Podcasts about Drug Policy Alliance

Everyday we take a step back from the work day to hang out with friends and talk about the world of sports and entertainment with focus on the CrossFit Space.  Today we talk about how we can never give the benefit of doubt with anything these days.  Plus my wife got her staples out this morning and is really cranking through the rehab and its a holiday weekend everyone plus my 28th wedding anniversary.  What are you doing this weekend?

Penn State’s administration officially released a report, outlining which of its campuses it’s recommending for closure and why. That list includes two campuses in central Pennsylvania--Mont Alto and York. Factors include declining enrollment and steep maintenance costs. Democrats in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives are sending a suite of election reforms to the Republican-controlled Senate for consideration. The House was also scheduled to vote on voter ID, but Republican support fell apart at the last minute. A state Senate committee quickly moved to shut down a House-passed bill legalizing adult-use recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania. In Washington, D.C., the founder of an Altoona substance use disorder support group is advocating before Congress this week--part of a group of parents impacted by drug addiction who are partnering with the national advocacy group Drug Policy Alliance. Microtransit could be coming to Lancaster County. South Central Transit Authority, the agency overseeing Red Rose Transit Authority, is considering adding the service which is part-Uber, part-public transit, and would potentially cover areas of Lancaster County where buses don't reach. Geisinger Medical Center is marking the launch of its $880 million expansion and modernization project. Officials ceremonially broke ground on the Danville, Montour County project.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

March 20, 2025 - We examine the governor's proposals to target drugged driving and crackdown on fentanyl analogs with Toni Smith, state director in New York for the Drug Policy Alliance.

In this episode, we explore the harsh realities of growing up in a household shaped by abuse and substance use. Cort's mom, Renee, shares her firsthand experience of navigating fear, instability, and trauma while trying to find their own path to healing. We discuss the emotional toll, the long-term effects, and the resilience it takes to break free from generational cycles. Whether you've lived through a similar experience or want to better understand the struggles faced by so many, this episode offers insight, validation, and hope. Whether you've experienced it firsthand or want to understand the impact, this podcast offers a space for healing, awareness, and hope.For support and additional resources, visit:    •    SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – www.samhsa.gov (Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP)    •    National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) – www.nctsn.org    •    Drug Policy Alliance – www.drugpolicy.org    •    RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) – www.rainn.org (Helpline: 1-800-656-HOPE)If you need immediate support, don't hesitate to reach out to a trusted professional or crisis service. You are not alone.Follow us on IG for more: https://www.instagram.com/spillinitpodcast/?igsh=aXc4cDJmcmVxbGpjhttps://www.instagram.com/thecortreport/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/renee63eaglestar/?igsh=N21mNzBxdDltYjBHave an inspiring story you would like to share? Fill out this Questionnaire and we will be in touch. 

Historias de esta semana: Cannabis en las Bahamas y en todo el mundo: El Primer Ministro de Las Bahamas anuncia la legalización del cannabis medicinal: El Primer Ministro Philip Davis ha anunciado planes para legalizar el cannabis medicinal y despenalizar la posesión de pequeñas cantidades de cannabis. Esta es una gran noticia para los pacientes de Bahamas que podrían beneficiarse del cannabis medicinal, y también podría impulsar la economía del país.https://opm.gov.bs/prime-minister-davis-cannabis-reform-compedium/ La FTC y la FDA advierten a las empresas sobre los productos Delta-8 THC: La FTC y la FDA están enviando cartas de cese y desistimiento a las empresas que venden productos Delta-8 THC en envases diseñados para parecerse a bocadillos para niños. Estos productos pueden ser peligrosos para los niños, ya que pueden contener altos niveles de THC y causar efectos adversos.https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/la-fda-y-la-ftc-continuan-trabajando-juntas-para-proteger-a-los-consumidores-contra-las-companias-que-venden-ilegalmente-imitaciones-de-productos-alimenticios-860701643.html Más noticias sobre cannabis: Ohio aprueba las primeras licencias de marihuana recreativa: El estado de Ohio ha aprobado las primeras licencias para el cultivo y procesamiento de marihuana recreativa. Esto significa que las ventas de marihuana recreativa podrían comenzar en el estado en cualquier momento.https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/3news-at-6/ohio-approves-first-licenses-recreational-marijuana-sales/95-bfb97cf6-12da-4136-9a64-beb2c1082d56 Documento denuncia la guerra contra las drogas y su impacto en los inmigrantes: Un nuevo documento de Human Rights Watch y Drug Policy Alliance denuncia el impacto de la guerra contra las drogas en los inmigrantes. El documento señala que cientos de miles de inmigrantes han sido deportados de los Estados Unidos por delitos relacionados con las drogas, incluso por posesión de pequeñas cantidades de marihuana.https://www.hrw.org/ República Checa podría legalizar el cannabis para adultos: Según documentos filtrados, el gobierno de la República Checa está considerando legalizar el cannabis para adultos. Esto convertiría a la República Checa en el primer país de Europa Central en legalizar el cannabis para adultos.https://businessofcannabis.com/czech-republic-will-pursue-full-adult-use-commercial-cannabis-market-leaked-documents-suggest/

0:08 — Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng is a Physician and UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health.  0:33 — Maritza Perez Medina is the Director of Federal Affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance.  0:45 — Tim Redmond, founder of 48hills. Tim Redmond has been a political and investigative reporter in San Francisco for more than 30 years.  The post A Call for Ending the Global War on Drugs; Plus the Battle Over Rent Control in San Francisco appeared first on KPFA.

Attorney Maritza Perez Medina is the Director of the Office of Federal Affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance in Washington, DC, the leading organization in the US working to end the drug war. Maritza leads the organization's federal legislative agenda and advocacy strategy to end the war on drugs. In this role, she lobbies Congress and the Administration on drug policy and criminal legal reform. Maritza is a graduate of the University of Nevada's Reynolds School of Journalism and UC Berkeley School of Law. She is also a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia, California, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Maritza has been featured in various media outlets including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Politico, Latino USA, and now The Canna Mom Show.And Dave gives a recommendation on The Culture Corner for the Netflix Series Eric.Topics Discussed(1:10) Welcome(1:15) Ganja Goddess Gala(1:38) Revival Wheeler Mansion in Orange, MA(4:20) Old Cemeteries(5:00) The Hidden Brain(7:55) The Culture Corner with Dave – Netflix Series Eric(10:25) Attorney Maritza Perez Medina Introduction(11:30) Professional Journey(15:00) Raised Mormon(17:00) Work at DPA(18:30) CAOA Bipartisan Support(19:20) Rescheduling CSA from 1 – 3(21:50) Add Your Voice with Public Comment(25:11) M.O.R.E and C.A.O.A(26:25) Parabola Center(31:00) Advocacy Links: Engage in Public Comments(31:40) Contact Local Representatives in House and Senate(32:00) Drug Policy Alliance Website(34:50) MAPS(35:00) Personal Relationship and Family(42:15) Marijuana History(44:00) Is It Marijuana or Cannabis in Policy?(45:00) Drug Policy Predictions(49:25) Favorite Way to Consume(49:55) Washington, DC Canna Status(51:45) Connect with Maritza on Instagram or on Twitter or Drug Policy Alliance The Canna Mom Show wants to thank:Josh Lamkin and Bella Jaffe for writing and performing TCMS theme music and Fortuna Design for creating TCMS website and Sugar Leaf Creative for marketing and social media.   

As of April 20, 2024, recreational use of marijuana has been legalized in 24 states, three U.S. territories, and Washington, D.C. But how have marijuana reforms affected Black and Brown populations that were heavily impacted by marijuana criminal prosecutions before legalization? NASW Senior Policy Adviser Mel Wilson sits down with Maritza Perez Medina, director of the Office of Federal Affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance; Chelsea Higgs Wise, executive director of Marijuana Justice; and Marvin Tolliver, a therapist at the Radical Therapy Center, to discuss this important issue.

A client uses fentanyl patches to manage chronic pain from a back injury. What kind of risk does this present to the therapist? And, if we're not careful, the bigger risk might be to the client. Check it out on this episode of “I Have a Client Who . . .” with Ruth Werner. Resources:   Cai, B., Engqvist, H. and Bredenberg, S. (2015) ‘Development and evaluation of a tampering resistant transdermal fentanyl patch', International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 488(1), pp. 102–107. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2015.04.061. Commissioner, O. of the (2023) ‘Accidental Exposures to Fentanyl Patches Continue to Be Deadly to Children', FDA [Preprint]. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/accidental-exposures-fentanyl-patches-continue-be-deadly-children (Accessed: 4 April 2024). ‘Drug Overdoses - Data Details' (no date) Injury Facts. Available at: https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/drugoverdoses/data-details/ (Accessed: 4 April 2024). Duragesic Transdermal: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing - WebMD (no date). Available at: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-14008/duragesic-transdermal/details (Accessed: 4 April 2024). Ep 186 – Fentanyl Patches: “I Have a Client Who . . .” Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner (2022) Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals. Available at: https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-186-fentanyl-patches-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner (Accessed: 4 April 2024). Equity--OS-OPAE--1600, O. of P.A. and (no date) Fentanyl Exposure in Public Places | Washington State Department of Health. Available at: https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/opioids/fentanyl-exposure-public-places (Accessed: 4 April 2024). Fentanyl Facts (2024). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/index.html (Accessed: 4 April 2024). Khan, S. and Sharman, T. (2024) ‘Transdermal Medications', in StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556035/ (Accessed: 4 April 2024). Kim, T.S. et al. (2015) ‘Comparison of adhesion and dissolution of fentanyl patches: Fentadur® and Durogesic DTrans®', Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation, 45(5), pp. 475–480. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40005-015-0195-y. Mann, B., News, A.P.-K.H. and Bebinger, M. (2023) ‘In 2023 fentanyl overdoses ravaged the U.S. and fueled a new culture war fight', NPR, 28 December. Available at: https://www.npr.org/2023/12/28/1220881380/overdose-fentanyl-drugs-addiction (Accessed: 4 April 2024). Overdose (no date) Drug Policy Alliance. Available at: https://drugpolicy.org/overdose/ (Accessed: 5 April 2024). Prausnitz, M.R. and Langer, R. (2008) ‘Transdermal drug delivery', Nature Biotechnology, 26(11), pp. 1261–1268. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.1504. Shearn, I.T. (2023) Fentanyl myth: Police cry overdose, facts prove otherwise, NJ Spotlight News. Available at: https://www.njspotlightnews.org/special-report/fentanyl-myth-police-cry-overdose-facts-prove-otherwise/ (Accessed: 5 April 2024). Using Skin Patch Medicines Safely (no date). Available at: https://www.poison.org/articles/using-skin-patch-medicines-safely (Accessed: 4 April 2024). Wong, W.F. et al. (2023) ‘Recent Advancement of Medical Patch for Transdermal Drug Delivery', Medicina, 59(4), p. 778. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59040778.   Host:   Ruth Werner is a former massage therapist, a writer, and an NCBTMB-approved continuing education provider. She wrote A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology, now in its seventh edition, which is used in massage schools worldwide. Werner is also a long-time Massage & Bodywork columnist, most notably of the Pathology Perspectives column. Werner is also ABMP's partner on Pocket Pathology, a web-based app and quick reference program that puts key information for nearly 200 common pathologies at your fingertips. Werner's books are available at www.booksofdiscovery.com. And more information about her is available at www.ruthwerner.com.        Sponsors:   Books of Discovery: www.booksofdiscovery.com     Anatomy Trains: www.anatomytrains.com    Elements Massage: www.elementsmassage.com/abmp   Earthlite: www.earthlite.com

If you would like to contact Jacob, please email him at: Jsullum@reason.com Jacob Sullum is a senior editor at Reason magazine and a nationally syndicated columnist. He is the author of Saying Yes: In Defense of Drug Use (Tarcher/Penguin) and For Your Own Good: The Anti-Smoking Crusade and the Tyranny of Public Health (Free Press). He is writing a book about the parallels between drug control and gun control, to be published by Prometheus Books in 2025. Sullum's weekly syndicated column, distributed by Creators Syndicate, is carried by newspapers across the country, including the New York Post, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. His work also has appeared in Cigar Aficionado, Seed, Forbes, National Review, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and many other publications. His awards include the Thomas S. Szasz Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Civil Liberties and the Drug Policy Alliance's Edward M. Brecher Award for Achievement in the Field of Journalism. Sullum is a graduate of Cornell University, where he majored in economics and psychology. He lives in Dallas with his wife and three daughters. The Doctor Patient Forum is a national non profit organization fighting for the rights of pain patients and their providers. We bring awareness to the untreated pain and patient abandonment crisis. We are also knows as Don't Punish Pain Rally. For the unedited version including before and after the show discussion, please go to our Patreon page: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/thedoctorpatientforum⁠ ⁠https://www.thedoctorpatientforum.com/⁠ #thedoctorpatientforum  #dontpunishpainrally #chronicpain #opioids #chronicpainpatient #patientabandonment #harmreduction #chronicillness #medicalgaslighting #dpfpatreon #pain #opioideliminationindustry #opioidelimination #patreon #thedoctorpatientforumpatreon #harmreduction #medicalgaslighting Disclaimer: The information contained in this podcast is not to be considered medical or legal advice --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-doctor-patient-forum/message

We continue our discussion with Cat Packer, Director of Drug Markets and Legal Regulation, Drug Policy Alliance about the Biden Administration's proposal to reschedule cannabis from schedule one to schedule three under the Controlled Substances Act, arguing that while this move is significant, it falls short of the promise of decriminalization made by President Biden. We also the federal government's recent analysis acknowledging the medical uses of marijuana, but also emphasized the need for further action to address the ongoing stigma surrounding marijuana use. We also discuss strategies for ensuring equity in cannabis licensing, including prioritizing social equity applicants, providing resources and education, and addressing predatory practices.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Cat Packer, Director of Drug Markets and Legal Regulation, Drug Policy Alliance joins Blunt Business for a 2-part interview where we first discuss the need for a comprehensive approach to cannabis policy reform that prioritizes social equity and harm reduction. We talk about the importance of addressing social equity concerns, such as the concentration of unlicensed activity in local jurisdictions, and responsible and equitable enforcement strategies to encourage consumers and businesses to participate in the legal market.We also delve into Cat's experience from her previous tenure where she served as the first executive director of the city of Los Angeles Department of cannabis regulation, leading efforts to advise and implement cannabis business Licensing and Regulation in the world's largest cannabis market.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's been just over 50 years since President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs. Since then, drug policy at the state level has mostly been progressing toward legalization, embracing liberal attitudes that aim to destigmatize drug use. But that experiment may soon be drawing to a close. In the wake of surging overdose deaths, Oregon has recently moved to recriminalize drug use and possession. Are we back to square one? Kassandra Frederique, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance, joins The Excerpt to argue that policy makers simply didn't put the right safeguards in place.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Scott breaks down Super Bowl LVIII with Austin Elmore, James Rapien, and Sara Elyse. Also the latest on legal weed with Cat Packer from the Drug Policy Alliance, and Teresa Dinwiddie-Hermann discusses the latest sexual misconduct involving the Church and minors.

