Psychedelic symposium comes to Aspen

By Jay McKinney

With the passing of the Natural Medicine Health Act (Proposition 122), supporters have begun to shift the perception of psychedelics from illicit drugs to mental health aids. The inaugural Aspen Psychedelic Symposium will promote this new perception when it kicks off Friday, June 2, at the historic Wheeler Opera House in downtown Aspen.

Presented by Aspen Public Radio, Healing Advocacy Fund and the Aspen Psychedelic Resource Center, the event will run from 12-7 p.m. and feature an array of passionate psychedelic enthusiasts. Groundbreaking researchers, scientists, doctors and those with first-hand psychedelic experience will educate guests on the power of natural medicine and the new territory of legal acceptance.

“We think this will have a tangible impact for Colorado veterans and patients suffering from conditions like treatment resistant depression, anxiety, substance abuse disorder, PTSD and more.”
— Tasia Poinsatte, director, Healing Advocacy Fund

Unlike the legalization of cannabis, the passing of Proposition 122 is more stringent. While it removed criminal penalties for five naturally occurring psychedelic substances, the passage of Proposition 122 does not allow for retail or recreational sales of psychedelics and those who utilize these natural medicines will have to do so through therapeutic settings.

“I think the most important thing to understand is that Colorado, like much of the nation, is facing a mental health crisis,” says Tasia Poinsatte, director of the Healing Advocacy Fund in Colorado. “Colorado will join other states like Oregon who are looking to benefit from the real medical improvements that natural medicines can provide. We think this will have a tangible impact for Colorado veterans and patients suffering from conditions like treatment resistant depression, anxiety, substance abuse disorder, PTSD and more.”

While it’s only for one day, the Aspen Psychedelic Symposium will cover a lot in the realm of psychedelics. The event will begin with “What is Healing, What is Ceremony?” Guests will get a crash course in the history of psychedelic natural healing as panelists dive into the cultural and ceremonial use before covering the current state of psychedelics.

That will be followed by a focus on mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and substance use disorder and how psychedelic-assisted therapies, including psilocybin, could be the answer to better health. Other panels will include “The Neuroscience of Psychedelics,” exploring changes in brain activity and “Where do we go from here?” which will look to the future and how to keep the ball rolling in the right direction.

The Symposium will conclude with a keynote speech by Dennis McKenna who is the younger brother of psychedelic advocate Terrance McKenna. His research in ethnopharmacology spans more than 40 years and he continues to strive for psychedelic acceptance.

Tickets for the Aspen Psychedelic Symposium can be purchased at aspenshowtix.com for $28. Once purchased, guests will have access to a complimentary screening of “Psychedelia: The History and Science of Mystical Experience.” The documentary film will be shown at the Aspen Film Isis Theatre one day before the symposium on June 1 and those interested in attending simply need to contact Aspen Public Radio Membership Coordinator, Lauri Jackson, at lauri@aspenpublicradio.org or by calling 970-920-9000.