Psychedelic Professionals Meet: BOULDER

Psychedelic Professionals Meetup Groups are in Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, and Pikes Peak Region! Let's keep Colorado on the leading edge of psychedelic medicine work by coming together in community to learn, share, and grow. Each Psychedelic Professionals Meetup Group starts with an informative topic relevant to research, practice, policy, or activism around psychedelic medicines, followed by open discussion and an opportunity to connect with like-minded others. 

In this talk, our newest board member Lucia Terpak will share stories and lessons from her medical anthropology graduate research on ibogaine and addiction.

Ibogaine is a non-addictive psychoactive alkaloid which is derived primarily from the root bark of the Tabernathe iboga, a plant medicine utilized in traditional Central West African rituals of healing and rites of passage. Ibogaine has been proven to act as a powerful “addiction disrupter” by mitigating withdrawal symptoms and reducing cravings, especially in the treatment of opioid addiction. However, due to its psychedelic properties, ibogaine is illegal and unavailable for medical use in most countries, including the U.S.

In 2018, Lucia received an award from Source Research Foundation, which allowed her to conduct fieldwork at an ibogaine detox facility in Mexico where ibogaine is unregulated. Data for this project was collected primarily through pre-treatment, post-treatment, and follow-up interviews with Americans who, after having little success with traditional addiction treatments in the U.S., sought out ibogaine treatment for opioid addiction. This research challenges the dominant biomedical understanding of addiction as a solely brain-based biological disorder and pays particular attention to recent research, which highlights the links between trauma and addiction.

What kinds of experiences do patients have while under the influence of ibogaine? Do the “visions” produced by ibogaine relate to past traumas of the patient? What can ibogaine teach us about the limitations of Western biomedical approaches to understanding and treating opioid addiction? Find out the answers to these questions and more at Lucia’s talk!

Suggested donation of $10, payable at the door. Door fee goes directly toward paying for the venue rental. 

If you have ideas for topics or presentations for these meetup groups or would like to be more involved, please contact us!