A Couple of years ago writer Michael Pollan was curious about the world of illegal, underground marijuana gardens. What he found surprised him. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, Mary Jane goes high tech. A look at drug cultures past and present, a visit to a rave, and an inside look at the devastating effects of black tar heroin.
Master gardener Michael Pollan tells Anne Strainchamps about his youthful experiment with growing marijuana and explains how the war on drugs spurred growers into developing a stronger, hardier plant. Also, Matthew Klam tells Steve Paulson about his experience with Ecstasy and reflects on the pharmaceutical industry's influence on the cultural perception of drug use. Klam wrote "The Pursuit of Ecstasy - Reflections on the Lore of a Potent Little Pill" for the New York Times magazine.SEGMENT 2:
Reporter Benson Gardner visited several raves for this report on the music, the drug use, the participants and the response from the community.SEGMENT 3:
Jim Fleming reads "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and philosopher Sadie Plant talks with Steve Paulson about drug use by some famous writers, from Coleridge to Freud. Plant is the author of "Writing on Drugs." Also, Jim Fleming talks with Jason Cohen, who (with Steve Okazaki) made the wrenching documentary "Black Tar Heroin." The film follows the lives of five young heroin addicts in San Francisco. Cohen says they're all likeable kids. And we hear some clips from this disturbing fim.Cassette copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 01-08-26-A.
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