PSYCHOACTIVE

The notion of legalizing any sort of illicit drug seemed preposterous to most people just twenty years ago. Now cannabis is being legalized in a growing number of states and countries, psychedelic legalization is proceeding much faster than anyone expected, and in Colombia the president and other leading political figures are talking openly of legalizing cocaine. There are, of course, many ways to legally regulate previously illegal psychoactive drugs. Perhaps no one is more expert on these issues than Steve Rolles at the UK-based Transform Drug Policy Foundation. We talked and debated about various models of legally regulating cannabis, psychedelics and stimulants; the evolving role of the US government and UN agencies; and current developments in Europe, the Americas and Asia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It ain’t easy getting old but the right drugs, used in the right ways, can help. Charley Wininger is a psychotherapist, called “The Love Doctor,” who recently authored of Listening to Ecstasy: The Transformative Power of MDMA. I talked with him and his wife, Shelley, about the ways in which MDMA has proven invaluable in their love relationship, in building deep communities and enhancing sexuality, and in dealing with grief. MDMA, Charley says, “is not an antidote but a salve, a tonic, a rejuvenating vacation that can replenish the fountain of one’s youth.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s more or less never been a drug free society in human history but scholarly examination of the history of psychoactive drugs was surprisingly sparce until just a few decades ago. Paul Gootenberg is a distinguished professor of history, author of books on the history of cocaine, editor of the recently published Oxford Handbook of Global Drug History, and president of the rapidly growing Alcohol and Drugs History Society. We talked about the evolution of this interdisciplinary field of study from its mostly anthropological origins, its connections to commodity, consumption and cultural studies as well as medicine, sociology and politics, and the pioneering works shaping the field.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The renowned ethnopharmacologist and research pharmacognosist, Dennis McKenna, wrote "The Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss: My Life with Terence McKenna," ten years ago. That book is being republished, with a new afterword by Dennis, this month, so it seemed the right moment to talk about their relationship and respective evolutions, the experiences, people, literature and ideas that shaped them, and why Dennis regards the book that he and Terence co-authored in the mid-1970s, Magic Mushroom Grower’s Guide, as perhaps their most significant accomplishment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ve long been fascinated by khat, the psychoactive plant that is legal and consumed widely in Yemen and the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti) but that was criminalized in recent decades in the United States, Europe and other parts of the world as Somali and other émigré communities grew. Its history and uses are somewhat analogous to coca in Latin America. Neil Carrier, a social anthropologist teaching at the University of Bristol, is one of the world’s leading experts on khat – its history, economics, markets, social roles, consumption and conflicts over its benefits, harms and “quasi-legality.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m often a guest on other podcasts. Among the conversations I most enjoyed, and which many listeners may find particularly interesting, was with Giancarlo Canavesio on his Mangu.TV Podcast. He asked me to be his first guest in a series entitled “Psychedelic Confessions,” during which we reflected on our respective experiences with psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, ayahuasca, mescaline, ketamine, DMT, MDMA, cannabis, and other psychoactive substances. This was, perhaps not surprisingly, one of my most personal interviews.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prohibition era (1920-33) plays a far more significant role in U.S. history than is commonly assumed. Yes, it clearly failed in its objectives. And, yes, the assumptions that led to the rapid enactment of the 18th Amendment were massively flawed. But Prohibition was, as Lisa McGirr, professor of history at Harvard, argues in her book, The War on Alcohol: Prohibition and the Rise of the American State, “one of the boldest and most radical social efforts to alter personal behavior in the nation’s history and one that would have dramatic though unintended consequences for nation-state building and for politics.” It is also, not surprisingly, inseparable from the broader history of drug prohibition and drug wars since the start of the 20th century.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Our culture’s skewed idea of normality,” says the well known physician and author, Dr. Gabor Maté, “is the single biggest impediment to fostering a healthier world, even keeping us from acting on what we already know.” Some years ago, his book, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, touched and helped a tremendous number of people looking for insight into their addictive behaviors with his focus on traumas suffered at a young age. Addiction, he stressed, is one result of inadequate and counter-productive efforts to treat one’s pain. In his new book, The Myth of Normal, Gabor makes the case for viewing trauma as the common template underlying most physical and mental maladies. We discussed Gabor’s perspectives and personal evolution, including his growing appreciation for the value of psychedelics in identifying and healing trauma.