Psychedelic Justice

Psychedelic culture is at an inflection point. Within the last decade, psychedelics have assimilated into the mainstream, even becoming a multimillion-dollar industry. As they integrate into the dominant culture, a lot of longtime participants in psychedelic communities are wondering: will psychedelics help us revolutionize society, or will they merely reinforce old narratives? As psychedelic medicine integrates into mainstream, capitalist culture, the question of what forces will gain control and shape the direction of the psychedelic renaissance is front and center. In this pivotal time, with so many new players emerging, those of us who believe that psychedelics can help us transform society are being challenged to define, and embody, the values that will shape this growing movement. To do this, we must first acknowledge the shadow side of the psychedelic movement and challenge its longstanding injustices. If the psychedelic renaissance is going to expand and revolutionize society, it must include and serve everybody. Radical, cultural transformation is the guiding force behind this socially visionary anthology. Its unifying value is social justice, as highlighted by the working title. It guides us in cultivating a psychedelic renaissance that represents everyone, honors voices that have been suppressed for too long, and envisions a more beautiful tomorrow through a psychedelic lens. The anthology highlights Chacruna’s ongoing work promoting diversity and inclusion by prominently featuring voices that have been long marginalized in Western psychedelic culture: women, queer people, people of color, and indigenous people. The essays proposed examine both historical and current issues within psychedelics that many may not know about, and orient around policy, reciprocity, diversity and inclusion, sex and power, colonialism, and indigenous concerns.

Essays on the history of psychedelics, the present renaissance, and visions for an inclusive and equitable future.

As psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted therapies explode into the popular consciousness, what does it mean to cultivate and embody a psychedelic renaissance that learns from the past and prepares for the future? 

From cultural appropriation and sustainability to diversity, inclusion and venture capitalism, Psychedelic Justice: Toward a Diverse and Equitable Psychedelic Culture examines the history of psychedelics, celebrates its present moment and contemplates how advocates and policymakers can shape the future integration of psychedelics into general society.

An anthology of essays written for the Chacruna Institute and edited by its co-founders Bia Labate, Ph.d, and Clancy Cavnar, Psy.D, Psychedelic Justice highlights the need for an inclusionary, societal-level approach to the psychedelic renaissance. In addition to psychedelics and drug policy, works in this book examine psychedelics in the contexts of capitalism, Indigenous traditions, reciprocity, sustainability, mental health, diversity, sex, power, and more. 

A mirror of the vision for a more inclusive psychedelic future, Psychedelic Justice highlights voices that have been long marginalized in Western psychedelic culture: women, queer people, people of color, and Indigenous people. Essay authors include Labate, Cavnar, Belina Eracho, MPH, Bill Brennan, Ph.D (C), NiCole T. Buchanan, Ph.D, Erika Dyck, Ph.D, Jeanna Eichenbaum, LCSW, Sean Lawler, MFA,  Monnica T. Williams, Ph.D, ABPP and more.

With a focus on radical cultural transformation as the guiding force behind visionary social change and the future of psychedelics, Psychedelic Justice: Toward a Diverse and Equitable Psychedelic Culture, is a guide for a more inclusive and equitable tomorrow.