Howdy myco fam,

Welcome back to the Mycopreneur Newsletter. Today we’ve got a few very interesting stories from the world of mushrooms and people building careers & companies with them, as well as an invitation to our weekly Mycopreneur Incubator at the bottom.

But first, here’s an invitation to join one of the most extraordinary psychedelic events in the world:

Our friends at Breaking Convention in the UK are back! 

Europe’s largest conference on psychedelic research is holding a one day event Saturday 16th May 2026 in London and online. 

The day will be packed with insightful talks and panels with world leading experts at the cutting-edge of psychedelic research and science.

Topics include:

- PSYCHEDELICS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF PEACE - WOMEN & PSYCHEDELICS - LIVING & DYING - SHOULD SCIENTISTS BE ACTIVISTS? - PSYCHEDELICS & CREATIVITY -  WRITERS ON DRUGS - PSYCHEDELIC RECIPROCITY MODELS- 

 PLUS MORE TBC!

LINEUP:

ALEXANDER BEINER - AKUA OFOSUHENE - ANDY LETCHER - ANJALI BHAT - ANNA HOPE - CHRIS TIMMERMANN - DAVID LUKE - GIULIO SICA - GRACE BLEST-HOPLEY - HANNAH FARRIMOND - HATTIE WELLS - JULIAN VAYNE - LEOR ROSEMAN - NIKKI WYRD - PETER SJÖSTEDT-HUGHES - RANA RAHIMPOUR - ROS WATTS - ROSE CARTWRIGHT - TALI AVRON - TREE CARR - ZAHIRA COHEN

I was a keynote speaker at Breaking Convention in 2023 at the University of Exeter in Devon, England, and the community of psychonauts, academics, researchers and eccentrics that broadly define the Breaking Convention community is one that I continue to cherish and collaborate with. They do their main conference every two years so this is a one day event to hold people over between those, but I’ll definitely be tuning into the livestream and I think you should too.

Colorado has become a hotbed for psilocybin mushroom cultivators and businesses in the wake of Prop 122 and the passage of the Natural Medicine Health Act, and this article traces the trajectory of a lab that’s supplying licensed psilocybin-assisted therapy centers and helping define the regulated market in the state.

Lost Garden Founder Josh Walker emphasized the importance of having a good lawyer on retainer and being in open dialogue with state regulatory agencies as the business navigates unfamiliar territory in a newly regulated field.

This theme of exploring legal and licensed business opportunities in the psilocybin landscape in Colorado will be explored further in forthcoming Mycopreneur content as well.

Paul Stamets has famously quipped that ‘Psilocybin makes nicer people’, but this sentiment apparently also extends to fish.

A recent study published in the journal Frontiers of Behavioral Neuroscience outlines evidence suggesting that small doses of psilocybin can help reduce aggression in the notoriously aggressive and territorial Rivulus fish (Kryptolebias marmoratus)

The neuroscientists who published the study believe that this type of data could potentially inform future medical and psychiatric treatments for territorial and aggressive humans too.

From our friends at Real Mushrooms: We’ve been discussing Lion’s Mane mushrooms in depth at the Mycopreneur Incubator recently, as well as on the Mycopreneur Podcast with guests like Lee Carroll. Real Mushrooms has just released a new Lion’s Mane blend that deserves a place in your wellness routine. More info here.

Pashinyan says he will sue Karapetyan over hallucinogenic mushroom allegations

Things are heating up in Armenia’s election cycle, and a new political tactic may be emerging: accusing opposing candidates of “insanity by magic mushrooms” as a means of discrediting them.

Russian-Armenian business tycoon and Strong Armenia party leader Samvel Karapetyan has accused the sitting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of importing “one tonne of hallucinogenic mushrooms from China” and consuming them before every speech he makes.

Interestingly, this is not the first time this year that a politician has publicly questioned the sanity of another candidate by invoking their alleged consumption of magic mushrooms — Republican Senator Susan Collins publicly questioned Trump’s former nominee for Surgeon General Dr. Casey Means on her use and recommendation of psilocybin mushrooms.

As a San Diego native, I grew up on Blink 182’s music and have always been a fan of Travis Barker’s prodigious drumming.

The rocker and reality television star announced the new product as an expansion of his existing Barker Wellness brand. According to a press release published April 29, the gummies are sold online through Barker Wellness and Amazon, as well as inside Sprouts locations across the country. Three of the four blends are also stocked at Target stores nationwide as of that date.

I know a few of you reading this are manufacturers and bulk suppliers, which leads me to wonder…where is Travis getting his functional mushroom inputs, and what is the shelf life of celebrity brands like this?

Today at 3 pm et U.S. / 12 pm pt

The Incubator is the place to be every Thursday at 3 pm et / 12 pm pt to connect with a community of mushroom entrepreneurs, researchers, and advocates from around the world. It’s free and open to everyone.

Recurring weekly link for your calendar

Meeting link for today:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87575277676?pwd=w5k1GGlfZ22I3SOtolZbZokYnxpUi8.1

Meeting chat link
https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/jc/87575277676

Meeting ID: 875 7527 7676
Passcode: 038704

Thanks for reading the Mycopreneur Newsletter, and see you at the Incubator today.

DW