The PhilaDelic Fall Forum laid out a roadmap for wider use of ibogaine and mushrooms to treat addiction and depression as stigma fades. Leading chemists, psychiatrists, treatment professionals, academics and activists gathered to expand the medical use of psychedelic drugs.
After spending the day with therapists, scientists and patients at the PhilaDelic Fall Forum, it was clear that the increasingly visible trend of using psychedelics to treat opioid addiction — and a wide range of other mental illnesses — has been moving forward in more ways than ever.
The historic gathering of more than 400 medical, scientific and treatment professionals laid out a road map for wider use of psychedelics in the U.S., including a push expected in 2026 for legislation in more than 10 states to fund ibogaine research.
Organized by the Penn Psychedelics Collaborative at the University of Pennsylvania, the forum advanced the idea that even though ibogaine, mushrooms and other psychedelic drugs remain prohibited under U.S. law, they continue to offer treatment options and potential breakthroughs for mental illnesses that are ravaging the health of Americans.
“If we can get the right message across…we could inspire change and activism behind the idea that psychedelics are powerful medicines to help people,” said T. Peterson Wagner, associate director of the Penn Psychedelics Collaborative and the main organizer of the forum, which was held Nov. 15, 2025. “They offer so much promise and potential, but you also have to have a little bit of skepticism about people promising the moon.”
The mind-blowing facts and figures from the lineup of blockbuster speakers provided scientific backing for more action on psychedelics. But the human stories of suffering, hopelessness and heartbreak relieved by ibogaine, psilocybin and other psychedelics seemed to connect even more deeply.
In a testimonial that drew tears and sobs from the audience, Andrew J. …
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Author: Steve Gelsi / High Times
