Fri-Sun, December 6-8, 2019, Tucson Convention Center
NOTE: There will be NO Cannabis or Psychedelic substances offered at this event or allowed in. This event is for educational purposes only. Tucson Police will be present to ensure we comply with the law.
Sponsors
The purpose of The AZ Plant Medicine Conference is to educate the public on the benefits, and options available in Plant Medicines including Medical Cannabis & it’s derivatives, as well as Psychedelic medicines. We’ll elucidate the latest research, and discuss how these medicines can help improve lives as well as the risks and contraindications.
The event will educate the general public on the clinical use of these medicines as well as share the latest developments in research & use in clinical settings.
This event will be an overview & education on how people using these medicines can avoid or replace pharmaceuticals, alleviate pain or suffering where other methods have failed & ultimately get well physically, mentally, & spiritually. We’ll also discuss potential risks & contraindications.
While there are multitudes of people using medical cannabis & it’s derivatives, psychedelic medicines & ketamine to beneficial results, most of the population still attach a negative stigma to these medicines and can view these medicines with suspicion.
We seek to debunk myths & educate open-minded people on each of these medicines and offer resources to learn more about them.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Featured Speakers
The Past, Present & Future of Psychedelic Medicine
Rick Doblin, Founder of MAPS (Multi-Disciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies)
(Live via Teleconference)
Psychedelic Research has shown us highly promising results for the treatment of PTSD, Depression, Social Anxiety, Substance Abuse, Alcoholism & Suicide.
In this fascinating dive into the science of psychedelics, Rick will explain the history of Psychedelic Medicines, Where we are now and how we go forward with drugs like LSD, psilocybin & MDMA. He’ll elucidate how they affect your brain — and show how, when paired with psychotherapy, they could forever change the way we treat PTSD, depression, substance abuse and more.
He’ll also discuss how:
- The FDA has declared MDMA & Psilocybin a Breakthrough Therapy, fast-tracking their research. MDMA is now slated for Stage 3 FDA trials, the last set of trials before clinical legalization, potentially as early as 2021.
- Some of these medicines increase release of Oxytcin, the bonding hormone in your brain.
- Studies show that MDMA can double the efficacy of PTSD therapy from 23 percent without MDMA, to 56% effectiveness with MDMA & up to 68% 1 yr. later.
Cannabis as a Treatment for PTSD
Sue Sisley, MD. Director, Scottsdale Research Institute
Dr. Sue Sisley is the Principal Investigator for the first randomized controlled crossover clinical trial in the United States testing the therapeutic potential of marijuana for PTSD. This study is supported by a number of sources, including research in lab animals, fMRI imaging in humans, and anecdotal reports from countless health practitioners and patients.
Additionally, clinical research in Israel evaluating medical cannabis as a treatment for PTSD has been very promising. MAPS’ study will test four strains of smoked marijuana, each containing different concentrations of active cannabinoids, in two three-week stages, as a pharmacological agent to manage PTSD symptoms among 76 American war veterans.
This study is a collaboration between Dr. Sue Sisley MD, and researchers from University of Colorado and University of Pennsylvania.
Ayahuasca Shamanism: Where Biology, Emotion & Spirituality Meet in Your Body. PLUS: How Plant Medicines Help to Heal Trauma, possibly through inducing Epigenetic Changes.
Joe Tafur, MD. Founder, Modern Spirit. Author: “The Fellowship of the River”
Dr. Joe works in both allopathic & shamanic medicine, is focused on connecting the worlds of academic medicine and spiritual healing. In the Amazon, Dr. Joe saw hundreds of people find help for problems that Western medicine was unable to heal.
Drawing from his first-hand experience as a shaman and Medical Doctor, Dr.Joe has learned about the importance of acknowledging the emotional body & its role in disease. Once acknowledged, spiritual approaches can be used to heal the emotional body which, in turn, heal the mind & physical body.
