Spirituality

Religion as a product of psychotropic drug use

*John Marco Allegro featured here in film describing his research Perhaps one of the first things to consider is whether there is any direct evidence for the entheogenic theory of religion which derives from contemporary science. On Good Friday 1962, two groups of students received either psilocybin or niacin (a non-hallucinogenic “control” substance) on a…

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Spirituality

Mormons and pot

The large pharmaceutical companies don’t want easily available medical marijuana. That is no surprise and it’s easy to see their motivation. If approved through the “appropriate channels” and legalized as a prescription drug, it would probably be the most profitable drug ever to hit the market. What costs around $150 per ounce in those states…

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Spirituality

Storming the gates of psychedelia: Scientists commit to collaboration in the face of capitalist competition

The trouble is that healthcare in America exists within a competitive market economy, motivated by the insatiable quest of economic growth. Privatization by means of patenting or theft often precipitates the process of making profit. This means restricting access to common pool resources (e.g., putting a fence around a field of marijuana for the purpose…

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Spirituality

Inside Jamaica’s magic mushroom retreat for women

*worldwide map of psilocybin mushroom habitat The mushrooms are grown nearby, dried and ground into a fine powder before being decanted into capsules … This is the first time they’ve had a women only retreat. “The #MeToo movement has demonstrated how common sexual harassment and abuse is in our society,” says Maclean. “We wanted to…

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Modern Culture

Kratom trade association…

At least three million people in America use kratom. They came out by the thousands a few years ago (2016) when the Drug Enforcement Agency tried to make kratom a Schedule I drug, putting in a category with drugs like heroin… “Over 33,000 comments that they (DEA) received in a 30-day period,” Brambila explained. The…

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Spirituality

Oregon grew more cannabis than customers can smoke. Now shops and farmers are left with mountains of unwanted bud.

“This time last year, it was basically all mom-and-pop shops,” says Mason Walker, CEO of Cave Junction cannabis farm East Fork Cultivars. “Now there are five or six companies that own 25 or 30 percent. Stores are selling for pennies on the dollar, and people are losing their life savings in the process.” Deep-pocketed companies…

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Spirituality

Message from Santo Daime Dutch Churches in response to [one] verdict that makes Santo Daime illegal [outside the United States]

We are a praying people. During our ceremonies, we sing, meditate, pray… we believe it is not up to the one group of believers [scientific materialists, religious dogmatics, authoritarian dictatorships, insular tribal interests, etc.] to criminalize the other group [devout religious/spiritual practitioners and a myriad of diverse individuals and their relationships with particular plants]. ​​…

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Modern Culture

‘Micro-dosing’ LSD is not just a Silicon Valley trend – it is spreading to other workplaces

A reliance on cognitive-enhancing technologies to cope with demanding working conditions may ultimately reduce the health and well-being of individuals. So we must take care to ensure that enhancement is not seen as a substitute for a healthy working environment. In an increasingly competitive world it is tempting to find a quick fix to help…

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