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.

Show Notes

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 Gods
Kary Mullis
Thujone 
ESPD55
Dennis McKenna
Stoned Ape Hypothesis
Drunken monkey hypothesis
The Ethnobotany of Wine as Medicine in the Ancient Mediterranean World
Richard Evans Schultes
Scopolamine
Erik the red
The Shamans and Apprentices Program
Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice
Timothy Leary
Amazon Conservation Team 
Ethnographic mapping
Peyote
Ayahuasca
Mescaline
Richard Spruce
Alfred Russel Wallace
DMT
Coca
Cocaine
Cannabis
Kratom
Ibogaine


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What is The Drug Science Podcast?

Professor David Nutt has spent a career making the argument for a rational, evidence-based approach to drug policy and drug use. The scientific evidence still challenges perceived wisdom on drugs and for that reason can appear to be contentious. In this podcast, the Professor explores the actual harms and potential benefits of various drugs, challenging myths surrounding classification and legislation, and exploring the societal impact of poorly informed drug policy. Using evidence in public policy should not be controversial. A podcast for anyone interested in understanding the scientific truth about drugs, free from political or moral concern.