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Dispatch from Denver, Psychedelic Science Conference 2025

Updated: Aug 21

Unlike Psychedelic Science 2023, which was also hosted at the cavernous Colorado Convention Center, the 2025 iteration was distinctly less intense, which was actually quite nice.  Gone was the hype and the frenetic expectation that permeated in 2023 that we were on the verge of seeing the first psychedelic-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) get approved by the FDA.  The FDA’s political decision to not approve MDMA-assisted therapy in August 2024 (despite 30 years of research) effectively let most, if not all, of the air out of that fun balloon.  Missing was a lot of the pharma-bro vibes where slickster entrepreneurs were lurking everywhere, licking their chops in anticipation of getting their foot in the MDMA door and then opening the spigot for the flood of cash that would surely follow.  With the exception of overly-aggressive pushers of skin care products that seemed to be strategically stationed throughout the Exhibitor’s Hall for maximum annoyance, the vibe was more laid-back and felt more like MAPS conferences of yesteryear.  I attended the first MAPS Psychedelic Science conference in a San Jose hotel in 2010 and it has always felt like a cross between an academic conference and a Grateful Dead show with the full spectrum of psychedelic-influenced culture represented.  This year was no different but the open-air drug market feel that was in Exhibitor’s Hall in 2023 was absent this year, for good or ill.  It seemed like most of the folks that were there this year were there because they care about psychedelic-assisted therapy being safely and legally available to people and want to continue, despite this latest setback, to educate and inform people about this potential revolution in mental health treatments and personal growth.  


It was refreshing at the Opening Plenary to see that Rick Doblin was no longer conferring with Jimmy Swaggart for his clothing options and came dressed instead in black and blue which he reflected as being more apt after the beating Lykos and MDMA took from the Advisory Committee and the FDA in 2024.  If 2023 was like a fever dream reverie where everyone was celebrating prematurely this coming wave of enlightened treatments, 2025 was more the sobering realization that, for whatever reason, the controlling medical, pharmaceutical and governmental powers in the US are not high on psychedelics, regardless of what the science demonstrates.  This is a decades old problem for psychedelics and one that we must continue to grind on against because eventually, the truth will win out and people will become more empowered to speak up on their own behalf the more they know.  


Instead of the 13,000 people that attended in 2023, this year’s attendance was a little south of 9,000 which meant less intensity in general, smaller lines and a more relaxed feel.  Certain talks were still overrun with attendees spilling out into the hall but overall, the conference was run well.  There were too many interesting talks and panels going on to be able to make it to all of them but recording has allowed MAPS to make them available.  Off the top of my head, I would recommend the excellent “Paul Stamets in his Natural World: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World” as well as Bessel van der Kolk’s “How Psychedelics Can Open Your Heart and Expand Your Mind.”  These are two giants of psychedelic research and education and they did not disappoint.  The panel discussion with Michael and Annie Mithoefer, Marcela Ot’alora and Bruce Poulter titled “What We Know About MDMA-Assisted Therapy” was excellent as well with their collective decades of experience being summed up and lessons learned from being at the forefront of the MDMA-AT research.  These are good humans trying to do good work despite the obstacles that are thrown up and they all four continue to be steadfast in their belief that MDMA-assisted therapy can work well for many people suffering from PTSD with proper screening and psychological support. A panel discussion about Psychedelics in Appalachia was led by Bryan Hubbard and Pearl family members, Justin Moore (Pearl intern) and Ali McGhee were on the panel and they did a great job elucidating the ineffability of describing the interactions of psychedelics and the various sub-cultures on the region.  There were a lot of interesting talks about everything under the psychedelic sun so check it out and see what you missed.


The Pearl Institute had a booth set up in Exhibitor’s Hall again like in 2023 and this was a great place for new and old friends to come together.  Social media guru Julia Turpin managed the booth and the schedules with a no-nonsense iron fist so that everyone smilingly helped out and there was still plenty of time to check out the conference.  She also helped us locate a strange indoor putt-putt facility, “Holey Moley Golf Club,” on Friday night where a savage, befuddled tournament erupted among our group after our intern made the mistake of braying about being a regional putt-putt champion in his younger days.  Assistant Medical Director, Carmen Chavez, donned a “Holey Moley” visor and provided expert tournament medical supervision and we implored her to keep the visor at the Pearl and to wear it whenever she is dispensing ketamine to patients.  This has unfortunately, not materialized.  Our group eventually retreated back to the air-conditioned late night haven of the Hilton until the group broke up about 2am.  Heading out of the lobby, we ran into Rick Doblin himself who was talking with a man who was brimming with enthusiasm that things were about to get moving again with the FDA and MDMA.  I felt a rush of the old hopeful enthusiasm awaken but it was immediately tempered with the battered wisdom that comes from the crushing disappointment of August 9, 2024 and the realization that there seem to still be many miles to go before we sleep.  But we are getting there and we will get there.  No one said this was ever going to be easy.  Ask Rick Doblin. 


Employees of The Pearl Institute in front of their booth at the 2025 MAPS conference

 
 
 
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