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About Psymposia
Psymposia is a media organization that uses adversarial journalism to shine a light on the complex connections between drugs and society, psychedelics and mental health, science and capitalism, technology and politics, mass incarceration, culture, conflict, cartels, and everything in between. Through stories, events, podcasts, and films, we offer a systemic analysis and critical perspectives using the lens of drug policy to view the deepest issues in society. ▇
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We are a 100% independent voice in drug journalism. Our content is free and we never have corporate ads, sponsored content, or sketchy affiliate programs.
This means we require support from readers like you – the grass roots – so we can remain independent and keep digging into the biggest issues with no strings attached. You can make a huge impact by supporting us for as little as $2 a month. Members receive access to our video podcasts, interviews with guests, and more. ▇
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Contact Us
For press inquiries, questions, feedback, proposals, requests, and ideas contact our team.
Hello
Our Team
Brian Normand
Brian cofounded Psymposia in 2014 as a way for students to discuss issues in psychedelic science and drug reform. He advocates for applying digital media towards drug education and policy awareness. He’s organized numerous events around the world and holds a BS in Plant Science and Business from Umass Amherst.
David Nickles
David is an underground researcher and harm reduction advocate. He has presented social critiques and commentary on psychedelic culture and radical politics, as well as novel phytochemical data, at venues around the world. David’s work focuses on the social and cultural implications of psychoactive substances, utilizing critical theory and structural analysis to examine the intersections of drugs and society. He is a vocal opponent of the mainstreaming and commodification of psychedelic compounds and rituals, believing that such approaches inherently obscure the liberatory potential of psychedelic experiences.
Neşe Devenot
Neşe is a Medicine, Society and Culture Postdoctoral Scholar in Bioethics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Previously, she was a Research Fellow at the New York Public Library’s Timothy Leary Papers, a Research Fellow with the New York University Psilocybin Cancer Anxiety Study, and an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Digital Humanities at the University of Puget Sound. Her research explores the function of metaphor and other creative uses of language in descriptions of psychedelic experiences, as well as abuses of power and hegemonic social forces within the community.
Brian Pace
Brian A. Pace, PhD is an evolutionary ecologist who specialized in phytochemistry, ethnobotany, and ecophysiology. His interest in life science was piqued as a teenager while experimenting with his own neurochemistry. Brian has long been interested in the burgeoning psychedelic society movement and other grassroots efforts to find alternative policies to the failed drug war. He did field work in Southern Mexico, the US midwestern prairie, and the Ecuadorian Amazon. For more than a decade, Brian has worked on agroecology, food sovereignty, and climate change. More recently, he has taught graduate and undergraduate-level courses on cannabis.
Russell Hausfeld
Russell is a staff reporter for Psymposia, and journalist and illustrator living in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Religious Studies from the University of Cincinnati. His fascinations lie in the nuances of human consciousness, the ways that drugs influence culture, and the right to bodily freedom.
Erica Darragh
Erica is a political activist from Georgia. Her work began in anti-censorship and net neutrality advocacy and landed in drug policy reform, harm reduction, and psychedelic advocacy. She is Georgia DanceSafe's chapter director and currently serves on Students for Sensible Drug Policy's board of directors. This year, she co-founded People for Sensible Drug Culture, SSDP's off-campus outreach program. Other hats include those from 11th Principle: Consent, Sunrise Movement, Zendo Project, and Rights Restoration Project.
Oriana Mayorga
Oriana is a community organizer dedicated to dismantling structural oppression, promoting racial justice and ending violence against women. She received a BS in Psychology from Fordham University, is currently enrolled in a Master of Divinity at Columbia University. In the past she has interned at Drug Policy Alliance and DanceSafe, and volunteered with MAPS.
Brian Normand
Brian cofounded Psymposia in 2014 as a way for students to discuss issues in psychedelic science and drug reform. He advocates for applying digital media towards drug education and policy awareness. He’s organized numerous events around the world and holds a BS in Plant Science and Business from Umass Amherst.
Brett Greene
Brett is cofounder of Psymposia, Research Administrator for the Center for Drug Discovery at Northeastern University, and a corporate cannabis consultant. He's manager of the international NIDA funded Chemistry and Pharmacology of Drug Abuse Conference, and advisor on the board of the Massachusetts Recreational Cannabis Consumer Council.
David Nickles
David is an underground researcher and harm reduction advocate. He has presented social critiques and commentary on psychedelic culture and radical politics, as well as novel phytochemical data, at venues around the world. David’s work focuses on the social and cultural implications of psychoactive substances, utilizing critical theory and structural analysis to examine the intersections of drugs and society. He is a vocal opponent of the mainstreaming and commodification of psychedelic compounds and rituals, believing that such approaches inherently obscure the liberatory potential of psychedelic experiences.
Oriana Mayorga
Oriana is a community organizer dedicated to dismantling structural oppression, promoting racial justice and ending violence against women. She received a BS in Psychology from Fordham University, is currently enrolled in a Master of Divinity at Columbia University. In the past she has interned at Drug Policy Alliance and DanceSafe, and volunteered with MAPS.
Erica Darragh
Erica is a political activist from Georgia. Her work began in anti-censorship and net neutrality advocacy and landed in drug policy reform, harm reduction, and psychedelic advocacy. She is Georgia DanceSafe's chapter director and currently serves on Students for Sensible Drug Policy's board of directors. This year, she co-founded People for Sensible Drug Culture, SSDP's off-campus outreach program. Other hats include those from 11th Principle: Consent, Sunrise Movement, Zendo Project, and Rights Restoration Project.
Brian Pace
Brian A. Pace, PhD is an evolutionary ecologist who specialized in phytochemistry, ethnobotany, and ecophysiology. His interest in life science was piqued as a teenager while experimenting with his own neurochemistry. Brian has long been interested in the burgeoning psychedelic society movement and other grassroots efforts to find alternative policies to the failed drug war. He did field work in Southern Mexico, the US midwestern prairie, and the Ecuadorian Amazon. For more than a decade, Brian has worked on agroecology, food sovereignty, and climate change. More recently, he has taught graduate and undergraduate-level courses on cannabis.
Neşe Devenot
Neşe is a Medicine, Society and Culture Postdoctoral Scholar in Bioethics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Previously, she was a Research Fellow at the New York Public Library’s Timothy Leary Papers, a Research Fellow with the New York University Psilocybin Cancer Anxiety Study, and an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Digital Humanities at the University of Puget Sound. Her research explores the function of metaphor and other creative uses of language in descriptions of psychedelic experiences, as well as abuses of power and hegemonic social forces within the community.
Russell Hausfeld
Russell is a staff reporter for Psymposia, and journalist and illustrator living in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Religious Studies from the University of Cincinnati. His fascinations lie in the nuances of human consciousness, the ways that drugs influence culture, and the right to bodily freedom.
