There’s a hum beneath the surface of the psychedelic revival—a low frequency of resistance, remembrance, and radical joy. You can hear it at Oakland Hyphae conferences, feel it in the walls of the Akoma Psychedelic Church, and trace it in the path of Reggie Harris. The founder of both platforms, Harris is carving out space for Black communities to define their own psychedelic future. With one foot in ancestral wisdom and the other planted firmly in grassroots organizing, he’s cultivating consciousness and nurturing an ecosystem of equity, education, and empowerment. In this conversation, Harris discusses the spiritual and political stakes of the psychedelic renaissance and the work it takes to keep the culture from being co-opted.
Jack Gorsline: Can you share the journey that led you to found both Oakland Hyphae and the Akoma Psychedelic Church? How do the missions of these two organizations complement each other in serving the community?
Reggie Harris: For me, some of the most resonant moments of the conference were definitely Mama de la Myco sharing her data that she produced with Microdosing Moms… and watching the talk between Monica Cadena, Dr. Carl Hart and 19 Keys. [They had a] really, really good conversation – bringing two people within the same culture but [who are] from two different corners of Black culture together to talk about such a hot button issue – drugs – particularly as they relate to Black people and the Black community.
JG: The conference explicitly connected psychedelics and spirituality. How do you define this connection, particularly within the framework of the Akoma Psychedelic Church and its work?
RH: For me, I like to say that medicine connects me to my ancestors and lets me know that they’re right here with me. And that’s a big part of the ultimate goal in creating a place like Akoma: helping people commune [in a safe space] for using their preferred sacraments to help them tap and tune in.
JG: For our readers focused on “Wellness,” how do you see psychedelics contributing to holistic well-being in ways that go beyond purely clinical or therapeutic applications? Where does spirituality fit into that wellness model?
RH: The first place that, you know, I really realized the, the kind of broader use for, um, for spirituality beyond, like, taking big doses was, you know, I’m a, I’m a yoga teacher and the folks in my yoga studio would help, you know, use, you know, mushrooms to help meditate and mushrooms to help breathe.
But like Dr. Carl Hart says, “If we can use these to have fun, that’s not clinical or therapeutic in the traditional sense… but it;s also fun in a spiritual way as well, you know?
Technology is often thought of as tools designed to service our needs and purposes, similarly to how cannabis and psychedelic use can not only be therapeutic and spiritual – it can also be fun.
It’s fun getting the munchies, enjoying food, and laughing hard [with your friends]… and it’s the same with mushrooms: they can help enhance your relationship with your partner and those around you, if used properly,and [ultimately] that’s fun.
JG: Oakland Hyphae emphasizes education and safe access. In the rapidly evolving landscape of psychedelic decriminalization and regulation, what are the biggest hurdles and successes you’re currently navigating?
RH: The longer we can keep the [reigns] of this community out of the government’s hands and keep people from going to jail, the better.
Honestly, this industry can be pretty back stabby and corporate – kind of sterile, even.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the cannabis community, and there are a lot of good folks that come from the cannabis space into the psychedelic community, but there’s also definitely a lot of people who are just strictly capitalization-focused.
JG: As Cannabis and Tech Today explores, technology often plays a role in emerging industries. Do you see technology having a significant impact on psychedelic education, access, community building, or integration practices? If so, how?
RH: White folks in this space are still, you know, taking from Black people and harming Black people. And so, you know, it’s important to me to, uh, not ask them to repair, but, you know, demand that reparations where we can.
You know, if, if we have skills, resources, whatever, we need to be compensated for these things.
I try my best to set this example and set this standard, not only for what I demand in this space, but for what I demand… for what I provide for folks in this space.
I do my best to make sure I’m looking out for… the folks on the team and the folks who help contribute to my projects in all aspects; we draw community in and we build from a strong base for the community [from that.]
So that’s really important – trying to do things actively andinternally instead of begging and asking folks who clearly, historically haven’t given a fuck and clearly presently don’t give a fuck to give a fuck, you know? That’s crazy.
Ultimately, Oakland Hyphae empowers and inspires a lot of Black people to go out there and lead… we actively put those [marginalized ]groups at the head of the line when it comes to “who can we put money in their pocket?” “Who can we work with? Who can we uplift? Who can we platform?”
JG: What are your primary goals for Oakland Hyphae and the Akoma Church in the near future? What developments in the broader psychedelic space are you most hopeful about, and what gives you the most concern?
RH: The primary gal for Oakland Hyphae is to continue to take up space for people of color, and to continue to represent and set the standard to unapologetically push for what we feel is right, and to continue to uplift the type of community that we want to see represented as opposed to [being overrun by] corporate interest. [Which is why] we wanna work with everybody… you can’t do shit without money but we don’t have to fucking dance and compromise our morals for it.
So, that’s what the future holds for us: continuing to pave the way, continuing to try to be as independent as possible and to continue to push the envelope.
