Psychedelic Medicine Podcast with Dr. Lynn Marie Morski

On this week's episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Caitlin Thompson joins to discuss her recent article "Psychedelics as a Novel Approach to Treating Autoimmune Conditions" published in Immunology Letters. Caitlin is the founder of the nutritional supplement company EntheoZen, a certified kambo practitioner, and a research associate at the UCSD school of medicine. Drawing on personal experience with an autoimmune condition, Caitlin hopes her scientific research investigating psychedelics and kambo can help give credence to these healing modalities, allowing for more effective treatments of autoimmune conditions.  In this conversation, Caitlin discusses the five major findings from her literature review published in Immunology Letters. Her findings draw important connections between the serotonergic mechanism of classic psychedelics and the immunomodulating function of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. Additionally, she discusses the impact of psychosocial stress and the gut microbiome on the immune system. As psychedelics can definitely improve psychosocial stress and may even impact the microbiome through serotonergic mechanisms, Caitlin sees significant potential for these compounds as treatments for autoimmune conditions.  Caitlin closes by discussing kambo, which remains an under-investigated healing modality. She explains what little is known about how kambo is able to clear microbes from the body while at the same time being inert in relation to human cells. Now that her literature review has been published, Caitlin hopes to focus her research on kambo, and since kambo is not regulated like psychedelics, she will have more freedom to conduct original research leading to new discoveries.   In this episode: An overview of Caitlin's recent article published in Immunology Letters How the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor modulates immune responses The impact of stress on physiological processes How psychedelics impact the gut microbiome Why kambo is often an effective treatment for autoimmune conditions Quotes "What's actually really fascinating is how important serotonin is for regulating all sorts of processes that are related to immune function." [8:40] "There are very real scientific explanations for the way that stress can influence our physical health." [12:32] "It's a bit useless to go through all these treatments, to have this pristine diet, to take all these supplements if you're not also approaching the core thing that compromised the person in the first place." [15:35] "When people are able to actually, consciously resolve and find peace with traumatic experiences, it actually completely changes how the nervous system responds." [22:41]   Links: EntheoZen Caitlin's article: Psychedelics as a Novel Approach to Treating Autoimmune Conditions Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui

On this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Dr. Mike Hart joins to discuss the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, focusing on his clinical work using this medicine to help treat PTSD. Dr. Hart is a Canadian family medicine doctor who opened the first cannabis clinic in London, Ontario - ReadyToGo Clinic. In his practice, Dr. Hart draws on his family medicine background and his cannabis expertise to help his patients tackle their unique conditions and make lifestyle improvements.  In this conversation, Dr. Hart discusses his work using cannabinoid medicines, such as CBD and THC, to help veterans with PTSD better treat their symptoms. He talks about the different features of PTSD and how both CBD and THC can be effective at improving the wellbeing of individuals with this diagnosis. Drawing on both his clinical experience and the scientific literature. Dr. Hart provides an overview of how these cannabinoid medicines can be used to improve sleep, manage stress, reduce pain, and even help with trauma.  In addition, Dr. Hart explains how he works with patients on an individual basis to create plans for transitioning off traditional pharmaceuticals such as SSRIs in cases where cannabinoid treatments are providing more relief with fewer side effects. Dr. Hart hopes to continue promoting cannabis education to help bridge the gap between the scientific research and popular awareness, allowing more people to take advantage of these treatment options.  