053 | Recreational Psychedelics pt. II: Harm Reduction & Benefit Maximization w/ DanceSafe
“Everybody has a responsibility to participate to make sure that we’re creating [recreational] containers that reduce risks and maximize all of the benefits the universe has to offer.”
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It’s time to lift the snobbery of the psychedelic space and accept that recreational spaces are just as valid, beautiful, healing and meaningful as ceremonial or therapeutic spaces. Creating meaningful recreational experiences comes down to pscyho-education, preparation, following harm reduction protocols, set, and setting (no surprise there).
Join me for this incredible episode with DanceSafe, a non-profit committed to ending the drug war and promoting health and safety within nightlife and music communities.
Jessica Breemen, Chief Growth & Impact Officer at DanceSafe, gives us important risk reduction and benefit maximization information for the recreational setting. The purpose of this episode is to provide accurate and potentially life saving information information; it is not intended to promote drug use, rather, to shine a light on the reality of recreational containers, which is so far from the “drug-war” narrative.
As we move into social acceptance of psychedelics, I believe that it’s crucial that we do not stigmatize certain types of use while allowing others. Humans have been altering their consciousness with a wide variety of substances forever, and will continue to do so. It makes no sense to gatekeep and stigmatize certain substances while allowing other largely toxic and harmful ones — alcohol — to be so freely used and accepted.
Topics covered in this episode:
This history and mission behind DanceSafe
Stigmas and myths about recreational drug use
The reality of adulteration and how to reduce risk
Early signs of dependency & problematic use to look out for
Harm reduction tips to employ for all substances
Risk education & benefit maximization protocols for MDMA, Ketamine, LSD and Mushrooms
The importance of mindset and community when engaging in recreational psychedelics
How to properly “test before you ingest” with reagents
What you need to know about Fentanyl
The sacredness of (safe) nightlife culture/the rave & why preserving it is important
“Harm reduction is about meeting people where they’re at, and that’s part of the reason why we use the term “harm reduction.” It’s a mainstream term that people are familiar with. But it’s also inherently saying that something is harmful, and that is not accurate all the time.”
LISTEN
“Seventy to ninety percent of drug users, of even the most stigmatized drugs, do not meet DSM criteria for problematic and chaotic use.
Recreational use, which is non-therapeutic and non-ceremonial, is by far the largest body of users that the world has.”
Episode Links:
***Episode correction: In this episode it was quoted that 75%-90% of drug use is non-problematic, it is actually 70%-90%
Where to find Jessica Breemen & DanceSafe:
About Jessica Breemen
Jessica (she/her) is a versatile practitioner with over 15 years of experience coaching creative strategies and solutions to complex problems with individuals, teams, and communities. Jessica carries experience in a breadth of ecosystems including legal, government, non-profit, public health, healthcare, education, consulting, digital media, and technology. She was awarded her Master of Social Work degree in May of 2020, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice & Criminology, is a certified Scrum Master, and a certified psychedelic-assisted therapist. Her intersecting efforts have specialized in social entrepreneurship, organizational culture and health, criminal justice and drug policy reform, full spectrum harm/risk reduction, benefit maximization, as well as integrative drug-assisted care.
Jessica’s journey with DanceSafe began during her 2017-2018 school year with an MSW field placement (but really as a supporter with lived experience since her early teenage years). She was invited to serve on the Board of Directors in January 2019. Before transitioning off the Board to join Staff on the Executive Team, she was a senior project leader for a social justice non-profit dedicated to incubating and supporting social ventures focused on cultural narrative change, equity, and progressive civic engagement with vulnerable, low income, and communities of color. Jessica is passionate about her role supporting DanceSafe in fulfilling its spirit and catalyzing opportunities through value-impact optimization, innovation, growth, and sustainability.
Looking for a professional coach to support you on your psychedelic path?
Look no further! Along with being the host of the Modern Psychedelics Podcast, Lana is a 3x certified professional coach who works with people on the psychedelic path.
