In this section of the Rites of Passage project, families share their experiences creating their own contexts for psychedelics and marijuana. Just as each family is unique, each of the following accounts describes a different approach to these substances, and a different choice about their use. In some cases, parents have created a ritual for their child to celebrate the coming of age. In others, young people have introduced their parents to psychedelics or marijuana, bridging the generations with a powerful experience. In each story, families have negotiated their own relationships to these substances, finding their own way in a complex territory -- rendered all the more difficult by criminal prohibition and widespread misinformation.

By providing accounts written by families who have chosen to experiment, MAPS hopes to broaden the dialogue among other families thinking and talking about psychedelics and marijuana. These stories reflect the practical, ideological, and emotional issues involved in such profound experiences, and we hope they will be thought-provoking.

• "A MOTHER-SON PEYOTE RITUAL".
  This is the account of a beautiful rite of passage a mother shared with her teenaged son, strengthening his family connection, his sense of self, and his bond with nature. Both the mother and son describe the event from their perspectives.
  
  
• A FAMILY'S PERSPECTIVE ON THE USE OF MDMA.
  This beautiful account is the story of a daughter introduced to MDMA by her parents; it is told by each member of the family: mother, father, and daughter.
  
  
• "CONFESSIONS OF A MIDDLE-AGED ECSTASY EATER".
  Originally published in The Guardian, this account is written by a father who was introduced to MDMA by his teenage son. While MAPS does not support the wholesale endorsement of recreational use found in this account, it's a powerful account of intergenerational bonding.
  
  
• "STUMBLING ON HIS STASH".
  A mother's story of accepting her son's entrance into adolesence, and creating a rite of passage ritual for him using marijuana.

Explore the Psychedelics and the Dying page for more personal accounts, written by families who have used psychedelics to cope with terminal illness

Also see: Rites of Passage: Kids and Psychedelics, a special issue of the MAPS Bulletin from 2004.

We're seeking additional stories by families who have shared experiences with psychedelics or marijuana. Click here if you'd like to contribute an account!