ASHLEY HIRCHERT SOCIAL MEDIA LEAD ashley@leafmagazines.com
ABOUT THE COVER
This month's mind-melting cover was created by the incredible brain and hands of acclaimed Bay Area psychedelic artist Rob Corradetti, aka Killer Acid. Teeming with haunting, surreal detail, the piece is like a trip you can't help but remember even if you might never wish to revisit the lessons it offered. "It’s like plucking an idea that has always felt like it existed from the cosmic consciousness," he tells the Leaf. "You can’t imagine the world without it. It’s just been there waiting for someone to see it." See more of their stunning work pg. 42-44.
ART BY KILLER ACID KILLERACID.COM @KILLERACID
CONTRIBUTORS
WES ABNEY, FEATURES
KILLER ACID, ILLUSTRATION
ADHDDEAD, REVIEWS
ANGELA-JORDAN AGUILAR, FEATURES OUTSIDE ARTWORK, ILLUSTRATION
DANIEL BERMAN, PHOTOS + DESIGNS
JACKIE BRYANT, FEATURES
DAVID DOWNS, FEATURES
MICHAEL GREENMAN, VIDEO
REX HILSINGER, FEATURES + PHOTOS
ELLEN HOLLAND, FEATURES
MATT JACKSON, FEATURES
JAMIE OWENS, FEATURES
KELSEY STEVENS, PRODUCTION TERPENE TRANSIT, DISTRIBUTION
TERPODACTYL MEDIA, FEATURES + PHOTOS
JAMIE VICTOR, DESIGN
LENA B. WHITE, AD S ALES + PRODUCTION BRUCE & LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES
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Thanks for picking up The Psychedelia Issue of the Leaf!
Life’s a trip, and when it’s all over, we will surely wish to do it again. The good, the bad, the incredible moments of ecstasy and even those painful moments that define our experience on this planet.
Taking a psychedelic trip mirrors our journey from birth to death. In the beginning stages, there’s a newness and a bright, immersive feeling that overwhelms the senses. Then come the waves as the trip settles in. The highs are euphoric and bring vision and wonder, and the lows deliver clarity and a stark look at the world without the typical programmed frame of reference to run interference for the ego.
When taking a big dose, the end is the ego death, the breaking away from the lifetime of supposition that the way we are taught things is the way that they indeed are. Just as life reminds us that we aren’t fully in control, so does a trip, grabbing us by the soul for a ride that we bought the ticket for but didn’t fully comprehend.
By the end of a good trip, or a bad one, lessons are learned an d the impact of the trip that was so consuming feels like a dream or memory, leaving the mind, body and spirit to reharmonize with a new understanding of the inner and outer world.
"JUST AS LIFE REMINDS US THAT WE AREN’T FULLY IN CONTROL, SO DOES A TRIP, GRABBING US BY THE SOUL FOR A RIDE THAT WE BOUGHT THE TICKET FOR BUT DIDN’T FULLY COMPREHEND.”
As American culture has evolved from hiding emotions and pooh-poohing mystical experiences to embracing them, so has a resurgence of interest in psychedelic medicines peaked the cultural zeitgeist of a nation. These ancient psychedelics contain healing properties that aren’t for profit but for people in the form of plant and animal medicine. No offense to the Big Pharma shills peddling p ills for every problem, but Mother Nature and God have already provided the tools we need to heal and live better lives.
The goal is to discover the trip and take the journey before ou r own is over in this beautiful, temporary existence. For when we reach the end, all we will wish for is to surely do it all over again.
MELTING MINDS
Perfect weather, great people, amazing times and terps on terps! The Mothership Meltdown team did it again this year and knocked the highlight-of-thesummer event out of the park.
THE LUCKY and limited people with VIP tickets were invited into the ship Friday to enjoy a more intimate sesh, hash judging, amazing catering by our favorite local butcher Silvana Meats, tie-dye classes with Trapis Designs and an opportunity to get on the torch with a Mothership artist and make a pendant or a leaf sculpture to go on the family tree branch that was created with everyone’s contributions. Each year, the team works with attendees to create another branch, which will eventually culminate in a giant boro family tree.
Of course, for another year, Heady Happenings brought the epic hash competition, which consisted of over 30 entries of arguably the best hash on the planet at the moment. The amazing Heady Happenings team also helps oversee and make a lot of the logistics go smoothly at this and all their events.
“… This event always offers a unique perspective on the glass art world by providing an exciting, actionpacked day while still keeping the vibe at a family picnic frequency.”
Saturday was the main event. Winners from the hash competition were announced, and the building was packed shoulder to shoulder with heads and some of the most amazing glass you’ve ever seen.
Vendors from all facets of the industry were there, including Jones Soda, Weedmaps, Trapis Designs and more. The catering included some serious melt-in-your-mouth brisket, mac and cheese and other delicacies.
The sun was shining on us all day, with a calm breeze and a temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit; the weather was perfect. World-renowned glass artists like Buck, Darby, Coldberger, J-Red, Sibelle, Calmbo, Murdoc, Trevs Glass and more could be found chilling in the crowd. And chilling it was, as this event always offers a unique perspective on the glass art world by providing an exciting, action-packed day while still keeping the vibe at a family picnic frequency. Huge thanks to the whole team at Mothership and Heady Happenings for bringing us all together again!
Scott Deppe of Mothership Epic Sesh
Winner’s Trophies
Teresa from Silvana Meats
Trapis Designs
Chris attaching the last leaf
The Volcano Kid Specialty Shop
@barbielovesmarley on the torch Amir with the glass
FRIENDS, FIRE&FUN
It’s not easy to distill what Natural Remedies Campout means to us, but it’s perhaps best described as an art festival, an adult summer camp and a utopian stoner getaway all rolled into one fatty of an event. Marking its fifth anniversary of rambunctious woodland fun, this year’s adventure transpired in Bellingham, Wash., deep within the verdant hills and picturesque naturescapes of Whatcom County.
THE EVENT was planned, coordinated and hosted by Heady Broker, an independent glass art broker and the mastermind behind Natural Remedies Campout. Featuring an itinerary that took place over three consecutive days, the Campout played host to a diverse assortment of amusements and amenities. A broad selection of entertainment options was scheduled, including fire dancers, live music, comedy shows and a magician. Attendee-led recreational activities were incorporated throughout the weekend, like a Puff ’n’ Paint with Ishtar Glass and a Tie-dye Party with Pour Up Patrick.
The sheer magnitude of art on display across the 72-hour gathering was mind-blowing. If a single piece of heady glass can be considered a “heater,” being at Natural Remedies Campout was like sitting in an active volcano.
Day one kicked off with the Marbles and Mugs show, which consisted of drinking vessels and meticulously molded glass spheres of varying colors and designs. The second day threw down the proverbial borosilicate gauntlet with Prism to Void, an exhibit by featured artist Drewbie Glass. A crowd favorite for that gallery was the Drewbie X Salt Glass recycler that looked more akin to an eldritch horror than a dab rig, strapped to the teeth (literally) with Salt’s signature eyes and tentacles. Day three rounded out the exposition with a bead drop by Eli Munster and a Pocket Vibes showcase displaying miniature functionals. It was tough not to get stuck checking out the Renz Craft mini v2 Yo-Yo, but every piece in the presentation was beyond breathtaking in terms of craftsmanship.
Live glassblowing demonstrations were heating up next to the main stage at all hours of the day and night. Artists like Dohn Joe, J-Red and Knuckles Glass could be found melting away on the torch and showing off their creative chops for an enraptured — and optimally stoney — audience. There was even a trippy art gallery painted by Cole Jenkins to close out the first evening, where UV lights were used to illuminate hidden shapes and colors within his already psychedelic paintings.
“The overall kindness and quality of community interactions during the event were almost surreal. The vibes were contagious.”
A variety of sponsors and vendors were stationed in self-stylized tents around the perimeter of the main area. Leaf Magazine’s green leaf canopy was easy to spot, stocked with a range of recent magazine issues and handcrafted dabbing implements made by local Oregon brand Sophisticated Dab Tools.
Outside of the organized programming, the actual campsite and environment of the location were positively exquisite. Breaking out of the day-to-day grind and becoming one with nature was undoubtedly one of the best parts of the weekend.
At the heart of the encampment, this amazing locale had a private lake surrounded by cliffs, wilderness and walking trails. The area was a perfect respite for swimming, hiking or lounging out in the summer sun with a big hashhole. With functional bathrooms and hot showers present on the property, the facilities at Natural Remedies Campout were practically luxurious. Food was provided three times a day, thanks to
camp sponsors The Jam Man, Culinary Details and Spaceman Rigs. It’s worth noting that one of the capstones of the whole experience was an infused, five-course dinner that was curated on the final night by The Jam Man. From the medicated, honey-topped charcuterie board appetizer to the vanilla sheet cake dessert with maple mixed berries (blueberry, red huckleberry and thimbleberry), the dinner had attendees’ tastebuds saturated in delectable bliss. The overall kindness and quality of community interactions during the event were almost surreal. The vibes were contagious. For the duration of the weekend, it was hard not to run into a wide smile, a warm “good morning” greeting or a Leaf personal favorite: “Do you want a dab?” Watching acquaintanceships begin to bud and blossom into enduring friendships throughout the brief 72-hour period was nothing short of summertime magic. With nary a cellphone in sight, the effortless, genuine connections among fellow campgoers felt so revitalizing — a welcome break from everyday life. Being able to forget about the cares and stressors of the outside world was an experience difficult to put a value on. Just camaraderie, culture and a whole lot of Cannabis.