Is the Ohio legistlature undoing the will of the Ohio voter? Scott talks with Cat Packer from the Drug Policy Alliance about the latest on the process of legal weed in Ohio.

Is the Ohio legistlature undoing the will of the Ohio voter? Scott talks with Cat Packer from the Drug Policy Alliance about the latest on the process of legal weed in Ohio.

Scott breaks down Super Bowl LVIII with Austin Elmore, James Rapien, and Sara Elyse. Also the latest on legal weed with Cat Packer from the Drug Policy Alliance, and Teresa Dinwiddie-Hermann discusses the latest sexual misconduct involving the Church and minors.

Scott discusses the Transgender bill veto override with Rep Adam Matthews, the legislature's work on legal weed with Cat Packer from Drug Policy Alliance, and Nick Smiley discusses the opportunities awaiting everyone in trade school.

Scott discusses the Transgender bill veto override with Rep Adam Matthews, the legislature's work on legal weed with Cat Packer from Drug Policy Alliance, and Nick Smiley discusses the opportunities awaiting everyone in trade school.

A recent interview I watched with @AGoodWitchOfficial and the fact that Ohio just became the 24th state to legalize marijuana sparked this episode. I share some thoughts on why legalization is good policy and that the continued illegality of marijuana at the federal level and in some states, as well as criminal court policies, actually exacerbate the opioid epidemic. Plus, I share some fun stats about where listeners of Natasha Explains It All are tuning in from around the world. If you want to learn more about drug policy in the US, I recommend checking out the Drug Policy Alliance. You can watch the A Good Witch interview on What's Underneath here. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/natasha-t-baker/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/natasha-t-baker/support

November 10, 2023: Communities across Vermont are witnessing more people struggling with opioid misuse. While the cry goes out to "do something!" it also seems that programs that could reduce harm are being overlooked. David Mickenberg with the Drug Policy Alliance and Brattleboro Selectboard Member Daniel Quipp join today's discussion. To learn more about the Drug Policy Alliance visit: https://drugpolicy.org/

Unfortunately, in this week's episode, we really couldn't avoid the negative while Jeff speaks with Ethan Nadelmann, founder of Drug Policy Alliance. Initially, this episode was scheduled to dig into drug policy. However, given recent events in the Middle East, Jeff and Ethan's Jewish heritage, and Ethan's background in politics, they just didn't feel right discussing anything else. Join us for an impassioned and informative conversation… Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AliPtZ8NnM4 Learn more: Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker Producer: Kait Grey Editor: Nick Case Recording date: 10/11/23 Ethan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethannadelmann/ https://www.instagram.com/enadelmann/ https://www.ted.com/talks/ethan_nadelmann_why_we_need_to_end_the_war_on_drugs DPA: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drug-policy-alliance/ https://drugpolicy.org/ https://www.instagram.com/drugpolicyalliance https://www.tiktok.com/@drugpolicyalliance https://twitter.com/DrugPolicyOrg https://www.facebook.com/drugpolicy https://www.youtube.com/@DrugPolicyAlliance Resources for Israel: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RbzoBNQojr7j5cEP0x5yNqppF9CiVXXgDtkuLdvnryc/edit?usp=sharing Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethan_Nadelmann 0:00 - Intro5:21 - Education10:46 - Jeff's Background13:05 - Persecution and Drug Policy15:45 - Hamas19:50 - People and Politics27:11 - Missed Opportunity31:14 - What's Happening on the Left34:44 - Hamas vs Jihad39:20 - How Did Israeli Government Drop the Ball?41:57 - Vengeance50:43 - Jews in the Arab World53:16 - Re-shuffling of World Power1:00:45 - United States1:07:41 - How Do We Make the Center Loud?1:15:15 - Future of the Middle East

In this episode, Joe interviews Ethan Nadelmann: author, speaker, Founder and former Executive Director of Drug Policy Alliance, host of the PSYCHOACTIVE podcast, and one of the leading voices in drug policy reform and harm reduction.  Nadelmann shares his journey from Princeton University to founding Drug Policy Alliance, to working with George Soros, encouraging Gary Johnson to push cannabis legalization, and interacting with prominent figures like Milton Friedman and Grover Norquist. He explores the motivations behind the drug war, the massive growth of incarcerations it led to, why the US spread its war on drugs abroad even when it went against our best interests, and, thankfully, the progress made in fighting the drug war – particularly with cannabis and psychedelics. And he discusses much more: the banning of drug testing kits; the damages of our slow learning curve against the idea of a safe supply; the risks of under-prescribing opioids for people who actually need them; how libertarians, the right, and left are all starting to become against the drug war for the same reasons; why cigarette smokers should all switch to vaping; the concept of needing to pass a test at the pharmacy to prove you understand (and won't abuse) medication; and some strong arguments for decriminalization as an incremental step. And he asks some pretty important questions that we can all simmer on for a bit: how do we find a balance between helping people and not opening the rest of society up to harm? How do we challenge abuse in a way that doesn't hurt future harm reduction efforts? And how do we incentivize people into acting in their own best interests?  Click here to head to the show notes page. 

According to an October 2022 Pew survey, “88% of US adults say that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use.” While marijuana legalization is gaining more and more cultural acceptance, effectively regulating drugs has long flummoxed policy and lawmakers. Some are even starting to have second thoughts, especially when it comes to how to practically enforce legal sales. In fact, voters in Oklahoma – one of the nation's leading weed markets –overwhelmingly rejected recreational legalization earlier this year, even though voters backed medical marijuana legalization by a double-digit margin in 2018. Those who argue “Yes” for marijuana legalization say legalization creates more problems for our legal system because it requires extra enforcement to crack down on already robust illegal markets to make way for new, regulated, and legal markets. Additionally, competition from illegal weed markets is undercutting legal sales, which means the expected revenue stream from a legalized industry is far lower than expected. Those who argue “No” say legalization can reduce the burden on law enforcement and criminal justice systems, allowing resources to be redirected to more pressing issues. They also highlight marijuana's medical benefits, such as for pain management and treatment of certain health conditions, which have made a difference in people's lives.    With this context, it's time to debate — and reconsider — “Is Legalizing Marijuana A Mistake?”  Arguing Yes: Paul J. Larkin, Jr, Senior Legal Research Fellow in the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation and Teresa Haley, senior policy advisor at the Foundation for Drug Policy Solution    Arguing No: Toi Hutchinson, CEO of the Marijuana Policy Project; former member of the Illinois Senate, and Cat Packer, Director of Drug Markets and Legal Regulation at Drug Policy Alliance   Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charles Lehamn is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a prominent center-right think tank that focuses on urban and city-related issues. The organization gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s for brainstorming the "broken windows" theory and creating the policy blueprint for Republican New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Charles recently took a trip to Portland to examine the impact of Measure 110 and detailed his thoughts in a City Journal piece that we link to below and discuss the episode.  We also dive into more technical issues such as defining what certain drugs like Fentanyl actually are, the hard statistics around Measure 110 and its outcomes, the differences between legalization and decriminalization and a host of other issues. This episode is also meant to give listeners the opposing view of the folks over at the Drug Policy Alliance who helped to pass Measure 110 (you can listen to that episode by clicking here).

The War on Drugs doesn't save lives, but it brings in huge profits for anyone who works for the police, in all of policing's forms.  While rich people can microdose LSD at the office or Burning Man without any worries of getting arrested, the War on Drugs is fought against poor, often nonwhite queer and trans people, in what local media loves to call 'open-air drug markets'. Sara Shortt (@Shorttyshorttt) is on to talk about harm reduction and the city's strategy of throwing money at policing in response to rising overdose statistics. GLIDE: glide.org; Gubbio Project: thegubbioproject.org; Safer Inside: saferinside.org; National Harm Reduction Coalition: harmreduction.org; Drug Policy Alliance: drugpolicy.org;  Support the show: patreon.com/sadfrancisco

Join authors of Whiteout and Robin D.G. Kelley for a discussion of the roots of the surprisingly white opioid crisis in racial capitalism. In the past two decades, media images of the surprisingly white “new face” of the US opioid crisis abounded. But why was the crisis so white? Some argued that skyrocketing overdoses were “deaths of despair” signaling deeper socioeconomic anguish in white communities. Whiteout makes the counterintuitive case that the opioid crisis was the product of white racial privilege as well as despair. Anchored by interviews, data, and riveting firsthand narratives from three leading experts—an addiction psychiatrist, a policy advocate, and a drug historian—Whiteout reveals how a century of structural racism in drug policy, and in profit-oriented medical industries led to mass white overdose deaths. The authors implicate racially segregated health care systems, the racial assumptions of addiction scientists, and relaxed regulation of pharmaceutical marketing to white consumers. Whiteout is an unflinching account of how racial capitalism is toxic for all Americans. In this special event hosted by Haymarket, Robin D.G. Kelley will discuss with the authors Helena Hansen, Jules Netherland, and David Herzberg how Whiteness drove the opioid crisis. ———————————————————————————————————————————————— Get a copy of Whiteout from Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/1039/978052038... ———————————————————————————————————————————————— Panelists: Helena Hansen, an MD, Ph.D. psychiatrist-anthropologist, is the interim chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and interim director of the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. She is the author of Addicted to Christ: Remaking Men in Puerto Rican Pentecostal Drug Ministries (UC Press 2018) and is editor of Structural Competency in Mental Health and Medicine: a Case Based Approach to Treating the Social Determinants of Health (Springer 2019). Julie “Jules” Netherland, PhD, is the managing director of the Department of Research and Academic Engagement at the Drug Policy Alliance. Netherland previously worked in DPA's New York Policy Office where she was instrumental in passing New York's first medical marijuana laws. She is the editor of Critical Perspectives on Addiction (Emerald Press, 2012). David Herzberg is Professor of History at the University at Buffalo (SUNY). He researches the history of drugs and drug policy in America with a focus on pharmaceuticals. He is the author of two books: White Market Drugs: Big Pharma and the Hidden History of Addiction in America and Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac. He is also co-editor of Social History of Alcohol and Drugs: An Interdisciplinary Journal, the journal of the Alcohol and Drug History Society. Robin D.G. Kelley is Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA. He is the author of Hammer and Hoe, Race Rebels, Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination, and Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original, among other titles. His writing has been featured in the Journal of American History, American Historical Review, Black Music Research Journal, African Studies Review, New York Times, The Crisis, The Nation, and Voice Literary Supplement. Watch the live event recording: https://youtu.be/dDr0kA6XmMo Buy books from Haymarket: www.haymarketbooks.org Follow us on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/haymarketbooks This event is sponsored by the Drug Policy Alliance, Boston Review, University of California Press, University at Buffalo (SUNY) and Haymarket Books.

Described by Rolling Stone as "the point man" for drug policy reform efforts and “the real drug czar,” this week's guest, Ethan Nadelmann, is widely regarded as the outstanding proponent of drug policy reform both in the United States and abroad. He founded The Lindesmith Center (1994-2000) and then the Drug Policy Alliance (2000-2017). We talk to Ethan about the unlikely leadership of the United States in reforming marijuana laws, the role of the drug war in mass incarceration, and President Biden's slow transformation from being old time drug warrior to a drug policy reformer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concluding our series on Black Futures, Carl sits down with Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, to discuss one of the most destructive forces in our history: the so-called War on Drugs. Kassandra explains how the "War on Drugs" intersects with all other systems, why treating drug use as a health issue is incomplete, and what a post-war future could look like. Notes: To learn more about Drug Policy Alliance, visit: https://drugpolicy.org/

On a Very Special Episode of "Home Improvement," Tim and Jill lecture their son about the dangers of marijuana after he's caught smoking a joint. On a powerful episode of ABC's "Sports Night," written by Aaron Sorkin, sportscaster Dan Rydell delivers a four-minute monologue on how dope killed his younger brother. On a devastating episode of CBS's "Chicago Hope," a dozen teenagers are rushed to the emergency room after taking a new psychedelic drug at a rave. We've all seen these "Very Special" drug episodes throughout our childhoods and adolescence. For some reason, our favorite shows, seemingly out of nowhere, decided to dedicate an entire episode to the perils of teenage drug use. These episodes, mostly from the 1980s and '90s, have become a cultural punchline, something amusing and mocked but ultimately, one would think, harmless. But what most viewers don't know is that many of these episodes were not just part of a teen-oriented convention turned TV trope; a number of them were actually funded by the federal government to the tune of hundreds of thousands––sometimes millions–– of dollars to promote so-called "drug awareness." The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in the late 1990s made a deal with multiple TV networks to include anti-drug messaging in show plots. In 1997, Congress approved a plan to buy $1 billion of anti-drug advertising over five years for its National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. From at least 1997 to 2000, the Feds paid TV networks to air what was ostensibly drug awareness public health information but was, in many key ways, propaganda to sustain and build support for the war on drugs. The White House drug office paid networks large sums of money to weave so-called "anti-drug" stories in their narratives, undisclosed to the viewer, often revising and approving scripts without the show writers knowledge. Rather than being harmless––if corny––anti-drug messages we can all now laugh at, these narratives were also part of a broader scare strategy to frighten, misinform, and prop up the federal government's war on drugs both at home and abroad. On this episode, we will review some of the major TV shows that ran these episodes, how much money they took in from the U.S. government, and how these tropes shaped and directly impacted public policy that promoted racism, imperial meddling in Latin America, and mass incarceration. Our guest is Kassandra Frederique, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