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kava is a psychoactive beverage from the South Pacific that has a growing international market. Chris Kilham is “the Medicine Man,” an author, educator and TV personality who has conducted medicinal plant research in over 45 countries. We discussed the scientific evidence behind claims that kava is effective at reducing anxiety , alleviating pain and addiction, helping with sleep and generally improving mood and clarity of thought while presenting few risks to health. Chris also talked about his time in Vanuatu and other South Pacific islands, where he learned about kava’s history, cultivation, culture, and its potential to compete international with coffee, tea, alcohol and other psychoactive beverages. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ellen Scanlon started a weekly podcast, “How to do the Pot,” in 2019 for women interested in cannabis. She’s used it to give advice about how best to incorporate cannabis into one’s life, whether to relive stress or pain, enhance sex, help with sleep, or just generally lead a healthier, happier and more productive life. We talked about pregnancy, nursing, parenting, menstruation and menopause, as well as autoimmune diseases, migraines and ways in which marijuana can enhance performance. I was curious about differences between men and women, and why she recommends particular strains for women.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a bonus episode of PSYCHOACTIVE. The next episode of PSYCHOACTIVE will be my interview with Ellen Scanlon. She’s the host and creator of the podcast, 'How to Do the Pot,” a weekly podcast for women, by women, that tries to demystify cannabis for people looking to learn safe and trustworthy advice about a topic they might know little about. In advance of my interview with her, we're giving you an episode of her podcast called “Weed Words."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many people have achieved remarkable success in overcoming a longstanding addiction through ingesting ibogaine. It is a powerful psychedelic drug derived from the iboga shrub, which can be found in the West African country, Gabon, and its neighboring regions. Unlike most other psychedelics, ibogaine can dramatically reduce withdrawal symptoms and craving. Hattie Wells is a psychedelic practitioner, ethnobotanist and drug policy reform advocate who was an ibogaine treatment provider in Britain for several years and is now working on clinical trials involving ibogaine. We discussed similarities and differences between ibogaine and other psychedelics, the details of ibogaine treatment, why aftercare is crucial but typically lacking, ongoing clinical research into the plant, uses of ibogaine for conditions other than addiction, and much else.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CBD has exploded in popularity over the past decade. I talked about the power and promise of this cannabinoid with one of the world’s leading experts on the subject: Martin Lee, author of two highly acclaimed books, Acid Dreams and Smoke Signals, and co-founder and director of ProjectCBD.org. We covered topics including what is CBD and how does it work, what is its relationship to THC and what’s the evidence for its medical and health benefits, what role is the FDA playing in regulating hemp and what’s going on outside the United States? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chelsea Handler is the famous comedian, author, talk show host, documentary maker and activist whose millions of fans relish her revealing and humorous stories about sex, drugs, relationships and politics. Our conversation focused, of course, on drugs: on how getting in trouble with drugs launched her career in comedy, on why she prefers marijuana to alcohol, on what she has learned from her experiences with psychedelics, on which drugs help with creative writing, and on why she considers herself a “pharmacological intuit.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Millions of women use drugs when they’re pregnant. Some are punished when their pregnancies end with a miscarriage or stillbirth, or even when they give birth to a healthy baby. No one knows more about this than Lynn Paltrow, founder and executive director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW). We discussed the scientific evidence regarding pregnancy and drug use, the media coverage, and the myths that abound – about “crack babies,” “meth babies” and “oxytots.” Not surprisingly, issues of class and race play a pivotal role not just in determining which women are drug tested and sanctioned but also in popular perceptions of who is to blame and what should be done. Lynn and her colleagues have been at the forefront in defending the rights of pregnant women, and hearing about this important work made for a fascinating and at times heartbreaking conversation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An extraordinary number of the greatest jazz musicians were deeply involved in psychoactive drug use – to the extent that the history of jazz and the history of drugs during the middle third of the 20th century are inseparable. The King of Jazz, Louis Armstrong, never went a day without marijuana. The great “Lady Day,” Billie Holiday, became during the 1950s “the most famous drug addict in America.” Most of the great saxophonists – Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Art Pepper, Gerry Mulligan, Dexter Gordon and many more – used heroin as well as other drugs. Martin Torgoff, author of Bop Apocalypse, has probably thought about this subject more deeply than anyone else. Why did so many jazz musicians use heroin and other drugs? How did it impact the music they made and the lives they led? What role did racism and the nascent war on drugs play in all this? And what’s the connection with famous Beat writers like Jack Kerouac and the poet Allen Ginsberg?