All in all, Natural Remedies Campout is an exceedingly special festival. A top highlight of the summer for those who attended, the event is a prime example of how wonderful it is when the Cannabis and glass communities come together in hash and harmony. A huge shoutout to the event leads, Heady Broker, Tatiana and Dr. Jay, for curating such an amazing get-together.
Drewbieglass x Salt
Dohnjoeglass on the torch
Lovely Bellingham
Marble races
Heady Broker, Tatiana, Dr. Jay, Jakob and Drewbie
PHOTO BY JOSH
STILL STANDING
Taxes went up in California again this July. Operators are dropping like flies, turning gray or going back to the full legacy market to survive. And it’s not just California. In New York, regulators can’t seem to get out of their own way. In Michigan and Oregon, prices have cratered. In Florida, people are still getting arrested for possession while the state licenses vertical giants to dominate the market.
FEDERAL RESCHEDULING?
Still stuck in a bureaucratic holding pattern while the Drug Enforcement Administration dithers. People are celebrating headlines like “Cannabis might be reclassified someday,” while folks like Daniel Muessig are just now getting out after serving federal time for selling weed. The only difference is paperwork and some fees — same plant, different system, depending on your ZIP code, skin color or capitalization table.
"The Cannabis industry keeps taking legislative beatings, but the culture’s not dead — not by a long shot." Events are fewer in number, but better. More DIY, more intentional and more us. The market may be punishing, but it's starting to reward authenticity.
This shift isn’t limited to one region. It’s happening in pockets everywhere — from sesh spots in Detroit to community grows in Maine to backyard pop-ups in the Inland Empire. Cannabis culture, the real kind, was never confined to dispensary walls. It’s in smoke circles, kitchens, underground shows, WhatsApp and Discord groups and living room bag drops. Always has been.
Mainstream media has mostly bounced. Too broke and bored to keep covering a slow-motion crisis. But as always, when the fair-weather folks dip out, the real ones step in.
What we’re seeing now is a Cannabis cultural correction. A hard one. A necessary one. Big players are collapsing under their own bloat. Small brands, the ones that never took shortcuts, are finally finding breathing room. People are getting creative again.
The people still in the culture are not here because it’s trendy. They’re here because they never left. Because they fought to get in and stayed when things got worse. Because they believe in the plant and the culture that grew up around it. The culture that's been raided, taxed, arrested, ghosted and gaslit. But if you're reading this, chances are, you're still standing.
This next chapter, whatever’s coming, might not be easier. But Cannabis culture is resilient and well-suited for this moment. It's essential to hold on to what's ours.
FIRE FOLLOWER THE REAL OG KUSH IS BACK
JOSH DEL ROSSO (or Josh D), one of the godfathers of OG Kush, is spending 2025 bringing the top strain of the ’90s and 2000s — OG Kush — back for the masses.
He's selling packs of 15 seeds for $100 through California Seed Bank, Neptune Seed Bank, his website and an OG Kush Hotline at 424-6669698, particularly the strain OG Kiss, which recreates the original OG Kush.
OG Kush took over the Cannabis market in the ’90s with its lemon/ pine/fuel stank, head-smashing effects and sticky, greasy and crystallized light green bud.
Grams regularly went for $20, and pounds touched $8,000 at their peak on the West Coast. The current project is four years in the making.
It starts with the new OG Kiss strain, which comes from the pollen of a Josh D OG male selected by Firekeeper Farms and Strait A Genetics. Josh D pollinated his OG Kush girls with that pollen and selected a male dubbed “The Smooch.” The Smooch is Josh D’s new stud.
Award-winning journalist/author and former Leafly Senior Editor David Downs’ new genetics intelligence dispatch.
STUDDING OUT THE OG
Josh pollinated 24 of his handpicked varieties with The Smooch, including OG Kush, ORyan OG, RBK and Spinal Tap. Each resulting strain is coming out every one to two months this year.
There are about 1,000 packs of the OG Kiss (The Smooch x OG Kush), while others run in the 500-pack range, and a few are limited to 100 packs. Bonded by Bud is Ricky’s Brother’s Kush (RBK) x The Smooch. Turtle’s Key Club is ORyan OG x The Smooch.
There are seven other Smooch crosses on tap (see fact box).
“There is something so special in the effect of the high that I'm trying to bring that to everything,” Josh said.
“You can expect me to pick something that's going to get you so elevated, like, that you turn out of your driveway and go the wrong way.”
The best way to get authentic Josh D OG Kush genetics is via his website, direct messages on Instagram and the aforementioned OG Kush hotline.
“The OG’s always been so good to me in my life. It's been the foundation and my focus for all this time, growing OG now for 30 years,” Josh said. “It's like having a family member that you just love.”
Put these in your vault, and send them to Mars as a backup for Cannabis on planet Earth.
TANGLED ROOTS RUNS DEEP
Easily one of the most unmissable new seed banks to emerge in this “Emerald Age” of breeding is Tangled Roots (tangledrootsstore.com) from Northern California. They have this crazy, cool collection of vintage Emerald Triangle genetics from some of the winningest growers to watch.
You can jump onto the Whitethorn Rose craze that’s winning all the awards out West with seeds from Huckleberry Hill Farms. You should also check out Canna Country’s #36 winner and Ridgeline Farms’ Lantz.
It’s mind-boggling to me that Ridgeline Farms’ Lantz F2 regular seed packs just sit there available for $140 for 10 on the site as of press time. It’s like someone leaving their keys in a Ferrari with a note: “Have fun!”
Canna Country #26 x Gelato 41 brings together Canna Country’s showstopping Forbidden Fruit x Cherimoya with the all-star Gelato 41.
Detest Gelato? Each month, Tangled Roots’ “Buried Treasure” debuts a different legacy farm’s line to hunt as 20-packs of regulars. Sometimes, it’s just three or four packs per release. “Once they’re gone, they’re gone.” Scoop up these heirloom beans as they drop, find a stud and reboot a classic.
The drop at press time was “Snow P,” John Casali's (of Huckleyberry Hill) Lemon OG crossed to Scott’s Legend OG. It has tight, frosty green buds with a loud, fruity gas nose. Bred to finish early, before the eradication helicopters swooped in.
OG KISS
PLATINUM LANTZ X RIDGELINE RUNTZ
PHOTO BY RIDGELINE
OG KISS PHOTO BY JOSH D.
HUCKLEBERRY HILL FARMS' WHITETHORN ROSE
PHOTO BY BEN NEFF
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This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children. FIND A
It’s no surprise to me that Tracy Doerschel, a certified medical Cannabis consultant, has been with the Dockside Cannabis team for seven years. Her dedication to product knowledge and customer service goes above and beyond. From her bright smile to her kind mannerisms, she says that she’s “probably the oldest budtender in Washington,” but that hasn’t slowed her down at all.
TRACY’S FAVORITES
Dabs: Peanut Butter
Breath by Constellation
Flower: Granddaddy
Purple by Raven
Edibles: Giggle Bits
Candy/Bars by Swift
Vape: Hash Burger by Plaid Jacket
DOCKSIDE GREEN LAKE
8401 AURORA AVE. N., SUITE F, SEATTLE,
TRACY DOERSCHEL
“SHE’S ALWAYS UPBEAT, ENERGETIC AND
BEFORE HER TIME in the Cannabis retail space, Tracy worked diligently at various tenures in the hospitality and commercial food service industries. However, Cannabis has always been a mainstay, so when retirement came, she didn’t skip a beat. She got her Medical Cannabis Certification and applied to Dockside Cannabis, where she continues this passion project today.
If you seek an enlightened shopping trip, the best time to catch Tracy is on a Saturday, Sunday or Monday at Dockside Cannabis’ Green Lake location.
While you’re there, check out the beast of a display she maintains for the flower department, where you’ll find a sprinkle of sparkles from artist Street Kitty Glass.
“She’s always upbeat, energetic and brings good times,” coworker Lars Collins said about Tracy. So, head over to Dockside Cannabis in Green Lake for some good times and solid recommendations.
SEEING DOUBLE
Summer is the time for indulging in chilled sweets and drinks, so save your calories for dessert and get infused with a zero-carb, no-sugar edible that’s ready to melt you like soft serve at Pike Place Market.
EDIBLES AND MUNCHIES go hand in hand, but sometimes, it takes a handful of 10 or more 10-milligram gummies to catch a buzz, which is a whole lot of sugar, pectin and empty calories. While this writer surely eats many a sugary treat to get high, it’s always great when catching a buzz doesn’t add to the calorie count. The golden capsules by Double Delicious are filled with a pure and potent Cannabis buzz that’s effect-specific and ready to deliver medicinal and recreational benefits.
To experience the full range of products and buzzes, we grabbed a sample pack from Double Delicious, starting with their Sativa Capsules. Light gold oil dances in a clear capsule, which goes down like a daily vitamin. Within 30 to 45 minutes, we felt a warm, glowy buzz building from a tummy full of coffee and terps. Made with ethanol extract, these capsules have RSO-type effects that wrap the body and mind in a full spectrum of cannabinoids that feel as good as a hug from an old friend.
Once the sativa buzz was kicking, we spent the day traversing the variety of capsules, adding hybrids and CBD 1:1s before the gym, which reduced pain and helped quiet the nagging voice that tries to interrupt a hard workout.
“Taking one or two capsules was enough to get the CBN into our system, calming our mind and body before a restful night’s sleep.” DOUBLEDELICIOUS.NET
Great for recovery, the CBD is helpful for inflammation and stress, taking care of the mind and body.
