September 26, 2002: Cognitive Liberty - Richard Glen Boire
Podcast: The Art Bell ArchivePublished On: Tue May 13 2025
Description: Art Bell speaks with Richard Glen Boire, co-director and legal counsel for the Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics, about the government's authority to regulate consciousness-altering substances. Boire argues that drug prohibition amounts to cognitive censorship, with no constitutional basis for the federal government to dictate which states of mind are permitted and which are criminal. He draws parallels between banning drugs and banning books, noting both are carriers of ideas.The discussion covers the racist origins of early drug laws, the creative achievements of notable figures who used psychedelics, and the First Amendment implications of restricting religious use of substances like peyote. Boire points to Nobel Prize winner Kary Mullis crediting LSD for his DNA discoveries and physicist Richard Feynman's openness about marijuana use. The conversation is repeatedly disrupted by mysterious phone line disconnections that grow increasingly frequent.The technical problems eventually force Art to cut the interview short after the lines disconnect dozens of times in rapid succession. Art speculates whether the disruptions are coincidental or deliberate, particularly after they intensify when the Patriot Act is mentioned. He promises to reschedule Boire and shares his own views supporting Nevada's upcoming marijuana legalization ballot measure.
The note was deleted
The note was saved
Your message was sent