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Adventures in Berkeley’s Psychedelic Wunderground

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2 weeks agoon

I tiptoed through a creaky hallway overlaid with vinyl, careful as if not to wake sleeping parents. Sock-footed in solidarity, the sixty or so people inside The Berkeley Alembic filled a humble conference room already buzzing. Five minutes late, I slid into a chair just as the contact high hit—was I being possessed?
It was clear from the start of the “jam-sesh,” an installment of the monthly psychedelic salon called The Chalice, that the flight from the corn-sweat-tinged dairylands of Wisconsin was going to be worth it.


The Wunderground
This visit to the San Francisco Bay was the most recent in a four-year string of trips to the birthplace of America’s psychedelic culture. I came searching for the shards and remains of the 1980s-1990s “Psychedelic Underground,” which is the subject of an evolving mythosphere surrounding its origins and function in the current popularization of mind-manifesting compounds taking over America’s collective conscience.
“This isn’t just about psychedelics, but is an exploration of what it means to be psychedelic people,” explained cohost Erik Davis, author of High Weirdness, during the introduction. The goal of the discussion wasn’t to worship psychedelic use or gratify the panelists’ egos as a platform for personal trip reporting; it was more like a think tank working out the state of The Wunderground (Weird-Underground)
All post-World War II era generations were in the crowd in pretty near-accurately distributed per capita ratios. On the homemade stage, the four-person panel was tilted in Gen X’s favor. Which makes sense; Xers’ earliest members are approaching the elder stage of life, which means nearly all of America’s smallest recent generation is evenly spread across its most productive years, approaching what will be its peak socio-cultural power.
The terroir of the happening felt to me like a Gen X-led Wunderground flag raised. With aim to, in the words of Davis, “ballast the ships, to make sure they don’t tip all the way over.” The discussion began with a look into the guest of honor and author of Weed: Everything You Want To Know But Are Always Too Stoned To Ask, Michelle Lhooq’s career, and a 375-foot view of the current state of the psychedelic and rave cultures.
Though cohost Dr. Christian Greer tried to convince me he was an “Elder Millennial,” I believe he and Davis represented the right and left hemispheres of the Xer-society-level cerebral cortex, respectively, in the discussion. Maria Mangini represented the feminine heart of the Boomers, and Lhooq seemed to be animated as Generation iAmPhone’s root chakra. The gaggle transitioned from the macro to the microcosm, sharing personal stories that flowed through a range of topics, including grief, entity-possession, trauma release, GHB, California Sober, raves, sex, intelligence, and, most notably, the “vibes draught.”
It was fascinating to hear the questions and focus of each generation. Boomers and Gen Z seemed most keyed into the vibes-draught in the rave scene and its implications, where Xers and Millennials saw surviving Boomer institutions like Dead and Friends not as cultural stagnation, but as keeping the vibes pilot light lit.
San Dorado, The Weirdo City
Like the legend of El Dorado, San Francisco was the literal City of Gold that drew a strange cast of hardworking characters across the “American Frontier” to California right before the Civil War. At this very boundary of America’s continental expansion, the SF Bay is clearly the geographic location of the cultural wellspring for the current American era. As a young Millennial man, coming of age as a witness to the fiery chaos-traphe bringing this New Deal era to its end, I’m fascinated by the enrapturing totality of San Dorado’s influence since America dropped Fat Man and Little Boy over the Pacific.
The mushroom cloud must have floated over the City of Gold as the next morning’s ocean mist. Hovering like a radioactive UFO ever since, causing weird karmic cultural mutatis for the last 80 years. From Hippies and Black Panthers to the revenge of the Silicon Valley nerds, much of America’s culture, and now economic activity and speculation, is based on a San Franny Bay template. In what feels like the climax of a successful alchemical ritual, California has pushed its dream deeply into the collective imagination of high-cholesterol society, most totally now with the iPhone and every Internet-led cultural outflow that has followed since 2007.
This is the “weird” frontier, the land of the hippy-feaks turned Silicon Valley Oligarchic Landlords, and it continues to draw me in. The term “weird” was front and center in this conversation; cohost Davis has even published a detailed scholarship of the term. In an interview he conducted in 1998 with Terence McKenna, which is often referred to as McKenna’s last recorded interview, the psychedelic philosopher left us with the words, “I think it’s just going to get weirder and weirder and weirder and finally, it’s going to be so weird, that people are going to have to talk about how weird it is.”
That’s what was delivered, an intellectually poignant, heart-centered “jam-sesh” on the state of The Wunderground in what Chalice cohost Mangini added are “spooky” times.
Rave New World
We’re clearly entering a new era, and what makes this discussion so topical is that psychedelic communities and underground rave music communities still offer what’s on the cutting edge of cultural lifestyle and intellectual development. As Looqh told me in a follow-up interview, “I think that electronic music has become the soundtrack for this contemporary moment.” Whether this contemporary moment marks the end of a 50-to 100-year societal cycle, the ~2,100-year shift to the Age of Aquarius, or both, something is inviting us through the gates of history.
At large, on the political front, America seems to be working out how to talk about how weird things are getting, but beyond this, issues like technological development, psychedelics and the drug war, and state of our culture, how they interact with our social, individual, and economic wellbeing, and what to do about them, seem to be lost in the Boomer-dominated sauce in mainstream America, but not here in Berkeley.
The gathering felt to me like some much-needed cultural development in the “psychedelic community,” standing in contrast to the sometimes staunch sterility of the mainstreaming momentum of the psychedelic sciences. As Mangini put it when talking about the psychedelic medical model, “The medicalization of psychedelics was a devil’s bargain… The idea that you have to have a diagnosis to use these things is completely nuts in human history.”
Overall, the quadralogue was a riffedelic ribosome, folding complete proteins of psychedelic insight. From the perspective of a Midwest, light-blue-collar tourist of San Francisco Weird, it was pretty cool seeing people talk about the difficult collective issues facing their community and society-at-large as open-minded adults in the presence of a massively multigenerational audience.
Where I come from, when it comes to dialogue, the generational divide between those under the age of 40 and the Baby Boomers almost seems as large as the 1960s generational gap seemed for them and their G.I. Generation elders. The Wunderground is showing signs of heady life, beckoning as a cultural holdout to inspire the next era’s crop of freaks and beats, wherever they may roam.
To close the night, Lhooq pulled a turn-table judo move, using her last word to ask the hosts to give the audience a message of hope. “I don’t know about hope,” it was said, but I now know about the importance of secrecy. Then, I checked my watch. Ninety-nine seconds early, the session concluded with a cymbal crash of group chanting, “Peace. Love. Unity. Respect.”
This article is from an external, unpaid contributor. It does not represent High Times’ reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.
Cover image by Rudra K via Unsplash

Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
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Verano Proposes to Redomicile Parent Company From British Columbia to Nevada

Published
6 minutes agoon
September 15, 2025
[PRESS RELEASE] – CHICAGO, Sept. 15, 2025 – Verano Holdings Corp., a leading multistate cannabis company, announced that the company’s board of directors approved, and the company will be seeking shareholder approval of, a proposed plan to redomicile Verano Holdings Corp. from British Columbia, Canada, to the state of Nevada.
Verano believes that redomiciling in the United States better aligns with its U.S.-based business and operations and streamlines its organizational and regulatory structure within the United States, among other reasons discussed in the preliminary proxy statement filed by the company on Sept. 12, 2025, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and in Canada on SEDAR+ (the “preliminary proxy statement”).
“Since inception and our 2021 go-public transaction, we’ve focused on ways to unlock shareholder value and create potential catalysts for the business, including enhancements to our corporate structure and executing a capital markets strategy that positions Verano to capitalize on near and long-term growth opportunities,” Verano Chairman and CEO George Archos said. “From our 2023 strategic decision to list company shares on Cboe Canada, a senior U.S.-based exchange with global operations, to our redomiciling in the U.S. as a newly-registered Nevada enterprise, we are prepared to leverage opportunities that benefit the company and our shareholders.”
The company’s plan to redomicile Verano Holdings Corp. in the United States is not expected to materially impact its existing manufacturing and retail business, which spans 13 U.S. states, including the location of its corporate headquarters in Chicago.
Pursuant to the company’s proposed plan of arrangement, Verano will continue from the jurisdiction of British Columbia, Canada, to the jurisdiction of the state of Nevada (the “continuance”). Upon completion of the continuance, the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares of the British Columbia-formed Verano Holdings Corp. will automatically be exchanged on a one-for-one basis for shares of common stock of the continued Verano Holdings Corp. domiciled in Nevada (“Nevada common stock”). Each of the company’s outstanding stock options and restricted stock units will be deemed to be adjusted pursuant to the terms of the company’s stock and equity incentive plan to become a stock option and a restricted stock unit to receive an equal number of shares of Nevada common stock, respectively.
The preliminary proxy statement was filed in connection with a proposed special meeting of the company’s shareholders to consider and, if thought advisable, approve a plan of arrangement implementing the continuance. The company’s board of directors may, at any time, including after receiving shareholder approval, in its discretion, decide not to proceed with the arrangement and not complete the continuance.
Upon completion of the continuance, the Nevada common stock will trade on the Cboe Canada exchange under the company’s existing ticker symbol, “VRNO,” and be quoted on the OTCQX under the symbol “VRNOF.”
For more information on Verano Holdings Corp., visit the company’s investor website: https://investors.verano.com/.

