There are a lot of glaring issues in the world today.
The environment is at the top of most people's lists. There's global warming, peak oil, pollution, and many animals getting closer to extinction.
Then there's poverty. The wealth gap between the rich and poor is increasing, and not just at home. As consumerism spreads, more countries push the capitalist approach and we have an ever-growing global population on the low end, struggling for housing, food, and healthcare.
It's 2016 and there are still people dying of hunger. There's still racism, gender inequality, and a struggling education system. There's also war. Groups of people still kill each other over religion, resources, and revenge.
So, why then am I choosing to fight against this war on drugs? With so many other great causes to champion, what inspires me to take up this one?
The quick answer is that it's the most important.
To show you why that is, I'll have to explain.
I'm going to skip right over a major aspect of the war on drugs. That being the criminalization of huge populations, and a giant prison system that feeds off of these 'drug criminals.' The idea that using hard drugs is some sort of criminal activity, and not simply a mental health and socio-economic problem is ridiculous.
So there's that. It's real, and it's a giant point to make when ending the war on drugs. But it's not what I'm talking about. What inspires me to talk about drugs is the potential the psychedelic ones have to contribute to fixing all those other issues, from poverty to the rape of our environment.
Our bureaucratic system of government looks at a problem like global warming or pollution and thinks, 'Clearly we must create more laws to protect the environment.' And so perhaps soon we'll have a law that says we have to recycle plastic containers or we pay a fine. Companies will have to dispose of their waste in a way that's more environmentally-friendly, or they also face a fine.
If we continue with that trend, years from now we may be fined for driving a vehicle when we could have theoretically ridden a bike. But what happens when people are forced into specific behaviors?
For one, we will only comply as much as we have to. If we can get around these laws somehow, we will. If a company can get away with dumping waste in a nearby lake without anyone noticing and save money, they will. To avoid the fine, a person may choose to hide their plastic containers in multiple garbage bags instead of making the trip to the recycling depot.
Secondly, and this is absolutely the truth, people need freedom. We need it. If we have laws restricting our choices we will collectively rebel against them over time. We'll hide our plastics in the garbage over spite if you tell us we have no choice in the matter. It's immature, but it's true.
But what's the solution? How else are we supposed to get people to make good choices for the greater good of the environment, and their fellow man?
If only there was a way to help people decide for themselves that they actually want to save the environment. If only people could feel a real connection to the planet they live on, and the people they live there with.
When people feel inspired and connected they won't just do the minimum. They'll choose to go above and beyond any law to create new ways of living. We will invent cleaner energy. We will choose to help those in our community who suffer from hunger or poverty. Money won't even enter the equation. It won't be about how much money we save, or which fines we avoid.
It's this type of power these substances can free inside us. From mushrooms to ayahuasca, these initiators of altered states of consciousness are amazing tools, and right now as a collective we are letting them rust in the shed.
When used properly they will allow us to feel connected to the world in a way that inspires direct action to combat all these issues. Of course we'll take better care of the earth when we feel part of it. We'll stop fighting each other, and start taking care of each other. Not because a law says we have to, but because we feel we must.
These substances have the power to change people's minds, and that's what we need right now. We will save our selves and our world by spreading the power of freedom, and inspiring action with a connection to truth.