A federal push to expand psychedelic research is gaining attention, but the implications are more complex than the headlines we’re seeing.
In this @Guardian piece written by @MatthaBusby , @Sage_Izzy speaks on how psychedelics are not inherently liberatory. The way they are developed, regulated, and integrated into society will determine whether they challenge existing structures or become absorbed into them.
When insights from these experiences stay at the individual level, without shifting how we engage with each other or the world around us, the larger patterns of inequality and power can remain unchanged.
Read the full article, LINK IN BIO
Does the suffering of American people who are addicted to drugs supersede the needs of the Gabonese people for dignity and respect of their territory and land?" — @Sage_Izzy , Co-Executive Director of MAPS.
Trump's executive order just unlocked $50 million for ibogaine research. But what do we owe the Gabonese people? What is MAPS' role in getting that right?
Full conversation with @EamonArmstrong on The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast.
🚨Breaking🚨: A new federal directive aims to accelerate the review of psychedelic therapies, including ibogaine, a compound long discussed for its potential in treating conditions like PTSD and opioid use disorder.
What happens next will depend on how this momentum is held. Whether it leads to thoughtful research, ethical standards, and equitable access — or outpaces the systems meant to protect people.
Read the full article, LINK IN BIO
The Chalice: Is It Worth It? The Costs of “Mainstreaming” Psychedelics with Ismail Lourido Ali
MAPS remains the eight hundred pound gorilla of psychedelic organizations driving the so-called “renaissance.” Join us for a conversation with one of MAPS’ new leaders — Co-Executive Director Ismail Lourido Ali. We will dive into the surprising contradictions, emerging risks, and real opportunities facing the psychedelic field today. Together we'll traverse this rapidly changing and sometimes conflict-ridden landscape with an eye toward maturing the psychedelic movement in a way that responds to contemporary cultural, political, and economic opportunities — and realities.
Ismail Lourido Ali - known simply as "Izzy" to many - serves as MAPS Co-Executive Director. Ismail has been actively participating in the drug policy reform movement for over a decade, informed by more than half a lifetime of diverse personal experience with psychedelics and other substances. Previously, as the Director of Policy & Advocacy at MAPS, Ismail supported the design, building, and implementation of psychedelic policy reform across the country and world. Ismail is licensed to practice law in the state of California, and has advised, formally affiliated with, or served in leadership roles for numerous organizations in the psychedelic ecosystem, including the Psychedelic Bar Association, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Chacruna Institute, the Ayahuasca Defense Fund, and Alchemy Community Therapy Center.
#maps #psychedelics #psychedelichistory #psychedelicsalon
Ismail Ali and Betty Aldworth from MAPS joined us recently on the podcast. And as Ismail mentions, the more one learns about psychedelics, the more one realizes how much there is to know. This field is evolving rapidly, with a growing vision for integrating these substances into medicine, healthcare, society, and culture in a safer, more just, and compassionate way.
Increased global awareness of how psychedelics have been historically and currently utilized across various contexts is crucial. While the focus often remains on mental health and healing, recognizing this broader societal and cultural integration is key to responsible advancement.
In a society grappling with significant challenges, the potential for healing and betterment is immense. The journey of understanding and integrating these powerful tools is ongoing and deeply humbling.
🌿 Nos honra contar con la participación de Ismail Lourido Ali en la Convención Enteogénica de Borikén – Medicinas de la Tierra.
Ismail es abogado y líder en políticas públicas con más de una década de experiencia en la reforma de políticas de drogas y psicodélicos a nivel nacional e internacional. Su trabajo se ha enfocado en el desarrollo de marcos regulatorios éticos, informados y orientados a la justicia social.
Ha ocupado roles clave en MAPS y ha servido en posiciones de liderazgo y asesoría para organizaciones del ecosistema psicodélico y de política de drogas, incluyendo Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Chacruna Institute y Ayahuasca Defense Fund.
Su presencia aporta una perspectiva fundamental sobre regulación, ética y el futuro de los ecosistemas psicodélicos.
🌱 Convenvión Enteogénica - este es el comienzo sembrado con intención.
🎟️ Acompáñanos y separe su boleto en el enlace de nuestra bio.
📅 31 de enero de 2026
🕗 8:00 am - 6:30 pm
📍Colegio de Arquitectos 🏛️
🍄🟫 Organiza: Colectivo Psicodélico Inc. @colectivopsicodelicoinc , una organización sin fines de lucro dedicada a la educación, investigación y concientización para el acceso seguro y culturalmente informado a las medicinas psicodélicas.
En colaboración con el Colectivo Psicodélico de Puerto Rico @colectivopsicodelicopr
#ConvenciónEnteogénica #MedicinasDeLaTierra #Borikén #ColectivoPsicodélico #EntheogenicConvention #PsychedelicPuertoRico #MedicinasAncestrales #PsicodeliaConPropósito #ReforestandoLaConciencia #PanelClínico #IntegraciónPsicodélica #CuidadoClínico #SaludMental #PsicodeliaÉtica
No promovemos el uso, posesión ni distribución de sustancias ilegales. Nuestro propósito es fomentar la educación, la reducción de daños y el diálogo informado sobre las medicinas enteogénicas dentro de un marco ético, legal y culturalmente consciente.
For Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked our Co-Executive Director, Ismail L. Ali, if he had a psychedelic experience that made him feel more connected with his heritage and identity.
His response highlights how psychedelic experiences can open the door for making meaning of interwoven cultural histories, ancestral lineages, and cosmological differences.
Have you had similar experiences? Share your story in the comments below 🙂
Learn more about Izzy by visiting the link in our bio.
Ismail “Izzy” Ali stumbled into psychedelic policy work the way most people find their calling — through a mix of teenage rebellion and haphazard web surfing.
Now, as Co-Executive Director of MAPS, he’s helping steer the organization through one of its biggest transitions in 40 years.
In this new @TricycleDay interview, Izzy reflects on how his Islamic faith shaped his philosophy on psychedelics, where he sees the bleeding edge of policy reform, and why MAPS is narrowing its strategic focus for the chapter ahead.
Read the full conversation using the link in our bio.
Ismail “Izzy” Ali (@sage_izzy ) stumbled into psychedelic policy work the way most people find their calling—through a healthy mix of teenage rebellion and haphazard web surfing, of course. Now, as co-executive director of @maps__org , he’s helping steer the OG psychedelic nonprofit through its biggest transition in 40 years.
We asked Izzy how his Islamic faith shaped his philosophy on psychedelics, where he sees the bleeding edge of psychedelic policy reform today, and why MAPS is narrowing its strategic focus for the chapter ahead.
The full interview drops in our newsletter tomorrow. Subscribe through our link in bio. 🫠
🎉 Exciting news! MAPS has officially named Betty Aldworth and Ismail L. Ali, JD, as our Co-Executive Directors!
Under their leadership, MAPS will reinforce its core pillars of advancing research, providing education, and harmonizing policy — but adapt to today’s evolving landscape by building community within the movement, strengthening relationships across differences, and using its unique platform to give voice to the “big tent” MAPS has become.
Join them LIVE at 5 PM ET for a community conversation about the future of MAPS and the psychedelic field. Space is limited — use the link in bio to register
One year ago today, the FDA declined to approve MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD.
The decision landed heavily not just on the thousands of therapists, clinical trial participants, and researchers who contributed, but also on the millions of people waiting for new treatment options. It meant that people living with trauma would continue to face delays in accessing a therapy that could potentially transform their healing journey.
But to our team, this did not mean defeat. In the year since, we’ve turned setbacks into progress — advancing research, policy, education, and community toward a future of healing.