In this episode: How cannabis can be used to treat various symptoms of PTSD The different uses of CBD and THC How cannabis can release traumatic memories and prevent the formation of new trauma responses The unique effects of using CBD and THC in tandem How cannabis is providing better therapeutic benefits compared to traditional pharmaceuticals for many dealing with depression and sleep issues. Quotes: "Cannabis isn't a cure-all per se, but it's definitely a medicine that can help initiate you to have a healthier lifestyle overall." [8:59] "If someone does have really severe PTSD that includes nightmares, including some THC in their regime would likely be very, very effective for them." [16:52] "By using CBD you may be able to unlearn these things that you've learned and then you can learn new things so you can transform yourself and become a new person." [22:14] "Generally CBD actually does work better when you are in stressful environments." [26:11] "The one really nice thing with CBD is you're gonna notice it right away, on your very first dose." [37:38]   Links: Dr. Hart's Website Dr. Hart's Book: Friendly Fire: Why Vets Are Ditching Pills and Lighting Up to Treat PTSD ReadyToGo Clinic Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Ryan Westrum returns to discuss the finer details of psychedelic integration. Ryan is a trained psychotherapist with a Doctorate of Transpersonal Clinical Psychology from Sofia University and an M.A. degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Adler Graduate School. He is also the founder of Healing Souls LLC and a registered integration therapist for Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, as well as the author of the Psychedelics Integration Handbook. Drawing on his 15 years of experience as a mental health practitioner, Ryan approaches integration with an intimate knowledge of human psychology, drawing on multiple modalities to best facilitate integration for his clients. In this conversation, Ryan talks about various roadblocks to successful integration and how these can be overcome, especially with the help of an integration coach. He emphasizes the importance of making the psychedelic experience one’s own as a central project in integration, explaining how this is essential for allowing new self-understandings to emerge.   Ryan also discusses various practices he encourages as an integration coach, such as journaling, drawing mandalas, and movement practices, mentioning how these can all help better incorporate the work of integration into one’s life rather than keeping it an isolated project. Here again, Ryan emphasizes the importance of individual psychology and encourages people to choose practices that resonate and spur new insight.   As a practicing therapist, Ryan also shares his thoughts on the distinction between psychedelic integration and therapy, noting how this boundary is often blurry. What Ryan stresses for both paradigms, however, is the interpersonal character of healing and growth. With the help of a skilled integration coach, the work of living out one's psychedelic insights and making lasting changes becomes all the more approachable. In This Episode: The purpose and value of an integration coach How to make psychedelic experiences tangible How to start the integration process Different practices to help spur integration The relationship between therapy and integration Quotes: “Integration to me is the act of taking one thing and another and finding wholeness or links to wholeness.” [4:55] “[Integration] is reconciling past memories and incrementally getting prepared for future stories.” [14:22] “Integration exercises can also challenge you to see what you’re afraid of, what you’re not ready to look at, what potentially are growth points.” [18:27] “I would never encourage anyone, no matter how many sessions you’ve sat or how many ceremonies or how many cups of tea you’ve drank, to do this on your own. There’s a benefit in community.” [23:33] “There needs to be a purpose-driven motivation for this work. Just because it’s being talked about in corners, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily right for everybody.” [31:30] Links: Ryan’s Website Psychedelic Integration Website The Psychedelics Integration Handbook Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui

Adam Aronovich is a doctoral candidate at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain, focusing on Medical Anthropology and Cultural Psychiatry.  He is an active member of the Medical Anthropology Research Center (MARC) and part of the Ayahuasca Community Committee at the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. In the last four years he has conducted extensive fieldwork in the Peruvian Amazon, where he has been doing qualitative research in collaboration with ICEERS, the Beckley Foundation, and, more recently, the Centre for Psychedelic Studies at Imperial College. Beyond his work conducting and coordinating research, Adam regularly facilitates workshops at the Temple of the Way of Light, a prestigious healing center in the Iquitos area. In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Adam discusses a host of issues surrounding modern western paradigms of psychiatry and mental health and contrasts these with approaches taken by traditional cultures, such as those of the Shipibo people of South America.  Adam has spent years studying traditional societies as an anthropologist and his research specifically focuses on the different approaches to medicine in various cultures, and how people in different cultural milieus experience health and illness differently.  