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Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear

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Author

Carl Hart
Carl Hart

Carl Hart is a distinguished Professor of Psychology at Columbia University, renowned as a leading neuroscientist and drug researcher. He serves as the Director of the Division of Substance Abuse Sciences and is a prominent figure challenging mainstream misconceptions about psychoactive substances, particularly cannabis. Holding a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and a Ph.D. in Psychology, Hart is celebrated for his rigorous empirical research that demonstrates that the vast majority of individuals who use cannabis do not develop dependence or severe cognitive impairment. His work has been instrumental in dismantling the 'gateway drug' theory and debunking the notion that cannabis is a highly addictive substance. As a public intellectual, he advocates for drug policy reform and evidence-based education, aiming to replace moral panic with scientific understanding. His contributions have significantly influenced public discourse on drug policy, earning him a reputation as a courageous voice of reason in the sciences. His seminal book, *Drug Use for Grown-Ups*, has become a cornerstone text for understanding the complex relationship between drugs, the brain, and society. more

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“Commitment is what transforms a dream into reality. One percent or ninety-nine percent complete are both incomplete. Wanting is wishing or dreaming. Deciding is the willingness to do whatever it takes to make your wishes and dreams come true. Pondering on what you are going to do actually sucks up more time and energy than going out there and doing it. If you’re planted in an environment with depleted soil loaded with weeds, your conditions must change in order for you grow and thrive. As you change your circle of influence, your thinking changes, and ultimately your world changes too. When you are too busy trying to outshine others, you miss out on your own inner spark. If your focus is on competing with others, you cannot complete you. Perfection is a myth, a misconception, and just an opinion. A well-tailored business suit might look perfect to a banker, but deemed to be dreadful to a heavy metal rocker. Going out of your comfort zone might be gut-wrenching, but dying with the music still inside is even more painful. Stagnation drains your energy and slowly sucks the life out of you. When you declutter your mental space, just like clearing out physical space, you find valuables you had long forgotten about. Keeping emotional toxin in your head is like fertilizing unwanted weeds. Positivity is your weed killer. Turn it around, and let that poison fuel your passion, just like farmers using manure to fertilize plants. Like eating, going to the bathroom, or exercising, self-transformation cannot be delegated. I was a sunflower trying to survive and grow in a stinky muddy swamp, but instead being strangled by a bunch of weeds.”

“I am better than I have ever been, happier and more fulfilled and more deeply connected to those around me than I have ever known. I understand the privilege and the honor that brings, so I'm going to spend the rest of my years giving back the best I can. I remain keenly aware that I'll never have a bad day for the rest of my life. And to learn all that, all I had to do was die.”