Haarlem, NETHERLANDS — More than 1,500 researchers, executives, investors, and LinkedIn content creators descended upon the Netherlands this week to discuss one of the most pressing questions facing the psychedelic field: whether anyone can say anything definitive about psychedelics.
The gathering took place just miles from dozens of stores that have legally sold psychedelic truffles and all manner of other psychoactive plants and synthetic substances to the public for nearly three decades with minimal fanfare.
"While anecdotal reports and decades of real-world data may suggest psychedelics are relatively safe, we simply don't have enough research," explained one conference speaker while at least half the audience was mini dosing on truffles purchased from one of 400 smart shops within a 15 kilometer radius of the conference.
Panelists repeatedly stressed the importance of caution, evidence, and rigorous scientific inquiry before society embraces psychedelic substances whose effects remain largely mysterious despite decades of widespread use.
"At this stage, we're still trying to understand basic questions, like what happens when people take psychedelics," said another presenter, who had a hard time keeping it together on stage once the magic truffles they had eaten backstage started to take effect.
Attendees were particularly excited by emerging technologies capable of collecting data from psychedelic users, including surveys, mobile apps, and the revolutionary concept of asking people what happened after they took psychedelics.
Several venture-backed startups unveiled plans to raise millions of dollars to study phenomena that Dutch shop owners have been observing since the Clinton administration.
Meanwhile, local residents appeared confused by the conference's central premise.
"I don't know," said Amsterdam resident Jan de Vries while cycling past the venue. "People have been buying these things here since I was a teenager and it’s not a big fucking deal really."
At press time, conference organizers announced the formation of a multi-stakeholder working group tasked with determining whether three decades of real-world psychedelic use might warrant further investigation