Man vs. Nature: The Commercialization of Psilocybin Medicine

Psilocybin has emerged as a promising therapy for a number of mental health conditions. Though it is produced naturally by various mushroom species, nearly all clinical studies use synthetic psilocybin. Do the alkaloids only present in fungal bodies augment psychoactive and therapeutic value? This panel will detail the current state of research on psilocybin, the differences between natural and synthetic psilocybin, discuss the potential harms of limiting research to synthetic mushrooms, and explain why researchers have been fighting to study natural drug products.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.

photo of Greg Fonzo, Phd

Greg Fonzo, Phd

The University of Texas at Austin

photo of Shawn Hauser

Shawn Hauser

Vicente LLP

photo of Sue Sisley

Sue Sisley

Scottsdale Research Institute

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About
Format: Panel
Type: Session
Track: Psychedelics
Level: Advanced