Ithaca Hours: An Interview with Paul Glover

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If there ever was a Father of Local
Currency it would be Paul Glover. In 1991 He started a local currency in Ithaca
N.Y. called Ithaca HOURS. One HOUR equals one hour of basic labor or $10.00,
and it is the largest and longest running complementary currency in the
country. Paul writes on the website he created,
Ithaca HOURS.com and still
maintains:

HOURS
were created by our community's need and pioneer spirit. During the 1991
recession I designed prototype HOURS and began asking people to sign up to
accept them. The first 30 people agreed. Had these folks said "that's a
dumb idea" or "you could get in trouble," or had they just
laughed, then maybe there'd be no HOUR money.

Had
there been no Farmer's Market here, with lively vendors who saw HOURS as yet
another way to barter, HOURS would have had a small food base. Catherine
Martinez took the first leap of faith there, becoming the first person to
accept an HOUR, for her samosa.

By
January of 1993 I was sending an occasional "Hometown Money Starter
Kit" to people elsewhere who had heard about HOURS and wanted to try it in
their community. The Kit changed constantly, since the system was still being
invented. Only by August 1995 had basic systems stabilized enough for the Kit
to be published as a book.

National
publicity, which had begun in 1993, peaked in 1996, with stories in the New
York Times, Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America, and many others. There
have been over 650 stories written and broadcast about HOURS.

~

From the Fact
Sheet

Since
1991, over $110,000 of Ithaca HOURS (11,000 HOURS at
$10.00 per HOUR) have been issued, in
six denominations: 2 HRS, 1 HR, 1/2
HR, 1/4 HR, 1/8 HR, 1/10 HR. There is also a commemorative HOUR, the first paper
money in the U.S. to honor an African American.

Thousands
of people, including 500 businesses, have earned and spent HOURS.

HOURS
are real money — local tender rather than legal tender, backed by real
people, real labor, skills and tools.

Most
HOURS have been issued as payments to those who agree to be published backers
of HOURS, listed in our bimonthly directory HOUR Town. Every year they may send
the coupon again to receive a bonus payment — which gradually and carefully
increases the HOUR supply.

11%
of HOURS are issued as grants to community organizations. Over 100 nonprofits
have received grants totalling over 1,500 HOURS ($15,000) since we began.

5%
of HOURS may be issued to the system itself, primarily for paying for printing
HOURS.

Loans
of HOURS are made with NO INTEREST CHARGED. These range in value from $50 – $30,000.

HOURS
are legal. Professor Lewis Solomon of George Washington University has written
a book titled Rethinking Our Centralized Monetary System: the Case for a
System of Local Currencies
(Praeger, 1996) which is an extensive case law
study of the legality of local currency. IRS and FED officials have been
contacted by media, and repeatedly have said there is no prohibition of local
currency, as long as it does not look like dollars, as long as denominations
are at least $1.00 value, and if it is regarded as taxable income. 

HOURS
are protected against counterfeit. They are multicolored, with serial numbers.
The 1995 Quarter HOUR and 1997 Eighth HOUR use thermal ink, invented in Ithaca,
which disappears briefly when touched or photocopied. The 1993 Two HOUR note is
printed on locally-made watermarked 100% cattail paper, with matching serial
numbers front and back. The 1996 Half HOUR is 100% handmade hemp paper.
Ithaca's District Attorney declared HOURS a financial instrument, protected by
law from counterfeit.

~

Paul worked tirelessly on the project to make it what it became until 1999, when he shifted his attention to his next creation,
the Ithaca Health Alliance.
In 2005 he moved to Philadelphia. Ithaca
Hours is now a non-profit organization managed by a Board of Directors. The
official website for Ithaca HOURS is here

Paul Glover has been a community
organizer since 1970, a  radical
visionary with practical solutions to the ecological, social and economic
crises we face today. If he is not a luminary on the lecture circuit it is
because he is a man of action, busy initiating projects where he lives, and
inspiring others to join in. His success can be measured best by what he has
accomplished, rather than by what he has said or written. 

