Psychedelics Today

Download

In this episode, Joe interviews Duncan Autrey, a conflict transformation catalyst and educator. He runs a podcast, Fractal Friends, that covers topics of self-similarity across our diversity. During their conversation, Joe and Duncan discuss ways of resolving conflict in our relationships and society.

3 Key Points:

1. Duncan Autrey is a conflict transformation educator, working for peace and cultural change.
2. Conflict happens when one person wants to be heard so much that they stop listening to the other side. It is a product of living in a diverse world.
3. We have more rights than we think we do when facing law enforcement.

Support the show

• Patreon
• Leave us a review on iTunes
• Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc
• Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community.

Navigating Psychedelics

Show Notes What is Conflict?

• Conflict is a product of living in a diverse world
• Conflict resolution is about how to get different perspectives working together
• Conflict happens when someone is really passionate about their side of the topic
• Conflict also happens when one person wants to be heard so much that they stop listening to the other side
• The ARC of conversation
  • A stands for acknowledge
  • R stands for reflect back
  • C stands for be curious

Resolving Conflict

• Its okay to be certain about your own experiences, but someone might also be certain about their experiences and the key is to find a mutual ground
• "How do we understand ecological issues better and work with each other to find how to create better conversation around it?" - Joe
• In a conversation of conflict, the other side may be the antidote to your extreme
  • Interdependent Polarity - each side has something positive and negative, and each side should acknowledge the negative but aim to pull out the positive of the other side
  • Iceers
• “It's better to find a way to navigate the question, rather than to answer the question” - Duncan
• In a hierarchy of permanence, laws are really low. Laws come and go
• 3 ways we resolve conflict over time; power, violence and laws
  • But the interest based model includes everyone and all sides and works through conflict to live in and share the same planet with each other

Impressive Resilience in Humans

• “Shifts happen”
• People that Duncan works with start thinking to themselves “I'm a good guy facing a bad guy” and the person on the other side of conflict also thinks “I'm a good guy facing a bad guy”
  • Helping guide the people in conflict to just listen to the other person fully is what starts the shift

Law Enforcement and Conflict

• It's important to recognize the difference between the system and the individuals
  • Our whole system of television, movies, everything is all feeding into this
• There are sociopaths in the world (5% of the population), and they are falling into roles like prison guards and CEO’s
• Duncan brings up a story where he was in a car with someone who got pulled over, and the car got completely searched
  • He had vitamins on him, and the police assumed it was MDMA, so he was arrested and spent 4 days in jail
  • “This is a place where the people who are on the right side of the law, are being treated like assholes, and where people on the bad side of the law, are on their best behavior” - Duncan
  • This is a systemic issue, where the society says that you are a good person for doing something good, and are a bad person for doing something bad
  • But we shouldn't be defined by what we are ‘caught’ doing, either good or bad
  • People should be able to hold onto their humanity (not be locked up for life) for something like possession of a drug
  • “If we're going to care about our shared humanity and our right for everyone to be here, we have to figure out the path of restoration” - Duncan
  • “Slavery isn't okay, unless someone gets convicted of a crime”
  • Victoria’s Secret has people in prison slavery making lingerie in South Carolina
  • People have to pay off debt from their incarceration, before they get a license, to get a job, that they have to apply to as a criminal
  • Society doesn't make it easy to be human after prison
  • People in grad school with the same amount of debt, have an education, (usually) a job, and have hope for the future

Rights When Getting Pulled Over

• Right to remain silent is real
• Right to consent for search - you don't have to say yes
  • Law enforcement tries to use the fact that you think you're guilty and will let the search happen
• You can't be detained without probable cause (4th Amendment)
  • You can be detained long enough for a traffic citation, but not enough to be caught for another crime
• Smoke smell in the car is probable cause, even in s state where it is legal
• Joe mentions dash cams so that there can be recordings on both ends, not just one end (the police’s evidence)
• Duncan had the thought that maybe once they realize that his vitamins were not MDMA, that they might try to switch out the vitamins with MDMA
  • His attorney said they aren't that corrupt, or smart

Links

Website
Podcast

Check out our online course, "Introduction to Psychedelics"

About Duncan

Duncan Autrey has worked in facilitation and conflict resolution for over fifteen years in diverse contexts ranging from rural Paraguay and Colombia to cities of Seattle, Washington, DC, Cuenca and Buenos Aires. He approaches conflict from a belief that it arises from the diverse cultural experiences of common human needs. Every conflict or complicated situation, large or small, is an opportunity for deepening our relationships and improving the world we live in. Duncan currently runs a podcast called Fractal Friends covering topics on exploring our self-similarity across our diversity.

Download

In this episode, Joe interviews Steve Hupp, the Host of Kentucky Ayahuasca, a new series on Viceland. Topics include Steve's background and how he wants to impact the American Ayahuasca scene through his work.

3 Key Points:

1. Kentucky Ayahuasca is a docu-series on Viceland about Shaman, Steve Hupp as he works with people seeking healing from severe emotional and physical issues.
2. Steve comes from an unusual background of career criminal and bank robber, and because of his time in prison with a Peruvian Shaman, has decided to bring the tradition to the United States.
3. Steve is careful not to mock what shamanism is by creating ceremony in the States. He wants facilitation to be done as safely as possible and is simply trying to help people through Ayahuasca ceremony.

Support the show

• Patreon
• Leave us a review on iTunes
• Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc
• Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community.

Navigating Psychedelics

Show Notes About Steve

• He was a career criminal who robbed banks
  • It landed him in prison and put him into the same cell of a Peruvian shaman who had overstayed his visa and was probably doing some facilitating in the States
  • His name was Guadalupe and Steve called him Loopy because of the things he was talking about
  • But here and there Guadalupe would say something that would resonate with Steve days and weeks later that just made sense

Prison

• He spent 4 years in prison
  • He got into the federal system because he had beaten the state system so the federal system picked up the case
  • Steve pleaded guilty and made a deal with them to give them their money back
  • He also agreed not to sue the police for opening fire on him
  • He was one of the first bank robbers released on a bond

Religion and Spirituality

• Up to that point he was an Atheist
  • He decided that something else was keeping him alive for something because of what he survived during the police chase
• Steve says he's seen how religious law worked by seeing gangs turn into congregations
• He says he is no longer an Atheist after having experience with Ayahuasca
• He had an epiphany that "anything is possible" and he decided he wanted to bring this to everyone
• He started to have coincidences that led him to facilitation

