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- Source is consciousness
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that has created this whole
beautiful existence that we se.
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The difference between
God and Source,
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God is a concept
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that we've learned
through society.
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Source is manifesting,
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is having a personal experience
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through each of us.
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People can't find
God in religion.
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We are
what we're looking for already.
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It's a futile search
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to find God outside of yoursel.
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(inspiring music)
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(liturgic music)
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I was born and raised
in Chicago.
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My mother was Irish Catholic.
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Went to Mass every morning,
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seven days a week.
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Dragged me with her.
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I started feeling
like I wanted to know more
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about this God
that they're talking about.
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And the only way I knew,
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that was the Irish Catholic way,
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was you become a priest.
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- Corpus Christi.
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- After eighth grade, I went
straight into the seminary
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for the priesthood.
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- Corpus Christi.
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- So in me,
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I got implanted
from a very early age,
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a burning desire to know God.
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(inspiring music)
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One day, I woke up.
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I was 26 years old.
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And I thought,
what am I doing here?
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It was like a revelation.
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I got to go.
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- We hope you find whatever
it is that you're looking for.
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- That was the end of Catholic
religion for me.
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And I just felt free,
totally free.
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I had literally nothing.
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But they gave me
a few hundred dollars,
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and I had that Honda motorcycl.
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So I just got on it
and rode west.
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(rock music)
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So I made it out to California,
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stayed at a friend's house,
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and started my own business.
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An alarm company, home securit,
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motion detection.
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- Schick Electric bought us out,
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$3.2 million, yeah.
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So that was my first
big success.
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Then I really went crazy.
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Then I bought a resort
on Lake LBJ.
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And it wasn't until
I got in my 30s
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that I started seeking again.
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So I attended
my first yoga class.
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And wow, that was like
the beginning of the new search.
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(ethereal music)
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This is when I began
teaching Zen tennis.
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I was a tennis pro,
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and I had a club in Dallas,
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and it had 500 women
that belonged to it.
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It was yoga, meditation,
and tennis.
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(pop music)
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I was satiated with women.
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I swore I would never
even go on another date.
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She walked in and I went, Oh!
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Wow.
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That was the end of my dating.
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Connecting with Pauline,
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I mean, I had like a voice
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from within that, this is it.
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(pop music)
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We got engaged, and then I took
her on a scuba diving trip.
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I had a friend down there,
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this guy's name was Fred.
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Fred became a really
good friend of mine.
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He kept begging me
to try this drug.
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I'd say, I don't do drugs,
I don't do drugs.
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He was saying, OK,
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as a gift to me,
as a gift of trust
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of friendship, try this.
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Fred had a friend in Boston
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that sent him a few of these.
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(soft music)
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I'd never had any kind
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of experience like that
before in my life.
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I was just laying
there in the sand.
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Oh, my God.
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Couldn't even describe
the experience.
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It was extreme happiness
and oneness and lightness
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and no fear.
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It was so healing, so wonderful.
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I felt this oneness,
and then everything I knew
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about spirituality
and Catholicism
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and all of that was just
a huge cosmic joke.
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That night, I got the command
from the universe
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to get this out there.
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I already saw it being deliverd
around the whole world.
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(celestial music)
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- I was born in Chicago
shortly after the war.
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My family was well-off,
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and so I had every possible
advantage you could have
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in terms of privilege,
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and I had extremely
progressive parents
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who were very left-wing
and very supportive.
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I was raised on stories
of the Holocaust,
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which profoundly disturbed me.
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All of that led me to realize
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that the most important concerns
were psychological.
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We needed emotional
and spiritual
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evolution and growth.
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And I felt that this mission
that I was given
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was to respond
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to that kind of murderous nature
of the Holocaust.
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I went to this experimental
college in Sarasota, Florida
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called New College,
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and it had no grades.
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There was a tradition
of psychedelic use
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at this college.
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In particular,
all-night dance parties
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that went till sunrise.
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And I was like, wow,
this is great.
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- Lysergic acid diethylamide.
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LSD.
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- When I first started
taking LSD,
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I thought, this is what
my bar mitzvah should have bee.
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It was like a confrontation
with who am I,
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where do I fit in the universe,
what are my emotions,
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where do I come from?
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So I started really
getting the sense
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that the psychedelics
were a doorway
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to a deeper understanding
of myself and of reality
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and of spirituality.
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(psychedelic rock music)
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And I felt that this was
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what I wanted to do
with my life.
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I wanted to bring back
psychedelic research,
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become a psychedelic therapist.
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- Esalen, it was the Human
Potential Movement.
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It was Eastern
and Western philosophy.
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It was forms of meditation
and body work.
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We had helped to organize
a conference on psychedelics.
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Most of the drugs
that are prescribed for,
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whether it's depression
or anxiety and so on,
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are drugs that
you take every day.
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You can develop
a tolerance to them.
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There are a lot
of side effects to them.
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I was part of the group
that was trying out
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these different analogues,
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but none of them quite hit it
the same way,
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with the same
heart-opening sense
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of safety and compassion.
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There just wasn't one
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that quite did what MDMA did.
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I met with Rick Doblin
at Esalen.
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That's actually a couple years
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after I had been working
with MDMA.
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He was a bright, young,
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enthusiastic guy, and, you kno,
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a kind of handsome guy,
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and he had great energy.
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And I was bringing some MDMA
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to some other friends
that were there.
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- I saw a group of people
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in a circle doing MDMA
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and talking to each other.
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And I thought, this is trivial.
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And my initial impression was,
I'm not that interested in it.
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- Rick's kind of going, oh,
well, I already love myself
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and everybody,
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and I don't have any problems
with communication.
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So he's kind of like, yeah,
kind of dissing it.
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And as Rick likes to say,
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he was smart enough to buy some.
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- And so I took some home
and did it with my girlfriend
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and was just shocked.
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(soft music)
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I thought, this drug is amazin.
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It was eye-opening
and just like,
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this is a new, better way
of processing.
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I felt like we could talk
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at a level of clarity
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00:11:31,958 --> 00:11:33,624
and sensitivity
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and lack of defensiveness
like never before.
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The drug is helping us
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express how much
we love each other,
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but the love didn't come
from the drug.
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This is a tool that can
really open up myself,
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others, the culture to the value
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of psychedelics.
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- My phone rings,
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and wow, he's just blasting
through the phone.
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00:12:01,721 --> 00:12:03,354
He's ecstatic.
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00:12:03,422 --> 00:12:05,456
And he starts thanking me.
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00:12:05,459 --> 00:12:07,959
And so he was just on fire.
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He just loved it.
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And so we became friends,
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because we both wanted
to be therapists,
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and we thought psychedelics
could facilitate that,
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and especially MDMA.
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(disco music)
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They knew that
it wasn't illegal,
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00:12:22,042 --> 00:12:24,809
but they knew that it could
easily become illegal.
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00:12:24,877 --> 00:12:27,545
- So we started
Earth Metabolic Design Lab
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00:12:27,547 --> 00:12:30,114
to gather the support
of the psychedelic community,
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to have a non-profit context.
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And so we're having
these meetings at Esalen
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00:12:34,487 --> 00:12:37,488
of sort of people
from the psychedelic 60s
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00:12:37,491 --> 00:12:40,057
and underground
psychedelic therapy.
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00:12:40,060 --> 00:12:41,726
This is where I learned
about Sasha Shulgin
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00:12:41,728 --> 00:12:44,095
and the whole
psychedelic underground.
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00:12:44,998 --> 00:12:48,266
Sasha Shulgin is
a brilliant chemist.
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00:12:48,334 --> 00:12:51,702
- Sasha was the one who
published on the human studies,
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00:12:51,705 --> 00:12:54,205
and so he's been kind of called
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00:12:54,207 --> 00:12:56,574
the godfather of MDMA.
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- Sasha would develop new drugs.
He would take it himself first.
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00:13:01,614 --> 00:13:03,047
If he thought
it was interesting,
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00:13:03,049 --> 00:13:04,882
then it would go to this group
of 12 people
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00:13:04,885 --> 00:13:08,753
that would meet periodically
to try new drugs.
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00:13:08,755 --> 00:13:11,756
Sasha did say that
of all the MDMA-like drugs
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00:13:11,824 --> 00:13:14,459
that he developed,
MDMA was the best.
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00:13:14,527 --> 00:13:18,062
And from the middle 70s
to the early 80s,
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00:13:18,130 --> 00:13:20,598
around half a million doses
were used.
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00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:22,233
Some of it was
for couples therapy,
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00:13:22,235 --> 00:13:24,368
you know, personal growth.
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00:13:24,371 --> 00:13:26,637
And out of that
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00:13:26,706 --> 00:13:29,106
is where the word spread.
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00:13:29,109 --> 00:13:32,410
And that's where eventually
Michael heard about it.
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00:13:39,119 --> 00:13:41,619
(pop music)
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00:13:44,991 --> 00:13:46,324
- It's just like...
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00:13:46,392 --> 00:13:49,894
the universe gives you a mission
and you just go for it.
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00:13:52,799 --> 00:13:54,365
In researching it,
236
00:13:54,433 --> 00:13:56,668
I found out
that Alexander Shulgin
237
00:13:56,736 --> 00:14:00,605
was giving a talk at University
of California, Santa Barbara.
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00:14:00,673 --> 00:14:03,274
I was living in Dallas
at the time
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00:14:03,276 --> 00:14:06,577
and I went and I attended it
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00:14:06,580 --> 00:14:09,113
and I intended to ask him
241
00:14:09,115 --> 00:14:10,948
about: how do I make this?
242
00:14:10,951 --> 00:14:12,650
I mean, this is
incredible stuff.
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00:14:12,652 --> 00:14:14,785
So I went up for the talk.
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00:14:14,788 --> 00:14:17,355
- This is a start.
Thank you very much.
245
00:14:17,423 --> 00:14:19,524
(applause)
246
00:14:21,494 --> 00:14:24,329
- They carried him off
the stage on their shoulders.
247
00:14:25,464 --> 00:14:27,198
And I didn't get
a chance to talk to him.
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00:14:30,370 --> 00:14:33,571
I was walking down
the beach after that
249
00:14:35,107 --> 00:14:38,342
and happened to run into him.
250
00:14:38,411 --> 00:14:39,710
Mr. Shulgin?
251
00:14:39,713 --> 00:14:41,612
Hi!
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00:14:41,615 --> 00:14:43,381
Clegg. I'm Michael Clegg.
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00:14:44,250 --> 00:14:47,018
I just happened to recognize hm
and said, oh my God, I came hee
254
00:14:47,020 --> 00:14:49,587
because I have this mission
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00:14:49,656 --> 00:14:51,189
to bring this to the world.
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00:14:51,257 --> 00:14:52,990
He was all happy about that.
257
00:14:52,993 --> 00:14:54,926
He loved my project.
258
00:14:55,996 --> 00:14:57,528
And he said,
259
00:14:57,596 --> 00:15:00,031
I've already given
the formula in a book.
260
00:15:01,767 --> 00:15:03,467
And he gave me the name of it.
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00:15:03,470 --> 00:15:06,470
The man had made it
public information
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00:15:06,473 --> 00:15:08,940
so that it would not get lost.
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00:15:10,477 --> 00:15:13,311
Even though he didn't
really know me,
264
00:15:13,379 --> 00:15:15,146
he and I had a perfect fit.
265
00:15:15,214 --> 00:15:16,080
And from there,
266
00:15:16,149 --> 00:15:18,750
it just all flowed perfectly.
267
00:15:27,493 --> 00:15:30,494
- Apparently, Michael Clegg
went around telling people
268
00:15:30,497 --> 00:15:33,564
that Alexander Shulgin
gave him the formula
269
00:15:33,632 --> 00:15:35,566
and gave him, like, his blessig
270
00:15:35,568 --> 00:15:37,501
to go forth and make...
271
00:15:37,504 --> 00:15:39,437
It was complete nonsense.
272
00:15:39,505 --> 00:15:43,374
- If that part is true, I do
know that Sasha regretted it.
273
00:15:43,376 --> 00:15:44,909
- In fact, he was, you know,
274
00:15:44,911 --> 00:15:47,578
quite shocked to find out
what he was up to.
275
00:15:47,580 --> 00:15:49,781
Sasha didn't want it
to become illegal.
276
00:15:54,921 --> 00:15:57,855
- Got the book immediately.
277
00:15:57,923 --> 00:15:59,256
Got hold of a chemist
278
00:15:59,259 --> 00:16:01,359
in New York City
279
00:16:01,427 --> 00:16:04,929
who couldn't quite
make it crystallize.
280
00:16:04,998 --> 00:16:08,132
I was like a
heat-seeking rocket on this.
281
00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:09,700
So I started all over again
282
00:16:09,703 --> 00:16:11,869
with a Filipino woman
283
00:16:11,871 --> 00:16:13,671
that was a PhD chemist.
284
00:16:19,546 --> 00:16:21,646
- In 1979, I moved to Intel,
285
00:16:21,714 --> 00:16:23,581
a semiconductor company.
286
00:16:23,583 --> 00:16:27,218
I was employed at the quality
control division
287
00:16:27,286 --> 00:16:29,420
of the wafer fabrication
processes.
288
00:16:29,422 --> 00:16:32,757
Howard Butcher,
my boss and mentor,
289
00:16:32,759 --> 00:16:34,625
he took me aside and asked me
290
00:16:34,693 --> 00:16:36,594
if I wanted to do
some consulting.
291
00:16:38,898 --> 00:16:40,264
I had heard
292
00:16:40,266 --> 00:16:43,934
that he was hired
to synthesize MDMA
293
00:16:43,937 --> 00:16:45,536
at the gram level.
294
00:16:45,605 --> 00:16:47,638
The consulting work
with Howard Butcher
295
00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:49,640
was done after hours.
296
00:16:49,708 --> 00:16:52,176
I put together all the equipmet
297
00:16:52,178 --> 00:16:53,644
that I would need,
298
00:16:53,646 --> 00:16:56,947
and I went to the laboratory
and executed.
299
00:16:56,950 --> 00:16:58,916
I was given the Merck patent
300
00:16:58,984 --> 00:17:00,985
and it wasn't mentioned there
301
00:17:01,054 --> 00:17:03,254
that it was an amphetamine.
302
00:17:03,256 --> 00:17:06,190
It was 3,4-methylenedioxy
303
00:17:06,192 --> 00:17:07,925
isopropylamine.
304
00:17:07,993 --> 00:17:09,994
It was just the molecule,
305
00:17:09,996 --> 00:17:13,464
you know, the legality was not
a question at that point.
306
00:17:13,466 --> 00:17:14,932
It didn't matter to me.
307
00:17:14,934 --> 00:17:16,534
It was a molecule
308
00:17:16,602 --> 00:17:20,304
that was simply progressing into
some kind of commercial state.
309
00:17:23,008 --> 00:17:26,411
So that was when I had
to pretty much create
310
00:17:26,479 --> 00:17:28,613
the crystallization process.
311
00:17:29,882 --> 00:17:32,817
I put the material
in a Petri dish,
312
00:17:32,819 --> 00:17:35,786
inside a desiccator,
put a little vacuum,
313
00:17:35,855 --> 00:17:38,089
and bubbled in
hydrogen chloride gas.
314
00:17:43,929 --> 00:17:45,696
Slowly but surely,
315
00:17:45,764 --> 00:17:47,965
the following morning,
lo and behold,
316
00:17:47,967 --> 00:17:49,000
it was "Eureka!"
317
00:17:50,636 --> 00:17:52,236
("I Want to See the Light"
by Rational Youth)
318
00:17:56,976 --> 00:18:00,178
My first experience was really
a moment of creation.
319
00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:03,648
It was like the first substance
320
00:18:03,716 --> 00:18:06,584
that I had a really close
relationship with.
321
00:18:06,652 --> 00:18:08,953
It was very exciting.
322
00:18:09,689 --> 00:18:12,823
He told me I needed
to yield one gram,
323
00:18:12,826 --> 00:18:14,425
and one gram only.
324
00:18:14,494 --> 00:18:16,927
So he took that one gram,
325
00:18:16,930 --> 00:18:19,363
and after it tested,
326
00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:21,866
then he told Michael Clegg.
327
00:18:21,868 --> 00:18:25,937
- And she did it, and it was
so pure and so beautiful.
328
00:18:26,806 --> 00:18:29,807
Nothing like the ecstasy that's
out there in the streets now.
329
00:18:31,810 --> 00:18:35,079
- I had the pleasure
of taking a bunch
330
00:18:35,081 --> 00:18:37,648
of Michael Clegg's ecstasy.
331
00:18:38,617 --> 00:18:40,551
And it was just as good
332
00:18:40,620 --> 00:18:43,521
as the atom
333
00:18:44,290 --> 00:18:45,789
that was being made
334
00:18:45,858 --> 00:18:48,526
by people at MIT using
therapeutic circles.
