Making sense of reefer
madness in Colorado - Part II
The lines no longer extend outside marijuana shop doors in
Colorado as they did in the first few days of January, and the numerous
marijuana medical and retail shops throughout the Denver metro area now sit
relatively modest and inconspicuous. Except, that is, for their typical green
signage and amusing names such as The Grove, Premium Weed, Kindman Dispensary,
Denver Relief, Natural Remedies, Kind Love, The Releaf Center, The Kind Room,
Pink House Mile High, Herb’s Nest, Sacred Seed, Good Chemistry, Colorado Denver
Kush Club, and, my personal favorite name, Starbuds. Please
click here to continue reading.
Solving a challenge to
'one day at a time'
“One day at a time” is a slogan of recovery synonymous with
the 12-Step path. Those who enter 12-Step treatment or meeting culture are
likely to hear it at their first exposure, and even people outside the 12-Step
sphere are familiar with the term. Movies such as “28 Days,” where Sandra
Bullock’s recovering character Gwen protests, “What, like two or three days at
a time is an option!”, and other pop culture references have made “one day at a
time” more than just a 12-Step phenomenon. As a counselor and a recovering
woman, I do not challenge the relevance of now-centered living and staying in
today. My concern involves the irresponsibility of throwing this slogan at
newly recovering people as an instant solution without helping them learn how to
live one day at a time. Please
click here to continue reading.
If We Build It, Will They
Come? Drug Treatment and the Affordable Care Act
With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Congress has
provided us with a historic opportunity to reduce the demand for illegal drugs.
The law requires health insurance companies, Medicaid and Medicare, to cover
treatment for substance abuse disorders. It will make drug treatment more
available than ever before. The U.S. government estimates that illicit drug use
costs more than $193 billion annually in crime, health care and loss of income.
More effective treatment will likely save money as well as lives. The question
is, will greater availability of drug treatment bring more problematic drug
users into treatment? If we build it, will they come? Please
click here to continue reading.
Powdered Alcohol Is Real,
Dumb, and Coming To a Liquor Store Near You
Well, this sure is a terrible idea. The U.S. Alcohol and
Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has reportedly approved a forthcoming product
called Palcohol, an alcoholic powder that comes in flavors including
Cosmopolitan and Kamikaze. We can practically hear the chorus of stomach pumps
now. Please
click here to continue reading.
The follow-up: Powdered alcohol approval was an error
Don't expect powdered alcohol to hit store shelves anytime
soon. A product called "Palcohol" gained widespread attention online
in recent days after it was reported that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade
Bureau approved the powdered alcohol, including vodka and rum varieties. But a
representative for the federal bureau, Tom Hogue, said in an email to The
Associated Press late Monday that the approvals were issued in error. Please
click here to continue reading.
Muscle weakness seen in
alcoholism linked to mitochondrial repair issues
Muscle weakness from long-term alcoholism may stem from an
inability of mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, to self-repair, according
to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Please
click here to continue reading.
A bottle of wine a day is
not bad for you and abstaining is worse than drinking, scientist claims
The recommended daily allowance for alcohol consumption in
Britain may well be around the size of a medium to large glass of wine
depending on your gender, but a leading scientist in the field has claimed
drinking just over a bottle a day would do no harm to your health. Former World
Health Organization alcohol expert Dr. Kari Poikolainen has analyzed decades of
research into the effects of alcohol on the human body, The Daily Mail reports.
Please
click here to continue reading.
Inside a Christian Pot
Shop - This Sacramento pot shop sells weed-infused lollipops while spreading
the gospel
God told Moses to go down the mountain. He told Abraham to
sacrifice Isaac, his only son. And, according to Bryan Davies, he made another
commandment to a California couple circa 2005: “Open up a pot shop.” Please
click here to continue reading.
ER trips for kids' pain
and coughs often end with codeine
Despite recommendations against the use of codeine in
children, a new study found many emergency room doctors still give the
potentially dangerous opioid to kids, such as for pain and coughs. Please
click here to continue reading.
Justice Dept. Broadening
Criteria for Clemency
The Justice Department is broadening the criteria it will
use in evaluating clemency petitions from certain federal prisoners and expects
the changes to result in thousands of new applications, Attorney General Eric
Holder said Monday. The new criteria, which will be detailed later this week
and are aimed at inmates serving time for nonviolent drug offenses, are
intended to lead to a reduction in the nation's federal prison population and
also to "ensure that those who have paid their debts have a chance to
become productive citizens," Holder said in a video message. Please
click here to continue reading.
Here Are All the Drugs
Americans Want To Legalize
A majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana, polls
now show. But that's where support for drug legalization ends. A series of
HuffPost/YouGov surveys conducted over the past several months found that few
Americans want to repeal the laws against any other illegal drug. Please
click here to continue reading.
Drink, drank, drunk:
Dangers and prevention concerning the nectar of the gods
If Jesus turned water into wine, I say drink it, along with
the holy spirits, and hell, beer too. Your drink says a lot about you, and it
affects your health obviously, so there are a few things to consider before you
make a liquor store run or take out cash for the bar. The first — are you 21
years old? Please
click here to continue reading.
FDA Advisers Vote Against
Approving New Opioid Painkiller
A key government panel Tuesday voted unanimously against
approval of a powerful opioid prescription painkiller intended to provide
faster relief with fewer side effects. At the conclusion of a hearing, the Food
and Drug Administration advisory committee voted 14-0 against recommending that
the agency approve Moxduo, the first drug to combine morphine and oxycodone
into one capsule. The committee also voted unanimously that the drug's
developer had not proved that Moxduo is less likely to cause potentially
life-threatening respiratory suppression than taking morphine or oxycodone
alone. Please
click here to continue reading.
The Drinking Age Is Past
Its Prime
The age-21 rule sets the U.S. apart from all advanced
Western nations, and it has pushed kids toward pills and other antisocial
behavior
The National Minimum Drinking Age Act, passed by Congress 30
years ago this July, is a gross violation of civil liberties and must be
repealed. It is absurd and unjust that young Americans can vote, marry, enter
contracts and serve in the military at 18 but cannot buy an alcoholic drink in
a bar or restaurant. The age-21 rule sets the U.S. apart from all advanced
Western nations and lumps it with small or repressive countries like Sri Lanka,
Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Please click here to
continue reading.
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