Through his work, Adam hopes to contribute to the field of medicine by translating the medical understandings of traditional cultures into terminologies and categories digestible by the Western medical establishment. In this conversation, Adam explains how the contemporary approach to mental health in the West is colored by a fixation on medicalizing peoples’ experiences into diagnostic categories and by a tendency to view health and illness exclusively on the level of the individual. In contrast to this approach, Adam draws on his ongoing research with the Shipibo people, showing how their approach to healing in ayahuasca ceremonies is much more communal and relational in nature.   In this episode: How traditional cultures conceptualize mental suffering The limits of Western psychiatry when crossing cultural boundaries How the animist perspective of Shipibo healers informs their approach to healing Dangers of over-emphasizing the medicalization of psychedelics The relational, rather than an individualistic focus of ayahuasca ceremonies Confronting our individual and collective shadows   Quotes “Every medical system or every medical approach is inseparable from the culture, the cosmology, the metaphysics that underlie the understanding of that culture.” [32:32] “The way the Shipibo medical system works… is that the healing doesn't necessarily only happen through the agency of the human healer, but the human healer works as a channeler of medical agency of different sources, of different spirits in the environment.” [36:34] “The most important benefits or the most important values that these substances have are not necessarily therapeutic in the sense of medical, or clinical, or psychological… but are actually much deeper than that and they’re epistemic, they’re ontological, they’re relational.” [52:25] “Ayahuasca oftentimes will get us to a place where we can actually experience that reconnection with the wider community of sentience that makes the ecosystem of our world.” [1:02:29] Links Adam’s lecture at Breaking Convention 2017 Adam’s lecture at the World Ayahuasca Conference 2019 Temple of the Way of Light Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Carlos Tanner Joins to share his story of addiction, and how participating in ayahuasca ceremonies not only led him to personal healing but started him down a path of becoming a traditional healer himself.  Carlos is the founder of the Ayahuasca Foundation, an organization based out of Iquitos, Peru, which hosts retreats and leads educational programs to pass along training in the Shipibo tradition. The Ayahuasca Foundation is also home to the Riosbo Retreat & Research Center, which has received funding from the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdom to conduct research on the epigenetic effects of ayahuasca ceremonies, with particular focus on anxiety, depression, and childhood trauma.  Before becoming a pioneer in psychedelic science, Carlos had a long journey with addiction, leading him to seek healing in Peru through, Shipibo ayahuasca ceremonies. Participating in his first series of ceremonies in 2003, Carlos describes his challenging first experience with ayahuasca and the dramatic healings spurred by subsequent ceremonies.  Going into these experiences very much in the midst of addiction, Carlos came face to face with childhood trauma and personifications of his illness. With the help of the plant medicine and the spiritual ambiance of the ceremonies, he was able to find incredible healing in the experiences. It was the profound impact of these first encounters with ayahuasca and the Shipibo tradition experienced curandero, and learning the intricacies of the ceremonies.  In This Episode: How the inner environment greatly impacts the outcome of an ayahuasca experience Carlos' experience with an intensive series of ayahuasca ceremonies while struggling with addiciton Trauma in oneself vs trauma in one's relationships, and the different modes of healing for each The importance of the ceremony in shaping the healing experience Epigenetic change caused by ayahuasca ceremony, leading to decreased anxiety and depression Quotes: "That's the magic of it- you could walk into a ceremony with zero faith and walk out with one hundred percent." [13:05] "When I left the third ceremony I knew it was my path to be a healer and that I was going to dedicate the rest of my life to this tradition." [29:10] "It was easy for me to heal that trauma. I know that might sound crazy but inside the ceremony, it wasn't such a crazy, difficult ordeal for me." [34:42] "You can't separate ayahuasca from the culture of its use, you can't separate the ceremony from the medicine, and there's so much that comes from the ceremony." [49:33] "If you're in the world of addiction it's going to be almost impossible to stay in that environment and not be an addict." [1:01:35]   Links: Ayahuasca Foundation Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui NOTE: I said I'd add links to the study findings Carlos was referencing, but those are unfortunately not yet published- links will be added when available.