Ayahuasca shamanism & other psychedelic-assisted therapies may be effective (in some cases) because of their ability to induce relevant changes in epigenetic imprints associated with the emotional trauma stored in the psycho-neuroendocrine immunologic network, which Dr. Tafur theorizes is the physiologic manifestation of the emotional body.
Staying Legal & Free in Rapidly Changing Times
Charles Carreon, Attorney at Law
U.S. controlled substance law has always been complex, with fifty states and federal law enforcement to keep track of, not to mention the civil rights dead zones at international borders and airports.
Determining what conduct is legal where, and by whom, has become even more complex with the widespread legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. Further, the proliferation of edibles, extracts, and vape pens, that blend easily among personal items, allow discreet use to go undetected in public venues.
A casual attitude towards possession of controlled substances can become natural to recreational and medical users, which can lead to problems when modern expectations collide with old-time law enforcement. This presentation by Charles Carreon, a former prosecutor, and Federal Public Defender will focus on helping you avoid unplanned interactions with law enforcement, and on how to discreetly assert your constitutional rights to privacy using proper invocations that command police attention, should circumstances require it.
Ketamine & NeuroGenesis: A New Way to Change Your Mind
Ellen Diamond, PhD., and Kevin Nicholson, CEO. of Ketamine Wellness Center
Depression, anxiety, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are more and more common in today’s world, with estimates of 33% of the US population suffering from one of these disorders. There are a variety of treatments available for depression, anxiety, and PTSD, ranging from traditional psychotherapy to prescription mood stabilizers, and SSRIs. However, many people find that these treatments are not providing adequate relief and in some cases make their symptoms much work up to and including suicide. In the last 18 years, studies are showing positive results for a treatment using ketamine infusions in treatment-resistant mood disorders. Ketamine is a completely legal FDA-approved anesthetic drug that is used daily in hospitals and emergency rooms across the country. This presentation will expand upon physicians’ understanding of the off-label use of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and anxiety.
Cannabis Legalization and Decriminalization in the State of Arizona
Mikel Weisser, Executive Director, AZ NORML.
Mikel Weisser will examine the history of attempts to legalize or decriminalize cannabis in the State of Arizona. Mikel will also provide a historical perspective on the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act and where it stands today.
Mikel will detail where we are currently in the State of Arizona regarding adult-use legalization and his talk will culminate in a review of the 2020 Smart and Safe Arizona Act and how you can get involved in efforts to legalize cannabis in the State of Arizona. A Q & A session will follow Mikel’s talk.
Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy: Are We Ready for Legal MDMA, Psilocybin, Ketamine, and the Psychedelic Medicine Renaissance?
Kate Hawke, MA, Director of the Trauma Transformation Network and Native American Trauma Project, International Energy Psychology Conference Founder. MAPS member since 1986.
FDA Stage 3 clinical trials for MDMA-assisted therapy are now in process with good preliminary results. This is the final stage before anticipated legalization by prescription in approved treatment centers. Psilocybin also received Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA and could be available within two years, dramatically changing the therapeutic landscape.
With these advances, we will have new tools to address the roots of depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress at an individual and societal level. At the same time, we must proceed with integrity, research and ethical practices at each step.
Building on Dr. Doblin’s talk, Kate Hawke will discuss how psychedelic therapy is progressing in AZ and as a worldwide movement, and what this might mean for you and the people you care about.
She will cover the following topics:
- Current uses & future plans to integrate these potent medicines into health care systems
- Challenges that mental health professionals will need to navigate once these medicines become legal
- How psychotherapy can be combined with psychoactives for maximum results
- How you can seek help for yourself or your loved ones
Arizona Medical Cannabis Card Program: How You Can Qualify for Your Card. Plus: The Astoundingly Wide Array of symptoms Medical Cannabis can help you with!