Shamanism

• Steve isn't trying to defraud what Shamanism is, but he is trying to tailor it to the American way of life
  • He says the Shaman in the jungle has a different context than an American does
• Joe mentions that people get upset about how the word 'shaman' is used
  • Steve says 'shaman' comes from the Siberian word, 'saman', which means "to know" but has been branded by anthropologists
  • He also says shamanism is the oldest world religion
• Joe brings up that so many people suggest doing Ayahuasca in the Amazon because that's where the spirit of the plant is, but he also mentions that the same type of biodiversity exists in Kentucky too

Purpose

• Steve says they face reverse-racism because they can't work with native tribes because they are white, but he's just looking to bring everyone together
• "If we don't start helping our little blue sphere heal, it's all we've got" - Steve
• He said he had more fear transitioning into Ayahuasca facilitation than any bank he's robbed because he had to put his name on it
• His intent is not to build a cult, he believes we are at the dawn of a new world and we are all in this together

Helping Addiction with Ayahuasca

• Steve says he believes there are no addicts, just unbalanced humans
  • Joe says he read recently that the term "addict" keeps people in their problems
  • When he helps people who are addicted to drugs, and they drink Ayahuasca, they realize the drug is not the problem, but the guilt and the shame about using the drug is the problem

Plant Teacher

• Steve believes we are intergalactic children
• We could use our technology and knowledge to better us rather than being so distracted by the 'lines in the sand'
  • He says we could feed everyone on the planet with land the size of Texas
• What Ayahuasca is trying to teach us is to be kind to each other and we have that choice everyday
• We need to get past this barbaric attitude of domination
• "I know I've got grandchildren that I may never see, but I've got to try to leave them a world better than the one I've found" - Steve
  • If we were to teach our kids to teach our grandkids something, we wouldn't be handing them millions of dollars in national debt
  • Its a non-violent change
  • "What if we collectively manifested accountability in our government?" - Steve

Law Enforcement

• Steve believes law enforcement shouldn't be able to have more power than soldiers at war
  • Soldiers in Iraq can't fire unless they have been fired upon

Shaman University

• No one has ever done this before, Steve wants to put together a structure to make sure this operation is done ethically
  • He wants to lay the foundation for people to participate in Ayahuasca ceremony safely
  • He says anybody can brew Ayahuasca, but doing it safely and properly is key
• Joe encourages viewers to check out the series on Viceland
• Steve also encourages listeners who want to do Ayahuasca abroad to do tons of research before attending to make sure there are proper facilitators, ethical procedures and quality emergency response techniques and resources

Links

Kentucky Ayahusca on Viceland Website

Check out our online course, "Introduction to Psychedelics"

About Steve

Steve Hupp had spent time in the Military. He was lost in materialism, drug abuse, alcoholism and pride that led him on a 5 year bank robbing spree that ended with him in Federal Prison, where he met his first Shaman, a cellmate. Now he is an Ayahuasca Shaman performing psychedelic healing ceremonies in Kentucky. Steve has worked with Ayahuasca for 15 years, trained by a Shaman from South America on how to work with Ayahuasca. He has spent much of that time working alone and experiencing many visions and entities that called him to found Aya Quest.

Download

In this episode, Joe interviews Steve Hupp, the Host of Kentucky Ayahuasca, a new series on Viceland. Topics include Steve’s background and how he wants to impact the American Ayahuasca scene through his work.

3 Key Points:

1. Kentucky Ayahuasca is a docu-series on Viceland about Shaman, Steve Hupp as he works with people seeking healing from severe emotional and physical issues.
2. Steve comes from an unusual background of career criminal and bank robber, and because of his time in prison with a Peruvian Shaman, has decided to bring the tradition to the United States.
3. Steve is careful not to mock what shamanism is by creating ceremony in the States. He wants facilitation to be done as safely as possible and is simply trying to help people through Ayahuasca ceremony.

Support the show

• Patreon
• Leave us a review on iTunes
• Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc
• Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community.

Navigating Psychedelics

Show Notes About Steve

• He was a career criminal who robbed banks
  • It landed him in prison and put him into the same cell of a Peruvian shaman who had overstayed his visa and was probably doing some facilitating in the States
  • His name was Guadalupe and Steve called him Loopy because of the things he was talking about
  • But here and there Guadalupe would say something that would resonate with Steve days and weeks later that just made sense

Prison

• He spent 4 years in prison
  • He got into the federal system because he had beaten the state system so the federal system picked up the case
  • Steve pleaded guilty and made a deal with them to give them their money back
  • He also agreed not to sue the police for opening fire on him
  • He was one of the first bank robbers released on a bond

Religion and Spirituality

• Up to that point he was an Atheist
  • He decided that something else was keeping him alive for something because of what he survived during the police chase
• Steve says he's seen how religious law worked by seeing gangs turn into congregations
• He says he is no longer an Atheist after having experience with Ayahuasca
• He had an epiphany that “anything is possible” and he decided he wanted to bring this to everyone
• He started to have coincidences that led him to facilitation

Shamanism

• Steve isn't trying to defraud what Shamanism is, but he is trying to tailor it to the American way of life
  • He says the Shaman in the jungle has a different context than an American does
• Joe mentions that people get upset about how the word ‘shaman’ is used
  • Steve says ‘shaman’ comes from the Siberian word, ‘saman’, which means “to know” but has been branded by anthropologists
  • He also says shamanism is the oldest world religion
• Joe brings up that so many people suggest doing Ayahuasca in the Amazon because that's where the spirit of the plant is, but he also mentions that the same type of biodiversity exists in Kentucky too

Purpose

• Steve says they face reverse-racism because they can't work with native tribes because they are white, but he’s just looking to bring everyone together
• “If we don’t start helping our little blue sphere heal, it's all we've got” - Steve
• He said he had more fear transitioning into Ayahuasca facilitation than any bank he’s robbed because he had to put his name on it
• His intent is not to build a cult, he believes we are at the dawn of a new world and we are all in this together

Helping Addiction with Ayahuasca

• Steve says he believes there are no addicts, just unbalanced humans
  • Joe says he read recently that the term “addict” keeps people in their problems
  • When he helps people who are addicted to drugs, and they drink Ayahuasca, they realize the drug is not the problem, but the guilt and the shame about using the drug is the problem

Plant Teacher

• Steve believes we are intergalactic children
• We could use our technology and knowledge to better us rather than being so distracted by the ‘lines in the sand’
  • He says we could feed everyone on the planet with land the size of Texas
• What Ayahuasca is trying to teach us is to be kind to each other and we have that choice everyday
• We need to get past this barbaric attitude of domination
• “I know I've got grandchildren that I may never see, but I've got to try to leave them a world better than the one I've found” - Steve
  • If we were to teach our kids to teach our grandkids something, we wouldn't be handing them millions of dollars in national debt
  • Its a non-violent change
  • “What if we collectively manifested accountability in our government?” - Steve

