The Drug Science Podcast

This week’s episode features yet another great speaker at the ESPD55 conference Mark Plotkin, an ethnobotanist, advocate for tropical forest conservation and the host of Plants of the Gods podcast. Following research at Harvard under Richard Evans Schultes and years of working in a close relationship with the native communities of Amazonia, Mark with his books, podcasts and talks educates the public about the wondrous world of plants, their history, medicinal and cultural significance. Accordingly, he advocates for saving tropical forests as entities inseparable from their indigenous cultures. His group Amazon Conservation Team focuses on helping the communities to survive within the modern world rather than subordinate to it. Tune in to the episode to find out how we can help these communities grow but also how wine, magic mushrooms and other substances might have influenced our own culture.The Plants of the GodsKary MullisThujone ESPD55Dennis McKennaStoned Ape HypothesisDrunken monkey hypothesisThe Ethnobotany of Wine as Medicine in the Ancient Mediterranean WorldRichard Evans SchultesScopolamineErik the redThe Shamans and Apprentices ProgramTales of a Shaman’s ApprenticeTimothy LearyAmazon Conservation Team Ethnographic mappingPeyoteAyahuascaMescalineRichard SpruceAlfred Russel WallaceDMTCocaCocaineCannabisKratomIbogaine ★ Support this podcast ★

Wade Davis is a Canadian cultural anthropologist, ethnobotanist, author, and photographer. Davis came to prominence with his 1985 best-selling book The Serpent and the Rainbow about the ‘zombies of Haiti’. He is professor of anthropology and the BC Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk at the University of British Columbia.Davis has published articles in Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Outside, National Geographic, Fortune, and Condé Nast Traveler. He is an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society and had produced 18 documentary films. His work has largely focused on worldwide indigenous cultures, and has taken him to, among others, East Africa, Borneo, Nepal, Peru and Tibet.As a honorary citizen of Colombia, Wade Davis educates about the true culture of a country known mostly for its drug cartels and cocaine scandals. Listen to this week’s episode to find out about Colombia and its sacred plant - Coca, a stimulant milder than tea and with more nutritional benefits than all the plants we know of.  ESPD55.comLeaves of GrassGold Museum, BogotáKogi peopleMorphineOpiumOpioidsHow Coffee Fuelled RevolutionsCaffeinePenny universityDEA Drug SchedulingHallucinogensTimothy LearyManuel SantosCocaineCoca leavesCoca wine (Vin Mariani)Dennis McKenna Albert HoffmanPeyoteRichard Evans ShultesAlkaloidVolstead actAndrew Weil ★ Support this podcast ★

Dennis Jon McKenna is an American ethnopharmacologist, research pharmacognosist, lecturer and author. He received his doctorate in botanical sciences from the University of British Columbia and completed post-doctoral research fellowships in the National Institute of Mental Health and in the Department of Neurology at Stanford University School of Medicine. His research has included the pharmacology, botany, and chemistry of ayahuasca and oo-koo-hé, the subjects of his master's thesis. He has also conducted extensive fieldwork in the Peruvian, Colombian, and Brazilian Amazon. Having authored numerous scientific articles and books, McKenna’s work led to the development of natural products for Aveda Corporation as well as greater awareness of natural products and medicines. Additionally, together with his brother Terence McKenna and Jeremy Bigwood, he developed a technique for cultivating psilocybin mushrooms, and published what they had learned in a book Psilocybin - Magic Mushroom Grower’s Guide.With that immense experience and knowledge of psychedelics, Dennis McKenna is a founding board member and the director of ethnopharmacology at the Heffter Research Institute, A non-profit which investigates the potential medicinal uses of these substances.Tune in to this week’s episode to find out about the true significance of ethnopharmacology and a conference organised by Dennis that you’ll be able to stream online very soon!ETHNOPHARMACOLOGIC SEARCH FOR PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGSDennis McKennaESPD 50National Institute of Mental HealthAlexander ShulginAndrew WeilEthnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive DrugsEthnopharmacologyCocaCody SwiftCOMPASS psilocybin trialPsilocybinESPD 55“Sea DMT” Tryptamine in Sea SpongesNew York Times DMT toad article How to Change your Mind by Michael PollanNational Institutes of Health (NIH)Poison arrow frogsBufoteninSerotonin receptorsAyahuascaAutoradiographyLSDSalvinorinKappa opioid receptorICCERS - The International Centre for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and ServiceIbogaAyahuasca tourismMckenna’s missionDMT: The Spirit Molecule (documentary)ESPD55.comPsilocybin Pulse DosingMicrodosingOregon Drug DecriminalizationSet and settingSerotoninDopamineDefault mode networkRobin Carhart-Harris5-HT2a receptor ★ Support this podcast ★