David Yrigoyen, Co-founder Natural Healing Center of Tucson
Did you know that Cannabis has shown to help you with symptoms of:
Severe or Chronic Pain, Migraines, Arthritis, Seizures, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscle Spasms,
Glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, PTSD, Crohn’s, Hepatitis C, Alzheimers, Nausea and Cancer as well as several other illnesses?
This is just a partial list and many others illnesses and research indicates that Cannabis may be able to treat an enormous variety of other ailments where other methods have failed. How can Cannabis treat such a wide variety of ailments?? Because Your amazing Body was born with the endocannabinoid system already installed which is why Cannabis can work for you at all.
David will discuss how Cannabis works in your body, the latest research in efficacy, and how you can move forward and get your card if it’s right for you, as well as contraindications and risks with Medical Cannabis.
Understanding Spirit Walking, the Magical Cacti: Peyote, Healing Experiences, Legal Aspects and Sustainability
Matthew Kent and Annie Zapf of Peyote Way Church
Find about going on a Spirit Walk with Peyote. A Sacred Spirit Walk with Peyote can provide a variety of experiences, such as:
Soul Retrieval, Having Hurts Disappear, Seeing Life With Clarity, Seeing Symbolic Messages meaningful to Your Life, and Changing Your Experience of Reality.
Spirit Walks can help you get back in touch with the Great Mystery of life, and the power and magic of the greater Reality that we can lose sight of and connection with.
They’ll cover how Healing Wounds From Your Mind and Spirit, can Heal Your Body.
Also they’ll discuss Legal aspects of Religious use, Sustainability, and how they came on this path and the history of the church. Join us for an informative discussion!
How Psylocibin mushrooms change your mind: pharmacology and therapeutics
David Robertson, DO. Doctor AZ Department of Corrections
Dr. Robertson graduated from medical school at the young age of 50 and found his calling in Correctional Medicine. He has worked for the AZ Department of Corrections for the last ten years.
Observing the inmate population over that time, he has realized that many of the “criminals” aren’t really “criminals” at all and that their crimes often involve the manifestations of PTSD and/or childhood trauma.
His talk will be towards the pharmacology of psilocybin and its impending therapeutic uses.
The Sonoran Desert Toad and 5 Meo-DMT: What You Need to Know
Robert Villa, Research Associate, University of Arizona
Discovery of 5meoDMT in the Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius = Bufo alvarius) has led to a following of entheogen users and practitioners that has increased in the wake of the recent psychedelic renaissance.
This has led to a growing demand on the toad apart from many of its preexisting threats, as well as false narratives and cultural appropriation of indigenous societies.
Ibogaine + Iboga: The Powerful African Plant Medicine that Works for Addiction:
Thom Leonard, Owner Anzelmo Ibogaine Addiction Rehab Treatment Center
Used for centuries by African Shaman, Iboga is a potent plant medicine, used as a sacrament in Rite of Passage ceremonies by the Bwiti people. Those who ingest this psychedelic substance experience a dream state while still awake and can have visions that can last up to 24 hours.
For nearly a century, scientists and health professionals have examined the properties and therapeutic potential of ibogaine (the primary alkaloid present in the iboga shrub responsible for it’s psychedelic qualities), including for addiction treatment. In fact, ibogaine has become known as an “addiction interrupter” because of its ability to often reduce or eliminate drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms after one dose, particularly opiates.
It is a tool for a very deep form of self- reflection and introspection and allows one to better understand their addiction and the path out of it.
Thom Leonard, owner of Anzelmo Ibogaine Center will give an overview of Ibogaine, and discuss:
- What Ibogaine is, how it works and how well it works.
- His path of finding freedom from addiction through his experiences with Ibogaine, as well as his experiences with his patients at his clinic in Mexico.
- Research that has been conducted on this plant medicine.
- Protocols, dangers, risks and contraindications.
