'Nature Loves Courage'
– Terence McKenna
Decriminalize Nature NW Arkansas is a Homegrown Movement to Decriminalize Entheogenic Plants and Fungi
In July 2022, Jessica Fitzmaurice, an Indiana nurse and mother of five (and now a resident of NW Arkansas), was arrested, tried, and about to be sentenced to 10 years in prison for growing mushrooms after she’d learned that microdosing psilocybin might improve her 20-year struggle with treatment-resistant depression. Her story sent shockwaves through the national psychedelic community. Read the dramatic story of her rescue and find out how she is making a different kind of wave—a wave of change—in NW Arkansas.
Legalizing Psychedelics: A Critical Debate
Join the critical discussion on whether psychedelics should be legalized in this insightful video by Normalize Psychedelics. Featuring Larry Norris, co-founder of Decriminalize Nature, this video explores the complex debate surrounding the legalization of psychedelics. We delve into the pros and cons, the potential impact on society, and the ethical considerations. This conversation is essential for anyone interested in the future of psychedelic therapy and drug policy.
Stories of Transformation: Charlie Tadduni
A former Middle School Principal, Charlie Tadduni was once awarded New York State’s Principal of the Year. His pursuit for healing and spiritual growth takes an unexpected turn when a knock on the door from the police changes everything. This short film sheds light on the urgent need for reform to outdated laws regarding ayahuasca, psilocybin and other transformational medicines. Deep gratitude to Charlie for sharing his story with all of us.
What We're About
Our
Mission
To improve human health and well-being by decriminalizing and expanding access to entheogenic plants and fungi through political and community organizing, education and advocacy.
Our
Vision
We envision happier, healthier individuals and communities reconnected to nature and entheogenic plant and fungi traditions and practices.
Our
Purpose
To decriminalize entheogenic plants, restore our root connection to nature, and improve human health and well-being.
Entheogen
noun, en·the·o·gen: to generate or inspire the divine within
from the Greek éntheos “possessed by a god, inspired”
Psilocybin Mushrooms
- Respected as a safe & natural healing sacrament for millennia throughout Mexico, Central America and the world.
- Beneficial for depression & recidivism
- Encourages openness, creativity, and spiritual growth
- Johns Hopkins: Top 5 most meaningful experiences
- UCLA & NYU: Treating end-of-life anxiety
Iboga
- From Central Africa through Gabon, iboga is revered for initiatory rites of passage involving encounters with ancestors from the spirit realm
- Beneficial for treatment-resistant opiate and methamphetamine addiction
Ayahuasca
- Over 75 indigenous groups in the Amazonian basin respect ayahuasca as a sacred “plant teacher”
- Beneficial for depression, addiction, anxiety, and PTSD
- Ayahuasca treatment in Brazilian prison population reduces recidivism
- Benefits creativity, openness, and spiritual growth
Cacti
- Honored as sacred plants for thousands of years throughout the Americas
- Central to traditional religious and healing practices
- Considered a sacrament
- Beneficial for the treatment of alcoholism
news
Explore the latest on the benefits of entheogenic plants and fungi. From mental health breakthroughs to enhanced spiritual well-being, these natural substances are leading scientific discovery.
Ayahuasca for Addiction? That's a Trip
Dying to get clean: is ibogaine the answer to heroin addiction?
At the age of 12, Jay was smoking cigarettes and weed; by 16, he was snorting coke; two years later he was taking heroin and crack – but he says by the time he left university he was a “functional drug addict”, able to get up in the morning, put a suit on, travel from his parents’ home in north London to his job as a banker in the City.
The Existential Medicine
“The truth of the matter is, the vast majority of people who engage in substance use are able to do so without criminal consequences. But for an unlucky few, their decision to use substances results in harsh, life-changing penalties. The War on Drugs has thus created a cruel roulette wheel of sorts. And it’s a weighted wheel, as the data clearly shows that Black people and people of color are far more likely to face criminal consequences related to drug use than white people.”
– Eli Savit, Washtenaw County Prosecutor, about the Ann Arbor, Michigan City Council Vote to decriminalize entheogenic plants and fungi