In Tuesday's State of the State address, Governor Hochul stated her her commitment to make substance use treatment, education and prevention a priority, including recognizing the need to keep people out of jails and prisons. One notable absence from her plan is the funding and expansion of overdose prevention centers. Toni Smith-Thompson, Director of the NYS Drug Policy Alliance, discusses the issues with Mark Dunlea of Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Song playsIntro by hostWelcome to High Country - politics in the American West. My name is Sean Diller; regular listeners might know me from Heartland Pod's Talking Politics, every Monday.Go to heartlandpod.com for information on all our political podcasts, and a link to support our work on Patreon. Sign up as an Official PODhead for just $5 per month to access all our premium podcast segments and political writing. To join the conversation on Twitter, find us at THE Heartland POD. Alright! Let's get into it: NEVADA CURRENT: Water managers across drought-stricken West agree on one thing: ‘This is going to be painful'BY JENIFFER SOLIS - MONDAY DECEMBER 19, 2022 5:25 AMWater authorities in the Western U.S. don't have a crystal ball, but rapidly receding reservoirs uncovering sunken boats and other debris lost in their depths decades ago give a clear view of the hard choices ahead.If western states do not agree on a plan to safeguard the Colorado River — the source of the region's vitality — there won't be enough water for anyone.Water managers, researchers, agricultural producers and others from across the drought-stricken river basin met in Las Vegas last week for the Colorado River Water Users Association annual convention to face hard truths about the state of the river and historically-low levels of its biggest reservoirs.Two decades of drought and poor planning have caused the river's biggest reservoirs — Lake Mead and Lake Powell — to drop to their lowest collective volume since they were filled.  Rebecca Mitchell, director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board said “Time is not on our side. Hydrology is not on our side. That's the frightening reality Every day that passes this problem gets harder and harder to solve.”The water could drop below what's needed to generate power as soon as next year, according to water experts. If nothing is done  there is a real possibility water levels in both reservoirs will drop so low in the next two years that water will no longer flow downstream to the 40 million people in the West who rely on the Colorado River.To put it in perspective, this winter both reservoirs were about a quarter full - 25%. In December 1999, Lake Powell was at 88% capacity, and Lake Mead was at 96% capacity.  In 2021, Lower basin states faced their first-ever federally declared water shortage, which directs how much water states can draw from the Colorado River. Deeper cuts were declared this year.Ted Cooke, the general manager for the Central Arizona Project.In June, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton issued an ultimatum to states: Develop a plan to save 2 million to 4 million acre-feet of water by next year — roughly one-fifth of their currently allocations—or the federal government will step in.During a panel discussion at last week's convention in Las Vegas, representatives for the seven western states who rely on the Colorado River said reaching a compromise will be their collective priority for the next six months.They agree that the longer it takes to stabilize the river and conserve the water needed to keep the river functional, the more likely reservoir levels will continue to plummet, leaving states with fewer and fewer options.Just last week, all of Southern California was declared to be in a drought emergency by the Metropolitan Water District, the main water supplier for Los Angeles county.Officials for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation warned that aridification, the long-term shift to a drier climate, means even less snow runoff is making it to the river each year.Currently, there is nearly $4 billion set aside for the Colorado River that would allow the Bureau of Reclamation to use some funds to pay users to voluntarily forgo water use.“We have to accept that we can not cling to our entitlements or allocations. If they are not there none of it matters,” Mitchell continued. “Folks in the room have to be willing to let us make hard decisions, because this is going to be painful.” Becky Mitchell Colorado Water Conservation BoardSOURCE NM:New Mexico's HSD proposes medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated peopleBY: AUSTIN FISHER - DECEMBER 19, 2022 4:35 AMBeginning in 2024, New Mexico's Medicaid program could start providing medication-assisted treatment to incarcerated people 30 days before they are released, along with a 30-day supply of medication when they leave. The hope is that this will be a step toward reducing the harms of criminalizing substance use disorder, and producing better outcomes.In a 275-page application to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by the New Mexico Human Services Department published Friday, HSD says it hopes to ensure formerly incarcerated people stay on their medication after release, and don't commit more crimes, end up in an emergency room or unhoused.At any given time in New Mexico, more than 14,000 people are held in state, local or youth correctional facilities, and nearly 50,000 people churn through local jails in the state each year. according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by ACLU-NM and Disability Rights New Mexico, New Mexico's prison system forces people who are on medication for opioid use disorder, to withdraw from it when they enter prison.The lawsuit cites research showing that someone leaving incarceration is nearly 13 times more likely than the general population to die of an overdose in the first two weeks after their release.HSD wants to get people who are being held in jail before a trial, or who are imprisoned post-conviction, on Medicaid so they can get medication-assisted treatment while inside state prisons, local jails, youth correctional facilities, tribal holding facilities, tribal jails and at the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute.The department plans to focus on incarcerated people with serious mental health conditions, severe emotional disturbance, substance use disorder, or an intellectual or developmental disability. It estimates 7,500 people per year could benefit.COLORADO SUN:The biggest election 2022 spender in Colorado? Jared Polis — by a long shot.Sandra Fish3:41 AM MST on Dec 15, 2022Democratic Gov. Jared Polis spent $12.6 million of his own money on his successful reelection bid this year, more than any other state-level candidate. May sound like a lot,Polis' 2022 spending, however, didn't come close to the more than $23 million of his own wealth spent in 2018 to win his first gubernatorial campaign. After Gov Polis, the No. 2 state-level political spender in Colorado this year was Total Wine & More at $12 million. That money went toward supporting Proposition 124, an unsuccessful ballot measure that would have let the retail giant open more liquor stores in Colorado.A few more highlights from the final campaign finance reports: Democratic candidates dominated spending on state-level statewide contestsThe Polis campaign spent more than three times the $3.7 million spent by his Republican opponent, who lost by more than 19 percentage points.Polis spent $9 per vote cast in his favor in the general election, less than the $9.72 per vote he spent in the 2018 general election and far less than the nearly $40 per vote he spent winning a four-way primary that year.The Democratic Attorneys General Association's state super PAC spent $2.9 million supporting Phil Weiser against his GOP challenger, John Kellner. In the costliest state Senate contest, Jefferson County-based Senate District 20, Republican developer Tim Walsh loaned his campaign more than $1 million in his loss to Democratic state Rep. Lisa Cutter, who spent just $262,000.Democratic super PACs also outspent their Republican counterparts on state legislative races: All Together Colorado spent more than $11 million helping elect Democratic state Senate candidates, compared with the $8.5 million spent by Senate Majority Fund, which supported Republicans.Natural Medicine Colorado spent $4.46 per vote on Proposition 122, which legalized psilocybin mushrooms and was approved by nearly 54% of voters. Nearly $4.4 million of the total $5.8 million that was spent came from the national nonprofit New Approach and its federal PAC.Healthy School Meals For All Colorado Students spent $1.32 per vote in successfully passing Proposition GG, which eliminated a tax break for wealthy Coloradans so that schools can provide free meals to all students. Numerous nonprofits accounted for the committee's $1.8 million in spending.COLORADO NEWSLINE: Mayor Hancock works to address influx of migrantsBY: LINDSEY TOOMER - DECEMBER 15, 2022 3:37 PMDenver Mayor Michael Hancock has issued an emergency declaration so the city can more easily free up resources to support the ongoing influx of migrants into the city - having already spent upwards of $800,000 in city funds on the efforts.At a news conference at the city's Emergency Operations Center Thursday, Hancock said about 700 unhoused migrants had arrived in recent weeks. And he isn't sure how many more the city can expect. The original emergency shelter the city set up at a recreation center hit capacity with 275 people, leading to two more recreation centers being pulled into the effort.Hancock said at the news conference. “This influx of migrants, the unanticipated nature of their arrival, and our current space and staffing challenges have put an immense strain on city resources, to the level where they're on the verge of reaching a breaking point. What I don't want to see is a local humanitarian crisis of unsheltered migrants on our hands because of the lack of resources.”Mayor Hancock noted that most of the people seem to be coming through El Paso, Texas, and while the city has seen groups of migrants arriving for several months, only recently have they started arriving at the current volume and without notice. City officials say the migrants come from Central and South America, including Venezuela. Employees from multiple city agencies are being pulled from their regular duties and “working around the clock” to support them as they arrive, Hancock said. The city is most desperate for support when it comes to shelter space and staffing. Hancock asked that anyone who might have space that can serve as a shelter, or who can volunteer to help, reach out to the city's Emergency Operations Center at donations@denvergov.org. He thanked the many city staff, volunteers, nonprofit and faith organizations that have already stepped up to support the city's sheltering and reunification efforts. Hancock also thanked the hundreds of Denver residents who have donated clothing and supplies and asked for their continued patience as the city works through the situation. He said he has been in direct contact with Gov. Jared Polis as well as members of Colorado's federal Congressional delegation to help identify additional resources to help.Mayor Hancock also said, “We are committed to doing what we can for the migrants and the asylum seekers who have come here. But here in Denver and cities all over this country are once again having to respond because of the failure of our Congress and federal government to address a very critical situation … I'm not trying to sound political, but I'm trying to sound pragmatic and practical. This is going to continue to happen, continue to overwhelm cities all over this country until Congress works on fixing the situation.”Denver first opened an emergency shelter at an undisclosed recreation center on Dec. 6. There's an ongoing need for donations and local faith-based groups and nonprofits are continuing to assist the city with its efforts to support the migrants. The city has established a drop-off location for physical donations at Iglesia Ciudad de Dios located at 5255 W Warren Ave. in Denver. Donations are being accepted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.The city released a list of needed items, and noted that the list could change based on supply and demand:Coats (men's S and M, women's M) Pants (waist 30-33) SocksUnderwearWinter apparel (hats, gloves, scarves, boots)Children's clothing for ages 10 and younger Overall, the city said there is a high demand for new clothing for adults sizes small through large, with a special need for medium-sized clothing and winter weather clothing.The city is also asking local faith-based groups, non-profits and private sector partners to reach out if they are able to support its efforts by contacting the Emergency Operations Center at donations@denvergov.org.CONCERT PICK OF THE WEEK: The Roots, with support from Big KRIT: Tuesday December 27 at Denver's Mission Ballroom. GA tickets are $60 and available at axs.com. The Roots then play San Francisco on Thursday December 29, and Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. In 2023, their only U.S. show is in Chicago, March 18. Welp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from the Colorado Sun, 9NEWS Denver, Nevada Current, Colorado Newsline, Source NM, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

