The war on drugs may be coming to an abrupt end. This election season Arizona, Montana, Mississippi, New Jersey and South Dakota all legalized cannabis. Oregon legalized magic mushrooms and at this point, I think all bets are off.
I came across this great The New York Times article this month about the end of the war on drugs. "One of America’s greatest mistakes over the last century was the war on drugs, so it’s thrilling to see voters in red and blue states alike moving to unwind it. Voters in red and blue states may be in accord on nothing else, but they passed measures to liberalize drug laws."
One result of the war on drugs is that today there are as many Americans with arrest records as with college degrees. Yet we still lost the war. The truth is, these policies failed the American people.
But I feel optimistic these days. Just this year, Oakland, California legalized magic mushrooms and then, just like clockwork, Oregon decriminalized possession of addictive drugs like heroine and cocaine, further pushing us towards a much needed conversation about addiction, reform and recovery measures and what this future roadmap might look like for the great United States. Perhaps reform will lead to a more just system in this country. Prisons are for murderers and rapists, not drug users. But education about plant based medicine and drug use must continue.
Which leads me to my new favorite book. I just picked up a copy of The Rebels Apothecary. The focus is on medical mushrooms and cannabis. The truth is, I didn't really know much about mushrooms (outside of my favorite, the magic mushroom, of course) so this has been pretty eye opening. Pick up a copy so we can discuss...
xo,
kelly