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kurt Schmoke’s life and mine intersected at a pivotal moment in the spring of 1988, as the war on drugs was approaching its most feverish pitch. I was a 31 year old assistant professor at Princeton University who had just published a prominent article which explained why the drug war was as doomed and counterproductive as alcohol Prohibition. Kurt was a 38 year old former district attorney who had just been elected mayor of Baltimore, when he said much the same to a national conference of mayors and police chiefs. It was an extraordinary act of political courage. Confronted by an avalanche and mockery, he did not back down. His life, and mine, were transformed. We talked about those times, why he did what he did, and what transpired.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boris Jordan is a fascinating figure. An American of White Russian ancestry, he played a pivotal role in Russia’s roller coaster economic transformation during the 1990s. Today he is best known as the founder, executive chairman and principal shareholder of Curaleaf, which is in many respects the world’s largest cannabis company. We started off by talking about the politics of marijuana reform in Congress but then focused on the future of the cannabis industry. What role will Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, Big Alcohol and the other big consumer good companies eventually play? Which countries, not just in Europe but also in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, are most likely to legalize cannabis in coming years? Why does he think cannabis beverages will account for half of the cannabis market within ten years? What does he think about the future of legal psychedelics? And how and why did he get involved in this industry in the first place?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“We could not have civilization without intoxication,” says Professor Edward Slingerland in his important new book: Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization. Indeed, “the use of intoxicants should puzzle us as much as religion does.” This episode examines how and why intoxicants – and particularly alcohol -- have played such a crucial role in the evolution of human societies. Humans are, Professor Slingerland points out, “the only animals that deliberately and methodically get high.” Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of intoxicant use is essential to thinking clearly about the role intoxicants can and should play in our lives today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jockeying over patents is driving investment and competition among the growing number of people and companies trying to profit from the psychedelics renaissance. Graham Pechenik is one of the smartest and most respected attorneys specializing in this area. We started off by discussing a recent victory against the DEA, which had tried to put a number of promising compounds into Schedule I. Most of our conversation thereafter focused on current battles among investors, activists and researchers, the challenges of trying to reform a patent system that is widely seen as flawed and even broken, and alternative paths for maximizing the benefits and accessibility of psychedelic medicine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's a bonus episode of Psychoactive. I was was recently a guest on the Dear Chelsea podcast, a weekly advice show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler. I thought our listeners might enjoy hearing this fun, lively discussion, so we're dropping it in your feed as a bonus episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is probably no other country in the world with such a fluid and counterintuitive history of drugs as Iran,” says Maziyar Ghiabi, professor at the University of Exeter, in his book, Drugs Politics: Managing Disorder in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Its problems with illicit drug misuse are among the greatest in the world. It is unique among Muslim countries in having embraced syringe exchange and other harm reduction programs on a large scale. It also executed more people for drug offenses in recent decades than any other country. It probably ranks #1 in the proportion of the country using methadone or buprenorphine. It likely also ranks #1 in the proportion of the population involved with Narcotics Anonymous. All this in a country in which a Shiite cleric is the ultimate political authority. It’s a fascinating story, and ever evolving.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Narcotic Farm was a remarkable institution. Opened in Lexington, Kentucky in 1935 and closed in the 1970s, the massive hybrid prison/treatment facility was for many decades one of the only publicly available drug treatment facilities in the United States. The writer, William Burroughs, spent time there, as did his son. So did jazz musicians like Chet Baker, Sonny Rollins, Elvin Jones, Jackie McLean, Sonny Stitt, Joe Guy and many others. Staff and patients described it "as more like a prison than any hospital but more like a hospital than any prison,” and fully 1/3rd of its residents opted to go there entirely voluntarily. Moreover, the Farm’s Addiction Research Center was a pioneering, highly regarded center for addiction studies. It benefited from the ample number of experienced drug users willing and often eager to participate in experiments in which they were given opioids, barbiturates, all sorts of novel pharmaceuticals as well as psychedelics through CIA-funded studies. No one knows more about the Narcotic Farm than Professor Nancy Campbell, an historian of science, technology, and medicine who is one of America’s leading scholars of drug issues. Among her books are The Narcotic Farm: The Rise and Fall of America’s First Prison for Drug Addicts, which she co-authored with JP Olsen and Luke Walden.