Category Archives: War On Drugs

THE SCOTTISH Government is taking inspiration from an American city once synonymous with drugs crime with a shift away from prosecuting simple possession offences.

SNP ministers are aiming to halt the country's drug deaths crisis by treating it as a public health emergency, moving away from a war on drugs approach, with a consensus that the strategy has not been effective.

The Scottish Governments top law officer, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, has said police will be advised to issue recorded warnings for possession of any illegal substance instead of referring offenders to prosecutors.

READ MORE:'Unacceptable': Scotland's drug death crisis flatlines with 1,330 annual fatalities in 2021

The Lord Advocate insisted that the move does not represent decriminalisation of an offence, but is instead a proportionate criminal justice response.

Ms Bain revealed to MSPs that this advice had already been offered for class B and class C drugs but has now been extended to possession offences of all illegal substances, including heroine, crack cocaine and crystal meth.

Ms Bain said issuing a recorded police warning provides officers with a speedy, effective and proportionate means of dealing with low level offending.

In setting out the diversion policy, SNP Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance, pointed to a similar strategy in US city Baltimore securing overwhelmingly positive results.

READ MORE:Dundee remains Scotland's drug deaths capital amid action call

Ms Constance pointed to the Baltimore strategy in which they stopped prosecuting for low-level drug offences, and only six out of 1,400 diverted drug cases were involved in re-offending".

She added that Scotland has to think big, bold and radical in order to halt the soaring number of drug deaths.

Speaking to The Herald, she said: What we know from Baltimore and other international evidence is that needlessly criminalising people with complex needs or multiple disadvantage doesnt help make the situation any better it actually makes matters worse.

The announcement that the Lord Advocate made in and around recorded police warnings, the work we need to do to develop diversion and better treatment options and opportunities at every stage of the criminal justice system is actually crucial.

We need to ensure that drugs policy is connected to things like mental health support and the reforms that need to take place in our justice system as well.

READ MORE:Scotland's drug deaths in 2021 broken down in charts and maps

Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced that Baltimore would stop prosecuting low-level drug possession and prostitution in March 2020, mostly as a measure at the start of the pandemic.

Last year, Ms Mosby announced the policy would remain in place permanently as it emerged that violent crime had dropped by 20 per cent and property crime by 36%.

Ms Mosby has suggested that in addition to steering the police away from prosecuting future cases, authorities in Scotland should consider how to handle retrospective and pending cases.

READ MORE:How Barcelona tackled its 'epidemic' of drug overdose deaths

A report from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Heath found that Baltimores no-prosecution policy led to fewer new low-level drug arrests and almost no rearrests for serious crimes for those who had charges dropped.

The findings suggest the new policy did not result in increased public complaints about drug use and that those who had charges dropped did not go on to commit serious crimes.

More here:

How Scotland is being inspired by Baltimore in move away from drugs prosecution - HeraldScotland

HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) The Hawkins County Sheriffs Office (HCSO) on Friday made several arrests as part of the agencys war on drugs.

The arrests, part of an effort dubbed Operation Reminder, led to five drug-related arrests, according to a news release from the HCSO. One man remains at large.

The HCSO named off the arrestees and their charges as follows:

John William Roberts has yet to be arrested. He is wanted for possession/manufacture/delivery/sale of meth, according to the HCSO.

The HCSO uploaded several pictures on Facebook of what appears to be drug paraphernalia, several guns and around $5,500 in drug-related cash.

In 2010, Sheriff Ronnie Lawson declared the war on drugs in his first elected term, the Facebook post read. Today [July 22], the Hawkins County Sheriffs Office Narcotics Unit, Detectives Division, Patrol Division, Corrections Division, Transport Division, Tactical Unit, K9 Unit and the TBI deployed on Operation Reminder to remind the drug dealers in the county that promise still stands.

The sheriffs office stated in the comments of one of the pictures that the money is seized under forfeiture laws and must be proven to have been obtained from illegal drug deals in civil asset hearings. Defendants have a right to file an appeal.

The seizing agency must present the evidence for the case, a spokesperson with the agency posted. If awarded to the seizing agency it goes into the drug fund.

See the article here:

HCSOs anti-drugs operation leads to arrests of several alleged dealers - WJHL-TV News Channel 11

Photograph: Jeff Chiu/APtenderloin

By David M. GreenwaldExecutive Editor

San Francisco, CA Last week it was reported that appointed DA Brooke Jenkins recently filed over a dozen cases where the only charge was possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jenkins told the SFGATE that she had no hand in the filing of those charges.

I have made no policy changes in regards to charging for simple drug possession and paraphernalia, she said in a statement to SFGATE. My office will immediately withdraw these charges as they were done out of accordance with our offices policy. I am focused on holding serious drug dealers, particularly those dealing fentanyl, accountable and not targeting and incarcerating those suffering from addiction. We will take the appropriate steps internally to ensure that our staff is following our policy.

