The War on Drugs is a War on Consciousness

The War on Drugs is a War on Consciousness

The war on drugs is a war on consciousness. What does this even mean? Let’s explore… 

“The War on Drugs” (was) and is a global campaign led by the U.S. Federal government, that attempts to diminish the illegal drug trade in our country. Specific policies and “schedules” of substances were determined to discourage the distribution, production and consumption of psychoactive substances that the UN (& participating governments) deemed illegal. 

The media popularized this campaign in 1971, after President Nixon addressed in a press conference that drug abuse was “public enemy number one.” In his time as President, Nixon heavily stressed that The War on Drugs would focus on eradication and incarceration. That’s exactly what happened—a rapid increase in the incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders. By 2014, nearly half of the 186,000 inmates serving time were drug related. 

Nixon and his newly formed drug enforcement agencies went on to orchestrate nationwide drug raids to improve and solidify his “watchdog” reputation. Illegal arrests were made just to “meet public demand” for arrest numbers, most of the wrongfully arrested being black. 

John Ehrlichman, former White House council member, was quoted on Nixon’s War on Drugs in Harper’s Magazine in 1994, saying: 

“The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I'm saying? We knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.” 

Nixon succeeded in associating hippies with marijuana, blacks with heroin and cocaine, criminalizing both heavily to purposefully disrupt those communities, then using them as puppets on the nightly news to further distract the public from the war. The war on drugs was never about drugs— it was about marginalizing communities and giving the police an excuse to suppress the American population, while restricting access to earth-given medicines that expand our consciousness and urge us to question the system. 

It is estimated that the U.S. has spent a cumulative $1 trillion on this campaign over the last 50 years. It’s a tough pill to swallow now that so many of these formerly “dangerous” drugs are now being considered alternative therapies and being researched by countless institutions for the treatment of depression, anxiety, ptsd, and so much more. 

As many of us know, the introduction of a psychoactive substance can completely change your worldview, your perception of society/ reality, and affect the way that you- as an individual- move forward in life, in many aspects. THIS is what the war on drugs really attempted to block us from. By scheduling so many of the substances that we associate with a spiritual experience: LSD, DMT, Ecstasy, Cannabis, Psilocybin, Mescaline, etc., the government has pushed us further and further away from our own relationship with source. Source, God, the Universe— whatever you want to call it, that thing none of us know much about but have to assume exists. 

When we access this deeper part of our consciousness, all things are possible. You recognize the power of the mind, the seat of the soul, and can listen more carefully to the desires of the heart. You question religion, politics, societal norms and standards, our existence on Earth, and just about everything in between. These substances offer us a gateway to the (debatably) most sacred and curious part of our human existence: the conscious and subconscious mind, and the soul. 

If you ask me, one of the largest scams in our modern world will forever be the normalization and promotion of binge drinking culture, while cannabis has remained federally illegal since the beginning of time. If this doesn’t paint the picture right here, I don’t know what will— the government has never and will never care about your health. In fact, they’d like to see you as weak, dumb, dull and overweight as you could possibly be. I understand how “against the system” I must sound, but I have absolutely nothing to hide and will say it proud- #FuckTheSystem. 

All that being said, I’m back to my key point: The War on Drugs is a War on Consciousness. The restriction of plants- yes, that’s right- most of these psychoactive (in fact, almost all) compounds are derived from plants— goes against our birthright to access what’s been provided for us on God’s green Earth. By prohibiting the use of substances that expand our consciousness, enrich our human experience and challenge our thoughts and beliefs—the war on drugs is quite literally, a war on consciousness. An attack on the expansion of our progression as spiritual beings, and an intentional block on connecting more deeply with our own magic. 

There is also such an extreme lack of information, as well as disinformation, out there surrounding most of these substances, while yet- big Pharma is pushing prescriptions like adderal, Vyvanse, Xanax and Lexapro- which come with no warning label and usually, very little monitoring. The irony of it all is that these prescription medications are the ones formulated in a lab- while these “dangerous,” scheduled drugs nearly all come from plants. Why alter our brain chemistry with chemicals, toxins and unnaturally dosed compounds- when we can achieve essentially the same (if not better) desired results- with plants? We have to assume that after all, that must be why they’re here anyway.. 

I have chosen to believe that these plants are here to help us heal. That by unlocking these uncovered parts of self: buried emotions, desires, traumas, beliefs, etc, - we have the opportunity to dig deeply into ourselves and find the answers. Plant medicine will show you the way back to who you truly are - if you let it. And that’s what they don’t want you to know. 

Imagine that these naturally occurring medicines provide experiences so powerful, after only a handful of them you’re a completely changed person for the better. A happier, more understanding, less-traumatized, widely-accepting, and empowered version of yourself. Those who control us don’t want us to know our own power and that’s exactly what this campaign was designed to do. By educating on the proper and safe use of these medicines, normalizing them and advocating for safe integration practices, a national shift towards therapeutic plant-medicine and away from prescription drugs can be possible. 

Honoring natural medicines and prioritizing the expansion of human consciousness are two things I firmly believe will be embraced as we move towards a more spiritually evolved society. 

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