not sure where my career was going. I signed with Buffalo in 2017 when my career took off. But at the same time, I was very lost in my own identity, not knowing who I was outside of the football field, and that started to spiral out of control. I started receiving accolades, "said Poyer," and I didn't know how to handle it. My wife was pregnant, and we had just had a baby. So I used alcohol as a crutch and went down many, many holes of darkness with alcohol to the point that I was losing my wife and my daughter, and I finally decided to make a decision and go to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). It was during the year of COVID-19 that I got sober and started going to AA. I started seeing and hearing cool stories, but I continued to fuel my curiosity; there's something deeper here. It was two and a half years after I was sober from alcohol." New Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers went viral during his 2023 keynote about his thoughts on Ayahuasca, which heavily influenced Poyer's journey. "I heard Aaron Rodgers on a podcast talking about his Ayahuasca experience. This was again when there was so much separation in the world. They were trying to divide white people from black people; the politics were red and blue. Whatever narrative they were trying to divide us with, I never understood, and I wanted to understand what's going on in this world," said Poyer, "The story that Aaron was talking about on his Netflix show, many people wrote him off as crazy. A lot of people wrote him off as whatever. It resonated with me, and I wanted to dive deeper into what he was talking about. So, I went on my first plant medicine journey in early 2023, down to Costa Rica, which changed my life. It changed my perspective on everything. Give me more clarity on who I am, how I need to move, and why I'm here. Since then, I've gone to the Amazon. I'm going back in July, bringing my mother with me. My mother's been in the plant medicine world with me now. My brother is doing the same." Poyer was adamant about spreading the word on the positive effects of psychedelics and the usage not being illegal in the NFL. He played last season with the Miami Dolphins, finishing with 98 total tackles (51 solo) and three passes defensed for the year. "Well, it's not getting negative tests, on drug tests, and so there's really nothing that they can do about it or say about it. I was pretty open in my last couple of years about my idea of at least raising awareness around psychedelics because I can't unsee what I've seen. I can't unfeel what I felt, to the point where I couldn't pretend like nothing's going on in the world", said Poyer, "This is a responsibility of mine, to have these conversations and to use the platform that I've been able to cultivate through football, through where I thought that was my identity, The the ego part about me, and use that platform to help now raise the collective awareness. The real game is out in the world. When you take what you've learned and integrate what you can know into every situation, breath, and step of your life. I don't think the NFL world has enough or even wants to have enough information to where they would see it in some way, I'm sure, for younger players. But towards the end of my career, I stopped giving a f***. This sh** bigger than football, that's how I feel."
