How a Conservative Evangelical Changed Her Mind about Drugs
And how she ended up at a conference about Psychedelics
Let justice roll down like waters.
Amos 5:24
Editors Note: Apologies for the unexpected break! I was preparing for three different talks to be given over the course of three days. It was an intense few weeks! But back at writing now and have a lot more to share.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Just a few years ago, Christina Dent would never have imagined attending a conference about psychedelics. She’s never used any illegal drugs and has no interest in doing so.
But something changed. Her family welcomed into their home through a foster care program an infant whose mother had struggled with a substance use disorder throughout her pregnancy.
Up until that time, Christina’s view of drugs and drug use had been shaped primarily by things like the “Just Say No” campaigns of the 90s. But when she met the mother of the child they had taken into their home, her old views of drugs and drug use started to fall apart.
Her TEDx talk on how she changed her mind is one of the go-to resources I share with others when talking with them about the harms of our country's choice to treat drugs as a criminal issue, not an issue of public health.
She not only did a deep dive into understanding public health models for addressing drugs and drug use, but she also decided to take action by starting the organization End it For Good, dedicated to ending the Drug War.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll unpack some key issues surrounding the recent upsurge in interest in psychedelics and answer some common questions. If you’ve got questions on the topic or an area you are interested in learning more about, feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment on the post.
To start off this series, I’d like to share Christina’s reflection on her experience at Psychedelic Science 2023.
Keep the faith,
Timothy McMahan King
Senior Fellow, CNDP
Imagine 12,000 people from all over the world with very different life experiences gathered to explore the fascinating intersection of psychedelics and science. We may not normally think of those two things as going together, but this field of research is gaining interest every day.
That’s why I wanted to share my incredible experience at the Psychedelic Science 2023 conference in Denver this past week.
I attended sessions led by doctors, psychologists and addiction researchers, delving into the use of psychedelics for treating various addictions and mental health issues. It was truly eye-opening.
Here's one mind-boggling stat: In clinical trials, MDMA (also known as ecstasy) combined with therapy resulted in 67 percent of participants no longer experiencing PTSD afterward. Can you believe that? For two out of every three participants, it wasn't just managed — their PTSD was gone.
It's astonishing how this combination has the potential to transform lives. We’re likely to see FDA approval for PTSD treatment with MDMA therapy within a year.
I also had the privilege of being on a panel with individuals who found healing through psychedelic treatments, including Melissa, a mom who found healing after two years of debilitating postpartum depression and suicidal thoughts by using psilocybin (often known as magic mushrooms).
She changed careers and started an organization to lobby Congress for greater access to psychedelic treatment.
Personal stories like Melissa’s are reshaping the way we approach mental health and addiction.
Throughout the conference, I encountered more remarkable accounts of healing and hope. Veterans finding relief from PTSD, initiatives to allocate opioid settlement money for new clinical trials and the tireless efforts of organizations advocating for more access to psychedelic therapy.
Now, I'm still processing everything I've learned and grappling with its implications. But the mental health and addiction crises we face demand innovative solutions. While psychedelics are not for everyone and safety is paramount, we owe it to ourselves to explore these alternative options.
In many ways, the conference has sparked more questions than answers for me, but I believe that everyone should have legal access to these potentially life-saving treatments if they want to try them.
I'm not recommending that anyone use psychedelics, but rather shedding light on the potential they hold for unlocking healing and saving lives. Your perspectives are invaluable to me, so please feel free to share them!
Let's continue this conversation and strive to lay down failed approaches and discover new paths toward healing together.