The fact that the hippie has been sacrificed in scientific analysis for the determination of medical properties of an alleged panacea tells us an important quality of our science – that science is underpinned by relationships of power, and true knowledge, knowledge of what is essential, is undermined by that very companionship.

Note : Elder is a word with deeper anthropological and cross-cultural use (often meant to designate a person with who has aged into wisdom through experience and knowledge). Today, while not all “hippies” of the 1960’s would be considered Elders, some certainly would.

We People ; Love Plants! 
Why [for-profit] doctor’s give you pills and not ancient plant remedies
As a professional neuroscientist with an interest in psychedelic medicines, it is clear to me that the attempt to reduce organisms to single active principles is challenged by the sheer complexity of traditional medicine. mainstream pharmacology is adamant about the need to use purified substances for medical treatment, because these are presumably more specific and safe. This position is defended fiercely in the media and also in academic publications, as if there was much more clinical knowledge accumulated about the effects of the purified compounds than about the effects of whole organisms. However, this is simply not the case. The traditional use of whole organisms has centuries and, in some cases, millennia of cultural experience, while purified compounds only recently started to be investigated. 

 If Fungi ; Why Prison!?
A Washington Man Arrested for Picking Magic Mushrooms
A 63-year-old man… believed the specimen he discovered was an unidentified subspecies, and he hoped to study and analyze it in detail later… Corbett maintains that he did not commit a crime. ​ The mushrooms in question were large and red, growing in a wood chip pile. There was a sign warning that picking the mushrooms could lead to criminal citation, but the devoted forager ignored it. He also found a more common form of the mushroom growing nearby. He picked ten of the standard mushrooms and ten of the unusual ones. He put them in his vehicle and then turned back to pick more. Then a park ranger arrived, brandishing a firearm. 

Paying Dues ; But Who’s Really Committing The Crime?
Ongoing Elder Abuse
[Paul] was arraigned on charges of felony possession of a controlled substance [for picking mushrooms]. He now faces up to five years in prison and a fine of as much as $10,000. He was offered a plea deal with a year’s probation, but that would be impossible. His partner, Joyce, uses medical cannabis to reduce her narcotic painkiller intake. If he accepted the plea and went on probation, he couldn’t even live in the home with her while she used cannabis. Corbett maintains that he did not commit a crime. 

Original Article (ECfES Newsletter):
Magic mushrooms… entourage effect
(citations within)  
Artwork Fair Use: Canid