 

Nilsa: Ithaca Hours was the first
successful and longest running local currency established in a US city, now
almost twenty years ago. Are they still being used and if so, has the momentum
kept going? Who designed the notes? 
Are the community bonds that were created by a local currency still
there?

Paul: Ithaca HOURS are a cultural statement and challenge to
monopoly capital, while being a local trading system.
HOURS continue to be earned and spent.  I designed all the denominations except
Tenth HOUR. Millions of dollars worth have been transacted, stimulating
additional millions of local trading. At their height, thousands of residents
and 500 businesses accepted HOURS. More than 100 community organizations have
received HOUR grants. HOUR loans, the largest $30,000, have been made.

The reason that HOURS grew huge is because during their first eight
years they had a full-time Networker promoting, troubleshooting, and
facilitating circulation. Energetic networkers are essential for the
sustainability of any money system, national or local. The HOURS  Board of Directors has been dedicated
and energetic but not yet able to find another Networker. Therefore the system
today is much smaller — perhaps a few hundred individuals and 200 businesses.
HOURS can be fully revived by diligent networking.

 

Were you the full time Networker? Was the Networker paid in Ithaca
Hours? 

Yes, I was the Networker. Some suggested that I be paid in
HOURS but I declined, because that would have inflated the supply, decreasing
respect for the money. We set a quota of 5% total HOURS issued, for the system
itself. So HOURS were used to pay the printer and some office supplies. I
suggest that a local currency Networker be paid primarily in-kind, relying on
goods and services donated through the trading directory (apartment, farmer's
market, health care, recreation, etc).


As the founder and leading spirit of the
enterprise, at some point you had to detach and let it continue without you. Most grass-roots projects become identified with the few people who
run them, and those few people can burn out or want to move on if they're vital
and creative. Can you describe your experience with this?

Glaring media focus on me, as the "odd guy who rides his bicycle and
prints his own money," caused me to quit doing media interviews by 1999. It
became evident that the credibility of the system needed to rely on many
shoulders, not mine alone. So I asked others on the board and in the community
to do most media interviews.

As a community
organizer, my intent is to start groups that fill gaps
, on behalf of community, ecology and social justice. I find
the people who will make them happen, then move on. Sometimes I linger until
the board makes it clear they own the organization — I become happy to be
outvoted — reassuring that the group will continue without me. Being a leader
means knowing when to lead and when to follow. I've followed others and been
inspired by them at least as much as they have looked to me.


You also founded The Ithaca Health Alliance which
is a non-profit community health organization whose mission is to facilitate
access to health care for all. Did this come about as an offshoot of Ithaca
Hours? What was your role? Could you describe how the Health Alliance works?

Many of us were complaining about health insurance.
And I never believed that legislatures and polite lobbying would gain universal
health coverage — the insurance makes too much money, and bribes legislators.
So I applied the mutual aid process to this problem, devised the plan, talked
with thousands of individuals to get a few hundred to pioneer it.

The Alliance operates as a membership program whose members pay
$100/year for emergency medical coverage. For this annual membership fee,
members are eligible for grants (can't legally use the word 'coverage' because
that implies a contract) for 12 categories of everyday emergencies, like broken
bones, ambulance rides, emergency stitches, to specified maximum amounts,
anywhere in the world. Members also own their own free clinic, which provides both
standard and holistic care.

The success of HOURS contributed to the willingness of people to pay to
try it out. Very talented people joined the board and have kept the Alliance
going ever since. I moved on, to Philly, after 8 years, just as our member-owned
free clinic was being organized.


Since the financial crisis of 2008 many local
currencies have sprung up across the country. What advice can you offer to the
organizers to help them succeed? Is your DIY book Hometown Money still available? What would you differently if you
were starting this project today?

Yes, the Hometown Money book ($25), and the video ($15), are available at the website.  

I've recently written the article Recipe
for Successful Local Currency
[see the bottom of this column]
which emphasizes that, before beginning a local currency, organizers
should create a network capable of hiring a Networker: paying a combination of
dollars plus goods and services donated through the community of traders
(housing, health care, groceries, entertainment, transit, etc). Otherwise,
because maintaining a community currency is labor-intensive, the
well-intentioned organizers may likely burn out.

