Jets' Aaron Rodgers to Speak at Psychedelics Conference About Ayahuasca Experience

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will speak about his ayahuasca experience at a psychedelics conference hosted by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies in Denver this week, per Jesse Bedayn of the Associated Press.

The conference was organized in part as an effort to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms in Colorado. Other speakers at the conference include former NHL player Daniel Carcillo, Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith, and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Ayahuasca is a pyschoactive drink that includes a hallucinogen banned in the United States.

"Though Ayahuasca was traditionally used for religious and spiritual purposes by specific populations, it has become popular worldwide among those who seek a way to open their minds, heal from past traumas, or simply experience an Ayahuasca journey," according to Healthline.

During an appearance on The Aubrey Marcus Podcast in August 2022, Rodgers, who has also experimented with mushrooms, discussed his experience using ayahuasca during a South American retreat, saying it allowed him to flourish on the football field.

"To be way more free at work, as a leader, as a teammate, as a friend, as a lover," Rodgers said at the time. "I really feel like that experience paved the way for me to have the best season of my career."

Rodgers, who won the NFL MVP award in 2020 and 2021, was traded from the Green Bay Packers to the Jets this offseason. He'll debut with Gang Green on Sept. 11 against the Buffalo Bills.