August 18 – 19, 2018
From the event website:
This symposium at the California Institute for Integral Studies will launch the book Plant Medicines, Healing and Psychedelic Science: Cultural Perspectives, co-edited by Beatriz Labate and Clancy Cavnar (Springer, 2018). The event explores both cutting edge and enduring issues related to psychedelics, culture, and politics. Speakers offer a meta-reflexive approach to central aspects of the so-called “psychedelic renaissance” that are often not addressed in psychedelic conferences or publications. These include challenges and opportunities for the emerging career of “psychedelic therapist” and discussions around regulation, decriminalization, power, and money in psychedelics. Some of these questions involve the impact of various options for regulating psychedelics, where psychedelics fit into the larger War on Drugs, how we will integrate psychedelics into Western culture, the impact of profit motives on the free sharing of materials and information, and who will hold power and control over the medicines. Longstanding concerns about diversity among practitioners and researchers–such as sexual, gender, and race minorities–as well as cultural competence in working with clients and accessibility are also addressed. Panelists also explore cultural assumptions and blind spots, such as how scientists represent and relate to indigenous peoples and their knowledge of psychedelics, the role of plants as subjects, interspecies communication, and definitions around the concept of “healing.” This is a transformational space that will spark dialogue on issues that are essential to all interested in psychedelics and the science around them.
This symposium is co-sponsored by Psychedelic Support.
MAPS Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D., will be speaking on Panel 2 from 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM on Saturday, August 18: Capitalism’s Systemic Issues: Will They Emerge in Psychedelic Medicine and Practices?
Moderator: Katie Stone
1 – Bob Jesse – Statement on Open Science and Open Praxis
2 – Geoff Bathje – Profits and Prophets: Addressing Capitalism and Power in Psychedelics
3 – David Nickles – The Dire Need for Systemic Critique Within Psychedelic Communities
4 – Rick Doblin – Psychedelics as Medicines: Non-Profit v. For-Profit Drug Development
For more information and scheduling, visit the event website.