🎙️ JLS Podcast: Hosted by William Leonard Pickard 🚀 About Tom FeegelTom Feegel is the co-founder (with Tali Eisenberg) of BEOND Ibogaine Clinic in Cancún, a medically rigorous program at the forefront of ibogaine-based treatment. Unlike lab-based research or policy debates, Feegel works directly with patients—building real-world protocols for safety, ethics, and long-term healing. 🫀 Safety, Medicine, and Ethical CareFeegel details BEOND’s intensive medical framework, including physician-led screening, cardiac monitoring, repeat diagnostics, and strict eligibility standards. The conversation offers a rare look into how ibogaine can be administered responsibly, emphasizing transparency, patient education, and risk mitigation. 🧠 Ibogaine, Neuroplasticity, and Cognitive RenewalMoving beyond addiction alone, Pickard and Feegel explore ibogaine’s potential to enhance cognition, restore neural pathways, and support executive function. Drawing on clinical observation and emerging research, they discuss ibogaine’s unusually long window of neuroplasticity and its implications for performance, learning, and personal growth. 🔁 Addiction, Relapse, and the Power of IntegrationFeegel speaks candidly about relapse, aftercare, and why community support is essential. He explains how ibogaine often restores a sense of choice—helping patients re-engage with life, relationships, and responsibility—while emphasizing that healing extends beyond the individual to families and social systems. 🏛️ From Clinics to CongressIn a bold initiative, BEOND has offered treatment to elected officials—not to lobby, but to heal. Feegel reflects on how firsthand experience can shift perspectives on trauma, addiction, and policy, contributing to broader cultural and regulatory change. 🌿 Meaning, Nature, and the Human SpiritInterwoven with clinical rigor are moments of humor and humanity—stories of insight, connection with nature, and the subtle wisdom that emerges during integration. Together, they explore how ibogaine bridges medicine, meaning, and spiritual inquiry. 🏆 Final TakeawaysA grounded, deeply human conversation on ibogaine as both medicine and catalyst—examining safety, science, compassion, and the conditions required for true, lasting transformation. ✨ Support this work and unlock exclusive interviews with leaders in healing, neuroscience, and culture on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/thelastalchemist 🔗 Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of psychedelics, medicine, ethics, and transformation.

🎙️ JLS Podcast: Hosted by William Leonard Pickard 🚀 About Norman OhlerInternational bestselling author of Blitzed and Tripped, Norman Ohler is a historian and cultural investigator whose work exposes the hidden role of drugs in shaping 20th-century war, fascism, and modern consciousness. His research has reframed how we understand the Third Reich, LSD’s origins, and the pharmacological forces behind power and control. 🧠 Drugs, War, and the Third ReichOhler unpacks his groundbreaking archival discoveries revealing the widespread use of methamphetamine (Pervitin) within the Nazi military—and Adolf Hitler’s personal dependence on opioids and other substances. The conversation explores how stimulants, sedatives, and drug control fueled aggression, obedience, and catastrophic decision-making at the highest levels of the regime. 🧪 LSD, MKUltra, and the Dark Origins of Psychedelic ResearchTracing LSD’s early history, Ohler reveals its links to Nazi experimentation, post-war U.S. intelligence programs, and the pursuit of a so-called “truth drug.” Pickard and Ohler examine the ethical failures of MKUltra and the lasting implications for neuroscience, policy, and psychedelic medicine today. 🌈 Psychedelics, Trauma, and HealingMoving beyond the shadows of war, the discussion turns toward healing—exploring LSD microdosing, ibogaine, and their potential roles in addressing trauma, addiction, and neurodegenerative disease. Ohler shares the deeply personal story of his mother’s Alzheimer’s and how psychedelics opened moments of clarity, presence, and connection. 🌍 From Nation States to Planetary ConsciousnessOhler reflects on the future of humanity in an age of AI, collapsing hierarchies, and unresolved collective trauma. He argues for the necessity of ritual, community-based psychedelic access, and a cultural shift away from extractive systems toward simplicity, compassion, and planetary responsibility. 📚 Stone Sapiens & the Drug History of HumanityLooking ahead, Ohler introduces his forthcoming work Stone Sapiens—a sweeping re-examination of human history through the lens of psychoactive substances, from early hominids to modern civilization, revealing drugs as inseparable from culture, religion, power, and control. 🏆 Final TakeawaysA wide-ranging and unflinching conversation on drugs and domination, psychedelics and healing, fascism and freedom—offering rare historical insight into how chemistry has shaped human behavior, and how consciousness may yet shape our future. ✨ Support this work and unlock exclusive interviews with pioneers in psychedelic history, science, and culture on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/thelastalchemist 🔗 Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of psychedelics, history, power, and transformation.

