This story is part of The Trip, a CPR News series on Colorado’s new psychedelic movement. Read more here.
A conference that brings together scientists, academics, policy makers, therapists and community leaders from around the world to discuss psychedelics is returning to Denver. Psychedelic Science 2025: The Integration is hosted by The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and runs all week, with workshops starting Monday and main events beginning Wednesday.
This is the second time the conference will take place at the Colorado Convention Center after the city hosted it in June 2023. Thousands of people are expected to attend panels and workshops around legality, medicinal treatment, the latest science, safety, equity and more. Ismail Lourido Ali, the interim co-executive director and the director of policy for MAPS, said this year's theme of integration comes from the new landscape of conversations they’re having.
“(It) feels like a big difference because for many years, this conference and a lot of conversations about psychedelics were very theoretical and philosophical. And now we have entered this new era where we're not just having philosophical conversations anymore,” Ali said. “We're actually having very detailed technical conversations with regulatory agencies about what is the best way to implement access in the context of let's say a state government or whatever.”
“We're now in an environment where this conference is happening in a place where there is a legal regulated framework for access and also simultaneous decriminalization in the state,” Ali said. “It's a big experiment. It's one that we're really excited to be supporting, hopefully it's a success.”
Ali said another form of integration comes from a cultural perspective and community settings.
“I think there will be four rooms that are just community gatherings for, whether it's regional or identity-based, different specific issues,” he said.
Ali said Denver is an ideal place for the conference after the state legalized psilocybin. Voters passed a ballot initiative to decriminalize the psychoactive compound found in psychedelic mushrooms in November 2022. Part of the law allowed for the creation of state-licensed psilocybin therapy. Those policies took effect earlier this year with healing centers opening around the state. Colorado and Oregon remain the only two states to legalize psilocybin.
Gov. Jared Polis is introducing the keynote portion of the conference on Wednesday, and former Texas Governor Rick Perry will speak on Thursday. According to the Texas Tribune, Texas is opting to invest $50 million into a psychedelic called ibogaine, which comes from a shrub found in central Africa.
The conference will have an expo hall and art exhibits featuring artists talking about psilocybin and their crafts. Ali likened it to a music festival.
“It's kind of overwhelming at first because there's so much stuff going on, but you'll find something,” he said. “There's really something for all of the rabbit holes that you want to go down.”
