As a once-convicted dope pusher, the Catholic Church never really struck me as a natural ally. But priests are taking a stand again against the bloody ‘war on drugs’ in the Philippines. In recent years, three of them have been murdered.

How does corona affect the drug scene? Are we engaging in more experimental, and by default, riskier behaviour? In this Poppi series, drug researcher Hayley Murray investigates and shares the users’ perspective on how they cope with their drug use during corona. This time: experimenting amidst a pandemic.

Rutte says: Please Stay Home –
Many hear: let’s get high!

It’s not what you think. Or maybe it is what you think. On the other hand, it doesn’t matter what you think, because you are probably wrong about drugs in Amsterdam, no matter what your “experience” was when you were in your twenties traveling through Europe.

Throughout history people have used psychoactive substances like cannabis, mushrooms and ayahuasca as spiritual tools. Some scholars even suggest that the use of these substances lies at the root of the very first forms of organized religion. The links between drugs, spirituality and religion were the theme of a fascinating event at Amsterdam’s Lloyd Hotel on November 6, 2019.