Now is the time to vote for next year’s South by Southwest Festival (SXSW). Anyone can voice their opinion on which topics will be covered and who should speak.
As in previous years, dozens of panels on marijuana and psychedelics are up for discussion.
There are 16 proposed panels touching on cannabis and more than 40 on psychedelics, though that’s a decline compared to what’s been offered in recent years.
Marijuana-related initiatives fall under broad categories, including culture, criminal law, agriculture, and business.
Overall, the drug policy panels run the gamut—with discussions on the need for marijuana clemency, putting cannabis products in convenience stores, the therapeutic potential of ibogaine to treat head trauma in athletes and even a psychedelic “puppet show.”
The following are some summaries for the panels that will be considered at SXSW in 2026.
Marijuana
Cannabis Prisoners In The Era of Legalization Featuring Stephanie Shephard of Last Prisoner Project, and Rick Williams of former NFL Rick Williams
Tens of thousands remain in prison for cannabis, even as it becomes legalized across the nation. This panel brings together advocates and directly impacted leaders—Ricky Williams and Stephanie Shepard—to examine the state of cannabis legalization, expose how cannabis prisoners are being left behind, and offer solutions. Panelists will present strategies from clemency and reentry to cannabis reform.
C-stores: The mainstreaming of cannabis
Cannabis is no longer confined to dispensaries and head shops—it’s riding shotgun at the local gas station. Convenience stores have become the forefront of normalizing cannabis. From hemp vapes to pre-rolls made from hemp and THC drinks, they are a leading source for these products. This panel will examine how C-Stores can be the unintended accelerators in the marijuana industry’s move towards mainstream acceptance. The panel will examine how regulation, retail innovations, and consumer demands intersect, as well as what it means for CPG brands, functional beverages, and legacy players looking to expand their distribution.
David Downs, The Censored playbook: marketing when you can’t advertise
In industries such as cannabis, psychedelics and sexual wellbeing, marketing is a game that requires balancing strategy, creativity and compliance. How can brands that operate in highly regulated areas break through noise and avoid breaking rules when mainstream advertising is off limits, as well as social media platforms which are quick to censor? This panel brings leading marketers together from industries that are highly regulated to discuss how to create brand credibility and navigate the evolving legal landscape. They will also explore ways to engage audiences with education-first content and creative campaigns.
Marijuana & Monopolies: The Fight for Free & Fair Markets, featuring Shaleen Title, founder of the Parabola Center
Panelists will examine the dangers and effects of monopolization through the changing cannabis market in America. This panel will examine the regulatory frameworks implemented by leaders in the battle against monopolies to make sure emerging industries are built upon a foundation that promotes fair competition, small business and entrepreneurship in every community and consumer empowerment through the choice of how their money is spent.
The Wellness Revolution: Living and Leading For Good, featuring JoJo Simmons, Andrew DeAngelo & Steve DeAngelo
Join JoJo Simmons, host of the acclaimed For Good Podcast, for a live and candid conversation with legendary cannabis reformers Steve & Andrew DeAngelo. Both will explore how cannabis and psychedelics are evolving in the context of a future centered on wellness, inclusivity, and liberation. With decades of advocacy, innovation, and healing behind them, the DeAngelo brothers offer a powerful lens on what it truly means to live—and lead—for good. Do not miss the rare chance to learn from, grow, and listen with two of movement’s leading voices.
Psychedelics
Paul Stamets presents The Psychedelic Puppet show: Tripping down the Art Hole.
Be prepared to plunge down the rabbithole the most wonderful way you can! The Psychedelic Puppet Show, a panel show featuring mischievous, visionary puppets and stories gathered from global psychedelic groups, is a spectacular event. We’ll discuss tales, and creative explorations—with felt, foam, and far-out ideas—to spotlight the future of psychedelic art, celebrate the storytellers behind the scenes, and ensure that artists are paid as well as the mushrooms’ therapist.
Sue Sisley, Principal Investigator at Scottsdale Research Institute Field To Healed Foundation, discusses how to expedite psychedelic research in order to be eligible for Right To Try.
