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RAM DASS

WHEN RAM DASS passed away in December of last year, a collective wave of grief moved across spiritual communities around the world.

hat’s because Dass was revered throughout many of the world’s spiritual traditions. But how did he come to spirituality? The answer lies in the molecules that make up the compound known as lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD.

Dass was born Richard Alpert in 1931, raised in a Jewish family in Boston, and said that he felt that his religious upbringing was hollow. Dass said he “didn’t have one whiff of God until taking psychedelics.” In college, he studied psychology – eventually earning his Doctorate in 1957 from Stanford University. A year later, he was an assistant professor at Harvard, teaching clinical psychology. In 1961, he met fellow Harvard professor Timothy Leary, devoting himself to the study of the therapeutic effects of psilocybin (found in mushrooms) and LSD.

One of the most notorious trials of hallucinogenic compounds on individuals at Harvard took place in 1962. Dubbed the ‘Good Friday Experiment’ Leary and Alpert (along with graduate student Walter Pahnke) conducted a T

DASS ASKED IF HE SHOULD CONTINUE THE EXPERIMENTS WITH LSD AND THE YOGI REPLIED, “YES, BUT ONLY IF YOUR MIND IS TURNED TOWARD GOD.”

double-blind experiment that administered psilocybin to theology students prior to the Good Friday mass. Almost every member of the group that received the hallucinogenic dose reported having a profound religious or mystical experience.

While this experiment was revelatory, it also had the effect of getting both Leary and Alpert dismissed from Harvard. From there, the two founded the International Federation for Internal Freedom (IFIF) in upstate New York. In this location, known as Millbrook, Leary and Alpert set up a sort of communal setting for “seeking the divinity within each person” and rapidly changed the substance for seeking from psilocybin to LSD.

In the late 60s, Alpert journeyed to India where he met the person who would change his life and name forever. It was Neem Karoli Baba - whom Alpert referred to as ‘Maharaji’ - who gave Alpert the name ‘Ram Dass’ meaning ‘servant of God,’ and set him on the spiritual path that would define the second half of his life.

Dass told a poignant story of one of his first meetings with Maharaji, where the guru asked Dass, “Have you got any of that yogi medicine?” Dass figured out that what he was asking for was, indeed, LSD. From there he gave the Maharaji capsules that were 300 micrograms each (the guru asked for 3, which in Dass’s opinion was a massive dose).

From there, Dass recalled, “Well this will probably be very interesting, but then – absolutely nothing happened.” Dass went back to the United States and told the foundation members the story of the LSD having no effect on the guru. He started to believe that the wise sage had fooled him and done a slightof-hand, not actually consuming the LSD.

Upon returning to India two years later, the Maharaji asked, “Did you give me some medicine last time you were here?” Dass replied, “Yes, I did.” The guru then asked, “Do you have any more?”

He then proceeded to take 400 more micrograms from Dass, carefully placing each dose on his tongue so that he would observe that he did, indeed, eat the acid. After about an hour, the Maharaji (still seemingly unaffected) looked back at Dass and said, “These were known about thousands of years ago,” but went on to explain that yogis don’t do the proper preparation anymore to prepare for the experience. Dass asked if he should continue the experiments with LSD and the yogi replied, “Yes, but only if your mind is turned toward God.” After these experiences, Ram Dass began work on what would become his most famous work, “Be Here Now” - the 416-page illustrated book and manual for conscious being that is still in print today.

This is but a simple overview of the life of a very important human being who spent time on this planet. Dass’s contributions to society are far greater than his work with psychedelic drugs. For example, his work with end-of-life care is some of the most inspiring - but we only have so much time and space in this article.

The reader is encouraged to go and explore more of his ideas in independent study.

SHORE NATURAL Rx

Maryland’s premiere medicinal cannabis cultivation facility. Growers of the highest quality, organic cannabis. Serving patients from our home on the Eastern Shore, all the way to Garret County.

maryland leaf budtender of the month Jeff Gutherz

KIP CANNABIS | 9 CRANBROOK RD. COCKEYSVILLE, MD| (410) 403-0280 KIPCAN.COM @KIPMARYLAND

HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START WITH CANNABIS? I discovered Cannabis early on in high school and fell in love instantly. I didn’t want to just get high, I wanted to learn as much as I could. Once I started learning the hidden truth about Cannabis, I began questioning authority on a regular basis. I definitely got in trouble more than once challenging teachers and principals on the topic. Those experiences led me to go and study the drug war further during my studies as a criminal justice major at Rutgers University.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE MEDICAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY? Since I began using Cannabis, I have come to believe that it being illegal is at its core the biggest social justice issue over time. If set free, Cannabis can lead us into the future in terms of medicine, industry and a generally happier society. There is also the personal connection - being raised by liberal Jews, I’ve made a connection between the atrocities and prejudice against Jews throughout history, and the injustices and discrimination against minorities that were occurring in the name of the war on drugs. After quickly realizing working in the corrupt legal system wasn’t for me, I had nowhere to realistically go to pursue my passion for Cannabis. I would’ve attempted to get into the medical Cannabis industry a long time ago if it were a thing at the time. I was sure to be one of the first people knocking on the door of opportunity when the medical program came to Maryland.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF WORKING IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? Working in the Cannabis industry is simultaneously the most fun and rewarding job I have ever had. Cannabis works - it’s not snake oil or harmful. It’s safe, effective and helps a lot of people. I feel good about the products I sell, and that I am able to contribute creatively to different elements at KIP like the marketing. I love the mom-and-pop environment here and the fact that the staff and patients are like family. Purchasing Cannabis should be a joyous event - I do my best to make patients chuckle when they come in. This friendly and experienced budtender was compelled to study the drug war and majored in criminal justice at Rutgers University before becoming the first budtender in the state, utilizing his passion for Cannabis to help educate patients.

“I CREATED A MASTER LIST INCLUDING OVER 200 MARYLAND CULTIVARS, AND A UNIQUE DESCRIPTION AND INFORMATION ABOUT EACH OF THEM.”

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT FINDING THE RIGHT MEDICINE FOR PATIENTS? So basically, I ask questions. Sometimes a patient will only uncover their true needs if you ask the right questions. And listen! Take notes even. It’s very important to have Cannabis knowledge, but that only goes so far if you can’t apply it at the point of sale. You have to know your inventory inside and out, as well as how those products stack up against each other. In order to do that, from day one I began developing and maintaining programs that include rankings of products based on cannabinoids and terpenes. I created a master list including over 200 Maryland cultivars, and a unique description and information about each of them. Only then do I feel like I have given the patient the best option for their needs.

YOU WERE THE FIRST BUDTENDER AT TEMESCAL WELLNESS (NOW THE LIVING ROOM), EXPLAIN HOW THAT FELT. I was the first budtender ever hired at Temescal Wellness (now The Living Room) and the first budtender in Baltimore County. It was a very exciting time, and I was working with some great people who were chomping at the bit to get into the industry like myself. It was new to everybody - nobody really had any experiences to compare it to and we were flying by the seat of our pants for a little while. I was responsible for training initially due to my level of experience. The scientific knowledge of Cannabis dispensaries has increased a lot since then. There was a very limited amount of flower and overall products on the market to begin with. Since then, I have seen so many companies, including Evermore, progress to a point where I am very proud of the products I sell.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK WITH WITH NORML? I started out in January 2017, and in a few short months I went from a volunteer to a company officer. During that time I was responsible for managing various campaigns and events, as well as outreach activities and our yearly, primary function lobby day in Annapolis. It is very important for me to give back - we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for groups like NORML and people who have paid sacrifices. We attend numerous events inside and outside the Cannabis community.