In what I hope to be part 1 of a Drug Cultures mini-series on sobriety, I take a look at the recent phenomenon of choosing to be "Cali sober" - a version of sobriety that still allows for responsible consumption of cannabis, and sometimes other psychedelics. How does it work? Who does it work for? How has it been received by the recovery community? And does the science support it? Listen to the episode to find out!
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25:22
E13 - Take Me To Mushroom Church
I sit down with Jonathan Maxwell Stanaford, founder of Oregon's first psychedelic mushroom church, to discuss his upbringing, the legal landscape of psychedelic churches, and making the psychedelic experience accessible to poor and working class people. https://www.youtube.com/@ravenofthesacredentheogen?si=WbZNYXpd6DGXEU-jhttps://ravenofthesacredentheogen.com/
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56:24
E12 - Opium Eradication in Communist China
In the 19th century, the Opium Wars began a "century of humiliation" for China, which would repeatedly suffer economic and military catastrophes in the decades to follow. Opium addiction, while not the cause of this catastrophe, would make the despair far more visible. In this episode, we do a deep dive into the little known story of how the CCP eradicated opium in China for more than two decades, and explore how this drug war managed to succeed in its goal of eradication when most others have failed.
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37:45
E11 - Ether, Sobriety, and Independence in Ireland
Through centuries of prejudice (and deep national pride), Ireland has long been known for its alcohol drinking culture. In the 19th century, however, much of Northern Ireland gave up its drinking habit and replaced it with a powerfully mind-altering elixir that is now largely forgotten: ether.How and why did this happen? And just what role did the Great Famine and the Irish struggle for independence and home rule play? In today's episode, we do a deep dive into this little-known piece of Irish history.
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33:09
E10 - Catnip Evergreen
When cats roll around in catnip, are they getting high? What about when humans smoke it? And why did people keep getting arrested for using it in New York in the early 1900s?
The purr-fect episode for the cat lover in your life, I trace the long and meandering history of this remarkable herb, as well as its forgotten history as a medical plant (and, potentially, as a human intoxicant)
At drug cultures, we pull the veil back on one of the most taboo topics, exploring the ways in which cultures throughout history have used psychoactive substances. Join your host Skye Hawthorne on a journey through the strange world of drugs past and present, and how they've been embraced, incorporated, or shunned by societies worldwide.
New Zealand