New York Jets quarterback and four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers spoke at a psychedelic science conference in Denver, Colo. on Wednesday, advocating for the legalization and normalization of such substances. Rodgers was among the notable speakers at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies’ annual conference, a group which also included former Texas governor Rick Perry as well as musician and actor Jaden Smith.
After initially using psilocybin, a hallucinogenic found in certain mushrooms, Rodgers spoke extensively about his experience using ayahuasca, a psychedelic tea that he began to take in 2020 before winning two consecutive MVP awards. Rodgers claimed that “hundreds” of fellow NFL players have asked him about psychedelics, and that he has also used ayahuasca to bond with teammates in communal settings.
“When I first did ‘aya’ in 2020, I remember thinking afterwards, like, I’m going to have to talk about this at some point,” Rodgers said, per the New York Post. “Are people ready? How will it be received? Then I won MVP. Then I did it again. I said OK, I can probably talk about it now. But the cool thing has been the response. Not from the media that calls me a druggie, a hippie or whatever it was.
“To see basketball players and baseball players and surfers and entertainers and my own teammates and colleagues across the league reach out, and either share their story about their own medicine journey or ask to be a part of an upcoming one, is pretty special.”
Rodgers’ comments were made in a nearly hour-long discussion with podcaster Aubrey Marcus, which also included Rodgers pledging his support in the movement to secure acceptance and legal approval for the use of psychedelics in therapy. The conference in Denver took place only a few short months after Colorado residents voted to decriminalize the use of psychedelic mushrooms.
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