How to Get a Buzz in the Australian Bush (Vice article)

[fydesvindico]

Interesting article, dunno what good it'll do for the aus ethno community though, being posted all over social media and what not...

Link: http://m.vice.com/en_au/read/how-to-get-high-in-the-australian-bush?utm_source=vicefbanz

For some people, psychedelics are a hobby just as immersive as wine or military paraphernalia. Its a hobby that incorporates chemistry, anthropology, and an intermittent hint of spiritualism. But the really exciting thing is just how many ways you can get high. Plants, fungi, and animals have been defending themselves for millions of years with various alkaloids. If youre into that type of thing, youll know marijuana is just the starting block.

As with most countries, Australia has a range of indigenous chemicals that can be turned into drugs. I wanted to know more so I found a man on the internet and went to his house in Melbournes Dandenong Ranges. We talked about drugs and he showed me the Australian bush in a whole new light.

Alex (it's a fake name) didnt want to be photographed, but hes a kindly man with grey hair and a background in biology. Like a lot of guys, he has a backyard man cave, but his contains a filing cabinet about the size of a sideways dining-room table, with each draw labelled with a different drug. Each draw is full of books, some of which Alex hasn't read. They get a bit repetitive, he told me with a shrug.

Read more:

http://m.vice.com/en_au/read/how-to-get-high-in-the-australian-bush?utm_source=vicefbanz

[∂an]

Good article. Not terribly deep, but aside from saying a native graess is a source of LSD it seems factually accurate. It sheds light on a subculture that many people probably don't know much about or have misconceptions. That he is a family man who hardly trips any more is helpful. The shelves of whipits comes across a bit dodge tho. I don't see the problem with this being circulated in social media etc. it may open the minds of some readers, and there is nothing in there that the authorities don't know.

[DiscoStu]

Interesting article, dunno what good it'll do for the aus ethno community though, being posted all over social media and what not...

well in terms of cacti not much, some of the cactus gardens in vic are heritage listed and maybe making those "illegal" won't make a good headline for tony "mr. freedom" abbott,

besides, it's not as though this is the first article to mention san pedro

edit: speaking of cacti, i thought the whole "wonder why he grows them" line was stupid, the whole article had a somewhat juvenile tone to it though

Edited October 8, 2014 by DiscoStu

[tarenna]

Yeah not too bad. A couple of minor reporting errors but certainly passes muster. Pretty sure I know who the article is about - the photos are not entirely anonymous... A bit of pixelation might have helped...

[obtuse]

love the EGA t-shirt

[-RC-]

“I don’t trip much any more”, he says wistfully, “it’s just too hard to fit in family time. Acid is a ten hour trip, mescaline can go for twelve. Only mushrooms are really convenient because they last four. I still like to take mushrooms a few times a year.” Alex moves to the window of his party room and stares into the garden. “Yes”, he says dreamily. “For all that chemical extraction, mushrooms are still my favourite.”

^ Word.