Song playsIntro by hostWelcome to High Country - politics in the American West. My name is Sean Diller; regular listeners might know me from Heartland Pod's Talking Politics, every Monday.Go to heartlandpod.com for information on all our political podcasts, and a link to support our work on Patreon. Sign up as an Official PODhead for just $5 per month to access all our premium podcast segments and political writing. To join the conversation on Twitter, find us at THE Heartland POD. Alright! Let's get into it: NEVADA CURRENT: Water managers across drought-stricken West agree on one thing: ‘This is going to be painful'BY JENIFFER SOLIS - MONDAY DECEMBER 19, 2022 5:25 AMWater authorities in the Western U.S. don't have a crystal ball, but rapidly receding reservoirs uncovering sunken boats and other debris lost in their depths decades ago give a clear view of the hard choices ahead.If western states do not agree on a plan to safeguard the Colorado River — the source of the region's vitality — there won't be enough water for anyone.Water managers, researchers, agricultural producers and others from across the drought-stricken river basin met in Las Vegas last week for the Colorado River Water Users Association annual convention to face hard truths about the state of the river and historically-low levels of its biggest reservoirs.Two decades of drought and poor planning have caused the river's biggest reservoirs — Lake Mead and Lake Powell — to drop to their lowest collective volume since they were filled.  Rebecca Mitchell, director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board said “Time is not on our side. Hydrology is not on our side. That's the frightening reality Every day that passes this problem gets harder and harder to solve.”The water could drop below what's needed to generate power as soon as next year, according to water experts. If nothing is done  there is a real possibility water levels in both reservoirs will drop so low in the next two years that water will no longer flow downstream to the 40 million people in the West who rely on the Colorado River.To put it in perspective, this winter both reservoirs were about a quarter full - 25%. In December 1999, Lake Powell was at 88% capacity, and Lake Mead was at 96% capacity.  In 2021, Lower basin states faced their first-ever federally declared water shortage, which directs how much water states can draw from the Colorado River. Deeper cuts were declared this year.Ted Cooke, the general manager for the Central Arizona Project.In June, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton issued an ultimatum to states: Develop a plan to save 2 million to 4 million acre-feet of water by next year — roughly one-fifth of their currently allocations—or the federal government will step in.During a panel discussion at last week's convention in Las Vegas, representatives for the seven western states who rely on the Colorado River said reaching a compromise will be their collective priority for the next six months.They agree that the longer it takes to stabilize the river and conserve the water needed to keep the river functional, the more likely reservoir levels will continue to plummet, leaving states with fewer and fewer options.Just last week, all of Southern California was declared to be in a drought emergency by the Metropolitan Water District, the main water supplier for Los Angeles county.Officials for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation warned that aridification, the long-term shift to a drier climate, means even less snow runoff is making it to the river each year.Currently, there is nearly $4 billion set aside for the Colorado River that would allow the Bureau of Reclamation to use some funds to pay users to voluntarily forgo water use.“We have to accept that we can not cling to our entitlements or allocations. If they are not there none of it matters,” Mitchell continued. “Folks in the room have to be willing to let us make hard decisions, because this is going to be painful.” Becky Mitchell Colorado Water Conservation BoardSOURCE NM:New Mexico's HSD proposes medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated peopleBY: AUSTIN FISHER - DECEMBER 19, 2022 4:35 AMBeginning in 2024, New Mexico's Medicaid program could start providing medication-assisted treatment to incarcerated people 30 days before they are released, along with a 30-day supply of medication when they leave. The hope is that this will be a step toward reducing the harms of criminalizing substance use disorder, and producing better outcomes.In a 275-page application to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by the New Mexico Human Services Department published Friday, HSD says it hopes to ensure formerly incarcerated people stay on their medication after release, and don't commit more crimes, end up in an emergency room or unhoused.At any given time in New Mexico, more than 14,000 people are held in state, local or youth correctional facilities, and nearly 50,000 people churn through local jails in the state each year. according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by ACLU-NM and Disability Rights New Mexico, New Mexico's prison system forces people who are on medication for opioid use disorder, to withdraw from it when they enter prison.The lawsuit cites research showing that someone leaving incarceration is nearly 13 times more likely than the general population to die of an overdose in the first two weeks after their release.HSD wants to get people who are being held in jail before a trial, or who are imprisoned post-conviction, on Medicaid so they can get medication-assisted treatment while inside state prisons, local jails, youth correctional facilities, tribal holding facilities, tribal jails and at the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute.The department plans to focus on incarcerated people with serious mental health conditions, severe emotional disturbance, substance use disorder, or an intellectual or developmental disability. It estimates 7,500 people per year could benefit.COLORADO SUN:The biggest election 2022 spender in Colorado? Jared Polis — by a long shot.Sandra Fish3:41 AM MST on Dec 15, 2022Democratic Gov. Jared Polis spent $12.6 million of his own money on his successful reelection bid this year, more than any other state-level candidate. May sound like a lot,Polis' 2022 spending, however, didn't come close to the more than $23 million of his own wealth spent in 2018 to win his first gubernatorial campaign. After Gov Polis, the No. 2 state-level political spender in Colorado this year was Total Wine & More at $12 million. That money went toward supporting Proposition 124, an unsuccessful ballot measure that would have let the retail giant open more liquor stores in Colorado.A few more highlights from the final campaign finance reports: Democratic candidates dominated spending on state-level statewide contestsThe Polis campaign spent more than three times the $3.7 million spent by his Republican opponent, who lost by more than 19 percentage points.Polis spent $9 per vote cast in his favor in the general election, less than the $9.72 per vote he spent in the 2018 general election and far less than the nearly $40 per vote he spent winning a four-way primary that year.The Democratic Attorneys General Association's state super PAC spent $2.9 million supporting Phil Weiser against his GOP challenger, John Kellner. In the costliest state Senate contest, Jefferson County-based Senate District 20, Republican developer Tim Walsh loaned his campaign more than $1 million in his loss to Democratic state Rep. Lisa Cutter, who spent just $262,000.Democratic super PACs also outspent their Republican counterparts on state legislative races: All Together Colorado spent more than $11 million helping elect Democratic state Senate candidates, compared with the $8.5 million spent by Senate Majority Fund, which supported Republicans.Natural Medicine Colorado spent $4.46 per vote on Proposition 122, which legalized psilocybin mushrooms and was approved by nearly 54% of voters. Nearly $4.4 million of the total $5.8 million that was spent came from the national nonprofit New Approach and its federal PAC.Healthy School Meals For All Colorado Students spent $1.32 per vote in successfully passing Proposition GG, which eliminated a tax break for wealthy Coloradans so that schools can provide free meals to all students. Numerous nonprofits accounted for the committee's $1.8 million in spending.COLORADO NEWSLINE: Mayor Hancock works to address influx of migrantsBY: LINDSEY TOOMER - DECEMBER 15, 2022 3:37 PMDenver Mayor Michael Hancock has issued an emergency declaration so the city can more easily free up resources to support the ongoing influx of migrants into the city - having already spent upwards of $800,000 in city funds on the efforts.At a news conference at the city's Emergency Operations Center Thursday, Hancock said about 700 unhoused migrants had arrived in recent weeks. And he isn't sure how many more the city can expect. The original emergency shelter the city set up at a recreation center hit capacity with 275 people, leading to two more recreation centers being pulled into the effort.Hancock said at the news conference. “This influx of migrants, the unanticipated nature of their arrival, and our current space and staffing challenges have put an immense strain on city resources, to the level where they're on the verge of reaching a breaking point. What I don't want to see is a local humanitarian crisis of unsheltered migrants on our hands because of the lack of resources.”Mayor Hancock noted that most of the people seem to be coming through El Paso, Texas, and while the city has seen groups of migrants arriving for several months, only recently have they started arriving at the current volume and without notice. City officials say the migrants come from Central and South America, including Venezuela. Employees from multiple city agencies are being pulled from their regular duties and “working around the clock” to support them as they arrive, Hancock said. The city is most desperate for support when it comes to shelter space and staffing. Hancock asked that anyone who might have space that can serve as a shelter, or who can volunteer to help, reach out to the city's Emergency Operations Center at donations@denvergov.org. He thanked the many city staff, volunteers, nonprofit and faith organizations that have already stepped up to support the city's sheltering and reunification efforts. Hancock also thanked the hundreds of Denver residents who have donated clothing and supplies and asked for their continued patience as the city works through the situation. He said he has been in direct contact with Gov. Jared Polis as well as members of Colorado's federal Congressional delegation to help identify additional resources to help.Mayor Hancock also said, “We are committed to doing what we can for the migrants and the asylum seekers who have come here. But here in Denver and cities all over this country are once again having to respond because of the failure of our Congress and federal government to address a very critical situation … I'm not trying to sound political, but I'm trying to sound pragmatic and practical. This is going to continue to happen, continue to overwhelm cities all over this country until Congress works on fixing the situation.”Denver first opened an emergency shelter at an undisclosed recreation center on Dec. 6. There's an ongoing need for donations and local faith-based groups and nonprofits are continuing to assist the city with its efforts to support the migrants. The city has established a drop-off location for physical donations at Iglesia Ciudad de Dios located at 5255 W Warren Ave. in Denver. Donations are being accepted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.The city released a list of needed items, and noted that the list could change based on supply and demand:Coats (men's S and M, women's M) Pants (waist 30-33) SocksUnderwearWinter apparel (hats, gloves, scarves, boots)Children's clothing for ages 10 and younger Overall, the city said there is a high demand for new clothing for adults sizes small through large, with a special need for medium-sized clothing and winter weather clothing.The city is also asking local faith-based groups, non-profits and private sector partners to reach out if they are able to support its efforts by contacting the Emergency Operations Center at donations@denvergov.org.CONCERT PICK OF THE WEEK: The Roots, with support from Big KRIT: Tuesday December 27 at Denver's Mission Ballroom. GA tickets are $60 and available at axs.com. The Roots then play San Francisco on Thursday December 29, and Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. In 2023, their only U.S. show is in Chicago, March 18. Welp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from the Colorado Sun, 9NEWS Denver, Nevada Current, Colorado Newsline, Source NM, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

Host Kris Krane speaks with legendary activist Ethan Nadelmann, founder of the Drug Policy Alliance and one of the most influential thinkers in drug policy reform. Produced by Heather Sullivan.

Host Kris Krane speaks with legendary activist Ethan Nadelmann, founder of the Drug Policy Alliance and one of the most influential thinkers in drug policy reform. Produced by Heather Sullivan.