Public Defender Peter Calloway told the Vanguard he was skeptical of the DAs claims.

I think either its suggesting disarray, chaos, incompetence, or some combination, none of thats good or shes lying, Calloway said. In either case shes stepping back only from the most egregious of the sort of drug war policies that she and the mayor are advancing.

Calloway explained that 17 complaints were identified as standalone 11364 (Health & Safety Code section 11364 on drug paraphernalia) charges. Ten of those were to be arraigned the day that the story broke that those charges had been withdrawn, while the other seven were added to the calendar for bench warrants to be recalled and the cases to be withdrawn.

Mano Raju, the elected public defender of San Francisco, immediately pushed back with a strongly worded statement: I denounce these charging decisions by District Attorney Jenkins. San Francisco must not regress to the inhumane, cruel, and costly war on drugs.

Calloway expressed concern over the overall thrust and shift of the mayor and the new DAs office.

He added, The other policies, mainly prosecuting dealers, and making less available to them, charges that would take into consideration their immigration status, those policies are, are as lacking in evidence as prosecuting drug users.

Calloway believes, Theres plenty of literature out there showing that these policies are going to kill people.

Research suggests taking a drug user out of their environment for a few days or weeks brings their tolerance way down, and so when they go back out and start using again the same amount as before, some of them will overdose and end up dying.

They claim that this is about the overdose crisis, he said. The fact that these policies are, are directly contrary to their stated goals reveals to me that their stated goals are not their actual ones.

Raju in his statement noted, We cannot arrest, prosecute, and cage our way out of a public health crisis. Every dollar spent on this misguided strategy is a dollar lost. We must instead invest in public health solutions that have proven to be effective, including housing, jobs, healthcare, and educationall of which have been drastically underfunded for decades.

Matt Gonzalez, the chief attorney at the San Francisco Public Defenders Office, said that the war on drugs did not have the intended impact.

The use of drugs should be treated as a health matter, he told the Vanguard. What we should be focusing on is whether or not anyone thats actually using drugs commits crime as a result of intoxication or things like that.

Has the pendulum swung back toward the days of the war on drugs? Gonzalez thinks thats what the appointed DA seems to believe.

Were going to go through a period where theyre going to be tough on these cases, he explained. The problem theyre going to run up against is, is very fundamental.

Gonzalez explained that things like diversion programs and plea bargaining were not created to help or aid the defense.

They actually were created to deal with just fundamental reality that the system actually cannot prosecute all of these cases, he said.

He said, The reality is if they want to go to trial in every single case, lets do it. I mean our clients do better when they go to trial.

Part of that is that they often win their cases, but even if they dont, Gonzalez said, the judge who is going to be imposing a sentence actually has to consider their individual circumstances when meting out some kind of punishment.

He believes there is now a societal desire to decriminalize drug use. So you have all kinds of diversionary opportunities, even post-trial.

Jenkins was appointed in part because of the publics frustration at homeless encampments.

Youre not going to solve these problems with the criminal justice system, because the only tools at your disposal as a prosecutor are going to be lets put people in jail for a while.

He sees that a disruption to getting services that they need.

Instead of using law enforcement and the courts, Gonzalez said, And Boudin spoke about this, I think quite eloquently, is that many of these issues need to be addressed by lawmakers at city hall with the services that we provide, we should be focused on why is there a wait list for someone to get the services and housing that they need, and things of that nature.

Reacting with frustration and using law enforcement, he believes, is just going to frankly deepen the problem.

More:

Regardless of What DA Jenkins Did with Standalone Drug Charges, Enforcement Is Not the Answer to SFs Drug Problems, Public Defenders Say - The Peoples...

We're still buzzing off the enormous resurgence of Kate Bush mega cult-hit 'Running Up That Hill'. Its inclusion on Stranger Things this summer even brought the famously elusive star into the public eye again thanks to its ascension to number thirty-seven years after it first dropped.

Yesterday, we shared how people of different ages discovered music when they were kids when neither Netflix nor TikTok were the leaviathans they are now. Today, we're sharing the TV shows that turned our writers onto certain bands, certain songs, and music in general.

Believe it or not, The War on Drugs were a band it took me ages to get into. Since Lost in the Dream broke them into the mainstream in 2014, I wilfully avoided any and all recommendations, narrowly avoiding the hype that is until 2018, when my veil of ignorance was torn apart by, of all things, a cartoon horse. BoJack Horsemans season 5 finale The Stopped Show is best described as a succession of emotional suckerpunches, culminating in a scene where Diane takes BoJack to rehab. Without giving too much of the context away, both characters go through A LOT in season 5, with their relationship nearly breaking down as a result.

