Psychedelic University Events in April

Free educational events on psychedelic law, science, and spirituality allow attendance online or in person

Mason Marks

Mar 31, 2023

Here are four free psychedelic events in April at Harvard, Emory, and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Make new connections in person or learn from psychedelic experts without leaving the house.

The State of Psychedelics at Harvard: Explorations in Interdisciplinary Psychedelic Research - Harvard Divinity School, April 1, 2023, 10am - 6:30pm Eastern

The Harvard Psychedelics Project at Harvard Divinity School, a student organization, presents this conference to gather faculty, researchers, and students from across Harvard University to explore their diverse, interdisciplinary, and promising research on psychedelics.

Speakers will come from across the University’s schools, units, and departments including the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Business School, Harvard College, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and POPLAR at the Petrie-Flom Center.

The conference will feature a panel discussion with Glen Cohen, Rick Doblin, Mason Marks, and W. Leonard Pickard.

Registration is now closed for in-person attendance, but viewers may participate for free by using this Zoom link.

Science of Spirituality Health Symposium - Emory Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality, April 1, 8am Eastern

The Emory Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality (ECPS) is the world’s first center to fully integrate clinical and research-based expertise in psychiatry and spiritual health, bringing the university’s world class strengths in both fields to ongoing efforts to optimize the healing potential of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.

Following a morning panel and lunch, the afternoon will focus on the role of psychedelics in spiritual care. Lecture topics will include 1) the importance of spiritual experience in the therapeutic effects of psilocybin and other psychedelic agents; 2) the promise of Compassion-Centered Spiritual Health as a framework for training spiritual health professionals to serve as psychedelic therapists; 3) developing spiritually-informed treatment methods that both honor and learn from Indigenous traditions of psychedelic use while being sensitive to issues of cultural appropriation; and 4) exploration of meta-physical belief systems in tension and cooperation with naturalistic spirituality. As in the morning, a panel discussion following these lectures will provide an opportunity for audience engagement and responses from internationally recognized scientific, clinical, and Indigenous experts working with psychedelics as healing modalities.

One can register to attend onsite or virtually. Online attendance is free while the in-person event costs $25.

Cannabis and Psychedelic Symposium - University of Colorado, Boulder, April 15, 11:00am - 6:30pm Mountain

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are continuing our efforts to provide high quality public education on drugs and drug policy with the 2023 Cannabis and Psychedelic Symposium, to be held on April 14th and 15th. This year we are offering a virtual series of speakers, panels, a preparty, and more! The event is free and open to the public. Make sure to visit our registration page to sign up!

Psychedelics in the Global South - The RAND Drug Policy Research Center and the Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation (POPLAR) at the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School, April 27, 12:30 - 2:00pm Eastern

Interest in psychedelic research is growing internationally. Scientists are advancing our understanding of the chemistry and biology of psychedelics, as well as their effects on human health, psychology, and spirituality. News reports on psychedelics often emphasize countries of the Global North including the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. However, psychedelic plants and fungi are native to many countries of the Global South, and important research is underway in these regions. This panel includes researchers from three continents of the Global South who will discuss their work and the state of psychedelic science, law, and policy in their countries.

This event is the second of a three-part series Psychedelics Around the World offered by the RAND Drug Policy Research Center and the Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation (POPLAR) at the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School. The first event featured researchers from the Global North. The third event, in May, will highlight Indigenous communities who utilize psychedelic plants and fungi.

This free panel discussion will be held virtually, as an online webinar. To ensure that you will receive access to the livestream and be kept up to date on any changes to the event, register now. We will send out a link to the livestream of the event to all registrants the day before and day of the event. Last registration is 11:30am on the day of the event.

*The views expressed on Psychedelic Week do not represent the views of POPLAR at the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School or the Florida State University College of Law. Psychedelic Week is an independent project unaffiliated with these programs and institutions.

Mason Marks, MD, JD is the Florida Bar Health Law Section Professor at the Florida State University College of Law. He is the senior fellow and project lead of the Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation (POPLAR) at the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School and an affiliated fellow at the Information Society Project at Yale Law School. Marks teaches drug law, psychedelic law, constitutional law, and administrative law. Before moving to Florida, he served on the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board where he chaired its Licensing Subcommittee. Marks has drafted drug policies for state and local lawmakers. His forthcoming book on psychedelic law and politics will be published by Yale University Press. He tweets at @MasonMarksMD and @PsychedelicWeek.