“But What Will People Say?”: Mom & trauma survivor says taking psychedelics was the right choice

I have not been much of a substance user in my lifetime, sans an addiction to Diet Coke. I was raised during the peak of the War on Drugs, and the message that controlled substances were wrong and harmful was effectively drilled into my head.  I have spent a lifetime feeling disconnected from other people. […]

In Pursuit of Safer Highs: Harm Reduction with DanceSafe’s Rachel Clark

Since at least prohibition, anxiety has governed America’s disastrous relationship with substance use. As the 20th century increasingly saw anti-drug sentiment used to fuel moral crusades from “saving the children” to quashing perceived threats against whiteness, “Just Say No” became the mantra of a culture that neither understood addiction nor possessed the language to interrogate […]

Do We Need More Overdose Prevention Centers?

The first overdose prevention center in the US was opened in New York just last November (2021). To many, this marks a victory for drug policy activists and harm-reduction advocates’ in their fight against the opioid epidemic. Those with substance use disorders who have yet to seek treatment are overdosing at rates higher than ever […]

How Psychedelic Rock Started

When you hear the words “psychedelic rock”, what comes to mind? For us, it’s 1960s counterculture, Woodstock, and major names like Jimi Hendrix or The Doors. In truth, psychedelic rock bands include many of the artists we regard to be the foundations of classic rock. Even the first psychedelic records have a lasting influence, with […]

AI Can Help Us Discover New Substances

In many aspects of our lives, manual efforts are being replaced with a more time- and cost-effective option: artificial intelligence. Now, researchers are using AI to help uncover new organically-based substances and properties at a molecular level. Secondary natural compounds found in many bacteria, plants, and fungi have anti-inflammatory properties that can help fight off […]

Medieval Hallucinogenic Drug Practices

For centuries, people have turned to botany for medicine, spiritual enlightenment, and communal bonding. Across the world, people in the Middle and Medieval Ages have used plants, fungi, and even mold for rituals, healing, and exploration: The Aztecs would crush morning glory seeds and boil them into a decoction called ololiuqui, which contained alkaloids that […]

Best Books on Psychedelics and Consciousness

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced psychonaut, it’s never a bad idea to look into psychedelic literature to help expand your mind before you start to explore it. Here are recommended books that everyone should have with them to help plan their next trip. Beginner These books are great for those who are new […]

Gentrification of Psychedelic Culture

As most of us know, the human race has been using psychedelics for centuries, and those original uses were rooted in spirituality, ritual, and medicine. The Babongo tribe of Gabon in Central Africa utilizes the bark of the iboga plant in Bwiti for rites of passage, communal events, and personal spiritual growth. Ayahuasca is used […]

Drug Policy U.S. Update

Is America finally backing away from the war on drugs? Recent movements to legalize and decriminalize certain substances — mainly cannabis — would suggest so. Let’s take a look at this list of which states have legalized and decriminalized cannabis and psychedelics.

Treating Hypoactive Sexual Disorder With MDMA

There are a million reasons to occasionally not feel in the mood. This can include everything from work stress to feeling tired, and everything in between. 2020 was the literal definition of a dumpster fire, and 2021 hasn’t shown much improvement. Life has been a lot lately, and it’s understandable if the thought of getting […]