 

This
is a common issue with grass roots organizations, and one I'm personally
familiar with. Unless  there are
other paid staff members,  too much
relies on one paid individual, who can also burn out. The organization also
becomes too identified with one personality. I see the team approach, a group
of equals with divided responsibilities becoming more effective in the future.

Any local currency will need at least one full-time Networker. Dozens
of community currencies have started and faded because the volunteers burned
out. Networkers develops  mental
catalog of where the money is, and where it needs help to move.

When Ithaca's HOURS became too identified with me personally, I
realized their sustainability depended on being identified with a broader base
instead. So I asked the board to take over. They did a fine job except to keep
someone on the street as a go-to troubleshooter.  As important as avoiding a cult of personality is, avoiding,
on the other hand, a paid bureaucracy which becomes more dedicated to paying
itself than to serving the community is essential to keep overhead low.

Before transferring the HOUR system in Ithaca to the board of directors
I should have made sure this was understood. No matter how dedicated and
talented the board is, currency systems need someone on the street.

As well, I'd have insisted on a contract with Ithaca's food co-op,
requiring consultation about their HOUR acceptance rate. They expanded their
acceptance rate beyond their capability to spend, thus risking sustainability
and credibility of the entire system. Grocers are a special case: they need to
restrain their per-purchase acceptance so that they don't inhale all the local
money.

 

In 1978 you walked across the United States from Boston to
San Diego through forests, fields, over mountains and desert. Did that trip
change your view of the way humans live on the planet?

By age 30,
having written many articles and read many books, and having confronted powerful
institutions, I decided to do some primary research by measuring this
continent with my body. I met excellent generous people all along, who offered
food and housing. Across rural America I found crowds escaping city crowds, by
crowding remote places. This reinforced my commitment to the rebuilding of
cities so that people would prefer to live efficiently within them, instead of
destroying wild places. The hike gave me time to think, and the result, when I
reached Los Angeles, was Citizen Planners, and my book Los Angeles: A
History of the Future
. This was the first attempt
systematically to describe how an American metropolis could rebuild toward
balance with nature. Most utopian visions describe beautiful places floating
beyond reach.  This book described
a process taking decades, requiring trillions of dollars investment (as an
alternative to investing in war), and employing millions.

You are a one-man non-profit organization as your
website address indicates:
paulglover.org-anizer and you have
been a community organizer most of your life. Could you describe a few of the
other projects you've initiated?

During my early years as an organizer I was busy starting groups to
oppose bad things: highways, shopping malls, incinerators, suburban sprawl,
such as a campaign to prevent construction of a
4-lane highway carving into Ithaca's heart. The Rt 96 campaign continued 13
years.

When polite requests that Cornell University not build a
177-ft incinerator for burning tortured lab animals and plastic medical wastes
(generating dioxin) failed to dissuade CU administrators (who had received $2
million NYS money), I was asked to help. I started Cornell-Ithaca Safety
Committee (CISCO), created a series of bold headlines (Poison Your Children:
Send Them to Cornell; Cornell, the Ash Tray of the Ivy League; etc) accompanied
by info on birth defects and cancers caused by dioxin, and sent them to CU
President with a letter giving him ten days to cancel the plan, or I'd send
these to all CU parents and students, post them during Parents' Weekend, and
send them to all US high school career counselors. Within a few days Cornell
asked to meet. Immediately after the meeting they canceled the plan. Anyway,
there's are lots of such campaigns long and short, based on concerns expressed
in the community.

For three years I was working essentially full-time against the Vietnam
War. The American Greed Machine could think up more destructive things to do
faster than we could stamp them out. So it occurred to me that it would be more
effective, and more fun, to establish alternatives that would keep Them
busy reacting to Us. Local actions seemed appealing, since we could take
power locally without waiting for state and federal action. And through drama
and novelty we'd magnify our impact, by setting good examples for other
regions.

When George W. Bush was about to attack Iraq, and stirring
up hatred of France (who refused to endorse his plan), I organized the Ithaca
FrenchFest. We held a BIG antiwar party featuring giant 8-foot French Fries, French cheese and wine, a Bad French contest judged by native speakers, French
music and art, and a French-kissing contest. The mayor delivered a proclamation
of "Franco-Ithacan Friendship Day."


