Did you know that there’s a book called Drug Use for Grown-Ups written by Dr. Carl Hart, a neuroscientist, and chair of psychology at Columbia University?
It’s a mix of Hart’s personal experiences with drugs and scientific evidence that challenges the idea that psychoactive substances are always harmful.
But unfortunately, when the book was released, the media paid more attention to Hart’s own drug use than the actual message of the book.
And on top of that, Hart was asked ridiculous questions about drug addiction on a radio show. In fact, Joe Rogan and Dave Chappelle had jokes about Hart during Dave’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience.
“He talks about trying pure cocaine and all these different drugs. He does drugs all the time, and he’s a professor at Columbia. A brilliant guy, and it’s tough to argue with him because he knows so much about drugs from the perspective of an actual researcher and plus a guy who actually
uses them! He has dreads like he doesn’t look like a typical professor in that sense,” Joe Rogan told a flabbergasted Dave Chappelle.
“This guy doesn’t say he sounds like any functional drug addict I’ve ever met, and in my line of work, I have met and do know many,” Dave Chappelle quipped before saying: “let me guess he can quit anytime he wants,” and then busting out in a huge laugh with Rogan.
“The most clever drug addict I’ve ever heard of. “It’s like an X-Men superpower.. But here’s the thing: Hart is not an addict. He’s a respected professor, a well-published researcher, and a socially conscious advocate for freedom and justice.
And for Hart, that includes the freedom to use any psychoactive substance that adults choose to use, as long as it doesn’t harm others, according to an interview with the Document Journal.
Basically, Hart believes that people should have the same rights to use drugs as they do with alcohol and caffeine and that the government should regulate drugs to make sure they’re safe, just like it does with those substances.
The real problem, according to Hart, is that the “war on drugs” serves as an excuse to justify large police forces and prisons and also allows society to vilify certain groups of people.
Instead of punishing drug users, we should focus on addressing the social conditions that can lead to addiction, such as poverty, lack of education and job opportunities, and trauma.
So there you have it, folks. Just because someone uses drugs doesn’t mean they’re a bad person, and the government’s approach to drugs should prioritize safety and personal freedom rather than punishment.
