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I’m fairly ecstatic about the huge wins for drug policy reform. Five states legalized cannabis, two states passed medical marijuana, Oregon decriminalized all drugs and legalized therapeutic use of psilocybin, DC decriminalized psychedelic plants.
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Drug policy reform has become an avalanche. Just a couple years ago it was a dream to legalize cannabis in one state. And now we’re seeing a massive movement expanding beyond just cannabis, one I expect to continue grow in the coming years.
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Its truly incredible and I’m so excited it’s finally happening! But it also comes with its pitfalls that we ALL need to be mindful of moving forward. Some which are already doing harm to the movement and people who use drugs.
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We need to make sure that we’re not just legalizing cannabis or decriminalizing other drugs. We need to put needs of the people who use drugs and the communities targeted by our draconian drug laws above all else.
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This means we don’t allow wealthy white men who have had no experience in the criminal justice system to corner a newly legalized market because they see dollar signs (here’s looking at YOU, cannabis industry).
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This means we don’t allow medicalization of a drug to be limited to people who can afford pay high out-of-pocket copays (here’s looking at YOU, privatized psychedelic therapy clinics).
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This means we don’t send people holding small amounts of drugs to treatment centers that haven’t embraced a harm reduction model or evolved their understanding of drug use since the 1980s. Or who make money off people being there (here’s looking at YOU, addiction services).
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7/8
There’s a lot to be excited about in the world of drugs and drug policy. But there’s also a lot of room for people with bad intentions to jump on board and harm the people this is all for.
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