You have taught a course at Temple University
since 2007 called Metropolitan Ecology,
which
studies the human and natural infrastructures that keep us all alive, and how
to make cities prosper during global warming, peak oil, peak soil, population
growth and water shortage. In your course objective you write:

It
offers a way of thinking about the future. First, that there will be a future.
Second, that it
will be good. Third, that every person plays an essential part.

 

Can you tell us more?

After giving a speech at Temple University I was invited to design a
course. So I proposed Metropolitan Ecology, to introduce precepts of healthy
cities. I encouraged students to consider and to suggest wild ecological
notions for future cities, since conventional technologies and settlement have
become destructive of civilization. I emphasized that everything normal today
was once a wild idea. That to progress, humans have always been wildly
inventive. So explored with students how we could totally rebuild American
cities so that they'd be balanced with nature and beautiful — thriving with a
fraction of fossil fuel use.

The course was popular, so was asked to start another. I offered
"Green Jobs" for one semester.

After
nearly three years I ceased teaching to focus on two new programs. Patch Adams
agreed to allow me to start the first Patch Adams Free Clinic and am about to
launch the League of Uninsured Voters (LUV).

 

You have lived in Philadelphia since
2005.  What brought you to
Philadelphia and could you describe some of the projects you have started in
that city?

I moved to Philadelphia because I felt I had done what I could in
Ithaca, and wanted to apply myself to a city far bigger, with far greater
problems. Philly has 25% poverty rate, 350,000 unemployed, at least as many
uninsured, 40,000 vacant lots and many hungry people (including 60,000
chronically hungry children, 35,000 Philadelphians returning from jail or
prison every year, rising prices for food and heating, brutal summer heat on
treeless streets, one or more murders daily. It's hog heaven for an urban ecologist.

The
particular challenge here has been to introduce new ideas in a city where
bureaucracies resist them. The challenge is part of the fun. So far while here
I've taught urban studies for a few years at Temple University, have written
three books (including Green Jobs Philly), and started
Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP)
— 22 orchards so far.

The Patch
Adams Free Clinic

(See also here) will provide member-owned health
services, like the Ithaca Health Alliance.

Starting soon is the Neighborhood Enterprise School Teachers (NESTS) to reward and
credential lowest-income neighbors for teaching and for learning 

I intend
several more programs: Philadelphia Regional and Independent Stock Exchange
(PRAISE)
, to gather capital of all kinds for
ecodevelopment, Proud Of Organic Philadelphia (POOP) to promote compost
toilets, the Philadelphia Insulation Factory (PIF) to convert recycled
newspapers into cellulose insulation manufactured and installed by low-income
neighbors, and Philadelphia Fund for Ecological Living (PhilaFEL)
to gather donations for the
manufacture and installation within low-income neighborhoods of green
technologies (rather than wait for big factories making solar/wind for
high-income homes).

All these programs entail transferring authority to neighborhoods.
Their creativity will reduce the costs of living and expand the fun of living.

___

 

A
Recipe for Successful Community Currency

by Paul Glover

Printing local money sets the
table for a feast provided by your city or town.  Here are my suggested
ingredients for spicing local trade with local cash.

 

1. HIRE A NETWORKER.  

During the past 15 years, nearly
100 American community currencies have come and gone.  Ithaca’s HOURS
became huge because, during their first eight years, they could rely on a
full-time Networker to constantly promote, facilitate and troubleshoot
circulation.  Lots of talking and listening.

Just as national currencies have
armies of brokers helping money move, local currencies need at least one paid
Networker.  Your volunteer core group — your Municipal Reserve Board — may
soon realize that they’ve created a labor-intensive local institution, like a
food co-op or credit union.  Playing Monopoly is easier than building
anti-Monopoly.

Reduce your need to pay the
Networker with dollars, by finding someone to donate housing.  Then find
others to donate harvest, health care, entertainment.

