Dr. Bronner’s Cosmic Engagement Officer David Bronner joins Divergent States for a candid, nuts-and-bolts conversation about building an “All One” company culture, pushing for psychedelic policy reform, and rewiring global supply chains to be fair, transparent, and regenerative. We trace the lineage from Rainbow Gatherings to Burning Man, from hemp activism to MAPS, and from commodity brokers to farmer-first vertical integration. Co-host therapist Valerie Beltran helps press on the tradeoffs: regulated access versus decriminalization, mission versus financing, growth versus grassroots.
Key points
- The “All One God Faith” DNA, salary caps (5× lowest vested wage), and why profit is a means, not the mission.
- Why Dr. Bronner’s backed hemp early, fought DEA roadblocks, and supported MAPS, Oregon’s Measure 110, DC decrim, and church-based access models.
- Regulated access vs. decriminalization: complementary pathways; cost, community, and safety implications.
- Purpose-aligned financing: why many mission brands drift, and how the emerging Purpose Pledge aims to solve it.
- Sourcing as activism: Ghana palm grown in multi-strata agroforestry; olive oil partnerships across Palestinian and Israeli producers; farmer income and soil health as first principles.
- Regenerative Organic Certification: weaving soil health, animal welfare, and fair labor into one consumer standard.
- Cultural lineage: Zendo/sanctuary work, AA’s Bill Wilson and LSD, Sacred Plant Alliance, and lessons from the Brotherhood of Eternal Love.
- Pitfalls and PR landmines: navigating blame and lawsuits in a fast-shifting policy landscape.
- Longevity over hype: why real soap beats detergents, and the quirky “punk rock soap opera” moment that proved it.
- Practical integration: moving from unitive states to everyday choices—diet, sourcing, and local service.
If this conversation resonated, follow the show on Spotify/Apple, leave a short review, and consider supporting the work on Patreon to keep community-driven media independent.
Special thanks to Sandbgz for the music! Follow him on Spotify!
00:00 – Intro & Setup
02:00 – From Burning Man to the Mic
04:35 – Origins & Rainbow Gathering Roots
06:25 – The All One God Faith Legacy
10:25 – Sourcing as Activism
15:20 – Mission Financing & the Purpose Pledge
17:35 – Building Roots & Staying Grounded
22:30 – Why Risk Psychedelic Advocacy
28:30 – Early Activism & the Hemp Wars
33:00 – Meeting Rick Doblin at Burning Man
37:00 – Decrim, Churches & Community Access
39:15 – Pitfalls & Lawsuits
40:30 – Choosing Battles & Lessons from Oregon 110
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