INTRODUCTION: Ifetayo Harvey is the founder and board president at the People of Color Psychedelic Collective. Ifetayo's experience of growing up with her father in prison brought her to drug policy reform work at the Drug Policy Alliance. In 2013, Ifetayo was the opening plenary speaker at the International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Denver, Colorado. Ifetayo briefly worked at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies in 2015 where she was inspired by Kai Wingo's Women and Entheogens Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. Ifetayo worked at the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) for five years because of her passion for ending the war on drugs. While at DPA, Ifetayo penned the piece Why the Psychedelic Community Is So White in 2016 and began organizing other folks of color and allies in psychedelic circles. Ifetayo comes from a family of seven children raised by her mother in Charleston, South Carolina. She has a Bachelor's degree from Smith College in history and African studies. INCLUDED IN THIS EPISODE (But not limited to):  ·      Breakdown Of What The POCPC Is·      Whiteness Controlling The Narrative ·      Racism in Drug Policy·      White Fragility ·      The Need For POC To Have Healing Spaces Apart From White People·      The Benefits Of Psychedelics – And Risks·      Stories Of Racism In The South·      Theory Vs. Real Life·      Internalized Superiority & Internalized Inferiority ·      The Student Loan Forgiveness Hypocrisy   CONNECT WITH IFETAYO: Website: https://www.pocpc.org/Website:  https://www.ifetayo.meYouTube: https://bit.ly/3FS2Z9xFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/pocpsychedelics/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pocpsychedeliccollective/Twitter: https://twitter.com/POCpsychedelicsLinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Fx8p9H  CONNECT WITH DE'VANNON: Website: https://www.SexDrugsAndJesus.comWebsite: https://www.DownUnderApparel.comYouTube: https://bit.ly/3daTqCMFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SexDrugsAndJesus/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sexdrugsandjesuspodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TabooTopixLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devannonPinterest: https://www.pinterest.es/SexDrugsAndJesus/_saved/Email: DeVannon@SexDrugsAndJesus.com  DE'VANNON'S RECOMMENDATIONS: ·      Pray Away Documentary (NETFLIX)o  https://www.netflix.com/title/81040370o  TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk_CqGVfxEs ·      OverviewBible (Jeffrey Kranz)o  https://overviewbible.como  https://www.youtube.com/c/OverviewBible ·      Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed (Documentary)o  https://press.discoveryplus.com/lifestyle/discovery-announces-key-participants-featured-in-upcoming-expose-of-the-hillsong-church-controversy-hillsong-a-megachurch-exposed/ ·      Leaving Hillsong Podcast With Tanya Levino  https://leavinghillsong.podbean.com  ·      Upwork: https://www.upwork.com·      FreeUp: https://freeup.net VETERAN'S SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS ·      Disabled American Veterans (DAV): https://www.dav.org·      American Legion: https://www.legion.org ·      What The World Needs Now (Dionne Warwick): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfHAs9cdTqg  INTERESTED IN PODCASTING OR BEING A GUEST?: ·      PodMatch is awesome! This application streamlines the process of finding guests for your show and also helps you find shows to be a guest on. The PodMatch Community is a part of this and that is where you can ask questions and get help from an entire network of people so that you save both money and time on your podcasting journey.https://podmatch.com/signup/devannon  TRANSCRIPT: [00:00:00]You're listening to the sex drugs and Jesus podcast, where we discuss whatever the fuck we want to! And yes, we can put sex and drugs and Jesus all in the same bed and still be all right at the end of the day. My name is De'Vannon and I'll be interviewing guests from every corner of this world as we dig into topics that are too risqué for the morning show, as we strive to help you understand what's really going on in your life.There is nothing off the table and we've got a lot to talk about. So let's dive right into this episode.De'Vannon: Ifetayo Harvey is the founder and board president at the People of Color, Psychedelic Collective, y'all. I love the name of that organization so much. I believe, I'll say it one more time. I said the people of color, psychedelic collective. Fat's experience of growing up with our father in prison ignited the spark that has led to this amazing individual's body of work in the area [00:01:00] of drug policy reform.Please join us today as we discuss politics, drugs, and how racism and whiteness plays into all of.Hello, all, all my beautiful souls out there. I appreciate each and every last one of you and the time that you take the tune into the sex drugs in Jesus podcast. Well, if today we're gonna be talking a lot more about drugs than we are gonna talking about the Lord, hallelujah. But I wouldn't be surprised if Jesus didn't do a little hit of something back in his day and you know what I mean?Just cuz it ain't written, don't mean it didn't happen. Hallelujah, tabernac and praise. So the day I have with me, lovely, lovely, lovely darling, lady by the name of Epi Atta darling, and she is the founder of the People of Color psychedelic Collective. Ain't that a fucking mouthful? I'm gonna say it again, [00:02:00] y'all.I'm say it again y'all. The people of color, psychedelic collective. My homeboy, Jay Schiffman, over at the Chooses Struggle podcast told me about this individual here and I felt like Dracula as we getting close to Halloween, I need to just sink my bangs into her. And today I have her. How are youIfetayo: Oh, I'm doing great now that I'm talking to you. Oh, how are you doing?De'Vannon: fan? Fucking fantastic. And you know, I'm on this whole new like drug discovery journey myself, and what I've been doing is working hard to siphon off out of my mind. The voices that I realized that were present affecting me that I didn't know. And what I mean by that, Voices from the military, voices from the church, voices from my parents' house.You know, I'm thinking, I say for instance, I used to really look [00:03:00] down upon drugs, you know, and things like that. Well, you know, I thought about it. It was like, okay, where the fuck did I get that from? Was that due to personal discovery? Was that what they told me? You know? And so many of the voices in my head I've been finding lately, even as I'm approaching 40, you know, it's still, you know, what they told me.And it's not actually my own voice. I've been angry about it. I've been pissed off about it. I've been up about it, I've been down about it. And so I love the work that you do. And it's so on tempo at the times right now, is this resurgence? You know, psychedelics is coming now. You started this back in 2017. And and so just tell us about. What in your words, the people of color psychedelic Collective is and why you started it?Ifetayo: Yeah, so people of Color Psych Collective, we are a non-profit doing education and community building for folks of color interested in learning about [00:04:00] psychedelics and ending the war on drugs. And so since we've started, we've done panel discussions, We've had a conference, we had a retreat and of course this covid started happening.We've done online workshops on varying topics. And the reason why I started was because I was tired of seeing whiteness dominate the conversation on psychedelics. And I was also tired of people trying to have conversations about race where they were afraid to speak directly on race and . Okay. I wanted to make a space for people to be able to.Talk about those things without having to worry about, Oh, what is this white person gonna think? Or, Oh, is white fragility gonna get in the way? Because a lot of times it does. So that was part of my motivation. The other part was [00:05:00] prior to me creating my organization, I worked at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, which is also a mouthful. People call it maps. And they do clinical research on psychedelics. And so I worked there for about eight months and I was the only black person there. And it was clear during my time that like working on, you know, racial trauma for black folks was not a priority. Working on even unpacking. The whiteness of the organization was not a priority either. And even involving black folks or other folks of color in their research wasn't our priority. And to me, in my mind, I was just like, we as black people, we have, you know, some, some of the highest rates of trauma in this country. You know, just [00:06:00] given our, how we got here, our story in this country. You know, I, I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, where we have a number of plantations, old historical sites is where a lot of us were brought through, right?A lot of our ancestors. So to me it just didn't make sense. , Black people's trauma wasn't being talked about. Indigenous folks'. Trauma wasn't being talked about or centered in these conversations around trauma. A lot of times it center just white, middle classness. Right. I was just tired of our trauma and our pain and our healing being second to theirs, and I wanted to create a space where we could talk about our experiences of using these substances, but also our experiences of the war on drugs and how it impacted our communities and how, you know, this new narrative of [00:07:00] psychedelics.You know, reemerging kind of leaves us out.De'Vannon: When you, Thank you for that beautiful breakdown. So when you mention the war on drugs, I like to to talk about it a little bit so, As I understand it, something I learned. I've been watching all my documentaries. I'm a documentary whore. I was watching that one, , How To Change Your Mind on Netflix. And then there's one on PBS called The History of Mental Illnesses.And they both went over like the different psychedelics. But what they, what they made me aware of was how psychedelics were used many years ago before, I think it was fdr, Franklin d Roosevelt, I think started that initial war on drugs. Don't quote me on that, but I think it was him. You know, And then all the clinical studies shut down because of the government policy.And so, and now we're seeing this resurgence of the psyche's coming back because the war on drugs clearly hasn't worked. And I was reading Emmi [00:08:00] Lord Emily Duff's book about, what's it called? Nope. I have to look that up because it's all about like marijuana. It's called grassroots and the rise and fall of marijuana, you know, in the book, her book and then the documentary gets into how, you know, drugs are demonized and they made it seem like people were gonna like, you know, smoke the weed and then go rape the white women, you know, and shit like that.You know, all of our mental health issues was us attacking someone else as opposed to something happening to us. But this is the trap we fall into when they, like you said earlier, going snatch our ancestors up out of Africa where they were just happy bouncing around doing them. Teddy's flopping in the red wind dick swinging as it should be Then here comes some people snatching you up and lo and behold, you [00:09:00] traveling internationally when you, you probably didn't know about no fucking other nations. And so, so the narrative was controlled by the people from CaucasianIfetayo: Mm-hmm.De'Vannon: so the c cassity of it all. And so I love how it's like, I feel like we're taking more of this power back or getting it for the first time maybe.You know, and a lot of this is coming through psychedelics, so I appreciate the fact that you, that you started this and then you stuck with it all this time. Covid has come, you still got it going on, so I commend you on that.Ifetayo: Oh, thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. And I think you make an interesting point about the history of drug prohibition in, in the US I will say. So it was Nixon who started the war on drugs, the official war on drugs, but even prior to Nicks and there were a lot of drug laws on the books. You know, we had alcohol [00:10:00] prohibition in the twenties and that didn't work.And lots of people die cuz they're making , you know, moon shine and other stuff. And it sometimes was poisoned or, you know and you're right, a lot of drug. Ma rooted in racism, just point blank period. I think you used the example of like the whole reefer madness talking about like the fear of you know, black men or Latino men smoking weed and going to have sex with white women.And that's pretty much, you know, the same for cocaine. Opium, It's, they've all been all these drugs have been used to build a certain narrative around racial groups, and it's all been built around white fear and white fragility. Yeah.De'Vannon: fragile though it don't take, it don't take much to piss Karen off. [00:11:00] Not at all. Not at all. And I, look, I'm not talking about all you white people out there. I've had to be so much white dick in my life. Real and I intend to have some more. So it's not all of y'all. You know who you are, Karen, probably not even listening to this type of show.maybe you are, of you're open minded. I had a dream like a couple of weeks or months ago or whatever, getting in this dream. It's like the Lord was telling me I've been a gifted dream or so It was about like four or five. That's how, that's how the spirit first revealed himself to me was it was like in this dream and I've been dreaming ever since,Ifetayo: mm-hmm.De'Vannon: but, but recently I had this dream and it was like, it was like these like conservative people, like white people were singing a song.Ifetayo: Hmm.De'Vannon: Whenever you hear music in a dream, a good thing, especially, well if it's melodious and.Ifetayo: I D.De'Vannon: but the heart song, like the heart message of it, the heart of the song was, is like they were [00:12:00] asking me like, is there a way, is there something they could do different? Is there, was there a way that they, something they could change?And I felt like, and I felt like, you know, that there is a, now we've always had like, you know, even back in slavery days, the, the white defectors, you know, the, our allies, you know, But in this dream here, these were people who have been closed minded to the struggles of minorities and people who are different from them.And it's like, in this dream, it's like the Lord is showing me that. Like, maybe he's like, he's turning their hearts or they're changing their minds, or something like that. And so I'm, I'm revealing this dream here to say that I think that the work that you're doing and stuff like that, even though these people might not, you know, go on the news, go on Fox News wherever, and say they're changing their minds. I think it's making a difference because otherwise that dream wouldn't have come to me because I don't, I don't invest a lot of energy into trying to change conservative people. I focus on the people they have hurt, [00:13:00] and so I really think that what you're doing is going a long way.Ifetayo: Well, thank you. Thank you. That's, that's, that means a lot especially, you know, caring or connecting that to your dream. Cuz I'm really into dream meetings. And yeah, it's, it sometimes feels like our country's progressing into old ideas or outdated ideas, but I, I still have hope that, you know, that's not the case for a majority of the people, even though sometimes the kids feel like.De'Vannon: Yeah, that's why it's good to take a media purge Sometimes I just don'tIfetayo: Oh yeah.De'Vannon: for like a few days and just detox a media detox.Ifetayo: Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm.De'Vannon: So the services you provide, I'm gonna talk about 'em from your website, beautiful website, y'all. All that information will go in the showy [00:14:00] notes, as it always does. And then they're, they're on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, all of that will go in the showy notes. You know, you have like community building, education, arts and culture. So do kind a person like walk into like your office and receive some sort of service, or are you mainly doing outreach, like on the ground? What is it?Ifetayo: Mm-hmm. . Yeah. So interesting. We are remote based. We've always been remote based since before the pandemic. I live in New York and I've been in New York for about six years, and I have folks in DC Chicago go. Colorado and California, and Portland, Oregon. So we don't provide any direct services partly because a lot of these substances are illegal. So we cannot legally, I mean, in some states, , well, I would say [00:15:00] decriminalized, but in some, in some states it would be decriminalized. But we can, we can't do like psychedelic therapy or like a healing ceremony officially under our organization. But we do connect people, you know, if someone like reaches out to us and say like, Hey, I need help.We can connect people to other services practitioners and other resources out there. And you know, before the pandemic we would go to different cities. Events and, you know, do discussions. Theres, so, like back in 2018, we did a kind of like a partnership panel with the DC Psychedelic Society and the Philadelphia Psychedelic Society.And we talked about patriarchy and psychedelics and that, I mean, much needed conversation. So we'll do, we'll do things like that. I hope in the future we're able to do more direct [00:16:00] services. We've been really focused on building our capacity as an organization. So like we recently incorporated as a non-profit and we're waiting for our 5 0 1 C three to come in and we we received our first grant last year.So yeah, we're, we're, we're slowly building toward that. And I I put emphasis on the slowly because. I think that there's this trend in the site up space for everyone to wanna start their own group and just be known for psychedelics and . That's cool, but it's not sustainable. There's a lots of, you know, different people out there and, and psychedelics are powerful substances.And I am in no rush to, you know, I don't wanna say I'm, I'm not in a rush to give people psyched dogs. I mean, I'm not doing that, but I'm just not in a rush to do that because I know that they're [00:17:00] very powerful substances and it, they take some preparation and and it's also not something to play around with. I, I believe in building a strong container of care for folks if you're going to hold space for them. And I think you do that by being. Prepared. So studying and also just being ethical. So, yeah.De'Vannon: You all, I might have to get your Portland Connect and your New York connection referral cause I'll be in Portland at the end of the month dealing about doing some on the ground research.Ifetayo: Okay.De'Vannon: And I have some jet blue miles that I need to burn. And from New Orleans down here where near where I live, they Jet Blue only goes to New York Fort Lauderdale and Boston.And I've been all three of 'em already, so I may need to come fuck with y'all in the, in the end. Why?Ifetayo: [00:18:00] Yes.De'Vannon: So, so you mentioned a couple of other organizations that you partner with.Ifetayo: Mm-hmm.De'Vannon: You had mentioned maps already. I noticed that I dropped the donation on y'all earlier. You.no. No problem honey. But, and I'm not, I'm not really bragging about that.But when I did it, the, that, like the thank you page said like maps and everything like that. So are you still connected directly with.Ifetayo: Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Yeah. Funny how that works. We are fiscally sponsored by maps. So before, I would say from 2017 to 2020, we were I believe we were, yeah, we were incorporated as a non-profit. And when we got our grant, we were kind of in a time crunch because they were like, We wanna give you this money and we're going to offer you a match component, a $10,000 match. So we're like, Okay, well we don't have a 5 0 1 C [00:19:00] three, so how do we do this ? And they're like, Oh, well, if that's the case, we may not give you the money. . No, I'm just kidding. They didn't say that. But we had to figure out like, how are we gonna do this? And so maps, we looked at a couple other organizations maps had the internal infrastructure set up so we could do that quickly and be able to receive our grant fully.So in a way I kinda, I kind of look at it as like . It's kind of like, Oh yeah, y'all owe us this, you know, so it won't be forever. But you know, it's, it's for now.De'Vannon: Yeah. Well, congratulations on your 5 0 1 3 C status. I, I know it's there. I just know.Ifetayo: ThankDe'Vannon: And y'all for, for those of you who don't know, MAP stands for Multidisciplinary association folks, Psychedelic studies. I didn't know this much research in this much [00:20:00]organization, this many organizations was built around this.You let the news tell it. You know, you let the media tell it. Everything about shrooms and all the different psychedelics is just the devil. you know, that's not, that's just actually not the case at all Now. Now I mentioned earlier some of the pillars that you mentioned on your website, community building, education, arts, and culture.I love a quote that you have on there from arts and culture. Then I wanna talk about the art show you did in 2021. Now you said, quoting from the website along with policy and education, art in all its forms, brings about cultural change. End quote. What does that statement mean to you?Ifetayo: Well, to me it means that, Cultural change is just as impactful, if not more impactful than policy change. I've worked for a few organizations that do policy advocacy work, and I, I don't do policy advocacy work. That's not my day [00:21:00] job. I'm more of a digital communications person. But I'm not very motivated by policy work cause I don't like politicians. And I think, I mean, yeah, politicians aren't to be liked either, right? Like we treat politicians like celebrities and I mean, fuck celebrities too, but yeah, we treat them like they're our friends and it's like, no, like screw those people. So and I think. Honestly, Bureaucracy's gonna be the death of a lot of us.Like bureaucracy in this country just stops a lot of progress from happening. And the way that our political landscape is set up in this country is just, it's just a mess. So . So that's that. I do believe, I do believe that policy can change people's lives, but I do think cultural change can be more impactful.It can be more fun, [00:22:00] it can be more engaging. And at my day job, I work for a caregiver advocacy org. We have a culture change department. And so what they do a lot of times is work with influencers, celebrities, artists, musicians, actors, actresses, and get them to kind of look at our issue a little differently and maybe speak on our issue, work with us, some of the folks. In the culture change department. They also work in Hollywood writer's rooms, so getting our narratives on TV shows in film. And I, I do think that work like that gets people talking a lot quicker. I often find that policy is very jargony and not easily understandable by the average person. And I do think that's partly done by design But I'm also, you know, I'm a, I'm a child of music [00:23:00]education. I grew up you know, in South Carolina studying music since I was a kid. And it had a huge impact on my life. And I feel like what I've been noticing is. That's kind of fading away as a part of our education in the US music and arts education. And so something I'm, I'm very passionate about overall, I think that, you know, when we get, you know, people who, with influence speaking about our issues, whether it be a celebrity or just a community leader, people start to pay attention. People start to think about it differently. Unfortunately, that's just how our society works.We need a celebrity or someone with influence to speak on our to speak on our issue. And, you know, I, Hmm, Yeah, I think that, [00:24:00] that's all I'll say on that.De'Vannon: We'll love it. And, and y'all can check out a video that has to do with this art show on the website. There's lots of videos on the website and and, and of course, obviously on their YouTube channel. I love how, you know, your videos bring so much of your work to life. Can you talk to us about like the, the, the education leg, because on your website there's like you speaking at. These different conferences and things like that, there's the one conference that you spoke at you know, according to the website, you woke up with a stomach virus that day or in a food poisoning. You had food poisoning that instead of canceling it, you, you took a seat and you went on ahead and you let the Good times rollers, where, say, down here in the Cajun land, Leslie Le Bon. So, so, so, so talk to us about, about your, your speaking engagements and how, what it's been like to travel with your message.Ifetayo: Yeah, yeah. That particular speech you're [00:25:00] referencing was last year in Vegas at Meet Delic. And that was an interesting event because it was like very industry side. And so I was speaking about how we need to move beyond just the notion of wellness and how wellness has shortcomings. I think that along with the resurgence of psychedelics in the media and just in our communities in general, we're also seeing, you know, a lot of talk of varying healing modalities.And while important, I think we, we could sometimes use wellness as an escape from actually organizing. Improving our communities. And I think that there are a lot of people in the psychedelics space who, who think that by taking psychedelics, they're going to be more [00:26:00] involved, more liberated than other folks without any, doing any political work or community organizing or building or that kind of thing. So I'm often, you know, the person in a lot of these events and conferences, kind of reminding people that like structural oppression exists and psychedelics aren't coming to change that. Because I think that for a lot of folks, they just think like, Oh yeah, just take psyched dose and boom, that's, you know, and I wish it was that easy, but it's not.So I, I have to remind people that. Sure you could legalize, psyched dogs or decriminalize psychedelics, but are you integrating those substances into a burning house? Cause I mean, look at our healthcare system. Look at, I mean, just to say of our country in general. I've also given talks on like why the why people of color need our own intentional healing spaces away [00:27:00] from white folks.And for a lot of people, this is just common sense , obviously, we, you know, people don't wanna heal in the same places or with the same people who hurt them. And a lot of times when we do try to have complex conversations around race, whiteness gets in the way and detracts and sinners itself and makes everything about them.So a few years ago I gave a talk in Oakland, California. at the Women's Visionary Congress, this is in 2019. And so I was giving a talk about why p POC and digital healing spaces are necessary. And you know, I'm basically saying what I just said about how whiteness the tracks from our healing and all that.And it was a very powerful speech. I'm not saying that to brag, but I'm just I'm saying that to say like, I noticed people [00:28:00] had a very strong reaction to what I was saying. Like people did not, they were just like, Oh shit. Like, damn, you know, . And at first I initially, I told the some of the MCs at the event, I was like, I don't wanna do q and a, cuz I don't feel like dealing with any white nonsense.Right. And the person I'm seeing, there's a mix up and she took questions anyway. And so I was like, Okay, I'll, I'll answer one or two. And this white guy John Gilmore, I believe he's a, he's a board member at maps or donor maps, some rich white dude He basically says like, Oh, well what if I start a Whites only conference?Wouldn't that be racist? And I was like, Well, that's already how maps this conference is. So you wouldn't really be doing anything different than what you're already doing. And [00:29:00] if you want to compare POC and facial healing spaces to like whites only segregation in the us that's, that's on you. That's . And yeah, he thought he was being cute and he wasn't.He, there's actually a video of you wanna watch it, of this whole moment happening, But he felt real dumb after he said that. SoDe'Vannon: Honey, you opened the library on his ass. Mama RuPaul