 

2. DESIGN CREDIBLE MONEY.  

Make it look both majestic and
cheerful, to reflect your community’s best spirit.  Feature the most
widely respected monuments of nature, buildings, and people.  One Ithaca
note celebrates children; another displays its bioregional bug.  Use as
many colors as you can afford, then add an anti-counterfeit device. 
Ithaca has used local handmade paper made of local weed fiber but recently
settled on 50/50 hemp/cotton.  Design professionally — cash is an emblem
of community pride.

 

3.  BE EVERYWHERE. 

Prepare for everyone in the
region to understand and embrace this money, such that it can purchase
everything, whether listed in the directory or not.  This means
broadcasting an email newsletter, publishing a newspaper (at least quarterly),
sending press releases, blogging, cartooning, gathering testimonials, writing
songs, hosting events and contests, managing a booth at festivals, perhaps a
cable or radio show.  Do what you enjoy; do what you can.

By 1999, Ithaca HOURS became
negotiable with thousands of individuals and over 500 businesses, including a
bank, the medical center, the public library, plenty food, clothes, housing,
healing, movies, restaurants, bowling.  The directory contained more
categories than the Yellow Pages.  We even created our own local nonprofit
health insurance.

Imagine millions of dollars
worth circulating, to stimulate new enterprise, as dollars fade.

 

4. BE EASY TO USE.  

Local money should be at least
as easy to use as national money, not harder.  No punitive “demurrage”
stamps– inflation is demurrage enough.  No expiration dates– inspire
spending instead by emphasizing the benefits to each and all of keeping it
moving.  Hungry people want food, not paper, so hard times can speed
circulation.

Get ready to issue interest-free
loans.  The interest you earn is community interest– your greater
capability to hire and help one another.  Start with small loans to
reliable businesses and individuals.  Make grants to groups.

 

5. BE HONEST AND OPEN.  

All records of currency
disbursement are displayed upon request.  Limit the quantity issued for
administration (office, staff, etc) to 5% of total, to restrain inflation

 

6. BE PROUDLY POLITICAL.  

Local folks from all political
backgrounds find common ground using local cash.  But local money is a
great way to introduce new people to the practicality of green economics and
solidarity.  I enjoyed arguing with local conservatives, then shaking
hands on the power we both gain trading our money.  Hey, we’re creating
jobs without clearcutting, prisons, taxes and war!

You can make it likelier that
your money is spent for grassroots eco-development by publishing articles that
reinforce these values.  By contrast with global markets, our marketplaces
are real places where we become friends, lovers, and political allies.

 

Glover consults for community economic development. paulglover.org

 

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5-Meo-DMT comes from the Sonora Desert toad. Here is everything you want to know about 5-Meo-DMT and how it compares to 4-AcO-DMT.

4-AcO-DMT Guide: Benefits, Effects, Safety, and Legality
This guide tells you everything about 4 AcO DMT & 5 MeO DMT, that belong to the tryptamine class, and are similar but slightly different to DMT.

