By former drug warrior I mean that I was a communications assistant to the Minister of Justice in Canada right as we began to ramp up our drug war. By junkie, I mean that for the last seven years I have been a (mostly) high functioning IV OxyContin/ Dilaudid/ Morphine/ Fentanyl (in that order-ish) user. Prior to my work in politics I was in the Air Force for five years, and post politics I've worked as a pollster, think tanker and mental health advocate. Although I've become relatively outspoken in my opposition to the drug war (I spent a year running my local branch of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy), I've never been very open about my personal drug use (and yes, I'm using a pseudonym).
I recently attended a coming out party for an old Cadet buddy, and it was an incredibly refreshing experience. So many people asked him (he's in his late 20s now) why it took so long, and I went home thinking how much I wish I could have a coming out party myself.
In the past few years I've been fascinated by the biographies and auto-biographies of people like William S Burroughs and Art Pepper, unrepentant users in a time when it was even more frowned on than today. I personally believe we are approaching a Berlin Wall movement when it comes to drugs (Marijuana, anyways), and have my fingers crossed that in the near future we will look back on the bigotry towards, and forced institutionalization of drug users today as a historical anomaly.
Anyways, look forward to chatting with all of you.
I recently attended a coming out party for an old Cadet buddy, and it was an incredibly refreshing experience. So many people asked him (he's in his late 20s now) why it took so long, and I went home thinking how much I wish I could have a coming out party myself.
In the past few years I've been fascinated by the biographies and auto-biographies of people like William S Burroughs and Art Pepper, unrepentant users in a time when it was even more frowned on than today. I personally believe we are approaching a Berlin Wall movement when it comes to drugs (Marijuana, anyways), and have my fingers crossed that in the near future we will look back on the bigotry towards, and forced institutionalization of drug users today as a historical anomaly.
Anyways, look forward to chatting with all of you.


