Dr. Sam Snodgrass, who lived an active opioid addiction for 22 years, holds a Doctorate in Biopsychology, a NIDA Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Behavioral Pharmacology, and is a past Faculty member of the Pharmacology and Toxicology Department at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

There is a belief that those of us with an opioid addiction, that we are powerless over our addiction. That is a myth. We are not powerless. But we appear powerless because the prohibition laws of this country rob us of our power.

There is a belief that those of us with an opioid addiction, that we are powerless over our addiction. That is a myth. We are not powerless. But we appear powerless because the prohibition laws of this country rob us of our power.

Don’t miss the world’s premier gathering of people who believe the war on drugs is doing more harm than good.

A son's death and a mother's love. This is the story of Josh Olt who overdosed on heroin and died at the age of 16. This is the story of the mother he left behind. It is not a story of "moving on," or "getting over it." For those of you who have lost someone you love to overdose, you know those things don't happen. This is, instead, a story of disenfranchised grief, of self-blame, of what-ifs, of should-haves, and how to find a way to let go of that guilt.