In 1967, a landmark symposium entitled Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs was held in San Francisco, California. It was the first international, interdisciplinary group of specialists – from ethnobotanists to neuroscientists – who gathered in one place to share their findings on the use of psychoactive plants in indigenous societies. Follow-up meetings were intended to be held every ten years, but the War on Drugs intervened. The findings of the convention were printed in a book entitled with the same name as the gathering.



On the 50th anniversary during the month of June 2017 an international group of specialists gathered again to share their perspectives on past, present, and future research in ethnopharmacology. The symposium was held at the spectacular Tyringham Hall in Britain.



ESPD50 was organized by a team led by Dennis McKenna, Founder of Symbio Life Sciences, PBC. Synergetic Press published a collector's box set including the first edition of 1967 plus a brand new book with the 50th anniversary symposium's findings.