A Living GUIDE FOR ASIAN AMERICANS WHO USE psychedelics.

This guide serves the Asian American community by providing education on harm reduction in the context of psychedelic use. Its goal is to create safer environments for Asians to explore psychedelics while considering our unique positionality in the United States and globally. Currently, culturally sensitive resources like these are limited and often difficult to access.

Compiled by Ahoo Yara, Aysu Naz Atalay, Mitsu Puri, Oriana Filiaci, Preeti Simran Sethi & Terence Ching.

Updated in June, 2025.

Email us at hello@asianpsychedeliccollective.org to provide feedback or contribute to this guide.

Note: In this article, we intentionally use "drug," "substance," and "medicine" interchangeably—not because these words mean the same thing, but because their differences reveal the War on Drugs’ violent contradictions. What systems call "dangerous drugs" (to justify policing), our communities may call "sacred substances" (to honor tradition) or "life-saving medicines" (to assert our right to heal). This linguistic flexibility is our small act of resistance: dismantling stigma one word at a time.

A Radical Homecoming.

For those of us across the Asian diaspora—East, West, South, Southeast, Central, multicultural—tending to our mental health is revolutionary. We’ve been taught that struggles should stay hidden, that perfection is the price of belonging. This silence leaves our pain unnamed, our needs unmet.

The numbers speak urgently.

𓋼 Suicide was the leading cause of death for Asian American/Pacific Islander (AA/PI) youth aged 15-24 in 2022 (Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

𓋼 In 2021, 1 in 3 Asian American adults reported psychological distress (Public Health Reports).

𓋼 Southeast Asian refugees face elevated PTSD rates from "silent trauma” (National Institutes of Health).

𓋼 AA/PIs are least likely to seek mental health services than any other racial/ethnic group (American Psychiatric Association).

There is a dire need for mental health destigmatization and access to culturally responsible care for our communities.

Yet systemic erasure continues.

𓋼 The model minority myth denies us harm reduction resources.

𓋼 While national surveys consistently underrepresent A/PI substance use, research reveals a striking truth: Asian women reported the highest rates of past-year hallucinogen use across all racial, ethnic, and gender groups (Frontiers in Epidemiology, 2022).

𓋼 Drug policies rooted in racism, colonialism and imperialism criminalized our ancestors’ sacred plant relationships, and continue to shape perceptions and policies today.

Before prohibition.

𓋼 In much of pre-colonial Asia, cannabis was cultivated, traded and used as medicine, playing a sacred role in Sufi and Hindu traditions (Harm Reduction Journal).

𓋼 Peganum harmala (wild rue, Syrian rue, African rue), known for its stimulating and hallucinogenic properties similar to the South American psychoactive brew Ayahuasca, may have been significant in Sufi practices for centuries. The plant has also been considered—though with some skepticism—as a possible candidate for the mysterious ‘Soma’ described in the Rig-Veda, one of four sacred canonical Hindu texts, or ‘Haoma’ of the old Persian Zoroastrian ceremonies (UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics).

𓋼 Hallucinogenic plants have been discovered in traditional Chinese herbal medicine practices (Botanical Museum Leaflets).

This is our inheritance too.

“How can Asians—as both survivors and perpetrators of colonial harm—ally with psychedelics to dismantle stigma, heal communal fractures, and remember sacred traditions for collective and personal liberation?”

Psychedelics invite us into profound spaces of healing and discovery. Whether you’re new to these medicines or have walked with them for years, we offer these questions to help you explore your relationship with them with intention, safety and deep respect for their roots.

Tending Your Story

𓋼 Which psychedelic substances am I interested in using? Which ones have I used in the past? Which ones do I still use?

𓋼 What are the benefits I have received from these experiences? What are some harms I have experienced?

𓋼 What am I really yearning for when I engage with psychedelics? What does my use of these substances reveal to me about myself?

𓋼 Drug use is an expression of me trying to find __________. How else can I resource my needs? What are my other paths?

𓋼 How can I reduce harm, and honor my wellbeing and safety as I engage with these substances?

𓍊 Rooted in compassion and justice, harm reduction is a broad set of practical strategies implemented to reduce the negative health, social and/or legal consequences related to substance use (Harm Reduction Coalition). At its heart, this philosophy teaches us:

Your choices matter, your safety matters, and you deserve non-judgemental support.

Small acts, like testing your substances, can be life-giving (find testing kits at DanceSafe.org).

Our wellbeing is deeply intertwined.

𓋼 In what ways does colonization show up in my relationship to psychedelic substances and altered states of consciousness?

𓋼 How does my journey relate to Indigenous stewards who have protected these medicines for generations?

𓋼 How might my ancestors have known these states? What was stolen or preserved?

Deep gratitude to Hsing Yi Fu & Rhana Hashemi at the Center for Political Drug Education for some of these reflective seeds.

