How Poppy Farming Can Solve the Opioid Crisis and Boost the Economy By John Smith, a moderate Republican and a poppy farmer
The opioid crisis is one of the most pressing challenges facing our nation today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 93,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2020, the highest number ever recorded. The majority of these deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which are often mixed with other drugs or sold as counterfeit pills. As a moderate Republican, I believe that we need a new approach to address this crisis. One that is based on science, evidence, compassion, and common sense. One that respects the rights and freedoms of individuals to choose what they put into their own bodies without fear of prosecution or stigma. One that creates jobs and income opportunities for farmers and rural communities that are struggling with poverty and unemployment. One that saves money on law enforcement, criminal justice, health care, and social services that are currently overwhelmed by the opioid crisis. That approach is poppy farming.
Poppy farming is a legal and legitimate agricultural activity that can provide income, food security, and environmental benefits to farmers and communities. Poppy seeds have been part of traditional Mediterranean and Middle Eastern diets for thousands of years. They are rich in nutrients and antioxidants, such as protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, and polyphenols². They have been used as a traditional remedy for centuries, for treating headaches, coughs, asthma, insomnia, and more¹. Poppy extract is a natural product that can be made at home by simply boiling poppy pods in water and straining the liquid. Poppy extract contains alkaloids that have pain-relieving, calming, and sleep-inducing properties¹.
Poppy extract can be used as a safer and cheaper alternative to prescription opioids or illicit drugs that are often laced with fentanyl or other deadly substances. By encouraging recreational poppy farming and decriminalizing personal manufacturing of poppy extract, we can achieve several positive outcomes:
- We can reduce the number of deaths and overdoses caused by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids that are flooding our streets and killing our loved ones.
- We can provide people with chronic pain or mental health issues with a natural and effective way to manage their symptoms without risking addiction or dependency. - We can empower people to grow their own medicine and take charge of their own health and well-being.
- We can create jobs and income opportunities for farmers and rural communities that are struggling with poverty and unemployment.
- We can save money on law enforcement, criminal justice, health care, and social services that are currently overwhelmed by the opioid crisis.
- We can respect the rights and freedoms of individuals to choose what they put into their own bodies without fear of prosecution or stigma.
As a moderate Republican, I prioritize fiscal demands over social issues. I want responsible spending and a vibrant economy first. I believe those priorities are more consistent with the proper role of government. I despise petty politics, shallow campaign techniques, and the manner in which the social issues have come to impede productive governance. I also have more liberal views when it comes to some social issues like women's right to choose³, LGBTQ rights³, environmental regulation/protection³, and abolition of the death penalty³. I reject the intolerance of the far-right and lament the interference that focus on social issues has played in advancing fiscal priorities. I do not want divine creation taught in schools or to change the national anthem because it does not specifically mention the word God.
I am a strong advocate of the right-to-privacy and skeptical of government abuse. I stand firm on these principles and I am not afraid to voice them. These voices are the future of the Republican Party. I urge you to join me in supporting poppy farming as a natural gift from nature that can heal our bodies and minds. It is time to end the war on drugs and start a new era of peace and prosperity. It is time to make America poppy again.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 4/6/2023(1) Pew study finds Americans aren’t 2 parties but 9 distinct groups – NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/11/09/1053929419/feel-like-you-dont-fit-in-either-political-party-heres-why Accessed 4/6/2023.
(2) WHO WE ARE — Moderate Republicans. https://moderaterepublican.org/who-we-are Accessed 4/6/2023.
(3) What is A conservative republican or moderate with liberal views. https://frankspeechonline.com/what-is-a-conservative-republican/ Accessed 4/6/2023.