Unfolding The Leaf

I'm going to talk to Mr. Terrence McKenna right now.

Terrence is an ethnobotanist.

He's the author of Food of the Gods, True Hallucinations,

and numerous other very informative books and articles.

And he's been featured in many magazines,

such as Omni and Psychedelic Illuminations, many other books.

Are you on the line there, Terrence?

I'm hanging in.

All right.

How are you doing, buddy?

I'm here. I'm up.

I don't know how long we can do it with Cellular from Hawaii,

but I'm willing to give it a whirl.

You sound good on this end.

Yeah.

The phone line's much better than the last time we had you on the show.

This is another time period where people haven't heard this information before,

and I don't know if they realize how ancient this plant is,

the marijuana cannabis plant.

Could you give people a little background information

on how old this plant is?

Well, probably this plant is as old as agriculture.

In fact, probably much older because it has so many uses.

Now, this plant's been used in many different ways

down through the millenniums of time.

What are some of the things that you found in your research

that the plant's been used for?

Well, I'm practically intoxicated.

And that was Katala, Yoke.

One of the things we learned from Lynn and Judy Osborne's book,

Green Gold, the Tree of Life, Marijuana and Magic and Religion,

is that the ancient sacred incense that was burned in all the temples

of all religions was actually hashish,

and that the Scythians, for instance, had felt tents that they built,

and they would stick their head into it

and breathe in the smoke or vapors from the hashish or cannabis buds.

Yes, that's in Herodotus.

Right.

I talk about that in my book, Food of the Gods.

Does it wear me?

Yeah.

Well, I think one of the interesting things I find about this plant

is the way it opens up doors of communication amongst people.

Yes, it's a strong...

And so it's obviously had some influence in cultures throughout time,

and I'm looking at the political climate of today,

and one of the premiums or one of the gifts that we're giving away today

is your talk from the Phoenix Bookstore called On True Hallucinations.

And you said in that that you happen to believe that if marijuana became legal,

it would be a very big deal.

And I was just wondering if you could expand on that a little bit

in the political climate of today and in the global market

where this plant is taking off as a resource for food and fiber and medicine,

and yet it's still being stifled information-wise in this country.

Well, I think that's because...

That's for sure.

And yet it provides a base for an economic recovery.

As a product itself, but as a habit...

Yes.

It makes the community...

And in this day and age when the entire world is starting to come on to this thing,

and yet it's still being suppressed information-wise in this country

and the whole...

Well, I've always...

I think you're right, bro.

Yeah, I know. It's amazing.

You know, and that's the other thing is that throughout time, you know,

against all opposition to do otherwise,

there's been a certain faction of people on this planet

that have continued to keep this seed alive

and over the centuries, over millennium,

and continue to use it against all opposition to do otherwise.

Well, it's a phenomenon of...

I just don't know because...

No, it's like if you really want to know what's going on in an office,

listen to what they're not talking about.

That's right.

So, happy drugs.

But that's in a sense being marketed, I think, as a...

I have to agree.

...controllable by the pharmaceutical people.

You know, also, I think one thing I found about it is it teaches people to share.

In fact, in all of the people in the hemp community that I deal with,

we end up, you know, bartering things and sharing food

and a very communal type lifestyle follows this around also, tribal lifestyle.

Well, it's like all hallucinogens or psychedelics.

Terrence, we're in the last day of a fundraiser here at KPFK

and we'd like you to maybe tell the listeners why you think it's important

that they support this radio station in bringing them this information.

Well, Terrence, we're going to let you go so we don't run up your phone bill too much.

And we want to thank you so much for coming on and helping us raise money for KPFK

because we do have to keep it going in order to keep bringing out this kind of information.

Well, I hope it wasn't too many times I can...

Do you want to give out your e-mail number?

I'd love to give out, not my e-mail number, but let me give out my website address.

Great.

I'd love to have people...

Okay.

Thank you so much, Terrence.

Okie doke. Bye-bye.

Bye.