PSA's Psychedelic State(s) of The Union #3

The Inaugural Capitol City Plant Medicine Showcase proved to be an intimate, engaging, and informative affair — with panelists sharing their broad and unique insights into both the ancient and modern influences that are shaping the evolving psychedelic renaissance of today and tomorrow.

Thanks to Karina Bashir, Sabba Nazhand, Neşe Devenot, and Dr. Paul Ryder for sharing their wisdom, insights, and expertise!

Thanks to generous sponsor Safar and to Global Psychedelic Week for allowing Psychedelic State(s) of America to play host to DC’s only GPW event this year — as well as community partners, Decriminalize Nature, Decrim Nature Virginia, Paradise Farmers Market DC, and The Psychedelic Writers Guild.

And Special thanks to our generous showcase sponsor: Safar!

Learn more at JoinSafar.com

Stay tuned for the details of next month’s PSA showcase featuring Joe Dolce, author of Modern Psychedelics!

“The right to self-discovery and exploration of our own consciousness.
It’s time we recognized it as the fundamental human right it is.”

This essay is published in its original form without editorial input.

We accept, without question, that we have the right to our thoughts. We recognize freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of conscience as fundamental human rights enshrined in our constitution and international law.

Yet somehow, we’ve normalized the idea that the state can dictate what we do with our own consciousness—the very substrate of our thoughts, beliefs, and experiences.

This is the paradox at the heart of drug policy. We claim to protect freedom of thought while criminalizing the tools people use to explore, understand, and transform their own minds.

This is a question of cognitive liberty—the right to self-discovery and exploration of our own consciousness. It’s time we recognized it as the fundamental human right it is.

The UN is actively expanding the rights to mental privacy and mental integrity - the underlying concept is “cognitive liberty.”

Cognitive liberty refers to the right of individuals to have sovereignty over their own consciousness, cognition, and mental processes. The term was championed by legal scholar Richard Glen Boire, who founded the Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics, and has been explored by neuroethicists like Dr. Brian D. Earp at Oxford University’s Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics. Legal scholars like JC Bublitz frame cognitive liberty as a fundamental legal right that should be protected under existing human rights frameworks—an extension of rights to bodily integrity and mental privacy.

At its core, cognitive liberty encompasses:

Read the Full Article Here

Dive into Yes on 4 campaign Whistleblower Graham Moore’s ongoing tell-all series - exclusively syndicated here at Psychedelic State(s) of America for the last few weeks.

After sounding the alarm on a hefty number of alleged campaign finance violations surrounding the campaign, Moore has once again opened up the campaign’s archives for unique deep-dive into the inner workings and strategic decision making that should serve as a blueprint and a warning to grassroots advocates across the United States.

READ THE FULL SERIES HERE

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Until next time,

The Psychedelic State(s) of America Team