More about Chacruna’s work, mission, impact and access our End-of-Year
Reports you can find HERE.
For interview requests, media appearances, or expert commentary, please contact our communications team at media@chacruna.net.
Latest updates and announcements from Chacruna and its collaborators.
Here is a quick description for media use:
Chacruna Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to public education on psychedelic plant medicines. It bridges Indigenous knowledge, scientific research, and cultural perspectives to promote ethical, informed, and inclusive dialogue in the psychedelic field.
You can download the short and full description below.
Chacruna Institute emerged from a series of grassroots initiatives led by Dr. Bia Labate across Mexico and California, beginning in 2013 with events and publications supported through early partnerships. These efforts expanded into conferences, writing, and the Drogas, Política y Cultura platform launched in 2015, creating a foundation for ongoing cultural and academic dialogue. The Chacruna blog was launched in 2016, followed by the organization’s evolution into an informal nonprofit in 2017. The Chacruna Institute name was established in 2018, with formal nonprofit registration in California in 2019 and 501(c)(3) status granted in 2020.
Name: Chacruna Institute
Started: 2013
Formalized as a nonprofit: 2019
Founder: Dr. Bia Labate
Location: California, USA
Status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (since 2020)
Founder: Dr. Bia Labate
Dr. Bia Labate is an anthropologist, educator, author, and activist dedicated to advancing ethical and culturally grounded approaches to psychedelics. She is widely recognized for her work bridging Indigenous knowledge, scientific research, and social justice in the psychedelic field.
Short and long biographies, along with approved photos, are available in her media kit:
https://www.bialabate.net/media-kit
Media appearances can be viewed here:
https://www.bialabate.net/media-appearances
Education – Producing original research, offering trainings, and making academic knowledge accessible to the public.
Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative – Supporting Indigenous communities and biocultural conservation through direct collaboration and funding.
Psychedelic Justice – Advancing inclusion by amplifying the voices of women, queer people, Indigenous peoples, people of color, and the Global South.
Protection of Sacred Plants & Cultural Traditions – Promoting awareness, advocacy, and legal protection of sacred plant practices.
Educate openly – Making knowledge accessible and bridging research with public understanding.
Advance justice – Centering underrepresented voices and equity in the psychedelic field.
Uphold reciprocity – Supporting Indigenous communities and respecting the origins of plant medicine traditions.
Protect tradition and culture – Advocating for the ethical engagement and protection of sacred plants and practices.
Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI)
The Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI) is a program of Chacruna dedicated to supporting Indigenous communities through funding, collaboration, and advocacy. It works to strengthen Indigenous biocultures and ensure that reciprocity flows back to the communities who have stewarded plant medicine traditions for generations.
Chacruna Latinoamérica (CLA)
Chacruna Latinoamérica is a platform focused on Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking audiences, expanding access to psychedelic education and dialogue across Latin America. It centers regional perspectives, fostering conversations rooted in local cultures, research, and communities.
Psychedelic Culture (PCU)
Psychedelic Culture is Chacruna’s conference platform that brings together global voices across science, culture, law, and social justice to explore the evolving psychedelic landscape. It creates a space for dialogue between researchers, practitioners, and communities, emphasizing reciprocity, inclusion, and cultural context.
Download visual assets for media use, including:
Name: Lorien Chavez
Email: lorien@chacruna.net