would be so proud of you. The library was open. So y'all, what she's talking about is like basically how, how did I learn this in college? Like it doesn't really, it's not gonna benefit us if individual parts are whole, but the sum total isn't whole. Kind of like that. So if, if a few of us are making it, but everybody else isn't making it, then we're all still fucked.OverallIfetayo: [00:30:00] Mm-hmm.De'Vannon: you know, But so like in the future, how I know. So, so psychedelics isn't gonna solve everything overnight, instantly. Is there, Can it benefit us getting further along as a.Ifetayo: Hm, mm-hmm. . I think that it can, but with a lot of caveats, I think, well there's this, okay, there's this notion in this psychedelic space, a lot of researchers, a lot of just advocates in general or over height, the benefits of psychedelics and totally under height, the risk associated with psychedelics.So I've been in meetings with people, I've been on panels with people who are like, Oh, psychedelics have a low risk profile. What does that mean? does it? Like, what does that mean? You know? There have [00:31:00] been plenty of people who've, who've been traumatized by using psychedelics. There have been people who killed themselves, or people who killed their families while using psyched.Right? So it's, it's kind of messed up to kind of present it as, oh, this, it's safe. The, the risks are low, or, Oh, it's super dangerous, like you're gonna die to do it. Like, we have to give people realistic information. And so that's why I say caveats. Psychedelics aren't for everyone. There are certain people who can't take it, whether they're pregnant, you know, they might be on a certain medication, they might have a certain disability where it's hard for them to take psychedelics.A lot of people, you know, in this country are poor. I grew up poor in the US and you know, my mom's a single parent of seven kids. She could not afford to take off a day to go do some mushrooms or go to a retreat. So those are [00:32:00] those things I just wanna acknowledge are real. But can psychedelics help people in general and with trauma and move our, move our culture forward?Some, I think, yeah, it does have that potential under the right conditions. Something that people say in the psychedelic and harm reduction space is set and setting, which is like kind of a harm reduction monster that people use or they're referring to the place you're in, the setting and the place you're in also in your mind and in life in general and who you're what to say that you should only use second of substances in a place where you're comfortable and with people you trust.And I think that also applies on a macro level too. Psychedelics have the potential to yes, move us forward create better mental health options for folks given the right set and setting. [00:33:00] If we don't have universal healthcare, how much forward is it gonna move us if psychedelic therapy's outta reach?For most folks, if psychedelic therapy's the only thing legalized and recreational use to psyched dust is still legal, then people are still going to be arrested. So I believe that we have to make the conditions right for psyched ups to have a positive impact because if not, it's just going to be, you know, done into our already existing circus. And I don't think that will necessarily make a lasting, impactful change.De'Vannon: right? So you're saying if, if you gonna do this shit, do this shit, write, know, realistically cover everybody and be sure everyone has access to it and dribble the shit around and henpeck at it.Ifetayo: Yeah.De'Vannon: [00:34:00] So, so I wanted to to echo, so, you know, when, when she says like, poc, that's like people of color, like, like that's what that the elder peopleIfetayo: Mm-hmm.De'Vannon: would tell me, like the stories of the things that white people would do to them when they were younger. Now these people were born in like, say like, teens, twenties, 19 teens, twenties, thirties, growing up in the south here in Louisiana. I got called a nigger once,Ifetayo: All right.De'Vannon: there were other, like, I got called like a, like an a or monkey by this white boy one time, you know, in school, you know, things like that.Ifetayo: Mm-hmm.De'Vannon: Didn't happen so much that I would say like, that cemented my perception of white people because I've also had a lot of white people open doors for me in my life, whereas the black people stood in my way. So I was like at a juxtaposition in a crossroads and not really understanding some of the things, you know, some of [00:35:00] the trauma that the elders still held onto.But now that I'm older, I get how hard it can be to really heal of some things. And I would tend to stick with you even if, if you don't want it to. And I never could get it, but I get it now and I don't hold that against them. And so they would tell us how they'd be walking to school because, no, the black people didn't have cars.You know, they didn't have backpacks cuz they took like strings to just tie the books together and the white people would zoom by them in their cars and run them into dishes and stuff like that, you know, and try to, you know, and just, you know, You know, just mean shit like that. That doesn't make any sense.You're already in a, in a, in a nice vehicle. They're on the street walking to the same place you're going, You're even not even gonna offer to, to r pick them up and take them. That's, that's not bad enough. You're gonna try to run them over on the way just for shits and giggles, and, and that sort of shit.And now these people are like in [00:36:00] elementary school, low grade schools when this is happening. And when they grew up into worse racism. And, and then this trickles down into people who, you know, into, even in my generation. And so this is why, you know, you know when, when my guest here says that black people don't need to be around white people sometimes when we heal, this is whyIfetayo: Yeah. Oh yeah, a hundred percent. And it's, I've been in like those racial justice trainings with white folks. And for me it's really frustrating when I have to witness a white person, like realize that black people are people for the first time. It's really frustrating. And I, and I know a lot of white people, even some black people will be like, Oh, well what's the big deal?Like, why can't you just, you know, be in this racial justice training together? And I'm like, It's no, like, this isn't, this to, for them is theory for us. It's our [00:37:00] lives. And so, you know, what you were just sharing about the elders in your family know, stuff like dealing with those races attached is something that I grew up with.You know, my mom was born in the fifties in North Georgia. and she also told me stories of, you know, the night riders or you know, white people shoot a or cops beating up family members for no reason. Even my grandma, my grandma will be 86 this year. She , Her memory is amazing. But she was telling my sister that when she was a kid, Yeah, white kids used to call the niggers too.And she's like, Yeah, we pulled our pants down at 'em . So we, I think we as black people have to realize that like, yeah, this trauma shit is real. It's in our parents, our grandparents, it's in us too. [00:38:00] And if that means, you know, letting your white friend know that, Hey, I wanna talk about this. I've had white people try to talk about, you know, mass incarceration with me or, and you know, other things that.Hit close to home to me. And I don't like talking to him about it because if it's not something you experience, you aren't gonna have the same perspective as I do. Right. Just like I don't have the same perspective as my dad is, you know, he's someone who's actually been in prison. I wasn't. So, I can only share it from my perspective, but a lot of people will use these topics like incarceration as just spotter for conversation and or to look cool.And I'm just, I'm, I don't, that's not why I do this. Yeah. And a and a lot of people will say that, you know, they're [00:39:00] against their war on drugs or they're against this, they're against that. And I think on an intellectual or academic level, a lot of folks are, But when it comes to. on the street. It's a lot different.So I, that's why I think it's so important for us as black people to have our own space. And other folks of color too, because we're at a different level when we talk about these things. We're like in the senior seminar course, the white kids are in the one on one freshman course when they talk about it. A lot of them think that they're on our level when it comes to talking about this stuff, but they're not. And even, you know, I know my organization called the POC Psyched Collective, but same goes for a lot of non-black people of color too. Some of them just, some of them are racist a lot. Some of them are more racist than the white rednecks I grew up with. [00:40:00] So, yeah.De'Vannon: Oh, those are those Mexicans for Trump and shit like that, and the damn gay Republicans and shit.Ifetayo: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You'd be like, Why are you so damn racist? Like, what is, where is this coming from? You know? But yeah, it's, it's a real thing, so,De'Vannon: Well, I think a lot of it gets back to what I was saying at the top of the show about how like the voices, you know, in my head, they mimic themselves as being my own, but they're not, you know, a kid isn't really just born racist. Somebody taught his little as that shit, you know, You know. But they haven't yet come to a point where they go, Maybe the elders in my family were wrong about a black person only being three fourths of a person.You know, They haven't reconciled their own voice yet, you know? Cause no logical person with a heart and a soul can look at, you know, things that happened in our country now and then in the history and [00:41:00] make the, make it logical. But when people's parents tell them that a black person is less than you, that Mexican person is less than you, that gay person is less than you, that gets ingrained in them.And it's, and I and I, I've studied hypnotherapy. I'm a licensed hypnotist. It is difficult. To upo, somebody's upbringing. You know those, that those voices out of their head. Now some people, some white people I know can't fucking stand their families. They're like, I can't racist sons of bitches. You know, I know some white people who, who have such white guilt, they're just like, God damn, and I was born the wrong raise.These white people ain't worth shit. And it stars my family up. They all burn in hell.Ifetayo: Hmm.De'Vannon: Who am I to argue with them? Know they family. I do.Ifetayo: Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Yeah. And I think you know what you're saying [00:42:00] about the voices in your mind, like not always being you, but maybe mimicking you. Goes to show that a lot of this stuff, whether it be drug propaganda or white supremacy, takes a lifetime to unpack. You know, like a lot of times people, when they come to like an event I'm speaking at, they're like, Oh, well how can I get involved?I wanna do something. And I'm like, I, I'll tell people to slow down. I'm like, Just, y'all need to read first. , y'all need to read and learn first, because we all have that intern. Jaga, we all have biases against people who use drugs, especially people addicted, especially black drug users. And we also have internalized white supremacy, like black people do.We have internalized inferiority and white people. They have internalized superiority. And it, it kills me when I, you know, see why people who, they don't necessarily say this, but they act like they've done the work [00:43:00] on anti-racism and they're good. And it's like, no, this is a, this is a lifetime of work.And then some, you know, so you should never stop learningDe'Vannon: Knowledge is power. And as you're saying that, I was thinking about it, I was reading this report cuz I follow like the the decriminalization of the drugs in Oregon because I think that's one of the most miraculous and great. That's happening in my fucking lifetime, and I cannot wait to get there at the end of the month to show my ass.But one of these cops was whining because they were like, The power's been taken for us. The streets are just running rampant with drugs and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm all like, Bishop, you already, they're already running rampant with drugs. Stop being a drama queen. And what he's really whining about though, is his ability to be superior over people for having a chrome of dope or a half a tablet, half a Phoenix or whatever, and throwing a black boy in jail for one fucking pill, you know, for 15 [00:44:00] months or whatever.They, they can't do that to us anymore. So they're trying to act like, you know, the, the city's just lawless outta control, but really they hurt. They bud hurt, they hurt probably just cuz they can't dominate us and they ain't got the power no moreIfetayo: Yep. Yep. That's, that's facts. That's facts. And yeah. There's, there's so many like. Unfounded Narrows being pushed right now in a lot of major cities. Here in New York, it's the homelessness and the crime epidemic apparent, like quotes around that . But yeah, people there. I, so I worked on the campaign in Oregon.My old organization, Drug Policy Alliance funded that campaign. And so I was working the night that it got found or that the bow initiative got passed. And it was really crazy because being online and seeing people's reaction to it, [00:45:00] they were just like, what? Like people could not believe that it was real.And that was so fascinating to me because for a lot of folks, like my mom who's, who's 66, she never thought that she would be able to walk into a dispensary and buy weed. That was not the thing she thought about in the seventies, but she was my age. And now it's the thing in some places. So, yeah, it's, it's interesting and I think a lot of people are losing their shit over the fact that, yeah, they don't have power over us anymore.I mean, look at how many people reacted to the whole student loan forgiveness program that Biden in and out. People are mad. People are mad that black people have a chance at getting further in. That we have less barriers to go to college, that we have less barriers to get opportunities that makes people mad.And a lot of the progress that's hindered in this country is because of that. [00:46:00] Cuz white folks do not want us to have the same opportunities as them. That's why our public transit infrastructure in the US sucks. That's why people are okay with defunding public education because anything that benefits poor black people, , they don't care about, they're okay with increasing police budgets because that means there'll be more of them to keep us in check.De'Vannon: As the Lord said, amen and amen system. I mean it in the most non churchy way. But, but as the Lord said it, you know, in the Bible, you know, freely you have received, bitch freely give, I'm adding the bitch to it. Jesus didn't say that, but he probably thinking it. it, they, people are coming from a very, very bitter place when they bitter energy, whatever you wanna call it, negative space, LDL below, whoever.The shit ain't good when you have made it and you're gonna be particular about how the fuck somebody else makes it. So maybe you didn't get your [00:47:00] student loan forgiven, but I bet you somewhere in your life somebody gave you some shit you didn't really deserve and you took that shit, scooped it on up and I throwing off into the sunset and, and, you know, and ain't never even looked back.And you may not have even said thank you. And You know, so this is how people become hypocrites and stuff. The sort of stuff Jesus preach. Again, you may not think you being hypocritical, but the Lord remembers that time when, and even though you may have forgotten it, so the fuck what? I don't care my forgiven because I'm a 100% disabled veteran.I was praying, Lord, just wipe it all out for, you know, I don't care this, just let it go because I'm not a bitter broken bitch. And so I'm not sitting around here trying to find ways to be mad at people's progress. You know? Then half the politicians bitching. I love how the White House read them forIfetayo: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That was funny.De'Vannon: you wanna, wanna complain about them getting this forgiven, but you got a few hundred thousand forgiven.Ifetayo: Yeah. Right, right. [00:48:00] Yeah,De'Vannon: 10,000, but you got half a million. Bitch, go set on your ass somewhere.Ifetayo: yeah,De'Vannon: have several seeds,Ifetayo: yeah. They're proud to be hypocrites. Like they're tol. It's like no moral compass. Just, and then the crazy thing is, is that they'll say they're Christians and it's like, and you know, it's funny, I didn't grow up Christian. I grew up in South Harris, so I was around a lot of Christians, but I didn't grow up Christian.And there's so many people who give Christians a bad name like that, who I'm just like, This is not what Jesus was about. like Jesus, Jesus was about. You know, like you were saying, giving freely, he fucked with sex workers. You know, he hung out with us gays. Like he, he was not about all this shit that they make him seem about, and he probably spoke some weed too, or did some shoes, I don't know.De'Vannon: Right. That's cause it's not written. No mean it didn't happen. There's a whole [00:49:00]30, the 31st, 30 years of his life isn't really, really recorded. After he ran away from his parents in the temple, he didn't really run away, but he was like, Y'all, I got shit to do. You know, So who fuck knows what he did. And so I think he experienced life personally. Yeah.I wanna talk about before we wrap it up, I wanna talk about some of the good things. So, so what have we talked about so far? Some of the stigma surrounding psychedelics, A lot about what your organization does because I want everyone to go to your website. I'm having my assistant add your website to my resources page.Ifetayo: Well, thank you.De'Vannon: yes indeed. Any time, my dear. Because I was inspired to go on a psychedelics journey when I watched you know how to change your mind on Netflix and the history of mental illnesses on pbs. I was watching how the veterans and everything like that who have been struggling with ptsd. I'm a veteran with ptsd, you know, all this psych drugs, they give us the VA to shit don't work, it just be having us like zombies.And I'm watching these documentaries. They did two or three MDMA trips and they haven't had the [00:50:00] ptsd, PTSD problems since. So I'm here for it for the veterans. I'm here for Joe Bidens trying to get the M D M. Legalize, even if it's just at the clinic level, bitch, I will take it because I have been locked up in the mental hospital for some of these veterans before I got four felonies and I'd probably been in the mental hospital about 4, 5, 10, 50, 11 times too.You, if, if MD a is what it'll take for some of my fellow veterans to stop imagining the square tiles on the floor moving and shit like that. The shit that I witnessed when I was in there and shitting all over the floor and whatnot. Bitch give him his goddamn M D M A now. What have you witnessed in your, in like, I know y'all don't give the drugs to people cuz you can't and stuff like that, but have you heard of any stories where somebody was this way and then they got better after doing the psychedelic therapy?You know, with, with a therapist or in a safe space, any positive tells, You can tell.Ifetayo: Yeah. Yeah. I'm happy to share a little about my [00:51:00] story psychedelics, but in general, you know, I've heard people so many stories of folks saying that psychedelics have helped them with body image issues. Depression, ptsd, anxiety, O c D all kinds of things. For me personally, I got into psychedelics when I was in college. I was really depressed my senior year. And I was dealing with suicidal thoughts. I felt just passively suicidal. And it was my senior year, so, you know, when you're a senior, like turn up, you know, everybody's trying to be that . And for me, the depression hit me hard, like really, really hard that year.And it was debilitating. And, you know, I was, I had been in therapy for some time and I got prescribed like, well be shrimp. And I decided not to [00:52:00] take it cuz I, I was a little scared, I was cautious. My mom's also like a herbalist and they get a homeopathic stuff, so she's like against all that stuff.And so that's how, that was my upbringing. You know, I have a lot of friends who, Take antidepressants and it works really well for them. So I'm not, I'm not knocking it. But for me, I was, I was scared. , they said it would take away my sex drive. I was like, Oh no. Hell nowSo, so it was kind of crazy looking back at it. So basically I had interned at the Drug Policy Alliance as a media intern. I started writing about my experience of my dad going to prison and being deported, and they invited me to their conference to speak. So I spoke my first time really speaking in an audience that big. I like broke down in tears.It was [00:53:00] really cathartic for me. And, but at the same time, I knew I was under all that, I was still depressed. So I went to this panel on like end of life. End of life anxiety and p and psychedelics. So they were talking about treating people with like terminal illnesses like cancer with L S D. And I was like, Huh, this is interesting.For some reason I related to it, so I was like, I'm gonna go and do some mushrooms. So I went back to school after the conference and I was talking to my friends cuz I knew they dabbled in psychedelic. I was like how do I do mushrooms, ? At that point I only tried alcohol and wheat. I was so sonner in college.I, I still am. And so they're like, take three and a half grams, maybe put in some peanut butter cuz they taste kind of nasty. And then they're, then they're like, yeah, [00:54:00] like go in the woods or something. Like go in nature. Oh yeah. Have a sitter too. So I got my, I got my friend to, to sit for me and I ate the three and a half grams of mushrooms and went on a walk in the woods on this nature trail.It's really beautiful, overwhelming, at the same time. Experience. It lasted about eight hours for me, and it felt like a jolt that I needed in that time, like being really depressed and suicidal. I felt like I had this jolt just being like, ah, you know, like, of like release, but also happiness and beauty.Like it was showing me the beauty of life, why we're here. Yeah, it just, it, it just showed me a different side of life. It reminded me of my childhood imagination. Like we were in the woods and like the, the trees were glistening. The. The plants were talking [00:55:00] like, it, it just felt very surreal. I was, I was kind of freaking out.I was like, This is too much. So me and my friend, she took me back to my room and I felt a little bit better there. I was like, less freaked out. But yeah, it, it helped me see myself in a different context. When you are depressed, you're so used to a certain narrative that you have about yourself. It could be, Oh, I'm stupid, I'm dumb, I'm worthless, blah, blah, blah. when you take mushrooms or some other psychedelic, maybe you're seeing yourself from a, like, like, you're basically seeing yourself from a different person's perspective, like almost from the outside. And it helps you have a lot more compassion for yourself. Like you see yourself as a person, not as like,You. So I think that can be helpful [00:56:00] for anyone who's stuck in a rut, whether it be depression whether it be, you know, just bad habits that you've been trying to break for a long time. Yeah, and it, I mean, and the most important thing was that it just made me feel really happy. Like, I was laughing, like I never laughed before like giggling like a baby, you know?And that was really important because when you're depressed and down, your body forgets what it's like to laugh, like. And when you laugh like that, it's like, whoa. Like that feeling is so amazing. And when you're on Trus, you, I mean, for me at least, I laugh, I laugh a lot. things could be really, really funny.You could also go from crying to laughing, like in five seconds, , just like that. But I think that's beautiful too because that's how life can be. You know, things can be good. One minute and boom, things can change and you have to adjust and you have to [00:57:00] keep going and learn how to adapt with all those things.And for me, my, that's kind of what my work is about. You know, we're all adapting, we're all changing, but we can also use these substances as tools to change our worlds and help people like, help people with disabilities, help people who, you know, are born without certain privileges. A better place for them.De'Vannon: See the Lord is giving us everything we need right outside nature and how, how dare the white man tried to, to tell us something's wrong with these things that just grow naturally. Shrooms and weed and the, the fucking mold on the wheat that they make the fucking l s d out of and stuff like that. It's all line naturality.It's organic nun gmo, gmo, all of that. I'm sorry. You went through all those things. You went through being depressed during, during what's [00:58:00] so supposed to be such a happy time, but I'm glad you got your breakthrough. Yes. From those documentaries I watched, it seems like they were suggesting that these psychedelics have the power to rewrite like the, the neuro connectivity of the brain.So like, like you're saying, when you get, when you get sad and you get stuck in that ruck rut where you're teaching, where your mind learns how to be sad, and then these psyched dealers can remind your mind what it's like to be happy and rewire the way you process information and process life. So it can give you a whole new framework to work from. So,Ifetayo: Mm-hmm.De'Vannon: and I didn't really get into the types of psychedelics because I was watching like, I think on your YouTube channel of, I think it's in the intro video on there, you had this panel of people like y'all, y'all if Fatal, Ifta loves her panels, he loves a panel.Ifetayo: You'reDe'Vannon: It is good to have all those perspectives.But the [00:59:00] one you had, they were going over all the different psychedelics and I knew about the Melin and the, the celli and the ganja, you know, and all that. But then they started going down. He was like, But it's like, you know, designer, now you have all these different wands. And it's like, so I was like, Oh shit, I don'tIfetayo: Yeah.De'Vannon: but y'all go to the website to learn more about the different types of psyched dials. Listen to their, the information or YouTube channel she mentioned like dismantling the patriarchy. There's information and in other shows she's gone on, on her website that mentions. That, that you can access through the website that I would put in the show notes. Grief loss to death and harm reduction, things like that. You know, that you mentioned all of these are potential benefits for psychedelics when it's done right and in the right setting. I'm so happy that it's coming back around cuz all this Ritalin and shit, they got kids on calling them adhd, whatever the fuck that is.You know, all this medicine that they've had us hopped up [01:00:00] on, all it is is legal drugs. We should be able to have our shit, not just what they tell us is okay because they haven't so,So I'm gonna let you have the last word. Say whatever is you want to.Ifetayo: Oh man, you . I, I'll just say you've been an amazing host. I, I was not expecting this. You're awesome. You've like, I do a lot of podcasts, interviews and you've been the most fun. So IDe'Vannon: Well, damn. Thank you. Thank, I'll take, I'll take allIfetayo: Yes. Keep doing. You Don't change. And thank you to all your listeners. Check us out www.pocpc.org. Thank you for having me.De'Vannon: Absolutely. Thank you very much. Fat Tayo. Thank y'all so [01:01:00] much for listening and we'll see you next time on the Sex Drugs in Jesus podcast and tell them don't listen to nobody but show self.Thank you all so much for taking time to listen to the Sex Drugs and Jesus podcast. It really means everything to me. Look, if you love the show, you can find more information and resources at SexDrugsAndJesus.com or wherever you listen to your podcast. Feel free to reach out to me directly at DeVannon@SexDrugsAndJesus.com and on Twitter and Facebook as well.My name is De'Vannon, and it's been wonderful being your host today. And just remember that everything is gonna be all right. 

