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The Health Freedom Expo, held on September 28 in Indianapolis, Indiana, brought together advocates for natural health to discuss the critical issues impacting personal liberty and health choices. One of the main speakers at the event, Jonathan Emord, General Counsel for the Alliance for Natural Health, delivered a powerful keynote address at 10 AM, followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion in the afternoon.
FDA censorship and the monopoly of Big Pharma and Big Food
In his morning address, Jonathan Emord addressed FDA censorship and the anti-competitive protection provided by federal agencies to Big Pharma and Big Food. He highlighted how the current system prevents individuals from accessing crucial health information, especially about natural products. This is a battle ANH has been fighting for some time.
Pictured left: Jonathan Emord, Esq., ANH General Counsel
To take the most egregious example: when cherry and walnut growers listed some of the health benefits of those products on their websites, the FDA censors stepped in and declared that the statements made cherries and walnuts unapproved drugs! This has been going on for far too long, and its costing lives because people are being denied information that could support their health and prevent disease.
Emord laid out the ANH’s legal strategy for overcoming these restrictions, which relies heavily on two recent Supreme Court rulings:
- Loper Bright: This ruling overturned Chevron deference, a long-standing precedent that allowed federal agencies to interpret ambiguous statutes. By reducing the authority of agencies like the FDA and FTC, this decision opens the door to legal challenges against their restrictive policies, potentially benefiting access to natural health solutions.
- Axon Enterprises: This ruling enables constitutional attacks on administrative agencies, allowing litigants to challenge the constitutionality of agency actions directly in federal court. This is a crucial step in protecting health freedom from overreach by unelected bureaucrats.
Afternoon panel: fighting for personal autonomy in the face of COVID mandates
During an afternoon panel, Jonathan Emord discussed the violation of personal autonomy that arose from COVID mandates and vaccine mandates. He emphasized the intrinsic unconstitutionality of the regulatory state and the fight to restore individual liberty.
The pandemic brought about unprecedented government interventions, including mandates that restricted personal choices about health. Emord argued that these actions overstepped the bounds of government authority and set dangerous precedents that must be rolled back to preserve individual freedom.
We’ve referred previously to an overarching theme that arose during COVID: the ideology of “Safety First.” You can read more about the rise of a new authoritarianism in that coverage.
Conclusion: The Fight for Health Freedom Continues
Jonathan Emord’s presence at the Health Freedom Expo highlighted the ongoing legal and constitutional battles to protect health freedom and personal autonomy. As ANH’s General Counsel, Emord remains at the forefront of these efforts, advocating for a system where individuals can make informed choices about their health without government interference or censorship.
ANH will continue to fight against the censorship of natural health information, FDA overreach, and the monopolistic practices of Big Pharma and Big Food. The path forward will rely on strategic legal actions, public advocacy, and continued efforts to inform individuals of their rights to access truthful, reliable health information.
