Vivek Ramaswamy on Drugs

Annihilate fentanyl labs AND deal with demand side

Vivek Ramaswamy: To the contrary, I don't think it's going to have to come to that if we deal with the actual demand side problem that we also have in this country. The easy part is talking about how we're going to use our military to secure the border. But the harder part is dealing with the mental health epidemic raging across this country like wildfire. And there's a reason why after the opioid crisis you see fentanyl. The real false promise here is thinking that we're going to have dealt with that underlying mental health epidemic in this country by just dealing with the demand side of it.

To stop fentanyl, build wall at northern border as well

Legalize marijuana, plus psychedelics for PTSD vets

Ramaswamy also posted on social media: "I support decriminalizing ayahuasca & ketamine for veterans suffering from PTSD, to prevent the epidemic of fentanyl & suicide."

Ramaswamy repeatedly described decriminalization as an "important" piece of a more comprehensive drug policy, emphasizing his view that tighter border security and reduced U.S. demand for drugs are also essential. "In the long run, decriminalization, serially, is an important part of the long-run solution here," he said in June in NH, adding that he's skeptical of prohibition and is "not a war-on-drugs person."

He also stressed the availability of psychedelics as a viable alternative for people who are suffering from mental health conditions. "For veterans at least. Let's start with PTSD, where there's good evidence for psychedelics, from ayahuasca to ketamine," Ramaswamy said.