Law Enforcement

• Steve believes law enforcement shouldn't be able to have more power than soldiers at war
  • Soldiers in Iraq can't fire unless they have been fired upon

Shaman University

• No one has ever done this before, Steve wants to put together a structure to make sure this operation is done ethically
  • He wants to lay the foundation for people to participate in Ayahuasca ceremony safely
  • He says anybody can brew Ayahuasca, but doing it safely and properly is key
• Joe encourages viewers to check out the series on Viceland
• Steve also encourages listeners who want to do Ayahuasca abroad to do tons of research before attending to make sure there are proper facilitators, ethical procedures and quality emergency response techniques and resources

Links

Kentucky Ayahusca on Viceland
Website

Check out our online course, "Introduction to Psychedelics"

About Steve

Steve Hupp had spent time in the Military. He was lost in materialism, drug abuse, alcoholism and pride that led him on a 5 year bank robbing spree that ended with him in Federal Prison, where he met his first Shaman, a cellmate. Now he is an Ayahuasca Shaman performing psychedelic healing ceremonies in Kentucky. Steve has worked with Ayahuasca for 15 years, trained by a Shaman from South America on how to work with Ayahuasca. He has spent much of that time working alone and experiencing many visions and entities that called him to found Aya Quest.

Download

In this episode, Joe sits down with Kevin Matthews, Campaign Manager of Decriminalize Denver, the group looking to decriminalize magic mushrooms. During the show, they cover topics such as the Right to Try Act, therapeutic success and what it might look like to have Psilocybin decriminalized in Denver.

3 Key Points:

1. Decriminalize Denver's efforts are aimed to decriminalize Psilocybin Mushrooms in the city of Denver, CO., and are currently getting signatures to be on the May 2019 ballot.
2. The Federal Right to Try Act allows a person with a life-threatening illness to use any substance that has passed phase one clinical trials.
3. There is so much research and data on the benefits of Psilocybin Mushrooms, and being in an age of social media sharing, people are waking up to the idea of mushroom decriminalization.

Support the show

• Patreon
• Leave us a review on iTunes
• Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc
• Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community.

Navigating Psychedelics

Show Notes About Kevin

• Kevin is a part of the group, Decriminalize Denver
  • The group submitted the ballot initiative called the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Decriminalization Initiative and they are getting signatures to make the May 2019 ballot
• Kevin became interested in mushrooms after leaving as a Cadet at the US Military Academy due to major depression
  • He was interested in Psilocybin Mushrooms impact on depression

Talking Publicly about Psilocybin Use

• "Self-healing from psychedelics" is something most people want to be careful talking about
  • Does it uninspire therapists?
  • Does it ruin the medical model?
• Kevin states that people are afraid to talk about it because they are a schedule 1 substance
  • Those who are willing to take the risk to talk about it are because they believe that mushrooms might have the best impact on them

Right to Try Act

• Kevin knows someone with PTSD and tumors who is prescribed to Psilocybin under the Federal Right to Try Act
  • Anyone who has a life-threatening illness can use any substance that has passed phase one under clinical trials
  • His psychiatrist said that the psilocybin has been nothing short of miraculous in its effects
  • He takes 1.5-2 grams of dried mushrooms every 7-10 days It puts him in control of his own protocol
  • Trump just signed the Federal Right to Try Act this summer, Colorado has had their own since 2014

Generational Mushroom Use

• Joe says that the media landscape has really changed in the past few years and so much more research and information is becoming accessible to everyone
• Veterans for Natural Rights group is supporting this mushroom movement
• After the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, a lot of people went underground with their use
  • 30 million people in the country have used psychedelics in the last decade
  • More young people now are using psychedelics than the same age group used psychedelics in the 60's

Decriminalize Denver

• The goal of the group is to decriminalize the personal use and personal possession of Psilocybin mushrooms, including the propagation of mushrooms for personal use
• "Our main goal with this is to keep individuals out of prison, help our vets, and help our loved ones who suffer from these traumas" - Kevin

Colorado Always Making Progress

• Right now, Colorado state legislature is looking at safe injection sites and different kinds of penalty such as rehab instead of incarceration
  • Joe says Denver is a kind of microcosm of the whole nation, it has an interest in both sides of an issue, instead of just one sided
• "Mushrooms help, in a very profound way. And opening that door is the first step to changing people's minds, both metaphorically and physically." - Kevin
  • The medical applications of Psilocybin are huge such as for a stutter, autoimmune issues, anxiety and depression

Talking about Psilocybin

• Kevin says you can't have a conversation without two opposing sides
  • He is excited for when the conversation starts because there is a ton of points on why Psilocybin is proven to be effective
  • John's Hopkins said that Psilocybin should at a minimum be a Schedule 4 (same level as prescription sleep aids) source
• Schedule 1 means "no medical value and high risk of abuse"
  • From the clinical research and population studies alone on Psilocybin, we know that's false

Decriminalize Denver's Current Focus

• Getting all 5,000 signatures (2,000 so far) by January 7th
• Coalition building, doing some fundraising
• Getting volunteers activated
• After getting all the signatures, then they will be on the ballot. Once on the ballot, the campaign and outreach starts

Using Psilocybin for Therapy

• Joe brings up a story about his teacher Lenny Gibson who had multiple bouts of cancer and is a psychedelic scholar. Lenny was incredibly mad at Tim Leary because he was in cancer support groups and imagines how many more options cancer patients would have for pain if drugs were not made illegal
• Looking at decreasing suffering, it would be special for the Denver population to find relief in anxiety and depression before going into a life-threatening surgery, etc.
• If this turns into a regulatory medical paradigm, licensure is important
  • How do we create the paradigm to open the work in a professional therapeutic manner?

Grand Rounds

• Doctors will get together around a case study and share it within the medical community
  • It's a way to share and practice case studies organically and internally
• With social media alone 30,000 people can be reached a month
  • Typing in to Google "benefits of mushrooms" brings up a ton of research
• When people hear about John Hopkins, NYU, Harvard, UCLA Medical Center, and all of these companies that have already been doing the research they become more interested
  • Medicalization does not equal rescheduling
  • Carl Hart
• It takes the breaking up of a family after prison time of a drug offense, 7 generations to recover
  • Joe knows of a case where someone in Colorado who got busted for having mushrooms only ended up serving 2 weeks and didn't get a felony for it
• In 2005 New Mexico Court of Appeal said that cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms does not qualify as the manufacture of a controlled substance, as long as they aren't dried

Mushrooms are Beneficial, Not Harmful

• How do we ruin fewer lives by legalizing mushrooms and keeping people out from behind bars?
• Mushrooms can put you in touch with yourself and help connect yourself to others

Feedback

• Most of the responses are, "Hell yeah I'm going to sign this!" or "This saved my life"
  • Kevin says when someone says no, it's all about educating them
• They had 45% support it and 20% maybes

Working with the City

• The bill would include a Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel, a city level committee made up of health professionals, Police, Denver Sheriff's office, city attorneys, etc

Final Thoughts

• Kevin wants as many people as possible willing to participate to volunteer
• They will be starting public Q&A twice a month (and live streaming them)

Links

Website Facebook Instagram

Check out our online course, "Introduction to Psychedelics"

About Kevin

Kevin Matthews is leading the decriminalization of Psilocybin mushrooms in Denver, Colorado. He and his group of dedicated volunteers are currently collecting signatures to make the May 2019 Ballot.

