Aaron Rodgers Advocates for Legalization of Psychedelics at Conference Appearance

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was among those to speak at a psychedelics conference hosted by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies in Denver this week.

During his talk with podcaster Aubrey Marcus, Rodgers advocated for the legalization of psychedelics in the United States, sharing his own experiences with mushrooms and ayahuasca, which is a psychoactive tea that includes a hallucinogen banned in the U.S.

"Is it not ironic that the things that actually expand your mind are illegal and the things that keep you in the lower chakras and dumb you down have been legal for centuries?" Rodgers said, per ESPN.

Psychedelics are illegal at the federal level in the United States, though Colorado and Oregon have decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms at the state level.

Rodgers added that he hopes to "change the conversation by dispelling these archaic myths about the dangers of [psychedelics] or the negative side effects ... and start to share the actual wisdom and truth about it."

During an appearance on Marcus' podcast in August 2022, Rodgers talked about his experience with ayahuasca during a South American retreat following the 2019 season, saying that it helped him elevate his performance on the football field.

During the 2020 season, Rodgers completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 4,299 yards and 48 touchdowns against five interceptions in 16 games en route to his third career MVP award.

He followed that up in 2021 completing 68.9 percent of his passes for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns against four interceptions in 16 games, earning his second consecutive MVP award and fourth overall.

"You know, it's going to be hard to cancel me, because, you know, the previous year, 26 touchdowns, four interceptions," Rodgers told Marcus at the conference. "We had a good season. Ayahuasca, 48 touchdowns, five interceptions, MVP. What are you going to say?"

Rodgers also told Marcus during the psychedelics conference this week that other pro athletes have since reached out to him to ask about his experience with ayahuasca.

"The response from other people in the sports industry has been incredible," he said. "To see basketball players and baseball players and surfers, entertainers and my own teammates and colleagues across the league reach out and either share their story about their own medicine journey or ask to be a part of an upcoming one was pretty special."

Rodgers, who spent his entire career with the Green Bay Packers, was traded to the Jets this offseason.

After a down year by his standards with the Packers in 2022, the 39-year-old is expected to lead the Jets into the postseason in 2023 for the first time since the 2010 campaign.