How Much Does LSD Cost? When shopping around for that magical psychedelic substance, there can be many uncertainties when new to buying LSD. You may be wondering how much does LSD cost? In this article, we will discuss what to expect when purchasing LSD on the black market, what forms LSD is sold in, and the standard breakdown of buying LSD in quantity.   Navy Use of LSD on the Dark Web The dark web is increasingly popular for purchasing illegal substances. The US Navy has now noticed this trend with their staff. Read to learn more.   Having Sex on LSD: What You Need to Know Can you have sex on LSD? Read our guide to learn everything about sex on acid, from lowered inhibitions to LSD users quotes on sex while tripping.   A Drug That Switches off an LSD Trip A pharmaceutical company is developing an “off-switch” drug for an LSD trip, in the case that a bad trip can happen. Some would say there is no such thing.   Queen of Hearts: An Interview with Liz Elliot on Tim Leary and LSD The history of psychedelia, particularly the British experience, has been almost totally written by men. Of the women involved, especially those who were in the thick of it, little has been written either by or about them. A notable exception is Liz Elliot.   LSD Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety LSD, Lysergic acid diethylamide, or just acid is one of the most important psychedelics ever discovered. What did history teach us?   Microdosing LSD & Common Dosage Explained Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing LSD.   LSD Resources Curious to learn more about LSD? This guide includes comprehensive LSD resources containing books, studies and more.   LSD as a Spiritual Aid There is common consent that the evolution of mankind is paralleled by the increase and expansion of consciousness. From the described process of how consciousness originates and develops, it becomes evident that its growth depends on its faculty of perception. Therefore every means of improving this faculty should be used.   Legendary LSD Blotter Art: A Hidden Craftsmanship Have you ever heard of LSD blotter art? Explore the trippy world of LSD art and some of the top artists of LSD blotter art.   LSD and Exercise: Does it Work? LSD and exercise? Learn why high-performing athletes are taking hits of LSD to improve their overall potential.   Jan Bastiaans Treated Holocaust Survivors with LSD Dutch psychiatrist, Jan Bastiaans administered LSD-assisted therapy to survivors of the Holocaust. A true war hero and pioneer of psychedelic-therapy.   LSD and Spiritual Awakening I give thanks for LSD, which provided the opening that led me to India in 1971 and brought me to Neem Karoli Baba, known as Maharajji. Maharajji is described by the Indians as a “knower of hearts.”   How LSD is Made: Everything You Need to Know Ever wonder how to make LSD? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how LSD is made.   How to Store LSD: Best Practices Learn the best way to store LSD, including the proper temperature and conditions to maximize how long LSD lasts when stored.   Bicycle Day: The Discovery of LSD Every year on April 19th, psychonauts join forces to celebrate Bicycle Day. Learn about the famous day when Albert Hoffman first discovered the effects of LSD.   Cary Grant: A Hollywood Legend On LSD Cary Grant was a famous actor during the 1930’s-60’s But did you know Grant experimented with LSD? Read our guide to learn more.   Albert Hofmann: LSD — My Problem Child Learn about Albert Hofmann and his discovery of LSD, along with the story of Bicycle Day and why it marks a historic milestone.   Babies are High: What Does LSD Do To Your Brain What do LSD and babies have in common? Researchers at the Imperial College in London discover that an adult’s brain on LSD looks like a baby’s brain.   1P LSD: Effects, Benefits, Safety Explained 1P LSD is an analogue of LSD and homologue of ALD-25. Here is everything you want to know about 1P LSD and how it compares to LSD.   Francis Crick, DNA & LSD Type ‘Francis Crick LSD’ into Google, and the result will be 30,000 links. Many sites claim that Crick (one of the two men responsible for discovering the structure of DNA), was either under the influence of LSD at the time of his revelation or used the drug to help with his thought processes during his research. Is this true?   What Happens If You Overdose on LSD? A recent article presented three individuals who overdosed on LSD. Though the experience was unpleasant, the outcomes were remarkably positive.

The Ayahuasca Experience
Ayahuasca is both a medicine and a visionary aid. You can employ ayahuasca for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual repair, and you can engage with the power of ayahuasca for deeper insight and realization. If you consider attainment of knowledge in the broadest perspective, you can say that at all times, ayahuasca heals.

 

Trippy Talk: Meet Ayahuasca with Sitaramaya Sita and PlantTeachers
Sitaramaya Sita is a spiritual herbalist, pusangera, and plant wisdom practitioner formally trained in the Shipibo ayahuasca tradition.

 

The Therapeutic Value of Ayahuasca
My best description of the impact of ayahuasca is that it’s a rocket boost to psychospiritual growth and unfolding, my professional specialty during my thirty-five years of private practice.

 

Microdosing Ayahuasca: Common Dosage Explained
What is ayahuasca made of and what is considered a microdose? Explore insights with an experienced Peruvian brewmaster and learn more about this practice.

 

Ayahuasca Makes Neuron Babies in Your Brain
Researchers from Beckley/Sant Pau Research Program have shared the latest findings in their study on the effects of ayahuasca on neurogenesis.

 

The Fatimiya Sufi Order and Ayahuasca
In this interview, the founder of the Fatimiya Sufi Order,  N. Wahid Azal, discusses the history and uses of plant medicines in Islamic and pre-Islamic mystery schools.