BoJacks spiralling drug addiction leads him to a breaking point, with Diane getting him to accept the help he needs to make positive changes. The bittersweet mix of emotions shown on her face frustration, anger and warmth are assisted beautifully by the shimmering intro to Under the Pressure. The hazy melodies and driving drumbeat is such a perfect soundtrack for this moment, and she drives off into the sunset as Adam Granduciels distinctive vocal kicks in. Its a beautiful moment from a beautiful show, and that finale was the perfect gateway drug (pun very much intended) into finally appreciating the band. (Cameron Sinclair Harris)

Naughty Boy and Bastilles collaboration No Ones Here to Sleep largely flew under the radar except for a showing in one of 2014s most iconic TV moments: "Why is your penis on a dead girls phone?"

Before going a little off the rails, How To Get Away With Murder was one of the best shows on television, led by Viola Davis always giving it 250% and killing it. One of the earliest episodes ended with an emotive scene seeing Annalise Keating, played by Davis, removing her make-up (and her strong persona along with it) to confront her husband on his infidelity with a dead woman. All of it soundtracked by this slow burn tune: an iconic moment in television! (David Roskin)

The medical comedy Scrubs was a surprising hotbed for new music, and with its unique ability to combine side-splitting dream sequences with tear-jerking dramatic moments, there are a number of moments that stand out and tracks that will forver be 'from Scrubs'. Arguably the most famous of them is the use of The Fray's 'How To Save A Life', which soundtracked Dr. Cox's slide into depression following his decision to rush a number of transplants with organs that, unbeknownst to him, were from a rabbies-infected patient, causing three fatalities in quick succession. His spiral, including a desperate attempt and later destruction of a defibrillator, set the scene for a season-spanning climb to recovery; and one of the most haunting TV moments of the series' nine-year runtime. (Cailean Coffey)

'The Young Ones' in the early '80s always had a band on in the middle of the show, with people like Jools Holland, Amazulu and Madness doing one track, usually playing in the grotty student hovel that the characters lived in. I was a fully paid up metal fan at the time, so was obviously delighted when Motorhead appeared in series two to play 'Ace of Spades'. But most importantly for my musical development was The Damned playing 'Nasty': I joined the dots and realised that punk wasn't that different from what Motorhead were doing, and from The Damned I got into Sex Pistols, Ramones and The Clash. All down to some fictitious, smelly students in Bristol!" (Ben Willmott)

Gilmore Girls is a treasure trove of hidden music references and gems. There was Slint, The Shins then an appearance from Sonic Youth; and one of the most memorable being The Bangles appearance in the Concert Interruptus episode during the first season. Hearing the band play both 'Hero Takes A Fall' and 'Eternal Flame' performed during the episode got me into the band...but 'Walk Like an Egyptian' was the deal breaker. (Emma Way)

When I was 18, I was secretly obsessed with The O.C., thinking myself in tune with the sarcastic, indie rock-loving outcast Seth Cohen. The show poked fun at the self-absorbed privilege of those living in the Orange County, California. Oh, and it had a fantastic soundtrack too! At the end of the first season, just as Seth had finally begun to feel a sense of belonging, his adopted brother and best friend Ryan makes the decision to return back to his hometown.

This leaves Seth absolutely distraught. He packs his bags, jumps on his boat (he's a rich kid after all!) and sails away from home. As he does so, Jeff Buckley's 'Hallelujah' soundtracks, increasing the emotions of the moment tenfold. I remember frantically scribbling down the lyrics at the time and rushing off to the family computer to Google the tune (the depressing days before Shazam...). Before long, I'd bought the singer's 1994 classic album Grace, being equally blown away and ashamed that I was only then discovering his music. (Matthew McLister)

Another form of music discovery that is anathema to the snobs out there is the cover. Is there anything that will have a gatekeeper spitting more than telling them you loved a reinterpretation before an original? There are many instances in which I discovered tunes this way, but one that stands out is the sultry Anya Marina version of T.I.'s 'Whatever You Like', which played during the (traumatic) threesome scene between Dan, Vanessa and Hilary Duff character Olivia in season three of Gossip Girl.

It wasn't the only song I discovered from the series. Like many people's The Show from when they were teens, Gossip Girl literally shaped my taste in so many things, not least of them music. The show's very own Taylor Momsen got her music with The Pretty Reckless played on the show, with 'Make Me Wanna Die' soundtracking a poignant moment. Baby Jessie was immediately obsessed. (Jessie Atkinson)

I'm sure that I would say 'Dear Love of Mine' by Daniel Spaleniak and you'd think: "what song by who?", but if you've seen hugely popular Netflix crime drama Ozark, chances are you'll recognise this song instantly upon pressing play.