In this episode, host Dr. Lynn Marie Morski, who is also president of the soon-to-be-launched Psychedelic Medicine Association, discusses what services the association will be providing what needs it will address, and how the collaborations fostered in the association will contribute to real-world improvements in access to psychedelic therapies.  With her background in the medical field, Dr. Moski outlines why it is so difficult for practicing clinicians to encounter information about treatments such as psychedelic therapy. As doctors mostly stay up-to-date through medical journals and association emails, the excitement around the therapeutic potential of plant medicines in the broader culture doesn't necessarily translate to clinicians knowing the subject in detail.  The Psychedelic Medicine Association will seek to rectify this lack of awareness by providing content geared towards medical professionals- connecting them with the latest science and providing resources so they are better able to respond to patient questions regarding psychedelic therapies. The association will even provide a forum for clinicians to interact with each other as they navigate understanding these medicines, as well as a forum to connect health professionals with other experts in the burgeoning field of psychedelic therapy.  To celebrate the launch of the Plant Medicine Association, they will be hosting a webinar at 1:00 PM Eastern on September 29th featuring a panel discussion on bridging the gap between the psychedelic science and clinical medicine worlds to introduce the association and begin discussing how to best address the barriers to getting these medicines in the hands of patients in need. In this Episode: Discussing the launch of the Psychedelic Medicine Association The barriers to clinicians being fully informed on psychedelic medicine Why clinicians are wary to discuss psychedelic therapy The importance of dialogue between healthcare workers and those working within psychedelic science, medicine, and law How the Psychedelic Medicine Association will fill this niche and work to better integrate psychedelic therapy into existing institutions of medicine and psychiatry Quotes "The vast majority of good-hearted doctors are not trying to keep their head in the sand when it comes to psychedelics — it just has not come across most of their journals." [6:57] "A big part of what the entire psychedelic science industry is trying to do is overcome that stigma which came from [psychedelics] being illegal for so long, and as you probably know, you overcome that stigma with education." [12:04] "We want doctors and clinicians and those on the front lines of patient care to be well-informed so that they can present a full range of options to their patients." [17:53] Links Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

Dr. Adolph is a board-certified cardiac anesthesiologist and medical director of the Illumma Ketamine Clinic, as well as a member of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians. Dr. Adolph shares the brief history of how Ketamine was originally created, how it came to be used in the mental health arena, and its effectiveness for those with depression. He covers what the research has shown, as well as what he's seen in his clinic and in his own personal journey with the medicine.  In this Episode: Ketamine's ability to extinguish suicidal ideation in 24 hours How Ketamine is one psychedelic that has an addictive potential The effects of Ketamine on BDNF and Glutamate, and how this can help heal the brain.  The importance of integration. Quotes "By accident, they found that some of these patients (who were given ketamine) were able to work through some difficult issues and on the backside of that have less depression associated with their trauma" [10:07] "And then it begins to open them up to 'you know what, I'm ready. I'm ready to start taking a look.' Because that's what we see. Patients are more open to take a look at trauma. They're more open to see that their mindset is important in being able to produce a positive response." [22:04] Links Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Illumma Ketamine Clinic Daily Stoic Porangui

