I am not anyone famous. As you may have seen, I am just a regular 40 something year old guy who started using weed, had some cool experiences and wrote a book. I am not looking to run for political office or be famous in any way, but I do think society needs a reset. As such, I wanted to lay out the core beliefs that I think can help society as this country and this world have never been more divided than they are today.

You may not agree with some or all of these things – all I ask is that you take the time to think about them and figure out if you think any of these could help. There are middle grounds out there – we just need to work towards them.

Please reach out to me at higherconnectionsnow@gmail.com or leave a comment if you want to give feedback.

Thank you for your time and stay connected!

We are ALL connected

• Humans are all connected: whether we like it or not, we all came from the same place (whatever that is) and most of us have similar core wants and needs: safety and love for our family, prosperity for ourselves and others, comfort, a roof over our heads and an enjoyment of life. Whether you religious or not, Republican or Democrat, boy or girl, American or Russian, old or young, we ALL want the same things in life. This in-and-of-itself should be enough to bring society together more than it does today.
• These connections are basic and innate to us: whether we like it or not, we cannot help what we want. It is innate and ingrained in us to want these things. It is what drives our decisions, thoughts and viewpoints on most issues. What drives this is up for debate – call it God, a soul, cause it kismet, we ALL want these things. In my book, I call the source of this want and need your nature soul – what was passed down to you from your parents. As you live your life, your nature soul gets transformed by your nurture soul based on your life experiences. Your nurture soul may have other core things that you want and need like money, fame, travel, knowledge, etc.; however, for the most part, we all want ourselves and our families to be safe, comfortable and prosper.
• We need to try connect to each other: In my book, I talk about how I have connected with those around me, including my wife, my kids, my parents and my friends. What does this mean? Simply put, it means I can sense and feel how they are feeling or what they are thinking in a real-time basis. Essentially, it gives me a view into their brain (which is a scary place in the case of my wife and mother) which, for the most part, has been amazing to be able to sense and feel these things. This generally only happens when I am high. What I think causes this I will not get into, but I think it is important for ALL of us to try to do this – whether it is through meditation, yoga, weed or just talking to each other, we have lost the sense of connection to each other and I think it is important to get that back.

Weed needs to be legalized and researched

• More research needs to be done: I am not a kid in college with nothing going on in his life. I am a full-time professional accountant with 3 kids, a dog, 3 guinea pigs and tons of responsibilities. However, I fully believe marijuana/cannabis/weed/reefer/Mary Jane needs to be federally legalized to allow for more research into how the plant (it is a plant and not a drug) impacts our bodies and our brains. I think our brains are naturally built to work with cannabis and it can open up our brains to a higher level of consciousness and understanding about the world around us. I have personally seen it and experienced it and I wish others could do the same.
• We have legalized and accepted far worse things: Cigarettes, alcohol, fatty foods, sugar, processed meats, caffeine and plastics are all legal and acceptable in society when we KNOW these things can harm us when consumed in excess. Why is cannabis different? If you look at the history of cannabis, the main reason it was made illegal and put into the same category as heroine, LSD, cocaine and other Schedule 1 drugs is because of xenophobia and fear about Mexicans in the early 20th century. At this point, there is no research that suggests that cannabis is any worse for you (in moderation) than ANY of these other consumables.
• Religious people need to get on board with cannabis – there is enough research to suggest that many people in the middle ages, including Jesus and his disciples, utilized cannabis. The plant was widely available and was likely used in some form to heal others. At the end of the day, cannabis is similar to red meat in that cows have been domesticated for human consumption. Cannabis is the same. Religious people need to accept that cannabis has been on this planet forever and if you do believe in God, God put it here for us to consume.