 

Consideration Ayahuasca for Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Research indicates that ayahuasca mimics mechanisms of currently accepted treatments for PTSD. In order to understand the implications of ayahuasca treatment, we need to understand how PTSD develops.

 

Brainwaves on Ayahuasca: A Waking Dream State
In a study researchers shared discoveries showing ingredients found in Ayahuasca impact the brainwaves causing a “waking dream” state.

 

Cannabis and Ayahuasca: Mixing Entheogenic Plants
Cannabis and Ayahuasca: most people believe they shouldn’t be mixed. Read this personal experience peppered with thoughts from a pro cannabis Peruvian Shaman.

 

Ayahuasca Retreat 101: Everything You Need to Know to Brave the Brew
Ayahuasca has been known to be a powerful medicinal substance for millennia. However, until recently, it was only found in the jungle. Word of its deeply healing and cleansing properties has begun to spread across the world as many modern, Western individuals are seeking spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well-being. More ayahuasca retreat centers are emerging in the Amazon and worldwide to meet the demand.

 

Ayahuasca Helps with Grief
A new study published in psychopharmacology found that ayahuasca helped those suffering from the loss of a loved one up to a year after treatment.

 

Ayahuasca Benefits: Clinical Improvements for Six Months
Ayahuasca benefits can last six months according to studies. Read here to learn about the clinical improvements from drinking the brew.

 

Ayahuasca Culture: Indigenous, Western, And The Future
Ayahuasca has been use for generations in the Amazon. With the rise of retreats and the brew leaving the rainforest how is ayahuasca culture changing?

 

Ayahuasca Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
The Amazonian brew, Ayahuasca has a long history and wide use. Read our guide to learn all about the tea from its beginnings up to modern-day interest.

 

Ayahuasca and the Godhead: An Interview with Wahid Azal of the Fatimiya Sufi Order
Wahid Azal, a Sufi mystic of The Fatimiya Sufi Order and an Islamic scholar, talks about entheogens, Sufism, mythology, and metaphysics.

 

Ayahuasca and the Feminine: Women’s Roles, Healing, Retreats, and More
Ayahuasca is lovingly called “grandmother” or “mother” by many. Just how feminine is the brew? Read to learn all about women and ayahuasca.

What Is the Standard of Care for Ketamine Treatments?
Ketamine therapy is on the rise in light of its powerful results for treatment-resistant depression. But, what is the current standard of care for ketamine? Read to find out.

What Is Dissociation and How Does Ketamine Create It?
Dissociation can take on multiple forms. So, what is dissociation like and how does ketamine create it? Read to find out.

Having Sex on Ketamine: Getting Physical on a Dissociative
Curious about what it could feel like to have sex on a dissociate? Find out all the answers in our guide to sex on ketamine.

Special K: The Party Drug
Special K refers to Ketamine when used recreationally. Learn the trends as well as safety information around this substance.

Kitty Flipping: When Ketamine and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Read to explore the mechanics of kitty flipping.

Ketamine vs. Esketamine: 3 Important Differences Explained
Ketamine and esketamine are used to treat depression. But what’s the difference between them? Read to learn which one is right for you: ketamine vs. esketamine.

Guide to Ketamine Treatments: Understanding the New Approach
Ketamine is becoming more popular as more people are seeing its benefits. Is ketamine a fit? Read our guide for all you need to know about ketamine treatments.

Ketamine Treatment for Eating Disorders
Ketamine is becoming a promising treatment for various mental health conditions. Read to learn how individuals can use ketamine treatment for eating disorders.

Ketamine Resources, Studies, and Trusted Information
Curious to learn more about ketamine? This guide includes comprehensive ketamine resources containing books, studies and more.

Ketamine Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to ketamine has everything you need to know about this “dissociative anesthetic” and how it is being studied for depression treatment.

Ketamine for Depression: A Mental Health Breakthrough
While antidepressants work for some, many others find no relief. Read to learn about the therapeutic uses of ketamine for depression.

Ketamine for Addiction: Treatments Offering Hope
New treatments are offering hope to individuals suffering from addiction diseases. Read to learn how ketamine for addiction is providing breakthrough results.

