DFCR President Dr. Bryon Adinoff discusses the impact of prohibition, how cannabis legalization helps, and the medical community's role.
As an addiction psychiatrist, I am frustrated, angry, and even embarrassed by the refusal of physicians to acknowledge the failure of cannabis prohibition and the toll it has taken on individuals, families, communities, and society. Having spent several decades providing care for individuals with drug and alcohol disorders, I have seen the devastation that substance misuse can have on individuals and their families, so I understand my colleagues’ desire for a cautious approach to substance use. But too many physicians stubbornly ignore the terrible consequences of the drug war, which was initially justified with racist ideologies and remains a key component of structural racism.
Read the full article at Medium.
Bryon Adinoff, MD is an addiction psychiatrist, neuroscientist, academician, and advocate. He was appointed Clinical Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine following his retirement as Distinguished Professor of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and as a psychiatrist for 30 years with the Department of Veterans Affairs. He has published over 200 papers and book chapters on the neurobiology and treatment of addiction and is Editor-in-Chief of The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. In his semi-retired status, he has evolved from focusing on the consequences of substance use itself to the consequences of drug prohibition. His commitment to the goals of D4DPR arises from his desire to ensure that the devastating effects of the global drug war are replaced by a science-based, compassionate, and just system that protects both the individual and society.
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