Sharing the journey

Psychedelic journeys can be incredibly personal and choosing to share this part of yourself with someone can be a vulnerable and sacred act. It can also be empowering and help you to process your experiences with someone you trust. It is wise to use discernment when opening up about these experiences.

Pause and ask yourself.

𓋼 Despite a shared history with this person…

𓍊 Do I feel safe with them? Try to tune into the signals of your body as you think about sharing this vulnerable part of yourself with them.

𓍊 Are they able to maintain an open mind and hear me with compassion and non-judgment?

𓋼 Do they also engage with psychedelics? What have their experiences been like?

Easing into the conversation.

𓋼 You may begin by first gauging what their existing religious, cultural or personal beliefs and values are regarding mental health and substance use. You may find that you share certain beliefs and values. Validating these may help generate compassion for their lived experiences and give you more insight into why you engage with these substances yourself. You may also offer gratitude for how they have helped shape your perspective.

𓋼 You can engage them in an informative discussion on the legacy of colonialism and how it has shaped society’s perceptions of psychedelic and other drug use. You may also help cultivate compassion surrounding drug use by discussing with them the history and impact of the War on Drugs. You can learn more through organizations such as Drug Policy Alliance and  Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

𓋼 The psychedelic space is brimming with misconceptions. Address any myths they may have by sharing with them resources and articles on psychedelics you think may help to inform them about the history of psychedelic use, current research and the movement at large. You can find more resources and information on our Resources page.

𓍊 History of the use of psychedelics in Indigenous communities, and the multiple waves of the psychedelic movement. The mainstream narrative of psychedelics accentuates knowledge derived from a white-dominant medical framework, disregarding centuries old relationships indigenous communities have had with plant-based psychedelic medicines (Chacruna Institute). We honor and are indebted to the continued resilience of the Indigenous peoples who steward these medicines in the face of violent colonization and oppression. Learn more through organizations like Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, which advocates for Indigenous reciprocity in the psychedelic community by protecting sacred plants and cultural traditions.

𓍊 Safety profile of psychedelics and current research findings. Current research continues to reveal how psychedelics may support wellbeing across physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions. These medicines are being explored for everything from treating depression and substance use disorders to addressing intergenerational trauma and facilitating conscious exploration—offering our community diverse pathways to healing. On our Resources page, you’ll find a carefully curated selection of studies and resources examining psychedelics specifically addressing Asian needs—including culturally-specific considerations for safety, integration, and ancestral healing.

𓍊  Organizations engaging in psychedelic science, education and community building. The growing psychedelic movement thrives thanks in part to organizations advancing research, education, and inclusive community building. Organizations like Fireside Project, Urban Indigenous Collective, People of Color Psychedelic Collective, Psychedelics for Climate Action, Brooklyn Psychedelic Society and many more are doing vital work to co-create a more equitable psychedelic future. Discover more on our Community Partners and Resources pages.

Coming out as a psychedelic user.

𓋼 After grounding in intention, consider sharing why you’re called to these medicines—whether for healing, ancestral reconnection, or reclaiming your narrative. Every story told chips away at the colonial stigmas designed to silence us.

𓋼 If these substances have helped you navigate mental health struggles, intergenerational trauma, or spiritual growth, naming their impact does double work: it honors your journey while dismantling the War on Drugs and the "model minority" myth that claims our communities don’t need these tools.

YOU BELONG HERE.

Psychedelic healing was never meant to be solitary. Across oceans and generations, our ancestors healed in circles. Seeking refuge in communities where you can openly talk about your mental health struggles and your use of psychedelic substances can help decrease the burden of managing on your own. It can also help reduce harm and, process and integrate experiences.

𓋼 Reach out to us. We’re creating spaces where diaspora stories, ancestral wisdom, and psychedelic healing intertwine. Here, your whole self—mental health needs, psychedelic use, and cultural complexity—is not just accepted but celebrated.

𓋼 Or find another community near you or online through the Global Psychedelic Society.

Learn More

DISCLAIMER

APC does not promote the use of legal or illegal psychoactive substances. This content has been created strictly for harm reduction strategies, education and community support and is not a substitute for medical, psychological, psychiatric diagnoses, treatment or advice.

Every drug has risks and benefits, and we believe it is your responsibility to make informed decisions. In the words of Sasha Shulgin, a pioneering psychedelic chemist, “be informed, then choose.”

Your safety and wellbeing are important. Fireside Project is a psychedelic peer support line that provides emotional support during and after psychedelic experiences. They are staffed by rigorously trained, compassionate and supportive volunteers from diverse backgrounds and will be able to provide you with appropriate support and resources.

Call or text 62-FIRESIDE. Open everyday 11:00am - 11:00pm PT.

If you are in crisis or if you or any other person may be in danger or experiencing a mental health emergency, immediately call 911 (USA) or your local emergency resources. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please seek medical attention.