• Decision question: 

Is it safe to move ahead with the planning and construction process to reshape the large conference room into a more relaxed space that supports more diverse practices, as well as current guildmate work?

Slideshow of basic proposal (including images)

Hi Everyone!

I've spoken with several people about this proposal--thank you to those who took some time to get into it with me! If we haven't chatted yet, hopefully there is enough info below to make an informed decision. We're hoping to get approval to move to the next phase, but if anyone has any concerns, please feel free to indicate that with a vote and comment if further discussion is needed.

We will aim to resolve any initial concerns within a week of this post, so we can present a more specific design proposal in the next couple of weeks. The Loomio boilerplate below as always applies -- and also, if you want to have a more in-depth conversation, please feel free to reach out to me and/or Dimitri.

I will also aim to be available for open discussion next Monday, 4/28 at 6pm on the pp zoom room (prpr.fyi/zroom)

If you have an Objection, please say why and propose a change to the proposal that makes it safe.

Remember we are seeking consent for a ‘good enough’ decision that is 'safe to try', so we can start working on the final proposal that we want to execute.

Now, the details (it's a bit lengthy as we've tried to address concerns that have already been raised. Thanks @Jacquie for the help getting this together!)

• Why is this important for the cooperative?

Dimitri is a pre-member who offers ketamine-based therapy and ceremonial events, partly through Cardea, which is the well-established practice he founded with Ross Ellenhorn and runs with a team of professionals. He also has artistic and activist endeavors he is aiming to work on with the Guild.

By redesigning the space, we can host Dimitri’s practice with Cardea, and also invite a broader range of professionals who need a private space for engagement with individual clients. 

This will expand our revenue base, while also diversifying the range of practices we can support.

We also want to create a more comfortable and more aesthetically pleasing space to host new possibilities. 

Dimitri wants to create a new model for his practice – Community Psychedelics, that would be specifically attuned to and grow out of his engagement with PPAC and the broader Prime Produce community.

Dimitiri’s practice involves people making art as part of the therapy. The art that is made in the practice by members will be displayed in the room. 

We are in line to get a loan of furnishings and artwork that amplifies the practice and will elevate the space of the guildhall. Randy Palumbo is a friend of Dimitri and designer of the previous space. He has generously offered to loan us some incredible materials–including unique mycelium lighting and artworks–to use as part of the remodeling.

Cardea has a small budget (~$5k) to help change the room, which will mainly be directed at a curtain to preserve the use of the Visual Magnetics wall and any other necessary materials for construction. We don’t anticipate spending any money on art or other decorative elements. 

• Who does this impact / who are the stakeholders?

For Dimitri and Cardea to situate their practice at the cooperative, they need an appropriate space to conduct one-on-one therapeutic sessions.

Various members and their teams use the conference room for meetings (both irl and hybrid) and work sessions and this remodel would continue to support those needs. 

• What happens if we don’t do it? / What happens if we do?

If we don’t remodel then it would be difficult for Cardea to host their therapy sessions at the guildhall and Dimitri would be less likely to join the cooperative . He is very excited about what we’re doing and how he can contribute, so it would be a huge win to make it possible for them to be here. And the space would be a new nap room for the guild, an amenity that has been missing since we revisioned the third floor. 

• Were there alternatives considered? Why was this approach chosen?

The meditation room could be an option, though the existing environment is not great for the practice; it would still need to be altered for the practice work. Changing over the conference room seems like a more straightforward and generally beneficial move.

• What is the expected impact on the space and/or cooperative operations? Will it change our basic expectations for how the space is set up and reset?

The conference room will shift from table-oriented meeting work to a more informal, comfortable setting well suited to conversations, collaborative work, and relaxation.

As it is a sound-based practice, they would need to be mindful of scheduling and potential interactions with other users of the space, including overlaps with Fresh Produce Studio, Turtle Team and the Earthlings, and people working elsewhere on the second floor.

• What needs to happen to allow the proposal to take place? Are there specific asks that need to be shared?

We need to create a small secure storage area in the back of the server closet, which can be part of our upcoming closet visioning and day of care.

Some concerns that have been voiced:

• Maintaining the multi-use function of the space

The space will be configurable for multiple kinds of use, ranging from the sound-based therapeutic practice of Cardea, to small group conversations and seated work, creative practices, as well as hybrid work setups. We will investigate the feasibility of having a transformable table that can operate as either a wall element or a work surface.

• Trial period

For the practice to get going effectively, Dimitri is requesting that we allow the loaned art, decorations, and furnishings to be in place for a period of 6 months to 1 year. We can check in and modify things, but the quality of the environment is really crucial to the practice and if that could change radically in as little as 6 months, it would severely disrupt the practice and make it challenging to move it to the Guild Hall. 

However, we are aware of and want to be mindful of concerns that have been voiced about spaces being overtaken by individual member practices, or stagnating in a particular form that remains through inertia. 

To mitigate both these concerns we will be sharing the next phase of the design process for further discussion, and try to get as much input up front as possible. Then, if approved, in 6 months we can do a light status check–though we should only plan to make any changes a bit further down the road.

• Building space collaboratively with guildmates

An important part of Dimitri’s practice and general project is to be collaborating with artists, both already in our community, and coming to us anew. This will happen in the Community Psychedelics practice, as art is produced through the ceremonies and therapeutic work, as well as in other facets of Dimitri’s work. Some of the art produced during these sessions will be mounted in the room. Dimitri is also very excited to work with artists on a variety of projects

• What is Community Psychedelics?