Andy spends time with Ethan Nadelmann, founder of The Drug Policy Alliance, which aims to end the disastrous "war on drugs." Andy prompts all the pertinent questions you've been dying to ask. Plus! We got the Godfather of the jam scene joining us: Pete Shapiro phones in to help close out the show this week! Big news from our dear brother: Vince Herman is coming to a town near you- check him out with The Vince Herman Band! New album is done AND we're out on the road with our buddies, Little Stranger?? Don't forget to catch the band in a town near you: andyfrasco.com/tour Follow us on Instagram @worldsavingpodcast For more information on Andy Frasco, the band and/or the blog, go to: AndyFrasco.com Check out Andy Frasco & The U.N. (Feat Little Stranger)'s new song, "Oh, What A Life" on iTunes, Spotify  More on Ethan Nadelmann Produced by Andy Frasco Joe Angelhow Chris Lorentz Audio mix by Chris Lorentz Featuring: Vince Herman Shawn Eckels Arno Bakker

Biden is urging Governors to follow his lead on a state level, and called on the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to “review expeditiously” marijuana's classification under the federal Controlled Substance Act.  The Takeaway was joined by Maritza Perez, the Director of the Office of Federal Affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance to discuss Biden's pardon.  

Natalie Ginsberg (MSW) serves as the Global Impact Officer at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a nonprofit that carries out pioneering research into the role that psychedelics can play in treating mental health conditions. Through her work, Natalie raises awareness of the therapeutic uses of psychedelics, and she is particularly interested in the potential for psychedelics to heal intergenerational trauma. As GIO, she works for the responsible integration of psychedelics into mainstream culture, to help “set the setting” for an ethical global movement. Natalie joined MAPS in 2014, founding the Policy & Advocacy department, and serving as its director for 5 years. She also initiated and co-developed MAPS' Health Equity program. Before joining MAPS in 2014, Natalie worked as a Policy Fellow at the Drug Policy Alliance, where she helped legalize medical cannabis in her home state of New York, and worked to end New York's race-based marijuana arrests. Natalie currently lives in Los Angeles, CA. She received her B.A. in history from Yale College, and her master's of social work (M.S.W.) from Columbia University. She is also a co-founder of the Jewish Psychedelic Summit. In this episode, you'll hear from Natalie Ginsberg on: (00:22:56) Intergenerational and collective trauma. She describes the different ways that trauma can impact individuals, families, and communities. Plus, she explains how psychedelic therapy and communal plant-medicine ceremonies can help people process and heal from historical, ancestral, and collective trauma. (00:39:52) Respecting ancient traditions and indigenous communities. Natalie highlights the need for psychedelic pharmaceutical companies to develop relationships of reciprocity and connection with the communities that have used plant medicine for thousands of years. (00:43:45) Building better business models. Tonya talks about the social and environmental advantages of becoming a B-Corp, and Natalie describes how MAPS' regenerative financing model aligns with its status as a nonprofit. (00:52:26) MDMA and PTSD. With FDA approval expected next year, Natalie refers to the results of MAPS' clinical trials, which show that two-thirds of people with chronic treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder were no longer classified as suffering from PTSD after three MDMA-assisted therapy sessions. (01:06:48) Psilocybin and the mystical experience scale. Natalie points out that studies show a correlation between the intensity of the spiritual experiences felt by participants in psilocybin research trials and the subsequent positive impact on their mental health. Links from this episode: Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Ethical Concerns about Psilocybin Intellectual Property https://www.instagram.com/natalielyla/ Follow Tonya: Instagram: @tonyapapanikolove Follow Rainbo on Instagram: @rainbomushrooms Shop Rainbo: rainbo.com

