Your Take: Black Americans Have a Place in the Psychedelics Industry

When I think about Blacks in North America and psychedelics, I have the tendency to consider the past with regards to the awareness, the availability, and the knowledge of this group and their current state of mind on the topic.

Believe me, I don’t want to bring up race. I don’t want to think about the unstructured and poverty-stricken environments. I don’t want to think about the mishandling of funds and lack of detail with most North American Blacks in prominent positions … but it’s North America and as a Plantaneer I’ve been healing, thinking, and conducting research on psychedelics and the current correspondence of this cohort for a couple of cycles now.

Considering all the past and present hatred, considering the current complacency and lack of urgency on ensuring that North American Blacks become more aware of the internal and external benefits of psychedelics, I can actually see a beautiful light at the end of the tunnel.

When you ask most North American Blacks about psychedelics, most will say they have little-to-no participation under the false connotation of “I’m not trying to hallucinate” or “That’s for white people.” My experience has shown me that those types of answers are largely due to preconceived thoughts about horrific hallucinations or a so-called “bad-trip.”

However, I can firmly say that there is a small group that have incorporated microdosing psychedelics into their daily lives. They have engaged and guided their spiritual and mental journey with psychedelics.

There is even a small group of North American Blacks that have passionately positioned themselves to properly educate and expose others to a full understanding of how psychedelics can be safely implemented into their own lives and communities.

And other leaders in the industry are stepping up as well. For instance, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, also known as MAPS, has launched the MAPS Equity Project which will provide education, training, and support for underrepresented groups, including communities of color.

For years now, MAPS’ teams have worked to ensure that the future research and treatment models for psychedelics are inclusive and culturally sensitive. These inclusive research models will allow for more knowledge, understanding, and representation of North American blacks in the world of psychedelics.

Although the topic is gaining more attention, it is important not to forget that psychedelics and its research field is still evolving.

Yes, it will be years before the stereotypes and laws on psychedelics shift from the current mindset of the masses. Yes, it will take persistence and patience when trying to pry people from their past miseducation. But, like I said, the future is bright and the hope of healing still stands definitely when considering the current rise in research.