Download

In this episode, Joe sits down with Kevin Matthews, Campaign Manager of Decriminalize Denver, the group looking to decriminalize magic mushrooms. During the show, they cover topics such as the Right to Try Act, therapeutic success and what it might look like to have Psilocybin decriminalized in Denver.

3 Key Points:

1. Decriminalize Denver’s efforts are aimed to decriminalize Psilocybin Mushrooms in the city of Denver, CO., and are currently getting signatures to be on the May 2019 ballot.
2. The Federal Right to Try Act allows a person with a life-threatening illness to use any substance that has passed phase one clinical trials.
3. There is so much research and data on the benefits of Psilocybin Mushrooms, and being in an age of social media sharing, people are waking up to the idea of mushroom decriminalization.

Support the show

• Patreon
• Leave us a review on iTunes
• Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc
• Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community.

Navigating Psychedelics

Show Notes About Kevin

• Kevin is a part of the group, Decriminalize Denver
  • The group submitted the ballot initiative called the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Decriminalization Initiative and they are getting signatures to make the May 2019 ballot
• Kevin became interested in mushrooms after leaving as a Cadet at the US Military Academy due to major depression
  • He was interested in Psilocybin Mushrooms impact on depression

Talking Publicly about Psilocybin Use

• “Self-healing from psychedelics” is something most people want to be careful talking about
  • Does it uninspire therapists?
  • Does it ruin the medical model?
• Kevin states that people are afraid to talk about it because they are a schedule 1 substance
  • Those who are willing to take the risk to talk about it are because they believe that mushrooms might have the best impact on them

Right to Try Act

• Kevin knows someone with PTSD and tumors who is prescribed to Psilocybin under the Federal Right to Try Act
  • Anyone who has a life-threatening illness can use any substance that has passed phase one under clinical trials
  • His psychiatrist said that the psilocybin has been nothing short of miraculous in its effects
  • He takes 1.5-2 grams of dried mushrooms every 7-10 days
    It puts him in control of his own protocol
  • Trump just signed the Federal Right to Try Act this summer, Colorado has had their own since 2014

Generational Mushroom Use

• Joe says that the media landscape has really changed in the past few years and so much more research and information is becoming accessible to everyone
• Veterans for Natural Rights group is supporting this mushroom movement
• After the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, a lot of people went underground with their use
  • 30 million people in the country have used psychedelics in the last decade
  • More young people now are using psychedelics than the same age group used psychedelics in the 60’s

Decriminalize Denver

• The goal of the group is to decriminalize the personal use and personal possession of Psilocybin mushrooms, including the propagation of mushrooms for personal use
• “Our main goal with this is to keep individuals out of prison, help our vets, and help our loved ones who suffer from these traumas” - Kevin

Colorado Always Making Progress

• Right now, Colorado state legislature is looking at safe injection sites and different kinds of penalty such as rehab instead of incarceration
  • Joe says Denver is a kind of microcosm of the whole nation, it has an interest in both sides of an issue, instead of just one sided
• “Mushrooms help, in a very profound way. And opening that door is the first step to changing people’s minds, both metaphorically and physically.” - Kevin
  • The medical applications of Psilocybin are huge such as for a stutter, autoimmune issues, anxiety and depression

Talking about Psilocybin

• Kevin says you can't have a conversation without two opposing sides
  • He is excited for when the conversation starts because there is a ton of points on why Psilocybin is proven to be effective
  • John’s Hopkins said that Psilocybin should at a minimum be a Schedule 4 (same level as prescription sleep aids) source
• Schedule 1 means “no medical value and high risk of abuse”
  • From the clinical research and population studies alone on Psilocybin, we know that's false

Decriminalize Denver’s Current Focus

• Getting all 5,000 signatures (2,000 so far) by January 7th
• Coalition building, doing some fundraising
• Getting volunteers activated
• After getting all the signatures, then they will be on the ballot. Once on the ballot, the campaign and outreach starts

Using Psilocybin for Therapy

• Joe brings up a story about his teacher Lenny Gibson who had multiple bouts of cancer and is a psychedelic scholar. Lenny was incredibly mad at Tim Leary because he was in cancer support groups and imagines how many more options cancer patients would have for pain if drugs were not made illegal
• Looking at decreasing suffering, it would be special for the Denver population to find relief in anxiety and depression before going into a life-threatening surgery, etc.
• If this turns into a regulatory medical paradigm, licensure is important
  • How do we create the paradigm to open the work in a professional therapeutic manner?

Grand Rounds

• Doctors will get together around a case study and share it within the medical community
  • It's a way to share and practice case studies organically and internally
• With social media alone 30,000 people can be reached a month
  • Typing in to Google “benefits of mushrooms” brings up a ton of research
• When people hear about John Hopkins, NYU, Harvard, UCLA Medical Center, and all of these companies that have already been doing the research they become more interested
  • Medicalization does not equal rescheduling
  • Carl Hart
• It takes the breaking up of a family after prison time of a drug offense, 7 generations to recover
  • Joe knows of a case where someone in Colorado who got busted for having mushrooms only ended up serving 2 weeks and didn't get a felony for it
• In 2005 New Mexico Court of Appeal said that cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms does not qualify as the manufacture of a controlled substance, as long as they aren't dried

Mushrooms are Beneficial, Not Harmful

• How do we ruin fewer lives by legalizing mushrooms and keeping people out from behind bars?
• Mushrooms can put you in touch with yourself and help connect yourself to others

Feedback

• Most of the responses are, “Hell yeah I’m going to sign this!” or “This saved my life”
  • Kevin says when someone says no, it's all about educating them
• They had 45% support it and 20% maybes

Working with the City

• The bill would include a Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel, a city level committee made up of health professionals, Police, Denver Sheriff's office, city attorneys, etc

Final Thoughts

• Kevin wants as many people as possible willing to participate to volunteer
• They will be starting public Q&A twice a month (and live streaming them)

Links

Website
Facebook
Instagram

Check out our online course, "Introduction to Psychedelics"

About Kevin

Kevin Matthews is leading the decriminalization of Psilocybin mushrooms in Denver, Colorado. He and his group of dedicated volunteers are currently collecting signatures to make the May 2019 Ballot.