At the end of a long day, it was time to find a final sleepy high to carry our mind and spirit through a nice dose of REM sleep and endogenous DMT, which gives such vivid dreams. While some people report that their dreams are lessened with Cannabis, endogenous DMT is a potential treatment for PTSD or those struggling with trauma or stress that hits at night. Whether you want to dream big or slip into a quiet cloud, the CBN-dominant indica RSO capsules are ready to help you count sheep and drift off into the stars. Taking one or two capsules was enough to get the CBN into our system, calming our mind and body before a restful night’s sleep.
With options that can start, maintain and finish your day, we packed in 100 mg of Cannabis between 10 varied capsules in a day, felt great and even had room for a baked brownie that was largely guilt-free. With a thoughtful lineup of capsules and higher potency Infusionz (topical elixirs), power your next buzz with Double Delicious, and be ready for the munchies with your favorite treat.
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Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children.
Topicals are an essential part of using Cannabis as medicine, which is something that we should all consider when consuming the plant. Dabs and joints are fun, but when our joints start aching, it’s time to get out the bath bombs and rubs to pamper the body the same way we lather our minds with terps. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite topicals to help power through summer adventures — and recover for the next ones!
Verdelux Mercy Lotion
It’s no surprise that Mercy by Verdelux consistently ranks among Washington’s top-rated Cannabis topicals. This lasting popularity is a direct result of Verdelux’s unwavering commitment to quality across its entire product line.
Though best known for their award-winning chocolates and gummies — crafted in small batches with premium ingredients — Verdelux applies the same meticulous care to their topicals. Mercy is a perfect example, offering a 1:1 THC to CBD ratio powered by fullspectrum RSO, which delivers the plant’s full therapeutic benefits.
Upon application, Mercy produces an immediate cooling effect that, within 15 minutes, transitions into a warm, comforting sensation. It’s not hot, but deeply soothing, allowing tight muscles to relax and helping relieve aches and tension. Effects last about an hour, providing a generous window for relief and recovery. The lotion-like consistency spreads easily and absorbs well, allowing for precise, efficient use (a small amount goes a long way). Its subtle menthol aroma fades quickly after application, never overpowering the senses.
Whether used for acute injuries, sore muscles or post-workout recovery, Mercy provides fast, targeted relief. For those with active lifestyles — or anyone seeking effective, plant-powered comfort — this standout topical truly lives up to its name.
verdelux.com
200mg THC, 200mg CBD
Review & Photo by Rex Hilsinger @borophoto
Topicals Pain-Relieving
Hazy Daze Wonder Rub
Summer is full of adventures and recovery, and nothing makes us feel as wonderful as a lathering with the classic Wonder Rub topical.
Made by Hazy Daze, this highpotency rub comes in a gold tin and has been quietly selling units for years in the Washington recreational market. It’s packed with high-potency Cannabis, which is essential for getting the benefit of topical applications, and incredibly effective at reducing pain and inflammation. From knees to backs, sore hands or stiff necks, this topical sends a mega dose of Cannabis along with a beneficial topical that goes on smooth, doesn’t leave a residue and delivers truly medicinal benefits with each application. For pain and sore muscles, kick your recovery into overdrive with the Wonder Rub, and start feeling better with Cannabis topicals. 1,032mg THC, 1,019mg CBD
Review by Wes Abney @beardedlorax
Photo by Daniel Berman @bermanphotos
The Naked Science Miracle Mist
With a name like The Naked Science, it’s clear where we are supposed to use this product, which is less naughty and more body, as we all have aches and pains that Cannabis topicals can help with.
The Miracle Mist is a lidocaine and Cannabis blend that’s 90% water and blended with castor oil, arnica oil, lidocaine and plenty of Cannabis. Lidocaine is in a lot of over-the-counter salves and patches, and it’s known for its ability to numb areas and block pain signals, allowing the body and nerves to relax. This medicine is great alone, but when combined with high-potency Cannabis, it can really work miracles, as the name suggests. A few sprays and a light rub in send the blend of Cannabinoids and topical lidocaine to stop pain quickly, while the Cannabis works to cut inflammation and heal, for a duo as good for the body as sunlight and fresh air. 1,000mg THC
Review by Wes Abney @beardedlorax
Photo by Daniel Berman @bermanphotos
The Naked Science
Bath Soaks
Slip into a warm bath, and feel the full-body embrace of premium bath soaks that are infused with big doses of Cannabis and treat the body and mind like a pampered baby.
For most adults, the last bath experience they had was trying to bathe a fussy child or perhaps all the way back in childhood. If you’re in the candles and soak crowd, no offense, but most of us haven’t had time for a good bath in years. The Bath Soaks by The Naked Science are an excuse to dim the lights, run a hot bath and embrace selfcare with a topical buzz that covers the entire body. Bath soaks provide a lot of benefits, from aromatherapy to detoxification and soothing relaxation, which are all super important for washing away the stress and tension of this modern life. They also get the mind and body in the mood, as the skin is the largest organ on the body, and it absorbs a huge hit of Cannabis when soaked in a bath.
To get in the mood-mood, there’s the Attract Him and Attract Her bath soaks, which include 200mg of THCA and aromatherapy infusions, like melon, kiwi, jasmine and even sex pheromones. The heat of the bath activates the THCA, sending a wave of relaxing and floaty cannabinoids to the body and mind. Crawling out of a bath left us feeling like a towel, ready to be tossed around after drying off. We also loved the Trance blend, which smells like warm vanilla, coconut and sandalwood and relaxes you into a puddle, and the Vice blend, which combines 100mg of THCA and 100mg of CBDA to smash tension and relieve stress. With blends to feel sexy and deal with stress and pain, these bath soaks are a must-have for the medicine cabinet and will turn your next bath into an indulgent experience. 200mg THCA | 100mg THCA, 100mg CBDA
Review by Wes Abney @beardedlorax
Photo by Daniel Berman @bermanphotos
Verdelux Salvation Salve
Well, this is quite the salve, hence the name Salvation. This is an amazing blend of essential oils with a 1:1 mix of THC and CBD (150 mg each in this container). Salvation was one I didn’t see coming. I’ve tried a lot of topicals over the years, and this one really hit home for me. When talking with Verdelux owner Chris Lin, he said that he was just trying to make something that would work for family members with eczema and his affliction of bug bites. Turns out, it does that and a lot more. I’ve given this one a try multiple times now because of its versatility and long-lasting effects. It goes on smoothly and absorbs quickly, and the scent is earthy (think light wood tones). Once it’s on you, keep going on your adventure, and before you know it, symptoms like the irritation from a bug bite diminish quickly. I also note a refreshed feeling in the muscle areas I apply it to. If you’re mid-hike, give this one a try, whether you are sore yet or not. Full-spectrum RSO powers this product and all the products at Verdelux. It’s always made in-house and only made with the highest quality plants. verdelux.com Review & Photo by Rex Hilsinger @borophoto
Legacy Organics Legacy Organics
Truffles Truffles
ROLLED IN HASH AND CURED TO PERFECTION, THESE TASTY TRUFFLES ARE READY TO SPICE UP YOUR NEXT SESH WITH A MIND-MELTING BUZZ THAT’S THE WEED VERSION OF A PSYCHEDELIC TRIP.
TRUFFLES and psychedelics have a long history of trippy collaborations, with many a tourist to Amsterdam getting truffled by the mushroom chocolates sold at corner smartshops and coffeeshops. While mushroom truffles aren’t available in the U.S., unless you have a good plug, they still dominate the European market for shroomy adventures. To honor the psychedelic history, we chose the best truffles for stoners with this trio of beautiful infused buds from Legacy Organics.
These tasty truffles are infused with different hashes and concentrates, so we lined up a charcuterie weed station and decided to get baked in layered style, starting with the Bubble Truffle. Made with premium flower infused with bubble hash, these nugs look exactly like a dusted chocolate truffle. The first notes are thick with earthy gas and a hashy chocolate-citrus-cookies flavor profile that captivates the mind as a bowl is loaded. The bud snaps easily, with a beautiful green inside that’s heavily layered with bubble hash, delivering first hits that are full of piney fuel and smack the frontal lobes with a melty, powerful high.
Next, we dove into the White Truffle, which is infused in bubble hash and then coated with THCA crystals, giving the nugs a powdered doughnut look. THCA is naturally white and has a quick melt, which sends a massive hit as the layers melt together and burn the bowl. These truffles have a funkier, earthier, garlic-gassy-pine flavor that swirls around the senses as a bowl is loaded, delivering a smooth smoke that fills the mind and body with a floaty, heady and euphoric buzz.
Preparing our third bowl, we doubled down on the Double Truffle, which is infused with bubble hash and kief. Together, the layered effects are superb, with the flower, kief and bubble hash combining for a trippy and giggly high, taking us back to the early daze of weed smoking. Hits burn smooth and clean, gripping the lungs with a potent high that builds from the chest out, warming and relaxing muscles as a chillaxed, ready-to-Netflix-and-grub buzz takes hold.
With these infused truffles, turn your next day into a treat, and prepare to be melted in a puddle that’s worthy of our cover art by Killer Acid. With this trip ending in the kitchen instead of hours on late-night YouTube, you can go back for more over and over.
