An open panel discussion will be held 7 p.m. May 7 in the Fe Bland Forum on the 30-year war on drugs in the United States. The discussion is open to the public.
The Center for Philosophical Education at City College will host this free event and a number of speakers will talk about the controversial topic.
“It’s a significant social issue and it is clouded with misinformation, so this is an opportunity for the citizens to make informed decisions,” said Joe White, philosophy professor and executive director of the CPE at City College.
Panel participants include Joe Allen, former District Attorney for Mendocino, Dr. David Bearman, Director of Medical Services for the Santa Barbara Health Authority, Professor Aaron Ettenberg, founder of the Behavioral Pharmacology in the UCSB Department of Psychology and acting Provost for the College of Letters & Science, and Judge James P. Gray, Orange County Superior Judge.
According to White, issues of truth and justice concerning the topic will be addressed including the problems with the present laws on drugs, putting to rest certain myths about drugs like heroin and marijuana.
“Lets get past this,” said White. “We’ve got other big issues to solve.”