In this episode, Joe and Kyle interview Jake Mitchell from the Flight of Thoughts Podcast. Jake has spent 4 years as a Paramedic in Canada and leads trainings around mental health, first aid and is bringing better practice of psychedelics into the psychedelic space.

3 Key Points:

1. It's so important to know your substances and get a testing kit so you know its not laced and you know exactly what you're taking.
2. More people seek help when they look at an overdose or a difficult experience as if they are suffering versus breaking the law. Decriminalization at the least, would help make people be seen as a patient and not a criminal.
3. Most police aren't trained on mental health issues, and they have shot and killed people because they don't know how to correctly respond to issues like schizophrenia. We need more mental health training among our law enforcement.

Support the show

• Patreon
• Leave us a review on iTunes
• Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc
• Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community.

Navigating Psychedelics

Show Notes About Jake

• He had major depression and didn't know it, and started to use cannabis as a useful tool for his depression
  • He started to notice some of the first responders use MDMA and Psilocybin off-duty to help with their PTSD
  • "PTSD for those who have been in combat is more understood than for first responders with it, people think that we can just handle it." - Jake
  • There are levels of trauma that don't qualify daily for PTSD, but for police and firefighters and such, they can be triggered by certain events
• It's hard to say what percentage of first responders use cannabis, MDMA and psilocybin for personal therapeutic use
  • Jake says he knows of at least a quarter of first responders who have been open about their use
  • There is a new initiative that if police use cannabis, even right before their shift, as long as they are 'fit for duty' they won't be scrutinized

CBD

• CBD counteracts the effects of THC, THC binds to CB1 receptors, and CBD binds to CB2 receptors
  • CBD is similar to Advil
  • If someone has taken too many edibles, they can take Advil to counteract the effect of the THC
  • It counteracts the THC similar to how CBD does
• People used to say to have a good night, eat a pot brownie, but it's a better idea to smoke for the first time than to eat an edible

Harm Reduction - Teaching People How to Respond to Overdose

• They are teaching people about harm reduction kits or when to call an ambulance
  • Know your substances, and get a testing kit so you know its not laced and you know exactly what you're taking
  • Know what breathing technique you want to use if you "feel the fear" setting in
  • If you know someone is on a clean substance, you can try to help them through it, but if it could be laced (with fentanyl, etc) call an ambulance
  • If someone is unresponsive, that's a sign they could be overdosing
  • You can rub as hard as you can with your knuckles on their chest and scream their name, and if they don't wake up, that's a good sign to call 911
  • Always turn them on their side so that their air passages open up and they don't asphyxiate on their tongue or vomit
  • If you are informed on how to use narcan and you think they are overdosing on fentanyl, use it
  • If they are awake and are psychologically freaking out, just sit them down and simply ask them "how can I help?" They might want something as simple as some water or to go for a walk
• Knowing your dose is so important
  • LSD and psilocybin don't have cardiac effects, they don't shut off breathing, so you shouldn't have a reason for feeling like your going to actually die unless it's been laced
  • MDMA is one you have so worry about but you'd have to take hundreds and hundreds of milligrams
  • Fentanyl test strips are $2
  • They are only $1.50 if you buy 100 or more

Drug Showmanism

• The first option should always be cannabis
• Usually the only reason that people overdose on heroin is because it's laced with pharmaceuticals
• Advil and Tylenol work similar to opioids
• Sometimes we have emotional trauma and it comes out as physical pain
• More people seek help when they look at it as that they are suffering versus breaking the law
  • Narcan costs $20-$40
  • An overdose death costs $30,000
  • In Canada, the pharmacist will inform you on how to use Narcan
  • Jake says he hopes that the US will catch up Narcan availability and use
• The grinding of the teeth after taking MDMA may be a sign that it contains amphetamine
• Decriminalization at the least, would help make people be seen as a patient and not a criminal

A Healthcare Issue, Not a Crime

• The Good Samaritan Act in Canada says if you have minor possession of a substance and not a traffic-able amount, and you call the ambulance for an overdose, you will not be searched or charged
• Most police aren't trained on mental health issues, and there have been situations of people with schizophrenia having a moment in public, and because the police don't have education on signs to look for, they have shot and killed the victim
• 23 and Me, the gene testing company has found that over 180,000 genes tested have been linked to schizophrenia
  • High THC levels can make schizophrenia worse, where CBD can counteract it

Serotonin Toxicity

• Jake says he's been hit in the face by someone on PCP
  • It took 6 police to hold one person down.
• Another time, there was a guy who was wearing underwear in freezing weather, punching cars driving at almost 40 miles an hour
  • They were snorting Wellbutrin, an antidepressant that works as a stimulant when snorted
• Serotonin syndrome is super dangerous
  • Ketamine is used in the ER for scenarios like this
• Does taking MDMA too frequently ruin your serotonin system?
  • Emanuel Sferios - the number one risk of using MDMA is you might not get high from it anymore

Addiction

• Type II Diabetes is a symptom of sugar addiction
  • Sugar and carbs create bacteria in the gut that releases plaque in the blood
• Technology addiction - Jake had a patient that sliced an artery and was texting and on candy crush and Snapchat

Links

Instagram Facebook

Check out this FREE online course, "Introduction to Psychedelics"

About Jake

Jake is a Primary Care Paramedic with experience in emergency response, evidence-based research practice, harm reduction techniques, and crisis intervention. He is the Founder of The Psychedelic Society of First Responders and Emergency Workers.

In this episode, Joe and Kyle interview Jake Mitchell from the Flight of Thoughts Podcast.
Jake has spent 4 years as a Paramedic in Canada and leads trainings around mental health, first aid and is bringing better practice of psychedelics into the psychedelic space.

3 Key Points:

1. It’s so important to know your substances and get a testing kit so you know its not laced and you know exactly what you're taking.
2. More people seek help when they look at an overdose or a difficult experience as if they are suffering versus breaking the law. Decriminalization at the least, would help make people be seen as a patient and not a criminal.
3. Most police aren't trained on mental health issues, and they have shot and killed people because they don't know how to correctly respond to issues like schizophrenia. We need more mental health training among our law enforcement.

Support the show

• Patreon
• Leave us a review on iTunes
• Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc
• Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community.

