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 Wronguy
Registered: 03/05/05
Posts: 4,450
Last seen: 10 months, 28 days
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 “Just Say No” Is Ineffective [NY] 
#6676194 - 03/16/07 08:18 AM (5 years, 2 months ago) |
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http://oracle.newpaltz.edu/article.cfm?id=2973
“Just Say No” Is Ineffective
By Allan Erickson, Drug Policy Forum of Oregon
Major kudos go to Justin Holmes for his excellent letter, Psychedelic Experiences Enhance One’s Life (Issue 14, March 8 ).
Psychedelic (entheogenic) experience, when viewed in a spiritual/religious sense, is arguably humanity’s oldest spiritual practice. Indigenous people worldwide have for millenia utilized naturally occurring substances to alter consciousness.
While experience teaches that a respectful approach to mind-altering substances is vital to safe use, the current anti-drug sentiments do anything but promote safety. The “zero-use” mindset is founded upon a dangerous platform of puritanical absolutism that bears no resemblance to reality. Prohibition of any intoxicant will produce only failed policies - our early 20th century prohibition of alcohol should provide reminder enough of that.
Every continent of our planet contains certain plants, roots, cacti and fungus that have long been safely and effectively utilized for both spiritual and mental health reasons. Should unsupervised, experimental consumption - especially by children and teens - be tolerated? Hardly. But facts show us that tolerance coupled with truthful education is far more effective in drug harm reduction than is the muttering of the simple minded “just say no” mantra coupled with punitive laws.
While it is absolutely true that not everyone should consume salvia divinorum, or psilocybin, or peyote. There is no basis in the logic of punishing those whose personalities lead them to experimentation. The failure to distinguish between substance use and abuse is a trait of certain policy makers which is far more dangerous to the public at large than is the very limited danger of a plant like salvia divinorum. And any danger from the plant lies only in its effects remaining unknown to the inexperienced and curious among us.
In traditional social consumption, psychedelics are used under the direction of a guide, most often in a ceremonial setting. The ancient wisdom underlying such use of psychedelics has been echoed by our modern world. The psilocybin study results from Johns Hopkins’ psychopharmacologist Roland R. Griffiths and his colleagues found that “with careful preparation, you can safely and fairly reliably occasion a mystical experience using psilocybin that may lead to positive changes in a person.”
Most interesting to me is that these study’s results echo exactly what indigenous people have known for generations. Because we consider ourselves “modern,” I suppose it makes sense for us to rediscover knowledge that has long been here. In many ways this whole scenario reminds me of Columbus and his “discovery” of the Americas. Psychedelic consumers, hopefully, are not today’s Arawak.
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OneMoreRobot3021
punky jewster
Registered: 06/06/03
Posts: 60,572
Loc: new york city
Last seen: 1 hour, 12 minutes
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Re: “Just Say No” Is Ineffective [NY] [Re: Wronguy]
#6676200 - 03/16/07 08:23 AM (5 years, 2 months ago) |
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Nice editorial.
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Acid doesn't give you truths; it builds machines that push the envelope of perception. Whatever revelations came to me then have dissolved like skywriting. All I really know is that those few years saddled me with a faith in the redemptive potential of the imagination which, however flat, stale and unprofitable the world seems to me now, I cannot for the life of me shake.
-Erik Davis
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allan
Stranger
Registered: 04/09/07
Posts: 11
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 4 years, 11 months
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Quote:
OneMoreRobot3021 said:
Nice editorial.
Thanks. I'm the author of that letter. Just standing up for our rights. And apparently it served a dual purpose. It led me to the Shroomery!
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“Love is an attempt to change a piece of a dream-world into reality.”
~ Henry David Thoreau
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OneMoreRobot3021
punky jewster
Registered: 06/06/03
Posts: 60,572
Loc: new york city
Last seen: 1 hour, 12 minutes
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Re: “Just Say No” Is Ineffective [NY] [Re: allan]
#6764457 - 04/09/07 08:14 AM (5 years, 1 month ago) |
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Heya. I'm a New York resident well - down in the City though. Good to see another New Yorker, especially one willing to take the time to write about psychedelics in an intelligent fashion. Welcome to the Shroomery!
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Acid doesn't give you truths; it builds machines that push the envelope of perception. Whatever revelations came to me then have dissolved like skywriting. All I really know is that those few years saddled me with a faith in the redemptive potential of the imagination which, however flat, stale and unprofitable the world seems to me now, I cannot for the life of me shake.
-Erik Davis
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allan
Stranger
Registered: 04/09/07
Posts: 11
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 4 years, 11 months
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Quote:
OneMoreRobot3021 said:
Heya. I'm a New York resident well - down in the City though. Good to see another New Yorker, especially one willing to take the time to write about psychedelics in an intelligent fashion. Welcome to the Shroomery!
Not a New Yorker... I'm in Oregon.
I've been involved with entheogenic exploration for over 30 years and have been an activist in drug policy reform for about 10 years. Letter writing is what I do as part of my activism. I have over 80 letters, published in almost 1/2 of the states and 3 other countries.
I figure if I'm gonna be active in drug policy I have to present a good example.
I'm enthusiastic about finding the Shroomery. A very busy place! And an outstanding testament to the effectiveness of Prohibition II...
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“Love is an attempt to change a piece of a dream-world into reality.”
~ Henry David Thoreau
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vinsue
GRAND OLE FART
Registered: 02/17/04
Posts: 7,027
Loc: Catskills,NY 
Last seen: 1 day, 29 minutes
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 Re: “Just Say No” Is Ineffective [NY] [Re: allan]
#6765112 - 04/09/07 11:39 AM (5 years, 1 month ago) |
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I'm not surprised that The New Paltz Oracle printed your article. New Paltz is a fairly progressive college town not far from me. Keep up the good fight, and feel free to let our shroomery community know what they could or should do to become more active in drug policy reform.
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   "All mushrooms are edible; but some only once." Croatian proverb. BTW .... Have You Rated Ythans Mom Yet ?? ...  ... HERE'S HOW ... (be nice) .  ... 
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allan
Stranger
Registered: 04/09/07
Posts: 11
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 4 years, 11 months
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Re: “Just Say No” Is Ineffective [NY] [Re: vinsue]
#6766523 - 04/09/07 03:57 PM (5 years, 1 month ago) |
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Howdy oldfart... IB12...
besides being pleased to find a fungally friendly forum I am always an advocate for those who willingly partake of the very minute percentage of substances currently banned, because IB12 (again). So, yes, it would be my pleasure to instigate some mild insurrection.
Where in this massive compendium would one take such notions of rebellion? This is one huge BB!
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“Love is an attempt to change a piece of a dream-world into reality.”
~ Henry David Thoreau
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