Pills and Power

A temple stands empty after a drug raid. Robes folded. Bowls untouched. Silence where chanting once lived. This episode begins inside that abandoned sanctuary, then follows the trail outward to the Golden Triangle, spanning Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, where much of the region’s methamphetamine originates. From there, we step back into medieval Europe, where monks brewed and sold beer within monas...

Before it fueled boardrooms and builders, revolutions and writers, coffee was a humble cherry growing wild in the highlands of Ethiopia. In this episode, we trace the epic journey of coffee from its legendary beginnings to the bustling markets of Yemen and the sacred streets of Mecca, where it became more than a drink, it became a debate. We explore how it spread through the mighty Ottoman Empire,...

Ergot is one of the most influential organisms you’ve probably never heard of. In this episode, we break down what ergot actually is, how it infects crops, and what happens when humans consume it. We explore historical outbreaks of ergotism that caused convulsions, hallucinations, paranoia, and even gangrene, and examine the theory that ergot poisoning may have contributed to waves of witchcraft a...

In this episode, we unpack the Second Opium War—the conflict that forced China to legalize opium, opened Beijing to foreign powers, and helped ignite the “Century of Humiliation.” From the Arrow Incident to the burning of the Summer Palace, we trace how Papaver somniferum reshaped global trade and politics. We also break down the drug itself: opium vs. heroin, how morphine works in the brain, and...

This episode examines the complex interplay of silver, tea, and global trade that set the stage for the Opium Wars. It explores Ming China’s silver-based tax system , the influx of silver from Japan and the Americas , and how these economic forces shaped international commerce. The discussion also covers the British trade imbalance , the emergence of opium smuggling , and the early tensions that u...

In this episode, we dive into one of the most infamous modern cults in history: Heaven’s Gate. Under the broader lens of human sacrifice, we examine the role pharmaceuticals played in the group’s final act, and how substances were used to reinforce belief, obedience, and control. This episode features exclusive interviews with surviving members of Heaven’s Gate, as well as a woman who left the gro...

Bog bodies, ancient psychedelics, and the unsettling chemistry of ritual killing—welcome to history’s darkest trip. We dive into Iron Age bog bodies in Roman Britain—well-groomed men carefully stunned, strangled, drugged, and drowned as sacrifices, their last meals laced with mistletoe toxins and ergot fungus (yes, the stuff that eventually led to LSD). Then we head to ancient Peru, where Nazca mu...

Drugs weren’t just used to reach the gods—sometimes, they were the gods. In this episode of Pills and Power , we explore deities whose identities were inseparable from intoxicating substances. From Shiva and the ritual use of bhang and the mysterious soma, to Xochipilli and the psilocybin mushrooms woven into Aztec cosmology, we trace how drugs shaped worship, authority, and everyday life. We’ll l...

The Stoned Age is a quick trip back to prehistory to explore our oldest drugs and where they fit into the very fabric of being human. From “caveman meth” to mushroom-headed shamans, this episode looks at how we know prehistoric people used drugs—and why they mattered. Along the way, we dig into mummies, cave art, Neanderthals, and Mormonism. Sources:  The oldest archeological data evidencing the r...

Season 2 of Pills and Power is coming—and it’s bigger, older and weirder than ever. This season we dive into prehistoric drugs, religion, cults, power, and the rituals people swear by—from ancient human sacrifice to modern obsessions like Diet Coke. New episodes drop 7th of January , and continue every Wednesday . Welcome back to Pills and Power .

What happens when a hostage crisis collides with geopolitics, decades of oppression, and one of the most potent drugs on Earth? In October 2002, Chechen militants took over a packed Moscow theater—and the Russian government decided to end the standoff in a way that still stuns toxicologists today. We’ll unravel the tangled history of Chechnya’s fight for independence, the Kremlin’s heavy-handed re...

What started with speakeasies and rum runners during U.S. Prohibition spiraled into a global criminal network. In this episode, we trace the underground booze routes of the 1920s, and how these early smuggling networks laid the groundwork for today’s powerful cartels. From the Gulf Cartel’s origins to the chilling violence of CJNG’s death camps, this is the dark evolution of an illicit economy bor...

Step right up! In this episode, we dive into the raucous world of Wild West traveling medicine shows—part vaudeville, part medieval quackery, and all about the drugs. From narcotic-laced “cures” to the birth of the phrase “snake oil,” we trace how these spectacles peddled more than entertainment—and left their mark on drug history. Sources: Ann Anderson: Snake Oil, Hustlers and Hambones   Smithson...

In Part 1, we sniffed around the medical labs. Now, in Part 2, we hit the streets. This episode dives into how real-life Victorians embraced the white stuff: from coca wine and the original cocaine-laced Coca-Cola to Sherlock Holmes' habit and Dr. Jekyll’s chemical curiosities. Sources: Mike Jay: Miracle or Menace? The Atlantic: Why We Took Cocaine Out of Soda The Guardian: The story of Dr Jek...

This episode uncovers how a sacred South American leaf turned into Victorian society’s favorite “miracle” drug. Ray and Eliza explore coca’s ancient uses, its transformation into cocaine, and the irony of prudish Victorians throwing eye-drop parties and praising Freud’s favorite stimulant. From mummy girlfriends to botched surgeries—this is the strange trip from ritual leaf to pharmaceutical gold...

Beneath the brutal order of South African prisons lies the secret code of the Numbers gang — a sprawling brotherhood with its own legends, rules, and rituals. In this episode, Ray and Eliza trace the gang’s shadowy origin story, decode its mythos, and ask why these secret societies endure far beyond prison walls. From tattoos inked with melted plastic to contraband slipping past guards, we unpack...

When the troops came home from World War II, they didn’t just bring back stories—they brought back a taste for amphetamines. In this episode, we trace how wartime “pep pills” flooded postwar America—this time marketed at women. In this episode, we explore how “pep pills” promised energy, slim figures, and a cure for the quiet desperation of domestic life. From the pharmacy counter to pop culture,...

During WWII, methamphetamine wasn’t just a drug—it was a weapon. In this episode, we explore how drug affected Nazi brains, powered Blitzkrieg tactics, fueled Hitler’s personal addiction, and found their way into the supply kits of Allied troops. Discover the hidden role stimulants played in shaping the course of the war. Sources: Normal Ohler: Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich TIME Magazine: How...

In this episode, we unravel the surprising colonial legacy behind one of the world's most iconic cocktails: the Gin and Tonic. What began as a bitter necessity for British soldiers in India turned into a fashionable drink with a chilling backstory. From malaria prevention to imperial expansion, we trace how quinine, tonic water, and a splash of gin became tools of empire. Discover how this bub...

In this episode, we dive into one of the most infamous covert programs in U.S. history: MK-Ultra. Born in the shadows of the Cold War, this CIA-led operation explored the use of LSD to control people’s minds— “whether they were willing or not.” We explore the origins of the program, the disturbing experiments conducted on unwitting subjects, and the long-lasting impact on the American psychedelic...

Welcome to Pills & Power - a raw, revealing, and often ridiculous dive into the world of drugs, addiction, and the bizarre truths that never made it into your school textbooks. We’re your hosts,  Eliza and Ray , and we’re here to unpack the highs, the lows, and all the messy, mind-blowing bits in between. From crack dens to chemistry labs, from devastating lows to euphoric highs, we explore th...