This week we’re talking about ketamine with Professor Celia Morgan, a Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter and the academic lead for Exeter Translational Addiction Partnership (ETAP) and Ketamine for Reduction of Alcoholic Relapse (KARE). Professor Morgan is interested in the effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain and behaviour. Her research focuses on examining both the benefits and side effects of recreational drugs on cognition, mental health and neurobiology. Through behavioural, neuroimaging studies and clinical trials, she has investigated the potentially therapeutic sides of controlled substances in clinical trials aimed at the treatment of addiction and in particularly looking at drugs such as ketamine and MDMA in combination with psychological therapies. Tune into this week's episode to find out all about ketamine and how cycling around squats in North London can be part of scientific research...  ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr Watts is a clinical psychologist, a mother, and a nature lover. Her work as the Clinical Lead for Imperial College London’s psilocybin trial, and subsequent role as the Clinical Director at Synthesis Institute, have made her one of the most prominent voices and minds in the field of psychedelic research. Dr Watts builds tools and structures to foster connectedness after psychedelic experiences, finding inspiration for their design from nature. The most recent of which is the integration community she’s created - ACER Integration. While working in clinical practice Rosalind has developed a psychedelic therapy model she coined ACE, which stands for, ‘Accept, Connect, Embody’. Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and the ‘Psychological Flexibility Model’, she mapped the journey that individuals under the influence of a psychedelic go through when they dive into their experience, extract the meaningful lessons to heal, and then integrate and embody them afterwards. Her qualitative research, exploring the perspectives of participants in several psychedelic research studies, gave rise to her interest in the common theme of ‘connectedness to Self, others, and the world’ as an essential aspect of psychedelic treatment. With that patient-centred attitude, she gives insightful talks focusing on the patients’ perspective on the psychedelic journey as a part of the healing process.Listen to the podcast to learn about the beauty and the nuances of psychedelic experience and healing.Join Dr Watts for the inaugural launch of ACER Integration here -> https://dandelion.earth/events/622233b3025fc50011891f2e Learn more about ACER Integration -> https://www.drrosalindwatts.com/ Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)Psychedelic therapyForensic psychologyThe Portman ClinicPsychoanalysisPsychedelic use and recidivismAyahuascaMichael PollanRobin Carhart-HarrisMDMAMendel KaelenKintsugiPsilocybinBad tripWilliam A. Richards (Bill)Abraham MaslowCarl JungAcceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT)Dialectical behaviour therapyPsychological flexibilitySynthesis InstituteIsland (Huxley novel)Journal of Humanistic Psychology ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Dame Carol Black studied history at Bristol University, then worked as a schoolteacher, however, in 1965 Black enrolled as a mature student to study medicine which she graduated from at the age of 30.During her career, she’s been an advisor for the government on issues such as the relationship between work and health. She’d issue reports regarding sick leaves due to physical and mental health, including drug addictions.In 2019 Professor Dame Carol Black was appointed to lead a major 2-part review that looked into the relationship between drugs and violence but also treatment, recovery and prevention of drug addictions.Listen to this week’s episode to hear the perspective of a dedicated physician but also a government advisor on the approach to both treatment and social implications of drug addictions. Cicely SaundersSclerodermaRoyal College of PhysiciansNewnham CollegeReview of drugs: phase two reportMethadoneIndividual placement and supportSajid JavidMatt HancockNational Treatment Agency of Substance Misuse (NTA) ★ Support this podcast ★

Ethan Nadelmann studied at Harvard University and London School of Economics and was a lecturer at Princeton University. While at Princeton, Nadelmann’s work focused on drug policy, attracting considerable attention with his articles in Science, Foreign Affairs, National Review and many others. He also formed the Princeton Working Group on the Future of Drug Use and Alternatives to Drug Prohibition.  In mid-90s Nadelmann founded the Lindesmith Center, a drug policy institute that six years later became the Drug Policy Alliance, a group for drug policies "grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.” As the Executive Director of the organisation, Nadelmann advocates for the application of harm reduction principles to minimize the public health effects of the War on Drugs.  In 2021 he launched Psychoactive, a podcast on drug policy, drug use, and drugs research featuring Nadelmann interviewing leading figures in current debates on drugs such as head of the US National Institute of Drug Abuse Nora Volkow, authors Michael Pollan and Andrew Weil.  What’s the future of drug policies? Will tobacco become the next substance politicians will go to war against? Be sure to tune in to find out!  McGill University Cannabis Hash Magic Mushrooms (Psilocybin) Cops Across Borders DEA Andrew Weil Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin Lester Grinspoon Harry Levine Jeffrey Fagan Tobacco (Nicotine) Kenneth Warner Sylvia Law  Arnold Trebach National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Kevin Zeese War on Drugs George Soros Foreign Policy magazine Open Society Foundations Lindesmith center Alfred Lindesmith Drug Policy Alliance International Harm Reduction Development Program (IHRD)  Ballot initiative Brompton cocktail The Heroin Solution by Arnold S. Trebach Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Marjorie “Mo” Mowlam Keith Hellawell Heroin-assisted treatment Partnership for a Drug-Free America Jesse Jackson Charles Rangel Chuck Schumer The Beckley Foundation Fentanyl Tobacco Harm Reduction Smoking Cessation and Psilocybin  ★ Support this podcast ★

