E1. First Spliff

“First Spliff” provides vital context into who Alan was before he stepped foot onto the island of Jamaica. From early childhood in 50s Detroit to his first spliff in 60s rural Iowa, we follow Alan’s journey of draft dodging and Berkeley hippie politics.

The episode culminates with his pinnacle sojourn across the country, hitchhiking from Berkeley to Miami with $120 to his name and one goal in mind: get to Jamaica.

Tune in using the player below, or via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, Amazon or any other podcast listening platform of your choice.

• We have created musical playlists on Spotify and Youtube that match the mood of each episode. Bon voyage!

• Vietnam War and the Decline of the American Dream

• Criminalization of Ganja

• Has America’s War on Drugs Failed?

• The books that Alan mentioned in the episode:

  1. Siddharta

  2. The Doors of Perception

• The psychedelic drug that Alan had experienced, Peyote

• A Digital Archive of the East Bay's Transformation in the Late-1960s & 1970

• Owsley Stanley and Grateful Dead

Credits

• Production & post-production: Alan, Benji Anstey, Taylan Bulbul

• Music: Benji Anstey (guitar), Dan Boshoff (guitar), Dawud Petersen (bass), Nkanyezi Ngwenya (percussion), Conor Hugo (sound engineer), Joshua Riley (mixing and mastering)

• Visuals and website: Taylan Bulbul

• Font (ChemyRetro) by Jay Batch

• Photo in the cover art by Mark Susina