It begins with a whisper, a curiosity, a knowing deep within. Maybe you’ve heard the stories of jungle brews healing lifelong trauma, mushrooms illuminating new neural pathways or mescaline-infused seekers meeting their higher self among a tapestry of transcendental stars. Welcome to the psychedelic rabbit hole. In this guide, we aim to demystify the world of psychedelics with care, curiosity and consciousness. From ancient roots to modern therapy, from neuroscience to spiritual renewal, let this be your grounded map as you journey into awakened states of being.
WHAT ARE PSYCHEDELICS? The term ”psychedelic” means “clear mind manifesting,” while ”entheogen” means “God within.” Though often used interchangeably, an entheogen is specifically a substance used in sacred, ceremonial or spiritual context rooted in prayer, intention and transformation. These substances alter perceptions, amplify emotions and dissolve the boundaries between self and the world.
Classic psychedelics like psilocybin (magic mushrooms), Bufo (5-MeO-DMT), ibogaine, mescaline (peyote or San Pedro) and ayahuasca have been embraced ceremonially for centuries. Other man-made alternatives, such as MDMA, are being used in clinical settings to treat PTSD, depression and addiction with remarkable results.
THE MORE YOU KNOW: As of 2025, most classic psychedelics remain federally illegal in the United States. However, select jurisdictions have allowed regulated therapeutic access to psilocybin and MDMA under clinical trials. Psilocybin has also been decriminalized in places like Oregon, Colorado and parts of California as well as Washington. Check with your local authorities and always tread discreetly. We disclaim any responsibility for your choices or outcomes related to psychedelic use. Always engage with care, preparation, legal awareness and support from trusted guides. This article reflects our research and findings, intended only to inform.
What unites them all is their ability to unlock doors of introspection into ancestral remembrance. A primal soul connection to universal oneness, providing a fresh new perspective and conscious recall of deeply hidden traumatic memories.
YOUR BRAIN ON PSYCHEDELICS
Modern science reveals psychedelics do more than just make us “trip.” They shift our brain’s default mode network, breaking rigid patterns of thought and behavior. This opens space for new insights, emotional release and long-lasting neuroplasticity. Psilocybin and LSD activate serotonin 2A receptors, enhancing mood and perception. DMT floods the visual cortex with fractal sacred geometry and an overwhelming sense of divine love. These psychotropic allies interrupt long-standing depressive thought loops with surprising efficiency. When used intentionally, psychedelics offer a psychological reset.
ANCIENT ROOTS, MODERN REVIVAL
Long before laboratory syntheses or peer-reviewed studies, sacred plants and living organisms, such as fungi, were guiding humanity through portals of consciousness. Indigenous peoples across the Earth have long held deep, reciprocal relationships with these entheogenic substances. To sit in ceremony with sacred medicine is to enter into dialogue with the cosmos itself. In the lush jungles of the Amazon, ayahuasca has been revered for thousands of years by tribes like the Shipibo, Asháninka and Huni Kuin, whose shamans sing ”icaros” to navigate spiritual realms, diagnose illness and invoke ancestral wisdom. The Mazatec of Oaxaca call psilocybin mushrooms ”niñas santas,” which means "holy children," used in veladas (sacred healing ceremonies) to restore balance to body, mind and spirit. In the Andes, Huachuma (San Pedro cactus) has been consumed since pre-Incan times to open the heart and receive guidance from the mountains and stars.
"FROM ANCIENT ROOTS TO MODERN THERAPY, FROM NEUROSCIENCE TO SPIRITUAL RENEWAL, LET THIS BE YOUR GROUNDED MAP AS YOU JOURNEY INTO AWAKENED STATES OF BEING."
SAFE TRAVELS SAFE TRAVELS
1. SET: YOUR INNER LANDSCAPE
Your mindset shapes the trip. Enter with intention, openness and respect. Psychedelics amplify what’s already present within, so take time to reflect, meditate and prepare emotionally and spiritually. Consider detoxing for 48 hours before a spiritual journey so that nothing interferes with the intentions of the medicine.
2. SETTING: YOUR OUTER WORLD
Choose a safe, peaceful and familiar environment. Whether alone or with others, the external world mirrors and influences your internal state. If venturing into nature while in an altered state, have a sober friend with you. Never venture into nature alone while under the influence. If the journey becomes overwhelming, remember to breathe in love and breathe out gratitude. Those two ideologies will help draw any journey back toward the light. If the intensity is uncontrollable, drink plenty of water and take a nap.
3. SUPPORT: A TRIP SITTER/ GUIDE
Have someone you trust nearby, especially if you’re new to the medicine. A sober, grounded presence or experienced facilitator can offer safety and spiritual anchoring. When seeking guides, choose those who practice with integrity, humility and cultural respect. When possible, work with an Indigenous/tribal ceremonialist for a truly healing experience.
4.
What you do after the journey is just as important as the trip itself. Reflect, journal, rest and embody the insights received. Speak with an integration guide or therapist if needed. Allow at least 24 to 72 hours post-journey to ground and nourish yourself and begin integrating the teachings before returning to your daily life.
We are living through the revival of a global “psychedelic renaissance.” Institutions like MAPS, Johns Hopkins and the Beckley Foundation are now validating what Indigenous cultures have always known: Psychedelics aren’t a shortcut to enlightenment, but they are a powerful compass. In venturing down the rabbit hole, choose to take it slow, stay humble and honor the sacred. And remember, OGs: The medicine is not the answer; it is simply a mirror. You are the answer.
INTEGRATION: WEAVING THE WISDOM
NEW STRAIN!
PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOMS IN THEIR NATURAL HABITATS
PAUL STAMETS
Paul Stamets gifts the world another mycological masterpiece with “Psilocybin Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats” — a luminous guide through the forest floor of consciousness. With over 300 vivid photos and sacred stories, Stamets illuminates the history, identification and symbiotic potential of psychoactive fungi. Whether you’re a backyard forager, spiritual seeker or psychedelic scholar, this book offers a riveting manual for navigating the mushroom realms.
From ancient ritual to modern microdosing, it honors the healing and transformational power of psilocybin. It’s a spore-soaked invitation to expand your mind, respect the medicine and reconnect with Earth’s original intelligence. Readers are guided through the wild world of psilocybin with practical identification keys, cultivation tips and safety protocols. The pages are laced with breathtaking photography and a deep reverence for fungal wisdom. More than a field guide, Stamets bridges psychedelic exploration with ecological stewardship. This book emanates a vision for a conscious future, where fungi become allies in mental wellness and planetary awakening. fungi.com | @paulstamets
ALBUM
KHRUANGBIN
“HASTA EL CIELO”
If you're searching for a perfectly chilled-out, uplifting and good-vibes-setting album, my go-to choice continues to be Khruangbin’s “Hasta El Cielo.” While this Texasbased trio is normally already deep in the groove pocket with their dreamy/psych/ funk/genre-bending sound, this project takes things to a whole other level. The album is actually a dub version of their previous project “Con Todo El Mundo,” repurposing familiar sonic elements in a slowed down, spaced out and reverb-soaked magic that will always calm things down, boost your mood and tickle your brain. Khruangbin.com @khruangbin
MAGAZINE
DOUBLEBLIND
Doubleblind Magazine was founded in 2019 by journalists Shelby Hartman (Vice, LA Weekly and Herb) and Madison Margolin (Playboy, Tablet and The Village Voice) as a modern, upscale approach to psychedelic content. Doubleblind Magazine intentionally eschews the traditional technicolor and tie-dye iconography typically associated with psychedelics in favor of something that might feel more at home on a high-end coffee table. Articles range from listicle roundups of the best treats for tripping to headier pieces spotlighting the impact of decriminalization on underrepresented communities. doubleblindmag.com @doubleblindmag
REVIEW BY ANGELA-JORDAN AGUILAR @AJ.OG
AYAHUASCA JUNGLE VISIONS
“A
COLORING BOOK”
Created by U.K.-born visionary artist Alexander George Ward, this is more than a coloring book — it’s a portal into the soul of the Amazon. Created after a series of transformative ayahuasca journeys, this book blossoms with divine insight gathered from ancient tribal cultures that live in harmony with Pachamama. As Ward traveled from the river’s source into the emerald heart of the jungle, he was gifted visions that now come alive in these hand-drawn illustrations. Each page is a psychedelic invitation to co-create with the spirit of nature, a visionary offering of plant wisdom, tribal harmony and Mother Earth’s divine beauty. Flowers, animals, ancestral beings and cosmic symbology wait for your colors to awaken them. Coloring becomes medicine — a psychedelic journey without leaving your home. This coloring book is a must-have for seekers, artists and cosmic explorers alike. wardyworks.art | @wardyworks
REVIEW BY ANGELA-JORDAN AGUILAR @AJ.OG
COMEDY
CRAIG CONANT
Anyone who’s been paying attention to the intersection of Cannabis, psychedelics and comedy would probably recognize Craig Conant’s face, even if they didn’t know his name. Over the past year, the lanky, long-haired Los Angeles-based comedian has ridden a rocket through the Metaverse stratosphere by sharing hilarious stories of his experiences with weed, Ayahuasca, LSD, mushrooms and psychedelics in general. His reflections on his 11-year sobriety from “alcohol, pills and powders” prove to be particularly potent PSAs delivered with a laugh, as well. If you’re looking for something to throw on post-peak when the giggles set in, Conant can’t miss. You can also catch his laid-back, lackadaisical style in person on his tour across the U.S., with roughly 40 stops between now and the end of the year, or on the go via his podcast, “Community Service.” @craigpconant @communityservicepod | craigconant.com
REVIEW BY TOM BOWERS @MEGABOMBTOM
MOVIE DESTINO (DISNEY+)
In the world of psychedelic cinema, a handful of films exist that tower above as high-water-mark classics. The animated French masterpiece “Fantastic Planet” is often credited with inventing the intentionally psychedelic film genre. The 1968 Stanley Kubrick benchmark “2001: A Space Odyssey” more or less popularized the concept of tripping at the cinema, with theaters going so far as to market screenings designed for immersive LSD experiences, labeling the film “the ultimate trip” on promo posters. More modern films have taken the reins, with epics like the “Dune” and “Lord of the Rings” series and family fare like “The NeverEnding Story” and “The Lego Movie” perfectly repositioned as trip-friendly classics (beware of the scene with Artax and the swamp).
