This book is a deep dive into the definition of religion under the First Amendment in light of the sacramental consumption of entheogens, the nature of the primary religious/mystical experience effectuated through the sacramental consumption of entheogens, and the ever-developing historical record evidencing world-wide use of these sacraments in ancient times.
The panel features three US military veterans, each of whom has worked for organizations that promote awareness and treatment of mental health issues among veterans, with particular emphasis on the use of psychedelic-assisted treatments. Following introductory remarks from each of the panelists, the meeting was devoted to Q&A.
Ian Benouis is a West Point graduate, former Army officer and Blackhawk helicopter pilot who participated in Operation Just Cause in the Republic of Panama.
He is patient number one, General Counsel at the Mission Within spearheading the veterans treatment program where over 350 Navy SEALS and other special operators have been successfully treated with iboga and toad (5-meo-dmt) for PTSD, addiction and TBI.
Phil is a former jailer and police officer in Texas for 13 years who found natural healing through yoga, cannabis and other earth medicines. We cover PTSD, suicide, childhood trauma, the War on Drugs, asset forfeiture, police reform and funding, and what needs to change in Texas and nationally going forward to reclaim our country. […]
Dave is a veteran cannabis advocate and previous dispensary owner in California.
We dive deep in to the story of how his church was raided, Prop 215, Prop 64, Measure Z, asset forfeiture, the War on Drugs, the Portugal experiment, medicine churches, decriminalization, federal descheduling and rescheduing and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
We go all the way down the rabbit hole and come back out with fresh tails and perspectives and how to dig our way out of the drug war we are waging against our own selves.
When a soldier brings back trauma from the battlefield, there’s no single reliable way to help them integrate back into society. Everybody needs a different approach. For Ian Benouis, he rediscovered the power of plant medicines after his exit from the military and as he was working his way through law school. It led him on a path to introduce other veterans to plant medicines by organizing trips for them and as a lawyer activist working with a number of plant medicine organizations and churches.
What does it take to start and operate an entheogenic church legally? Today we are joined by two attorneys involved in legitimizing entheogenic churches: Greg Lake and Ian Benouis! Both local Texans and servants of the plant medicine movement in America, they come from different backgrounds and offer unique insight into the legal process behind […]
Dave and Jason are combat veterans and twenty plus year career soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan respectively and then after retiring received medical disability for their service.
They are both advocates and activists in Texas for natural healing with cannabis and other psychedelic medicines.
Dave and Jason share their personal healing journeys, insights and visions in to the decriminalization, medicalization and legalization of cannabis and entheogens in Texas and nationally.
Sam is a combat veteran who served two tours of duty as a marine in Afghanistan in the Helmand province, the center of worldwide opium production.
He went to Peru for an ayahuasca dieta and Mexico for other medicines.
Sam talks about his personal healing journey and how he would like to see the medicines available and integrated in to society. He offers a vision for veteran healing using the National Park System.
Ryan is a combat veteran who served as a marine in Iraq and sustained injuries resulting in a purple heart. He was a key advocate who got PTSD added as a qualification to the medical cannabis program in Maine in 2013.
Ryan was part of the group of veterans that protested the VA’s policy on medical cannabis which was featured in the episode Stoned Vets on Weediquette on Viceland in 2016.
Ryan went to Mexico in December for bufo and dmt working with other veterans. He returned this January from a 21 dieta in Peru working with ayahuasca and mapacho (peruvian tobacco).
Ian Benouis 