Hello Higher-Minded Humans,
I hope you are as safe and in a place that isn’t banning your medicine. Having access to plant medicine is becoming a lot more challenging under this administration. Despite campaign promises to federally legalize, putting a ghoul like Pam Bondi in charge of that possibility makes it clear that it’s not happening anytime soon.
Business owners in the cannabis and psychedelic space, even the ones who are anti-Trump, were hopeful that RFK Jr. would loosen restrictions around research and legalize cannabis on a federal level. All of his campaign promises signaled that he would be progressive about drug policy, but now he is echoing all of the same language used to launch the original WOD.
That language is making it easier to ban THC or kratom, effectively taking away medicine for thousands of people. The constant conflation between whole leaf kratom and 7-OH is making it more difficult to discuss responsible, safe use of a plant. Thousands of people who have found relief from substance abuse have to fight misinformation on a daily basis.
In addition to legislative barriers, this administration is attacking the industry workers. ICE raids are now being focused on cannabis cultivation sites, resulting in deaths and deportations. The current rhetoric about "dangerous gangs" taking over D.C. includes misinformation about drug distribution and consumption. A reporter recently asked Trump if his promise to consider the reclassification of cannabis contradicts his claims about illegal drug activity.
Of course it does, because everything that comes out of his mouth is a consistently contradictory. But the chaos circus is working - misinformation breeds fear and stokes stigma. That’s why it’s so important to share your stories and listen to others, rather than accepting sensationalized headlines and inaccurate soundbites.