Dr. Kate Pate is a neurophysiologist who has been conducting research for 15 years in a variety of different areas, including neurotrauma, respiratory neurobiology, mental health, redox biology, and combat trauma. She is the CEO and co-founder of Coruna Medical and the director of research for both the Heroic Hearts Project and Unlimited Sciences. In this episode, Dr. Pate discusses how traumatic brain injuries (TBI) share many commonalities with the symptoms of PTSD. She discusses why it may be wise to tend to heal the physical brain prior to or in parallel to attempting to heal one’s mental trauma. Dr. Pate also shares about the healing potential of the ayahuasca brew, independent of its DMT content.   In this episode: How ayahuasca produces an anti-inflammatory effect in the body, which is incredibly helpful for healing TBI. How traumatic brain injury can predispose individuals to developing PTSD How psychedelics such as ayahuasca, psilocybin, and LSD promote neuroplasticity and even activate neurogenesis. Quotes: “Ayahuasca and other psychedelics that are acting on the serotonin system are actually promoting an incredibility anti-inflammatory profile in the body, which is extremely important, especially in the case of traumatic brain injury.” [15:00] “[Increased neuroplasticity] happens through the serotonin system and the ability of these plant medicines to activate this compound called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, called BDNF.” [19:54] Links: Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Psychedelic Medicine Association UnlimitedSciences.org Dr. Pate on Instagram Kate.Pate@heroicheartsproject.org Porangui

Hunter Land is the director of cannabinoid research at Canopy Growth Corporation. He has devoted his career to researching cannabis-derived medicines and their application across a variety of conditions, leading the clinical development of the first FDA-approved CBD medication, Epidiolex. In this episode, Hunter shares the science-based reality of dosing guidelines for using CBD for various conditions and purposes. He answers questions regarding sublingual delivery, whether you can develop tolerance to CBD, the difference between broad-spectrum full-spectrum CBD, and much more.   In this episode: The difficulty in establishing CBD dosing guidelines. A discussion of whether one can develop tolerance to CBD What to look for when choosing a CBD product. Whether the long-term use of cannabis affects CBD effectivity Quotes: “It’s tough to come up and say: “well you need this amount for sleep, you need this amount for anxiety, you need this amount for epilepsy.” So, with a lot of other medications, a lot of physicians, like yourself, probably know, it’s not uncommon to start low and go slow and see where you might land.” [5:00] “At low doses, we do think there might be some enhanced stimulation effect. But we also know it’s not like a stimulant like amphetamine or caffeine. It seems to function differently than that.” [6:20] “We don’t have guidance on pesticides either. So I think beyond just knowing what’s in products based on standardization techniques, also what contaminates could be present is also of importance.” [25:40]   Links: Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Canopy Growth Corp Follow The Plant Medicine Podcast on Instagram Porangui

Dr. Ben Malcolm completed a Doctorate in Pharmacy and a Masters in Public Health, prior to post-graduate training and board-certification in psychiatric pharmacy. He currently holds a position in academia teaching psychiatric pharmacy, as well as providing consulting services for those seeking information about psychedelics at SpiritPharmacist.com. In this episode, Dr. Malcolm discusses how antidepressants react with MDMA, psilocybin, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, ayahuasca, and ketamine. He also explains the risk profiles for interactions between psychedelics and medications such as benzodiazepines, sleep medication, antipsychotics, and lithium.   In this episode: Why combining antidepressants with ayahuasca has a high physical risk profile. How antidepressants can diminish the effect of MDMA and why it is advised to not take a high dose of MDMA to attempt to workaround that effect. What serotonin syndrome is and how to avoid it. How one’s use of antipsychotics or lithium may be an indicator of possible contraindicated condition to psychedelic use. Quotes: “[A]ntidepressants like the SSRIs or SNRIs, in the long-term, create changes that makes the brain more resistant to using a psychedelic like MDMA”  [9:14] “Most available and most antidepressant-friendly is [...] ketamine” [20:00] “With microdoses, you’re talking about using very very small doses, and you’re probably not talking about using something like MDMA that depletes serotonin. You’re probably talking about using psilocybin or LSD, and so for those, the drugs have great physical safety profiles in very very large doses. So if you’re thinking if there’s going to be some horrible interaction risk that kind of pops out of the closet with psilocybin or LSD with my antidepressant? Probably not.” [46:00] Links: Spirit Pharmacist Website  Psychedelic School - Courses on pharmacology, safe use and integration Erowid Porangui Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine'