Recently, it seems there is a growing alignment between the causes of cannabis and psychedelic drug policy reform, especially here in the Lone Star State.
As one of the founders of Decriminalize Nature Dallas, I knew that our campaign of decriminalizing natural psychedelics needed to include cannabis for many important reasons, including the fact that it has historically and continues to be used as an ‘entheogen’. This term was first coined by a group of ethnobotanists and other researchers in 1979 as an alternative for the word ‘psychedelic’ which had fallen out of favor due in part to its association with the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Additionally, entheogen refers to the use of psychoactive substances that induce mystical or spiritual experiences in a sacred context and thus can differentiated from recreational use.
Cannabis has been used in this entheogenic manner throughout history and across the world with some key examples being found in the Indian subcontinent since around 1500 BCE as well as in ancient Aztec and Mayan cultures. According to research by Teri S. Krebs, in the contemporary United States there is an estimated 32 million people who have used psychedelics and of that number, a considerable amount also consume cannabis. It is thus likely unsurprising to most that there has been and will continue to be a strong alignment of interest between the cannabis reform community, efforts to change laws on other psychedelics, and campaigns directed at ending prohibition for all drugs.
There are some particularly exciting new developments in the world of cannabis and psychedelics in Texas. As previously mentioned, the Decriminalize Nature Dallas (DND) campaign started this past summer in order to decriminalize the use and non-commercial cultivation of natural psychedelic fungi and plants including cannabis at the city and county level in Dallas, Texas. We have hosted and participated in many educational events around psychedelics and cannabis such as town hall meetings, a film screening, and even a comedy show with goal being to raise community support and help build our connections to city and community leaders. Several of the co-founders of DND, such as Wes Elliott, Jessica Pallett, and myself, have also teamed up with other local cannabis activists to create the first ever Consciousness and Psychedelics Conference, an upcoming grassroots conference in Arlington, Texas about psychoactive substances and altered states of consciousness.
One of the presentations that will debut at the conference covers the therapeutic use of certain psychoactive substances for couples. This particular speech will be by Shaun McAlister, the executive director of DFW NORML, and Jessica Pallett, both of whom explore the value of using cannabis and other psychedelics as a form of couples therapy. According to Shaun, who is also a key organizer of the conference, he finds it important to create engaging public events that advocate for the mainstreaming of psychedelics especially as cannabis culture becomes increasingly accepted throughout the country. He also explained that the decision to host the conference at the Bob Duncan Center, a venue that has a deep connection to its local community, helps add credibility and social acceptance to the topics presented at our conference. DFW NORML, a pivotal group in the local cannabis community, will have a booth with sign up sheets and merchandise at the conference as well. Furthermore, Jessica Pallett emphasizes that the connection between cannabis and psychedelics rests in that they are both home-grown, low-cost natural medicines and should be available under the concept of body ownership. In essence, this view holds that responsible individuals should have the inherent right to choose what they put into or do with their bodies.
The relationship between cannabis and psychedelics can be seen in their shared history as well as with more recent efforts to decriminalize and help mainstream both in Texas. This solidarity between the cannabis and psychedelic communities along with criminal justice reform and harm reduction efforts must continue to be cultivated in order for there to ever be any kind of significant change.