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chesa Boudin, a public defender and child of “radical royalty,” was elected as district attorney of San Francisco in late 2019 and recalled by voters in mid-2022. Derided by critics as soft on crime and heralded by supporters as a principled and effective proponent of reforms that voters actually favored, we talked about his accomplishments and challenges, including his interactions with San Francisco’s mayor and police officials. I asked Chesa for his reflections on what he might have done differently as well as what any district attorney can really do about issues like homelessness and overdose fatalities. We also discussed why national media was so eager to draw national implications from his defeat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many people consider ayahuasca “the queen” of psychedelic plant medicines – and few people know more about ayahuasca than the Brazilian anthropologist, Bia Labate. She has authored, co-authored or co-edited over twenty books about ayahuasca as well as other plant medicines, shamanism, ritual, religion and drug policy. The U.S.-based educational and advocacy organization she founded and directs, The Chacruna Institute of Psychedelic Plant Medicines, is an extraordinary resource on all these issues. Whether you’re already experienced with ayahuasca or are thinking of trying it for the first time, this conversation will prove insightful.Bia and I discussed the varied uses of ayahuasca by indigenous peoples in the Amazon region, syncretic religions and the millions of people who have consumed it around the world in recent decades. We talked about its potential medical uses, the challenges and opportunities presented by “ayahuasca tourism,” and some of the controversies generated by groups that don’t live up to the enlightened ideals typically associated with respectful use of plant medicines. And Bia offered her advice about making the most of one’s ayahuasca experience while staying safe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hitler’s military forces achieved immense success in the early years of World War II by making the Blitzkrieg (or “Lightning War”) central to their offensive strategy. Norman Ohler, author of Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich, tells the story of how methamphetamine enabled this success, sometimes over the opposition of medical and military skeptics, and how its value diminished as the war dragged on. Even more fascinating is the story Ohler tells about Adolf Hitler’s extraordinary consumption of oxycodone, cocaine and an ever evolving concoction of hormones, steroids, vitamins and quack remedies administered by injection by his personal physician, Dr. Theodor Morell. Initially helpful in enabling Hitler to perform and project strength, the drugs ultimately fed his megalomania and delusion and quite likely shaped the decisions he made in the latter years of the war, when Dr. Morell became his most frequent and trusted companion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"You know, it's a funny thing,” said President Nixon to his aide, H.R. Haldeman, “every one of the bastards that are out for legalizing marijuana is Jewish. What the Christ is the matter with the Jews." Well, today you'll find out. Eddy Portnoy is the curator of a novel exhibit at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York City entitled “Am Yisrael High.” It explores the role of Jews in all aspects of marijuana: scientific research, legal and illegal commerce, the counterculture, music, politics, and advocacy for and against reform of marijuana laws. References to cannabis in the Bible, the Talmud and other Jewish texts are presented, as is evidence of cannabis at archeological sites dating back to the 3rd century BCE. The idea for the exhibit, Eddy says, first occurred to him when he stumbled across a glass bong in the shape of a menorah. Listen to this episode and let me know what you think. Our number is 1-833-779-2460. Our email is [email protected]. Or tweet at me, @ethannadelmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Immortalized in Tom Wolfe’s famous book, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, the Merry Pranksters were a pivotal link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and both the Grateful Dead and the hippie generation that emerged later in the 1960s. Mountain Girl was romantically involved, and had children, with both the Pranksters’ leader, Ken Kesey (author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), and the Grateful Dead’s, Jerry Garcia. She thus was both witness to and participant in many of the central events of the 1960s counterculture, including the famed Acid Tests. MG and I talked about the incredible cast of characters she got to know, the role of LSD and other drugs, and the challenges of raising young children in the midst of it all. And we discussed her more recent involvement with cannabis and psychedelics, including co-founding the Women’s Visionary Congress.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip Morris International (PMI) is a leader in Big Tobacco, profiting from the sale of Marlboro, Chesterfield, Virginia Slims and other cigarette brands. It’s also at the forefront in transitioning to the sale of non-combustible nicotine products, which now make up 30% of PMI’s revenue. André Calantzopoulos has worked for PMI for almost forty years, most recently as CEO and now executive chairman. We talked about the opportunities and challenges PMI confronts in making this transition. I pressed him on why PMI still opposes some government regulations to limit smoking. Is their ultimate objective to replace the market for cigarettes with an even bigger market for less dangerous forms of nicotine consumption? What about the potential medical value of nicotine? Do they have plans to get more deeply involved in the cannabis industry? And why did he decide, as a young man, to go to work for Big Tobacco?Listen to this episode and let me know what you think. Our number is 1-833-779-2460. Our email is [email protected]. Or tweet at me, @ethannadelmann.