Melissa Etheridge Hosting Inaugural R.I.S.E. Summit on Psychedelic Treatment for Addiction

Melissa Etheridge will bring together some of the leading experts, clinicians, advocates and people with lived experience with addiction for her inaugural R.I.S.E. Summit on Nov. 12 at AV Irvine. The event hosted by the Etheridge Foundation will take place on Nov. 12 in Irvine, Calif. and feature a headline fireside conversation between the Grammy-winning rock singer and internationally renowned addiction expert Dr. Gabor Maté, author of five books including In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction.

In addition, a release notes that the event that shares a title with Etheridge’s 17th studio album — which was released in March — will continue the collection’s themes of healing, resilience and hope. “Drawing from her own personal experience, Etheridge established the Foundation to advance research, education, and advocacy around innovative approaches to treating addiction and to help create new pathways to healing for individuals and families,” reads a statement.

Along with the Etheridge/ Maté chat, the gathering designed to reach a broad audience will also feature presentations from leading researchers studying the emerging use of psychedelic-assisted therapies and other innovative modalities for addiction care.

“As many of you know, this work is deeply personal to me,” said Etheridge in a statement. “After losing my son Beckett, I knew I wanted to do something to help other families find hope and new ways to heal.” Etheridge’s 21-year-old son, Beckett Cypher, who she shared with former partner Julie Cypher, died from an opioid overdose on May 13, 2020.

R.I.S.E. (which stands for research, innovation, science and education) promises to be the largest in-person event focused on psychedelic treatments for addiction, with a spotlight on the promise and challenge of this rapidly evolving field. Among the topics on tap are research and models for care involving such drugs as ibogaine, psilocybin mushrooms, 5-MeO-DMT, MDMA, cannabis, ketamine, ayahuasca and others. The Summit will also shine a light on indigenous-led biocultural conservation efforts aimed at preserving traditional plant medicine knowledge and cultures.

For tickets and more information on the Summit, click here. After the summit on Nov. 13, the Etheridge Foundation will host an invite-only working session featuring researchers, clinicians and peer experts in the field, with goals including outlining consensus, who will work to develop a consensus on models for psychedelic-assisted treatment of opioid use disorder and addiction.