Navigating Psychedelics

Show Notes About Jake

• He had major depression and didn't know it, and started to use cannabis as a useful tool for his depression
  • He started to notice some of the first responders use MDMA and Psilocybin off-duty to help with their PTSD
  • “PTSD for those who have been in combat is more understood than for first responders with it, people think that we can just handle it.” - Jake
  • There are levels of trauma that don't qualify daily for PTSD, but for police and firefighters and such, they can be triggered by certain events
• It's hard to say what percentage of first responders use cannabis, MDMA and psilocybin for personal therapeutic use
  • Jake says he knows of at least a quarter of first responders who have been open about their use
  • There is a new initiative that if police use cannabis, even right before their shift, as long as they are ‘fit for duty’ they won't be scrutinized

CBD

• CBD counteracts the effects of THC, THC binds to CB1 receptors, and CBD binds to CB2 receptors
  • CBD is similar to Advil
  • If someone has taken too many edibles, they can take Advil to counteract the effect of the THC
  • It counteracts the THC similar to how CBD does
• People used to say to have a good night, eat a pot brownie, but it's a better idea to smoke for the first time than to eat an edible

Harm Reduction - Teaching People How to Respond to Overdose

• They are teaching people about harm reduction kits or when to call an ambulance
  • Know your substances, and get a testing kit so you know its not laced and you know exactly what you're taking
  • Know what breathing technique you want to use if you “feel the fear” setting in
  • If you know someone is on a clean substance, you can try to help them through it, but if it could be laced (with fentanyl, etc) call an ambulance
  • If someone is unresponsive, that's a sign they could be overdosing
  • You can rub as hard as you can with your knuckles on their chest and scream their name, and if they don't wake up, that's a good sign to call 911
  • Always turn them on their side so that their air passages open up and they don't asphyxiate on their tongue or vomit
  • If you are informed on how to use narcan and you think they are overdosing on fentanyl, use it
  • If they are awake and are psychologically freaking out, just sit them down and simply ask them “how can I help?” They might want something as simple as some water or to go for a walk
• Knowing your dose is so important
  • LSD and psilocybin don't have cardiac effects, they don't shut off breathing, so you shouldn't have a reason for feeling like your going to actually die unless it's been laced
  • MDMA is one you have so worry about but you'd have to take hundreds and hundreds of milligrams
  • Fentanyl test strips are $2
  • They are only $1.50 if you buy 100 or more

Drug Showmanism

• The first option should always be cannabis
• Usually the only reason that people overdose on heroin is because it's laced with pharmaceuticals
• Advil and Tylenol work similar to opioids
• Sometimes we have emotional trauma and it comes out as physical pain
• More people seek help when they look at it as that they are suffering versus breaking the law
  • Narcan costs $20-$40
  • An overdose death costs $30,000
  • In Canada, the pharmacist will inform you on how to use Narcan
  • Jake says he hopes that the US will catch up Narcan availability and use
• The grinding of the teeth after taking MDMA may be a sign that it contains amphetamine
• Decriminalization at the least, would help make people be seen as a patient and not a criminal

A Healthcare Issue, Not a Crime

• The Good Samaritan Act in Canada says if you have minor possession of a substance and not a traffic-able amount, and you call the ambulance for an overdose, you will not be searched or charged
• Most police aren't trained on mental health issues, and there have been situations of people with schizophrenia having a moment in public, and because the police don't have education on signs to look for, they have shot and killed the victim
• 23 and Me, the gene testing company has found that over 180,000 genes tested have been linked to schizophrenia
  • High THC levels can make schizophrenia worse, where CBD can counteract it

Serotonin Toxicity

• Jake says he's been hit in the face by someone on PCP
  • It took 6 police to hold one person down.
• Another time, there was a guy who was wearing underwear in freezing weather, punching cars driving at almost 40 miles an hour
  • They were snorting Wellbutrin, an antidepressant that works as a stimulant when snorted
• Serotonin syndrome is super dangerous
  • Ketamine is used in the ER for scenarios like this
• Does taking MDMA too frequently ruin your serotonin system?
  • Emanuel Sferios - the number one risk of using MDMA is you might not get high from it anymore

Addiction

• Type II Diabetes is a symptom of sugar addiction
  • Sugar and carbs create bacteria in the gut that releases plaque in the blood
• Technology addiction - Jake had a patient that sliced an artery and was texting and on candy crush and Snapchat

Links

Instagram 
Facebook

Check out this FREE online course, "Introduction to Psychedelics"

About Jake

Jake is a Primary Care Paramedic with experience in emergency response, evidence-based research practice, harm reduction techniques, and crisis intervention. He is the Founder of The Psychedelic Society of First Responders and Emergency Workers.

In this interview, Brian Pace interviews Dr. Jason Slot at Ohio State University. In the show, they talk about Jason's contributions of the psilocybe genus. Jason is in the faculty at OSU in the department of plant pathology.

3 Key Points:

1. There are over 200 species of mushroom forming fungi that produce psilocybin, and Jason studies how and why these organisms produce the psychoactive compound.
2. Animals seek altered states of consciousness as a potential evolutionary mechanism.
3. Mushrooms use horizontal gene transfer to pass on their psychoactive properties.

Support the show

• Patreon
• Leave us a review on iTunes
• Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc
• Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community.

Navigating Psychedelics

Show Notes About Jason

• "There weren't many mycology job postings in the area, and a job came up for someone to study the evolution of fungal genomes" - Jason
  • It all just fell into place

What is Neurochemical Ecology

• Ecology is the interaction among organisms and their interaction with their environment
  • Neurochemical ecology is a special case where the chemicals are specifically targeted to processes of nervous systems in animals
  • There is an opportunity for plants and fungi to produce drugs and compounds that manipulate their behavior or inhibit their eating

Species that Produce Psilocybin

• There are over 200 species of mushroom forming fungi that produce psilocybin
  • Jason has found many more

Distribution of Psilocybe

• Mushrooms were anatomically modern
• There were flowering forests and wood that spanned to each of the poles
  • The supercontinent would have broken up after that and as the continents separated, so did the mushrooms
  • Humans have been distributing psilocybe through the dung of migrating animals

Columbian Exchange

• During colonization from the old world to the new world, there was the biggest exchange of fungi
  • If the amount of biomass and dung expands, then the number of fungi species evolves and grows
  • The underlying change in the climate that changes the planet from forested to open grasslands also has an impact
  • During human evolution, psilocybe has been around the whole time
  • These neurochemicals have dated human genus

Serotonin

• Serotonin is analogous to psilocybin
• Bacteria was the first organism making serotonin
• Insects produce serotonin
  • "Serotonin is a great key, it fits into a lot of different locks and is used in a lot of different ways" - Jason
• It's in plants, its in amoebas, and its in animals
• In animals, they have specialized a lot of different receptors that respond to serotonin
• Serotonin only interacts with one type of receptor in the body

