Download Featuring Brian Normand, Co-Founder of Psymposia. Bio from Psymposia's site. 

Brian Normand is Co-Founder of Psymposia, greenthumb, and occasional trouble maker, focused on creating spaces and projects to teach people about plants and drugs.

He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a BS in Plant, Soil, Insect Science, & Sustainable Horticulture, Magna Cum Laude. He lives in Baltimore.

In this interview, we discuss a lot, but here are some highlights.

• Brian's introduction to psychedelic art.
  • Music and plants informing Brian's interest.
• The genesis of Psymposia at a more academic conference.
• The stuffiness of the academic world and it not being suitable for everyone.
  • Yet how important the academic work in top schools is.
    • Rick Doblin, David Nichols, Mithoffers and Grifiths and Dennis McKenna are individuals who prove how important it is to have top academic credentials.
• The Psymposia Afterparty at this years Horizons: Perspective on Psychedelics Conference
  • This year's after party includes guest speakers such as Duncan Trussell and Rick Doblin.
• The legal status of psychedelics in the USA and internationally.
  • Some loose discussion about Portugal.
• Leveraging the globe for legal research on Psychedelics.
• John C. Lily's LSD, Ketamine and float tank research.
• How to get involved in Psychedelic work of different kinds.
• Speculation on how to take advantage of different legal systems globally to move research forward.
• Singing to the plants - Steve Beyer

If anyone would like to submit a story to the magazine at Psymposia you can do so by submitting your story to -- hi@psymposia.com Take a list and let us know what you think!