End It For Good

Prenatal substance use is often misunderstood, oversimplified, and met with stigma instead of support. In this conversation, Christina Dent and Meghann Perry explore the complex realities facing mothers who use substances during pregnancy—from trauma and addiction to healthcare barriers and the fear of criminalization. Together, they reflect on the importance of compassionate care, the power of bonding and attachment, and what it looks like to invest in families so both moms and babies can thrive. This episode invites us to move beyond judgment and toward curiosity, connection, and systems that heal rather than harm.

About Meghann:

Meghann Perry, CARC, RCPF, is an award-winning keynote speaker, storyteller, theatre educator, curriculum developer, harm reductionist and addiction recovery coach. She creates innovative learning experiences blending Theatre, Storytelling, and Coaching and is an international educator of the behavioral health workforce. Meghann is the author of two groundbreaking programs, Recovery Storytelling and Embodied Storytelling, and a global keynote speaker and presenter on peer support, storytelling, and stigma for organizations like NIH, NAADAC, FAVOR, PRCoE, HRSA, Hazelden, and the recent Lisbon Addictions Conference. Meghann is a person who used drugs who passionately supports people in prevention, harm reduction and recovery and leads a team of dedicated facilitators redefining education and intervention in the substance and mental health field. 

Links: 

• Meghann's paper in Health Affairs: www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.00647
• Meghann Perry Group website: www.meghannperry.com

 

Keywords: prenatal substance use, maternal health, addiction, recovery, healthcare, bonding, criminalization, compassionate care, systemic issues, early childhood trauma.

In this episode of the End It For Good podcast, host Christina Dent shares inspiring stories of individuals who have taken the initiative to share knowledge about addiction recovery and drug policy reform. Through personal anecdotes, she emphasizes the importance of community engagement and the power of personal networks in spreading the movement. 

Keywords
End It For Good, addiction recovery, personal stories, community engagement, drug policy, sharing knowledge, transformative experiences, advocacy, personal networks, recovery stories

In this episode, Christina Dent and Bryan Mauk discuss the erosion of civil liberties due to drug policies, the implications of military actions against drug trafficking, and the ongoing debate surrounding substances like kratom and psychedelics. They explore how historical precedents in drug enforcement have led to current practices that compromise individual rights and question the effectiveness of aggressive interdiction strategies. 

Topics
The Erosion of Civil Liberties in Drug Policy
Military Actions and Drug Interdiction
The Impact of Drug Supply Disruption
The Debate on Kratom and 7-OH
Exploring the Potential of Ibogaine

In this episode, Christina Dent speaks with Terry Blevins, a former law enforcement officer and soldier and current advocate for 7-OH, a derivative of kratom. They discuss the failures of drug prohibition, the moral conflicts faced by law enforcement, and the potential benefits of 7-OH as a pain management option. The conversation emphasizes the need for regulation over prohibition, the importance of research, and the societal implications of drug policy.

Sgt. Terry Blevins (Ret.) is a former law enforcement officer, the Law Enforcement Advisor to 7-HOPE Alliance, and a national security expert. He brings decades of experience in law enforcement, national security, and public safety. He began his career in Arizona law enforcement, later serving in the U.S. Department of Defense and State Department, where he advised governments on counter-terrorism and critical infrastructure protection. 

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Terry Blevins and 7-OH Advocacy
14:55 Law Enforcement Perspectives on Drug Prohibition
25:28 The Shift in Law Enforcement Focus
33:04 Understanding 7-OH: A New Pain Management Option
44:13 The Dangers of Prohibition vs. Smart Regulation
59:45 Future Directions for 7-OH and Drug Policy Reform

Keywords: drug policy, 7-OH, law enforcement, prohibition, pain management, advocacy, cannabis, opioid crisis, harm reduction, drug regulation

Could respect, not punishment, be the key to reducing harm from drugs and addiction?

Jim Babka, host of the Gracearchy podcast and Social Strategist for the Foundation for Harmony and Prosperty, joins Christina Dent to explain the Natural Principle of Human Respect. It's a simple but powerful idea that coercion always diminishes happiness, harmony, and prosperity.

Using lessons from the playground, flying cars, and even gravity, Jim shows how respecting others unlocks trust, community, and progress. From psychedelics to policy, he explains how force backfires and opportunities are lost when we ignore this principle.

This episode challenges us to rethink adult solutions by remembering the simple rules we practiced as kids, and to consider whether so many of our problems are caused by the fact that our laws are not consistent with what we learned on the playground. 

 

Resources:

• Gracearchy Podcast with Jim Babka
• Connect with the Foundation for Harmony and Prosperity
• "Curious" by Christina Dent - 75% of proceeds further the work of End It For Good
• End It For Good - Join our newsletter for stories, events, and solutions to drugs and addiction.

 

Christina sits down with Dr. Michele Ross to talk about 7-OH, a new substance that’s closely connected to kratom. They unpack what it is, why people are using it, and what it could mean for pain management and addiction recovery. The conversation also looks at the FDA’s response, the push for medical freedom, and why education and responsible use matter so much with plant medicines like this one. They also explore the risks of banning substances and driving them into the underground market, where people lose access to safety and quality.

 

Resources:

• 7-HOPE Alliance Foundation: https://7hopealliance.org

• Campaign to save 7OH - https://www.save7oh.org/

• Dr Ross' book Kratom Is Medicine (2021): https://a.co/d/1Dw0dRh

What does it take to build a thriving legal marijuana market?

Christina Dent and Bryan Mauk sit down with Geoffrey Lawrence, Research Director at the Reason Foundation, to explore the economic lessons from cannabis legalization across the United States.

Drawing on his unique experience as a researcher and a CFO in the marijuana industry, Geoff explains how smart regulation can undercut the black market, foster innovation, and create healthier communities.

They discuss the evolution of cannabis laws, what motivates legalization, and how future policy could open the door to interstate commerce, new products, and stronger legal markets.

 

Links:

• Reason Foundation: https://reason.org/
• Reason Magazine: https://reason.com/
• Get Curious: https://a.co/d/3ArcF8z

The war on drugs is not just affecting the US population. In this episode, we're joined by Franco Iacomini, Latin America editor at Christianity Today, to discuss his recent article on how cartel violence is impacting churches in Mexico. In many rural communities, children are forcibly recruited into cartels, and for some, drug trafficking becomes the only viable path to economic survival.

These heartbreaking realities are symptoms of a global war on drugs that fuels black markets and empowers violent organizations. Could legal regulation be the key to disrupting these cycles of harm?

Resources:

• Read Franco's Article: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/06/mexico-cartels-persecution
• Get Curious (Now only $10!): https://a.co/d/dZMRfE1

What if prisons focused less on punishment and more on healing? In this episode, Brian Koehn shares his journey from overseeing 65 prisons to launching the world’s first full-service nonprofit prison model. He explains why a human-centered approach could transform corrections, and why it’s time we expect more from our corrections system.

Learn More: https://spcor.org/
Get Curious: https://a.co/d/7B9ci2k

Is drug prohibition doing more harm than good? In this episode, Harvard’s Dr. Jeffrey Miron explains the economic principles behind his long-standing opposition to criminalizing drugs, and offers thoughtful responses to 10 common objections. If the idea of legalizing heroin sounds outrageous, this episode is for you.

Links:

• Get Curious by Christina Dent: https://a.co/d/c2Ijpua
• Dr. Miron's Articles: https://www.cato.org/people/jeffrey-miron
• Dr. Miron's Substack: https://jeffreymiron.substack.com/