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Sheldon Norberg — a user of marijuana and psychedelics for almost 20 years — will perform a one-man adaptation of his autobiography “Confessions of a Dope Dealer” at WOW Hall on Sept. 26.
Norberg was born in the 1960s in San Leandro, California. Today, he lives in Berkeley, where he works mainly as a metaphysician.
Norberg’s experience as a drug user has led him to what could be considered an unconventional belief.
“People must be informed about drugs. People must be aware of the history of drugs and how they are promoted by society. Governments are interested in using drugs to marginalize individuals,” Norberg said, referring to the Opium War as an example.
He was introduced to marijuana by his older brother when he was in the seventh grade.
“If I had not been introduced to drugs by my brother, I think I would have led a very different life. I wanted to be a narc or a killer for the government,” he said.
After smoking pot for many years, Norberg started to sell marijuana and psychedelics.
“I was much loved and very paranoid. I did not trust my friends. It was fun, though; I was feeding my community, creating a positive thing, helping the world,” Norberg said.
On the other hand, he has also experienced the downside of being involved in the drug business.
“I saw my friends becoming addicted to heroin. It was the antithesis of what I believed in. We were not using drugs in a therapeutic way,” he said.
Norberg thinks that society should pay attention to drugs. Furthermore, he is concerned about people’s relationship with drugs, particularly among teenagers and young adults.
“Children’s relationship to drugs is ill-considered. They have great access to drugs but don’t know their meaning. Drugs are powerful. Psychedelics are not a toy car; they are important tools for looking at your mind,” Norberg said.
After years of colorful highs, tweaked thoughts and great visions, Norberg said he is still on a journey to self-discovery; however, no longer through drugs. He has published his memoir, “Confessions of a Dope Dealer,” and this month he is willing to share his life story with the Eugene community.
Norberg started to do his one-man show about a year ago. Yet he frankly admits it is a frightening thing to undertake.
“It is terrifying to talk about what I did, admitting that I fucked up my life,” he said.
His only advice: “Think, study and understand.”
WOW Hall spokesman Bob Fennessy believes that a lot of people will be interested in the show because Norberg has similarities to many others in Eugene: He experienced the world of psychedelics and pot smoking, followed the Grateful Dead, and is fascinated about exploring the depth of human consciousness through various forms of meditation and studies.
Not only is Norberg a metaphysician, a writer and a performer, he is also his own producer.
With the help of his director, sound engineer and propmaster, he is able to share with the public his experiences, his mistakes and finally his knowledge about drugs and human consciousness.
Today, Norberg is going on with his life, and he is mostly sorry about not understanding drugs.
“Growing up in a society that did not respect and understand these tools, I had to injure myself to find the right direction,” he said.
Yet he recognizes his injuries in order to inform people about the nature of drugs and their implications within a misguided society.
To learn more about “Confessions of a Dope Dealer” and the mind behind the one-man show, visit his Web site at www.adopedealer.com.
Nadia Summers is a freelance writer for the Emerald.