Bloomberg Law
March 13, 2023, 11:00 AM

Psychedelics and VR Meet at South by Southwest: The Dose

Tiffany Kary
Tiffany Kary
Bloomberg News

Welcome to my latest dispatch on the cannabis and psychedelics industries. This week I’m reporting from South by Southwest, the media, music and film festival in Austin, Texas. The conference’s SXSW Interactive program has become a mecca for cannabis and psychedelics advocates in recent years, giving them an opportunity to reach a wider audience despite federal prohibitions on drugs and an inability to market any legal products.

Augmented unreality

Virtual reality and hallucinogens might seem like unpredictable reagents. But according to speakers at South by Southwest, they might be the perfect pairing to treat a range of mental-health problems.

Optimism about psychedelic drugs ran high at the event. ...