{"id":9701,"date":"2023-06-14T12:23:08","date_gmt":"2023-06-14T12:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/?p=5692466"},"modified":"2023-06-14T12:23:08","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T12:23:08","slug":"psychedelics-conference-to-bring-thousands-of-experts-and-enthusiasts-to-denver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/psychedelics-conference-to-bring-thousands-of-experts-and-enthusiasts-to-denver\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychedelics conference to bring thousands of experts and enthusiasts to Denver"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/psychedelics-conference-to-bring-thousands-of-experts-and-enthusiasts-to-denver\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>More than 9,000 psychonauts, scientists, medical practitioners, advocates and policy professionals will soon make a trip to Denver for what\u2019s billed as the largest gathering of psychedelics experts and enthusiasts in the world.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/psychedelicscience.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Psychedelic Science<\/a> conference comes to the Colorado Convention Center from June 19 to 23 with a robust collection of workshops and panels focused on the most recent research and regulation about substances like psilocybin, MDMA, ayahuasca and more. The goal of the convention, hosted by the <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies<\/a> (MAPS), is to bring together the foremost leaders from across the globe to help shape the future of the sector.<\/p>\n<p>The lineup of 400-plus guest speakers include some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2023\/02\/07\/psychedelic-science-denver-convention-center-aaron-rodgers-tim-ferriss\/\">famous faces<\/a>, too, such as author Michael Pollan, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, podcaster Tim Ferriss, musician Nadya Tolokonnikova of the band Pussy Riot, and Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey. Gov. Jared Polis is slated to offer opening remarks on June 21.<\/p>\n<p>That the Mile High City is the backdrop for such a robust event is no accident. In 2019, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2019\/05\/08\/denver-psychedelic-magic-mushroom\/\">Denver became the first city in the U.S. to decriminalize psilocybin<\/a>, a psychoactive compound in \u201cmagic mushrooms.\u201d More recently, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2022\/11\/08\/colorado-results-prop-122-legalizing-psilocybin-psilocin-mushrooms\/\">Colorado residents voted to legalize psilocybin<\/a> for medicinal use, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2022\/12\/04\/legal-psilocybin-therapy-oregon-colorado-regulations\/\">paving the way for a brand new psychedelics industry<\/a>. The measure also decriminalized five different psychedelic substances.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, MAPS conducts research here and works closely with Naropa University in Boulder, which offers psychedelic-assisted therapy certificate programs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cColorado is a leader both in moving forward with the research, but also moving forward with having legal opportunities to have these experiences in supported ways,\u201d said MAPS founder and president Rick Doblin.<\/p>\n<p>As the second state to legalize psilocybin behind Oregon, Colorado will also likely play a significant role in shaping how the rest of the country chooses to follow suit. Legislators in several states, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marijuanamoment.net\/california-senate-passes-bill-to-legalize-psychedelics-possession-and-facilitated-use\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">California<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/ajherrington\/2023\/06\/07\/rhode-island-lawmakers-approve-psilocybin-legalization-bill\/?sh=4fbc0205af76\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rhode Island<\/a>, have already unveiled bills to legalize\u00a0psychedelics, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oklahoman.com\/story\/news\/politics\/government\/2023\/03\/09\/oklahoma-psilocybin-therapy-research-program-approved-house\/69990045007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">expand research<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe desire to create a health alternative for people is what\u2019s driving all this,\u201d musician Melissa Etheridge told The Denver Post. Etheridge will be speaking at the conference on behalf of her organization, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.etheridgefoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Etheridge Foundation<\/a>, which funds research into psychedelics as treatments for opioid addiction. \u201cSo I think as all the health centers and everything open in Colorado\u2026 that people will start coming from all over to receive this help.<\/p>\n<p>This year\u2019s Psychedelic Science is just the fourth held since 2010, and while previous iterations were geared towards research and nonprofit insiders, MAPS intentionally broadened its scope to welcome casual enthusiasts and those aspiring to enter the nascent industry.