MAPS Podcast MAPS

This episode of the podcast was recorded live in front of an audience thanks to the Psychedelic Society of Texas - Austin and features a dynamic interview with Adrian Grenier. He's most famous for staring on the wildly popular HBO show, Entourage. But as you'll here in this conversation, the awakening that Adrian experienced since leaving Hollywood is a tale of a heroes journey style of reinvention that we could all stand to learn so much from. Inspiring, poignant and appplicable to anyone no matter what stage of the journey they are on. 
 
Adrian Grenier has cemented his place as a change agent who leverages his influence and talent as a communicator to spread consciousness on essential issues: family, community and nature. As an investor, Adrian has backed companies and entrepreneurs that he believes can change the world for the better through his impact fund, DuContra Ventures. He is also a UN Ambassador where he helped the UN Environment Programme launch Clean Seas, a campaign to end marine plastic pollution. 
 
His efforts are now focused on his new company, Earth Speed Media .The goal of Earth Speed Media is to educate, inform, and bring people closer to nature, highlighting ways to live an Earth-centered life.

This episode of the MAPS Podcast features an all new interview with the amazing and magical musical artist, Mazie. Her use of psychedelics to help fuel her art not only is inspirational but also gives voice to how Gen Z is forming their own relationship with psychedelic exploration. Her new album 'Blotter Baby' is out now and there's no question you can sense the inspirational sources. 
With darkly fantastical lyrics and kaleidoscopic arrangements that pull from pop, punk, and electronic music, LA-via-Baltimore artist mazie is helming the next evolution of psychedelic pop. On her ambitious debut album, blotter baby (a nod to her love of hallucinogens), the 23-year-old confronts coming-of-age heartbreak and a Gen-Z doom mindset with catharsis and absurdity. Through ’60s and ’70s-inspired pop hooks, she shamelessly sings of sapphic makeout sessions, wanting to look hot at her own funeral, and her own toxic relationship patterns. It features her massive hit “dumb dumb,” a manic anthem that has since gained more than 250 million global streams, 1 million TikTok creates, and a feature in Netflix’s original film Do Revenge. Having studied classical and jazz singing from an early age, mazie found her online breakthrough with 2020’s “no friends,” the whimsical debut single she crafted with then-neighbor and producer Elie Rizk. Taking the success as a sign to drop out of college, move to Los Angeles, and never look back, mazie then quickly issued the rainbow cassette, her debut 2021 EP that became what she calls “an ode to an ending of my childhood.” Now pushing her artistry into more over-the-top, vulnerable, and musically adventurous territory, mazie is now emerging as a multifaceted icon who’s aspirationally imperfect. “I hope people can see themselves in me, but I’m definitely not the first person you’d think of to ‘set a good example,’” she says with a laugh.

Episode 60 - Lt. Sarko Gergerian, Reformative Policing in the Psychedelic Age
Recorded live in Austin thanks to The Psychedelic Society of Texas! Sarko's wisdom, heart and intellect will take you through what it's like to be an active police officer who has set forth on a course of police reform, mental health advocacy and has done MDMA via the MAPS MDMA training program. Yes, really. This is an incredible opportunity to change your mind and find the tools needed to come together as a community in this challenging time. 
Lieutenant Sarko Gergerian began his career in 2010 as a patrol officer withWinthrop Police Department. In 2016, he received the Outstanding Service and Contribution award; in 2019, Lieutenant Gergerian was subsequently awarded the Department of Mental Health & Law Enforcement Award.
Lt. Gergerian is a founding member of the Community and Law Enforcement Assisted Recovery Program (CLEAR). CLEAR is a network of community partners, theWinthrop Police Department, and theWinthrop Health Department that ensures individuals seeking support for substance use disorders or mental health are connected to community-based service providers. Lieutenant Sarko Gergerian serves as a police peer support officer, community outreach officer, and health & fitness officer. In this role he manages a shift of officers,reviews policies and procedures related to mental health, and supports a multidisciplinary team response to mental health response.
Sarko Gergerian is certified in adult and youth mental health first aid,recovery coaching, motivational interviewing, individual and group critical incident stress management (CISM), and critical incident training (CIT). He holds a BA in philosophy from Northeastern University and a MS in mental health counseling and psychological services from Salem State University