But it’s a blend of modern filmmaking and classic cinematic art that we’d like to highlight here, with the surrealistic short Disney film, “Destino.”
The journey of this artistic triumph began in 1945 as a collaboration between Walt Disney, surrealist master Salvador Dalí and Walt Disney Studios animator John Hench. Originally shelved due to budget constraints, the storyboards for the film were unearthed at the turn of the millennium, and a team of animators completed the vision using traditional and computer animation.
The result is a mind-bending, romantic and breathtakingly beautiful piece of cinematic art. At only seven minutes, it’s not something you can settle into for the duration, but if you’re looking for something to bridge the intermission amid a mindmelting movie marathon, this is a must. DisneyPlus.com | @DisneyPlus
REVIEW BY TOM BOWERS @MEGABOMBTOM
KILLER ACID KILLER ACID KILLER ACID
Rob Corradetti was the perfect artist to enlist for the cover of this year's Psychedelia Issue. He’s the mastermind behind Killer Acid — a collection of psychedelic screen prints, T-shirts and ephemera. In addition to having his artwork featured in galleries and malls in the U.S., Killer Acid has also been a part of some impressive collaborations with a diverse group of brands, including Meow Wolf, Jerry Garcia, High Times, Polaroid and Adult Swim, to name a few. With Killer Acid’s 15th anniversary approaching, Leaf caught up with Rob to talk about his childhood, artistic influences, creative process, most memorable trip and more.
LEAF Q&A
PSYCHEDELIC
ARTIST ROB CORRADETTI
WHERE ARE YOU BASED? WHERE ARE YOU FROM ORIGINALLY? Killer Acid is based in Santa Cruz, California, a grungy little town famous for surfing, skateboarding and weird psychedelic shit. And you can’t forget “The Lost Boys.” I was born in Delaware and moved to New York City when I was 20 to make it big time. I lived there from 1999 until 2018, and then we moved out West in search of more peace and quiet. Killer Acid started in the winter of 2010, so this will be our 15th anniversary coming up.
WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD LIKE? I’m always tempted to recite the Dr. Evil monologue when someone asks me this. “My childhood was typical: summers in Rangoon … luge lessons. In the spring, we'd make meat helmets.” I actually have mostly really good memories of childhood. Growing up in the 1980s, I was probably in the last generation of free-range kids. My parents would say, “Be home by 5:30,” and there was a lot of wandering to do between the creek, train tracks and woods. There was a lot of mystery out in the woods.
WHEN AND HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST? I was always the kid in class drawing comics of everyone, and later I made elaborate pen and ink drawings for art contests. My parents were both public school teachers, so they had summers off. One summer, we happened upon a weird little screen printing shop in Ocean City, Maryland. At my dad’s suggestion, the guys in there checked out my notebook. Liking what they saw, they offered to make some shirts with my designs. The next week or two, I went by there and helped out every day, working the cash register and picking up the finer points of screen printing. This was 1994, so everything was still very analog. This is maybe the first example of fate finding me. I was always doing my thing, though, and carrying my notebook around. You never know when a door will appear. As soon as it comes, it’s gone. The shop owners were very kind. As payment, they gave me a box of T-shirts, which I kept in the trunk of my car and sold to friends and hippies at the park for $20.
WHO ARE YOUR MAIN INFLUENCES AS AN ARTIST?
One of my main influences is my wife, Sierra. I feel spiritually complete watching her work on a painting. I also get a ton of joy watching my daughter draw.
It’s cool when all three of us are in the same room working. Otherwise, I was a huge fan of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” growing up. I take a lot of inspiration from vintage novelties and cartoons as well as the Hairy Who, RAW comics magazine, Stanley Mouse and Jim Phillips. I came up in the underground comics scene revolving around Desert Island Comics in Brooklyn. That’s where I first got my start.
WHERE DO YOU USUALLY DRAW INSPIRATION FROM WHEN STARTING A NEW PIECE? A majority of my ideas pop into my mind as a short phrase or a few words. I might be listening to music, watching a movie or riding my bike. Sometimes, an old phrase comes to mind, something I remember my mom or grandma saying, or hearing on the radio. I’ll jot this stuff down in my ideas notebook. And a few days, weeks or even years later, I might get another piece of the puzzle, or I’ll go back to the notebook and the concept will flash in my mind fully formed. It’s a bit of a long, complicated process for me. I definitely subscribe to the David Lynch school of “Catching the Big Fish.” Drawing for me is like medication and meditation. If I don’t do it regularly, I start feeling squirrely.
HOW LONG DOES IT TYPICALLY TAKE YOU TO FINISH A PIECE?
I like to say, “It takes 20 years and one day.”
DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITES AMONG YOUR WORK? Some of my favorite things are super simple cartoons or doodles that I don’t belabor. They just pop out of my hand on their own. I think true psychedelia is like that: no filter, just the raw soul or the yearning for expression. This kind of work seems to resonate with people. It’s like plucking an idea that has always felt like it existed from the cosmic consciousness. You can’t imagine the world without it. It’s just been there waiting for someone to see it. (CONTINUES NEXT PAGE).
“ONE OF MY MAIN INFLUENCES IS MY WIFE, SIERRA. I FEEL SPIRITUALLY COMPLETE WATCHING HER WORK ON A PAINTING. I ALSO GET A TON OF JOY WATCHING MY DAUGHTER DRAW. IT’S COOL WHEN ALL THREE OF US ARE IN THE SAME ROOM WORKING.” BELOW, "CAT PLANET" ABOVE, KILLER ACID BOOTH RIGHT, "CAN'T COMPLAIN"
KILLER ACID KILLER ACID KILLER ACID
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU TEND TO GRAVITATE TOWARD? I listen to all sorts of music but gravitate toward ’60s and ’70s rock like The Seeds, Chocolate Watchband, Velvet Underground and the Dead, of course. One of my all-time favorite albums is Paul McCartney’s “Ram.” I did an illustration assignment about that album once and listened to it a billion times.
HOW SIGNIFICANT A ROLE DOES GETTING HIGH PLAY IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
I prefer Emerald Triangle outdoor sativas for maximum creative vibes. Sometimes, if I’m in a rut, it’s the little jump I need to start the engine. I also enjoy the contrast of taking breaks and letting my mind wander. I don’t need weed to be creative, but it sure helps remove the daily life bummers and barriers between feeling blah and getting amped.
MOST MEMORABLE/IMPACTFUL TRIP? I took two tabs of Orange Sunshine at a park when I was a senior in high school. It was a crisp October day, and I was with my three best buds in the world. It was everything you’d expect from an acid trip, with all the visuals. I saw airplanes kaleidoscoping and radiating across the sky, and trees made of a billion crawling eyes and shapes. I was walking into doors within doors in my mind, experiencing birth and death and reliving memories that had been locked inside my mind for years. I remember having a small lenticular button with McDonald’s characters grinning on it. I said, “This button is my sanity.” My friend grabbed it out of my hand and threw it into the muddy creek. I was splashing around in there trying to find it for a few minutes, getting soaked and all muddy. Then, we were laughing hysterically in a fit of madness. I never did find it. The next day, I knew my life had changed in some way, and I was determined to never go back. I felt supercharged like a cosmic shiny Pokémon.
WAS THERE A MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZED THAT YOU’D MADE IT AS A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST?
This might sound kind of corny, but I rarely feel satisfied with accomplishments. The thrill for me is the act of creation and the ideas I’m attempting to make real. I’m fulfilled when I see the joy on other people’s faces who are looking at my work. My entire goal as an artist is to make this place more fun.
“IT
WAS A CRISP OCTOBER DAY, AND I WAS WITH MY THREE BEST BUDS IN THE WORLD. IT WAS EVERYTHING YOU’D EXPECT FROM AN ACID TRIP...”
| @KILLERACID
Utilizing Psychedelic Therapy for Athletic Rehabilitation and Self-Care
TOUCHDOWN
TOUCHDOWN
Robert Gallery isn’t your typical psychedelics user.
The 6-foot-7-inch retired NFL lineman isn’t your typical anything, for that matter. But as the founder of Athletes for Care — a nonprofit dedicated to research and developing pathways for athletes to use psychedelics to heal physical and emotional trauma — the former Raider and Seahawk wants more people to experience the power of psychedelic plant medicine.
“I WAS NOT EXPERIENCED in the plant medicine space and psychedelics,” Gallery said. “I knew nothing about them until I retired and started having issues post-retirement from football, whether it was the mood swings, rage, suicidal ideation, suicidal nightmares. I got to a point where I was having all these things happen, and at that point, I didn't know what was causing them.”
Gallery ended up getting a 3D brain scan and discovered that he had suffered brain damage during his years playing ball.