Religion needs to be reexamined as a source of truth

• Organized religion CAN be a good thing: I am not suggesting that religion needs to be ignore but certainly needs to be deemphasized as the most important thing in a civilized society. Organized religion does have positive components to it: charity, love, family, togetherness, support during health crisis. When I look at my life, I am charitable to many types of organizations that support pediatric cancer and the environment. I donate my time to charitable donations and to teach kids about accounting. I love and support my family in every way I can: financially, spiritually and logistically. I feel together and connected with others when I am high. All of these things CAN and DO exist without organized religion. Both things can be true.
• Atheists/agnostics are good people: Just because someone identifies themselves as atheist or agnostic does not mean they are not good people. They have families, donate to charities, are involved in helping people, want to help the planet and want the same things religious people want. The perception that being atheist or agnostic should limit you in any way, especially if you run for political office is outdated and asinine. People are afraid to say they do not believe in organized religion or the concept of God because they feel like that will not be accepted in society. I believe we have developed as a species and a society to be able to say that at this point, the concept of God may not make sense.
• What happens if the Bible turns out to not be true: I have been told for my whole life that the Bible is the source of truth for the world – how that conclusion came to be is not something I can explain. However, if the Bible was proven to not be true, what would happen? Would society collapse? Would you be mad or angry that you have been lied to your entire life? I cannot predict the future, but at some point, it may be proven that the stories in the Bible and the concept of God is not true. What happens then? This is why I think we need to deemphasize the importance of religion in society, starting with politics. Putting your hand on the Bible should be an optional part of any political process and not looked at negatively if the politician does not believe in the traditional concept of God.
• A religion-based society has brought us pain, suffering, war and disagreement: Think about the past 2,000+ years – we have had multiple wars that have killed millions of people, continued poverty, suffering, kids killing kids, famine and the general destruction of our planet. In addition, we can generally not find agreement on major issues from healthcare to the environment to the economy to gun laws. As such, society is falling farther apart than ever before and the country and the world is divided. All of this stemming from a core belief in an all-loving God as the one-and-only way to prosper. How is this really working out for us? Yes, we may be rich economically but are we rich emotionally, spiritually and mentally? I would argue that for most-part, NO.

We need to focus on the environment

• We only have one planet: We are in the middle of the sixth mass extinction. For those of you that don’t know what this is, this basically means that we are losing plant and animal species at an unstainable rate. The Amazon is disappearing, the American west is becoming uninhabitable, Asian countries are losing rainforest and wetlands at unsustainable rates and animals like elephants and giraffes are being slaughtered throughout Africa. for their meat and ivory. For what? Conversion of land for agriculture to feed us, to build highways and because of human greed. These are not opinions – it is happening all over the world. This means our kids and grandkids may never be able to see other species in the wild, other than in a zoo. If we do not change our behaviors soon, the planet will fight back. We know it is happening and we know why – it is up to us to accept it.
• We can grow the economy and be environmentally conscious: The historical argument has been it is either the economy or the environment when decisions are made about land use, water use or climate change. That is incorrect. We can make decisions that are favorable to the environment while adding jobs and money to local economies. Success stories are happening throughout the world from organizations that focus on educating local people on the benefits of saving the environment around them. We need more of this.
• Listen to the scientists and not politicians: Do scientists agree on everything? Of course not. The basics of science involves aggregating and studying data, reviewing observations and discussing hypothesis and theories about the world around us. However, most scientists do, and have, agreed on the basic understanding of what needs to be done to save and improve the environment around us. Bio-diversity, controlling CO2 emissions, saving as much land and animals as we can, protecting the oceans and ensuring we transition to renewable energies are generally agreed to be the actions we need to make. Why is this so hard to do? Will it cost money? Of course – but with the billions and trillions most countries spend on military, there can and should be funds available to do this.

We need to talk

• We need more talking and less arguing: You may disagree with some of everything I say here, but we could and should be able to talk through it. Rather than debating in 140 characters or spewing talking points that make no sense, I guarantee if you and I spent 30 minutes in a room discussing these things calmly, we will find common ground somewhere. This does not happen enough. It has happened before and it can happen again. Social media, big media and the lobbying of politicians have ruined the ability to find common ground.
• We need respect – I don’t care what we all disagree about. Humans are ALWAYS going to disagree. What needs to change is how we respect each other. I have many disagreements on Twitter, primarily around religion. But I always try to respect the other person’s point of view. I know why people feel the way about religion and I respect it, even if I disagree. We can have conversations about things in a respectful manner and not be like the awful politicians in Washington that need to grand-stand to ensure their constituents see how they are standing up for their beliefs. It is bullshit and meaningless. Let’s all have respect towards one another and our beliefs – it can only help.
• FINALLY – Politicians need weed: We have a political system that discourages talking and communicating because it is a sign of weakness and giving in. This has very rarely resulted in significant legislation that improves things in a way most people can see. I think all politicians should be allowed to have negotiations while high – what is the worst thing that happens? They don’t find agreement on things? Not much different than what happens now. I say it is worth a try – give them some edibles and let them talk through healthcare, taxation, the environment, gun laws and any other priority topics. If i EVER get elected to anything of importance, I will be high regardless of whether cannabis is legal or not!

For whomever made it this far – thanks. Hope it was at least interesting for you to read.