Health

Apache Danforth on plant medicine and legalizing marijuana

Apache Danforth, a member of the Oneida Nation, discusses the medical potential of marijuana in pain management and addiction treatment in Native communities while preventing its use by children.

By Erica Ayisi | Here & Now

March 26, 2025

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Apache Danforth:
In terms of plant medicine, definitely we know, we've all seen the studies, and it can definitely be a tool that helps our people escape addiction, pain management, so that we don't have to get pharmaceuticals and hard opioids and fentanyl and all of these things to help regulate our pain — so that we're understanding that it is a plant medicine and it is important. It is spiritual in many ways, and respecting that. So, respecting that spiritual part of the plant medicine, but also being aware that, you know, it can be abused, and what are we doing to protect our children in these cases from having access to it and becoming addicted in that way as well.