TULSA, Okla. — Researchers, mental health professionals and the intrigued gathered for a symposium on the use of psychedelics for healing.
Organizers say about 75 people attended the April 19 event hosted by Palo Santo Therapy at WOMPA in west Tulsa.
Christina Conrad, one of the speakers and organizers, is a licensed therapist who offers ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
“I’ve worked with clients who have reworked sexual assaults and reworked a number of different traumas and walk out of it, and it no longer has the same hold on them,” said Conrad.
One of the attendees, Western Doughty, told 2 News he had his first psychedelic therapy session three months ago.
“I’ve never been ‘that person’ but I decided to jump in and try it, but I’m glad I did,” he said.
Doughty showed up to learn more because, after years of therapy, he said this approach brought out issues he hadn’t dealt with prior to the session.
“It took me down a path that I needed to go, which were kind of positive and life-changing,” he explained.
House Bill 2107 — legalizing clinical trials on psilocybin and psilocin in Oklahoma — passed the House 66-32 in 2023. However, the bill later died in the Health and Human Services Committee.
WATCH more about House Bill 2107:
Another one of the event speakers is Michael Mason. He has researched psychedelics for more than 10 years and spoke on the importance of ending the stigmas surrounding them.
“Loosen the grip on psychedelics so people can feel empowered to use them in a way that’s beneficial rather than criminal,” Mason said.
Ironically, a criminal is how Mason got drawn to study the effects.
“This all started with Todd Skinner, that’s true,” he said.
Gordon Todd Skinner is a former drug lord who is serving a life sentence for the torture of a Broken Arrow teenager.
As a journalist, Mason said he spent countless hours interviewing the man who used drugs for evil and discovered he was a pioneer in his knowledge of its medicinal benefits.
“The research shows us that these are very safe substances, far safer than alcohol,” Mason said.
Conrad says it is important for the public to know the treatment is available because unsupervised treatment is dangerous.
While doctors can prescribe ketamine, other psychedelics like psilocybin (mushrooms) may be a tougher sell in Oklahoma. The most recent bill to fund a study failed in the legislature.
After voter approval in 2022, Colorado is working on regulations for therapy utilizing psilocybin.
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