I do not believe that it is our race, or our religion, our gender, our height, our looks, our job, our sexual orientation, or any other superficial characteristics that define us as human beings. Trumping all these by a country mile, it is our consciousness  the most intimate, precious, sapient, unique and individual part of ourselves  that is really the essence of who and what we are. Indeed, at the deepest level it is what we are  to the extent that if we are not sovereign over our own consciousness then we cannot in any meaningful sense be sovereign over anything else either. For these and many other reasons I strongly oppose the war on drugs which, in my view, has created an engine of oppression and control in society by which the State claims the right, purportedly in our own interests, to regulate our very thoughts and inner experiences, and to trespass the sanctum of our consciousness.

I was recently interviewed by Cara Lavan of Knowdrugs.net on the subject of drugs, the drug war, personal freedom and cognitive liberty. The interview, which is embedded here, captures some of the key points that I feel have been neglected, and must be taken into account, if we are ever to get to grips with these issues in society.