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why the first two days of programming (June 19-20) are dedicated to workshops like facilitator training for psilocybin therapy, a psychedelic workshop for religious leaders and a breathwork session led by renowned psychiatrist Stan Grof. (Most require a fee in addition to conference entry.)<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5693749\" class=\"wp-caption alignright size-article_inline_half\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/psychedelics-conference-to-bring-thousands-of-experts-and-enthusiasts-to-denver.jpg\" alt=\"Melissa Etheridge performs at the 2023 New Orleans Jazz &amp; Heritage Festival on Sunday, May 7, 2023, at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. (Photo by Amy Harris\/Invision\/AP)\" width=\"3872\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/psychedelics-conference-to-bring-thousands-of-experts-and-enthusiasts-to-denver.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"5693749\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/psychedelics-conference-to-bring-thousands-of-experts-and-enthusiasts-to-denver.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2023-New-Orleans-Jazz-Heritage-Festival-Weekend-Two-Day-F.jpg?fit=310%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 310w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Melissa Etheridge will be a panelist at Psychedelic Science in Denver. She\u2019ll also perform a solo show at Bluebird Theater on June 21. (Photo by Amy Harris\/Invision\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Starting June 21, the convention center will host discussions about psychedelic clinical trials and research, use in indigenous culture, business opportunities in the space, policy, therapy and education, among other subjects.<\/p>\n<p>Psychedelic Science also features <a href=\"https:\/\/explore.psychedelicscience.org\/fun\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dozens of ancillary events<\/a> throughout the week, including concerts, dinners, comedy shows and onsite support group meetups. Etheridge, for example, will be performing a rare solo acoustic show at the Bluebird Theater on June 21 following her conference discussion billed \u201cAddiction, family, plant medicine and healing.\u201d Tickets cost $250 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axs.com\/events\/480569\/melissa-etheridge-special-acoustic-performance-tickets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">axs.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Other notable events include a Flaming Lips concert at Mission Ballroom (June 22; $74.50 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axs.com\/events\/484861\/the-flaming-lips-eric-andre-reggie-watts-tickets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">axs.com<\/a>); a DJ set from Bonobo at Denver Sports Castle (June 21; $111 at <a href=\"https:\/\/propeller.la\/entertheportal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">propeller.la\/entertheportal<\/a>); and a dinner at Baldoria on the Water in Lakewood with live painting by Alex and Allyson Grey (June 20; $150 at <a href=\"http:\/\/eventbrite.com\/e\/shroomski-night-with-the-greys-tickets-634129286767\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eventbrite.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related right\"> <\/aside>\n<p>To Doblin, who began studying psychedelic-assisted therapy before MDMA was a scheduled substance, Psychedelic Science is no mere event. It\u2019s a sign of the cultural sea change about psychedelics from a counterculture threat to a mainstream mental health tool.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis mainstreaming is at this tipping point, you could say, and this conference is representative of this,\u201d Doblin said. \u201cIt\u2019s this doorway to a new world.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>If you go<\/h4>\n<p>Psychedelic Science comes to the Colorado Convention Center (700 14th St, Denver) June 19-23. Registration costs $805-$1,795 at <a href=\"https:\/\/psychedelicscience.org\/register\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">psychedelicscience.org\/register<\/a>. A list of ancillary events, which often require an additional fee, is available at <a href=\"https:\/\/explore.psychedelicscience.org\/fun\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">explore.psychedelicscience.org\/fun<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/newsletter-signup\/in-the-know\">Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>Thousands of psychonauts and industry experts will soon make a trip to Denver for what&#8217;s billed as one of the largest psychedelics conferences in the world. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9230,7038,5062,52,7878,6811,7290,8122,9231,6807,376,1547,2205,2435,6892,854,7938,4995,77,9,9990,8146,1495,5019,8147,8148,1777,1020,1778,1,3,7072,6923,61,1736],"tags":[9233,7039,5063,2632,7886,6816,7292,8125,9234,6809,2954,4115,4773,2436,6893,3427,7939,4996,2655,9991,8151,33,5022,8152,8153,4345,3591,4346,7073,6924],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9701"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9701\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}