The United States, after months of bombing speedboats alleged to be carrying drugs, has just abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. In this episode, I do a deep dive into the reality of Venezuela's relationship with the drug trade, as well as the history of America's longstanding animosity toward Maduro, Chavez, and the so-called "Bolivarian Revolution"

Kava has become one of the most popular "alcohol alternatives" in many Western countries in recent decades. But for thousands of years, it held an important spiritual and political role in Pacific Island societies, and was viewed as a major threat by Christian missionaries from Europe.

In this episode, I unpack kava's history, focusing on Vanuatu and Fiji to explore the intersection of race, religion, culture, and mythology as it relates to this remarkable root.

I sit down with Dennis Walker from the Mycopreneur podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on psychedelic consumer packaged goods, biopiracy, and how to best keep people safe and informed as psychedelic drugs continue to proliferate through non-traditional channels.

Mormons are notoriously straight-edged; for most, temperance not only includes alcohol, but stimulants like coffee as well.

In this episode of Drug Cultures, I explore the ways in which that may not have been the case in the past. I take a look at the "psychedelic origins of Mormonism" hypothesis, and do a deep dive into the history of Fred M Smith: the grandson of Joseph the prophet who advocated for his church to accept the religious use of peyote.

Link to the study I referenced in the episode: https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/3/2/article-p212.xml

I debrief the recent Psychedelic Science 2025 conference, particularly the panels on Israeli and Palestinian perspectives on psychedelic therapy for conflict-related trauma. This episode dives into MAPS Israel's studies of the effect of MDMA and LSD on the survivors of the 10/7 attack, and the way in which collective trauma is used to justify the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

As President Trump announces that the US has just bombed Iranian nuclear sites, it is more important than ever that we all raise our collective voices in opposition to this unjustified and certainly soon-to-be-catastrophic war in Iran.

Opening music: Sirat Al-Ishq (Rawan Roshni & Max Mira)

In what I hope to be part 1 of a Drug Cultures mini-series on sobriety, I take a look at the recent phenomenon of choosing to be "Cali sober" - a version of sobriety that still allows for responsible consumption of cannabis, and sometimes other psychedelics.

How does it work? Who does it work for? How has it been received by the recovery community? And does the science support it? Listen to the episode to find out!

I sit down with Jonathan Maxwell Stanaford, founder of Oregon's first psychedelic mushroom church, to discuss his upbringing, the legal landscape of psychedelic churches, and making the psychedelic experience accessible to poor and working class people.

https://www.youtube.com/@ravenofthesacredentheogen?si=WbZNYXpd6DGXEU-j

https://ravenofthesacredentheogen.com/

In the 19th century, the Opium Wars began a "century of humiliation" for China, which would repeatedly suffer economic and military catastrophes in the decades to follow. Opium addiction, while not the cause of this catastrophe, would make the despair far more visible.

In this episode, we do a deep dive into the little known story of how the CCP eradicated opium in China for more than two decades, and explore how this drug war managed to succeed in its goal of eradication when most others have failed.

Through centuries of prejudice (and deep national pride), Ireland has long been known for its alcohol drinking culture. In the 19th century, however, much of Northern Ireland gave up its drinking habit and replaced it with a powerfully mind-altering elixir that is now largely forgotten: ether.

How and why did this happen? And just what role did the Great Famine and the Irish struggle for independence and home rule play? In today's episode, we do a deep dive into this little-known piece of Irish history.

When cats roll around in catnip, are they getting high? What about when humans smoke it? And why did people keep getting arrested for using it in New York in the early 1900s?

The purr-fect episode for the cat lover in your life, I trace the long and meandering history of this remarkable herb, as well as its forgotten history as a medical plant (and, potentially, as a human intoxicant)