PSA Sunday Morning Sound-Off #2: November 2nd, 2025

November 2, 2025

“When the DEA pretends at progress — like considering psilocybin for
rescheduling — it isn’t mercy. It’s Theatre.”

By Julian Fontaine Fox

Winston Churchill once said, “America will always do the right thing—after it has exhausted all the alternatives.”

Churchill wasn’t even American, but he might as well have been writing the DEA’s mission statement.

This country runs on crumbs. From scraps tossed to enslaved people to the Affordable Care Act’s fine-print coverage, the pattern is survival, not flourishing. Starve the people, toss them crusts, then demand applause.

Enter the Drug Enforcement Administration, the empire’s most loyal crumb dispenser. Its role isn’t to protect health; it’s to guard the cage. Healing plants are criminalized, profitable pills are handed out like “mother’s little helpers,” and the crumbs we get are called reform. When the DEA pretends at progress—like considering psilocybin for rescheduling—it isn’t mercy. It’s Theatre.

I know what addiction does. I’ve seen it in my family and community: uncles dead from alcohol and pills, cousins swallowed by opioids, friends lost to heroin. So when the DEA waves crumbs in the air, it feels like mockery.

Read the Full Op-Ed Here

Get ready for the ONLY Global Psychedelic Week event happening in Washington, D.C. this year! Psychedelic State(s) of America is thrilled to announce The Inaugural Capitol City Plant Medicine Showcase on Friday, November 7th, for an enthralling evening of heightened conversation, next-generation psychedelic discourse, and community connection. We're gathering at The Village DC at Union Market, right in the heart of our nation's Capitol, to explore the critical crossroads of policy, culture, and wellness within the psychedelic movement. This isn't just a meeting; it's a vital platform to connect with leaders and pioneers shaping the future of plant medicine.

Doors open at 6:00 PM EST, with programming starting shortly after. The evening's programming is designed to dive deep into the most compelling and complex topics in the modern psychedelic landscape.

We kick off at 7:00 PM with our first discussion panel:

"Psychedelics and Religion: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Applications, Legal Complexities, and more” featuring Dr. Paul Ryder, Co-Founder of The Congregation For Sacred Practices, and Karina Bashir, ESQ. - Associate Counsel for Antithesis Law and Psychedelic Bar Association Board Member.

This timely conversation will examine the deep historical and spiritual roots of psychedelics and how ancient wisdom is navigating—and often conflicting with—modern legal frameworks and contemporary use.

Following a brief intermission at 7:30 PM, our second panel will be

"Evaluating the Modern Psychedelic Landscape" from 7:45 PM to 8:15 PM, featuring Dr. Nese Devenot, Johns Hopkins University Professor and Member of the Board of Directors at Psymposia: a Psychedelic Ethics Watchdog Organization as well as Sabba Nazhand, Founder of Safar- an indigenous wisdom-inspired mental health and wellness platform, offering a nuanced and critical look at the current psychedelic state of affairs, discussing everything from decriminalization efforts and therapeutic advancements to market trends, indigenous reciprocity issues, and psychedelic policy development/reform efforts across the country.

Beyond the stimulating panel discussions, a significant part of the evening is dedicated to Community Networking from 8:15 PM to 10:00 PM. This is your chance to meet like-minded individuals, activists, researchers, and community leaders. We extend a huge thanks to our dedicated community partners—Paradise Farmers Market DC, Decriminalize Nature, Decriminalize Nature Virginia, and The Psychedelic Writers Guild—whose support makes this event possible.

Long before he took on a mission to educate the public about psychedelics, CJ LoConte was driven by service and the desire to empower current and former members of the armed forces. A US Army veteran and Duxbury native, LoConte is an alumnus of West Point, where he played lacrosse before serving as an infantry officer from 2017 to 2022. 

Now, while concurrently pursuing a dual MBA/MPA from Wharton and Harvard, he is channeling his energy into Truxtun LLC. Founded during his first year of business school, the organization aims to transform the often “chaotic military-to-civilian transition into a rite of passage that builds clarity, community, and long-term leadership.” Through practical support and cohort-based psychedelic retreat programs, Truxtun focuses on guiding former military leaders toward influential roles in civic, business, and political life. 

I spoke with CJ to learn more about his background, his vision for Truxtun, and the work that he is doing to redefine the veteran transition experience.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

Until next time,

The Psychedelic State(s) of America Team