KQED reports
Since its founding 77 years ago, Dr. Bronner’s evolved from a niche soap company favored by hippies and homemakers to a powerhouse brand that trades on the progressive ideals of sustainability, free expression and social justice.
The family-run company based in Vista saw its annual revenues balloon from $4 million to $200 million in the last 25 years. Known for its bottles and bars of soap wrapped in micro-font musings about love and world peace, Dr. Bronner’s can be found on the shelves of supermarkets and drugstores nationwide.
In recent years, the current generation of Bronner family executives has taken the company’s progressive ethos to another level by openly embracing psychedelic drugs. Since 2019, Dr. Bronner’s has contributed more than $14 million to psychedelics research and drug policy reform. The company’s social media pages are filled with posts touting the medicinal and spiritual potential of hallucinogens, from psilocybin to ketamine to MDMA, also known as ecstasy.
But a wrongful death lawsuit filed in December alleges the company has also fostered a risky culture of drug use among some leaders and employees, claiming they routinely use potent psychedelics as an unregulated form of “healing” and for recreational purposes. The complaint filed in San Diego County Superior Court was brought by the family of Denise Lozano, a former Dr. Bronner’s employee who, in 2022, died of an accidental overdose at the age of 50.
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Dr Bronners have issued this response
Dr. Bronner’s Statement on Inaccurate Reporting and Allegations Regarding Denise Lozano’s Tragic Death
Denise was a beloved employee and treasured member of Dr. Bronner’s community. Her tragic passing was not the fault of anyone associated with Dr. Bronner’s, including David and Mia Bronner, who loved Denise and remain to this day deeply saddened by her death.
Denise did not receive a ketamine massage at the recommendation of Dr. Bronner’s, nor did David or Mia personally recommend or suggest to Denise that she obtain a ketamine massage. They have never suggested or recommended that any other employee of Dr. Bronner’s receive a ketamine massage, nor have they to anyone else outside of the company. Dr. Bronner’s Ketamine-Assisted Therapy employee health benefit program is administered through the provider Enthea and services are currently offered to employees in the San Diego area by Flow Integrative. At this time, Flow Integrative is the only treatment provider covered in the San Diego area by Dr. Bronner’s health benefit in collaboration with Enthea.
The CBS affiliate in San Diego failed to qualify inaccurate allegations to the contrary as allegations, and just falsely reported them as fact; we have thus sent the following Cease and Desist Letter.
2025.02.12-RJS-to-CBS8-re-Dr-Bronner
San Diego County Superior Court
https://courtindex.sdcourt.ca.gov/CISPublic/casedetail?casenum=24CU026973C&casesite=SD&applcode=C
