Otherworld Interview with Hamilton Morris
Sep 2, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Hamilton Morris, a scientific researcher and documentarian known for his work on psychoactive substances, dives into fascinating topics. He discusses the challenges of drug documentary filmmaking, including a wild anecdote about Quaalude synthesis in South Africa. The conversation also explores cultural perceptions of psychedelics like DMT, connecting them to shared hallucinatory experiences and indigenous beliefs. Morris emphasizes the significance of creativity in drug education and critiques societal views on drug use.
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Video Became Primary Medium
- Hamilton prioritized video because it reached far more people than print and allowed deeper storytelling.
- He shifted from treating videos as an add-on to making them the primary medium for impact.
Bad Drug Coverage Fueled His Mission
- Hamilton was radicalized by witnessing drug trials and sad, poor journalism around drugs in courtrooms.
- He saw a systemic failure in drug coverage and sought to produce informed, scientific reporting.
From Plant Extraction To Synthetic Chemistry
- Hamilton began practical chemistry with plant extractions as a teen and later learned synthesis at university in his early 20s.
- He recounts the satisfaction of reproducing century-old syntheses and observing original colors and crystals.