“With the amount of damage I have, the way I was living my life, coping with alcohol and doing nothing to help recover, they said, ‘If you do nothing, you're probably going to be a statistic.’ … At that
help heal,” he said. “I was doing the hyperbaric chamber, I was doing IVs and all these different things that supposedly help fix or help heal the brain. I did that for a year and a half or two years and didn't really have much success.”
The ongoing impact on his brain got so bad that he would suffer fits of rage, extreme social anxiety and memory loss. Then, suicidal nightmares began, causing sleep loss and mental paralysis.
“The depression was bad,” he said. “I was trying to cope using alcohol. I wasn't an everyday drinker, but when I drank, I drank till I could function.”
It got to the point where he would drink a bottle of tequila to be able to go to a public function. It pushed right up to the breaking point with his family. Gallery wasn’t sure what to do.
Then, while listening to an interview with Marcus and Amber Capone — leaders of the psyche -
Luttrell’s “Team Never Quit” podcast, Gallery discovered something that would reverse his downward trajectory.
“Marcus was a college football player and Navy SEAL, and he went through his story of what happened to him,” Gallery said, describing how Capone’s trauma damage mirrored his own. “He had one of his old SEAL Team teammates take him to Mexico and do ibogaine.”
(CONTINUES NEXT PAGE).
ROBERT GALLERY
After hearing the episode, Gallery reached out to Marcus Capone to learn more about the treatment. Hearing Capone describe the therapeutic results with the powerful psychedelic plant compound motivated Gallery to make a similar southward journey with one of Capone’s groups to seek his own sanative success.
Gallery went through a two-step process over the course of a weekend. The first step was ibogaine treatment, which Gallery describes as “defragging” (or defragmenting) his mind, with all of his memories and traumas separated and laid bare, one by one. The ibogaine treatment was so intense that the following day, Gallery lost all motor function.
“It shut my brain and my body down, and it was trying to reboot to get things working again,” he said.
If ibogaine was the defrag-and-shut-down segment of the system reboot, then 5-MeODMT was the on switch. He experienced a full ego death, where he visited his mind’s version of the afterlife.
“I died,” he said, speaking figuratively about his mental state. “I literally felt my ego leave. I wake up from that, and the lights were back on. I was bright-eyed, like I had just drank 10 cups of coffee. I came out back into the room where everybody else was, and first thing I said was, ‘I'm back, bitches.’”
He instantly felt a weight lifted. Everything was crisp. Clear. He said he could see, taste and feel again. Not only that, but he loved himself. What’s more, he had regained love for something he hadn’t enjoyed in years: football.
“(Before the treatment), I would get super irritated with my kids for turning on football,” he said. “I wanted nothing to do with football.
“EVERYTHING WAS TURNED BACK ON AGAIN. NOT ONLY EMOTIONALLY, BUT THE COGNITIVE STUFF, THE STUFF THAT I COULD PHYSICALLY SEE AND FEEL, HAD CHANGED LITERALLY OVER THE WEEKEND.”
I fucking hated it. I thought I was a failure. I thought all these things. And I remember coming out of treatment being proud of myself for what I had accomplished over my career.”
It was a complete and total change.
“Going through ibogaine (and 5-MeODMT), it was just a 180,” Gallery said. “I literally came back with no anxiety, no suicidal thoughts. Full of life, none of the ringing in my ears. The brain fog was gone. Everything was turned back on again. Not only emotionally, but the cognitive stuff, the stuff that I could physically see and feel, had changed literally over the weekend. It changed my life. I came back a different human being.”
Since his experience, Gallery launched Athletes for Care, a nonprofit dedicated to conducting research and providing resources for current and former athletes like himself who have suffered debilitating trauma in their careers. He recently spoke at the Psychedelic Conference in Denver, and he has joined the Texas Ibogaine Initiative to assist in research into the potential for positive impact on people who have suffered mental and emotional trauma. He hopes other athletes will be able to find similar relief and rehabilitation using ibogaine and other psychedelic compounds.
“We got to play a sport we love,” Gallery said. “Wouldn't change it for the world. But it comes at a price. We just didn't get to play games on Sundays and go sit by the pool all week. It was all week long. We're just beating our bodies and our brains. … I don't want you to feel sorry for me, but if you feel intrigued to look into it more, help and donate so we can be a part of these research projects to keep us as healthy as possible for us and our kids and their kids.”
Ibogaine is having a moment. Once confined to the margins of addiction research and underground retreats, the psychoactive and intoxicating plant compound is now being taken seriously by neuroscientists, policymakers, and former special operators who’ve come back from the brink with something urgent to say.
THE ROOT THAT REMEMBERS THE ROOT THAT REMEMBERS THE ROOT THAT REMEMBERS
erived from the root bark of the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, ibogaine produces a long, physically demanding psychedelic experience that’s been described by many who have tried it as both “a flood” and “a reset.” Its use in traditional spiritual contexts goes back generations in Gabon and Cameroon. In Western clinical settings, it’s being studied for something more immediate: the interruption of opioid addiction, the relief of treatment-resistant depression and PTSD and the possible repair of trauma-damaged brains. It’s not gentle, and it’s not legal in the U.S. Today, a growing wave of veterans, athletes and researchers is pushing it into the public eye.
Much of the current science is led by Stanford University, where Dr. Nolan Williams and his team conducted an observational study of 30 U.S. Special Operations veterans who underwent ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT treatment at a medically supervised clinic in Mexico. The results were published in Nature Medicine in early 2024.
One month after treatment, participants reported an average 88 percent reduction in PTSD symptoms and 87 percent in depression. Many no longer met the diagnostic criteria for any mental illness. Suicidal ideation, reported by nearly half the group before treatment, dropped to just 7 percent. Cognitive performance improved across the board.
The follow-up, published in Nature Mental Health in July 2025, documented corresponding changes in brain function: restored executive function, normalized overactive fear centers and reorganized electrical activity linked to emotional regulation. These neural shifts tracked with the dramatic clinical outcomes. Ibogaine, in combination with 5-MeO-DMT, seemed to deliver results where conventional pharmacology hadn’t.
It’s important to note that the study was open label. There was no control group. The sample size was small. Still, the findings were remarkable enough that several state governments have begun funding their own research.
Texas took the lead. In June 2025, the state passed a $50 million bill to support clinical trials (authorized by the Food and Drug
Administration) of ibogaine. The law had support from both political parties, veterans’ groups and former Governor Rick Perry, who now chairs a national ibogaine advocacy nonprofit. Perry has said publicly that hearing testimonies from combat veterans convinced him that this was no fringe idea. “They were the data,” he told lawmakers. “And we have to stop ignoring them.”
Other states are watching closely. Colorado decriminalized ibogaine and other plant medicines in 2022 under Proposition 122. The state is now evaluating whether to allow regulated access through licensed facilitators.
Oregon considered a similar path but tabled its ibogaine bill in favor of further study. Arizona and New York have introduced legislation to explore ibogaine’s clinical use for addiction and PTSD, but neither has moved it into law yet.
At the federal level, progress is slower. Ibogaine remains a Schedule I substance, meaning it is legally categorized as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. That classification makes it nearly impossible to study through normal research channels. Academic teams have had to rely on international clinics and private philanthropic support. Even so, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense have shown quiet interest in recent months, and the newly formed Psychedelics Advancing Clinical Treatments Caucus in Congress has begun holding briefings.
Ibogaine is not without risk. It acts on multiple neurotransmitter systems and significantly alters cardiac activity. Its most serious danger is QT prolongation — an electrical distortion of the heartbeat that can, in rare cases, lead to fatal arrhythmias. Between the 1990s and 2010s, at least 30 deaths were associated with ibogaine treatment, typically involving underlying heart conditions or drug interactions with antidepressants or opioids still present in the system. That history is part of what stalled its acceptance early on.
But the safety landscape is changing. Clinics operating legally or in regulatory gray areas now require comprehensive cardiac screening, including EKGs and liver function tests, and maintain continuous medical supervision.
REMEMBERS REMEMBERS REMEMBERS
Intravenous magnesium is often administered as a precaution to stabilize the heart. In the Stanford veteran study, no serious adverse events were reported.
Ibogaine also has a reputation for its intense effects. A single treatment session can last 24 to 36 hours and is frequently accompanied by vomiting, tremors and vivid, sometimes terrifying visions. Those who’ve been through it often describe it as emotionally grueling — less like a trip and more like psychic surgery. The follow-up session with 5-MeO-DMT, typically given a day or two later, is different: brief, immersive and usually described as transcendent. Taken together, the two compounds appear to offer both deep neurological recalibration and a kind of emotional closure.
Robert Gallery, a retired NFL lineman and advocate for psychedelic access among athletes, puts it plainly. “Nothing touched it until this,” he said after his 2021 treatment. “It didn’t just quiet the noise. It changed the signal.” (Read more pages 36-37).
Clinicians working with ibogaine see a similar pattern. The treatment is both disruptive and clarifying. People emerge exhausted, often shaken, but with a sense of lightness and mental space that hasn’t been available to them for years. That relief, when followed by integration work, seems to last.
Cost and access remain a problem. Since ibogaine is illegal in the U.S., patients must travel abroad. Treatment packages — including medical screening, round-the-clock supervision and follow-up care — can run anywhere from $7,000 to $15,000. Insurance doesn’t cover it. Nonprofits like Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions have stepped in to fund access for some veterans, but most people still pay out of pocket or go without.
This disparity is part of what’s fueling the push for legal, clinical access in the U.S. Supporters argue that the risk of doing nothing is far worse. Suicide rates among veterans and former athletes remain stubbornly high. Many have already tried everything else.