James Fadiman is a true man of many talents. Wikipedia calls him an ‘American writer’, but actually, he’s worked in multiple fields, from psychology, through to IT and, finally, to psychedelic research.He studied Psychology at Harvard University and obtained a PhD from Stanford University. As a graduate student at Stanford, Fadiman was Stewart Brand's LSD guide on Brand's first LSD trip, at Myron Stolaroff's International Foundation for Advanced Study in Menlo Park, California.He was also part of the team in the psychedelics in problem-solving experiment at the International Foundation for Advanced Study, which was abruptly halted in 1966 together with all the remarkable psychedelic research that was happening in the US. Additionally, Fadiman worked at Stanford's Augmentation Research Center, a division that did research on networked computing. What did the technological research group need a psychologist in their team for? How are psychedelics and technological advances interconnected? And finally, what happens when you give psychedelics to a group of scientists? Listen to this week’s episode to find out! Richard Alpert (Baba Ram Dass)PsilocybinTimothy LearyAldous HuxleyInternational Foundation for Advanced StudyMyron StolaroffLSDBrandeis UniversityWillis HarmanPTSDSet and settingMescaline Doug EngelbartThe Mother of All DemosNixon’s War on drugsAbraham MaslowMicrodosingmicrodosingpsychedelics.com FDADouble-blind studiesLupus ★ Support this podcast ★

If you were told you had months, weeks or even days left to live...would you care what the law said about consuming psychoactive substances? This week’s episode features Spencer Hawkswell the CEO of TheraPsil - a non-profit coalition dedicated to helping Canadians in medical need access legal, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat end-of-life distress. Spencer believes that responsible drug policy requires effective organization and leadership and is dedicated to bringing together the experts and advocates, to facilitate change that results in increased access to compassionate care, harm reduction, and treatment options for those in need.Tune in to this week’s episode to hear how the Land of Maple Leaf implements its patient-centred approach in healthcare. What happened in the UK? Are there lessons to be learnt from Canada?  PsilocybinCannabisTrigeminal neuralgia Patty HajduJean-Yves DuclosHealth CanadaFentanyl Clonazepam Section 56 Exemption Roland R. GriffithsMathew W. JohnsonRobin Carhart-HarrisAnthony P. BossisKetamineHolotropic breathworkCluster headacheADHDAcid (LSD)Medical assistance in dyingLetter to Minister DuclosRe: Proposed Regulations for Medical Access to Psilocybin ★ Support this podcast ★

This week’s episode features Paul Glue, professor of Psychiatry at the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.With a vast experience in both academia and pharmaceutical industry, Paul Glue's research focuses on clinical and basic science to investigate the pharmacology of drug treatments in psychiatry and the disease mechanisms of neurological and psychiatric disorders. He is also interested in psychopharmacology and the development of novel therapeutics for affective disorders. One of these novel substances that have dominated his career is ketamine for treatment-resistant depression. Tune in to this episode to listen to a fascinating conversation between two great scientists about, well… Drug Science.KetamineIbogaineNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismMicrodialysisElectroconvulsive therapy (ECT)NMDA glutamate receptorOverexcitement and disinhibition Dynamic Neurotransmitter Interactions in Alcohol Withdrawal by Paul Glue and David Nutt Methamphetamine John KrystalTreatment-resistant depressionKetamine Assisted PsychotherapyMontgomery-Asberg Depression Rating ScaleDouglas PharmaceuticalsPlasma brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and response to ketamine in treatment-resistant depressionMechanisms of ketamine action as an antidepressant - P Zanos, T D GouldFood and Drug Administration (FDA)Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory AgencyGood manufacturing practice (GMP)Paroxetine QT interval The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate RelationNoribogaineProzacPsychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity - Ly et al.Serotonin 2a receptor ★ Support this podcast ★