335
00:18:50,063 --> 00:18:51,429
We met at a conference.
336
00:18:52,298 --> 00:18:54,832
And we did want to help him
337
00:18:54,834 --> 00:18:56,767
do what he was doing
338
00:18:56,769 --> 00:18:58,702
in as effective a way
as possible.
339
00:18:58,705 --> 00:19:01,939
You know, Sasha had written
several-page documents
340
00:19:01,941 --> 00:19:03,707
to prepare people for MDMA.
341
00:19:03,710 --> 00:19:07,278
So we tried to sort of share,
here's the therapeutic way
342
00:19:07,346 --> 00:19:09,947
to get the best benefits
out of it.
343
00:19:09,949 --> 00:19:11,749
And we're like,
you should hand this out.
344
00:19:11,751 --> 00:19:15,219
There was one way in which
Michael Clegg's ecstasy
345
00:19:15,221 --> 00:19:18,289
was better, in that
it was in tablets
346
00:19:18,291 --> 00:19:19,990
rather than powder,
347
00:19:19,993 --> 00:19:21,992
so that it was easier
348
00:19:21,995 --> 00:19:23,895
to have it look
like a normal thing.
349
00:19:29,668 --> 00:19:32,803
- Today, we are gonna share
something
350
00:19:32,805 --> 00:19:34,705
a little bit more exciting.
351
00:19:36,342 --> 00:19:37,308
We're giving it away.
352
00:19:37,376 --> 00:19:38,809
This is just giving it
353
00:19:38,811 --> 00:19:41,012
to friends and acquaintances
354
00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:42,813
in Dallas to get started.
355
00:19:43,917 --> 00:19:45,482
To new experiences.
356
00:19:45,551 --> 00:19:48,019
I always had this image
that instead of giving
357
00:19:48,087 --> 00:19:51,856
the Eucharist to people,
I'm giving them ecstasy,
358
00:19:51,924 --> 00:19:54,492
which is totally closer to God
359
00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:56,494
than some piece of bread.
360
00:19:58,431 --> 00:20:00,631
("Talking In Your Sleep"
by The Romantics)
361
00:20:08,308 --> 00:20:11,141
Ecstasy takes away all fear.
362
00:20:11,210 --> 00:20:12,810
People that didn't know
363
00:20:12,812 --> 00:20:14,511
that they knew how to dance
364
00:20:14,514 --> 00:20:16,547
all of a sudden were exploring.
365
00:20:33,399 --> 00:20:34,665
It didn't take very long
366
00:20:34,667 --> 00:20:36,067
and people were bringing
their friends
367
00:20:36,135 --> 00:20:38,035
and their friends
were bringing friends,
368
00:20:39,005 --> 00:20:41,205
and pretty soon, I couldn't
afford to give it away anymore.
369
00:20:41,207 --> 00:20:43,741
I had to start charging for it.
370
00:20:43,809 --> 00:20:45,743
(energetic music)
371
00:20:49,749 --> 00:20:52,016
- Up in Mendocino,
it's a small town.
372
00:20:52,084 --> 00:20:53,984
People pretty much knew
373
00:20:53,987 --> 00:20:57,121
I had a reputation
as a pot smuggler.
374
00:20:57,189 --> 00:20:58,756
A good reputation.
375
00:21:02,661 --> 00:21:04,929
I had plenty of money,
I didn't need to work,
376
00:21:04,997 --> 00:21:06,464
so I retired.
377
00:21:07,333 --> 00:21:10,067
You know, I basically
played music and partied
378
00:21:10,135 --> 00:21:13,203
and had a grand time
for seven years,
379
00:21:13,206 --> 00:21:15,506
but cocaine slipped
into the picture.
380
00:21:16,309 --> 00:21:17,775
It got a hold of me pretty good.
381
00:21:17,843 --> 00:21:20,611
You know, I had a few times
when...
382
00:21:20,679 --> 00:21:23,247
I didn't know if I was going
to make it, it felt so bad.
383
00:21:24,050 --> 00:21:26,216
So I knew I had a problem,
384
00:21:26,285 --> 00:21:29,386
and I tried to stop it
a number of times.
385
00:21:29,389 --> 00:21:32,256
But I always managed
to get back into it.
386
00:21:32,258 --> 00:21:34,158
("Lay It on the Line"
by Triumph)
387
00:21:42,468 --> 00:21:44,268
(doorbell chiming)
388
00:21:47,206 --> 00:21:48,873
One day, I get a knock
on the door.
389
00:21:49,875 --> 00:21:52,943
And there's this fellow
down there, I thought he was
390
00:21:53,011 --> 00:21:56,147
a salesman selling
vacuum cleaners or something.
391
00:21:56,215 --> 00:21:58,148
But he was persistent,
392
00:21:58,151 --> 00:22:00,251
so I went down
and talked to him.
393
00:22:01,053 --> 00:22:03,354
I asked him what he wanted,
and he said
394
00:22:03,356 --> 00:22:05,056
he wanted to introduce me
395
00:22:05,958 --> 00:22:07,158
to a new drug.
396
00:22:07,226 --> 00:22:08,759
It's the last thing I wanted,
397
00:22:08,827 --> 00:22:09,960
to get involved
398
00:22:09,962 --> 00:22:11,228
in the drug business.
399
00:22:11,230 --> 00:22:12,429
I'm not interested, buddy.
400
00:22:12,432 --> 00:22:14,365
Michael Clegg was
an interesting guy.
401
00:22:14,433 --> 00:22:15,632
When I first met him,
402
00:22:15,635 --> 00:22:18,169
he really had his heart and sol
403
00:22:18,237 --> 00:22:20,404
into the good that
it would bring to people.
404
00:22:21,039 --> 00:22:22,606
- These things, they...
405
00:22:23,376 --> 00:22:24,808
They can change your life, man.
406
00:22:24,811 --> 00:22:26,510
Call me.
407
00:22:26,579 --> 00:22:29,680
- He gave me a bunch
of literature on MDMA.
408
00:22:29,749 --> 00:22:33,017
And over a period of about
a month, I read all of it.
409
00:22:33,085 --> 00:22:36,220
He said, well,
can we talk some more?
410
00:22:36,288 --> 00:22:37,955
And I said, sure,
come on over to my house.
411
00:22:42,662 --> 00:22:44,195
- Just relax
412
00:22:44,263 --> 00:22:46,564
and let the music guide you.
413
00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:51,402
- So that evening, he brought
his wife, Paulina,
414
00:22:51,470 --> 00:22:55,639
over, and the two of them
sat down and said,
415
00:22:55,707 --> 00:22:59,209
you know, we'd like
to share it with you,
416
00:22:59,212 --> 00:23:01,111
because we think this
will probably help you
417
00:23:01,114 --> 00:23:03,314
with your cocaine issue.
418
00:23:04,016 --> 00:23:06,384
MDMA was legal.
419
00:23:06,452 --> 00:23:08,352
It was brand new, really.
420
00:23:08,354 --> 00:23:10,521
There was no laws against it.
421
00:23:10,589 --> 00:23:13,691
So I said, OK, let me try it.
422
00:23:15,628 --> 00:23:17,895
He put on a tape by Deuter
423
00:23:17,897 --> 00:23:19,463
called Ecstasy,
424
00:23:19,531 --> 00:23:21,699
and it was just unbelievable.
425
00:23:21,767 --> 00:23:23,501
I love all types of music,
426
00:23:23,569 --> 00:23:25,536
but this just got me.
427
00:23:28,974 --> 00:23:30,741
And all of a sudden,
the music came on,
428
00:23:31,543 --> 00:23:33,978
and it almost lifted me
out of my couch.
429
00:23:34,046 --> 00:23:37,014
I felt like I was levitating.
I felt so good.
430
00:23:41,587 --> 00:23:43,721
It was like a heavenly
experience.
431
00:23:43,789 --> 00:23:45,423
It was just unbelievable.
432
00:23:46,158 --> 00:23:48,992
This angst I had in me
433
00:23:48,995 --> 00:23:52,396
that I'd carried for seven years
434
00:23:53,065 --> 00:23:56,266
just kind of evaporated.
435
00:23:56,269 --> 00:23:57,935
It was amazing.
436
00:23:58,003 --> 00:24:00,003
And I thought,
437
00:24:00,072 --> 00:24:02,373
wow, why in the world
would you ever do coke
438
00:24:03,142 --> 00:24:04,608
when you have
something like this?
439
00:24:05,211 --> 00:24:08,011
It was many, many,
many years ago,
440
00:24:08,014 --> 00:24:09,680
and I've never touched coke
441
00:24:09,682 --> 00:24:10,948
or thought about it.
442
00:24:11,817 --> 00:24:13,116
That was it.
443
00:24:13,185 --> 00:24:14,551
One shot and that was over.
444
00:24:14,554 --> 00:24:16,921
Just absolutely amazing.
445
00:24:18,824 --> 00:24:21,158
I'll be forever grateful
446
00:24:21,227 --> 00:24:23,894
that he came to my place
and let me
447
00:24:23,962 --> 00:24:25,763
have that opportunity.
448
00:24:29,768 --> 00:24:31,535
I just...
449
00:24:31,603 --> 00:24:32,536
I can't.
450
00:24:32,604 --> 00:24:34,238
(stammering)
451
00:24:34,306 --> 00:24:35,840
- Oh my God, we know.
452
00:24:35,908 --> 00:24:37,374
- What do you call this stuff?
453
00:24:37,442 --> 00:24:38,742
- It's therapy.
454
00:24:38,744 --> 00:24:42,446
- I told Michael, you know,
that album you gave me,
455
00:24:43,315 --> 00:24:46,049
uh, named Ecstasy,
that's absolutely
456
00:24:46,052 --> 00:24:47,718
the perfect name.
457
00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:49,253
Ecstasy.
458
00:24:50,323 --> 00:24:52,323
That's what it is.
459
00:24:54,326 --> 00:24:57,895
- The experience
is pure ecstasy.
460
00:24:57,897 --> 00:24:59,830
So why not call it ecstasy?
461
00:24:59,899 --> 00:25:01,598
- That's how it went down,
462
00:25:01,667 --> 00:25:02,867
and it stuck.
463
00:25:06,405 --> 00:25:07,638
- Here comes Howard again.
464
00:25:07,706 --> 00:25:08,906
We're scaling up.
465
00:25:08,908 --> 00:25:10,574
Would you like to continue?
466
00:25:10,642 --> 00:25:13,744
I said, well, yes,
I just have to be paid more,
467
00:25:13,812 --> 00:25:15,112
just a little more.
468
00:25:15,114 --> 00:25:16,413
And I agreed.
469
00:25:16,481 --> 00:25:19,383
And that was the first time
I met Michael Clegg.
470
00:25:21,153 --> 00:25:23,687
Michael Clegg was very casual
at that time.
471
00:25:23,756 --> 00:25:26,290
I mean, he was easy to be with.
472
00:25:26,358 --> 00:25:29,159
I mean, he stated
what he needed, and...
473
00:25:29,161 --> 00:25:30,460
and then he left.
474
00:25:30,463 --> 00:25:33,297
All right, let's get started,
shall we?
475
00:25:33,299 --> 00:25:37,134
The Drisura boys
were seminarians
476
00:25:37,136 --> 00:25:40,103
with Michael Clegg,
and they all left
477
00:25:40,106 --> 00:25:42,639
to pursue civilian life.
478
00:25:42,642 --> 00:25:45,309
But upscaling
from one gram to 100,
479
00:25:45,311 --> 00:25:47,711
it's much more complex.
480
00:25:49,581 --> 00:25:51,382
- Yeah, we understand.
- We got it, yeah.
481
00:25:52,751 --> 00:25:54,218
(pop music)
482
00:25:56,254 --> 00:25:58,689
- The goal was to get
the Drisura boys
483
00:25:58,757 --> 00:25:59,990
up and running.
484
00:26:00,058 --> 00:26:02,660
They knew nothing
about chemistry.
485
00:26:03,195 --> 00:26:04,828
How do I teach this layperson
486
00:26:04,896 --> 00:26:06,129
how to handle chemicals?
487
00:26:06,132 --> 00:26:08,398
It was pretty demanding.
488
00:26:08,401 --> 00:26:11,401
It took us probably
two to three weeks
489
00:26:11,404 --> 00:26:13,871
to get to the end result.
490
00:26:17,876 --> 00:26:20,377
- My distribution points
were basically Dallas
491
00:26:20,445 --> 00:26:22,012
and some friends in California.
492
00:26:24,350 --> 00:26:26,250
And that was it.
That was the beginning.
493
00:26:26,318 --> 00:26:27,818
- Ecstasy.
494
00:26:27,886 --> 00:26:30,187
That's what we're
calling it, boys.
495
00:26:30,255 --> 00:26:32,156
And it's perfectly legal.
496
00:26:32,224 --> 00:26:35,292
When I started selling MDMA,
497
00:26:35,361 --> 00:26:36,560
I had a purpose in life.
498
00:26:36,562 --> 00:26:39,029
There was millions
of people in the US
499
00:26:39,097 --> 00:26:41,898
that were strung out on coke.
500
00:26:41,967 --> 00:26:46,003
And I thought this would be
a wonderful way
501
00:26:46,071 --> 00:26:47,271
to get them off of that.
502
00:26:47,339 --> 00:26:50,907
The next day, everybody
was back wanting more.
503
00:26:50,910 --> 00:26:54,678
I'm going to need another
5,000 more at least to start.
504
00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:56,714
- Whatever you need, you got it.
505
00:26:57,850 --> 00:26:59,349
- So off we went to the races.
506
00:26:59,352 --> 00:27:01,185
(energetic music)
507
00:27:06,125 --> 00:27:08,792
I was driving back
and forth and picking up
508
00:27:08,861 --> 00:27:11,261
20,000, 30,000,
509
00:27:11,329 --> 00:27:12,529
50,000.
510
00:27:12,531 --> 00:27:14,798
I went from zero production
511
00:27:14,867 --> 00:27:17,234
to 50,000 in a couple months.
512
00:27:17,236 --> 00:27:20,270
Sales were going extremely fas.
513
00:27:21,907 --> 00:27:24,641
We were selling a million
dollars a month.
514
00:27:24,710 --> 00:27:28,445
And most of the buyers
were bartenders.
515
00:27:28,447 --> 00:27:30,748
(pop music)
516
00:27:42,994 --> 00:27:44,461
- Handling the money
517
00:27:44,529 --> 00:27:46,563
was the hardest part
of the whole project.
518
00:27:46,565 --> 00:27:48,632
What do you do
with all that cash?
519
00:27:52,104 --> 00:27:54,838
I had more money
than God at that time.
520
00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:57,174
I could buy anything I want.
521
00:27:57,242 --> 00:27:58,609
Planes, boats, real estate.
522
00:27:59,912 --> 00:28:01,745
(pop music)
523
00:28:04,583 --> 00:28:07,617
Pauline was not only
a great wife and companion,
524
00:28:07,620 --> 00:28:09,186
but she was a tremendous
businesswoman.
525
00:28:09,254 --> 00:28:11,121
Oh, my God.
526
00:28:11,123 --> 00:28:13,524
She handled the money,
and I handled the product.
527
00:28:18,664 --> 00:28:20,764
- I handed him a lot of money,
528
00:28:20,766 --> 00:28:23,166
and he talked too much
about the money.
529
00:28:23,169 --> 00:28:24,868
You got to keep your money
530
00:28:25,871 --> 00:28:27,437
to yourself for a while.
531
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:30,140
Put it someplace
that nobody can find it.
532
00:28:30,142 --> 00:28:32,076
- I was converting cash
into gold,
533
00:28:32,812 --> 00:28:34,378
and I had to store
the gold somewhere.
534
00:28:35,815 --> 00:28:37,781
I buried a lot of gold
535
00:28:37,849 --> 00:28:39,249
under the doghouse.
536
00:28:40,152 --> 00:28:41,651
I bought some property
537
00:28:41,654 --> 00:28:42,953
near Vancouver
538
00:28:43,889 --> 00:28:45,856
and buried a lot
of gold up there.
539
00:28:45,858 --> 00:28:48,225
And that gold is still there.
I don't know where it's at.
540
00:28:49,428 --> 00:28:52,296
There's millions of dollars of
gold up in Vancouver somewhere.
541
00:28:57,369 --> 00:29:00,504
- We all know that Edgar Cayce
was the most renowned medium
542
00:29:00,506 --> 00:29:02,740
and psychic of our time.
543
00:29:02,808 --> 00:29:05,876
Peter Weber is said to be
the next Edgar Cayce.
544
00:29:06,979 --> 00:29:08,845
In his channeling,
he is known to call upon
545
00:29:08,848 --> 00:29:11,381
an entity named Ross Peterson.
546
00:29:11,449 --> 00:29:15,218
Ross Peterson is actually
Peter Weber's higher self.
547
00:29:15,221 --> 00:29:17,954
Tell the audience at home
about your spiritual journey.
548
00:29:18,023 --> 00:29:19,923
- You know, when Michael
got into a haze,
549
00:29:19,992 --> 00:29:23,260
we hired these psychics
to help him make a decision
550
00:29:23,328 --> 00:29:25,128
or help him
551
00:29:25,197 --> 00:29:27,497
give sight to what's going on.
552
00:29:27,500 --> 00:29:29,733
- What is it like
being a clairvoyant?
553
00:29:29,735 --> 00:29:31,601
- It wasn't by choice.
554
00:29:31,604 --> 00:29:33,236
I was born this way.
555
00:29:33,239 --> 00:29:35,072
- Paulina, that's him.
That's the guy.
556
00:29:35,140 --> 00:29:37,141
- What guy?
- From the book, Peter Weber.
557
00:29:37,876 --> 00:29:39,342
- Peter Weber?
558
00:29:39,345 --> 00:29:41,178
He's the clairvoyant
I was telling you about.
559
00:29:44,349 --> 00:29:45,783
Gentlemen of the Texas Group,
560
00:29:45,851 --> 00:29:48,552
as we all know,
we are on the cusp
561
00:29:48,554 --> 00:29:49,753
of an evolution.
562
00:29:50,489 --> 00:29:53,857
Our product is the key
to the human soul.
563
00:29:53,859 --> 00:29:57,294
But today, I wanted
to introduce you to my new...
564
00:29:57,362 --> 00:30:00,030
spiritual business advisor,
565
00:30:00,032 --> 00:30:01,331
Peter Weber.
566
00:30:01,399 --> 00:30:02,633
Peter!
567
00:30:02,701 --> 00:30:04,935
(upbeat music)
568
00:30:14,246 --> 00:30:15,912
- Drugs are menacing
our society.
569
00:30:15,915 --> 00:30:17,881
They're threatening our values
570
00:30:17,883 --> 00:30:19,783
and undercutting
our institutions.
571
00:30:20,452 --> 00:30:23,153
- This was the time of Nancy
Reagan and Ronald Reagan
572
00:30:23,222 --> 00:30:24,588
and the escalation
of the drug war.
573
00:30:24,590 --> 00:30:28,091
It was clearly doomed.
It was going to be criminalized.
574
00:30:28,093 --> 00:30:30,126
- Say no to drugs
575
00:30:30,195 --> 00:30:32,095
and say yes to life.
576
00:30:32,097 --> 00:30:35,232
- I knew the DEA would be
interested in something
577
00:30:35,234 --> 00:30:37,668
earth-shattering
as this would be.
578
00:30:37,736 --> 00:30:40,003
I could see this
overtaking marijuana
579
00:30:40,072 --> 00:30:42,138
and cocaine overnight,
580
00:30:42,141 --> 00:30:44,140
because it's so much better,
581
00:30:44,143 --> 00:30:46,243
so much, at every level.
582
00:30:46,245 --> 00:30:47,811
- But we were concerned
583
00:30:47,813 --> 00:30:49,413
that what was going to happen
584
00:30:49,481 --> 00:30:52,649
was the more public use
of ecstasy
585
00:30:52,717 --> 00:30:55,285
was going to end up
586
00:30:55,287 --> 00:30:57,287
criminalizing
the therapeutic use.
587
00:31:01,426 --> 00:31:03,493
Michael Clegg had an 800 number.
588
00:31:03,561 --> 00:31:05,395
You could dial 1-800-ECSTASY
589
00:31:05,463 --> 00:31:07,898
and buy as much as you wanted
on your credit card.
590
00:31:08,300 --> 00:31:10,934
Sasha said, you know, please,
you know, maybe you and Debby
591
00:31:11,002 --> 00:31:13,203
can go up there
and talk to this guy,
592
00:31:13,205 --> 00:31:16,673
because he was ramping up
his machine,
593
00:31:16,741 --> 00:31:18,275
you know, producing
more and more and more.
594
00:31:18,343 --> 00:31:20,844
This was going to explode
because what we were afraid of
595
00:31:20,846 --> 00:31:23,947
is that we would be pushed
into emergency scheduling.
596
00:31:24,015 --> 00:31:26,850
And if that happened,
then we would have no time
597
00:31:26,852 --> 00:31:29,552
to build our case,
we would have no time
598
00:31:29,621 --> 00:31:31,554
to produce the research papers
599
00:31:31,623 --> 00:31:34,124
and things that could
support the case for MDMA.
600
00:31:34,192 --> 00:31:36,459
So I asked Rick Doblin,
would you come with me?
601
00:31:36,528 --> 00:31:37,994
And he said yes.
602
00:31:38,063 --> 00:31:41,564
- So, the scheduling of drugs
is done not by the FDA,
603
00:31:41,633 --> 00:31:44,200
but by the Drug Enforcement
Administration.
604
00:31:44,203 --> 00:31:48,204
Schedule 1 is for drugs that
have a high potential for abuse,
605
00:31:48,273 --> 00:31:50,707
no currently accepted
medical use.
606
00:31:50,775 --> 00:31:52,476
Heroin is in Schedule 1.
607
00:31:55,347 --> 00:31:58,048
- We arrive at this big,
beautiful home.
608
00:31:58,116 --> 00:31:59,449
You know, it's just gorgeous.
609
00:31:59,517 --> 00:32:01,952
Looks like something
out of Architectural Digest.
610
00:32:02,020 --> 00:32:04,120
He opens the door.
611
00:32:04,123 --> 00:32:06,923
He was pleasant looking, kind of
a cherubic face, you know.
612
00:32:06,926 --> 00:32:08,558
- You like the champagne?
613
00:32:09,828 --> 00:32:11,094
- Very good. Thank you.
614
00:32:11,096 --> 00:32:12,262
What we were saying is,
615
00:32:12,264 --> 00:32:14,164
could you keep this
a little bit more quiet?
616
00:32:14,232 --> 00:32:15,899
And he wasn't
willing to do that.
617
00:32:15,901 --> 00:32:18,235
- MDMA isn't just a drug.
618
00:32:19,104 --> 00:32:21,438
It's a tool.
I'm not just selling a high.
619
00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:23,106
I'm elevating consciousness.
620
00:32:23,675 --> 00:32:26,509
I want everyone
to experience it,
621
00:32:26,512 --> 00:32:30,247
not just the people
who can afford your retreats.
622
00:32:31,850 --> 00:32:34,484
- You're putting a target
on everyone's back.
623
00:32:34,486 --> 00:32:36,152
- Michael seemed kind of slick.
624
00:32:36,155 --> 00:32:37,921
He seemed kind of,
625
00:32:37,923 --> 00:32:40,657
you know, interested
in making lots of money.
626
00:32:40,659 --> 00:32:43,159
He didn't really care
627
00:32:43,162 --> 00:32:44,995
that what they were doing
628
00:32:44,997 --> 00:32:47,931
was going to criminalize
the therapeutic use.
629
00:32:47,933 --> 00:32:50,667
But he also did have
this messianic kind of,
630
00:32:50,669 --> 00:32:53,203
let's spread MDMA to the world.
631
00:32:53,271 --> 00:32:54,805
- It's not illegal!
632
00:32:56,308 --> 00:32:58,842
I've cured people of addictions.
633
00:32:58,844 --> 00:33:01,444
I've opened hearts.
I've opened minds.
634
00:33:01,447 --> 00:33:04,514
What do you think I am,
a street pusher?
635
00:33:06,352 --> 00:33:09,819
I was trying to get it
blasted out there, yeah.
636
00:33:09,888 --> 00:33:11,521
(laughing)
637
00:33:11,589 --> 00:33:13,657
The last thing I was trying
to do was hide it.
638
00:33:14,793 --> 00:33:16,793
- We went back and forth
for many, many hours.
639
00:33:16,795 --> 00:33:19,329
He finally just said,
frankly, Debby,
640
00:33:20,131 --> 00:33:22,933
if it goes illegal,
I'll just make more money.
641
00:33:24,102 --> 00:33:26,336
And I went, OK.
642
00:33:26,338 --> 00:33:28,872
I mean, I was almost grateful
because I felt like, OK,
643
00:33:28,874 --> 00:33:30,373
at least he's being honest.
644
00:33:30,376 --> 00:33:31,975
That's his bottom line.
645
00:33:31,977 --> 00:33:33,877
That's where his value is.
646
00:33:34,813 --> 00:33:36,380
- So my approach to Michael wa,
647
00:33:36,448 --> 00:33:37,748
we would like you
648
00:33:37,816 --> 00:33:40,650
to make a donation to us
to help fight
649
00:33:40,718 --> 00:33:43,319
the criminalization
that you are causing.
650
00:33:43,322 --> 00:33:46,856
It will make it so that it will
stay legal longer for you.
651
00:33:46,859 --> 00:33:48,792
And it will also enable us
652
00:33:48,860 --> 00:33:50,727
to raise resources to go
653
00:33:50,729 --> 00:33:53,129
and to fight the DEA.
654
00:33:53,198 --> 00:33:54,798
- How would you like
20,000 pills?
655
00:33:54,866 --> 00:33:57,868
I just remember loving Rick
from the first time I met him.
656
00:33:58,937 --> 00:34:01,704
And really understanding
his cause.
657
00:34:01,707 --> 00:34:03,373
- The optics, I said,
658
00:34:03,375 --> 00:34:05,742
it will look like
we were just a front
659
00:34:05,744 --> 00:34:08,711
for the biggest drug
manufacturer in the country.
660
00:34:08,714 --> 00:34:12,816
This was a major point
of difference
661
00:34:12,884 --> 00:34:14,051
between Rick and myself.
662
00:34:14,820 --> 00:34:17,087
- 20,000 and we'll
figure out the rest.
663
00:34:17,155 --> 00:34:18,455
Didn't even matter,
664
00:34:18,523 --> 00:34:21,391
because it was like confetti,
you know.
665
00:34:22,194 --> 00:34:23,894
- Michael, on the one hand,
666
00:34:25,263 --> 00:34:28,865
was the key person responsible
667
00:34:28,867 --> 00:34:32,635
for the criminalization
of MDMA ecstasy,
668
00:34:32,638 --> 00:34:35,238
but through the donation
669
00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:38,374
of a tiny fraction
of the amount of MDMA
670
00:34:38,377 --> 00:34:40,877
that he was making, enabled us
671
00:34:40,879 --> 00:34:42,745
to get the information
that we needed,
672
00:34:42,748 --> 00:34:44,081
the data that we needed
673
00:34:44,149 --> 00:34:46,149
to start the whole process
of medicalizing MDMA.
674
00:34:46,218 --> 00:34:48,085
(energetic music)
675
00:34:53,791 --> 00:34:56,392
We knew that the DEA
was going to come for us
676
00:34:56,395 --> 00:34:58,795
because they knew about ecstas.
677
00:34:58,864 --> 00:35:01,631
But we also knew
that the DEA didn't know
678
00:35:01,699 --> 00:35:03,633
about the therapeutic use.
679
00:35:03,635 --> 00:35:05,902
And so that gave us
this opportunity
680
00:35:05,904 --> 00:35:09,272
to share MDMA with
a lot of different people
681
00:35:09,340 --> 00:35:11,608
who would not have done it
if it was illegal.
682
00:35:11,610 --> 00:35:13,743
We tried to cede it
to different people
683
00:35:13,745 --> 00:35:15,311
who would speak out in the media
684
00:35:15,380 --> 00:35:17,213
to protect MDMA.
685
00:35:17,282 --> 00:35:20,650
Rabbi Zalman Schachter,
who was kind of a Jewish mystic,
686
00:35:20,652 --> 00:35:24,087
several different leaders
of the Zen community
687
00:35:24,089 --> 00:35:26,857
around the world
and other Catholic mystics,
688
00:35:26,925 --> 00:35:29,126
and these various people
then took MDMA
689
00:35:29,194 --> 00:35:32,162
and then reported back
what their experience was.
690
00:35:35,334 --> 00:35:37,734
- I managed to make a connectin
691
00:35:37,736 --> 00:35:40,303
with a fellow that was one
692
00:35:40,305 --> 00:35:42,873
of the biggest coke dealers
in the country.
693
00:35:42,941 --> 00:35:44,974
His nickname was The Devil.
694
00:35:44,977 --> 00:35:48,845
I thought, now here's
a great opportunity.
695
00:35:48,913 --> 00:35:52,148
I wonder if I can turn him on,
if I can get him turned on,
696
00:35:52,217 --> 00:35:54,584
maybe he can switch
all these people
697
00:35:54,652 --> 00:35:57,320
that are buying his cocaine.
698
00:35:57,322 --> 00:36:01,324
So I flew down to Newport
and had a meeting with him.
699
00:36:01,393 --> 00:36:03,226
And it was difficult at first,
700
00:36:03,294 --> 00:36:06,396
because I told him
I had a new drug.
701
00:36:06,398 --> 00:36:09,199
But I finally got him
to try some.
702
00:36:09,201 --> 00:36:11,201
He said,
703
00:36:11,203 --> 00:36:12,669
This has really lit me up.
704
00:36:12,671 --> 00:36:14,404
This is the best thing
that's ever happened.
705
00:36:14,472 --> 00:36:15,805
I just can't believe
how wonderful.
706
00:36:15,807 --> 00:36:18,141
This is going to change
the world overnight.
707
00:36:20,345 --> 00:36:22,879
We shake hands,
that's the deal.
708
00:36:22,881 --> 00:36:25,014
(laughing)
709
00:36:25,083 --> 00:36:27,784
Initially, Michael
was very authentic
710
00:36:27,852 --> 00:36:29,886
with his love for the effects.
711
00:36:29,888 --> 00:36:32,021
- Baby!
712
00:36:32,024 --> 00:36:33,890
- But then it turned.
713
00:36:33,892 --> 00:36:35,959
It turned rather quick
when it got
714
00:36:36,027 --> 00:36:38,061
into the large production.
715
00:36:38,063 --> 00:36:40,430
By this time,
I was starting to see
716
00:36:40,498 --> 00:36:42,899
this avarice in his eyes,
717
00:36:42,901 --> 00:36:45,268
the way he would take
the money and just...
718
00:36:46,771 --> 00:36:48,037
act like it was Play-Doh.
719
00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:49,906
His eyes would glaze over,
720
00:36:49,908 --> 00:36:51,541
and also Paulina, too.
721
00:36:54,246 --> 00:36:57,780
Their attitudes
showed through, you know.
722
00:36:57,849 --> 00:36:59,115
But I said,
723
00:36:59,184 --> 00:37:00,683
now we're talking
with the big guys now.
724
00:37:00,686 --> 00:37:03,720
- Bob, it's no problem, baby.
725
00:37:03,722 --> 00:37:05,622
Relax.
726
00:37:07,458 --> 00:37:10,260
- And then The Devil would
fly up and bring over the mone,
727
00:37:10,262 --> 00:37:11,761
and there was nothing.
728
00:37:11,763 --> 00:37:13,530
Michael didn't show up.
729
00:37:25,877 --> 00:37:27,611
So I drove over to his place,
730
00:37:28,947 --> 00:37:31,047
knocked on the door and said,
731
00:37:31,049 --> 00:37:32,415
Where are you, you know?
732
00:37:32,417 --> 00:37:35,618
I got the biggest coke dealer
in the country
733
00:37:35,687 --> 00:37:38,421
getting ready to switch over
to ecstasy.
734
00:37:38,490 --> 00:37:40,757
He loves it. His people love it.
735
00:37:40,825 --> 00:37:43,393
And he ordered a million
and you said you could do it.
736
00:37:43,395 --> 00:37:45,328
He's sitting there
waiting with the money.
737
00:37:46,197 --> 00:37:47,096
Where's the stuff?
738
00:37:47,099 --> 00:37:49,466
(energetic music)
739
00:37:53,204 --> 00:37:54,504
- That's it.
740
00:37:54,572 --> 00:37:56,239
- I said a million.
This isn't even half.
741
00:37:57,109 --> 00:37:59,342
(beeping)
- That's my meditation bell.
742
00:38:02,447 --> 00:38:04,914
- In the cocaine business,
743
00:38:04,916 --> 00:38:07,650
you can't say,
744
00:38:07,719 --> 00:38:09,986
I'm gonna do something
and then don't do it.
745
00:38:09,988 --> 00:38:11,988
It's a chain reaction of people
746
00:38:12,057 --> 00:38:13,656
who get in serious trouble.
747
00:38:13,659 --> 00:38:15,792
We're switching businesses
748
00:38:15,860 --> 00:38:18,495
from cocaine to MDMA,
749
00:38:19,197 --> 00:38:20,397
which is wonderful,
750
00:38:21,532 --> 00:38:23,533
but the business connections
that they had
751
00:38:24,702 --> 00:38:26,669
were serious people.
752
00:38:26,672 --> 00:38:30,006
It wasn't a loving,
hugging group of people.
753
00:38:30,742 --> 00:38:32,809
The Devil was angry.
754
00:38:32,877 --> 00:38:35,278
There was a chain reaction
of fury.
755
00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:38,247
And this...
756
00:38:38,316 --> 00:38:39,783
caused me a lot of grief.
757
00:38:43,054 --> 00:38:47,090
So I realized I couldn't
depend on Michael anymore.
758
00:38:56,234 --> 00:38:59,635
I later found out that
he had made a connection
759
00:38:59,638 --> 00:39:02,638
with the Bhagwan's people
up in Oregon,
760
00:39:02,641 --> 00:39:06,709
the Rajneeshees, and had sold
the million to them
761
00:39:06,712 --> 00:39:09,713
for $15 a pill, instead of $3.
762
00:39:13,651 --> 00:39:17,053
- More than 85,000 people a yer
come here to learn
763
00:39:17,055 --> 00:39:20,323
about the teachings
of one Sri Rajneesh.
764
00:39:20,325 --> 00:39:24,094
- My wife was part
of the Osho Ashram group,
765
00:39:24,162 --> 00:39:27,097
so when he opened up
the ranch up in Oregon,
766
00:39:27,165 --> 00:39:30,333
we were some of the first peope
to go up there
767
00:39:30,402 --> 00:39:32,202
and be with him.
768
00:39:38,676 --> 00:39:41,210
- It was all legal,
totally legal.
769
00:39:41,213 --> 00:39:43,212
Just too good to be true.
770
00:39:43,281 --> 00:39:45,748
It was everywhere.
It was in the New York Times.
771
00:39:45,751 --> 00:39:48,184
Socialites parties
were talking about it,
772
00:39:48,186 --> 00:39:51,788
and the DEA was making
a bunch of claims, and I knew
773
00:39:51,856 --> 00:39:53,289
that it was any time.
774
00:39:53,358 --> 00:39:56,092
- The drug dealers need to know
775
00:39:56,161 --> 00:39:58,094
that we want them
out of our schools,
776
00:39:58,162 --> 00:40:00,396
neighborhoods, and our lives.
777
00:40:00,399 --> 00:40:03,599
- I said, I'm going to stop
778
00:40:03,668 --> 00:40:05,234
before it becomes illegal.
779
00:40:05,237 --> 00:40:07,603
I stepped out of the business.
780
00:40:07,606 --> 00:40:09,639
I ended up getting stung
781
00:40:09,707 --> 00:40:11,307
for this pot deal.
782
00:40:12,377 --> 00:40:15,145
And because of my association
with The Devil,
783
00:40:15,213 --> 00:40:18,114
they thought that I was
in the cocaine business.
784
00:40:18,116 --> 00:40:21,083
But I never sold a gram
of coke in my life.
785
00:40:21,086 --> 00:40:24,421
But anyways, I had to
go to prison, four years.
786
00:40:27,258 --> 00:40:28,591
(bell ringing)
787
00:40:29,995 --> 00:40:32,462
- Please remove all negative
influences from this mind,
788
00:40:33,297 --> 00:40:35,765
and please notify us when
this has been accomplished.
789
00:40:36,934 --> 00:40:37,901
- Done.
790
00:40:38,737 --> 00:40:40,637
- Peter was there
from the very start.
791
00:40:41,639 --> 00:40:43,673
He was most likely
792
00:40:43,675 --> 00:40:45,908
his counselor, go-to person
793
00:40:45,977 --> 00:40:48,144
when things got befuddled,
794
00:40:48,846 --> 00:40:51,914
and he gave general
direction, you know,
795
00:40:51,983 --> 00:40:54,851
for continuing MDMA.
796
00:40:54,853 --> 00:40:56,619
- Talking about our project,
797
00:40:56,621 --> 00:40:58,555
there has been
a situation come up
798
00:40:58,623 --> 00:41:01,190
where you might locate
the form of Bob McMillen,
799
00:41:01,193 --> 00:41:03,559
who is probably
in a federal penitentiary
800
00:41:03,562 --> 00:41:04,794
somewhere around Denver.
801
00:41:05,764 --> 00:41:07,397
Can you locate this form?
802
00:41:10,801 --> 00:41:12,068
- We can locate the form,
803
00:41:12,070 --> 00:41:13,937
although not at
this exact location.
804
00:41:14,005 --> 00:41:15,071
Yes.
805
00:41:15,073 --> 00:41:16,472
- Right, uh...
806
00:41:16,541 --> 00:41:19,476
We're not exactly sure
if he's still being held there.
807
00:41:19,544 --> 00:41:21,244
- If you're walking at the beach
808
00:41:21,312 --> 00:41:23,980
and you reach down
and grab that of a clam,
809
00:41:24,048 --> 00:41:26,516
then ye have that of the symbol
810
00:41:26,584 --> 00:41:27,984
that this entity embodies
811
00:41:28,052 --> 00:41:30,987
as far as thy fears
are concerned.
812
00:41:30,989 --> 00:41:32,421
See?
813
00:41:32,424 --> 00:41:35,258
- A clam meaning
he isn't talking.
814
00:41:35,994 --> 00:41:38,427
- Absolutely, the entity
reveres silence.
815
00:41:38,430 --> 00:41:42,065
Therefore,
he's divulging nothing.
816
00:41:42,133 --> 00:41:44,000
See?
817
00:41:44,068 --> 00:41:45,735
- That makes
perfect sense to me.
818
00:41:45,803 --> 00:41:47,470
That's perfectly logical.
Thank you.
819
00:41:49,975 --> 00:41:53,209
- So we knew that the DEA
was going to come after us,
820
00:41:53,278 --> 00:41:55,345
but the DEA did not
know that we existed.
821
00:41:55,413 --> 00:41:58,814
What had started happening
was a big struggle
822
00:41:58,817 --> 00:42:01,284
inside Earth Metabolic
Design Lab.
823
00:42:01,352 --> 00:42:03,219
And it was about
what we said in public.
824
00:42:03,288 --> 00:42:05,488
They felt publicly
we should only say
825
00:42:05,490 --> 00:42:08,357
that we're in favor
of MDMA being a medicine,
826
00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:10,526
and that we should concede
that it's OK
827
00:42:10,595 --> 00:42:12,495
that it's being criminalized
828
00:42:12,564 --> 00:42:14,630
for recreational purposes.
829
00:42:14,699 --> 00:42:16,165
And I didn't feel
that way at all.
830
00:42:16,167 --> 00:42:18,200
I felt that we have
to really argue
831
00:42:18,269 --> 00:42:21,103
against the criminalization
as a whole.
832
00:42:21,106 --> 00:42:22,972
- And then this last one
833
00:42:22,974 --> 00:42:24,841
didn't take change much.
834
00:42:25,610 --> 00:42:27,310
It was all about strategy.
835
00:42:29,548 --> 00:42:31,380
And Rick can be a little
pig-headed sometimes
836
00:42:31,449 --> 00:42:32,448
about things.
837
00:42:32,450 --> 00:42:34,150
- Debby, we talked
about this.
838
00:42:34,218 --> 00:42:37,653
- Rick, can you just leave it
till later, please?
839
00:42:37,722 --> 00:42:39,722
- You know what?
- It's not working.
840
00:42:39,790 --> 00:42:41,858
- No, you're right.
It's not working.
841
00:42:43,060 --> 00:42:44,594
- Rick.
842
00:42:44,662 --> 00:42:46,596
(upbeat theme music)
843
00:42:48,867 --> 00:42:51,534
- Well, guess what?
We've got another drug.
844
00:42:51,603 --> 00:42:53,202
It is synthetic.
845
00:42:53,938 --> 00:42:56,472
And it makes you love everybod.
846
00:42:59,377 --> 00:43:02,512
It's called ecstasy. Now who
doesn't want to take ecstasy?
847
00:43:02,580 --> 00:43:06,248
- The Phil Donahue show
is wanting to do a story,
848
00:43:06,317 --> 00:43:07,917
a show on MDMA,
849
00:43:07,986 --> 00:43:08,918
and they contacted me.
850
00:43:08,987 --> 00:43:11,053
I realized that for me
851
00:43:11,056 --> 00:43:12,688
to be a spokesperson
852
00:43:12,690 --> 00:43:15,825
on the Donahue Show, saying
what I believed to be the case,
853
00:43:15,827 --> 00:43:17,193
would be a problem.
854
00:43:17,195 --> 00:43:20,196
I'm saying, OK, let's get
Bob Schuster on the show.
855
00:43:20,198 --> 00:43:24,533
Bob Schuster, he was
from University of Chicago,
856
00:43:24,536 --> 00:43:26,769
and he told me
857
00:43:26,771 --> 00:43:29,372
that he thought MDMA
should be in Schedule 3,
858
00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:31,941
which is meaning
available as a medicine.
859
00:43:32,010 --> 00:43:35,244
Schuster told the story of what
I actually wanted him to say,
860
00:43:35,312 --> 00:43:37,980
it should be in Schedule 3,
but he mentioned
861
00:43:38,049 --> 00:43:39,882
this issue about neurotoxicity.
862
00:43:39,884 --> 00:43:43,620
Gene Haislip from the DEA
was also on the show.
863
00:43:43,688 --> 00:43:46,055
- The drug has been around
for several years,
864
00:43:46,123 --> 00:43:48,124
but what we've seen
in the last couple of years
865
00:43:48,192 --> 00:43:50,393
is an escalation
of the availability.
866
00:43:50,395 --> 00:43:52,094
- The DEA freaked out,
867
00:43:52,163 --> 00:43:53,896
and Gene Haislip decided
868
00:43:53,964 --> 00:43:56,599
that he could turn this fear
of neurotoxicity
869
00:43:56,668 --> 00:44:00,269
into a justification
for emergency scheduling MDMA,
870
00:44:00,337 --> 00:44:02,204
which happened in 1985.
871
00:44:02,207 --> 00:44:04,407
It was just...
872
00:44:04,475 --> 00:44:06,309
the law of unintended
consequences.
873
00:44:06,377 --> 00:44:07,777
- I don't know that
that was Rick's fault,
874
00:44:07,779 --> 00:44:10,279
that's just, it happened,
it was unfortunate.
875
00:44:10,281 --> 00:44:13,449
- Senator Bentsen urged the Drg
Enforcement Administration
876
00:44:13,517 --> 00:44:16,085
to hold hearings
to determine whether MDMA
877
00:44:16,087 --> 00:44:17,920
should be declared Schedule I.
878
00:44:19,657 --> 00:44:21,590
- I refused to stop talking
879
00:44:21,659 --> 00:44:24,761
about how I think it should
not be criminalized at all.
880
00:44:24,829 --> 00:44:27,329
And that created
a lot of division.
881
00:44:27,398 --> 00:44:29,732
And I realized that
I really had to resign
882
00:44:30,534 --> 00:44:34,303
from Earth Metabolic Design Lab
and start something new.
883
00:44:34,372 --> 00:44:36,639
But it was out of despair,
out of desperation.
884
00:44:36,708 --> 00:44:38,307
There was no other way forward.
885
00:44:38,375 --> 00:44:41,744
And so I thought I would just
become a pharmaceutical compan.
886
00:44:44,983 --> 00:44:47,650
- This morning, the Drug
Enforcement Administration
887
00:44:47,719 --> 00:44:49,585
is announcing its intention
888
00:44:50,788 --> 00:44:53,422
to place the drug known as MDM,
889
00:44:53,425 --> 00:44:56,358
or by the street name ecstasy,
890
00:44:56,427 --> 00:44:59,095
under emergency controls
of Schedule 1.
891
00:45:01,732 --> 00:45:04,667
This control will impose
criminal penalties
892
00:45:05,436 --> 00:45:08,838
for both unauthorized
manufacture and distribution
893
00:45:08,906 --> 00:45:10,640
of up to 15 years.
894
00:45:14,279 --> 00:45:16,879
- What we did was
move the operation
895
00:45:16,881 --> 00:45:18,948
out of the United States
896
00:45:19,016 --> 00:45:21,684
and only sell it in countries
where it was legal.
897
00:45:21,753 --> 00:45:23,452
That was the whole goal.
898
00:45:23,455 --> 00:45:25,855
I knew the DEA was serious
899
00:45:25,923 --> 00:45:28,357
and I didn't want
to get involved.
900
00:45:28,359 --> 00:45:30,526
I didn't want to get arrested.
901
00:45:31,295 --> 00:45:32,962
The momentum was so strong.
902
00:45:32,964 --> 00:45:35,064
We didn't want it to stop.
903
00:45:39,771 --> 00:45:43,305
- I then met Michael sometime
in 1985 in California.
904
00:45:43,308 --> 00:45:44,874
And he said, would you meet us
905
00:45:44,942 --> 00:45:46,976
at the General Aviation
Terminal?
906
00:45:46,978 --> 00:45:49,712
He came on a Learjet.
907
00:45:49,714 --> 00:45:52,915
It was a local airport,
small airport in Santa Clara,
908
00:45:52,917 --> 00:45:54,316
California.
909
00:45:54,319 --> 00:45:56,586
And I walked inside,
910
00:45:57,188 --> 00:45:58,921
and there they were.
911
00:45:58,990 --> 00:46:00,523
(laughing)
912
00:46:00,591 --> 00:46:02,892
I knew that it was a big momen.
913
00:46:04,229 --> 00:46:05,161
- Sit, sit, sit, sit.
914
00:46:05,997 --> 00:46:07,730
- When I first met
Michael Clegg,
915
00:46:07,732 --> 00:46:11,000
I thought he had the
deepest blue eyes, right?
916
00:46:11,002 --> 00:46:14,503
He seemed to have some
kind of power behind him.
917
00:46:14,506 --> 00:46:16,872
He was really
dressed to the nine.
918
00:46:16,875 --> 00:46:18,407
Paulina was dressed in white,
919
00:46:18,409 --> 00:46:20,109
and he was also
dressed in white.
920
00:46:20,178 --> 00:46:21,878
It seemed to me
921
00:46:21,946 --> 00:46:24,447
that he has arrived and
something big is coming down.
922
00:46:24,515 --> 00:46:27,516
And he introduced me
to Walter Franz.
923
00:46:27,519 --> 00:46:30,419
- Carina is the mother
of our beloved molecule.
924
00:46:31,355 --> 00:46:33,756
We are all very well acquainted
with your work.
925
00:46:34,558 --> 00:46:37,092
- And as beautiful
as she is talented.
926
00:46:37,095 --> 00:46:41,564
- Indeed. Walter Franz here is
my CFO with the Texas Group.
927
00:46:41,566 --> 00:46:44,700
- Walter Franz turned his head
928
00:46:44,702 --> 00:46:47,436
and he looked through me.
929
00:46:47,438 --> 00:46:49,972
He didn't just look at me.
930
00:46:50,041 --> 00:46:52,475
And I felt that stare,
931
00:46:52,543 --> 00:46:55,144
it just really pierced,
you know, through me.
932
00:46:55,213 --> 00:46:56,712
- If you accept our offer,
933
00:46:56,714 --> 00:46:59,081
Walt here will work with you
in the financials
934
00:46:59,149 --> 00:47:02,552
to make sure that you, uh,
that you want for nothing.
935
00:47:03,554 --> 00:47:05,321
I want to give you
your own facility,
936
00:47:05,389 --> 00:47:06,889
anything that you need.
937
00:47:06,891 --> 00:47:08,090
- Uh...
938
00:47:08,159 --> 00:47:09,458
I'm flattered.
939
00:47:09,526 --> 00:47:10,593
Michael and Paulina,
940
00:47:10,595 --> 00:47:12,929
they were playful spirits,
941
00:47:12,997 --> 00:47:15,498
but it just... I just
didn't get it, right?
942
00:47:15,566 --> 00:47:17,733
- What do you say?
- What do you say?
943
00:47:19,003 --> 00:47:20,169
- Um...
944
00:47:21,339 --> 00:47:22,304
OK.
945
00:47:22,307 --> 00:47:23,973
(laughing)
946
00:47:24,041 --> 00:47:25,941
It was just going to be
947
00:47:25,944 --> 00:47:27,810
a major scale-up.
948
00:47:27,812 --> 00:47:29,679
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
949
00:47:29,747 --> 00:47:31,914
("Everybody Wants to Rule
the World" by Tears for Fears)
950
00:47:33,651 --> 00:47:34,984
I then took MDMA
951
00:47:34,986 --> 00:47:36,819
at the Sheraton Round Barn.
952
00:47:36,888 --> 00:47:38,621
So they told me,
953
00:47:38,689 --> 00:47:40,823
it is now time for you to know
954
00:47:40,825 --> 00:47:42,791
exactly what you have made.
955
00:47:42,794 --> 00:47:45,261
They're telling me
I have done this.
956
00:47:45,329 --> 00:47:49,165
Whoa, that was a big, big load
to carry at that point.
957
00:47:50,234 --> 00:47:51,800
She told me,
958
00:47:51,869 --> 00:47:53,169
this is really big.
959
00:47:54,838 --> 00:47:57,940
This is bigger than you and me.
960
00:47:59,477 --> 00:48:01,777
In the peak of the high,
961
00:48:01,779 --> 00:48:02,811
my heart just...
962
00:48:02,814 --> 00:48:04,180
exploded.
963
00:48:06,083 --> 00:48:07,516
And...
964
00:48:07,518 --> 00:48:10,586
I did recognize
that it was bigger than me.
965
00:48:12,222 --> 00:48:14,323
And that's why time
was always running out,
966
00:48:14,325 --> 00:48:16,859
and I was embracing something...
967
00:48:18,095 --> 00:48:19,328
so much bigger.
968
00:48:19,330 --> 00:48:21,230
("(I Just) Died in Your Arms"
by Cutting Crew)
969
00:48:27,472 --> 00:48:28,905
I took it with Walt.
970
00:48:29,740 --> 00:48:32,408
And the experience escalated,
971
00:48:32,476 --> 00:48:34,076
and that was our beginning.
972
00:48:34,846 --> 00:48:37,013
I think...
973
00:48:37,081 --> 00:48:40,249
to realize that
from any human standpoint,
974
00:48:40,318 --> 00:48:42,985
I love you,
975
00:48:43,053 --> 00:48:44,287
is really big.
976
00:48:45,089 --> 00:48:46,255
Don't you think?
977
00:48:52,630 --> 00:48:54,363
(upbeat music)
978
00:48:54,432 --> 00:48:56,298
So there was this window of time
979
00:48:56,367 --> 00:48:59,568
when the material could move
outside of the United States
980
00:48:59,636 --> 00:49:02,037
into Mexico where it was legal.
981
00:49:02,040 --> 00:49:04,006
And Walt and the
executive committee,
982
00:49:04,008 --> 00:49:05,307
they orchestrated that.
983
00:49:05,310 --> 00:49:08,510
- We changed the marketing
and the production,
984
00:49:08,513 --> 00:49:10,546
moved it out of the country,
985
00:49:10,614 --> 00:49:12,681
and no sales in the country.
986
00:49:12,684 --> 00:49:16,352
Basically, Europe was
our whole marketplace.
987
00:49:16,354 --> 00:49:18,254
("Heart of Glass" by Blondie)
988
00:49:27,664 --> 00:49:29,598
- First, we ordered materials.
989
00:49:29,667 --> 00:49:32,234
I outworked the three men.
990
00:49:32,302 --> 00:49:34,003
I sent them home,
991
00:49:34,071 --> 00:49:35,805
and I finished the first batch,
992
00:49:35,873 --> 00:49:37,640
single-handedly, right?
993
00:49:42,680 --> 00:49:45,047
I would take MDMA
994
00:49:45,115 --> 00:49:48,717
before I went to the laboratory,
995
00:49:48,720 --> 00:49:50,853
just so I can get in tune
996
00:49:50,855 --> 00:49:52,755
to essentially what's
happening over there.
997
00:49:52,757 --> 00:49:54,556
I mean, like fast-track
998
00:49:54,559 --> 00:49:56,225
the attunement,
999
00:49:56,293 --> 00:49:58,927
but it was to essentially
1000
00:49:58,930 --> 00:50:01,097
elicit that synergistic effect
1001
00:50:01,165 --> 00:50:03,565
between the substance
that's already in me
1002
00:50:03,568 --> 00:50:06,569
versus the crystals
that are in front of me.
1003
00:50:09,874 --> 00:50:12,107
We were probably the largest
producer of MDMA
1004
00:50:12,176 --> 00:50:13,676
in that time period.
1005
00:50:15,379 --> 00:50:17,813
- From 1986 to 1992,
1006
00:50:17,882 --> 00:50:22,217
MAPS submitted
five different protocols
1007
00:50:22,220 --> 00:50:23,552
with various scientists
1008
00:50:23,554 --> 00:50:27,323
to the FDA for MDMA research.
1009
00:50:27,391 --> 00:50:31,594
And all of these protocols
were rejected by the FDA.
1010
00:50:32,897 --> 00:50:35,464
Science had published a paper
1011
00:50:35,466 --> 00:50:37,333
that they never
should have published,
1012
00:50:37,401 --> 00:50:39,835
and it was a paper
done by George Ricaurte
1013
00:50:39,903 --> 00:50:41,470
and Una McCann, funded by NIDA,
1014
00:50:41,539 --> 00:50:43,605
that claimed that MDMA
could hurt dopamine
1015
00:50:43,674 --> 00:50:45,174
and could cause Parkinson's.
1016
00:50:45,242 --> 00:50:47,510
And they did a study
in primates,
1017
00:50:47,578 --> 00:50:49,511
and they killed a bunch
of the primates,
1018
00:50:49,580 --> 00:50:51,280
and they reduced their dopamine.
1019
00:50:51,282 --> 00:50:53,649
And at the end of the year,
they came out and said
1020
00:50:53,717 --> 00:50:56,085
that they had made a terrible,
terrible mistake,
1021
00:50:56,153 --> 00:50:58,620
that they had mistakenly
given methamphetamine
1022
00:50:58,689 --> 00:51:00,589
instead of MDMA
to these animals.
1023
00:51:01,659 --> 00:51:05,260
The criminalization prevented
the harm reduction
1024
00:51:05,263 --> 00:51:06,862
that should have been done.
1025
00:51:08,031 --> 00:51:11,333
It's only when the FDA says yes
to something being medicine
1026
00:51:11,335 --> 00:51:13,168
that it can be rescheduled.
1027
00:51:13,171 --> 00:51:17,106
So that was clear for us that
we needed to go through the FD.
1028
00:51:17,174 --> 00:51:20,109
It's just enormously
expensive and time-consuming.
1029
00:51:20,111 --> 00:51:23,479
But I felt that that was
the only way forward.
1030
00:51:23,547 --> 00:51:25,481
So I thought, OK, I'll try tha,
1031
00:51:25,549 --> 00:51:27,182
no matter how hard it is.
1032
00:51:27,251 --> 00:51:29,685
(electronic pop music)
1033
00:51:34,324 --> 00:51:37,359
- The Ibiza supply,
1034
00:51:37,361 --> 00:51:39,161
they were selling
so much ecstasy.
1035
00:51:40,063 --> 00:51:43,332
Actually, it turned out
that my distributor
1036
00:51:43,334 --> 00:51:45,267
for all of Europe
was one of the sannyasins
1037
00:51:45,336 --> 00:51:47,236
I met up there at the ranch.
1038
00:51:49,106 --> 00:51:51,907
I looked him up
and he was great.
1039
00:51:51,976 --> 00:51:54,977
Island of Ibiza? Should have
called it the Island of Ecstas.
1040
00:51:59,250 --> 00:52:01,483
It was just my mission.
1041
00:52:01,486 --> 00:52:03,686
Get this out to the world.
1042
00:52:03,754 --> 00:52:06,121
And I was having fun doing it.
1043
00:52:06,190 --> 00:52:09,758
In Ibiza, ecstasy
replaced cocaine
1044
00:52:09,826 --> 00:52:12,495
as the drug of choice.
1045
00:52:15,699 --> 00:52:18,867
- Although the Mexican facility
continued to produce,
1046
00:52:18,870 --> 00:52:23,205
the money from sales was not
promptly being delivered.
1047
00:52:24,708 --> 00:52:28,477
In Mexico, I didn't feel that
I was supported with Michael.
1048
00:52:29,580 --> 00:52:31,914
He was jealous of
my relationship with Walt,
1049
00:52:31,982 --> 00:52:33,982
because he made comments
that, oh,
1050
00:52:33,985 --> 00:52:35,384
he married the chemist, right?
1051
00:52:35,386 --> 00:52:38,420
And he saw... success.
1052
00:52:38,488 --> 00:52:39,922
And with that,
1053
00:52:39,990 --> 00:52:42,791
he probably equated that
with power.
1054
00:52:44,828 --> 00:52:46,862
That may have caused a rift
1055
00:52:46,864 --> 00:52:48,764
in that relationship.
1056
00:52:50,535 --> 00:52:54,269
We had a function,
and we had to execute it.
1057
00:52:54,338 --> 00:52:56,238
I mean, with
or without him, right?
1058
00:52:57,675 --> 00:52:59,608
(thunder rumbling)
1059
00:52:59,610 --> 00:53:01,010
- Ah...
1060
00:53:02,947 --> 00:53:06,081
I want to create a real
experience for people.
1061
00:53:06,083 --> 00:53:07,416
Retreats,
1062
00:53:07,484 --> 00:53:09,484
a place for seekers,
1063
00:53:09,487 --> 00:53:10,786
a haven for the mind.
1064
00:53:10,788 --> 00:53:13,288
I feel you'd be the man for it.
1065
00:53:13,291 --> 00:53:15,290
- Michael reached out
to me in March
1066
00:53:15,359 --> 00:53:18,661
of 1988, and then I met him
in April of 1988.
1067
00:53:18,729 --> 00:53:20,529
He wanted to find a new chemist
1068
00:53:20,531 --> 00:53:22,464
to produce the material for him.
1069
00:53:22,466 --> 00:53:23,933
So, of course, I was
interested in this
1070
00:53:24,001 --> 00:53:25,734
because this was
my lifelong dream.
1071
00:53:25,736 --> 00:53:27,703
My real interest started
1072
00:53:27,771 --> 00:53:30,038
when I ran across a Playboy
magazine article
1073
00:53:30,041 --> 00:53:31,640
called Future Highs.
1074
00:53:31,642 --> 00:53:34,643
And there was a fascinating
quote that I thought was...
1075
00:53:34,711 --> 00:53:36,745
one of the most profound things
I've ever heard,
1076
00:53:36,747 --> 00:53:38,614
"What I look for
are the connections
1077
00:53:38,616 --> 00:53:41,316
between molecular structure
and consciousness."
1078
00:53:41,319 --> 00:53:43,552
When I read that,
it just blew me away,
1079
00:53:43,620 --> 00:53:46,188
and I knew right then I didn't
want to be a medical doctor,
1080
00:53:46,257 --> 00:53:47,856
I wanted to be a chemist.
1081
00:53:59,603 --> 00:54:01,670
Let's say you wanted
to scale it up further.
1082
00:54:01,672 --> 00:54:02,905
What would you do?
1083
00:54:04,675 --> 00:54:06,341
- I'd rather use
larger scale reactors.
1084
00:54:06,410 --> 00:54:07,376
It'd be more efficient.
1085
00:54:07,444 --> 00:54:09,678
- Hey, whatever you need,
you got it.
1086
00:54:09,747 --> 00:54:12,047
We'll go wherever we need to,
wherever best.
1087
00:54:12,116 --> 00:54:14,216
Some people think
they're owed everything.
1088
00:54:14,985 --> 00:54:16,819
Nothing's enough.
1089
00:54:18,256 --> 00:54:20,155
- Walter was Michael's
accountant.
1090
00:54:20,157 --> 00:54:22,324
If he controlled Michael's money
1091
00:54:22,392 --> 00:54:24,760
and she controlled the MDMA,
1092
00:54:24,828 --> 00:54:26,428
they had control over Michael.
1093
00:54:27,431 --> 00:54:30,832
Then he was really outraged
when they said, oh, by the way,
1094
00:54:30,835 --> 00:54:32,934
we're a married couple now.
1095
00:54:33,003 --> 00:54:35,504
That's when Michael lost it.
1096
00:54:35,506 --> 00:54:38,874
He had only been paying
$2,000 a kilo prior to that,
1097
00:54:38,876 --> 00:54:40,643
and they unilaterally decided
1098
00:54:40,711 --> 00:54:43,078
they wanted to raise the price
to $7,000 a kilo,
1099
00:54:43,147 --> 00:54:46,515
which was the reason he decided
to find a new chemist,
1100
00:54:46,517 --> 00:54:49,384
because he didn't want to work
with them and pay those prices,
1101
00:54:49,387 --> 00:54:51,820
even though he was still
making the lion's share.
1102
00:54:54,124 --> 00:54:55,891
- It was harder and harder
1103
00:54:55,959 --> 00:54:58,927
to get the funding and support.
1104
00:54:58,929 --> 00:55:01,396
And we had to pay the people.
We had to let go of the people.
1105
00:55:01,399 --> 00:55:04,266
We had to use our own money
when the money didn't come.
1106
00:55:04,335 --> 00:55:06,368
- We're making our plans, Walt.
1107
00:55:06,436 --> 00:55:08,270
The money's being moved,
invested.
1108
00:55:08,338 --> 00:55:10,872
You know? We can't really
talk about it right now.
1109
00:55:10,875 --> 00:55:12,474
- It's not your money,
that's our money.
1110
00:55:12,476 --> 00:55:15,110
- It was pretty dark
and intense.
1111
00:55:15,112 --> 00:55:17,546
Things didn't pan out
really well,
1112
00:55:17,614 --> 00:55:20,615
so anxiety levels were
at an all-time high.
1113
00:55:20,618 --> 00:55:22,785
It was very trying, right?
1114
00:55:23,921 --> 00:55:27,890
The Mexican facility
was shut down before 1988
1115
00:55:27,958 --> 00:55:30,125
because there was no money
1116
00:55:30,193 --> 00:55:32,594
coming from the Texas group
1117
00:55:32,662 --> 00:55:33,962
to support that plant.
1118
00:55:34,698 --> 00:55:36,298
- He told me, "I'll never
have anything to do
1119
00:55:36,366 --> 00:55:38,033
"with Walter and Carina again.
1120
00:55:38,035 --> 00:55:40,502
"She's nice,
and she's competent,
1121
00:55:40,570 --> 00:55:42,838
"and I love her,
but I can't stand Walter,
1122
00:55:42,906 --> 00:55:44,273
and he's corrupted her."
1123
00:55:47,711 --> 00:55:49,411
Mexico shut down.
1124
00:55:49,479 --> 00:55:51,146
The operation was going to move.
1125
00:55:51,214 --> 00:55:53,181
I said, I would prefer
that we did this in a country
1126
00:55:53,250 --> 00:55:56,318
where MDMA is still
completely legal
1127
00:55:56,386 --> 00:55:58,387
for us to be able to do
this work openly.
1128
00:55:58,455 --> 00:56:00,188
So that was the dream.
That was the goal.
1129
00:56:00,191 --> 00:56:02,358
(Latin music)
1130
00:56:05,262 --> 00:56:08,130
So I finally connect
with Michael, and he says,
1131
00:56:08,198 --> 00:56:11,367
I've got the perfect location
for us to set up.
1132
00:56:11,435 --> 00:56:14,469
- All of the corporations I had
for business were Panamanian.
1133
00:56:14,472 --> 00:56:16,605
- He goes, all right,
we're going to Panama.
1134
00:56:16,607 --> 00:56:19,508
And I just laughed at him.
I said, are you joking?
1135
00:56:19,510 --> 00:56:22,444
Michael invested
millions of dollars.
1136
00:56:22,446 --> 00:56:24,546
I told him he was crazy.
1137
00:56:24,615 --> 00:56:26,848
He said, don't be closed-minded.
1138
00:56:26,851 --> 00:56:28,717
Keep an open mind
until you meet Werner.
1139
00:56:30,520 --> 00:56:33,221
Werner was a very impressive,
tall, distinguished,
1140
00:56:33,224 --> 00:56:36,024
stereotypical Swiss businessma.
1141
00:56:36,026 --> 00:56:37,793
Werner's wife was Simone.
1142
00:56:37,795 --> 00:56:39,695
She was a cosmetologist
in Panama
1143
00:56:39,763 --> 00:56:41,863
for an upper-class clientele.
1144
00:56:41,866 --> 00:56:44,833
And it just so happened that
the dictator, Manuel Noriega,
1145
00:56:44,902 --> 00:56:47,102
was one of her clients.
1146
00:56:47,171 --> 00:56:49,538
Noriega had severe acne scars,
1147
00:56:49,540 --> 00:56:51,673
and she was treating him
for his acne.
1148
00:56:51,675 --> 00:56:54,243
He was eager to try MDMA.
1149
00:56:54,978 --> 00:56:58,213
He and Simone went to one
of his remote beach houses
1150
00:56:58,281 --> 00:57:00,215
and took MDMA together.
1151
00:57:01,551 --> 00:57:03,685
He curled up in a fetal positin
1152
00:57:03,753 --> 00:57:05,554
and put his head in her lap
1153
00:57:05,622 --> 00:57:07,355
and was crying like a baby.
1154
00:57:07,358 --> 00:57:08,724
He was reliving...
1155
00:57:11,729 --> 00:57:14,329
He was reliving
his childhood trauma
1156
00:57:14,398 --> 00:57:16,598
and talking about,
his nickname growing up
1157
00:57:16,666 --> 00:57:17,866
was Cara de Piña,
1158
00:57:17,868 --> 00:57:19,334
which is pineapple face,
1159
00:57:19,402 --> 00:57:20,936
because of the acne, and he said
1160
00:57:21,004 --> 00:57:24,005
that no woman would ever
love him with that face.
1161
00:57:24,008 --> 00:57:27,509
And he was so impressed
by the experience
1162
00:57:27,577 --> 00:57:31,113
that he offered
Simone and Werner
1163
00:57:31,181 --> 00:57:34,249
the opportunity to set up a
manufacturing facility in Panama
1164
00:57:34,317 --> 00:57:35,951
under his protection.
1165
00:57:36,753 --> 00:57:41,389
And then we turn on the news
on December 20th of 1989
1166
00:57:41,392 --> 00:57:45,427
and see helicopters
attacking Panama.
1167
00:57:47,264 --> 00:57:50,699
All of a sudden, I get
a call one day from Werner.
1168
00:57:50,701 --> 00:57:53,435
He says, Michael's withdrawn
all of his support for Panama
1169
00:57:54,137 --> 00:57:56,238
and wants to go
to Brazil instead.
1170
00:57:56,240 --> 00:57:58,440
(lively music)
1171
00:58:02,812 --> 00:58:05,247
- Ecstasy was legal in Brazil.
1172
00:58:05,249 --> 00:58:06,281
They didn't even know
what it was.
1173
00:58:06,349 --> 00:58:07,582
They'd never even heard of it.
1174
00:58:07,585 --> 00:58:09,918
We bought
a pharmaceutical company
1175
00:58:09,920 --> 00:58:12,788
that was legally making
pharmaceutical products
1176
00:58:13,524 --> 00:58:16,258
and started making
ecstasy there.
1177
00:58:16,260 --> 00:58:18,126
And we needed
the whole facility.
1178
00:58:18,128 --> 00:58:21,063
- So we found the old facility.
It was completely broken down.
1179
00:58:23,800 --> 00:58:24,933
Bom dia.
1180
00:58:25,002 --> 00:58:27,168
You would have had an easier
time trying to buy
1181
00:58:27,237 --> 00:58:29,938
weapons-grade plutonium
at the time
1182
00:58:29,940 --> 00:58:32,841
than to buy any large quantities
of methylamine.
1183
00:58:33,477 --> 00:58:36,177
I found a Brazilian
chemical directory
1184
00:58:36,246 --> 00:58:38,146
and found a company
in Sao Paulo.
1185
00:58:38,148 --> 00:58:41,283
I said, I'd like to get
20,000 kilos
1186
00:58:41,351 --> 00:58:42,617
of the material.
1187
00:58:42,686 --> 00:58:45,354
And it was enough to make
10 million doses of MDMA.
1188
00:58:46,222 --> 00:58:47,823
Michael thought that
that was great,
1189
00:58:47,891 --> 00:58:49,157
that we were gonna
take it up a notch,
1190
00:58:49,225 --> 00:58:50,926
because he was still envisioning
1191
00:58:50,928 --> 00:58:54,963
from 100 kilos to metric ton
quantities of MDMA every month.
1192
00:58:58,668 --> 00:59:01,370
- It was like this beast
that had to be fed.
1193
00:59:02,773 --> 00:59:04,205
Whatever you come up with,
1194
00:59:04,274 --> 00:59:05,841
the mind can find
a better way to do it.
1195
00:59:06,876 --> 00:59:08,610
And urges you,
1196
00:59:08,612 --> 00:59:11,046
like you need more,
like you need more love,
1197
00:59:11,048 --> 00:59:13,048
you need more money,
you need more health.
1198
00:59:14,851 --> 00:59:17,152
That's a low level
of consciousness.
1199
00:59:17,154 --> 00:59:19,388
("Smalltown Boy"
by Bronski Beat)
1200
00:59:21,758 --> 00:59:25,360
- The 1990s was a very exciting
time to be a DEA agent.
1201
00:59:25,362 --> 00:59:28,697
I was looking forward to Mondays
and it was a lot of fun.
1202
00:59:31,135 --> 00:59:33,201
It was just a normal day
at the office,
1203
00:59:33,203 --> 00:59:35,404
and we were working
with a cooperating source,
1204
00:59:35,472 --> 00:59:37,138
and this cooperating source
1205
00:59:37,141 --> 00:59:39,207
was hoping for a reduction
in his sentence.
1206
00:59:39,209 --> 00:59:43,345
And the source asked
if we'd ever heard of ecstasy.
1207
00:59:43,413 --> 00:59:45,013
I didn't know what it was.
1208
00:59:45,015 --> 00:59:46,748
We provided
an undercover address
1209
00:59:46,817 --> 00:59:48,917
to send a sample of MDMA.
1210
00:59:48,986 --> 00:59:51,052
Two or three days later,
I checked,
1211
00:59:51,055 --> 00:59:53,622
and inside the envelope
was an ink pen.
1212
01:00:07,838 --> 01:00:10,806
It was MDMA
of very good quality.
1213
01:00:12,942 --> 01:00:14,576
Also during that phone call,
1214
01:00:14,578 --> 01:00:17,579
this cooperating source
indicated
1215
01:00:17,581 --> 01:00:19,715
that there was
an older gentleman he knew
1216
01:00:19,783 --> 01:00:22,384
that was sitting
on a kilogram of MDMA.
1217
01:00:22,386 --> 01:00:25,454
He was later identified
as Peter Weber.
1218
01:00:29,959 --> 01:00:32,727
Peter Weber flew
to Jacksonville, Florida,
1219
01:00:32,730 --> 01:00:34,062
met with us,
1220
01:00:34,131 --> 01:00:37,466
and we subsequently
arrested Weber.
1221
01:00:37,534 --> 01:00:39,935
we get a telephone call
from his attorney
1222
01:00:40,003 --> 01:00:42,571
saying that Mr. Weber would like
to fully cooperate with us.
1223
01:00:44,274 --> 01:00:48,043
Apparently, Weber
was a clairvoyant.
1224
01:00:48,845 --> 01:00:50,345
So if you're so clairvoyant,
1225
01:00:51,348 --> 01:00:53,548
how come you didn't see us
busting you in Jacksonville?
1226
01:00:53,617 --> 01:00:56,051
And Weber said he had the flu.
1227
01:00:56,053 --> 01:00:59,154
- Sinuses interfere
with the signals.
1228
01:00:59,222 --> 01:01:01,223
(chuckling)
- It's fact.
1229
01:01:08,064 --> 01:01:11,533
Weber told us that Clegg
was a former priest,
1230
01:01:12,603 --> 01:01:14,369
and that he was the CEO,
if you will.
1231
01:01:14,437 --> 01:01:16,971
He was the big guy
of this MDMA organization.
1232
01:01:17,040 --> 01:01:19,474
And he also identified
several other players.
1233
01:01:21,511 --> 01:01:23,978
He talked about a couple
of chemists that worked
1234
01:01:23,981 --> 01:01:25,580
for the organization.
1235
01:01:26,850 --> 01:01:28,883
At some point, Weber's
information helped us
1236
01:01:28,952 --> 01:01:31,619
to identify the aircraft
and also conduct
1237
01:01:31,622 --> 01:01:33,488
an electronic surveillance
of that aircraft.
1238
01:01:33,490 --> 01:01:35,657
(electronic music)
1239
01:01:43,200 --> 01:01:44,700
(beeping)
1240
01:01:50,640 --> 01:01:54,676
Weber told me
that he had a SkyTel pager,
1241
01:01:54,678 --> 01:01:56,611
a US-wide pager.
1242
01:01:56,613 --> 01:01:58,780
And we thought, hey,
that's pretty super cool.
1243
01:01:59,650 --> 01:02:01,783
We'd go meet Weber,
1244
01:02:01,785 --> 01:02:03,318
take him to a pay phone,
1245
01:02:03,386 --> 01:02:07,956
and we would record calls
to Clegg and other individuals.
1246
01:02:07,958 --> 01:02:09,691
Weber's phone calls
1247
01:02:09,693 --> 01:02:12,394
led to undercover meetings
in person,
1248
01:02:12,462 --> 01:02:16,465
in which Clegg would totally
incriminate himself and others.
1249
01:02:17,767 --> 01:02:18,900
- I need to know
1250
01:02:18,969 --> 01:02:20,902
if there's anything I need
to be worried about.
1251
01:02:21,671 --> 01:02:23,204
- Here?
- Yes!
1252
01:02:23,273 --> 01:02:24,873
I need Ross Peterson.
1253
01:02:24,941 --> 01:02:26,374
- Ross Peterson?
1254
01:02:28,879 --> 01:02:30,779
- Mmm...
1255
01:02:37,320 --> 01:02:40,688
- Clegg talked
about the organization.
1256
01:02:40,757 --> 01:02:43,658
They were all incriminated,
and Clegg buried himself.
1257
01:02:43,660 --> 01:02:45,527
It was an illegal drug.
1258
01:02:45,529 --> 01:02:47,328
They were breaking the law,
1259
01:02:47,331 --> 01:02:49,331
and they had to be taken down.
1260
01:02:52,869 --> 01:02:58,406
(electronic dance music)
1261
01:02:58,474 --> 01:03:00,142
- Whoa. Slow down.
1262
01:03:04,380 --> 01:03:05,547
What?
1263
01:03:05,615 --> 01:03:07,949
Michael told all of us
1264
01:03:07,951 --> 01:03:11,286
that, definitively, MDMA
was still legal in Brazil.
1265
01:03:11,288 --> 01:03:13,488
Trouble is, this was
before the internet.
1266
01:03:14,691 --> 01:03:17,091
Werner has gotten some feedback
from attorneys
1267
01:03:17,160 --> 01:03:19,127
about the status of MDMA
in Brazil.
1268
01:03:20,163 --> 01:03:22,230
In May of 1990,
1269
01:03:22,299 --> 01:03:24,465
he came back and said,
1270
01:03:24,468 --> 01:03:25,867
"I have bad news.
1271
01:03:26,703 --> 01:03:30,138
This drug is not legal
in Brazil."
1272
01:03:30,140 --> 01:03:32,407
So I said, "I'm not
willing to take a risk
1273
01:03:32,475 --> 01:03:35,476
of doing anything illegal, are
you?" And he said, no, no way.
1274
01:03:35,479 --> 01:03:38,646
I'm not going firm
until we know the status.
1275
01:03:38,649 --> 01:03:40,315
We can ship it to somewhere
where it's still legal
1276
01:03:40,383 --> 01:03:42,650
and finish it there, OK?
- Hey, we're working on that.
1277
01:03:42,653 --> 01:03:44,452
We're moving the operation
to Africa.
1278
01:03:44,454 --> 01:03:45,486
- Africa?
1279
01:03:45,555 --> 01:03:47,121
James is one of the smugglers,
1280
01:03:47,124 --> 01:03:48,823
so he goes to West Africa,
1281
01:03:48,826 --> 01:03:51,125
is introduced to
the prime minister,
1282
01:03:51,128 --> 01:03:54,229
turns the prime minister
and his wife on to MDMA,
1283
01:03:54,231 --> 01:03:55,997
and just like Noriega,
1284
01:03:56,066 --> 01:03:59,000
they're excited about the idea
of psychedelic tourism
1285
01:03:59,068 --> 01:04:01,937
and invite to manufacture MDMA
1286
01:04:02,005 --> 01:04:04,439
in Ghana under their protection.
1287
01:04:04,441 --> 01:04:06,140
And now Paulina's pissed
1288
01:04:06,209 --> 01:04:08,042
that they haven't got anything
to show for all the money
1289
01:04:08,111 --> 01:04:09,344
that they put in so far,
1290
01:04:09,346 --> 01:04:11,079
so they begged
and pleaded with me
1291
01:04:11,081 --> 01:04:12,581
to make some MDMA for them.
1292
01:04:14,584 --> 01:04:17,518
So I wrestled with that
for quite a while.
1293
01:04:17,521 --> 01:04:19,754
I decided to go ahead
and make some MDMA,
1294
01:04:19,822 --> 01:04:24,525
which was supposed to help
fund the project legally
1295
01:04:24,594 --> 01:04:26,828
in Western Africa at that point.
1296
01:04:26,830 --> 01:04:29,831
It worked better on a lab scale
than it did on scale-up.
1297
01:04:29,899 --> 01:04:31,066
There were some problems.
1298
01:04:31,702 --> 01:04:34,636
April of '91, I hear
1299
01:04:34,638 --> 01:04:35,970
that Paulina was disturbed
1300
01:04:35,973 --> 01:04:38,673
that things weren't happening
faster in Brazil.
1301
01:04:38,675 --> 01:04:40,842
So she needed Michael
to go back in
1302
01:04:40,844 --> 01:04:42,878
to try to make amends
with Carina.
1303
01:04:44,648 --> 01:04:47,883
- Michael Clegg came to visit s
in Lake Tahoe.
1304
01:04:48,852 --> 01:04:51,920
We opened our home,
and I was actually mad
1305
01:04:51,988 --> 01:04:55,523
and furious at Walt
for having done that.
1306
01:04:55,525 --> 01:04:59,894
Michael Clegg was still
in the sales operation of MDMA,
1307
01:04:59,897 --> 01:05:02,931
and we had to kind
of protect ourselves.
1308
01:05:03,633 --> 01:05:05,767
Walt and I had this line
1309
01:05:05,835 --> 01:05:08,002
that there would be no nexus
to the United States.
1310
01:05:08,005 --> 01:05:10,571
Well, I'm sorry you made
this trip for nothing.
1311
01:05:10,574 --> 01:05:11,773
- Carina.
1312
01:05:12,575 --> 01:05:14,909
- Good. Listen,
1313
01:05:14,912 --> 01:05:16,745
the past is in the past.
1314
01:05:16,813 --> 01:05:19,180
I'm ready to move on if you are.
1315
01:05:19,182 --> 01:05:22,016
If you agree,
then you come on board,
1316
01:05:22,085 --> 01:05:25,220
you do your work,
you get paid, you leave.
1317
01:05:27,424 --> 01:05:28,490
- OK.
1318
01:05:29,693 --> 01:05:33,061
- There's no one who does
exactly like what you do.
1319
01:05:34,097 --> 01:05:35,630
- There's a chemist down there.
1320
01:05:35,699 --> 01:05:37,799
He's had three years
down the line
1321
01:05:37,867 --> 01:05:39,767
and there's no product.
1322
01:05:39,770 --> 01:05:41,770
- Michael told her all these...
1323
01:05:42,638 --> 01:05:46,040
stories that I couldn't get
the product to crystallize,
1324
01:05:46,109 --> 01:05:48,376
that I was a burnt-out hippie
from the 60s,
1325
01:05:48,445 --> 01:05:49,711
all this kind of stuff.
1326
01:05:49,713 --> 01:05:51,579
(sighing)
- So...
1327
01:05:51,648 --> 01:05:52,914
what'll it take?
1328
01:05:59,555 --> 01:06:01,723
- Michael made the statement,
1329
01:06:01,725 --> 01:06:03,958
if it's $3 million
that you want,
1330
01:06:04,027 --> 01:06:05,327
then so be it.
1331
01:06:05,963 --> 01:06:08,697
That's what I'm gonna offer you
to go to Brazil.
1332
01:06:11,068 --> 01:06:12,800
- I can do three.
1333
01:06:12,803 --> 01:06:15,570
- I wasn't sure if I was already
pregnant at this time, I said,
1334
01:06:15,572 --> 01:06:17,072
I have to make a decision.
1335
01:06:17,140 --> 01:06:18,606
So I decided to go.
1336
01:06:19,910 --> 01:06:21,175
It's in Brazil.
1337
01:06:21,244 --> 01:06:24,279
It's my faint hope
that maybe it's legal there.
1338
01:06:25,582 --> 01:06:27,449
(lively music)
1339
01:06:41,765 --> 01:06:44,799
I had, like, a guardian
when I went to Brazil.
1340
01:06:44,801 --> 01:06:46,834
And Michael said,
You're going to go with someone.
1341
01:06:46,837 --> 01:06:49,604
He would not let Walt
travel with me.
1342
01:06:49,606 --> 01:06:51,873
You have to expand
the surface area
1343
01:06:51,941 --> 01:06:54,275
at a higher ratio
when crystallizing.
1344
01:06:54,277 --> 01:06:57,045
And I looked at it, and it
was almost like in polymer form,
1345
01:06:57,047 --> 01:06:58,846
you know, like taffy form.
1346
01:06:58,849 --> 01:07:03,117
It wasn't a liquid,
and it wasn't a crystal.
1347
01:07:03,120 --> 01:07:05,186
It was somewhere in between.
1348
01:07:05,254 --> 01:07:07,321
- She was very hostile.
1349
01:07:07,324 --> 01:07:08,890
She was putting pressure on me
1350
01:07:08,958 --> 01:07:11,826
to get all the lab notebooks
and production records.
1351
01:07:11,828 --> 01:07:13,461
And I couldn't understand
1352
01:07:13,463 --> 01:07:15,630
why she was so insistent
at the time,
1353
01:07:15,632 --> 01:07:18,233
and I knew that what they
wanted to do was push me aside.
1354
01:07:18,869 --> 01:07:22,470
Making MDMA isn't the issue.
1355
01:07:24,808 --> 01:07:26,674
After the first night
of hostility,
1356
01:07:26,676 --> 01:07:29,243
I asked her if she wanted
to take MDMA.
1357
01:07:29,312 --> 01:07:33,047
And immediately, as soon as
she started feeling the effects,
1358
01:07:33,116 --> 01:07:34,582
she let her guard down,
1359
01:07:34,651 --> 01:07:37,885
and she wasn't acting like
Michael's henchman anymore.
1360
01:07:37,888 --> 01:07:40,255
I was drawing her in
to be more on my side.
1361
01:07:40,323 --> 01:07:43,024
Still wasn't ready to share
all my secrets with her, though.
1362
01:07:43,026 --> 01:07:45,827
- I said, how do you
crystallize? And he was doing
1363
01:07:45,829 --> 01:07:47,829
a wet crystallization process.
1364
01:07:47,897 --> 01:07:50,532
I said, let's do gas.
1365
01:07:52,001 --> 01:07:53,234
So we succeeded,
1366
01:07:53,236 --> 01:07:57,338
and I did see that the crystals
were generated.
1367
01:07:58,508 --> 01:08:00,074
The Brazilian operation
1368
01:08:00,077 --> 01:08:03,911
yielded 150 kilograms of MDMA
1369
01:08:03,914 --> 01:08:05,313
for Michael Clegg.
1370
01:08:05,381 --> 01:08:08,883
On the streets, that value
is $50 million.
1371
01:08:09,652 --> 01:08:13,921
And illegality is,
you know, right here.
1372
01:08:13,924 --> 01:08:16,424
So it's facing all of us, right?
1373
01:08:16,426 --> 01:08:19,360
- Everything that was made
in Brazil ended up in Europe.
1374
01:08:19,362 --> 01:08:21,462
It had its own momentum
from that point on.
1375
01:08:21,531 --> 01:08:23,865
I really wasn't doing
that much marketing.
1376
01:08:23,867 --> 01:08:26,868
We shipped it over there.
We shipped it legally.
1377
01:08:26,870 --> 01:08:27,935
You know, we declared it.
1378
01:08:27,938 --> 01:08:29,437
No problem.
1379
01:08:32,341 --> 01:08:34,909
I went to a different
disco every night.
1380
01:08:35,845 --> 01:08:39,147
We would bring it in
and give it away free.
1381
01:08:39,215 --> 01:08:40,915
Everybody get high.
1382
01:08:41,684 --> 01:08:42,817
And then the next day,
1383
01:08:42,886 --> 01:08:45,253
everybody was saying,
where can I get this?
1384
01:08:45,321 --> 01:08:46,888
That was great.
1385
01:08:46,890 --> 01:08:49,157
Basically, I traveled
around Europe.
1386
01:08:49,225 --> 01:08:53,828
It was the celebrity
of the century.
1387
01:08:53,896 --> 01:08:56,498
And everywhere you went,
1388
01:08:57,333 --> 01:09:00,401
you were more welcome
than God himself.
1389
01:09:01,638 --> 01:09:03,337
- But we need to be
vigilant with our supply
1390
01:09:03,406 --> 01:09:05,907
at least until Brazil
is in full operation.
1391
01:09:07,377 --> 01:09:09,477
- Millions of dollars
flown through it.
1392
01:09:10,246 --> 01:09:12,313
A playboy's hands
is not a good...
1393
01:09:13,082 --> 01:09:14,149
thing for marriage.
1394
01:09:17,320 --> 01:09:18,853
I was not a good husband.
1395
01:09:18,922 --> 01:09:22,089
I was too busy
promoting ecstasy.
1396
01:09:22,092 --> 01:09:24,825
It was fun for a while, but
again, like everything in life,
1397
01:09:24,894 --> 01:09:26,527
it wears off, you know, it...
1398
01:09:26,530 --> 01:09:28,830
It's not so much fun later on.
1399
01:09:35,805 --> 01:09:37,805
- Paulina told me
she wanted a divorce
1400
01:09:37,873 --> 01:09:40,474
because Michael would go
through these episodes,
1401
01:09:40,477 --> 01:09:43,177
from mania to severe depression,
1402
01:09:43,180 --> 01:09:44,979
where he would drink
himself into oblivion.
1403
01:09:44,981 --> 01:09:46,681
He was definitely falling apart.
1404
01:09:46,749 --> 01:09:49,350
And I'd never seen anybody
drink so much,
1405
01:09:49,352 --> 01:09:51,619
even when he was taking MDMA.
1406
01:09:52,222 --> 01:09:55,156
- When I had the most money
and the most toys,
1407
01:09:55,158 --> 01:09:57,559
I was the most unhappy
in my whole life.
1408
01:09:57,627 --> 01:09:59,760
I wished it would all stop,
1409
01:09:59,829 --> 01:10:01,629
you know, and just let us...
1410
01:10:01,698 --> 01:10:03,297
keep what we got
and settle down.
1411
01:10:03,300 --> 01:10:05,433
I wanted to get off
the merry-go-round.
1412
01:10:05,435 --> 01:10:07,168
I just couldn't. It was too big.
1413
01:10:09,138 --> 01:10:11,973
Please allow this body
to relax completely,
1414
01:10:12,041 --> 01:10:15,043
and please advise us when
this has been accomplished.
1415
01:10:15,712 --> 01:10:17,545
- It is.
1416
01:10:18,582 --> 01:10:21,215
- And he thought that they coud
tap into the spirit world
1417
01:10:21,218 --> 01:10:22,483
to find out
1418
01:10:22,485 --> 01:10:25,253
why nothing was working right
in the operation.
1419
01:10:26,723 --> 01:10:29,190
- Peter Weber was
being paid by the DEA
1420
01:10:29,192 --> 01:10:31,259
$2,700 a month
1421
01:10:31,327 --> 01:10:33,761
to point out where everyone is.
1422
01:10:35,331 --> 01:10:38,733
- I found a microcassette tape.
1423
01:10:38,735 --> 01:10:41,335
I could hear an individual
1424
01:10:41,338 --> 01:10:43,404
who I knew to be Peter Weber
1425
01:10:43,406 --> 01:10:45,840
in some type of trance.
1426
01:10:45,842 --> 01:10:47,808
And he's very asthmatic,
1427
01:10:47,877 --> 01:10:49,910
so Weber was very easy
to identify.
1428
01:10:49,913 --> 01:10:52,947
And people were asking him
questions,
1429
01:10:52,949 --> 01:10:54,449
specifically Michael Clegg.
1430
01:10:54,517 --> 01:10:56,951
- Give us the name
once more, please.
1431
01:10:57,020 --> 01:10:58,653
- Robert McMillen.
1432
01:10:58,721 --> 01:11:00,154
- Specifically, they talked
1433
01:11:00,156 --> 01:11:01,922
about an individual
named Bob McMillen,
1434
01:11:01,925 --> 01:11:03,724
who was the number one buyer
1435
01:11:03,793 --> 01:11:06,261
for Clegg's MDMA
in the United States.
1436
01:11:07,163 --> 01:11:10,431
And McMillen had apparently
got arrested by DEA
1437
01:11:10,500 --> 01:11:13,134
somewhere out west and
was serving time in prison.
1438
01:11:13,202 --> 01:11:15,303
It was obvious that Clegg
wanted to know
1439
01:11:15,305 --> 01:11:18,306
if McMillen was cooperating with
authorities. He was worried.
1440
01:11:19,475 --> 01:11:21,776
It was just crazy stuff,
but it was totally
1441
01:11:21,778 --> 01:11:22,977
incriminating.
1442
01:11:24,213 --> 01:11:26,781
- Would he also be
a danger to us
1443
01:11:26,783 --> 01:11:29,617
in our financial dealings
in Europe?
1444
01:11:29,685 --> 01:11:30,985
- Understand you this,
1445
01:11:30,987 --> 01:11:33,488
in any relationship
that is established,
1446
01:11:34,490 --> 01:11:37,458
it is always a relationship
that is deserved.
1447
01:11:44,668 --> 01:11:47,402
- I stopped in California.
1448
01:11:48,170 --> 01:11:50,271
I was staying out of the State.
1449
01:11:50,340 --> 01:11:51,605
I wasn't having anything to do.
1450
01:11:51,608 --> 01:11:53,107
I just had to refuel.
1451
01:11:54,877 --> 01:11:56,610
I flew in. Actually,
1452
01:11:56,679 --> 01:11:58,379
I had my little Jack Russell
Terrier with me.
1453
01:11:58,447 --> 01:12:00,014
(police sirens)
1454
01:12:00,083 --> 01:12:02,283
(dramatic music)
1455
01:12:05,955 --> 01:12:07,522
- DEA! Hands up!
1456
01:12:07,590 --> 01:12:09,791
You're under arrest, Clegg.
1457
01:12:11,027 --> 01:12:14,595
We decided to go ahead
and effect arrest of Clegg.
1458
01:12:15,999 --> 01:12:18,132
- They had the whole police
force out there.
1459
01:12:18,134 --> 01:12:19,800
It was quite a shock.
1460
01:12:19,803 --> 01:12:21,502
They were doing a victory danc.
1461
01:12:21,504 --> 01:12:23,938
You know, I'm on the ground
with my hands
1462
01:12:23,940 --> 01:12:25,373
handcuffed behind my back.
1463
01:12:26,976 --> 01:12:29,610
It's like they got Al Capone
or something.
1464
01:12:31,514 --> 01:12:33,548
That's why it was such an...
1465
01:12:33,616 --> 01:12:35,416
incredible fall
1466
01:12:36,185 --> 01:12:37,485
into nothingness.
1467
01:12:39,789 --> 01:12:41,723
- Around the time
1468
01:12:41,791 --> 01:12:44,192
that he's getting busted
is around the time
1469
01:12:44,260 --> 01:12:46,861
where the FDA opens the door
to psychedelic research.
1470
01:12:46,863 --> 01:12:49,897
(pop music)
1471
01:12:51,201 --> 01:12:52,900
- I get a call
1472
01:12:52,969 --> 01:12:56,837
from someone who says, Well,
you probably don't know me
1473
01:12:56,906 --> 01:12:59,974
or don't know who I am,
but my name is Rick Doblin.
1474
01:12:59,976 --> 01:13:03,744
He asked if I had any interest
1475
01:13:03,813 --> 01:13:07,148
in conducting research,
clinical research with MDMA.
1476
01:13:07,150 --> 01:13:08,883
And I said, absolutely.
1477
01:13:08,885 --> 01:13:11,753
This looks like
a fascinating compound.
1478
01:13:11,821 --> 01:13:14,355
I wrote up the protocol.
1479
01:13:14,357 --> 01:13:16,090
This was essentially
1480
01:13:16,159 --> 01:13:18,760
a phase one study
1481
01:13:18,828 --> 01:13:21,395
designed to explore safety
1482
01:13:21,464 --> 01:13:25,566
and physiological
and psychological effects
1483
01:13:25,568 --> 01:13:27,201
in normal volunteers.
1484
01:13:27,203 --> 01:13:29,703
The FDA convened
1485
01:13:29,706 --> 01:13:32,239
in mid-July 1992.
1486
01:13:32,242 --> 01:13:35,910
They debated my protocol
1487
01:13:35,912 --> 01:13:37,879
and we were formally approved.
1488
01:13:38,647 --> 01:13:40,381
- What the hell just happened?
1489
01:13:41,517 --> 01:13:43,417
It just felt like...
1490
01:13:43,420 --> 01:13:47,021
multiple decades of suppression
of research had ended.
1491
01:13:47,023 --> 01:13:49,123
When I look back right now,
1492
01:13:49,191 --> 01:13:52,526
that was the critical moment
in the entire history
1493
01:13:52,595 --> 01:13:55,797
over the last 50 years
of psychedelics.
1494
01:13:58,234 --> 01:14:00,868
- We walked to the remote part
of the parking lot.
1495
01:14:00,937 --> 01:14:02,403
No one could see us there.
1496
01:14:02,405 --> 01:14:05,973
And Rick took out a joint,
and we had a celebratory smoke.
1497
01:14:06,042 --> 01:14:07,809
(upbeat music)
1498
01:14:08,744 --> 01:14:10,144
- Good work, Doc.
1499
01:14:10,146 --> 01:14:11,779
- Great work, Dob.
1500
01:14:16,619 --> 01:14:18,653
- They wanted a life sentence
1501
01:14:19,555 --> 01:14:21,656
for that, life without parole.
1502
01:14:23,159 --> 01:14:24,458
- And I told them, I said, wel,
1503
01:14:24,461 --> 01:14:26,427
I won't fight this in court.
1504
01:14:26,496 --> 01:14:28,262
I'll cooperate with you
1505
01:14:28,330 --> 01:14:30,097
if you give her a pass.
1506
01:14:30,166 --> 01:14:33,267
They went after her
in a big way.
1507
01:14:33,269 --> 01:14:35,002
They called her the Queen Bee.
1508
01:14:36,872 --> 01:14:38,606
- It's their opportunity
1509
01:14:38,608 --> 01:14:39,841
to tell us everything.
1510
01:14:41,277 --> 01:14:43,143
It'll probably take you a while,
1511
01:14:43,146 --> 01:14:45,112
so get started on
your list of associates.
1512
01:14:45,114 --> 01:14:47,014
- I gave away
1513
01:14:47,083 --> 01:14:48,682
all the assets, too,
1514
01:14:48,751 --> 01:14:51,585
and got my wife free,
free and clear.
1515
01:14:51,588 --> 01:14:53,554
When they found out
the whole story,
1516
01:14:54,523 --> 01:14:55,690
they couldn't touch her.
1517
01:15:04,200 --> 01:15:05,699
(sorrowful music)
1518
01:15:05,768 --> 01:15:07,735
(police sirens)
1519
01:15:10,673 --> 01:15:12,373
(sobbing)
1520
01:15:14,076 --> 01:15:16,043
- I was appalled
1521
01:15:16,111 --> 01:15:18,279
that he didn't spare me,
1522
01:15:18,281 --> 01:15:20,848
and that I was the one
1523
01:15:20,916 --> 01:15:23,150
that kind of gave him success.
1524
01:15:23,152 --> 01:15:26,220
I was really
disappointed in that.
1525
01:15:27,857 --> 01:15:29,757
Michael Clegg gave me up
1526
01:15:29,759 --> 01:15:31,859
to spare Paulina.
1527
01:15:32,895 --> 01:15:36,163
When I got arrested,
Pauline went to Rick for help.
1528
01:15:37,800 --> 01:15:41,802
And they put up
an incredible legal defense.
1529
01:15:41,804 --> 01:15:45,573
I didn't have that much
to do with his defense.
1530
01:15:45,575 --> 01:15:47,241
But by this point in time,
1531
01:15:47,243 --> 01:15:48,843
we were trying
to make everything
1532
01:15:48,911 --> 01:15:51,646
that we did research public.
1533
01:15:52,281 --> 01:15:56,350
I thought it just was
another tragedy, in a way,
1534
01:15:56,418 --> 01:15:58,853
because the way I viewed it is,
1535
01:15:58,921 --> 01:16:01,289
a lot of people are benefiting
1536
01:16:02,424 --> 01:16:05,826
from having access to ecstasy.
1537
01:16:06,829 --> 01:16:09,697
There is irony that
Michael's donation
1538
01:16:09,765 --> 01:16:12,199
of the MDMA created
the resources
1539
01:16:12,201 --> 01:16:14,402
to do an initial safety study
1540
01:16:14,470 --> 01:16:17,605
in the summer of '84.
1541
01:16:17,673 --> 01:16:20,341
Then, starting in '92,
1542
01:16:20,409 --> 01:16:22,109
we were able to do
1543
01:16:22,177 --> 01:16:24,345
this dose response safety study.
1544
01:16:24,347 --> 01:16:27,214
- Dr. Grob, we have an issue.
1545
01:16:27,216 --> 01:16:29,350
- She said, Dr. Grob,
I have a problem.
1546
01:16:29,352 --> 01:16:31,352
I said, well, what's that?
She says, my nurses
1547
01:16:31,354 --> 01:16:33,887
are spending too much time
with your subjects.
1548
01:16:33,890 --> 01:16:36,056
So evidently, my subjects
1549
01:16:36,059 --> 01:16:37,858
were keenly interested
1550
01:16:37,926 --> 01:16:40,194
in the life histories
of their nurses.
1551
01:16:40,196 --> 01:16:43,164
So these subjects
were, you know,
1552
01:16:44,299 --> 01:16:46,033
were very empathic,
1553
01:16:46,035 --> 01:16:49,003
which is one of the salient
features of MDMA.
1554
01:16:49,071 --> 01:16:51,305
- What was helpful to Michael
1555
01:16:51,374 --> 01:16:52,640
was the early study that we did
1556
01:16:52,708 --> 01:16:55,909
and also the way
in which we had started
1557
01:16:55,912 --> 01:16:58,145
challenging the neurotoxicity
1558
01:16:59,181 --> 01:17:01,749
and also all these stories
1559
01:17:01,817 --> 01:17:03,450
of people that had
1560
01:17:03,519 --> 01:17:06,320
incredible therapeutic benefits.
1561
01:17:06,389 --> 01:17:08,322
When we think of
the number of veterans
1562
01:17:08,391 --> 01:17:10,324
that have committed suicide,
the number of people
1563
01:17:10,393 --> 01:17:12,359
that have committed
suicide from PTSD,
1564
01:17:12,428 --> 01:17:14,428
the number of people suffering,
1565
01:17:14,496 --> 01:17:16,864
there's just an enormous
amount of suffering
1566
01:17:16,932 --> 01:17:18,532
that could have been avoided
1567
01:17:19,835 --> 01:17:22,202
if the DEA
1568
01:17:22,205 --> 01:17:23,804
had never criminalized MDMA.
1569
01:17:31,280 --> 01:17:33,547
(unsettling music)
1570
01:17:33,616 --> 01:17:36,016
- They picked the worst,
most violent prison
1571
01:17:36,019 --> 01:17:38,486
in the whole system,
which was Terminal Island
1572
01:17:38,554 --> 01:17:39,953
in Long Beach.
1573
01:17:39,956 --> 01:17:42,156
That's where they sentenced me
to do my five years.
1574
01:17:42,925 --> 01:17:45,559
I was fearing for my life
every minute I was in there.
1575
01:17:45,628 --> 01:17:47,395
I mean, it was violent.
1576
01:17:48,564 --> 01:17:52,233
Stepping over bodies
occasionally, you know.
1577
01:17:55,638 --> 01:17:57,972
- Incarceration was one
of the toughest things
1578
01:17:58,040 --> 01:18:00,307
I've ever faced
in my entire life.
1579
01:18:01,644 --> 01:18:04,512
So I essentially raised
1580
01:18:04,580 --> 01:18:06,747
my spirituality to survive.
1581
01:18:12,020 --> 01:18:15,189
- I do my time
in the state prison
1582
01:18:15,191 --> 01:18:16,790
in Mule Creek.
1583
01:18:16,859 --> 01:18:18,759
So I thought I was free.
1584
01:18:18,761 --> 01:18:21,362
They sent me to Jacksonville.
1585
01:18:21,430 --> 01:18:24,865
And lo and behold,
there was Michael.
1586
01:18:24,934 --> 01:18:27,201
I got a call from the prosecutr
1587
01:18:27,203 --> 01:18:29,136
in Jacksonville, and he said,
1588
01:18:29,138 --> 01:18:30,905
Here's what Michael said.
1589
01:18:31,941 --> 01:18:33,474
And I couldn't believe it.
1590
01:18:33,542 --> 01:18:36,844
I was just stunned, you know?
I was stunned.
1591
01:18:36,846 --> 01:18:38,479
Michael,
1592
01:18:38,547 --> 01:18:40,014
we haven't worked
together for years.
1593
01:18:40,082 --> 01:18:41,482
Don't be sorry.
1594
01:18:41,550 --> 01:18:43,684
You tell them we don't work
together anymore.
1595
01:18:43,753 --> 01:18:45,586
He just bowed his head.
1596
01:18:45,654 --> 01:18:46,987
- I'm sorry, Bob.
1597
01:18:47,055 --> 01:18:48,889
- And I realized
1598
01:18:48,958 --> 01:18:50,624
he was trying to set me up.
1599
01:18:50,626 --> 01:18:53,994
He was trying to get
his get out of jail card.
1600
01:18:53,996 --> 01:18:57,364
Before I left,
I had a day with him.
1601
01:18:57,366 --> 01:18:58,566
And...
1602
01:19:00,269 --> 01:19:03,170
you know, I had lots
of feelings going on.
1603
01:19:04,140 --> 01:19:05,906
I feel sorry for you.
1604
01:19:07,643 --> 01:19:10,444
You know, it's a shame that...
1605
01:19:10,446 --> 01:19:13,714
that he's putting
all these good people away.
1606
01:19:20,556 --> 01:19:22,690
But you don't know
who I'm talking to
1607
01:19:22,758 --> 01:19:24,124
and what they've told us.
1608
01:19:24,127 --> 01:19:25,726
And we're gonna find out
if you're lying.
1609
01:19:25,728 --> 01:19:27,762
It's gonna come out,
and it's gonna hurt you.
1610
01:19:29,631 --> 01:19:31,932
Clegg did
what he was supposed to do.
1611
01:19:32,001 --> 01:19:33,767
That is, fully cooperate.
1612
01:19:33,836 --> 01:19:36,337
And there is
no in-between cooperation.
1613
01:19:36,405 --> 01:19:37,671
You either do it or you don't.
1614
01:19:41,077 --> 01:19:43,577
- It got so bad that I was
1615
01:19:43,579 --> 01:19:47,614
trying to get the orderlies
to bring me the cord,
1616
01:19:47,617 --> 01:19:49,450
the extension cord
for the vacuum cleaner,
1617
01:19:49,518 --> 01:19:51,418
because I was going
to hang myself.
1618
01:19:51,487 --> 01:19:52,720
That's how bad it was.
1619
01:20:01,363 --> 01:20:03,263
Bright light
in that whole prison
1620
01:20:03,332 --> 01:20:05,399
was a Muslim curator there
1621
01:20:05,401 --> 01:20:07,168
on the chapel.
1622
01:20:09,739 --> 01:20:12,239
He gave me permission
1623
01:20:12,307 --> 01:20:14,641
to go in there anytime I wante,
1624
01:20:14,644 --> 01:20:16,276
which is strictly
against the rules,
1625
01:20:16,279 --> 01:20:17,812
and meditate.
1626
01:20:22,017 --> 01:20:24,351
There is no awakening
without crisis.
1627
01:20:25,153 --> 01:20:26,286
There just isn't,
1628
01:20:26,289 --> 01:20:29,790
because you have to get
shocked into a space
1629
01:20:29,792 --> 01:20:32,092
where you know nothing,
1630
01:20:32,160 --> 01:20:35,396
where you know that everything
you've ever been taught
1631
01:20:35,464 --> 01:20:37,231
or learned is not true.
1632
01:20:38,801 --> 01:20:41,268
And then you start over.
1633
01:20:53,749 --> 01:20:55,883
(inspiring music)
1634
01:20:57,220 --> 01:20:59,153
It just broke through.
1635
01:20:59,922 --> 01:21:01,856
It was like a light shone on m.
1636
01:21:10,499 --> 01:21:13,100
It's like taking ecstasy
times a thousand.
1637
01:21:15,237 --> 01:21:16,603
I was so ecstatic,
1638
01:21:16,606 --> 01:21:19,173
I was non-functional,
definitely non-functional.
1639
01:21:20,609 --> 01:21:23,944
It was ironic that I found
what I was looking for
1640
01:21:24,012 --> 01:21:26,547
in the depths
of a violent prison.
1641
01:21:27,483 --> 01:21:31,184
And I had been searching
for so long for that reality
1642
01:21:31,187 --> 01:21:33,320
that when it came,
I recognized it.
1643
01:21:34,624 --> 01:21:36,890
You can't get that idea,
1644
01:21:36,959 --> 01:21:38,325
that knowingness,
1645
01:21:38,327 --> 01:21:40,227
through study or books.
1646
01:21:40,296 --> 01:21:43,063
It has to be an experience
1647
01:21:43,065 --> 01:21:44,698
of the source.
1648
01:21:44,766 --> 01:21:48,168
This pure, infinite energy
1649
01:21:48,170 --> 01:21:51,004
that has created this whole,
1650
01:21:51,007 --> 01:21:54,041
beautiful existence that we see.
1651
01:21:55,010 --> 01:21:58,312
Ecstasy brought me
to a point of despair
1652
01:21:58,380 --> 01:22:00,180
at the lowest levels.
1653
01:22:00,983 --> 01:22:02,883
And then from there,
1654
01:22:02,952 --> 01:22:05,920
it was an ecstasy that took me
the rest of the way.
1655
01:22:21,803 --> 01:22:24,004
I wrote the first book
in prison,
1656
01:22:24,072 --> 01:22:26,740
From Onions to Pearls,
and I wrote it
1657
01:22:26,742 --> 01:22:28,442
in five days.
1658
01:22:30,246 --> 01:22:32,947
You don't need a guru
to teach you.
1659
01:22:33,782 --> 01:22:35,849
Enlightenment comes from within.
1660
01:22:40,689 --> 01:22:42,556
When I wrote the first book,
1661
01:22:42,558 --> 01:22:44,524
I used my spiritual name
1662
01:22:44,527 --> 01:22:47,594
because Michael was gone.
1663
01:22:47,662 --> 01:22:49,563
There's no more Michael.
1664
01:22:49,631 --> 01:22:51,298
Can't even relate to Michael.
1665
01:22:52,068 --> 01:22:55,402
But I could relate
to Satyam Nadeen.
1666
01:22:55,404 --> 01:22:57,137
Osho picked out the name,
1667
01:22:57,206 --> 01:23:00,741
and it means "river
of truth" in Sanskrit.
1668
01:23:00,743 --> 01:23:02,676
- Join me in welcoming
1669
01:23:02,745 --> 01:23:04,712
Satyam Nadeen.
1670
01:23:05,548 --> 01:23:07,014
(laughing)
1671
01:23:07,082 --> 01:23:08,382
Is this namaste?
1672
01:23:08,384 --> 01:23:10,117
- That's what it is.
1673
01:23:10,685 --> 01:23:12,285
- Better tell our viewers
what that means.
1674
01:23:12,354 --> 01:23:15,322
- That means the divine in me
1675
01:23:16,058 --> 01:23:18,092
recognizes the divine in you,
1676
01:23:18,160 --> 01:23:19,659
meaning we're both
from the same energy.
1677
01:23:19,728 --> 01:23:20,728
- Yes.
1678
01:23:21,329 --> 01:23:23,297
("Spirit in the Sky"
by Norman Greenbaum)
1679
01:23:27,302 --> 01:23:29,669
- The renaissance of people
coming to Satsang
1680
01:23:29,738 --> 01:23:30,904
all over the world...
1681
01:23:30,906 --> 01:23:32,773
Europe is insane.
1682
01:23:32,775 --> 01:23:35,308
They're just so hungry
1683
01:23:35,311 --> 01:23:37,677
for consciousness,
it's unbelievable.
1684
01:23:37,746 --> 01:23:40,914
I would give talks here
at the Rainbow Spirit Festival,
1685
01:23:40,982 --> 01:23:43,050
there'd be like 3,000,
4,000 people coming.
1686
01:23:43,118 --> 01:23:45,686
Just couldn't get enough of it.
1687
01:23:45,754 --> 01:23:47,588
(crowd cheering)
1688
01:23:47,656 --> 01:23:49,723
- At the end of 2021,
1689
01:23:49,792 --> 01:23:53,193
the journal Science said
our paper in nature medicine
1690
01:23:53,262 --> 01:23:54,961
was one of the top 10
scientific breakthroughs
1691
01:23:54,964 --> 01:23:56,296
of the whole world.
1692
01:23:58,467 --> 01:24:00,401
In 2023, in September,
1693
01:24:00,469 --> 01:24:02,335
is when we published the resuls
1694
01:24:02,338 --> 01:24:03,970
of the second phase 3 study.
1695
01:24:03,973 --> 01:24:06,040
Both of these
tremendously successful.
1696
01:24:07,375 --> 01:24:10,377
So I think in the end,
we will have spent
1697
01:24:10,445 --> 01:24:13,080
somewhere in the neighborhood
of $300 million.
1698
01:24:14,083 --> 01:24:15,549
Not just to get
the drug approved,
1699
01:24:15,551 --> 01:24:18,118
but to build this
commercialization company,
1700
01:24:18,120 --> 01:24:20,520
which will be working
with thousands of therapists.
1701
01:24:20,523 --> 01:24:22,989
What's going on here is
a complete innovation
1702
01:24:23,058 --> 01:24:25,726
of combining psychotherapy
with pharmacotherapy.
1703
01:24:31,533 --> 01:24:33,400
I've consistently been wrong
1704
01:24:33,468 --> 01:24:36,036
on how much it costs
and how long it will take.
1705
01:24:36,105 --> 01:24:39,539
So, you know, I had a 5-year
plan for 15 years.
1706
01:24:39,608 --> 01:24:42,042
I've got a 10-year plan
for 20 years.
1707
01:24:42,044 --> 01:24:44,644
But I did feel over time
1708
01:24:44,647 --> 01:24:46,847
that there was
1709
01:24:46,915 --> 01:24:49,716
little bits of progress
here and there
1710
01:24:49,784 --> 01:24:52,018
that were enough to sustain me.
1711
01:24:52,021 --> 01:24:53,520
- I think nothing comes close
1712
01:24:53,522 --> 01:24:56,323
to the potential
that psychedelics carry.
1713
01:24:56,391 --> 01:24:58,391
I think they're
remarkable medicines,
1714
01:24:58,394 --> 01:25:00,660
and I think it allows psychiatry
1715
01:25:00,729 --> 01:25:03,396
to reclaim its old identity,
1716
01:25:03,465 --> 01:25:06,366
which was to be
healers of the soul.
1717
01:25:06,368 --> 01:25:08,668
- What I hope for in the future
1718
01:25:08,671 --> 01:25:11,071
is a spiritualized humanity
1719
01:25:11,140 --> 01:25:13,073
and mass mental health.
1720
01:25:13,075 --> 01:25:15,042
Those are our two end goals.
1721
01:25:15,945 --> 01:25:19,079
- It's about time that MDMA
became legal
1722
01:25:19,147 --> 01:25:22,215
for medical uses.
1723
01:25:22,218 --> 01:25:25,652
It allows you to look
at the problems that you had
1724
01:25:25,720 --> 01:25:27,454
and deal with it.
1725
01:25:28,157 --> 01:25:31,859
I handled my prison experience
1726
01:25:33,628 --> 01:25:37,731
much better because I had
a good headspace about it.
1727
01:25:37,733 --> 01:25:41,301
I have no hard feelings
for anybody.
1728
01:25:41,370 --> 01:25:44,304
- MDMA is taking its second turn
1729
01:25:44,373 --> 01:25:47,307
and humanity's consciousness
1730
01:25:47,376 --> 01:25:49,876
is being raised.
1731
01:25:49,879 --> 01:25:51,778
We have the opportunity
1732
01:25:51,847 --> 01:25:54,381
to save and move
1733
01:25:54,449 --> 01:25:55,816
millions of lives.
1734
01:25:55,884 --> 01:25:58,385
I am grateful
to be part of that...
1735
01:26:00,055 --> 01:26:01,087
uplift.
1736
01:26:01,090 --> 01:26:02,923
The therapists never gave up.
1737
01:26:02,991 --> 01:26:04,992
And MDMA's legality
1738
01:26:05,060 --> 01:26:08,094
or approach to legality
right now
1739
01:26:08,097 --> 01:26:10,297
is somewhat exonerating,
1740
01:26:10,365 --> 01:26:12,933
that everything I did
1741
01:26:13,001 --> 01:26:14,401
was worthwhile.
1742
01:26:14,403 --> 01:26:18,138
And I just want them to remember
1743
01:26:18,207 --> 01:26:19,806
that first time
1744
01:26:19,808 --> 01:26:21,575
and...
1745
01:26:22,611 --> 01:26:26,146
whose hands brought it to them.
1746
01:26:30,719 --> 01:26:32,819
- When you're totally
enlightened,
1747
01:26:32,887 --> 01:26:35,589
the only difference in your life
1748
01:26:35,591 --> 01:26:39,593
is that you say yes to every
moment that's happening.
1749
01:26:41,897 --> 01:26:45,031
Not, how can I change this?
How can I make it better?
1750
01:26:45,034 --> 01:26:49,269
How can I have more
spirituality or anything.
1751
01:26:49,938 --> 01:26:51,738
You're perfect
just the way you are.
1752
01:26:52,608 --> 01:26:55,575
You don't realize
how much fear you have
1753
01:26:55,644 --> 01:26:57,043
about everything.
1754
01:26:57,046 --> 01:26:59,479
And when your heart just opens,
1755
01:26:59,547 --> 01:27:01,081
all you feel is who you are.
1756
01:27:01,149 --> 01:27:02,649
Who are you? You're pure love.
1757
01:27:02,718 --> 01:27:04,151
That's your essence.
1758
01:27:07,989 --> 01:27:10,090
(pop music)