The Community Psychedelics practice is a new model that Dimitri and the Cardea team are looking to build specifically with Prime Produce. Growing out of their previous nonprofit / low-cost / pro-bono work, it would focus on artists, nonprofit organizations, and activist groups. These services would be available to the Guild community.

• How will this produce revenue for the guild?

The nonprofit-oriented work would be happening alongside fundraising/revenue-oriented work, which happens through group salon practices and sessions with paying clients. Some of this work will be starting almost immediately in the Living Room.

Dimitri is already planning on a revenue share model, which we can get detailed projections on at some point.

Also, some spot concerns that cropped up:

• the medical aspect is handled by an affiliated Doctor, and the ketamine is a self-administered nasal spray, with no odors or anything. It's fully legal as prescribed.

• Scheduling is something we'll have to work in advance to manage, to ensure safety and comfort for participants in the practice and no disruptions to either the participants or other members and users of the guild hall.

Questions & Answers

Carlos's Questions:

Q) A few fundamental questions: What's the name of the nasal spray that's being administered? 

This is not brand name ketamine; it is compounded in a fully licensed professional pharmacy, ensuring the highest standards of safety and efficacy made specifically for this use as per the doctor’s prescription and is fully legal.

Q) Is it legal to have a clinic like this in Prime Produce? 

CARDEA has never functioned as a clinic (which is where a medical procedure happens) nor will it at the Guild Hall; the only medical procedure is the consultation with the doctor and subsequent writing of the prescription. This occurs offsite. Clients are screened both by the doctor and CARDEA staff. Everything happening at Prime Produce will be completely legal.

Q) Will ketamine be kept in Prime Produce? 

No, it will never be stored on-site. 

Q) How will the nasal spray be disposed of after use? 

Disposal is the responsibility of the client. Dimitri wants to reassure us that in their years of practice, disposal has never been an issue. Part of the protocol is that clients only get the amount needed for the sessions they’ve signed up for, and ensure they don’t leave anything behind - there are procedures for each session that are followed by practitioners. 

Q) What are the insurance implications for PPAC?  Is Cardea insured?

Based on CARDEA’s experience and the broader field and legal consultations, ketamine has been effectively utilized for workshops and therapeutic practices across various settings. There should be no specific implications for PPAC or the building.

CARDEA’s doctor is fully insured, ensuring that all practices adhere to the highest professional standards. If we (the co-op) think additional liability coverage is needed, CARDEA can acquire a policy.

Q) What happens if there's lost or stolen ketamine?

In the event of lost or stolen medication, this matter would be addressed between the doctor/prescriber and the patient. CARDEA has a strong track record, having never experienced an incident of medication being left behind on-site. It's also worth noting that millions of individuals manage prescription medications daily, and there are established procedures in place for such situations (again, this is between the client and their doctor.) 

Q) More broad questions for other people's practices: Although sessions may be scheduled around Turtle team, which works with minors, will parents feel safe about having their children go to afterschool programs where ketamine is administered? What if there are minors in the space while there's a session going on? Sometimes they don't come on a schedule and just show up in the space.

There shouldn’t be any upfront issues around anyone else, including the minors, in the space. Nothing about the practice has any specifically adult considerations except that the clients have their own prescription medication (again, in the form of a nose spray like Flonase) and are engaged in a session with someone in the same way as any other one-on-one practice or meeting. 

CARDEA working with people on a wholesome, healing practice that is done very safely and has been accepted widely, but not readily available to working people, especially those doing frontline and supportive work. 

CARDEA focuses on hospitality and holding space; guiding people through their experiences in processing the grief and trauma they deal with in their work. There is a great deal of care taken in supporting people as they occupy the space (which is core to the practice.) 

Are there any particular concerns here?

Q) Concluding Thoughts: (Dave broke this up to respond better)

Ultimately I don't think Prime Produce has a space outfitted well for a ketamine therapy clinic to go in. 

See above re: clinic

The large conference room is a prized location where folks take meetings and needs a professional atmosphere. 

With this proposal, we are aiming to improve the professional and aesthetic quality of the space. We believe the changes will make it perform better for a wider range of practices that it currently does not support, while maintaining much of its current functionality. 

Turning it into a clinic would suffer from sound bleed from outside, Fresh Produce Studio, the hallway, and the neighboring conference room for it to be a meditative space. 

The sound bleed is not a huge issue for the practice; it accounts for the sounds coming from the environment. If anything, this setup will be less difficult to deal with acoustically. If there are sessions scheduled for the studio to be doing especially noisy work, Dimitri can work with the Studio Team and other guildmates to schedule non-overlapping sessions if it presents an issue. We can also address this more in the design phase; this is not a fundamental problem for the practice. 

The risk implications of having a controlled substance in the guildhall is very high for a community space that struggles with avoiding putting paper towels down the toilet.

Again see above; the controlled substance will not be kept in the space (for reference, guildmates already bring their own prescription controlled substances into the space.)

It's a well intended service that I do believe helps and changes lives but we are lacking a lot of the resources to support that kind of work.

Are there any particular resources you can identify that are needed, beyond what’s in this proposal?

We appreciate these concerns and want to assure you that we operate in a highly controlled and respectful environment. Dimitri and CARDEA are committed to maintaining a healing and welcoming atmosphere and are more than willing to adapt our schedules to ensure that our operations do not interfere with the community. Most importantly, Dimitri sees the space and community working very well for the practice.

With 25 years of experience in the field of psychedelics, Dimitri and CARDEA are committed to maintaining a safe, effective, and expertly maintained environment.

Hope this resolves the concerns, please let us know further thoughts!