ON TO THE UN IN 2026!
Hello all lovers and followers of WPD 620.
We’ve got a fantastically ambitious mission to share with you as Canada stands at a pivotal moment in global mental health leadership. Our drive this year and into the next is to secure United Nations recognition for World Psychedelics Day—positioning our nation and this project at the forefront of evidence-based mental health innovation.
We all know that the current mental health crisis demands new solutions and psychedelic-assisted therapies represent one of the most promising advances in contemporary psychiatric research.
A robust and growing body of peer-reviewed scientific evidence1 demonstrates their potential to address treatment-resistant conditions including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and addiction—conditions that affect millions of people and impose significant economic and social costs on healthcare systems.
These therapies are not fringe medicine—they are backed by rigorous clinical trials at leading institutions worldwide and also supported by substantial Canadian research investment.
World Psychedelics Day is becoming a success story. Founded in Canada on June 20, 2021, by the nonprofit International Psychedelics Awareness Foundation, it has helped catalyze global education and dialogue about the psychedelic renaissance.
Our inaugural event attracted over 2,500 participants from more than 50 countries engaging with 15 expert panels featuring world-leading scientists, therapists, and Indigenous knowledge holders. The day continues to grow annually, with events exploring the scientific, therapeutic, and cultural dimensions of psychedelic research and practice.
The United Nations has established over 160 international observances as powerful mechanisms for global change. These days achieve measurable impact by:
Raising awareness on critical but overlooked issues (e.g., International Day for the Eradication of Obstetric Fistula brought attention to a condition affecting two million women)
Mobilizing political will and resources through annual focal points for government action and funding commitments
Driving policy reform by providing universities and institutions a catalyst for research that challenges harmful norms
Building international coalitions among researchers, policymakers, and civil society to accelerate progress on shared challenges
Advising member states on evidence-based policy actions
World Psychedelics Day would leverage these proven mechanisms to:
Advance evidence-based mental health practices globally
Reduce stigma surrounding psychedelic research and therapy
Facilitate international dialogue on therapeutic applications
Help the public distinguish between therapeutic psychedelics and harmful, addictive substances
Accelerate harm reduction and sensible regulation frameworks
This mirrors the success of World Mental Health Day (October 10) and International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) in transforming global health policy.
If you could kindly take a moment to endorse our petition, it would help us to gain recognition at the UN.
Thank you, the WPD Team