Psychedelic renaissance may take longer than expected
The psychedelics community is making a trip to Denver this month for what's billed as the country's largest conferences focused on mind-altering substances.
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Psychedelic Science, billed as the country’s largest conference focused on mind-altering substances, is preparing to return to Denver this month, bringing with it scientists, policymakers, and activists to discuss the latest advancements in their respective fields.
The conference last came to the Mile High City in 2023 with unbridled optimism about the potential of drugs like psilocybin, MDMA (ecstasy), and ibogaine to treat mental health. More than 12,000 people attended to celebrate the arrival of the “psychedelic renaissance” — or as Rick Doblin, founder and president of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), rhapsodically called it in this keynote speech, “the psychedelic 20s.”
The conference’s overarching vibe signaled a new kind of future was inevitable, one where drugs emerged from the shadows of Prohibition to a warm embrace in mainstream medicine and culture.
But just two years later, Doblin is keenly aware of how much has changed.
In 2023, MAPS was waiting for the Food and Drug Administration to review its data from decades worth of clinical trials using MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Doblin expected the treatment would get approved. Oregon and Colorado had recently legalized psychedelic-assisted therapy, building momentum for what many people believed would be a nationwide movement.
However, the FDA rejected the new drug application for MDMA and declined to make it a legal medicine. While New Mexico and Utah have since legalized psychedelic-assisted therapy in some form, efforts to do so in other states, like Massachusetts and California, have failed. Additionally, researchers and the public are beginning to understand more about the risks and harms associated with these drugs, which have more often than not been heralded as miracle cures.
“I think there’s been a sobering,” Doblin said in a recent interview with The Denver Post. And that may not be a bad thing.
Psychedelic Science comes to the Colorado Convention Center June 16 to 20, and the theme this year is “The Integration,” described in the event’s promotional materials as something of a call to turn excitement into action. After all, drug reform in this respect isn’t a given, even if it seemed to be just a few years ago.
There are practical challenges to weaving psychedelic-assisted modalities into modern medicine and in aligning public policy with broader cultural acceptance. Perhaps the most obvious friction point is the fact that psychedelics are still illegal in the eyes of the federal government, despite states like Colorado moving to make them more accessible.
Doblin said acknowledging those realities and addressing the critics will be key to finding solutions on how to move forward. Still, he’s hopeful because although there have been setbacks, the genie is out of the bottle, so to speak.
Research into psychedelics’ potential medical applications continues, including at federal agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs. After two years of drafting policy, Colorado’s psilocybin therapy industry is on the precipice of its official roll out. And psychedelics appear to be a rare bipartisan issue in an increasingly divided political climate.
All that is happening while Lykos Therapeutics, a research company founded by MAPS, takes a step back from being at the helm of the movement.
“After the defeat at the FDA… what I realized is Lykos could completely disappear and this movement and the ecosystem was moving forward regardless,” Doblin said. “There’s a lot of opportunity here, a lot of unmet medical need, lots and lots of evidence of benefits across all different psychedelics and all different clinical conditions.”
That sentiment is certainly evident looking at Psychedelic Science’s programming, which features more than 500 speakers across dozens of panels and workshops. High-profile speakers include former U.S. senator Kyrsten Sinema, famed mycologist Paul Stamets, musicians Tycho, Vic Mensa, and Jim James, and NFL players Jordan Poyer, Jon Feliciano, and Robert Gallery.
Discussions include how psychedelics may benefit communities in crisis and can be used in couple therapy; how they can address trauma and inspire creativity, among a myriad of other applications. Research being a core pillar of the event, many lectures will showcase new studies evaluating drug efficacy in treating a variety of ailments, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and eating disorders, and various populations like veterans, first responders, formerly incarcerated individuals and victims of sexual violence.
But this year, there also appears to be an effort to balance enthusiasm with talks about safety and risk, how to navigate challenging or bad trips, and “the dark side” of psychedelics that has emerged alongside increased interest. Panels also plan to focus on ethics in psychedelic-assisted therapy and the “lessons learned” from recent legislative efforts.
The 2025 conference also puts increased emphasis on psychedelic culture with panels elevating Black and indigenous voices, alongside other minority groups like transgender individuals; discussions at the intersection of psychedelics and parenting; and numerous talks about sex and wellness.
“We had well over 1,500 proposals for talks at Psychedelic Science 2025, for around 400 spots,” Doblin said. “It used to be that every psychedelic conference I went to, I knew everything that was being said because there wasn’t that much happening. Now when I go, I love just sitting in the audience because there’s so much new stuff that’s being presented.”
Additionally, there will an exhibit hall for vendors, companies and organizations that operate in or adjacent to the psychedelic space.
Plus concerts, yoga and film
Psychedelic Science is unabashedly an educational event, but given Doblin expects 8,000 people will attend, the conference has also planned a robust lineup of entertainment.
Offerings include a four-day film festival showcasing thematic documentaries and short films; wellness events like yoga with bunnies and beer; and numerous concerts. Standouts include Flying Lotus with Reggie Watts at Mission Ballroom on June 17, Tycho at the Ogden Theatre on June 18, and Drive-By Truckers with Deer Tick at the Ogden Theatre on June 20.
Other socials include “drag speed friending” at Raices Brewery on June 18; a Black Psychedelic Juneteenth Dinner at Mirus Gallery & Art Bar on June 19; and plenty of parties at Meow Wolf.
Ancillary events put on by other organizations will also pop up throughout the Mile High City. Portal, a nonprofit that aims to destigmatize psychedelics through cultural events and activism, will have an 80-foot geodesic dome set up on the Auraria Campus from June 14 to 22, where it will host music and more. The locally-based Shroomski magazine is also hosting a trippy art show at Baldoria on the Water in Lakewood on June 17.
See a full list of happenings at psychedelicscience.org/fun. To explore the conference lineup, visit psychedelicscience.org/agenda.