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rick Doblin founded the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) in 1986, and we’ve been friends since shortly thereafter. He and his organization stand at the forefront of the movement to destigmatize and legitimize MDMA and psychedelics for therapeutic purposes and even more broadly. We talked about his battles with federal agencies, his efforts to advance MDMA-assisted therapy in Israel and Jordan, his fundraising from prominent right-wingers, and his recent successes in recruiting police officials to his cause. I also pressed him on the challenges he increasingly confronts as for-profit investors take the place of philanthropists in supporting psychedelics research broadly and MAPS specifically – and also the problems that have resulted when therapists associated with MAPS are accused of inappropriate sexual behavior. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netflix released a new documentary series last week, How to Change Your Mind, based on Michael Pollan’s book by the same name about psychedelics and medicine. The next episode of PSYCHOACTIVE, out Thursday, is my interview with Rick Doblin, who has played a pioneering role in psychedelics research and advocacy for four decades. He is featured in episode 3 of the 4-part Netflix series. Today, however, we’re reposting the PSYCHOACTIVE episode from last year in which I talked with Michael Pollan about his personal journey with psychedelics as well as his most recent book, This is Your Mind on Plants, which focuses on caffeine, mescaline and opium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Julie Holland is a psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist who has written and edited many outstanding books about drugs, including most recently Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection, from Soul to Psychedelics. Julie and I teamed up last year to answer questions submitted by Psychoactive listeners. We enjoyed it so much, and the feedback was so positive, that we decided to do it again. This time the questions involved the safety of GHB, marijuana dependence, the relationship between drugs and mental illness, and the future of drug wars and drug policies. Julie is a long-time believer in the potential of psychoactive experiences to open our worlds and heal our minds but she’s also keenly sensitive to the risks entailed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is microdosing? Why do so many people swear by it? But does it really work? Dr. Sophia Korb is a therapist and researcher who worked for the Fadiman Group on the largest microdosing study in the world. We talked about the findings from that study, including perceived benefits and downsides, why people start or stop microdosing, and patterns of consumption including combining tiny doses of psychedelics with chocolate, lion’s mane mushrooms or niacin. I was curious about similarities and differences between microdosing and macrodosing. And we discussed the potential and risks of commercialization since microdosing involves much more frequent consumption than macrodosing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marijuana was integral to the evolving culture wars of the 1970s, with long criminal sentences meted out to some while others flouted the law with alacrity. No one was more central to the battles over marijuana policy than Keith Stroup, who founded the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in 1970 and directed the organization for most of the decade. His allies spanned the spectrum of respectability from Harvard professors and former high level government officials to Gonzo journalist Hunter Thompson, Yippie activist Abbie Hoffman, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and assorted marijuana smugglers, most notably Tom Forcade, who started High Times magazine. We talked about President Richard Nixon’s efforts to block marijuana law reform and President Jimmy Carter’s support for decriminalization. Eleven states decriminalized marijuana during the mid-1970s but the momentum faded rapidly as the decade neared completion. Most fascinating to me were Keith’s reflections on his own activism in an era that preceded my own engagement in drug policy reform activism beginning in 1988.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does marijuana affect driving? Can one learn to drive safely while high? Are there reliable tests for detecting marijuana-impaired driving? How accurate are simulator tests of people driving under the influence of marijuana? Why do marijuana users tend to think they’re driving worse than they actually are? Has marijuana legalization resulted in more motor vehicle accidents and deaths? How are laws changing in this area? No one is more knowledgeable or thoughtful about these questions than Paul Armentano, NORML’s expert on all things marijuana for almost thirty years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it possible that MDMA and psychedelics offer a master key for reopening the “critical periods” in our infancy when the brain’s development and maturation is strongly dependent on experience or environmental influences? Gul Dolen, a brilliant neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University, has approached this crucial question by administering these drugs not just to humans but also mice and octopuses. Her research suggests that these drugs are proving so valuable therapeutically because they all reopen these critical periods, in effect making an old brain young again, and allowing one to go back to that state where you’re receptive to the world like a child. We talked about her theories and speculations, the importance of social setting in psychedelics research, the relevance of her research insights into healthy aging, why macrodosing is much more significant than