The Future of Cannabis
Tim Sultan, Executive Director, Arizona Dispensaries Association (ADA)
Cannabis is on fire right now! This plant is changing the worlds of medicine, psychology, and business. News reports point to billion-dollar companies emerging from states that have legalized marijuana. Today 33 states that have a medical program and 11 states have legalized marijuana for Adult-Use. As legal access increases globally, it creates massive disruption for several industries. Find out how!
Tim Sultan is in a unique position to tell you about the impact cannabis has in Arizona and where it’s headed in the future. His association represents Arizona’s licensed medical marijuana dispensaries.
https://azdispensaries.org/
The Science of Cannabis Healing
Plant Medicine Miracles: Stories of Profound Healing
Adriana Tysenn, Compliance & Education Director at the Downtown & D2 Dispensaries.
When Adriana was sixteen years old, she had a spinal cord injury that has left her with severe chronic pain and neurological deficits. Prescribed several different types of opioids & narcotics up until the age of twenty-two, she spent six months trying to find a doctor to ween her off of opioids & narcotics & transfer her over to solely medical cannabis. She is now opioid and narcotic free and living a much more fulfilling life, focused on her greatest passion; patient care.
Plant Medicine Miracles: Stories of Profound Healing
Pete Sais, ‘CBD Pete’ is the Founder of California Botanicals Direct Corp,
A Hemp conduit, with only quality organic Hemp CBD products, Now Shipping NATIONWIDE http://www.CaliforniaBotanicalsDirect.com
Description: Many believe that a potent method of healing was given in the bible using Plant Medicine and other powerful healing herbs. ‘CBD’ Pete has used this formula (found in Exodus 30) called the”Holy Anointing Oil” to assist people with various ailments. So far, 61 people credit Pete with their cancer remission. He’ll discuss healing with plant medicine with several blends of Cannabis, Hemp CBD, and Diet. He’ll tell the story of how he healed using plant medicine and how he’s used it to help so many others.
Pete was featured in the Amazon Prime Documentary Cancer vs. Cannabis.
See Documentary Here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YYNW9KZ
He has been helping people with Cannabis Oil and CBD for over 10 years.
Swapping Your Medicine Cabinet for an Herbal Cabinet
Swapping Your Medicine Cabinet for an Herbal CabinetDr. Jasmine May, Naturopathic Physician
Did you know that there are over 15,000 plants we know of that are safe and effective medicine?
As a naturopathic physician, Dr. May is trained and experienced in both conventional western medicine and herbal medicine. She will discuss some of the most common prescription medications she sees that her patients are taking and cover some of the many herbs that are often more effective with fewer or no potential negative side effects.
You may be surprised to learn that plants growing in your yard here in Tucson are actually medicine!
The Beneficial Uses of Kratom/Kava
Jason Edwards, Founder of the South West Kratom Company and a member of the American Kratom Association
Kratom which comes from the Mitragyna Speciose, a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family native to Southeast Asia whose leaves have been used for centuries as an herbal supplement in traditional medicines. While Kava or Piper Methysticum is the root of a pepper plant that grows in the Pacific Islands. The wonderful Polynesian drink has been used in ceremonies and traditions for over 3000 years to promote relaxation.
Both Kratom and Kava have been used by Veterans, Fireman, Police, as well as other first responders and people with PTSD. These plants can be used to increase energy, calm the mind, help with depression, alleviate anxiety, sleep issues, and much more. The Arizona Kratom Consumer Protection Act was just passed in May to keep Kratom safe and legal in Arizona, you can use these as all natural alternatives for your health and wellness. Come learn the latest research and how these plant medicines can help you!
Jason discovered Kratom after years of trying different medications for his chronic migraines that he has struggled with since age 7. His older brother Matthew, who has completed over 7 tours in the Navy. Struggles with PTSD and alcoholism after his service in the military. Kratom has helped Jason and his brother Matthew. Jason is now able to function much better because of Kratom. Matthew has now been alcohol free for over 2 and a half years and has better nights sleeping and having less anxiety.