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No doubt many here are familiar with the seminal ethnographic book/lexicon, "Plants of the Gods," By Richard Evans Schultes and (the good doctor) Albert Hofmann.
Though a less familiar name than Uncle Albert's, Schultes is, in fact, "The Man" when it comes to psychotropic plants, and much of today's knowledge is the result of his life work.
A Harvard professor, and contemporary with the likes of such as William Burroughs (Schultes lied to him about ayahuasca, this story is told in the podcast).
Mark Plotkin was a student of Schultes, and is a professor at Harvard. This is his podcast, and his homage to Richard Evans Schultes, though the podcast ranges much farther and wider than the book, and also touches on the contributions of many other people. It's incredible history that we really shouldn't forget
(quick aside: There is a film out of Columbia, "Embrace of the Serpent" that is a retelling of the stories of Spruce, a 19th century ethnobotanist, and Schultes. GREAT movie!!!)
Plotikin is the author of "A Shaman's Apprentice," and, recently, "The Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know." He is also integral to the "Amazon Conservation Team," which specializes in preserving indigenous communities.
Plants of the Gods Podcast: is available on several formats; I listen through apple's podcast server. You can search with any engine. There are two seasons so far, and both are excellent. Season Two includes three episodes about Cannabis, and though there is a bit of retreading familiar ground if you have read things like "The Emperor Wears No Clothes," they are well worth listening to. One episode is strictly about hemp, and is awesome. Here's a list of the episodes:
Season 1 --
Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation (intro);
Ayahusca;
Hallucinogenic snuffs;
Coca and Cocaine;
Wine;
Curare;
Opium;
The Ethnobotany of Warfare (good one!);
Hexing herbs and the Witches of Medieval Europe;
Ergot, LSD and the Birth of Western Religons;
The Life and Times of Richard Evans Schultes;
Season 2 --
Marijuana: Why Cannabis is as American as Apple Pie;
Hemp: The Fiber that Binds America;
Palms: The Sacred Princes of the Plant Kingdom;
Magic Mushrooms and the Roots of the Psychedelic Renaissance;
Rum, Rebellion, Pirates and Tiki;
Hoffmann, Schultes, Wasson, The Holy Trinity of Ethnomycology, plus two Women who Must be Added;
Jews, Jazz, Joints and the Birth of the Jazz in New Orleans and Chicago;
Magic Frogs: Hopping Hallucinogenic Healers of the Rainforest and Desert;
Planet of the Apes: How Animals use Medicinal Plants (two parts).
I hope you check it out, especially if you are a young person. There is a lot of work to be done in these fields, and some interesting leads to follow for career paths.
Though a less familiar name than Uncle Albert's, Schultes is, in fact, "The Man" when it comes to psychotropic plants, and much of today's knowledge is the result of his life work.
A Harvard professor, and contemporary with the likes of such as William Burroughs (Schultes lied to him about ayahuasca, this story is told in the podcast).
Mark Plotkin was a student of Schultes, and is a professor at Harvard. This is his podcast, and his homage to Richard Evans Schultes, though the podcast ranges much farther and wider than the book, and also touches on the contributions of many other people. It's incredible history that we really shouldn't forget
(quick aside: There is a film out of Columbia, "Embrace of the Serpent" that is a retelling of the stories of Spruce, a 19th century ethnobotanist, and Schultes. GREAT movie!!!)
Plotikin is the author of "A Shaman's Apprentice," and, recently, "The Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know." He is also integral to the "Amazon Conservation Team," which specializes in preserving indigenous communities.
Plants of the Gods Podcast: is available on several formats; I listen through apple's podcast server. You can search with any engine. There are two seasons so far, and both are excellent. Season Two includes three episodes about Cannabis, and though there is a bit of retreading familiar ground if you have read things like "The Emperor Wears No Clothes," they are well worth listening to. One episode is strictly about hemp, and is awesome. Here's a list of the episodes:
Season 1 --
Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation (intro);
Ayahusca;
Hallucinogenic snuffs;
Coca and Cocaine;
Wine;
Curare;
Opium;
The Ethnobotany of Warfare (good one!);
Hexing herbs and the Witches of Medieval Europe;
Ergot, LSD and the Birth of Western Religons;
The Life and Times of Richard Evans Schultes;
Season 2 --
Marijuana: Why Cannabis is as American as Apple Pie;
Hemp: The Fiber that Binds America;
Palms: The Sacred Princes of the Plant Kingdom;
Magic Mushrooms and the Roots of the Psychedelic Renaissance;
Rum, Rebellion, Pirates and Tiki;
Hoffmann, Schultes, Wasson, The Holy Trinity of Ethnomycology, plus two Women who Must be Added;
Jews, Jazz, Joints and the Birth of the Jazz in New Orleans and Chicago;
Magic Frogs: Hopping Hallucinogenic Healers of the Rainforest and Desert;
Planet of the Apes: How Animals use Medicinal Plants (two parts).
I hope you check it out, especially if you are a young person. There is a lot of work to be done in these fields, and some interesting leads to follow for career paths.