This session explores intersection of psychedelic science & federal Right to Try (RTT) law, which allows patients with life-threatening conditions to access investigational treatments outside of clinical trials. The session, which will be focusing on ibogaine’s research to treat PTSD, opioid addiction, will look at the scientific, legal and ethical issues involved with making this potent but understudied compound RTT accessible. Experts will be discussing the state of research on ibogaine and its potential for FDA authorization. They will also discuss how ibogaine qualifies as compassionate use.
Rick Doblin (President and founder of Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, MAPS) presents Building Bridges: Psychedelics, Conflict Transformation and Rick Doblin.
Can psychedelics-assisted therapies help bridge a divided world? Even though psychedelics are not the panacea to complex systemic problems, they can be used in a therapeutic setting and help willing participants along their journey of healing. Explore the potential of MDMA-assisted therapy in conflict transformation—across ideologies, identities, and borders, and in couples therapy. Explore international work at MAPS that aims to transform people through nuanced transformation processes, not simple solutions.
Robin Carhart Harris, Zoe Wilder and the University of California San Francisco present What Psychedelics Reveal about Creating Anything
This panel examines how insights drawn from psychedelics can help inspire creative design solutions to social, environmental and existential problems of today. Psychedelics teach us that set and setting—our mindset and environment—shape every outcome. They act as non-specific amplifiers and show the influence of context on experience. How would this work if applied to creative thinking? We draw from the fields of science, culture and design to explore how altered state can deepen and reframe processes. Imagine if you could listen to the river and then build around it.
Ibogaine is a Hail Mary to Pro Athletes With Head Trauma
The silent epidemic of concussions, brain injury and other injuries is rife in the world of professional sports. Many players, with few options for treatment, are turning to Mexico to seek ibogaine. This powerful psychedelic is known to be able to heal the brain. This panel brings together athletes, clinicians, and researchers to explore how ibogaine can be used as a treatment for brain trauma and its potential impact on the care of people who have suffered brain injury or illness.
Broken Barriers: The Texas Ibogaine Initiative & Its Impact, featuring Texas Rep. Cody Harris (R)
The Texas Ibogaine Initiative will be the focus of this panel. It is a pioneering legislative initiative that aims to use psychedelic assisted therapy in order to treat PTSD, TBI and opioid addiction amongst veterans. Participants will be able to hear key speakers who have made this initiative possible, such as veterans, legislators and advocates. This session will examine the bipartisan backing for the bill, the scientific basis of ibogaine and the national impact that Texas has had on psychedelic policies. The conversation is a source of hope for mental health services for veterans.
Healing the Helpers: Psychedelics, Police & First Responders
Police and first responders carry invisible wounds from years of service – trauma, loss, moral injury–that conventional care often fails to treat. The front line is seeing a rise in the use of psychedelics as a transformative therapy. A former SWAT member, a retired Federal agent, nonprofit leaders, and an innovative psychedelic provider will be on this panel to discuss the ways in which ibogaine is being used by first responders, how stigmas are challenged, and what can be done about trauma and resilience.
Cosmic Trip: Unlocking the Power of Psychedelics—in Space
Psychoactive drugs such as ayahuasca have been shown to enhance mental well-being. Can they also treat or even prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, ALS, & Parkinson’s? Could they ease functioning for those with neurodevelopmental conditions like autism & ADHD? Hear from Alysson Muotri, PhD, a scientist who’s taken the question to outer space; an Amazonian indigenous leader who has witnessed the drugs’ transformative power; & a former MTV VJ-turned-psychologist—all of whom are on a quest for answers that spans the globe & beyond.
Psilocybin: Neurological Healing and Rewiring of the Brain
Daniel Carcillo, former NHL player and psilocybin assisted therapy patient shares his story of how the drug helped him recover from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) after many years of unsuccessful treatments. Daniel Carcillo discusses psilocybin’s ability to treat TBI and Parkinson’s disease through neuroplasticity, and new clinical research. The conversation revealed a promising frontier for brain health recovery.
Kristie Gaianopulos provided the image element.