Author: mscannabiz.com
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New York Lawmakers Schedule Psychedelics-Focused Hearing To Discuss ‘Medicinal Value And Risks’ Of Psilocybin

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September 15, 2025
New York lawmakers have scheduled a hearing to discuss the medical potential of psilocybin as the state considers pursuing a pathway for regulated access to the main psychedelic component of “magic mushrooms.”
In a notice published by the Assembly Health Committee on Wednesday, Chairwoman Amy Paulin (D) noted that, while psilocybin is currently listed as a Schedule I drug, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated it as a “breakthrough therapy” for major depression—indicating that “the therapy may offer improved results for such conditions over currently approved treatments.”
A meeting to go over the science and potential regulations of the novel therapy is scheduled for September 30. Oral testimony is by invite only from the committee, and witnesses have not yet been announced.
“Various localities have enacted measures regarding psilocybin, including the states of Colorado, Oregon, and New Mexico which allow for its supervised use, citing its potential as a treatment for some mental health conditions,” the notice says. “However, more information is needed to better understand the medicinal value that psilocybin may have as a therapy in New York State.”
“To this end, the Committee seeks to hear from researchers, medical experts, and other stakeholders on the potential medicinal value and risks of psilocybin,” Paulin said.
The chairwoman introduced a bill to legalize psilocybin for adults last year, provided they obtain a permit after undergoing a health screening and educational course.
New York legislators have taken special interest in psychedelics reform in recent sessions.
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Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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For example, in January, Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal (D) filed legislation calling for the legalization of certain entheogenic substances such as psilocybin and ibogaine for adults 21 and older.
The bill would amend state statute to make legal the “possession, use, cultivation, production, creation, analysis, gifting, exchange, or sharing by or between natural persons of twenty-one years of age or older of a natural plant or fungus-based hallucinogen.”
DMT, ibogaine, mescaline, psilocybin and psilocyn would fall under the definition of “natural plant or fungus-based hallucinogens” that would be legalized by the bill.
Rosenthal’s measure was introduced just days after another New York lawmaker, Sen. Nathalia Fernandez (D), prefiled a measure that would legalize psilocybin therapy for patients with qualifying conditions.
Under that proposal, people could receive psilocybin treatment from a certified facilitator in a clinical setting, or at their home if they’re unable to travel. Patients and facilitators would receive protections against state-level prosecution.
Fernandez also filed an earlier version of the bill last session, but it did not move out of committee either. Only minor technical changes have been made in the latest iteration.
Bicameral New York lawmakers said at a briefing last year that there was a “real chance” that legislation to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy would advance through committee, emphasizing that delaying action would “neglect” many “people who need help” with certain mental health conditions. That did not ultimately materialize, however.
“We’re in a mental health crisis, and so we need every tool that’s available to us,” Assemblymember Pat Burke (D), who sponsored another bill to create a psilocybin therapy pilot program for 10,000 people, said. He added that “we’re here to turn the page” on the broader drug war.
Photo courtesy of Dick Culbert.

Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
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Curaleaf Opens Cannabis Dispensaries in Florida, Ohio

Published
2 hours agoon
September 15, 2025
[PRESS RELEASE] – STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 15, 2025 – Curaleaf Holdings Inc., a leading international provider of consumer cannabis products, announced the opening of two new dispensaries: Curaleaf Apopka, located at 1809 E. Semoran Blvd., Apopka, Fla., 32703, and Curaleaf Girard, located at 801 N State St., Girard, Ohio, 44420. With these dual openings, Curaleaf expands to 69 retail locations in Florida, five in Ohio and 157 nationwide.
Curaleaf Apopka strengthens the company’s presence in Central Florida, providing convenient access for registered medical cannabis patients across the Greater Orlando region. Curaleaf Apopka offers a wide portfolio of medical cannabis products, including Curaleaf’s Select brand vapes and edibles, Florida-exclusive Reef flower, Grassroots Dark Heart Collection flower, Anthem pre-rolls, Miss Grass pre-rolls and more. To ensure patient satisfaction, Curaleaf Florida is offering a 72-hour Flower Satisfaction Guarantee on select premium eighths from Grassroots and Reef. The store will operate from 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Meanwhile, Curaleaf Girard marks the company’s first dispensary within the city of Girard, and enhances access for both medical patients and adult-use consumers across Ohio’s Northeast region. The store features a selection including Select BRIQ all-in-one vapes, Grassroots Dark Heart Collection flower, Grassroots pre-rolls, JAMS and Select XBites edibles and Find flower. Curaleaf will be introducing Grassroots and Find pre-rolls in Singles and 5-pack Shorties, as state regulations now allow for the sale of pre-rolls. Curaleaf Girard will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
“Each new store opening reflects our mission to expand safe, convenient access to high-quality cannabis across the country,” Curaleaf Chairman and CEO Boris Jordan said. “With Apopka, we are deepening our roots in Florida by serving an important new region for medical patients, and with Girard, we are proudly delivering the first licensed dispensary to the city. Together, these milestones show our commitment to patients and consumers who rely on cannabis for their well-being, while reinforcing Curaleaf’s leadership in both established and emerging markets.”
Local celebrations will mark the openings:
- Curaleaf Apopka will host a grand opening on Sept. 19, 2025, from noon to 5 p.m., featuring special promotions, giveaways and an interactive “Live Lounge” livestream with Curaleaf cultivation leaders.
- Curaleaf Girard will celebrate its opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside the Girard Chamber of Commerce at a later date, featuring exclusive promotions and complimentary refreshments.
For more information on Curaleaf’s dispensaries, products and patient resources, visit www.curaleaf.com.

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