Super Psychedelic

Christian, the producer of Super Psychedelic, joins our host to talk about all things Peter. We go from gardening to Ayahuasca, music to meaning, and what being the CEO of a psychedelic startup means for him. The two of us also discuss Peter’s intimate relationship with Russian culture, the importance of rituals void of smartphones, the present and future of Gwella and the industry at large, and so much more.

While we don’t talk about it, our podcast has moved from a co-hosted show to a solo-hosted one. And before we released our stellar stories from powerful guests, I felt it was important to highlight the story of Peter and the love he has for what he’s doing. I hope by the end of this, you’ll see Peter in a new light.

Peter Reitano is a serial entrepreneur and consumer marketing expert with over a decade of experience in scaling some of the world’s top brands. Peter has built, advised, raised for, and sold multiple ventures, including High12, one of Canada’s top cannabis CPG companies. 

Peter is the CEO of Gwella, host of Super Psychedelic, and a mushroom enthusiast. He's been a psychedelic user since he was a teenager and an advocate for entheogens shortly after. His mission? To bring these tools and medicines to our society in non-clinical settings.

In this episode, Peter and Erin interview Deanna Rogers, an integrative facilitator who helps people prepare, integrate and align on their path following ceremonies with plant medicines and psychedelics. Deanna has been working with these substances for over a decade at such locations as the Temple of the Way of Light, and with other well known influencers in this work such as Gabor Maté. And although her work has taken several different forms over the years, she has remained focused on themes of self-realization and empowerment throughout. During the discussion, Peter, Erin and Deanna discuss why the stages before and after a psychedelic experience are so critical, and how people can push past the boundaries of themselves to actively open up with plant medicines, versus the common notion of surrendering. Deanna shares more about her background and personal experiences with ayahuasca and plant medicine healing, and also offers her unique take on spirituality. Finally, Deanna shares her perspective on the future of psychedelic healing, and where she hopes to see the industry go in the future. 

In this episode, Peter and Erin sit down with Vincent, the founder of Blue Goba, a company that offers mail order magic mushrooms to all of Canada. Blue Goba believes that psilocybin mushrooms can vibrantly enhance your wellbeing, catapult your personal growth, and add depth to your life, which is why they’re passionate advocates for more safe and accessible exploration of these healing substances. During the episode, Peter, Erin and Vincent discuss the history and politics of shrooms in Canada, the multiple healing benefits of magic mushrooms like psilocybin, and the origin story behind Blue Goba. Vincent also offers his perspective on DMT, AKA the “Spirit Molecule,” and why he believes it will see continued growth in the psychedelic healing space over the coming years.

In this episode, Peter and Erin are joined by Fola Veritas. Fola is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse, Fireside Project Peer Support Supervisor, Integration Therapist, Shamanic Practitioner, and a Spiritual Guide. Having worked in mental health and addictions for over 11 years, she has dedicated herself to promoting wellness through the integration of traditional healing methods, energy work, and modern scientific knowledge. In this episode, Fola shares what brought her to Fireside Project and the lessons they’re learning at the ground level as they support past, present, and future trips. Outside of practical tips for a person’s next trip, the three discuss how to transcend limiting beliefs, different types of therapies, how we can hold space for someone undergoing a bad trip, how to get involved with Fireside Project, and much more. 

In this episode, Peter and Erin sit down with long-time psychedelics advocate, Dennis McKenna. As the author of incredible books like The Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss, a renowned lecturer, and a key investigator on the Hoasca Project, Dennis has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share about psychedelic healing. Having worked as an ethnopharmacologist in the field for over 40 years, Dennis led the first-ever biomedical investigation of Ayahuasca. He is also the founder of the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy, a modern mystery school designed to help people awaken to the power of sacred psychedelic medicines. During the episode, Dennis shares his perspective on the past, present and future of psychedelic healing modalities, and how he hopes to see the space evolve in the coming years.

