Psychedelics, Drug Policy & Criminal Justice Reform

Cannabis legalization, psychedelic access and legalization, veteran mental health and legal system reform, prison reentry programs, defending and empowering incarcerated people. 

Dr. Bronner’s is committed to changing our nation’s devastating drug laws and criminal justice system which are in dire need of reform. We led the fight to legalize hemp cultivation in the U.S. and continue to support organizations working to legalize cannabis for both medical and recreational use. We advocate for the legalization of psychedelic-assisted therapies, plant and fungal medicines, and their responsible integration into American and global culture. We support veterans, trauma survivors, and all those whom conventional treatments have failed.  

We also contribute to organizations working to end mass incarceration and support incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people whose lives have been upended by the system.  

Read on to learn more about a few of the amazing organizations and efforts we support! 

Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund (IMC Fund) 

In the face of cultural appropriation, human rights violations, extractive environmental practices, and climate change, the Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund (IMC Fund) partners with funders from around the world to support cultural and environmental conservation efforts for indigenous medicines (ayahuasca, iboga, mushrooms, peyote, and toad). As an indigenous-led organization, the IMC Fund centers ecological and community voices to inform their strategy and connections.  

Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) 

Since 1986, the nonprofit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has fostered research, education, and advocacy around psychedelics as a means of public health.  David Bronner, Dr. Bronner’s Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO), has served on their board of directors since 2015, and we partner with them in advocating the decriminalization of psychedelics on the state level. MAPS has sponsored studies on the use of MDMA-Assisted Therapy to combat anxiety and PTSD in clinical trials, long-term ibogaine treatment for opiate addiction, and LSD-Assisted Therapy for anxiety related to advanced stage life-threatening disease. The organization also created the Zendo Project, a harm reduction training and implementation program and peer support group supporting those undergoing challenging psychedelic experiences.   

InnerTrek

After voters approved Oregan’s landmark 2020 Measure 109, the state became the first in the nation to legalize and regulate the use of clinical psylocibin (magic mushrooms) in service of health and wellness. InnerTrek offers a groundbreaking training program approved by the Oregon Health Authority to prepare the first generations of state-licensed psylocibin service providers to provide this care. It welcomed students for the first in-person intensive training in October 2022. 

The Temple of The Way of Light 

Ayahuasca, an Amazonian plant medicine used for centuries for healing and divinity purposes, has seen a resurgence not just within a shamanic context, but in the global stream of psychedelics available to people around the world. While this medicine in the modern context can and has been used to combat psycho-emotional illness, administration without proper set, setting, and guidance can lead to difficult and unrewarding experiences. The Temple of The Way of Light is a shamanic healing retreat center for visitors from around the world located in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest offering ayahuasca ceremonies facilitated by experienced indigenous Shipibo healers using traditional Amazonian practices to guide people in the taking of plant medicine. 

Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) 

Created by Navy SEAL Marcus Capone and his wife Amber Capone, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) is a West Coast based organization on a mission to end the suicide epidemic of American veterans. They invest in and investigate advanced treatment solutions -- namely psychedelic assisted therapy -- and have found that these treatments can have a positive and transformative effect on individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). 

Read an article by co-founder and executive director Amber Capone on our All-One! Blog. 

Heroic Hearts Project 

Heroic Hearts Project envisions a world in which veterans have safe access to and mentorship opportunities for mental health treatment solutions including psychedelics. They support research into psychedelic-assisted therapies, particularly psylocibin and ayahuasca ceremony, to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The project informs veterans of these therapeutic solutions and educates veteran individuals and communities on the merits of psychedelic and mental health treatments to reduce stigma and increase access. 

Read an article by founder Jesse Gould on our All-One! Blog. 

Fair Shake 

Fair Shake is a reentry resource center dedicated to decreasing the rates of recidivism in America through education and support for formerly and currently incarcerated people. They get the knowledge and skills to carve their own path to life on the outside. They provide curated websites, educational manuals, and interactive tools that are shared with incarcerated people at nearly 200 state and federal prisons.  

Jail Guitar Doors 

Jail Guitar Doors USA—named after the Clash song—is a nonprofit based in Los Angeles that provides musical instruments and mentorship to people experiencing incarceration. They seek to advance new solutions to diminish prison violence and recidivism and support organizations that engage in policy reform efforts, and partner with social service groups to help people in prison successfully rejoin the outside world. The organization actively works to educate leaders and decision makers on how to bring real reform to the criminal justice system. In addition to their work in prisons, Jail Guitar Doors founded the C.A.P.O. (Community Arts Programming & Outreach) Center in downtown L.A. in 2021 to offer creative alternatives to vulnerable, under-resourced populations through music and arts education and activities.  

CURRENT POLICIES WE SUPPORT:

California Senate Bill 58 (2023) ...VETOED! 

California Senate Bill 58 would have decriminalized the possession and use of psychedelics for people over 21 years old. It passed the state senate in September 2023, but unfortunately Governor Newsom vetoed it before it could be ratified. While we are deeply disappointed in the decision, we are not done fighting yet! Our partners in the campaign are discussing what kind language amendments would be more likely to pass in the new year for a strong legislative push come 2024.  

Colorado Natural Medicine Health Act - Proposition 122 (2022) ...PASSED! 

The Colorado Natural Medicine Health Act redefined certain psychedelic plants and fungi as natural medicine and decriminalized the possession of psychedelic substances for those over 21. Furthermore, it created the Regulated Natural Medicine Access Program for licensed healing centers to administer natural medicine services.  

Oregon Psilocybin Services Act - Measure 109 (2020) ...PASSED! 

The Oregon Psilocybin Services Act allowed for the regulation of psilocybin manufacture, transportation, sale, purchase and administration by government-licensed facilities. The mandatory 2-year development period concluded at the end of 2022 and the state began issuing licenses to businesses and facilitators in early 2023.