Welcome to Three Questions, a series where we invite Shulgin Foundation board members, advisors, supporters, and friends to share their reflections on the legacy of Sasha and Ann Shulgin and the work we’re building together. These conversations offer glimpses into the hearts and minds of those carrying this remarkable legacy forward.
In this conversation, we hear from Jane Straight, a lifelong plant woman, healer, and devoted friend of Ann and Sasha who has been visiting the Farm for decades and now serves as a Shulgin Foundation board member.
1. You’ve recently joined the Shulgin Foundation Board, welcome! Can you share what you feel is important about the Shulgin mission, and why you’re dedicating your time?
Thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts and perspective. As we enter a new year I think it is perfect timing to consciously acknowledge the vital role of the Shulgin Farm, the foundation guiding it, and the many folks keeping all of it thriving. The synergy of the mission, the vision, and the values make it crystal clear as to the powerful direction it is taking moving forward.
At this critical time in human history it seems apparent to me that now, more than ever, it is in our utmost interest to take the reins of the psychedelic movement and refine it. Sasha’s creation of consciousness expanding compounds, and the many sacred plant medicines have all had an unparalleled effect on our awakening culture. The ripple effect is undeniable. Here in North America Sasha and Ann have embodied the very heart of the movement. I ask you to take a moment to reflect on their love, generosity, and welcoming spirit.
As an elder now, my commitment to participating in the inner workings of this extraordinary legacy is part of my final act. I cannot think of a more worthy community to devote some of my energy as a way of expressing my deepest gratitude
2. You’ve been a plant medicine advocate and practitioner for over 40 years, long before the current “psychedelic renaissance.” What shifts have you observed in how society views plant medicines and psychedelics? What gives you hope, and what concerns you?
From my personal experience in the cannabis world, the extremes in acceptance, or lack of, have been extraordinary. I remember not so long ago when one couldn’t even park their vehicle in a cannabis grow store parking lot for fear of having their license plate number recorded by the local police patrolling them. Mandatory minimum sentences had judges hands tied and the resulting influx of incarcerations was staggering. People got years for simple possession, particularly people of color.
After the passage of Proposition 215, it was another story entirely. Oakland, California became known as Oaksterdam (mimicking Amsterdam) and I witnessed rolling carts filled to the brim with cannabis plants being pushed down Broadway Ave in the daylight. Oaksterdam University was the first cannabis school in the nation offering every possible take on cannabis education. It was an exciting time, until it wasn’t. Robberies became rampant and then the Feds rolled in.
Another aspect was the passage of recreational use in some states. The price to play at this new game unfortunately put many, if not most, of the original family farms out of business and created many more problems. At this time as new cannabinoids are being discovered and utilized safely there is greater public interest. In my opinion there is no question that cannabis needs to be rescheduled. Being stuck in the Schedule 1 category all these years has been absurd. However, I can only pray that any work done moving forward will be guided by the truth. Until now it has not been.
Regarding other psychedelic compounds, I have plenty of concerns. The tragic loss of tradition is one of them, and the San Pedro cactus is a perfect example. In South America it has been over-harvested to the point of critical endangerment only to serve psychedelic tourism. Rather than keep with tradition, ceremonies are now held in daylight because it is easier — no one has to tend an all night fire, etc. The good news is there is a strong and committed Peruvian collective working to teach the cultivation of the cactus, and to honor the traditions. The curtain is drawn, light is streaming in now, and things are shifting. Hallelujah!
Then there are the ethics, or lack of, in psychedelic therapy that ought to alarm everyone. Research tells me these issues have been around since the inception of the psychedelic therapy paradigm. To think that we as a whole have been so caught up in it that we didn’t foresee the moral compasses falling by the wayside in terms of greed, abuse of power, negligence, and lack of boundaries. Only now are we beginning to have conversations around accountability. There are countless cases that have fallen through the cracks as the result of the lack of a universal container to hold them while seeking resolution. It is past time to hold shameful perpetrators to account. To this day the conspiracy of silence continues but…it too is beginning to shift by having a voice and being heard.
Yet in spite of all of this, I trust we are headed in the right direction and I do feel hope. I see it in the eyes of the younger generation as they flock to a movement they can relate to. They are true explorers, thirsty for knowledge and questing for a way to fit into society and make sense of the world around them. They recognize the power and beauty of the movement they are witnessing. For some it is a rite of passage to be involved, and as they gain wisdom they will carry the torches into the future.
3. You knew Ann and Sasha for decades and experienced the Farm as a gathering place for seekers, healers, and researchers. As someone who has integrated teachings from various healers and spiritual traditions into your practice, how do you see the Shulgin Foundation contributing to broader conversations about healing, spirituality, and consciousness?
I’ve always experienced the Farm as a sanctuary because it truly feels holy. I’ve been fortunate to be there by myself a few times and felt the ground beneath me bubbling with ancestral spirit and cosmic energy. I recently did a little research to find out who dwelled there in the past and wasn’t all that surprised. The Saklan Tribelet of the Bay Miwok people roamed the hills for thousands of years prior to the Shulgin family. The Saklans had a strong connection to the earth and practiced shamanism. Their worldview included a belief in the interconnectedness of all things, similar to the ability of psychedelics to catalyze a spiritual sense of interconnection.
The farm lies on unceded Indigenous land and I believe it to be a phenomenal gift that helps set the stage for spiritual work: past, present, and future. The Saklans believed that places of gathering, such as Shulgin Farm, held great spiritual power. In Saklan mythology Mount Diablo was known as the center of creation. It gives me chills to think the mountain can be seen from the kitchen table in the Shulgin home and the influence it must have had over the years whether conscious or not.
Sasha and Ann laid the generous groundwork for the future. Their foundation has the ability to continue the rich spiritual traditions of the past and expand them into the future. There are endless possibilities, and ways in which to invoke healers and visionaries to offer unique teachings that enhance the lives of true seekers. The door is now open.
I remain in sincere gratitude to Ann and Sasha for their profound, enlightened work, and the many allies keeping their legacy illuminated. ay the spirit of the land continue to embrace and nourish all who visit and continue to inspire, empower, enlighten, and educate as it fosters a courageous new tribe.