In this episode, Peter and Erin are joined by Brandon Goode. Brandon is the founder of Houston, the microdosing companion app and his current projects focus on consumer-oriented applications of psychedelics, paving an alternative route to traditional medicalization. He’s been interviewed by Michael Pollan’s Substack installment, was Field Trip Health’s first full-time employee, and used to be a soccer player in the NCAA and in Europe. In this episode, Brandon shares his journey to found Houston and the pivotal steps and leaps he’s taken to integrate his take on microdosing into the psychedelic climate. The three also discuss the main reasons people are choosing to microdose, the importance of psychedelic freedom, lessons learned through feeling, the perils of big pharma and chasing money, and much, much more. 

Welcome to Super Psychedelic, a new podcast by modern alternative wellness brand, Gwella. By advocating for safe, sustainable and conscious access to psychedelic healing treatments, Gwella seeks to shift the narrative surrounding these ancient healing tools. The podcast is dedicated to exploring this exciting new era of psychedelic healing, and chronicling the growing acceptance of these incredible tools in North America. Hosted by Gwella co-founders’ Peter Reitano and Erin Cochrane, Super Psychedelic takes a deep dive into the evolution of psychedelic healing in the west, and how it intersects with health, wellness and modern spirituality. It’s these conversations that highlight the emerging new world of psychedelics and allow us to speak to both the pioneers and the new age innovators shaping the current culture of this exciting space. In every episode we hope to help you, the listeners, connect the dots and be part of the conversation that is - Super Psychedelic. And please don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast.

In this episode, Peter and Erin are joined by Dr. Del Potter. Del is a medical anthropologist, an entrepreneur, and the Chief Science Officer of Alvarius Pharmaceuticals. He has a Ph.D. in medical anthropology from UC Berkeley, specializing in ethnopsychopharmacology, the chemistry and extraction of psychoactive Indigenous plants. Del has quietly been involved in the Psychedelic Movement since its inception into Western culture back in the ‘60s. As a youth, he became a regular at Alexander Shulgin’s dinner parties which profoundly shaped his life and deeply inspired him. In this episode, Del speaks on his psychedelics experiences, from the first one to a time in the Amazon, as well as the lessons we can learn from Shamanic cultures and practices. The three discuss our current cultural maturity around psychedelics, the researched potential and wide-ranging accessibility these compounds are demonstrating, both in isolation and if stacked together; think hippie flip, and much, much more. 

In this episode, Peter and Erin interview creative entrepreneur, strategist and medicine woman, Florencia (Flor) Bollini. Flor is the founder of NANA, a transformative medicine company that provides integrative solutions for mental health and wellness. During the episode, Flor explains how she has devoted her career to helping humans achieve their full potential through a series of lifestyle modifications, including the progressive dosing of psychoactive medicines and women empowerment. Peter, Erin and Flor discuss how a wide variety of cultural and ancestral practices lend themselves to a complete toolkit for the healing of the mind, body, heart and soul as well as the importance of women in the future of psychedelics. Flor also shares her perspective on the ideal settings for healing, and why clinics aren't always optimal for a psychedelic experience. Finally, she shares her thoughts on what it means to answer the knock of destiny at your door, and how getting out of our own way allows us to transcend the person that we think we can become.

 In this episode, Peter and Erin interview Anna Rickman, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Wavepaths. Wavepaths is a company that focuses on creating music and sounds to enhance psychedelic therapy and act as a therapy in and of itself. During the episode, Anna shares the story of how some challenging times through her youth led her to seek out therapy, which in turn guided her to an experience with ayahuasca. After a handful of sessions with the plant medicine, she notes that a switch seemed to flip both in relation to her mental health and the role music can play in a psychedelic environment, which led her to co-founding Wavepaths along with Dr. Mendel Kaelen, one of the early pioneers in the space who created many of the playlists in the early psilocybin studies. Peter, Erin and Anna also discuss the concept of experience as medicine, and how Wavepaths is creating their own adaptive and generative music for psychedelic therapy. Anna shares her tips for creating a playlist for a trip outside of a clinical setting, and the characteristics of music that make it so impactful and therapeutic.