Wonderland Miami November 3-5th 2022, was an amazing gathering of who’s who in the world of psychedelics. And Miami was the host in supplying the beautiful weather, sun, and culture in gathering a community of leaders in the psychedelic medicine sector, presented by Microdose, a guide to the business of psychedelics. Wonderland Miami offers the psychedelic medicine industry a unique in-person convergence of business, science, music, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth.
Who was exactly there at the Wonderland 2022 annual conference you ask…? But a melting pot of policymakers, researchers, activists, therapists, psychedelic integration coaches, veterans, and entrepreneurs to help raise awareness and enhance knowledge of emerging evidence of psychedelic medicine for mental health treatment and management of substance use disorders.
Wonderland was split into different themes over the course of three days: culture, business, and science. There were a few highlights from the symposium:
Robin Carhart-Harris, a psychologist and neuroscientist and Head of the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London. Carhart-Harris coordinated the first clinical study of psilocybin in the UK and the first clinical study of a classic psychedelic drug in the UK for over 40 years and wowed the audience with breakthrough data.
Paul Stamets the godfather of mycology detailed panel outlining the early, sacred history and uses of psilocybin mushrooms, as well as how to microdose and a review of his famous Stamets Stack, which he invented in 2015, and features psilocybin, lion’s mane mushroom, and niacin.
“I love psilocybin mushrooms,” he said. “They’ve been a big part of my life.”
He shared some fascinating headlines, statistics, and articles to a packed room, and he had the quote of the symposium with regards to bringing the magic behind plant medicine. “Psilocybin makes nicer people. Psilocybin reduces crime.” And another enlightening point about what microdosing means to him or a new definition of it, “sub-perceptual” but “non-intoxicating,” stating that users who microdose will sense a difference–colors will be brighter, but one won’t be intoxicated”. A good reframe and bringing microdosing to the forefront and what it means to Paul Stamets and giving more of the audience clarity on how microdosing sits within your body and mind.
And finally, a huge honor to meet and listen to Marcus Capone, an entrepreneur and former Navy SEAL who spent a sizable portion of his 13-year military career deployed to a war zone. After Marcus had the transformational experience with entheogenic medicine, he felt compelled to immediately begin helping friends who were also experiencing the same post-war challenges. Marcus is an amazing advocate for veterans in getting psychedelics into the hands of active-duty US military personnel to combat potential post-traumatic stress disorder which is causing pain and suffering in our military personnel in their everyday lives. With that being said, Marcus noted in his panel discussion that his life changed in integrating psychedelics “In a few days, my life was completely turned around.”
“We’re advocating our butts off on Capitol Hill,” Amber Capone said on the panel, describing recent meetings in DC where even politicians who started out resistant to the idea have become more open to getting our veterans and military the proper help for their mental health.
As a global leader in the psychedelic space, Marcus and Amber created VETS and had raised over $8 million to provide integration support and therapeutic access abroad to hundreds of veterans, spouses, and Gold Star spouses, while also spearheading research and policy change at the state and federal levels in the U.S. VETS has provided key testimony in a number of states, with the most significant legislative victory being the passage of HB 1802 in Texas. Marcus and Amber are frequent guest speakers and advocates of psychedelic therapies for veterans and non-veterans alike, and believe that psychedelic therapies are the future of mental healthcare. They are committed to fighting for veterans and their families just as hard as they’ve fought for their own, with the ultimate goal of making these therapies available within the borders of the United States for all who need them.
Wonderland was an amazing collection of thought leaders, technologists, mycologists, therapists, psychedelic coaches, entrepreneurs, veterans, lobbyists, and plant medicine lovers converging in one space to share the present and the future. I had learned a plethora of information from all our thought leaders within the community and can’t wait to return to Miami in 2023!