Drug Policy Reform

In this interview, Rho Pi’s Zach Knapp sits down with Dr. Nancy Wood of Phoenix College to discuss Drug Usage and Policy. Episode 1 dissects why people get high and seek external chemicals to affect their consciousness. How do stress-relieving practices become addictive, and when do they become less potent to its users? What does this escalation of dosage to replicate the initial feeling mean for usage in the long term?

A big thank you to Dr. Wood for sitting down with us and a thank you to Zach Knapp for getting us plenty of content to share with y’all!

In episode 2 of this interview, Zach continues his discussion with Dr. Wood on how the regulation factors into drug use. From the 1971 Controlled Substance Act to our current day prison pipeline, what does drug policy say about the power dynamic between the government and the governed? How does criminalizing certain drugs benefit larger systems like the prison or pharmaceutical industries?

Now here in episode 3, Zach and Dr. Wood begin to discuss the steps we as a society can take to change the drug policy landscape. What sort of sensibilities should we be instilling into ourselves and the next generation? What do the growing interactions of mental health professionals with legal experts mean for points of contention like drug use in the long term?

Continuing his deep dive into practical applications of marijuana and the culture and legislature that impedes its use, Rho Pi's Zach Knapp sits down with Dr. Michael James Winkelman to continue this discussion. Dr. Winkelman is retired from the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University and has served as president of the Anthropology of Consciousness Section for the American Anthropological Association.

Having explored the psychology of drug policy and reform, Zach uses his time with Dr. Winkelman to explore the history of the stigma around drugs and how that reflects humanities' venture to alter its consciousness.

Capping off Season 1 of our Interview Series, Zach Knapp closes us out with his discussion with Makyla Norton. Makyla is an ASU Bio-Chemistry Undergrad Researcher who has worked on a research team looking into the application of medical marijuana applications in Arizona. Examining the risk and reward nature of using controlled substances, Zach and Makyla explore not only the context of drugs in how we use them but also examine some of Makyla Norton's findings while researching medical marijuana.