What comes next will depend on whether the political interest turns into institutional support. States like Texas are funding trials, but the FDA has yet to authorize a complete investigational program.
Researchers are calling for reclassification to Schedule II or III to enable controlled clinical use. Until that happens, ibogaine will remain in legal limbo — powerful, promising and out of reach for most.
Still, the trajectory is unmistakable. The data is early, but compelling. The anecdotes are everywhere. And while ibogaine is no panacea, it’s forcing a conversation long overdue in American psychiatry. For some, it’s already done what no medication, therapy or surgery could.
And that’s hard to ignore for long.
MAGIC MUSHROOMS HAVE STRAINS TOO MAGIC MUSHROOMS HAVE STRAINS TOO MAGIC MUSHROOMS HAVE STRAINS TOO
At the psychedelic “churches” where I live in Oakland, California, there are many types of psychedelic mushrooms on offer. In fact, there are so many different mushroom strains available that one of the places I visit presents them in a laminated menu as long as the one at The Cheesecake Factory. Tinted with blue hues, psychedelic mushrooms come in an array of shapes and sizes. Variations in potency occur due to factors such as how they’ve been dried or which flush cycle (aka batch) they are grown in. Like Cannabis, there are many different strains, but how does one know which types work best for the potency and effects they’re looking for? With a seemingly infinite number of variables, how do you choose a strain?
PSILOCYBE CUBENSIS
Warner, the author of “Welcome to Psilocybin: An Easy Guide to Growing and Experiencing the Potential of Magic Mushrooms,” explains that the vast majority of psychedelic mushrooms that you’ll find are all within one species: Psilocybe cubensis. Within that species, variations occur through cultivator selections based on factors such as how well each batch flushes, certain physical features (including mutations) and potency.
“Often [cultivators] will do a spore to clone, grow out the clone, get spores from that and then continue down this path for, in some cases, years and years,”
Warner said. “This is a hobby with people that really dedicate their lives to the work.
Obviously, with some cases, that’s because of financial returns. And, in some cases, people are just super stoked. They just love mushrooms so much.”
Creating something new and unique has always been a financial incentive in the world of psychedelic mushrooms, but Warner says when it comes to making new types with different effects, there are only really subtle variations.
“This is where I get into a little bit of a squabble with people that sell mushrooms,” he said. “They want to highlight the variation in effects as much as possible because giving you those options makes you more enticed in the space at large. It’s like the cereal aisle: It’s all sweetened corn, but they’re going to sell this different idea behind it.”
Warner explains that the variation in effects between mushrooms in the cubensis species is really a variation in potency more than anything.
“Some people will be like, ‘This one’s more spiritual, and this one’s more of a heavy-hitter — it’s way more visual,’” he said. “To be honest, there is some amount of that that’s true. But in my experience with mushrooms, it seems like the potency is, by and large, the main experience.”
LIKE CANNABIS, PSYCHEDELIC MUSHROOMS COME IN DIFFERENT TYPES, BUT WHAT MAKES THEM UNIQUE?
IN THE LAB
Lab testing for psychedelic mushrooms is still in its infancy, but with so many potential deviations in a given strain’s effect, it’s the only way to get a reliable dose.
“If we take a really classic common strain like Golden Teacher, there’s a number of different ways to describe the potency, but I think the easiest to understand is milligrams of active compounds per gram, and that would be the psilocin slash psilocybin,” Warner said. “There’s variation in so many ways in the mushroom.”
For example, in a single mushroom, there’s a difference in the potency depending on whether the dose is from the cap or the stem. It’s not always the case, although Warner says that the caps are a bit more potent overall.
“Then, you also have the other variations from one mushroom to another,” he said. “Inside of one flush of mushrooms, there’s some variation. Some will be more potent the first flush — and I’d say that’s more common — but you’ll have some that are slightly more potent on later flushes.” (CONTINUES NEXT PAGE).
MAGIC
MAGIC
MUSHROOMS HAVE STRAINS TOO
MUSHROOMS HAVE STRAINS TOO MAGIC MUSHROOMS HAVE STRAINS TOO
When it comes to psychedelic mushrooms, people look for hard and fast rules that are easy to understand, but Warner says the “unfortunate reality is that the amount of variation and the way that variation affects each batch of mushrooms, it’s somewhat unpredictable.”
Tracy Stansbury, the founder of Lotus Entheogenic Church, which is located along the old Pony Express route in Oakland, California, agrees.
“Knowing that every mushroom, every individual mushroom, has its own potency based on when it was harvested, to how large it is, to which flush it is, it’s really hard to pinpoint, on a large scale, accuracy when it comes to testing,” Stansbury said. “I always tell people to look at the size of the mushroom and then gauge from there because, gram for gram, every mushroom is different as far as potency-wise.”
Stansbury recommends that psychonauts looking for consistency will have the best experiences with mushroom chocolates that have been individually dosed, meaning that the amount of mushrooms in the chocolates have been independently measured and mixed as opposed to bulk batches.
“Everybody wants this classic strain, Golden Teacher, and that’s because it has the best brand recognition in a way,” Warner said. “You know? It’s a Golden Teacher. You’ve heard of it, you trust it, you know it … but that mushroom is tougher to grow at scale. It doesn’t grow, it doesn’t fruit as well [as others]. So, you know, people want it. It’s really common, but actually, for the potency, it doesn’t do well in the real estate it requires.”
When it comes to the measurement of milligrams of active psychedelic compounds per gram, Warner says that the variation in a strain like Golden Teacher runs the gamut of 4 milligrams per gram up to 12 milligrams per gram.
Within the cubensis species, Warner says that strains can get as potent as 24 or 25 milligrams per gram.
OPTIMAL DOSING
Research conducted by Johns Hopkins University and released in 2021 attempts to uncover optimal dosing for a psilocybin fixed dose. The study measures subjective effects of psilocybin — mystical, challenging and intensity — and cites 25 milligrams as the “fixed dose that is currently being evaluated in registration trials for major depressive disorder.”
What the study does not address is the active psychedelic compounds within that measured dose. Warner says this is like imagining the standard dose for Cannabis is 1 gram, regardless of the potency of individual strains.
Without lab testing, the potency of psychedelic mushrooms greatly varies. In relatively common strains like Penis Envy, there’s a huge disparity.
“There’s like over 100, probably, strains of Penis Envy,” Warner explained.
“And then it's like if you’re getting somebody who's saying it’s just Penis Envy, you gotta kind of wonder.
But what I’d say is there should be a classic milligrams per gram. I really think that needs to be the standard for how we’re buying mushrooms. There should be a lab test.”
Within guidelines for safety in hallucinogens (aka ways to avoid a “bad trip”), the Johns Hopkins research recommends understanding your history in terms of severe psychiatric disorders, establishing trust and rapport with the person who is guiding the journey (aka your “trip sitter”) and having a safe physical environment.
Regardless of what particular strain you have, both Stansbury and Warner recommend people who are interested in trying psychedelic mushrooms start with a small amount. For Warner, a microdose of a mushroom with an average potency means a dose of 0.1 or 0.2 grams.
“It's best if you just kind of start off with a little bit, and then see how that affects you, and then go forward,” Stansbury said.
UPTOWN FUNGUS
BLUE MEANIE SPORE PRINT
Grape Lyfe x Blue Lobster
Strawberry Cough x Blue Lobster
Let’s face it — rock and roll and drugs go together like peanut butter and jelly. But when it comes to psychedelics specifically, there’s no band whose music and history are more steeped in LSD than the Grateful Dead. Here’s a brief look back at how the Dead helped spark America’s entheogenic awakening and forever change Cannabis culture.
The Long, Strange Trip
BIRTH OF THE DEAD
The story of the Grateful Dead begins with its most iconic member, the late, great Jerry Garcia.
Born on August 1, 1942, in San Francisco, Jerome John Garcia attended what is now the San Francisco Art Institute, where he was first introduced to beatnik culture. At the age of 11, he discovered rock and roll. Then, on his 15th birthday, his mom bought him an accordion, which he quickly persuaded her to exchange for an electric guitar. That same year, he also smoked marijuana for the first time.
In April 1961, Garcia (now 18) befriended a musician/writer named Robert Hunter and began performing with him around Palo Alto. The following year, Hunter volunteered for the CIA’s covert experiment, MK Ultra, at nearby Stanford University, where he was paid to take psychedelic drugs like LSD, psilocybin and mescaline and report on his experiences. Other participants in the program included Beat poet Allen Ginsberg and novelist Ken Kesey. Kesey began hosting parties at his home in Menlo Park, where he would offer attendees drugs he’d smuggled out of the program. It was at one of these parties in 1962 that Garcia met Phil Lesh and where, in 1964, he first tripped on LSD — an event
that he would later describe as “the single most significant experience in my life.” Garcia apparently loved acid so much, in fact, that he was given the nickname “Captain Trips.”
In 1963, Garcia formed a bluegrass band called Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions, featuring a 16-year-old folk guitarist named Bob Weir and a vocalist/harmonica player named Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. After The Beatles’ 1964 arrival in America, the band went electric, added Bill Kreutzmann on drums and Lesh on bass, changed their name to The Warlocks and began gigging around the area. As their weed and acid intake increased, they developed a unique improvisational rapport and a level of notoriety throughout the Bay Area. There was only one problem: In November 1965, they learned of another band in Massachusetts already calling themselves The Warlocks and realized they needed a new name.
