Psychedelics: A catalyst for food consciousness

In celebration of my favorite day of the year, April 20 (4/20) I decided to write about Cannabis, plant-medicines and psychedelics (and save the exciting topic of glyphosate for next week). After sharing this inspiration, I surprised by two things: 1.) Not everyone knows the significance of 420. (In cannabis culture, “420” is slang for smoking pot – aka, marijuana, for those who don’t know – paying homage to the code word the time of day when five California high school buddies met after school to smoke weed.) (1). 2.) On April 18, our president signed an executive order to accelerate medical research on psychedelic substances (2). Impeccable timing!

At the core of my work is food consciousness and healing, so it makes sense to relate food and wellbeing to consciousness medicine. Many resonate with the concept, “Let food be thy medicine,” though I believe it insinuates a person is already sick. Regardless, aren’t we all unwell sometimes and in some way? Whether dealing with seasonal allergies, stress or a disease, often food can support healing without the use of pharmaceutical drugs.

Kale = medicine. Nettles = medicine. Turmeric = medicine. Blueberries = medicine. Garlic = medicine. Olive oil = medicine. Cacao = medicine. Anchovies = medicine. Yogurt = medicine.

These foods have been identified as “functional foods,” each with specific healing properties to support different functions like circulation and liver function, inflammation and immunity, microbiome diversity or cognition. In addition to physical health, mental wellbeing is a core outcome for my clients, too, as many suffer from neurodegeneration, depression, anxiety, brain fog, trauma, PTSD, OCD and ADHD. We start with healing foods, often botanicals, like adaptogens and nervines and more.

There are other healing modalities, too, like plant medicines and psychedelics.

Marijuana = medicine. Ayahuasca = medicine. Peyote = medicine. Psilocybin = medicine. Ibogaine = medicine. Coca = medicine. LSD = medicine. MDMA = medicine.

For generations the US government and has demonized psychedelics as illegal “drugs,” campaigning and coercing against their use due to their high potential for abuse. Underground and recreational use of Schedule 1 Drugs has been prevalent, often causing unnecessary harm and, certainly, perpetuating their tainted reputation. These “drugs” have been unfairly misunderstood – they, too, can be healing.

In recent decades there has been a resurgence of academic medical research about the benefits of certain psychoactive “medicines”, showing promising results on human wellbeing and providing evidence for reclassification. Marijuana has paved the way for legalization as a controlled medical drug in 40 states, Washington DC and outlying islands, and 24 states allow recreational use (3). (I know y’all know it’s still illegal in Idaho – a boon for the economy in our neighboring states.) Ketamine, originally produced as an anesthetic over fifty years ago (4), remains the only federally legal psychedelic. Thus far, the FDA has insisted that even quality academic research has not provided enough evidence to reclassify other plant, fungi, semisynthetic or synthetic psychoactives.

Since the 1990’s, research on the effects of MDMA, aka “ecstasy” or “molly,” returned to academia to evaluate its benefits on mental health and as a pathway to legalization (5). Despite decades of encouraging research, in 2024 the FDA denied the application to legalize MDMA in assisted therapy settings (5). However, the executive order signed last weekend allocates $50 million in matching state funds to advance research on psychedelics and mental illness; testing MDMA, psilocybin, ibogaine (and others); increase access to psychedelic treatments; and review the products used in these trials to consider for reclassification (6).

That’s promising for those of us who believe in diverse healing modalities!

We are lucky to live at a time when microdosing psychedelics and mindfulness can help us pay attention to the effects of different substances in our bodies, minds and souls. As ayahuasca, ketamine, LSD, MDMA, psilocybin and other medicines emerge into household conversations so, too, do words like intention, integration, and consciousness. Though many leading medical institutions still claim all psychedelics are unsafe – using words like “hallucinogens” to dissuade the masses – this language is for our safety. They can also be harmful. If journeying into psychedelics, seek trusted and professional guidance, just like you would seek nutritional support with foods to help heal from disease or chronic health symptoms.

I realize not all folks connect food consumption with their wellbeing, and that the path toward food consciousness is arduous and time consuming. Considering how one, potentially healing food is metabolized in the body and feeling into whether it causes discomfort takes time. Other times, a single ingredient – chamomile, coffee, sea salt – creates an immediately noticeable effect on the mind or body. More often, awareness is slow. Patience and attention are required for many of us to tune in, to know. Yet by adopting the curiosity of a scientist – observing, reducing variables, being cautious, collecting data, tuning in – eventually we learn how different foods and beverages affect us. With knowledge, we make better choices.

What if there were an easier way to tune in?

Perhaps psychedelics. Some plant medicines, like marijuana, have reemerged as healing therapy for the body. More recently, positive effects of psychedelics on the brain offer the potential to change habits, heal from past traumas, and experience life from new paradigms. Academically and anecdotally, we’re learning how innate characteristics of each plant or lab-derived substance translates in the human body, mind, psyche. Simply because the essence of these substances generates undeniable mind-body responses, it’s inevitable to pay attention – not the case with most food. Indeed, if we’re trying psychedelics, we want to alter reality. We want to escape or move through pain, conflict, discomfort, pressures, fear, grief. We want to find our way back to joy, peace, wonder, contentment. We want to transform our brain. We want to love our bodies and heal our hearts. We want to feel, learn, be present.

As a culture, we’ve been coerced into believe psychedelics are immoral and dangerous – they certainly can be! And so can Red Bull, MSG, canola oil, artificial sweeteners, red food dye #40, glyphosate, potassium bromate, parabens and dozens of other preservatives in self-stable, ultra-processed foods that comprise approximately 70% of grocery store items (and the Standard American Diet) – and are approved by the FDA. These substances used to modify foods are “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) by the United States Department of Agriculture, yet are known carcinogens, endocrine disruptors and toxicants, while psychedelics remain illegal Schedule 1 substances. So unfair!

Psychedelics may enhance an individual’s food journey, offering a way to tune in and receive insights about oneself, the environment, spirit, personal narrative and, subsequently, promote biochemical potential to know oneself and change. Psychedelics can be a potent pathway to make choices that feel good – like what, when, how much, with whom, where and how we eat, drink and digest our food. Hence, psychedelics may be a catalyst to inspire food consciousness.

Author’s note: Over the course of writing this article I was not under the influence of plant-medicines, yet 100% influenced by plants – coffee, tea, sourdough, cashews, apple, black beans, quinoa, spinach, garlic, cilantro, avocado and chocolate.

Originally written for and published by 5BGazette.com.