There’s a long and complicated relationship between psychedelics and religion, but Michael Pollan sheds new light on the topic via a study of about 30 religious leaders who agreed to undergo high-dose psilocybin trips. While the structure of the study is under some scrutiny, the results are as compelling as they are provocative. Of the participants, 96% rated their “encounters with psilocybin as being among the top five most spiritually significant experiences of their lives,” and 79% reported that the experience had “enriched their prayer, their effectiveness in their vocation, and their sense of the sacred in daily life.” You’ve maybe heard of the proliferation of psychedelic churches, which allow for the ceremonial use of psychedelics thanks to the U.S. Religious Freedom Restoration Act, but what might more mainstream organized religion look like if it embraced hallucinogenic exploration?
-VvP
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If you’re someone who likes a relatively clear-eyed and energizing high, I strongly recommend you try these THCV-rich pre-rolls from Pure Beauty. They’ve quickly become my go-to for anything from a pre-dinner smoke to an after work pick-me-up to a Saturday morning wake and bake.
-VvP
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If you’ve ever tried to send a book to an incarcerated individual, you know what a Herculean (bordering on Sisyphean) feat it is. While you’d think the process would be pretty straightforward—we’re talking about books here, after all—it’s anything but. State prison systems ruthlessly enforce opaque and ever-changing rules about what can be sent, how they can be sent, and who can receive them. Even following stated guidelines to a T is no guarantee for success. In a Los Angeles Review of Books essay last month, journalist Jackie Snow details her experience working with the non-profit DC Books to Prison and all the frustrations and rewards that have come with it. She also investigates her own prior assumptions about what constitutes a “good” book and, fundamentally, why people do and should read. It’s a well-written and somewhat “easy” essay on an often hard and disturbing topic. That’s not to say Snow’s piece is light or superficial, it’s just that it’s a more thoughtful and anecdotal investigation than this issue usually receives. Well worth your time, and hopefully it will serve to inspire even just a few people to get involved.
-DW
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Nevada is not particularly known for its quality cannabis. Despite being a rec state for eight years or so now, Nevada’s reputation among consumers and within the industry has very much trailed states like Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, California, Colorado, and even newer ones like New Jersey. Yet, despite this, there are still definitely good cannabis products to be found in the Silver State, you just might need to do a little more research before purchasing. There are a few brands I’ve gotten to know while visiting in the past couple of years, and for my money, Nature’s Chemistry is high up on that list. Their live rosin vapes, in particular, are a great buy, especially if you’re looking for something discreet to use in a hotel or by a pool. You won’t find their products at just any dispensary but their Pineapple Fanta and Don Mega disposables are definitely worth seeking out on your next trip to Vegas. Should you be going soon, just reply to this email and I’d be happy to get you a list of dispensaries most likely to carry them near the Strip.
-DW
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If you know, you know. (Mine’s in the mail.)
-DW
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