💧 Dennis McKenna fights for coca

PLUS, shroom company's CEO arrested for fraud

Happy Monday, and welcome back to The Drop In! It’s officially the last day of September, which means we’re in the home stretch of 2024. Time feels like it’s racing past us faster than ever—a clear indicator we need to slow down. And, really, what better moment to pause and breathe than in October, a month steeped in liminal magic?

Today we’re taking a beat to pause and reflect on a story about ending stigma and prohibition. Our featured story below is about Denis McKenna’s quest to shift the cultural narrative around the coca plant. How is he planning to do that? By reintroducing it as a humble leaf, more akin to a veggie or an herb, rather than a highly processed, white powdery substance sold in bricks. The story features some fascinating, perspective-shifting quotes about the coca plant and how it can be used to possibly treat ADHD. 

If you keep scrolling, you’ll find stories about mushroom journeys and gender identity, a CEO of a psilocybin business arrested for fraud, why tripping at raves can be just as healing as ceremony, and so much more. You can even find the details for a psilocybin retreat.

Enjoy the magic of October 🌙,

Mary Carreón
Senior Editor

Together With…

Are you ready to take a journey with us that will change your life?

SOUL MEDICINE is a week-long immersive ceremonial psilocybin retreat that will allow you to reconnect to your true nature. Over the past three years, we have witnessed profound transformational processes in our guests that continue to unravel long after they return back to their communities.

SOUL MEDICINE is a multidimensional journey

  • For those of us who are ready to heal deeply and end suffering from depression, anxiety and toxic patterns holding us back from living fully

  • For those looking for a deeper sense of purpose and belonging in this life

  • For those of us who want to step into their full potential and live an authentic, fulfilling life

  • For those of us who feel disconnected from ourselves and our Mother Earth

  • For those of us that are looking to connect with a tribe of like-minded, unique & courageous souls

Ready to find your purpose? Connect with someone from the SOUL MEDICINE team for a free discovery call and see if this is the right fit for your healing journey.

If you are ready to embark on this journey use the code: DOUBLEBLIND for an exclusive 5% community discount at checkout. This offer is limited to 3 spots. Reserve your spot here.

Dennis McKenna Is on a Mission to End the Prohibition of Coca

Dennis McKenna and anthropologist Wade Davis are working together to organize a movement dedicated to ending the vilification of the coca plant, and the persecution of its consumers.

Dennis McKenna and anthropologist Wade Davis are on a mission to end the prohibition of the coca plant, a vital part of Andean culture and spirituality. Despite its ancient medicinal use, coca has been unfairly vilified due to its association with cocaine. McKenna and Davis aim to shift the narrative, emphasizing coca’s benefits as a gentler stimulant and its potential for alternative uses, including ADHD treatment. As Davis puts it, “To equate coca with cocaine is like equating potatoes with vodka.”

This February, McKenna and Davis will host The Wisdom of the Leaf summit in Cusco, Peru, bringing together experts and Indigenous leaders to highlight coca’s promise. Their goal is to push for global decriminalization, restoring justice to the people of coca-producing nations and creating legal markets for rural farmers. 

Our Latest

In a transformative psychedelic experience, Gabrielle Bellot shed years of fear and anxiety around her body and gender. Through mushrooms, she found a profound sense of peace and freedom, allowing her to reclaim her identity and embrace herself more fully. Read her essay on her powerful journey to self-acceptance here.

Julius Jenge, CEO of psilocybin mushroom company Minerco, was arrested after attempting to flee to Tanzania to evade stock fraud charges. The arrest follows an SEC investigation into a “pump-and-dump” scheme, where Jenge and an anonymous partner allegedly manipulated Minerco’s stock value through false claims about the company’s involvement in the mushroom industry. Click here to read the full story.

& More Must-Reads

Learn with Us

🦃 The Turkey Tail mushroom may not be psychedelic, but it performs some potent magic tricks of its own. Here’s our guide on this medicinal mushroom.

💊 What’s the difference between microdosing every day vs. every other day? We asked the experts all about microdosing protocols. Here’s what they told us.

☕ Drinking Lion’s Mane coffee is one way to light up your brain without psychedelics. Here’s the scoop on benefits, plus our favorite recipe. 

🍄  There are few psychedelic mushrooms as potent as Blue Meanies—or with so many names. Here’s our mycologist’s guide to this potent shroom.

DoubleBlind Supports

DONATE: IMC Fund is sending an Indigenous delegation to the Biodiversity COP16 in Cali, Colombia, this October. Indigenous leaders hold critical knowledge in the fight to preserve biodiversity, as 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity exists on Indigenous lands. Their voices are essential in shaping global climate and biodiversity frameworks, especially when it comes to traditional spiritual medicine practices. 

They’re raising $10,000 to ensure these vital perspectives are heard and included on the global stage. Help them bring Indigenous Traditional Spiritual Medicines to the Biodiversity Agenda!

At DoubleBlind, we believe in reciprocity—the idea that everything in the world is interconnected and that we have a responsibility to uplift a psychedelic ecosystem that centers equity, inclusivity, and healing for all. Through our work, we hope to help our community participate in this effort with us.

Together With…

Talk therapy alone is not enough: feel the healing power of community 

SOUL MEDICINE is a ceremonial psilocybin retreat for deep healing and connection to oneself. During our week together we will take you on a multidimensional journey to heal, remember, explore and grow into your most authentic self.

We are entering into a week-long ceremony that is held in deep reverence to ancestral traditions of the earth. Our safely held container offers you a space to journey into the depths of your inner landscapes, to release any past traumas, pains, and blockages holding you back from living fully.

Our work bridges the worlds of shamanic ritualistic work and modern somatic psychology and transpersonal philosophy to offer the most comprehensive tools for long-lasting change and healing. 

Reconnect with nature, self and spirit. 

Speak to one of our lead facilitators to connect and see if SOUL MEDICINE is the right fit for your healing journey. Book a free discovery call here.

If you are ready to embark on this journey use the code: DOUBLEBLIND for an exclusive 5% community discount at checkout. This offer is limited to 3 spots. Reserve your spot here.

Watch Now

The Truth About “Smokeable Ayahuasca”

Have you heard of changa? It’s a smokable blend of herbs spiked with DMT that’s gaining popularity fast. 

DB’s Shelby Hartman is diving into the origins of changa, how it’s made, and how it differs from other DMT-based experiences like ayahuasca on our YouTube. She also shares her personal experience with changa and provides important safety tips for those curious about trying it.

If you’ve ever wondered what changa is or how it fits into the psychedelic landscape, this is a must-watch. Click here to tune in now!

Around the Web

  • A recent study in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs found that while psychedelic experiences enhanced mind perception across different entities, they had little impact on shifting individuals' Atheist-Believer status. Read more in PsyPost.

  • The DEA has raised production quotas for ibogaine, psilocybin, and psilocyn for research purposes. Read more in Marijuana Moment.

  • A new study found that drug decriminalization in Oregon did not lead to an increase in overdose deaths, countering a common argument made by opponents of decriminalization. Read more in Filter Mag.

How was today's Drop In?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

💌 If you loved this email, forward it to a psychonaut in your life.