Next Economy Now: For the Benefit of All Life Reclaiming Ancestral Medicine for a Regenerative Future (w/ Laura Ash)
Nov 4, 2025
Laura Ash, a clinical herbalist and educator directing operations for the Beneficial Plant Research Association, dives into how ancestral plant wisdom can revolutionize healthcare and our economy. She shares her journey from childhood illness to discovering herbal medicine, learning from indigenous healers, and addressing biopiracy. The conversation highlights the importance of whole-plant medicine over isolated compounds and reclaims traditional knowledge. Laura emphasizes the need for ethical partnerships and nurturing our connection with plants for personal and planetary healing.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Lavender Sparked A Healing Journey
- At 19 Laura Ash used lavender instead of antibiotics for bronchitis and felt dramatically better.
- That early healing moment launched her life-long journey into herbal medicine and clinical training.
Collaborating To Preserve Maasai Medicine
- In Tanzania Laura collaborated with Maasai healer Sayanga to write down traditional medicine so he could teach his children and earn income.
- That project led her to found the Herbal Anthropology Project to protect community IP and knowledge.
Biopiracy Harms Without Benefit Sharing
- Biopiracy is widespread and harms communities when researchers profit without reciprocity.
- Ethical work requires community control, consent, and benefit-sharing agreements tailored to each community's needs.