Altered States of Consciousness

• "It must be like something to be a bat, and it must be different than what it's like to be a human, what must it be like to be a bat under the influence of psilocybin, is it anything like a human?" -Brian
• Animals seek altered states of consciousness
  • Bees seek out fermented grapes
  • We have video footage of foxes taking huge bites out of Amanita Muscaria
  • Seeking out intoxication is a natural human drive
  • Maybe the desire to seek out these altered states of consciousness is an evolutionary mechanism that is happening
• If you search out new ways of perceiving the world, you may come upon a new pattern that your group of species learns how to live better
  • If ants come back to the hive too drunk, they get punished and get bit

Language

• One of the ways humans distinguish ourselves
  • We have specialized vocal chords, and tongues that make our language unique
• Terrence - Stoned Ape Theory - the thesis was that psilocybin mushrooms were a part of the diets of the hominids
• There was some kind of co-evolutionary relationship that may have resulted in human language

Psilocybin's role in our development

• "What kind of role did psilocybin mushrooms play in our development?"
  • The hominids came down from the trees and now they are standing upright
• We have to look at opportunity, constraints, etc.
  • If the ape eats psilocybin, it may have an idea or understands its environment better
  • It may help the ape acquire more food or expand into new territory
  • The access to food and changes in locomotion are huge forces in our evolution
  • Having fire to cook our meat and change our availability to nutrients is one of the biggest forces in evolution of human consciousness than mushrooms

Horizontal Gene Transfer

• Vertical transfer of information means from parent to offspring
  • Horizontal transfer of genetic information happens between species
  • One bacteria has a gene to resist an antibiotic, and another doesn't. One bacteria can obtain that gene from the antibiotic resistant bacteria (ex. Antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus)
• Gene transfer can happen in multicellular creatures like mushrooms
  • Fungi are exchanging genes through different species
  • Paneolis Mushrooms did not inherit the biosynthetic pathway to produce psilocybin, they received it from a totally different genera

KT Extinction

• A comet impact that caused havoc and climate change that resulted in the extinction of dinosaurs
  • Mega herbivores, putting out tons of herbivore dung
• The genes to make psilocybin were acquired by a dung loving Paneolis from a dung loving Psilocybe
  • Dung attracts flies, but it doesn't kill the insects that eat psilocybin
• Psilocybin is one of the safest drugs for consumption
• The amatoxin in Amanita Muscaria (The Destroying Angel, commonly mistaken with Matsutake), interrupts the central part of cellular metabolism

Identifying Genes in Psilocybin

• He sequenced 3 different species of mushrooms that make psilocybin, and then looked at one species that didn't make psilocybin
  • They take two pieces of DNA and then compare them
  • They all have those genes, but how did they get them?
  • Validated the biosynthesis of psilocybin
• Mediated Horizontal Gene Transfer
  • When fungi are under stress they take the DNA from their environment

Cicada Parasitism

• There are cicada pathogens that infect the cicadas before they emerge from their 'underground' and their rear end is transformed into these spore producing structures
  • They fly around and drop their spores all over
• Are these plants or fungi are using any of these neurochemicals in house for cognition?
• Turing test - a computer can convince you that it's human

Link

Website

Check out this FREE online course, "Introduction to Psychedelics"

About Jason

Jason Slot is an Evolutionary Biologist that studies topics in three major areas, the genomic and metabolic bases of fungal adaptation and niche, horizontal gene transfer mechanisms and the evolution of symbioses. He is in the Department of Plant Pathology at Ohio State University.

In this interview, Brian Pace interviews Dr. Jason Slot at Ohio State University. In the show, they talk about Jason’s contributions of the psilocybe genus. Jason is in the faculty at OSU in the department of plant pathology.

3 Key Points:

1. There are over 200 species of mushroom forming fungi that produce psilocybin, and Jason studies how and why these organisms produce the psychoactive compound.
2. Animals seek altered states of consciousness as a potential evolutionary mechanism.
3. Mushrooms use horizontal gene transfer to pass on their psychoactive properties.

Support the show

• Patreon
• Leave us a review on iTunes
• Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc
• Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community.

Navigating Psychedelics

Show Notes About Jason

• "There weren't many mycology job postings in the area, and a job came up for someone to study the evolution of fungal genomes" - Jason
  • It all just fell into place

What is Neurochemical Ecology

• Ecology is the interaction among organisms and their interaction with their environment
  • Neurochemical ecology is a special case where the chemicals are specifically targeted to processes of nervous systems in animals
  • There is an opportunity for plants and fungi to produce drugs and compounds that manipulate their behavior or inhibit their eating

Species that Produce Psilocybin

• There are over 200 species of mushroom forming fungi that produce psilocybin
  • Jason has found many more

Distribution of Psilocybe

• Mushrooms were anatomically modern
• There were flowering forests and wood that spanned to each of the poles
  • The supercontinent would have broken up after that and as the continents separated, so did the mushrooms
  • Humans have been distributing psilocybe through the dung of migrating animals

Columbian Exchange

• During colonization from the old world to the new world, there was the biggest exchange of fungi
  • If the amount of biomass and dung expands, then the number of fungi species evolves and grows
  • The underlying change in the climate that changes the planet from forested to open grasslands also has an impact
  • During human evolution, psilocybe has been around the whole time
  • These neurochemicals have dated human genus

Serotonin

• Serotonin is analogous to psilocybin
• Bacteria was the first organism making serotonin
• Insects produce serotonin
  • “Serotonin is a great key, it fits into a lot of different locks and is used in a lot of different ways” - Jason
• It's in plants, its in amoebas, and its in animals
• In animals, they have specialized a lot of different receptors that respond to serotonin
• Serotonin only interacts with one type of receptor in the body

Altered States of Consciousness

• “It must be like something to be a bat, and it must be different than what it's like to be a human, what must it be like to be a bat under the influence of psilocybin, is it anything like a human?” -Brian
• Animals seek altered states of consciousness
  • Bees seek out fermented grapes
  • We have video footage of foxes taking huge bites out of Amanita Muscaria
  • Seeking out intoxication is a natural human drive
  • Maybe the desire to seek out these altered states of consciousness is an evolutionary mechanism that is happening
• If you search out new ways of perceiving the world, you may come upon a new pattern that your group of species learns how to live better
  • If ants come back to the hive too drunk, they get punished and get bit

Language

• One of the ways humans distinguish ourselves
  • We have specialized vocal chords, and tongues that make our language unique
• Terrence - Stoned Ape Theory - the thesis was that psilocybin mushrooms were a part of the diets of the hominids
• There was some kind of co-evolutionary relationship that may have resulted in human language

