"Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation" is a new and unique podcast focusing on the hallucinogenic plants and fungi whose impact on world culture and religion – and healing potential - is only now beginning to be appreciated as never before. Unlike other podcasts relating to these issues, "Plants of the Gods" is hosted by renowned ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin, a Harvard and Yale-trained scientist who has been studying the healing plants and shamans of the Amazon rainforest for almost four decades. An award-winning scientist and best selling author, Dr, Plotkin is a spellbinding storyteller who will be speaking from personal experience and will be joined by other leaders in the field.
Pitch Analysis
Required Pod Score for this show. PitchCentric checks your profile against host openness, topical fit, and audience signals before you generate a pitch.
Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
34%
Guest openness
Selective
Verified email on file
82/100
Required Score
Sign up to generate a grounded pitch for Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast.
What is Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast?
Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast is a health podcast hosted by Mark Plotkin, Ph.D., with 82 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 82. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.
About the host
Mark Plotkin, Ph.D. hosts Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast, a health show with 82 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
Episode #9
Plants of the Gods: S8E9 Vanilla: The Forgotten History of the World's Most Beloved Flavor
Jun 15, 202630 minS8
Vanilla is one of the world's most beloved flavors, but its history is far more complex than most people realize. In this episode of Plants of the Gods , we trace vanilla's journey from its origins in Mexico to its rise as a global commodity. Learn why European powers struggled to cultivate vanilla outside its native habitat, how a 12-year-old enslaved boy named Edmund Albius solved the mystery of its pollination in 1841, and how his discovery transformed the global vanilla industry. We also explore vanilla's role in products ranging from Coca-Cola to tobacco, the rise of synthetic vanillin, and conclude with the orchid that helped confirm one of Charles Darwin's most famous evolutionary predictions!
Plants of the Gods: S8E8 Vanilla, Pseudocopulation and Darwin's Favorite Orchid
Jun 1, 202632 minS8
Vanilla is anything but plain. In fact, this orchid might be one of the sexiest plant in the rainforest. In this episode, Dr. Mark Plotkin traces the ethnobotanical history of vanilla, first used by pre-Columbian cultures in Central America as a component of revered beverages and to perfume sacred temples. An organism of astonishing complexity, vanilla's cured seed pods contain over 250 distinct flavor and fragrance components. Today it's widely used in pharmaceuticals as a flavoring and masking agent, and you'll find it in about half of all dessert products worldwide. By the end of this episode, you'll never take vanilla for granted again! Show notes: Abreu-Runkel, Rosa. Vanilla: A Global History . Reaktion Books, Credo Reference, 2025. Ecott, Tim. Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Ice Cream Orchid . Grove Press, 2018. Hobhouse, Henry. Seeds of Wealth: Four Plants That Made Men Rich . Macmillan, 2012. Jennings, Eric Thomas. Vanilla: The History of an Extraordinary Bean . Yale University Press, 2025. Rain, Patricia. 2004. Vanilla . Penguin Tarcher, 2004. Rosengarten, Fred. 1973. The Book of Spices . Pyramid Books, 1973 .
Plants of the Gods: S8E7 Rosa Vásquez Espinoza: Between Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science
May 18, 202652 minS8
How do Indigenous knowledge and Western science come together in the study of nature and plant medicine? Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, a chemical biologist and author of The Spirit of the Rainforest, joins Dr. Mark Plotkin to explore ethnobotany, animal self-medication, and the idea that plants and ecosystems may hold forms of intelligence that science is only beginning to understand. In this episode, Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza shares stories about learning from her grandmother , navigating life bet ween two worlds, and why Indigenous knowledge and scientific research don't have to be in conflict. Show notes: The Spirit of the Rainforest book
Plants of the Gods: S8E6 Richard Evans Schultes' Legacy — Where Science Meets the Sacred
May 3, 202629 minS8
Wade Davis, celebrated author and anthropologist, joins Mark Plotkin for a personal reflection on the life and legacy of legendary ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes. Davis traces Schultes' journey from his transformative encounter with peyote to his decades-long odyssey through the Amazon, where he documented Indigenous sacred plant traditions. Together, they explore how Schultes's discoveries — including his collaborations with mycologist Gordon Wasson and chemist Albert Hoffman — helped ignite the psychedelic era, and how his mentorship of Davis inspired the acclaimed book One River. Show notes: The Amazonian Travels of Richard Evans Schultes
Plants of the Gods S8E5: The Ethnobotany of Coca with Dr. Wade Davis
Apr 20, 202636 minS8
Mark Plotkin sits down with Wade Davis — author of One River , Lost Amazon , and dozens more — for a deep dive into one of South America's most misunderstood and miraculous plants. Drawing on their shared history working alongside the legendary Richard Evans Schultes, the two ethnobotanists trace coca from its origins as a sacred, nutritionally rich plant used across Andean and Amazonian cultures to its unjust criminalization driven more by ideology and racism rather than science. Davis also breaks down the differences between the coca leaf, coca ine, and mambe, reflects on lessons from cannabis legalization, and makes a compelling case for why the world should finally embrace coca 's extraordinary potential. Show notes: "The Secret History of Coca " by Wade Davis for Rolling Stone Magazine: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ coca -leaves-war-on-drugs- coca ine-1235310539/ Books by Wade Davis: https://daviswade.com/books
Every question we get asked before someone starts their trial.
If you have a concern about deliverability, AI quality, data privacy, or whether this will actually work for your specific situation, it's probably answered below.
What is the difference between Founder Solo and Founder Pro?
Founder Solo gives you 50 AI pitches per month using the credit model (Standard pitches cost 1 credit, Enriched pitches cost 2). Founder Pro raises that to 200 credits per month and adds full Booking Probability access, unlimited Magic Match, Apollo enrichment credits, and data export capabilities. Both plans use the same credit system, so you can stretch your monthly budget further by using Standard-mode drafting.
How do agency tiers work?
Agency tiers have no base fee. You pay per managed client and per talent profile. Agency Standard is $199 per client per month; Agency Pro is $399 per client per month. Both add $39 per talent profile per month. Your own team's user seats are always free.
What is a talent profile?
A talent profile represents one person (founder, executive, or spokesperson) you are booking onto podcasts. It includes their bio, topics, headshots, and outreach history. Team plans include 5 profiles; agency plans are pay-as-you-go.
Can I switch plans later?
Yes, at any time. Upgrades take effect immediately; downgrades apply at the end of the current billing period. Contact support if you need help migrating between plan families.
Do you offer a free trial?
Every paid plan includes a 15-day free trial. Your card is saved at signup but you will not be charged until day 16. Cancel any time from your dashboard.
What happens if I cancel?
You keep access until the end of your current billing period. No charges after that. Your data is retained for 30 days in case you reactivate.
Is the 20% annual discount automatic?
Yes. Select Annual on the pricing toggle and the discounted price is applied automatically at checkout. The annual price shown is the full year cost.
What if I have more than 50 profiles or 20 clients?
That is our Enterprise tier. Contact our sales team and we will build a custom plan with volume pricing, a dedicated account manager, and SLA guarantees.
