Opium poppies have been at the centre of imperialist and racist drug wars for centuries. Being refined and forced against people across the globe, this plant has largely been stripped of its traditional knowledge and used as a tool of oppression and control. Yet, beyond this exploitation, this plant has been used as a traditional medicine for generations. Further, its medicine is woven into stories of resistance and solidarity across the globe. This knowledge share will explore traditional knowledge around opium poppies rooted in South Asian, North African and West Asian traditions, history of imperialist drug wars, and the use of the plant as a tool of resistance against imperialism, the war on drugs and slavery.
You will explore:
-Participants will walk away with a clear understanding on the energetics, and traditional protocols of opium poppy, including traditional knowledge around opioid withdrawal
-impact of western thought on the plant
-how the plant has supported resistance movements
-how it can continue to support self-determined movements for liberation