microdosing, and the potential of psychedelics to heal not just psychological conditions but physical ones as well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vancouver’s drug policies are among the most progressive in North America but the city still suffers from high rates of fatal overdose, mostly involving fentanyl. Garth Mullins has been part of the drug scene in Vancouver for many years: as a former heroin consumer who now takes a daily dose of methadone; as a journalist who joined with other drug user activists in launching an award winning podcast, Crackdown, about the overdose crisis; and as a forceful advocate for allowing illicit drug users to obtain the drugs they want from legal sources outside the medical system. Sometimes Garth despairs that he’s just “documenting the apocalypse” and helping humanize drug users while having almost no impact on policy. I think he’s making a real difference.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In spite of a massive spike in overdose death, BC’s government still refuses to offer a genuinely safe supply of drugs. Eris Nyx and Jeremy Kalicum tell the story of how the Drug User Liberation Front has stepped up to do what the policy makers refuse to do themselves: offer people a safe version of the drugs they already use. Then, Crackdown’s science advisor, Professor Ryan McNeil talks about his recently published work on BC’s “risk mitigation guidelines.” Why has this program failed to curb overdose deaths and what needs to be done to improve it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I first met Amanda Feilding in the late 1990s, when she was launching the Beckley Foundation to conduct and support research on psychedelics. I must admit that I failed to anticipate how successful and influential she would become, with Amanda described in the media as “the queen of consciousness” and her Beckley Foundation playing a leading role in psychedelics research and advocacy not just in Britain but globally. We talked about her life and loves, her theories about the power of psychedelics to enhance creativity, why she favors LSD above all others, the importance of mystical experience and ego dissolution, and the many important research studies she has instigated and sponsored.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Simon is the co-creator and head writer of the HBO series “The Wire” (2002-08) and “We Own This City” (2022) as well as other outstanding TV series on policing, drug dealing, music, porn and the potential for fascism in the United States. We discussed the ways in which the war on drugs has undermined, distorted and corrupted effective policing; how issues of race and class manifest, or not, in policing and drug policies; and the extent to which Baltimore’s problems and challenges are indicative of those in other U.S. cities. We also talked about the actor, Michael K. Williams, who depicted Omar in The Wire, and who died of an overdose late last year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Strauss is an actor and comedian who created a play, The Mushroom Cure, about his own struggles with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and his attempts to cure, or at least ameliorate the symptoms, with psychedelics. Critics have described his show as “a hilarious ride through OCD,” “a fabulous, perceptive trip,” and “hugely intelligent and incredibly engaging.” Adam and I discussed his life with OCD, how OCD compares to other addictions and forms of mental illness, how taking psilocybin mushrooms helped and whether other psychedelics might have as well, why he went back to a 12-step program - OC Anonymous - after finding some success with psilocybin, and why calling 911 while under the influence of mushrooms to discuss an existential experience is rarely a good idea.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drug policy in Russia is -– no surprise -- highly repressive. But that was not entirely the case in the early 2000s, when dozens of harm reduction programs operated around the country and a drug liberalization law resulted in fifty thousand people being released from prison. Anya Sarang is probably Russia’s best known harm reduction advocate. We discussed the evolution of illicit drug use, markets and policies in her country, including the transformative impact of the rapid shift to online drug markets a few years ago; the fanatical hostility of Russia’s narcological establishment to methadone and other opioid substitution treatment; and the rise, fall and bare survival of harm reduction activism and services in an ever more repressive country. We also talked about how President Putin’s drug policies compare with drug policies elsewhere in Asia and the former countries of the Soviet Union, and the ways in which his approach to illicit drugs foreshadowed the broader repression now underway in Russia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Rodrigo Duterte became president of The Philippines in 2016, he launched a drug war that was distinguished by his encouragement and approval of extra-judicial killings by police officials and their associates. Although widely condemned by foreign governments, this drug war, which has killed between ten and twenty thousand people, appears to retain the support of most Filipinos. Gideon Lasco is a brave scholar who has researched both illicit drug use and the drug war in his country. We talked about the use of shabu (methamphetamine) in the Philippines, why most Filipinos support Duterte’s drug war, who opposes it, how the drug war has evolved over the past six years, and the extent to which it really differs from drug wars elsewhere in Asia and other countries. I was also curious about what will happen now that Duterte’s presidential term is ending.