Episode #1379
Ben Westhoff
Books mentioned
Hidden War
Mentioned by Joe Rogan (host) · at 00:17:30 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)
Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)
Chasing the Scream
Mentioned by Joe Rogan (host) · at 01:24:27 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)
Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)
Timestamps are segment start times from the podscripts.co transcript of the audio release (includes ad reads), so they may differ from the video by a few minutes.
Investigative journalist Ben Westhoff discusses his book "Fentanyl, Inc.," examining the origins of fentanyl, the role of Chinese chemical companies and dark web dealers in the opioid crisis, and the challenges of drug policy. The conversation also explores alternative addiction treatments like ibogaine and shifts to Westhoff's work on West Coast rap history.
What they talked about
- Ben Westhoff's transition from music journalism to fentanyl reporting
- History of fentanyl: invented in 1950s for hospital use
- Prince and Tom Petty deaths from fentanyl-laced pills
- Visit to Chinese lab producing synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl analogs
- Dark web drug dealer's moral justification for selling fentanyl
- Harm reduction tools: fentanyl testing strips and Narcan
- Psychedelics like DMT and Sasha Shulgin's drug design
- Exercise and meditation as alternatives to drug addiction
Data last updated · Report a mistake · How it works: mentions are pulled from public transcripts and episode descriptions, partly with AI-assisted extraction, so details and timestamps can be off.