Ethnopharmacologic Search For Psychoactive Drugs: 55 Years of Research proceedings edited by Dennis McKenna, Ph.D.

Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs: 55 Years of Research (ESPD55) compiles proceedings from the 2022 ESPD conference, continuing a half-century effort to connect plant and fungal psychoactive knowledge with modern research. Curated by Dennis McKenna and hosted by the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy, the volume gathers contributions from more than thirty speakers across ethnobotany, pharmacology, ecology, anthropology, and consciousness studies, including figures such as Wade Davis, Andrew Weil, Monica Gagliano, Paul Stamets, and Glenn Shepard. The book organizes chapters into six thematic spheres such as the ethnosphere, phytosphere, and mycosphere, covering topics like ancient psychoactive plant use in Eurasia, discussions of coca and its cultural and therapeutic relevance, ethnopharmacology in Chinese culture, sustainability and stewardship for sacred species, and ethnomedicinal practices. It frames psychoactive studies as a multidisciplinary project tied to ethics, reciprocity, and ecological responsibility.