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Until it was supplanted by LSD in the 1950’s and 60’s, mescaline was the best known and most popular psychedelic in the world. It’s the key psychoactive ingredient in peyote, which has been used for millennia among indigenous people in the Americas and often demonized and prohibited by civil and religious authorities who feared it. Mike Jay, whose latest book is entitled Mescaline: A Global History of the First Psychedelic, is broadly regarded as the outstanding historian of psychoactive drugs around the world. We talked about that rich history, which included experimentation with mescaline by writers, poets, painters and scientists as well as the head of the Mormon Church, its impact on psychiatry, investigation into its potential as a truth serum and weapon by the CIA and the military, its use by prominent counter-cultural figures, and why it was largely displaced by LSD and other psychedelics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chef Nikki Steward is one of the most famous and talented of chefs who cook and bake with cannabis. She describes her brand “The High End Affair” as a traveling “infused culinary experience" and has curated large dinner parties for Snoop Dog, Dave Chapelle, DJ Khaled and many other celebrities. I’m an eager consumer but an inexperienced chef so I peppered her with questions: Is there something different about cooking for people who are high on cannabis and how does she standardize dosing? What about cooking for people who use cannabis as a medicine? Have old school techniques of cooking with cannabis become obsolete with high potency extracts and does she use all parts of the cannabis plant? How does she keep from getting too high when she’s tasting as she cooks? And how does she deal with the challenge of people “overdosing” at a dinner?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Quinones is a distinguished journalist and author who has reported on America's opioid crisis for over a decade. His 2015 book, Dreamland, examined the spread of prescription opioids and then heroin across the country. His new book, The Least of Us, focuses on the spread of fentanyl and P2P methamphetamine, and their devastating impact on people and communities. We discussed all of this, including the evolution in illicit drug networks, racial differences in drug use, Sam’s skepticism of hard reduction, and my skepticism of his policy recommendations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Few countries have suffered the consequences of ineffective prohibitionist policies for so long or severely as Mexico.  Professors Alejandro Madrazo and Catalina Perez are among the world’s leading experts on this subject.  I wanted to know:  How did the criminal organizations that traffic in drugs get so powerful?  Why is it a misnomer to call them “cartels”?  What explains the extreme violence?  How pervasive is not just the corruption but the fear of violent reprisals among Mexico’s most senior political figures?  What’s the role of the Mexican military, and how has it been impacted by its evolving responsibilities in the country’s war on drugs?  Is the current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, doing anything differently from his predecessors?  Does growing support for drug policy reform offer any hope?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I took a short subway ride from my home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to East Harlem to visit OnPoint NYC – the first overdose prevention center, a.k.a. safe injection site or supervised injection facility, to operate openly in my country with the permission of the mayor and other top officials. Executive director Sam Rivera, senior director of programs Kailin See, and other OnPoint staff and clients showed me around and answered my questions: Why did it take so long and how have people in the neighborhood responded? What about the police? What drugs do they use, and how? What happens when someone overdoses? What other services are available? How does this site differ from OnPoint’s other location, in Washington Heights, and from other sites in Europe, Canada and Australia?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philippe Bourgois, along with his co-author Jeffrey Schonberg, spent over a decade getting to know a group of homeless people in San Francisco whose lives revolved around their injection drug use. The result of their research was one of the greatest of all drug ethnographies, a book called Righteous Dopefiends. It's a remarkably intimate book, full of detailed descriptions of people's lives and the community that forms around injection drug use. He describes the different rituals that go into preparing and using heroin, as well as both the generosity and duplicity that surround its use. Today, we'll talk about this book as well as his newer research centered on drug use in Los Angeles and Tijuana. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you ever wonder about the actual lives of people who sell illicit drugs – their fears and aspirations, their family lives, their business models and moral codes, and their fates once their drug dealing days are behind them? Philippe Bourgois is a distinguished anthropologist, currently teaching and directing the Center for Social Medicine and Humanities at UCLA. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he befriended and gained the trust of street-level drugs dealers in East Harlem, New York and wrote an award winning book about it, In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio. Years later, from 2007 to 2018, he embarked on a similar project in Philadelphia. His ethnographies are unparalleled in the depth and intimacy of their analysis of inner city drug dealers and markets. This is the first episode of a two part interview, in which I was also curious to understand how Philippe managed the inter-personal and moral challenges of becoming so deeply involved in these worlds. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.