Meet Taylor Loyden
Taylor was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, and received a B.A. from the University of North Florida in Environmental Business and Leadership. After her undergraduate studies, Taylor worked as a wilderness therapist, guide, instructor, medic, and naturalist in remote regions of the world. This career path led to skills such as leadership development, feedback systems, wilderness survival, cultural awareness, remote emergency medicine, and environmental and scientific interpretation.
While working in Alaska, Taylor developed an understanding of the mycelial web beneath the forest floor and its connection to healthy forest ecology and climate change. After spending several seasons educating clients on mycelial connections and ethnobotany, Taylor decided to pursue an environmental law degree. While at the University of Idaho College of Law, Taylor pursued courses in environmental law, Native American law, and eventually, psychedelic law and policy.
In the later half of law school, Taylor began orienting her studies toward supporting the psychedelic movement. She began writing articles on entheogenic religions, cultural aspects of psychedelic law, psychedelic tax law, and psychedelic legislation. Taylor was selected to be a member of the University’s Moot Court team, and also received an award for her advocacy in International Law and Indigenous water injustice. While in her 3L year, Taylor assisted in drafting Voter Initiative 1886 with Donahue Law, which would have legalized the therapeutic use of psilocybin in the state of Washington.
Taylor graduated with her J.D. in May 2022 and works with Terrapin Legal to create decriminalization measures, advise psychedelic businesses and churches, and support the psychedelic ecosystem. She is a member of the Psychedelic Bar Association, an active Professional Ski Patroller, an EMT, an environmentalist, an artist, and a volunteer with psychedelic harm reduction programs.
Taylor has synthesized her interests and experiences into a legal approach that focuses on integrating scientific and cultural knowledge into novel solutions that overcome legal barriers. She hopes to continue influencing the psychedelic legalization movement in a creative, aligned, cross-disciplined, and holistic manner.
