A Kansas Boy in Missouri, Looking for Self-Healing and Mental Wellbeing
This article was originally written February 7, 2022.
After meeting Eapen Thampy at the first Kansas City Psychedelic Society meeting of the year, there was an offer of a trip to the State Capitol of Missouri. At the end of January, a group of us went there to discuss laws surrounding psychedelic medicines and lobby for their use.
It was my first time in a capitol building, and the structure was a daunting thing to walk upon. Winding hallways and a staircase or two (or three) later, I found Eapen and his crew. I met Crossing Paths PAC treasurer Natarajan Kumar, who works closely with Eapen on pro-drug policy and criminal justice reform. I also met Daniel Harkins and Carl Shepard; two veterans living in Missouri who could provide first-hand anecdotal evidence of the healing power of entheogens and plant medicines. Daniel, a former marine, is currently a mycologist based in the Kansas City area and Carl, a former E4 combat engineer, is based in Columbia and works in IT and Cryptocurrencies. We were there to discuss Missouri State Representative Michael Davis’ House Bill 2429, which would align Missouri state law with the Federal Right to Try Act.
We had the chance to talk to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and the results were promising. Folks were generally open-minded to the concept once we got down to talking about the mental health benefits, community support systems, integration practices, and the new studies/clinical trials popping up across the nation. The stories of struggle from Daniel and Carl helped contextual the real-time suffering that many veterans go through on a daily basis.
In their stories, however, was a message of hope. These were men who had given mind, body, and soul to something greater than themselves in their military service. Plant medicines had given them a chance to receive healing from that “something greater”. Before us were two warriors now returned home completely, who took ownership of their journey, creating systems of accountability to maximize their healing process and integrate their experiences. It was an honor to witness their stories, intimately told from the heart. By expressing their personal mental health journeys, from the beginning to the present, Daniel and Carl showed the power of mindful self-healing and courageous vulnerability.
I was there representing Heroic Hearts Project (HHP), a non-profit group providing resources, education, and offering a proprietary program to veterans who are interested in pursuing psychedelic treatment options. HHP primarily works with ayahuasca retreat centers due to the powerful effect it has shown to have on healing PTSD. Our program has been designed to ensure veterans get the most out of this valuable opportunity and are set up for success when they return home. We also provide financial scholarships to veterans who are struggling financially. To date, HHP has provided more than $200,000 in support to veteran applicants. The movement to heal our veteran populations is growing daily.
Later in the day, our group was met by advocates in the cannabis space, helping Missouri move legislation along for recreational usage, decriminalization, expungement of records, and equal opportunity efforts.
Public sentiment on current drug policies and access to new medicines is constantly shifting. The desire for responsible, commonsense drug policies is reflected in the many conversations I have had with folks here in the Midwest. The intentions are set to get the same kind of movement in Kansas soon.