Natalie Ginsberg, Global Impact Officer at MAPS, explains the war on drugs and why it is so important to be educated on it as we move towards psychedelic legalization. She shares the distinction of healthy substance use, and removing judgement from individuals struggling with addiction. She also gives advice for anyone looking to be more open about their use of psychedelics, and inspire others towards their own healing.     ===   TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 2:12 Natalie's Story 10:11 The War on Drugs 16:45 Healthy Substance Use 24:55 Speaking Openly about Drug Use 37:52 Burning Man 49:18 Future of Psychedelics & MAPS  1:01:06 Zendo Project 1:07:42 Lessons from Psychedelics 1:08:59 Conclusion     ===   NATALIE GINSBERG:   Natalie received her B.A. in history from Yale College, and her master's of social work (M.S.W.) from Columbia University. She currently lives in Los Angeles, CA. Natalie is particularly inspired by psychedelics' potential role in healing intergenerational trauma and conflict, and for inspiring innovative community-driven solutions. Natalie founded the Policy & Advocacy department at MAPS, and served as its director for 5 years. She also initiated and helped develop MAPS' Health Equity program. Before joining MAPS in 2014, Natalie worked as a Policy Fellow at the Drug Policy Alliance, where she helped legalize medical cannabis in her home state of New York, and worked to end New York's race-based marijuana arrests.   https://www.instagram.com/natalielyla/ https://maps.org   ===   Step into the Multiverse with us...   Instagram:   Into the Multiverse: https://www.instagram.com/intothemultiverse/ Multiverse Marketplace: https://www.instagram.com/multiverse/ Super Mush: https://www.instagram.com/supermush/   Multiverse Marketplace: https://yourmultiverse.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Amanda and Jeffrey discuss sportscasting, failing out of college, social work, drug policy, cannabis data, psychedelics, growing your own medicine, web3, and much more… Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/T71gjS_d48Q Learn more: Amanda: Twitter - https://twitter.com/AmandaReiman Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amandamendoaklandish My Personal Plants: Website - https://www.mypersonalplants.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/personalplants Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/personalplants Twitter - https://twitter.com/PlantsPersonal YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu9Via_nkuAkz5B48rN3Q7Q Sacrd Gardn: Twitter - https://twitter.com/sacrdgardn Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sacrdgardn/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC84EcCqlYVsy2NONnaZMNkg Discord - https://discord.com/invite/jbv7raNcu2 OpenSea - https://opensea.io/SACRDGARDN New Frontier Data: Website - https://newfrontierdata.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/newfrontierdata/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/NewFrontierData Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/newfrontierdata/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NewFrontierData YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm965QVxHCf50rzoxbOOxKg Excelsior College Cannabis Control Program - https://www.excelsior.edu/certificate/graduate-certificate-in-cannabis-control/ Ganjier Porgram - https://www.ganjier.com/ Cannabis Travel Association (CTA) - https://www.cannabistravelassociation.org/ Amanda Reiman is Vice President of Public Policy Research for New Frontier Data and the Founder of Personal Plants, a multimedia platform supporting the home cultivation of entheogenic plants. After receiving her PhD from UC Berkeley, Dr. Reiman was the Director of Research and Patient Services at Berkeley Patients Group, one of the oldest dispensaries in the country, and the Manager of Marijuana Law and Policy for the Drug Policy Alliance, a national non-profit that was engaged in the drafting and campaigns of legalization initiatives across the country and abroad. She also taught courses on substance abuse treatment and drug policy at UC Berkeley for 10 years. Dr. Reiman is an internationally recognized cannabis expert and public health researcher. Dubbed “The Brain” by Elle.com, she is a leader the field of cannabis as a substitute for alcohol and other drugs and has presented her research on cannabis dispensaries and the use of cannabis as a substitute for opiates all over the world. She has written for/been quoted in The Huffington Post, New York Times, Washington Post, and Playboy as well as numerous peer reviewed academic journals and several textbooks. Also an expert in cannabis policy on the local, national and international level, Dr. Reiman was the first Chairwoman of the Berkeley Medical Cannabis Commission and also sat on the Oakland Cannabis Regulatory Commission. She currently sits on the Board of Cannabis Doing Good and the Cannabis Travel Association International and is a member of the Ganjier Council.

It was a joy to have Tony Bowles on the show. We discuss his expereience defending himself in court, setting legal prescedences for patients and how to not incriminate yourself, educating the public about terpenes and co-creating cannabis activations in the Bay Area.Tony has been involved in the cannabis industry for 20+ years, a long-time patient advocate and organizer with Americans for Safe Access (ASA). He's currently Chair of the Bay Area Safe Access chapter, and works as customer support specialist for Sava, a premier cannabis delivery company in San Francisco.He has also been in Coffee, and Tourism for 20 years. He studied Tour Management with the International Tour Management Institute in SF. He's conducted SF and DC city tours, and wine country tours as well. He's worked with many successful commercial cannabis operations and organized many successful grassroots advocacy campaigns since 2002. He has also been trained by and worked with some of the best in the coffee industry.He was a plaintiff in ASA's successful lawsuit against the California Highway Patrol. As an original member of the SF ASA Chapter, he played a role in passing Article 37, SF's medical cannabis law.He moved to the DC Metro Area in 2008, when ASA opened their national office to focus on influencing Congress and the federal government. While living in Maryland he organized and trained patients around the state of Maryland in concert with Drug Policy Alliance in the interest of passing medical cannabis legislation. He also founded the original ASA-Maryland Chapter and participated in the ASA-DC chapter briefly, before returning to the Bay Area.Since returning to the Bay Area he has been involved with multiple successful cannabis operations, and political campaigns, including the passing of The Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA), which was established through a series of bills passed by the California State Legislature in 2015 and 2016, as well as The Brownie Mary and Dennis Peron Act bill SB 34 in 2019, which allows cannabis to be given out as compassion. He is currently involved in legislative efforts at a local, state, and federal level to expand and strengthen patient access to cannabis.He specializes in building relationships and working together with operators, budtenders, patients and consumers to provide education and knowledge.He's also creator of the original Terpene Flashcards www.terpeneflashcards.com

In this episode of the Conscious Evolution podcast Dr Andrea interviews Ifetayo Harvey, Founder of the People of Color Psychedelic Collective about her advocacy work in drug policy into her current role. The POCPC was founded in 2017 by Ifetayo along with a group of volunteers committed to elevating the voices, traditions, and experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in psychedelic communities and spaces and concerned about the negative impact of the war on drugs upon these communities. Ifetayo shares her personal story of having her father arrested, jailed and deported for possession of drugs, and the surprise she found in organizations that show compassion for drug users. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Ifetayo Harvey is the founder and board president at the People of Color Psychedelic Collective. Ifetayo's experience of growing up with her father in prison brought her to drug policy reform work at the Drug Policy Alliance. In 2013, Ifetayo was the opening plenary speaker at the International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Denver, Colorado. Ifetayo briefly worked at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies in 2015 where she was inspired by Kai Wingo's Women and Entheogens Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. Ifetayo worked at the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) for five years because of her passion for ending the war on drugs. While at DPA, Ifetayo penned the piece Why the Psychedelic Community Is So White in 2016 and began organizing other folks of color and allies in psychedelic circles. Ifetayo comes from a family of seven children raised by her mother in Charleston, South Carolina. She has a Bachelor's degree from Smith College in history and African studies. Learn more about the POCPC at https://www.pocpc.org and follow on Instagram @pocpsychedelics Watch or listen to more episodes of the Conscious Evolution Podcast on:

Why you smell pot everywhere you go now with the world leading drug czar Ethan Nadelmann Ethan A. Nadelmann is the founder of the Drug Policy Alliance, a New York City-based non-profit organization working to end the War on Drugs. Described by Rolling Stone as "the point man" for drug policy reform efforts and “the real drug czar,” Ethan Nadelmann is widely regarded as the outstanding proponent of drug policy reform both in the United States and abroad. He founded and directed first The Lindesmith Center (1994-2000) and then the Drug Policy Ethan was born in New York City and received his BA, JD, and PhD from Harvard, and a master's degree in international relations from the London School of Economics. He then taught politics and public affairs at Princeton University from 1987 to 1994, where his speaking and writings on drug policy attracted international attention.  He authored two books on the internationalization of criminal law enforcement – Cops Across Borders and (with Peter Andreas) Policing The Globe – and his writings have appeared in most major media outlets in the U.S. as well as top academic journals (e.g., Science, International Organization), policy journals (Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Washington Quarterly, Public Interest) and political publications from the right (National Review) to the left (The Nation).   He is interviewed frequently by media around the world and has spoken publicly in roughly forty states and forty countries. His TED Talk on ending the drug war has over two million views, with translations into 28 languages.     Ethan co-founded the Open Society Institute's International Harm Reduction Development (IHRD) program and has served on the advisory board of the Open Society Foundation's Global Drug Policy Project (GDPP) since its creation. He has played a key role as drug policy advisor to the Global Commission on Drug Policy and to George Soros and other prominent philanthropists as well as elected officials ranging from mayors, governors and state and federal legislators in the U.S. to presidents and cabinet ministers outside the U.S.

The rise in overdoses, crime and homelessness is posing a political challenge to continued movement away from the war on drugs and toward a public health approach. Jake speaks with Kassandra Frederique and Terrance Carroll about both the politics and the reality of what's happening on the ground on this issue. Kassandra leads the Drug Policy Alliance, a national nonprofit that works to end the war on drugs. Terrance is the former Speaker of the House in Colorado, and a current police officer.

Season 3 is here! Season 3, Episode 1: The Evolution of Modern Drug Policy with Ethan Nadelmann. Ethan Nadelmann is the founder of Drug Policy Alliance! He tells Jay about his introduction to drug use and drug policy decades ago and his move, in the 90s, to bring multiple organizations under one roof which gave birth to the legendary DPA. After retiring half a decade ago, Ethan continues to be a force on drug policy scene and now hosts the podcast Psychoactive, for iHeart. Past guests have included Dan Savage discussing Sex, Drugs and Freedom, Former President Juan Manuel Santos of Mexico on Ending Drug Prohibition in the Americas, Carl Hart on Studying Drugs, Using Drugs & Staying Safe, and many more. Listen at the link above or wherever you get your podcasts. More on Ethan: https://www.gq.com/story/heres-where-to-find-the-smartest-conversations-about-drugs-right-now, https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ethan-nadelmann-psychoactive-podcast-psychedelics-legalized-drugs-1195644/Choose Your Struggle Presents: Made It, Season 1, Stay Savage drops April 29th! Subscribe to Made It's stream! https://kite.link/choose-your-struggle-presents-made-itToday's Good Egg: Subscribe to Made It! (PLEAAAAAAASE!!!) Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is open! If you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to me at Info@jayShifman.com. Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to Jay's wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon!But that's not all! You can now buy even more merch! Check out our store on Teepublic at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/choose-your-struggle?ref_id=24308 for shirts, mugs, stickers, phone cases, baby onesies and much, much more!Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Leave us an audio message to share feedback and have a chance to be played on the show: https://podinbox.com/CYS Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle.Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv.Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ Our Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS Our Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at our links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Back in 1971, President Richard Nixon declared a "war on drugs." More than 50 years later, it's clear that what was a war on drugs in principle turned into an assault on marginalized communities in practice. That's a tone very different than what we heard from President Biden earlier this year during the State of the Union address. At his address, the Biden said, "There is so much we can do: increase funding for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery. Get rid of outdated rules that stop doctors from prescribing treatments. And stop the flow of illicit drugs by working with state and local law enforcement to go after traffickers. If you're suffering from addiction, know you are not alone. I believe in recovery, and I celebrate the 23 million Americans in recovery." And it's not just President Biden. Even conservative politicians like like Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton have advocated for treatment rather than punishment to address opiod addiction – a  a drug epidemic where white Americans largely have been the public face. To be clear opioid use is a crisis. In 2019 over 70 percent of overdose deaths in the US involved an opioid. And according to research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, overdose deaths between 2009 and 2019 actually hit Black communities the hardest.Even as this crisis is being discussed in ways that are different from previous drug epidemics, there is still a lot of stigma for those seeking recovery from opioid use disorder, also known as OUD. This month the Department of Justice sent an important message with hopes of addressing that stigma. The DOJ issued guidance explaining that people who are recovering from opioid use disorder are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, known as the ADA. This includes anyone taking prescription medications as part of their treatment. We speak with Ryan Hampton, an advocate and author of the book “UNSETTLED: How the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Failed the Victims of the American Overdose Crisis.” Ryan is also a person in recovery from opioid addiction. We also speak with Kassandra Frederique, executive director at Drug Policy Alliance, a non-profit that works to end the war on drugs.

Join Kassandra Frederique and Michelle Grier for a conversation centering an abolitionist approach to social work. Taking inspiration from Angela Davis' "Are Prisons Obsolete?", Is Social Work Obsolete? will explore the historical and contemporary harms of the social work profession and ask whether it is capable of transformation, or if it is irreparable and in fact obsolete. This conversation will also explore the need to build systems of care rooted self-determination, liberation and collective wellbeing. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Speakers: Kassandra Frederique is the executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a national nonprofit that works to end the war on drugs—which has disproportionately harmed Black, Latinx, Indigenous, immigrant, and LGBTQ communities—and build alternatives grounded in science, compassion, health, and human rights. During her time at DPA, Frederique has built and led innovative campaigns around policing, the overdose crisis, and marijuana legalization—each with a consistent racial justice focus. Her advocacy, and all of the Drug Policy Alliance's work, lies at the intersection of health, equity, autonomy, and justice. Michelle Grier (she/her) is a Black feminist committed to intergenerational advocacy and liberatory healing practices. Grier has over 10 years of experience leading mental health programs and youth-centered programs in schools and nonprofits. She is a member of the NAASW and grateful for the space to foster conversations about abolition and social work. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This event is sponsored by the Network to Advance Abolitionist Social Work and Haymarket Books. Watch the live event recording: https://youtu.be/Y1WvSupCSDI Buy books from Haymarket: www.haymarketbooks.org Follow us on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/haymarketbooks

Among the eighteen states that have legalized marijuana to date, no state has faced greatest challenges in trying to suppress the illicit market and regulate the legal one than California – and nowhere within the state have the challenges been greater than Los Angeles. I met Cat Packer in 2016, when she moved from Ohio to California to work on the Drug Policy Alliance's successful campaign to legalize marijuana statewide. One year later, at age 26, Cat was chosen as the founding director of Los Angeles's new Department of Cannabis Regulation – a position she still holds. I had lots of questions for her – about making the transition from activist to government regulator as well as lessons learned, successes and failures, and the particular challenges of diversifying participation in the new legal industry. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shamanic botanical traditions and modern reinventions propose that certain plants may offer people a direct line to a profound ecological intelligence. Hosted by Bioneers Associate Producer J.P. Harpignies, editor of Visionary Plant Consciousness; with ethnobotanist, artist and plant-person extraordinaire Kat Harrison; CODEPINK co-founder, and board member of the Drug Policy Alliance, Jodie Evans; and Erik Davis, a scholar of spiritual subcultures, author of several classics, including Techgnosis, Nomad Codes, and The Visionary State: A Journey Through California's Spiritual Landscapes.