In the final episode of the three-part Petrie Dish series, Psychedelics and the Texas Trip, host Bonnie Petrie and reporter Robin Berghaus explore ancient traditions of psychedelics as spirit medicines and what’s in store as psychedelics become mainstream.
Our trip starts in Rio Grande City, Texas, where Zulema “Julie” Morales shares her family’s tradition and role as a peyotera. Morales is one of three people in the U.S. who are licensed to harvest and sell peyote to Native American Church members, the only people in the U.S. who can legally purchase it. To them, peyote is a sacramental medicine, which they have used for centuries.
Indigenous scholar and author Dr. Yuria Celidwen, a senior fellow at the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, shares how these ancient indigenous practices are under threat from their "medicalization" and "commodification," and shares ways that collaboration between cultures can honor and preserve those heritages.
Then, we travel back to Austin and South by Southwest, where researchers, advocates, and business professionals gather to discuss the potential benefits and consequences of the psychedelic renaissance. Science journalist Jane C. Hu, shares updates on clinical trials and state laws that are aimed at making psychedelic therapies accessible in the U.S.
For our final trip, we head back to the Texas Legislature and speak with supporters of the state’s latest psychedelic bill, HB 3717, which would fund a public-private partnership to bring ibogaine therapy through clinical trials. Advocates believe ibogaine therapy could be a breakthrough treatment and help mitigate the opioid crisis.
This special series is supported by a Ferriss — UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowship
Sebastian Santiz graciously allowed us to use his music in this episode. You can find it on Apple Music and Spotify.