One night, while allegedly high on DMT at Lesh’s house, Garcia opened up a 1956 edition of Funk and Wagnall’s “Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend” to a random page, dropped his finger down onto an entry, then turned to Phil and said, “Hey, man — how about the Grateful Dead?”
THE ACID TESTS
The same month that The Warlocks changed their name, Kesey also came up with a name for his psychedelic shindigs: the Acid Test.
The first official Acid Test took place on November 27, 1965, at Merry Prankster Ken Babbs’ house. Garcia and the boys reportedly attended, but didn’t play together. It wasn’t until the next Acid Test in San Jose on December 4 that they performed as the Grateful Dead for the first time. After that, they became the house band for all of Kesey’s events — providing the sonic backdrop for mass multimedia events that featured strobe lights, video projections, poetry readings by Ginsberg and Neil Cassady and vats of “Electric KoolAid” spiked with LSD. Tripping on acid sometimes meant the band didn’t play well, or even at all … but it also inspired some epic improvisational jams.
“What the Dead learned and experienced at the Acid Tests was that everybody could solo simultaneously, and that it could work,” Grateful Dead archivist Nicholas Meriwether expounded to Collectors Weekly in 2015. “The Acid Tests were the laboratory, the space for them to really see what was possible.”
Among the Dead’s biggest fans was outlaw chemist Augustus Owsley “Bear” Stanley III. Upon first hearing them at an Acid Test at Muir Beach
HERB GREENE/ CREATIVE COMMONS
Right: Flyer for the boys’ early jug band.
The Warlocks (1965)
First Acid Test flyers listing Warlocks & Grateful Dead.
The Hollywood Bowl -1967.
in December 1965, Stanley was immediately entranced, reportedly calling them “magic personified” and “the most amazing group ever.” He volunteered to become their sound engineer and built them a massive speaker system that came to be known as the “Wall of Sound.” More importantly, though, Stanley was the first person to illegally manufacture his own LSD, allowing him to not only supply the band (and the Pranksters) with acid but also use proceeds from the drug’s sales to back them financially.
HITTING THE ROAD
In December 1966, the band signed with Warner Bros., and within weeks, they recorded their self-titled debut at LA’s RCA Studios. By then, the Dead and the Pranksters had already drifted apart (Kesey’s sidepiece, Carolyn Adams, aka “Mountain Girl,” had left him for Garcia), and for some of them, the love affair with acid was wearing off.
“By the first album, we had moved past our psychedelic era. We had gotten to a point of diminishing returns after taking acid for a couple of years,” Weir told Guitar Player in 2022. “We didn’t turn our backs on it so much as we started looking in other directions.”
During the late 1960s, the Dead performed at numerous historic concerts. In 1966, there was the End of Marijuana Prohibition Benefit Ball on May 29 at California Hall. In 1967, there was the Human Be-In on January 14 in Golden Gate Park and the Mantra-Rock Dance on January 29 at the Avalon Ballroom. During the Summer of Love, they played the Yippies’ first Smoke-In rally on June 1 in New York City’s Tompkins Square Park and the Monterey Pop Festival on June 18, alongside The Who and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. And of course, there was Woodstock in August 1969.
RAID IN THE HAIGHT
When not on the road, the Dead resided at their communal home/headquarters in the Haight: a purple Victorian boarding house at 710 Ashbury Street where fellow freaks would frequently pop in to drink, jam and get high — just the kind of activity that tends to draw unwanted attention from the law.
Jerry Garcia described the first time he tripped on LSD as “the single most significant experience in my life.” In fact, he loved acid so much that he was given the nickname “Captain Trips.”
They spent six hours in jail before being released on $500 bail each. A few days later, the band held a press conference in their living room, where manager Danny Rifkin read a statement condemning America’s unjust Cannabis laws:
“The arrests were made under a law that classifies smoking marijuana along with murder, rape and armed robbery as a felony,” he declared. “Yet almost anyone who has ever studied marijuana seriously and objectively has agreed that marijuana is the least harmful chemical used for pleasure and life-enhancement.”
Although initially charged with felonies, most defendants later pleaded guilty to lesser charges and were sentenced to a year’s probation and fines of only $100-$200.
Sadly, that wouldn’t be the Dead’s only run-in with the law.
BUSTED DOWN ON BOURBON STREET
In late January 1970, the band was in New Orleans performing with Fleetwood Mac for the opening weekend of The Warehouse. Late at night after their first show, police raided their Bourbon Street hotel, searching their rooms and arresting 19 members of the band and crew for possession of “some combination of marijuana, LSD, barbiturates, amphetamines or other drugs.”
On October 2, 1967, a swarm of police and news media raided the Dead’s residence — busting down the door (apparently without a warrant), reportedly confiscating over a pound of weed and hash, charging each of the occupants with possession and hauling them off in a paddy wagon.
After spending eight hours in jail, they were all released on bail for the sum of $37,500 — their entire take from the gig. With their cash depleted, the band added a third show on February 1: a fundraising gig dubbed “Bread for the Dead.” Luckily, most of the charges would later be dismissed (except for those against “Acid King” Stanley, who ended up spending two years in prison). That November, the Dead immortalized the incident in their hit song “Truckin’”: “Busted, down on Bourbon Street / Set up, like a bowlin’ pin / Knocked down, it gets to wearin’ thin / They just won’t let you be, no.”
WEED, WALDOS & GLASS
Over the decades, the Grateful Dead toured constantly, and the community that developed around their concerts helped shape Cannabis culture in a plethora of profound ways.
In 1973, the band launched their own record label (Grateful Dead Records) and several other businesses, all of which were operated out of properties in San Rafael acquired for them by a real estate agent named Gravitch. The band
would often offer free tickets and backstage passes to Gravitch’s teenage son, Mark, and his group of friends, who called themselves The Waldos. Since The Waldos would meet after school to get high together at 4:20 pm, they adopted “420” as their secret code for weed. It was from them that the term disseminated into the Grateful Dead scene before eventually becoming a worldwide phenomenon.
In the parking lots outside of Dead shows, there was always an area called Shakedown Street (after their song) where fans sold various munchies, merchandise and, of course, drugs. It was at these outdoor hippie bazaars during the late 1980s that glassblowing pioneer Bob Snodgrass rose to prominence, crafting pipes in the shape of the Dead’s iconic skull wearing a top hat, which sparked the industry of glass pipes and bongs that followed. It was also on Shakedown Street outside the Deer Creek Amphitheater in Indiana where, in June 1991, a Deadhead named Greg copped an ounce of herb called “Dogbud” that tasted a bit “chemmy.” That bag contained thirteen seeds, which Greg later grew out to create the now legendary cultivar Chemdog, which went on to beget Sour Diesel and OG Kush, two of the most popular strains in history.
In fact, when members of the Dead and their families decided to launch their own Cannabis brands — Mickey Hart’s Mind Your Head in 2019 and Garcia’s Hand Picked in 2020 — both included Chemdog among their offerings.
FARE THEE WELL
Regrettably, in addition to weed and psychedelics, Garcia also started using her oin sometime in the mid-1970s. Tragically, his drug use finally caught up with him on August 9, 1995, when he died from a heart attack at the age of 53. Without their beloved founding frontman, the Grateful Dead announced that December that they were disbanding. This past October, bassist Phil Lesh also passed away.
Despite these losses, the band’s surviving members have continued to perform their music in various incarnations, including The Other Ones, Dead and Company, Further and The Dead, among others. But long after the last of the Dead are gone, there will still be millions of stoners and psychonauts who remain forever grateful for their incomparable contributions to our culture.
To read more Cannthropology content, and to listen to our Cannthropology podcast, visit worldofcannabis.museum/cannthropology.
ALAMY /
News clipping & mugshot from the Bourbon St. raid.
Grateful Dead pipe by Bob Snodgrass
Mickey Hart’s Chemdog joints
Promo photo for the Dead’s legendary fifth album “American Beauty” (1970).
Dosa Glass Dosa Glass
When discerning collectors discuss the most prominent figures in the glass art industry, John Dosa is consistently cited as a leading favorite. He has garnered widespread acclaim for his impeccably clean reticello patterns, a signature technique that has become synonymous with his name.
BUT ON TOP OF THAT, his mastery of shaping should be highlighted. John’s amazing attention to wall depth and clean connections is par to none. As someone fortunate enough to spend time with John, I have to say that his art is a direct reflection of himself and his dedication to mastering anything in front of him.
Whether a solo creation or a collaboration with some of the biggest names in glass, a Dosa piece is instantly identifiable by its crispy, meticulously spun lines, clean shaping and seals executed with absolute perfection. To fully appreciate the distinctive Dosa technique, it's helpful to refer to the definition provided by the Corning Museum of Glass: Reticello (Italian for “glass with a small network”) is a type of blown glass crafted with canes that, when arranged, create a delicate net. This intricate process often results in tiny, intentionally trapped air bubbles, adding a subtle dimension to the finished work.
John's mastery of reticello and his ability to adapt it to a borosilicate form elevate this traditional technique to another level. He showcases a profound understanding of glass with a dedication to precision. His work stands as a testament to both his artistic vision and his technical skill, making him a true icon in the contemporary glass art world.
Based out of the mecca of glass art that is Bellingham, Washington, when John’s not on the torch, you can find him tackling single-track trails on his dirt bike and experiencing all the things the PNW has to offer while always enjoying some El Fuego sauce.
Find his work online (@dosaglass) or check your local glass gallery. @DOSAGLASS
Dosa often collaborates with Sagan @saganglass
"Hot Sauce"
A collaboration between Dosa and Junichi Kojima @roseroadskojima.
