In 1993, there was a young Siberian woman found preserved in Altai permafrost. She had been there for roughly 2,500 years. Among the items buried alongside her was a leather pouch of cannabis. Modern imaging wasn’t run on it until 2010 which revealed what had likely defined the final years of her life, a breast tumor with evidence of spread to her lymph nodes. The cannabis buried with her was almost certainly there for a reason: the pain, the nausea and the things the disease was doing to her body.

Approaching the trailhead, Panama’s Soberanía National Park loomed ahead like a wall of green. Two-hundred-foot trees formed the roof of the canopy. In successive layers below, others spread their branches. Palms with ten-foot leaves filled any available space. Woody vines wound their way across it all, connecting the landscape and wrapping around trees to reach high into the canopy. Humid and hot, the shade of the jungle was calling. 

“You want me to do what?” I asked, sure I’d misheard. Fresh out of college, I landed my first job in Denver’s medical cannabis scene as a hashmaker. I’d been growing and consuming for years, but hash was brand new territory. So when someone handed me a five-gallon bucket, a stack of nylon micron bags, pounds of beautiful flower and pointed me toward the ice, I did a double take.

Over the last twenty years of regular cannabis consumption and connoisseurship, my habits and preferences have remained relatively unchanged. While I enjoy all the entourage effects of the plant, the relaxation side of things is what I dig most. With too many projects going on between work and family life, I stay up late, overthink, work odd hours and have trouble staying present. Cannabis has always been there to help with that. It lets me take off the stresses of the day and hang them up for a moment.

The sun was just rising over the horizon as I crossed the Nevada-Utah border bound for Colorado and two days of craft, solventless cannabis appreciation. If you have traveled through Colorado on I-70, you've been to Parachute too. The town is nestled into the mountains about equidistant between Grand Junction and Glenwood Springs. Pulling off the highway into Parachute, I stopped in for coffee and found my way to the hotel.

We cannot be certain of much in cannabis, but innovation and change are constant. The industry has evolved rapidly and sometimes randomly for better or worse. We've seen operations go from running on white boards and clip boards to using seed-to-sale software. Business decisions have become data driven, processes have been refined, and teams are running lean.

With cannabis certifications and training programs on the rise, you may wonder: Do I need one of these to level up my knowledge or credibility? I asked myself the same question, and even went through with it, twice. I earned the Certified Ganjier from Ganjier and the Master of Cannabis from Cannabis Training University. Were they interesting? Sure. Necessary? Not so much. Here’s the truth…

Practice makes progress in psychedelics. Across the country, a growing movement of enthusiasts, advocates and entrepreneurs are shaping the future of the psychedelic renaissance, rooted in culture, driven by community and fueled by healing. This year, one gathering rises above the rest: Psychedelic Awakening 2025.

As a microdoser and longtime psychonaut, I’ve been watching the recent wave of psychedelic headlines announcing “Mushrooms can help you live longer!” with excitement and concern. These sensationalized perspectives on some very cool research often miss or skip over the real context of the study. 

With a passion for psychedelics, a collegiate background in science, and a kendama in hand, I arrived at Psychedelic Science 2025, ready to explore, learn and connect. Psychedelic Science is the largest gathering of Psychedelic Practitioners, Facilitators, Researchers, Authors, Coaches, Entrepreneurs and Advocates alike, meeting together every two years. MAPS presents the event.

At the altar, the Shaman gave me an all-knowing smile before filling a small cup with ayahuasca and handing it over with a gentle Yawanawan blessing. I tossed back the thick, bitter, earthy brew and settled in for one of the most memorable nights of my life.

Somewhere in Nevada, nestled in a basin of the Mojave Desert, surrounded by mountains, is a place you may know. It’s renowned for its casinos, gambling, entertainment, restaurants, extravagant hotels, neon-nightlife and nature (believe it or not). Las Vegas is one of the most iconic destination cities in the world, offering everything you can think of and more to the millions of folks who visit the Strip each year. 

A common statement in the cannabis industry is that a year in cannabis is equal to several years in any other industry, similar to one year of life for us being equivalent to seven for dogs. The needs of the business and consumer along with innovation and regulatory requirements continue to evolve rapidly, keeping people on their toes to adjust and adapt. 

Wow, I can’t believe another season of the Podcast is done! We went all out this time around with 83 episodes in the season! We had so many wonderful guests on to talk cannabis and psychedelics; it was an inspiring year just having all of these conversations…