This episode was a lot of fun and included Ryan LeCompte, Ian Benouis and Matthew Kahl. All three of these gentlemen have worked together on multiple fronts helping the Veteran community.
Category: Drug War
This week we talk with the veteran Ian Benouis who works to connect those who served with the plant medicines. He works with the Weed for Warriors Project and the Veterans for Entheogenic Therapy. Psychedelic Therapy for Veterans You can see their project of taking 6 soldiers with PTSD to the Amazon for Ayahuasca in ‘Soldiers […]
The reason that I can do any of my work to help our veterans reintegrate back in to society by washing off their war paint and healing the moral and spiritual injuries they came back with from war is because cannabis saved their lives to begin with. Cannabis is a gateway to life. I have many brothers and sisters who are in this room today alive only because of cannabis.
Six American Veterans travel to Peru for a 10-day plant dieta with ayahuasca and other plant medicines to treat their trauma with the help of three Shipibo shaman brothers.
he says, “While marijuana remains illegal in Texas, decriminalizing marijuana has been taken up by various states while other states have legalized the drug for medicinal reasons. While I have long contended that legalizing marijuana would be harmful to our society, I remain aware of the sensitive and emotional nature of the legalization/decriminalization debate.
H.R. 667, the Veterans Equal Access Act, would make it easier for qualified veterans to access medical marijuana in states where it is legal. Supporters of this bill believe medical marijuana could be used as an alternative prescription for veterans suffering from chronic pain, and assist in a veteran’s recovery from mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress.”
he says, “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates controlled substances, such as marijuana and medical pharmaceuticals. Since the laws governing these drugs are federal laws, the state of Texas is obligated to follow federal law. Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution is referred to as the “Supremacy Clause.” Under the Supremacy Clause federal laws made pursuant to the Constitution are the supreme laws of the land and states are bound to follow those laws. Furthermore, in any conflict between federal and state law, the federal law must be applied.”
she says, “Legalizing personal marijuana use and possession is becoming more of an issue as more and more attention is being drawn to it. While it is still currently banned at the federal level, several states have or are trying to legalize it. I; however, believe that the legalization of marijuana for recreational use would have lasting harmful effects on our communities. As a physician, I believe habitual marijuana usage can be damaging to families and have personally witnessed patients who have suffered long-term health effects from smoking marijuana. This aspect of the issue needs to be considered carefully as there are many aspects involved, and I will take all information under advisement before making any decisions. I will continue to place emphasis on evidence-based research.”
As we prepare for a super technological future and the entire planet opens up to a globalized consciousness, our elders, the plants come to help us both save planet and prepare for operating in a future that will be all about safely and correctly navigating alternate states of consciousness delivered through high end technologies. If we really believe we will leave the planet some day we certainly have to explore our own internal universe of consciousness if we are going to go out and explore the Other.
I’m sharing this because I initially wrote it over 20 years ago and it still a useful indictment of our failed War on Drugs today.
The Entheogen Review, Summer Solstice, 1995
The following essay first appeared in the March 13, 1995 issue of Legalese, the student publication of the University of Houston Law Center. It also ran in the University of Houston student publication the Daily Cougar. The author has generously made it available to the public — it may be photocopied and sent to officials and policy-makers concerned with decisions related to The War on Drugs.
Recently here in Texas Representative David Simpson a tea partier and conservative Christian published a blog post entitled: The Christian Case for Drug Law Reform in concert with his filing of a bill that would strike the word “Marihuana” from the Texas Criminal code. That inspired me to cover the same topic in Islam which I have been pondering for at least well basically for the entire time that I have been practicing Islam. Here goes:
Ian Benouis 