🎙️ JLS Podcast: William Leonard Pickard in conversation with David Bronner 🚀 Background on David BronnerCosmic CEO of Dr. Bronner’s, activist, burner, philanthropist, and longtime force in drug policy reform. 🌈 Psychedelic OriginsBronner reflects on the transformative psychedelic initiations that shaped his life—from early LSD/MDMA experiences in Amsterdam to a deep Bwiti iboga ceremony in Gabon. These journeys ignited his lifelong commitment to service, compassion, and spiritual activism. 🏛️ Business With PurposePickard and Bronner explore how Dr. Bronner’s scaled into a global company while staying rooted in ethical values. Bronner shares the vision behind The Purpose Pledge, a new framework promoting living wages, regenerative agriculture, fair labor, and mission-aligned capital—helping companies remain ethically aligned as they grow. 🌿 Future of Psychedelic AccessThe conversation looks at where psychedelic policy is heading: regulated therapeutic programs, competent facilitators, insurance coverage—and thriving, responsible, self-regulating entheogenic communities modeled after Indigenous traditions. 🚨 Frontlines of ActivismBronner recounts his bold protests at DEA headquarters—die-ins, washable painted messages, and civil disobedience supporting terminal patients seeking psilocybin under Right to Try. 🌱 Regeneration & ConnectionThey explore regenerative organic agriculture, ethical sourcing across Palestinian and Israeli farming communities, and the deeper need to reconnect land, labor, and spirit. 🔍 What’s NextTogether, Pickard and Bronner consider the future of psychedelic culture—scientific breakthroughs, cultural shifts, community-based healing, and the role of ethical business in shaping a more compassionate world. 🏆 Final TakeawaysA dialogue rich with psychedelic insight, activism, spirituality, and cultural transformation—offering a grounded yet visionary look at what lies ahead. ✨ Support this work and unlock exclusive interviews with pioneers like David Bronner, William Leonard Pickard, and other leaders in psychedelic science and culture on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/thelastalchemist 🔗 Stay tuned for more from the frontlines of psychedelic research, culture, and transformation.

🎙️ JLS Podcast: William Leonard Pickard in conversation with Hamilton Morris 🚀 Background on Hamilton Morris: Journalist, documentarian, and creator of the Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia series, known for exploring the cultural, chemical, and human dimensions of psychedelics. 🧠 Inside Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia Morris shares the vision behind his groundbreaking series, the ethical dilemmas faced in filming, and the delicate balance between storytelling and scientific responsibility. His work highlights the voices of chemists, users, and communities often overlooked in mainstream narratives. 💊 Big Pharma & Medicalization The discussion explores the role of pharmaceutical companies in psychedelic research, the misconceptions surrounding medicalization, and the broader implications for accessibility and equity in treatment. 🚨 Behind the Scenes at the DEA Pickard and Morris reflect on Morris’s rare visit to the DEA headquarters, unpacking insights about policy, enforcement, and the contradictions inherent in the regulation of psychedelics. 🌿 Community & Collaboration Beyond the science and politics, the conversation emphasizes the importance of community in psychedelic culture—how collaboration, shared knowledge, and personal experience continue to shape the future of the field. 🔍 What’s Next The two visionaries speculate on the trajectory of psychedelic research, from evolving scientific studies to the cultural shifts redefining how society views these substances. 🏆 Final Takeaways This dialogue offers a rare blend of personal reflection and cultural critique, spotlighting both the promise and the pitfalls of a rapidly changing psychedelic landscape. ✨ Support this work and unlock exclusive interviews with pioneers like Hamilton Morris, William Leonard Pickard, and other leaders in psychedelic science and culture on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thelastalchemist 🔗 Stay tuned for more updates from the frontlines of psychedelic research, culture, and storytelling.