Microdosing Ketamine & Common Dosages Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing ketamine.

How to Ease a Ketamine Comedown
Knowing what to expect when you come down from ketamine can help integrate the experience to gain as much value as possible.

How to Store Ketamine: Best Practices
Learn the best ways how to store ketamine, including the proper temperature and conditions to maximize how long ketamine lasts when stored.

How To Buy Ketamine: Is There Legal Ketamine Online?
Learn exactly where it’s legal to buy ketamine, and if it’s possible to purchase legal ketamine on the internet.

How Long Does Ketamine Stay in Your System?
How long does ketamine stay in your system? Are there lasting effects on your body? Read to discover the answers!

How Ketamine is Made: Everything You Need to Know
Ever wonder how to make Ketamine? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how Ketamine is made.

Colorado on Ketamine: First Responders Waiver Programs
Fallout continues after Elijah McClain. Despite opposing recommendations from some city council, Colorado State Health panel recommends the continued use of ketamine by medics for those demonstrating “excited delirium” or “extreme agitation”.

Types of Ketamine: Learn the Differences & Uses for Each
Learn about the different types of ketamine and what they are used for—and what type might be right for you. Read now to find out!

Kitty Flipping: When Ketamine and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Read to explore the mechanics of kitty flipping.

MDMA & Ecstasy Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to MDMA has everything you want to know about Ecstasy from how it was developed in 1912 to why it’s being studied today.

How To Get the Most out of Taking MDMA as a Couple
Taking MDMA as a couple can lead to exciting experiences. Read here to learn how to get the most of of this love drug in your relationship.

Common MDMA Dosage & Microdosing Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing MDMA.

Having Sex on MDMA: What You Need to Know
MDMA is known as the love drug… Read our guide to learn all about sex on MDMA and why it is beginning to makes its way into couple’s therapy.

How MDMA is Made: Common Procedures Explained
Ever wonder how to make MDMA? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how MDMA is made.

Hippie Flipping: When Shrooms and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Explore the mechanics of hippie flipping and how to safely experiment.

How Cocaine is Made: Common Procedures Explained
Ever wonder how to make cocaine? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how cocaine is made.

A Christmas Sweater with Santa and Cocaine
This week, Walmart came under fire for a “Let it Snow” Christmas sweater depicting Santa with lines of cocaine. Columbia is not merry about it.

Ultimate Cocaine Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
This guide covers what you need to know about Cocaine, including common effects and uses, legality, safety precautions and top trends today.

NEWS: An FDA-Approved Cocaine Nasal Spray
The FDA approved a cocaine nasal spray called Numbrino, which has raised suspicions that the pharmaceutical company, Lannett Company Inc., paid off the FDA..

The Ultimate Guide to Cannabis Bioavailability
What is bioavailability and how can it affect the overall efficacy of a psychedelic substance? Read to learn more.

Cannabis Research Explains Sociability Behaviors
New research by Dr. Giovanni Marsicano shows social behavioral changes occur as a result of less energy available to the neurons. Read here to learn more.

The Cannabis Shaman
If recreational and medical use of marijuana is becoming accepted, can the spiritual use as well? Experiential journalist Rak Razam interviews Hamilton Souther, founder of the 420 Cannabis Shamanism movement…

Cannabis Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to Cannabis has everything you want to know about this popular substances that has psychedelic properties.

Cannabis and Ayahuasca: Mixing Entheogenic Plants
Cannabis and Ayahuasca: most people believe they shouldn’t be mixed. Read this personal experience peppered with thoughts from a procannabis Peruvian Shaman.

CBD-Rich Cannabis Versus Single-Molecule CBD
A ground-breaking study has documented the superior therapeutic properties of whole plant Cannabis extract as compared to synthetic cannabidiol (CBD), challenging the medical-industrial complex’s notion that “crude” botanical preparations are less effective than single-molecule compounds.

Cannabis Has Always Been a Medicine
Modern science has already confirmed the efficacy of cannabis for most uses described in the ancient medical texts, but prohibitionists still claim that medical cannabis is “just a ruse.”

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