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Benefit Maximization Paradigm

Submitted by David Borden on
I would like to call people's attention to an important recent article by Kenneth Tuppert which appeared in the December (?) issue of _The Journal of Drug Policy_ entitled "The globalization of ayahuasca: harm reduction or benefit maximization?" He suggests therein a powerful paradigm shift, the establishment of which in the mind of the public I think in the long run is essential for the success of our mission. There is no underestimating the power of the paradigm used in public discussions of these topics. So, for example, is the very fact that govt agencies consistently only ever use the verb "abuse" and never "use" in connection with a "drug" a very powerful tool for manipulating public opinion and putting the foundation of the discussion on their turf. Even the very reasonable "harm reduction" paradigm silently acknowledges the point of view that "drugs" are inherently harmful. A shift to a "benefit maximization" paradigm would place the battlefield onto much more friendly territory for us. I would therefore like to suggest this a possible focal point of further lobbying and educational efforts. Sincerely, erasurehead

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