🎙️ JLS Podcast: William Leonard Pickard interviews Bryan Hubbard, Executive Director of the American Ibogaine Initiative 🚀 Background on Bryan Hubbard: Legal expert, policy leader, and addiction recovery advocate with deep roots in underserved communities. Formerly: Chairman of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission Special Counsel, KY Attorney General’s Office of Medicaid Fraud Commissioner, KY Department of Income Support Currently: Executive Director, American Ibogaine Initiative (via the REID Foundation) CEO, Americans for Ibogaine, a nonprofit advancing awareness and research around ibogaine's neurorestorative potential. 🧠 From Policy to Psychedelic Advocacy Hubbard’s work is fueled by a commitment to ending cycles of addiction, poverty, and systemic neglect. Became a national voice in the movement to integrate ibogaine into mainstream treatment options for opioid use disorder and traumatic brain injury. 💸 The Texas Ibogaine Initiative In partnership with former Texas Governor Rick Perry, Bryan helped secure $50 million in state funding for ibogaine research and drug development. This state-backed initiative marks one of the most significant public investments in psychedelic medicine to date — aiming to bring ibogaine through FDA trials and into legal clinical use. 🌿 What Is Ibogaine? Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive compound known for its powerful addiction-interrupting effects and potential to heal the brain. Current research points to: Disruption of opioid dependency pathways Neurorestoration after prolonged substance abuse Possible applications in PTSD, depression, and traumatic brain injury ⚖️ A New Frontier in Drug Policy Hubbard speaks on the legal and political challenges of integrating psychedelics into public health frameworks. He emphasizes: The need for state and federal collaboration Bridging science, policy, and public trust Centering underserved communities in treatment access 🔍 What’s Next American Ibogaine Initiative is preparing for clinical trials backed by state funding. Public-private partnerships are key to unlocking large-scale access. Growing bipartisan interest in psychedelics signals a major shift in U.S. drug policy. 🏆 Final Takeaways Bryan Hubbard is one of the most strategic and passionate voices working to medicalize ibogaine and transform addiction treatment in America. His blend of legal acumen, policy leadership, and heartfelt advocacy puts him at the center of a new era in mental health reform. ✨ Support this work and unlock exclusive interviews with Bryan Hubbard, biotech CEOs, ethicists, and pioneers in AI drug design on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/c/thelastalchemist 🔗 Stay tuned for more updates from the frontlines of psychedelic medicine, policy, and healing.

🎙️ JLS Podcast: Leaders in Biotech Interview with Jonathan Sporn, CEO of Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals 🚀 Company Background Founded 4 years ago with a $5,000 investment, now raised $80M in Series A funding. NIH awarded $13M in non-dilutive grants. AbbVie investment: $60M upfront, $2B in milestone payments—largest psychedelic deal in history. 🧪 Origins of Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals Jonathan Sporn (ex-Pfizer, Harvard MD) partnered with Columbia University chemists to design novel psychedelic-inspired molecules. Initial research began in a Columbia lab, licensing certain assets while ensuring company research remained independent. 🔬 Gilgamesh’s Four Research Tracks 1️⃣ 🌀 5-HT2A Psychedelic Therapy Goal: Shorten the duration of psychedelic experiences for clinical use. Lead compound: 5-HT2A agonist with 45-minute half-life (vs. Psilocybin’s 2.5 hours). Current Status: Undergoing Phase 2 trials. 2️⃣ 🧠 Neuroplasticity Program (AbbVie Partnership) Focus: Non-hallucinogenic compounds that promote rapid antidepressant effects. Potential applications: Anxiety, depression, PTSD. Researching long-term cognitive and emotional restructuring without a "trip." 3️⃣ 💊 Ketamine/NMDA Antagonist Derivatives Goal: Oral alternative to ketamine with reduced dissociative and addictive effects. Key improvement: No opioid receptor binding (vs. Esketamine’s weak Mu opioid affinity). 4️⃣ 🌱 Ibogaine Analogs (NIH-funded) Target: Addiction treatment (opioids, meth, alcohol) with reduced cardiotoxicity risks. Developing novel compounds with Ibogaine’s efficacy but improved safety. 🔮 Broader Implications & Future of Psychedelic Medicine Neuroplasticity drugs may reshape mental health treatment beyond just symptom relief. Potential applications in cognitive enhancement, PTSD, and personality restructuring. Regulatory hurdles exist, particularly balancing psychotherapy with pharmaceutical models. 📡 Future of Drug Development & AI’s Role Gilgamesh employs AI-assisted drug discovery for compound screening. AI-generated molecules could accelerate development timelines dramatically. Maintains traditional chemistry-driven approach but open to AI advancements. 🏆 Final Takeaways Gilgamesh is positioned as the leading psychedelic biotech firm, with major funding and diverse R&D. Expect major updates in Q1 of the year. Public and private funding (NIH, AbbVie) signals mainstream biotech confidence in psychedelics. ✨ Support this work and unlock exclusive interviews with Bryan Hubbard, biotech CEOs, ethicists, and pioneers in AI drug design on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/c/thelastalchemist 🔗 Stay tuned for groundbreaking developments in psychedelic medicine!