January 7, 2026
Balance of Power
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Abstract
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This is my remix of Vitalik’s Dec 30 essay of the same title.
Modern civilization depends on powerful institutions—corporations, governments, and mass movements—to drive progress, yet these same forces threaten freedom and flourishing as they concentrate power. This essay examines how Big Business, Big Government, and Big Mob each become dangerous through specific mechanisms: corporations through profit optimization that diverges from social welfare and through homogenization driven by scale; governments when they shift from neutral frameworks to active agents pursuing their own agendas; civil society when diverse institutions collapse into unified mobs.
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August 15, 2025
Subject: Request to Reconsider Ban on Synthetically Derived Cannabinoids Under HB 3000
To: [email protected], [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
I am writing as your constituent in [City], Oregon, to express my concerns about HB 3000’s ban on synthetically derived cannabinoids by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC).
The Current Problem
The OLCC has banned all artificially derived cannabinoids based on health concerns, specifically worries over consumers ingesting or inhaling the residue of chemicals used to process CBD into other cannabinoids. While I understand the intent to protect consumers, this blanket prohibition creates several significant issues:
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August 15, 2025
Subject: Drug policy reform
To: [email protected], [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
I am writing as your constituent to urge you to consider evidence-based drug policy reform, specifically the restoration of blanket decriminalization and exploration of regulated drug dispensaries. I base this request on the recently published Portland State University study “Examining the Multifaceted Impacts of Drug Decriminalization on Public Safety, Law Enforcement, and Prosecutorial Discretion” (2024), which provides crucial insights into Oregon’s drug policy experiences.
The Evidence Supporting Decriminalization
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May 21, 2025
Dear Oregon Legislators,
I am writing to urge you to consider the full legalization of drugs in Oregon—not merely decriminalization, but a comprehensive shift away from criminal enforcement and toward a public health approach. The current strategy of criminalizing drug use continues to waste valuable police resources, fails to address the root causes of addiction, and diverts funding from effective solutions.
Despite years of debate and reform, Oregon continues to allocate significant law enforcement resources to the policing of drug possession and use[1]. Even after the partial decriminalization under Measure 110, recent legislative changes have returned us to a system where police are once again tasked with arresting individuals for minor drug offenses[3]. This approach has proven ineffective at reducing drug use or overdoses, and it diverts officers from addressing violent crime and other public safety priorities.
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March 11, 2025
James Carse’s The Religious Case Against Belief provides a fascinating framework for analyzing political rhetoric, particularly that of Donald Trump’s recent address to Congress. While Carse focuses on religious contexts, his insights about belief systems, boundaries, and poetic authority offer valuable tools for understanding Trump’s speech and the political moment it represents.
Boundaries
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Trump’s address exemplifies what Carse would recognize as a mature belief system. It creates clear boundaries between supporters and opponents, establishes Trump as the ultimate authority, and provides a comprehensive explanation of America’s problems and their solutions.
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February 17, 2025
Dear XXX University Administrators,
I am writing to express my concerns about current copyright policies.
The landscape of academic publishing and information access has transformed with the
advent of artificial intelligence. Institutional policies remain rooted in an outdated
paradigm. Recent developments highlight this disconnect: major AI companies are
training language models on vast collections of academic literature and books.
Since at least January 2025, both American and foreign companies are using bulk text collections.
This technological revolution in how knowledge is processed and utilized demands a fresh
examination of our approach to academic access. While I fully support protecting
intellectual property rights and compensating creators fairly, the current system
creates barriers to legitimate academic inquiry and learning.
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December 21, 2024
This https://oregonstatecannabis.org/thc/delta-8 is a travesty.
We don’t make lettuce illegal because it might be contaminated
with salmonella. We regulate it. We should be doing the same
for Federally legal hemp-derived cannabinoids. The state can
mandate independent lab testing for contaminants.
October 3, 2024
https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-170/issue-129/extensions-of-remarks-section/article/E809-3
Summary of the letter:
- The PATH Caucus was created to raise awareness about the therapeutic potential of psychedelic and entactogenic drugs for mental health conditions.
- The Caucus is seeking input on implementing programs and policies for novel therapies using these substances.
- The Caucus aims to gather input from the public, those who have received psychedelic-assisted therapies, and stakeholders in the behavioral health ecosystem.
- The Caucus acknowledges the cultural significance of certain psychedelic substances and seeks input from indigenous communities.
- The Caucus is interested in input on risk mitigation frameworks, including public education, substance misuse prevention, and safety monitoring strategies.
- The Caucus is seeking input on how to support states in developing infrastructures and service delivery systems for these therapies.
- The Caucus is interested in input on how to ensure equitable access to these therapies.
- The Caucus is seeking input on data standards and repositories for collecting data on the use of these substances.
- The Caucus is seeking input on how to protect public health and safety when implementing these novel therapies.
Response:
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September 17, 2024
2025 Jan 08 UPDATE: OLCC clarified that Oregon prohibits the sale of artificially derived cannabinoids. There is no prohibition against possession. You can verify this by visiting Chapter 845 and searching for “penalty.”
Oregon’s approach to regulating synthetically derived cannabinoids has evolved significantly in recent years. Initially, the focus was primarily on controlling their sale and distribution, while possession was treated as a minor infraction under Measure 110, which broadly decriminalized drug possession.
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December 18, 2023
Drug regulation should not be a criminal matter, but addressed by health care providers. I urge the DEA to drop this attempt to schedule more substances.
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Personal Liberty: At the heart of the decriminalization movement lies the principle of individual autonomy. Adults should have the right to choose what they put into their own bodies, as long as their actions don’t harm others. Criminalizing personal drug use infringes on this fundamental freedom, treating individuals as criminals for making private choices.
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