Psilocybin’s role in our development

• “What kind of role did psilocybin mushrooms play in our development?”
  • The hominids came down from the trees and now they are standing upright
• We have to look at opportunity, constraints, etc.
  • If the ape eats psilocybin, it may have an idea or understands its environment better
  • It may help the ape acquire more food or expand into new territory
  • The access to food and changes in locomotion are huge forces in our evolution
  • Having fire to cook our meat and change our availability to nutrients is one of the biggest forces in evolution of human consciousness than mushrooms

Horizontal Gene Transfer

• Vertical transfer of information means from parent to offspring
  • Horizontal transfer of genetic information happens between species
  • One bacteria has a gene to resist an antibiotic, and another doesn't. One bacteria can obtain that gene from the antibiotic resistant bacteria (ex. Antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus)
• Gene transfer can happen in multicellular creatures like mushrooms
  • Fungi are exchanging genes through different species
  • Paneolis Mushrooms did not inherit the biosynthetic pathway to produce psilocybin, they received it from a totally different genera

KT Extinction

• A comet impact that caused havoc and climate change that resulted in the extinction of dinosaurs
  • Mega herbivores, putting out tons of herbivore dung
• The genes to make psilocybin were acquired by a dung loving Paneolis from a dung loving Psilocybe
  • Dung attracts flies, but it doesn't kill the insects that eat psilocybin
• Psilocybin is one of the safest drugs for consumption
• The amatoxin in Amanita Muscaria (The Destroying Angel, commonly mistaken with Matsutake), interrupts the central part of cellular metabolism

Identifying Genes in Psilocybin

• He sequenced 3 different species of mushrooms that make psilocybin, and then looked at one species that didn't make psilocybin
  • They take two pieces of DNA and then compare them
  • They all have those genes, but how did they get them?
  • Validated the biosynthesis of psilocybin
• Mediated Horizontal Gene Transfer
  • When fungi are under stress they take the DNA from their environment

Cicada Parasitism

• There are cicada pathogens that infect the cicadas before they emerge from their ‘underground’ and their rear end is transformed into these spore producing structures
  • They fly around and drop their spores all over
• Are these plants or fungi are using any of these neurochemicals in house for cognition?
• Turing test - a computer can convince you that it's human

Link

Website

Check out this FREE online course, "Introduction to Psychedelics"

About Jason

Jason Slot is an Evolutionary Biologist that studies topics in three major areas, the genomic and metabolic bases of fungal adaptation and niche, horizontal gene transfer mechanisms and the evolution of symbioses. He is in the Department of Plant Pathology at Ohio State University.

Download

In this episode, Joe interviews Philip Wolf founder of Cultivating Spirits, a cannabis pairing company. The talk includes topics on Terpenes, Social Consumption and the Cannabis experience industry.

3 Key Points:

1. Terpenes are the component in cannabis that produce the aroma and 'mood' you will be in after smoking.
2. As more and more places legalize cannabis, the market opportunity for combining food and cannabis grows.
3. Cultivating Spirits is a cannabis experience and tour company that offers small-batch cannabis, fine wines, and locally sourced gourmet meals. They are a leader in cannabis-infused experiences.

Support the show

• Patreon
• Leave us a review on iTunes
• Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc
• Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community.

Navigating Psychedelics

Show Notes About Philip

• Philip has been in the legal industry of cannabis in Colorado for 9 years
  • Cultivating Spirits started in Breckenridge, Colorado in 2014 after legalization
  • He went to a wine experience event and had an epiphany of bringing the cannabis experience to the 'soccer mom'
  • He walked away from equity in multiple companies because he believed in it
  • Cultivating Spirits is the first company to offer a cannabis pairings experience
  • After learning about terpenes he learned about pairing foods with attributes of cannabis

Terpenes

• There are 3 components in cannabis that give you certain feelings
  • THC gets you high, gives a euphoric feeling
  • Flavonoids
  • Terpenes produce the aroma of cannabis and it determines the 'mood' you will be in after smoking
• Terpenes are produced in all plants and produce, they attract pollinators and help fight disease within the plant
• THC-A is non-activated THC, meaning it needs a flame or heat to activate it
• Michael Pollan's book - Botany of Desire
• At the base genetic level, our goal is to reproduce and expand
  • "Are we the workers for this plant?" - Philip Wolf

People's Reactions

• They are loving it!
• The average age for a person who attends Cultivating Spirits is 45
• Cultivating Spirits focuses on parties and events
• Old folks are some of the best clientele, they don't have jobs and they are done with all of the hassles of making a family and working hard for their job, etc.

Microserving

• Microserving is one hit
  • Holding cannabis in longer doesn't get you higher, it's about the surface area of your lungs
  • So if you expand your lungs very lightly, you will get less high than if you would if you fully expand your lungs when taking a hit

Expansion

• Cultivating Spirits operates all over Colorado
  • They are working to expand to Las Vegas
• They also opened up Cannabition
• They are taking this business to other places with good heart

Cannabis Nightclubs and Social Consumption Lounges

• Cannabis isn't the reason for the decline in alcohol sales, but the desire for new experiences
• Philip believes it will happen first through coffee shops
  • Everyone needs food, so it's a great market to integrate into
  • "I use cannabis like I use a cup of coffee, I use it, but I don't use it all day" - Philip Wolf

Cannabis… Psychedelic?

• There is a psychoactive part to cannabis
  • Philip says he uses cannabis to deepen his meditation and yoga practice
  • He is a Certified Yoga Teacher
  • Although he is certified to teach, he did it for himself and to learn tools he can use during his whole life
• Cannabis is a mirror - it's what's inside already but getting amplified

First Dinner Approved by Municipality

• The opening of X-games in Aspen, CO in 2015
  • 5 courses, 5 wines, 5 strains of cannabis
  • A DJ from Thievery Corporation deriving beats from where the food dishes come from
  • Jessica Catalano - Infusion Chef

Learning More

• Lemonine makes your mind energized and Alphapinine and Betapinine will help you focus Leafly
• Essential oils are made up of terpenes Doterra
• Max Montrose - Trichome Institute
• Daniel McQueen - Medinical Mindfulness

Links

Cultivating Spirits Website Cannabis Wedding Expo Facebook

Check out this FREE online course, "Introduction to Psychedelics"

About Philip Wolf

Philip Wolf is one of the world's first pot sommeliers, an expert and pioneer in the field. In 2014, he opened Cultivating Spirits with a mission to show mainstream America how cannabis should be treated. Setting tables with forks, wine, and pipes, Wolf's pairings are grounded in the science of interpening, which the institute calls "a method used to identify and understand cannabis variety [by] interpreting … terpenes and flower structure." Wolf can sniff a bud, identify the strain and terpenes, and interpret both the flavor profile and high. The protocol for his dinner with bud pairings is puff, eat, drink.