Episode 59 - Dave Hodges, On The Front Lines of The Decrim Movement
This all new episode of the MAPS podcast takes you to a front row seat of the decriminalization movement with Dave Hodges, the founder of Zide Door which is the largest psilocybin church with a memebership of over 70,000 people. Dave's story made headline news when his church was raided in Oakland despite psilocybin being a low priority for law enforcement. Dave also takes us into his mysticaly prfound methods using high doses and shares with us the downloads he gets when in that space. This is wild one!
Dave Hodges is the Founder of the Church of Ambrosia and Pastor for Zide Door, the Church of Entheogenic Plants in Oakland. He is known for starting the first medical cannabis club in San Jose and for his work with High Dose Mushrooms exploring the origins of religion. Dave has spent the past 15 years fighting legal cases to protect sacred plants he believes in. He is currently preparing for his next major legal fight, a federal lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department for the illegal raid on his Church and their violation of the church's religious freedom. Dave's work with Mushrooms to explore religion has led him to the high dose work. Mushrooms guided him from doing 5 to 30 dried grams in a signal dose. Dave now does between 15-25 grams regularly in an attempt to understand religion and the true nature of reality

Episode 58 - Rick Doblin, PhD - MAPS: Past, Present and Future
This all new episode of the MAPS podcast needs no introduction. Our very own Rick Doblin beams in with Zach and takes us through an oral history of MAPS from the early fledgling days to the leader in psychedelic research that it is today. Also, the talk gets personal when Rick reminisces on memories of Timothy Leary, Laura Huxley and Ram Dass from the first Psychedelic Science conference in 1990. This interview is a beautiful glimpse into the history of psychedelic research and one mans passion for a mission that many said could not be fulfilled. It is not to be missed. 
Rick Doblin, Ph.D., is the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he wrote his dissertation on the regulation of the medical uses of psychedelics and marijuana and his Master’s thesis on a survey of oncologists about smoked marijuana vs. the oral THC pill in nausea control for cancer patients. His undergraduate thesis at New College of Florida was a 25-year follow-up to the classic Good Friday Experiment, which evaluated the potential of psychedelic drugs to catalyze religious experiences. He also conducted a thirty-four year follow-up study to Timothy Leary’s Concord Prison Experiment. Rick studied with Dr. Stanislav Grof and was among the first to be certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana, primarily as prescription medicines but also for personal growth for otherwise healthy people, and eventually to become a legally licensed psychedelic therapist. He founded MAPS in 1986, and currently resides in Boston with his wife and puppy, with three empty rooms from his children who have all graduated college and begun their life journeys

Episode 57 - Neil Woods, The Real Story Behind The War on Drugs
The mighty, wise and brilliant Neil Woods joins Zach on this all new episode of the MAPS Podcast. Neil discusses his insights when he spent 13 years as an undercover drugs operative in the UK and how his experiences led to an awakening to course correct and lead the charge in fighting the war on drugs. Neil is a wonderfully eloquent speaker and story teller, you won't want to miss his one of a kind insight into a global war that has failed nearly everyone involved. 
Neil is a former UK police officer and undercover drugs operative. Now he’s an active member of the international drug policy reform movement. He worked undercover between 1993 and 2007 befriending and gaining the trust of some of the most violent, unpredictable criminals in Britain. 

With the insight that can only come from having fought on its front lines, Neil came to see the true futility of the War on Drugs - that it demonises those who need help, and empowers the very worst elements in society. 
Neil is a board member of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) in the USA, and in the U.K. (LEAP UK).