Psychedelic Renaissance Reaches Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico hosted its inaugural Puerto Rico Psychedelic Summit 2025 (PSPR25), which brought together researchers, clinicians, community advocates, policymakers and psychedelic enthusiasts. Organized by the Pravan Foundation, the gathering explored the role of psychedelic medicines in mental health, and their policy and cultural frameworks in Puerto Rico and countries outside the U.S.
The choice of location for PSPR25 was strategic. Puerto Rico, as a U.S. territory under federal law but with unique cultural, economic and regulatory dynamics, offers a compelling testbed for psychedelic policy and research. Organizers see a chance to develop clinical infrastructure, community education and regulatory models locally, before or alongside broader U.S. shifts.
The legal status of psychedelics in Puerto Rico mirrors U.S. federal policy in which the possession, sale or cultivation of psilocybin and other classical psychedelics remains illegal and classified as Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act. This means that these compounds are considered to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. As states and municipalities have adopted local decriminalization policies or authorized research frameworks, these reforms are now being explored in Puerto Rico.
The Pravan Foundation Leads The Discussion
The Pravan Foundation, co-led by Executive Director David Melchor and Medical Director Dr. Tania Rivera, is leading the movement in Puerto Rico to integrate mental health, psychedelic therapies and public education. .
The summit sought to propel tangible change: from building clinical trial infrastructure and influencing local policy discourse to shifting public perception. Pravan’s ambition is that Puerto Rico might one day reschedule psilocybin for medical use locally, even ahead of full FDA approval, if research, training and safety standards align.
The foundation is currently focusing on creating clinical training and practitioner education and public outreach about mental health and psychedelics. The nonprofit is also forging policy and research collaborations to expand evidence-based use of psychedelic-assisted therapies.
“Over the last few years, Pravan Foundation has shifted psychedelic conversations in Puerto Rico from the margins to the mainstream,” said Melchor. “What was once a taboo subject is now a structured, evidence-driven discussion. Education leads to legitimacy, clinical capacity to credibility, policy literacy to constructive debate.”
In the lead-up to PSPR25, Pravan announced plans to partner with the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus to initiate clinical research into psychedelic therapies, starting with ketamine and potentially expanding to other compounds. The foundation also said it is building AI-driven research platforms to collate global literature, map outcomes and deliver summaries targeted toward clinicians and policymakers.
“We are launching strategic collaborations with the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus to expand clinical research, starting with ketamine and moving toward other compounds as regulatory windows open,” said Dr. Rivera. “Puerto Rico has a unique opportunity, not just to follow FDA timelines, but to responsibly lead.”
Catalyzing Engagement in Puerto Rico
According to organizers, the mission of the summit was to catalyze public, clinical and policy engagement with psychedelic medicine in Puerto Rico, centering local needs and cultural frameworks. The event included panels and talks on research, ethics, integration, ancestral practices, legal reform, mental health care models and community access.
Featured speakers at the conference included attorney Sean T. McAllister, who spoke about policy and legal frameworks, Dr. Paulina Rullán, who presented information about ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and Dr. Carmen Amezcua and Dr. Sara García Velázquez, who provided insights on psilocybin psychotherapy and on MDMA-assisted therapy, respectively. Jonathan Dickinson also talked about ibogaine for veterans and addiction, Dr. Leopoldo J. Cabassa reimagined mental health through the lens of psychedelics, and Carlos Barsy shared his thoughts on ancestral practices. A presentation about end-of-life psychedelic care was led by Christine Pateros and Wilhelmina DeCastro.
According to attendee Salvador Verduzco, the most impactful presentations were those by transpersonal psychologist Carlos Barsy and Dr. Carmen Amezcua, a psychiatrist and author. “They offered a culturally rich perspective on indigenous practices involving plant medicines, showing how these plants serve as connections to inner divinity and nature,” said Verduzco. “As we integrate psychedelics into modern therapeutic models, we must acknowledge and respect their cultural lineage and the psychological and spiritual import they carry.”
The organizers held the summit primarily in Spanish, with translation devices available for non-Spanish speakers. Presenters emphasized that psychedelic experiences must be intentional and matched to patient context.
Summit presenters noted that Mexico has one of the most diverse populations of psilocybin fungi in the world, underscoring both the biogeographic and cultural importance of Latin America to psychedelic research. Attendees also noted parallels with cannabis. In many jurisdictions, psychedelics remain illegal until pathways for profit or clinical commercialization emerge for well-resourced actors.
In Mexico, psilocybin mushrooms are broadly illegal, but Article 195 bis of the Federal Penal Code exempts their use in traditional spiritual practices or ceremonies, protecting the cultural and religious rights of indigenous communities. Mexico has a long tradition of ritual use of plant medicines, and local tolerance for ayahuasca and psilocybin retreats exists in some indigenous territories.
In Brazil, psilocybin and psilocin remain illegal, but the law does not penalize the natural occurrence of psilocybin mushrooms, creating a legal mismatch where the active ingredient is banned but the fungal organism itself is not explicitly prohibited.
The Future of Psychedelics In Puerto Rico and Beyond
Beyond Puerto Rico, the summit drew attention from Latin America and other parts of the U.S., fostering cross-jurisdictional dialogue about regulation, indigenous knowledge and equity in access. Many viewed the event as a launching pad for sustained momentum, not a one-off conference.
Conversations at the conference included discussions about future laws and access to psychedelics in Puerto Rico, including possible local regulatory frameworks similar to those developed in other states. Attendees were in broad agreement that psychedelic experiences must be tailored to individual psychological needs, set and cultural context. The gathering reflected a momentum around lowering regulatory, educational, and translational barriers from research into practice.
Among policy reform advocates, there was robust interest in orienting consumption as medicinal or intentional, rather than recreational. Presenters spoke of insights generated by both clinical research and lived experience. Presentations spanned from beginner-level framing to intermediate research discussions and traced how ancestral access and indigenous knowledge were disrupted by colonial and legal prohibition.
“Events like the Puerto Rico Psychedelic Summit create spaces where multiple communities can come together to learn about advances in this field, the challenges we face and opportunities to strengthen the psychedelic ecosystem in the archipelago, said Dr. Juliana Millán-Torres, Director of the Colectivo Psicodélico de Puerto Rico “The gathering brought together health professionals in Puerto Rico, both experienced practitioners and newcomers, all eager for insights from expert speakers. It also offered a chance for leaders from diverse communities to deepen connections and inspire collaborative projects rooted in equity, inclusivity and access.”
The 2025 Puerto Rico Psychedelic Summit marked a milestone: the island’s first large-scale gathering devoted to bridging science, policy, heritage and community in the realm of psychedelic medicine. In a region where regulatory and cultural barriers remain high, the summit demonstrated both the appetite and the organizational infrastructure for change. While significant challenges lie ahead: federal policy, safety protocols, equitable access, and ensuring the voice of local and indigenous communities. PSPR25 offered a tangible foundation.