Denver, Colorado is gearing up to host Psychedelic Science 2025 (PS2025), a major biannual conference that has become a central event for the global psychedelic movement. Scheduled for June 16–20, 2025, the event will feature a robust lineup that blends scientific breakthroughs, policy debates, and cultural programming. Expected to be the most expansive edition yet, PS2025 will bring together researchers, lawmakers, artists, and advocates from around the world to explore the evolving field of psychedelic science.
A major highlight will be the Policy Track, titled “Psychedelic Policy at a Crossroads – Law, Liberty, and Global Change.” This series of sessions will explore the intersection of law, research, and public opinion, with workshops, panels, and roundtables led by experts in governance, law, and community advocacy. Topics will include policy reform, harm reduction, and grassroots mobilization. The track will also feature diverse voices from around the globe, including Indigenous leaders and international policymakers, to ensure a more inclusive and culturally informed dialogue.
Notable sessions include “Behind the Scenes of Getting Congress Behind Psychedelic Research,” a discussion focused on the efforts of the PACT Caucus and federal legislative work around psychedelic therapy. “From Right to Try to Rescheduling” will examine key legal battles aiming to ease restrictions on psychedelic treatment. “The National Psychedelic Landscape” will offer a sweeping view of state-level policy reforms and their successes and roadblocks.
State-based progress will also be in the spotlight. “Legislative Success in New Mexico” will dissect how the state established a regulated access program, while “Nevada’s Blueprint for Psychedelic Reform” will showcase bipartisan efforts that led to a unique and inclusive policy model. Sessions like “Indigenous Leadership and Healing in the Natural Medicine Movement” will emphasize the role of traditional knowledge and the ethical obligation to honor it in modern policy frameworks.
Public education and safety will take center stage in sessions such as “Keeping Young People Safer in an Increasingly Post-Prohibition World,” which will focus on youth outreach strategies. Other panels will tackle themes like religious freedoms (“Spiritual Gatekeeping”), public perception and messaging (“Challenging Misconceptions”), and ethics (“Taking Responsibility through Restoration and Right Relationship”).
Outside the conference rooms, PS2025 will offer a dynamic entertainment lineup. Flying Lotus and Reggie Watts will perform at Mission Ballroom on June 17, followed by Tycho, Blind Melon, and Drive-By Truckers at various Denver venues. LSZEE will present four immersive shows between June 19–22, adding a festival-like energy to the event.
Personally, I highly recommend checking out the Psychedelic Playhouse event at Denver’s Jonas Bros. Building on Wednesday, June 18 – where at 7:30 PM I’ll be speaking on a discussion panel titled, “How Psychedelic Media Goes Mainstream” alongside longtime CNN Producer and Founder of Cultivating Wisdom Cesar Marin, DoubleBlind Magazine Editor-in-Chief Mary Carreon, and Former CNN Senior Producer and Editor Anne Claire Stapleton to kick off the Wednesday night post-conference festivities.
The conference will also honor key cultural moments, including a centennial celebration for psychedelic chemist Sasha Shulgin, taking place June 17 at The Kirk. Comedian Shane Mauss will premiere “A NEW Trip” and announce his comedy special “TRIPS” at Meow Wolf. Cervantes will host Poranguí & Savej in a night of music and ceremony, while “Iboga Saves: Ending Addiction” will focus on iboga’s use in recovery treatment.
PS2025 will close with a series of community and cultural events, including “Celebrate State Psychedelic Progress: Colorado Kickoff,” a multistate networking event, and “Sangha at Dusk” for attendees of Asian heritage. Additional offerings include Ecstatic Dance sessions, “Psychedelic Drag Speed Friending,” rooftop yoga, veteran-centered programming with “Operation Inner Peace,” “Queer Magic 2,” and the return of the visionary art showcase “Shroomski Melt.”