The Polish composer's track from his brilliant 2016 album Back Home is a wonderfully dark and bluesy slice of Americana that exquisitely soundtracks the ending to Ozark's second ever episode. Helping to establish the tone of the show early doors, it's the perfect audio companion to the Byrde family's exploits. Well done the music supervisors of Ozark for bringing this lesser-known moody and heartfelt track to the attention of a much bigger audience. (Karl Blakesley)

If, like me, your parents didn't spend too much time listening to music, you might have had to discover the sounds of the 1980's elsewhere. Life on Mars follow-up Ashes to Ashes was the place for me, and thank the television gods that the soundtrack was a good one. From New Order and Frankie Goes to Hollywood to Yazoo and ABC, it was the perfect primer for the best and most popular from the decade in pop music. (Jessie Atkinson)

With a strong variety of 1960s classics from the likes of The Monkees, The Kinks and The Zombies woven into the narrative of Matthew Weiners Mad Men, the show helped turn me onto a large supply of quality 60s rock that I hadn't explored before. These sorts of tracks were largely the foundation and inspirations of my current interests of psych rock, garage rock and indie so I immediately was enthralled by it. The show's soundtrack as a whole does an incredible job of really making it feel like you're in the time it's set and who doesn't love feeling born in the wrong era every now and again? (Ross Carley)

The use of Roxy Music's album-concluding 'In Every Dream Home A Heartache' during the cold open of series two, in which BTK killer Dennis Rader auto-erotic-asphyxiates, is one of the most effective uses of non-diegetic sound I have ever seen. While the For Your Pleasure cut creepily speaks from the point of view of a man in love with a blow-up doll, the parallels between its themes and the dark degeneracy of the '70s and '80s serial killer are stark, the guitar breakdown both releasing and reaffirming a profound sense of wrongness.

Yes, this was the first time I'd ever heard the song. Yes, it played on repeat for weeks afterwards. And yes: in our flat, we still regularly sing random verses from the creepiest rock song of all time. (Jessie Atkinson)

The rest is here:

The TV shows that got us into music | Gigwise - Gigwise

By the end of the year, New Yorkers are set to be able to legally buy cannabis for recreational use, and the dispensaries selling those products will be owned by people most affected by harsh drug laws.

As the state's cannabis industry rolls out estimated to generate billions in tax revenue, New York officials aim to avert whats happened with legalization in other states, where those who entered the market had existing means to start businesses. This meant low-income communities of color most affected by the war on drugs were left out.

Were going to take those barriers head on, Chris Alexander, executive director of the state Office of Cannabis Management, told the USA Today Network New York. Were not going to wait to see how the market plays out. Were not going to wait to see how folks get a chance to participate.

New Yorkers will soon have to navigate a variety of cannabis licenses, funds to start businesses and policies meant to address historic racist practices in law enforcement.

Path forwardNew York becomes 15th state to legalize recreational marijuana

Budding industryNew York's first legal marijuana crop is growing and bound for stores this year

Adults over 21 can already carry and use certain amounts of weed thanks to the state's 2021 Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act.

But as of now, its still illegal for New Yorkers to sell cannabis for recreational use. In July, the Office of Cannabis Management sent cease and desist letters to over 50 stores the state said were illegally selling cannabis.

That's soon changing.

The first retail dispensaries to open will be from licensees part of the coveted conditional adult-use retail dispensary (CAURD) program. They are expected to open before the end of the year. From there, the state is set to unveil more dispensaries and other licenses for the industry.

Addressing drug warPeople with weed convictions may get NYs first retail cannabis licenses, state says

On July 14, the state Cannabis Control Board passed regulations and the application for CAURD licenses. Approximately 150 licenses will be issued, accompanied by a $200 million fund from the state to operate the new business. A business can expect to receive up to $1.5 million to help establish a dispensary.

Qualifying is highly selective.

CAURDs application window is expected to open at the end of August. Those interested must pay a $2,000 nonrefundable application and license fee. Applicants also must indicate the preferred geographic region to operate a dispensary.

A mockup of the application is already available at Cannabis.ny.gov.

Black and Latino New Yorkers have consistently been overrepresented in marijuana-related arrests.

The state is issuing its first licenses to people who felt the effects of the ban on marijuana, and state funds aid them in the process. Tax revenue from sales are also meant to go back into communities, via education funds, community reinvestment grants, drug treatment and public education.

But many people affected by the prohibition may not have opened a business, let alone a successful one and both are requirements to obtain CAURD. State officials say other cannabis licenses will also factor in equity standards to ensure all people have a chance to enter the industry.

Half of all licenses must go to social and economic equity applicants. This includes people from communities impacted by the drug war, underrepresented groups such as minority- and women-owned businesses, disadvantaged farmers and service-disabled veterans.

Still, advocates say more needs to be done.

The harm that has been done totals billions of dollars, said Regina Smith, the executive director of the Harlem Business Alliance, at an Office of Cannabis Management workshop in Harlem on Tuesday. She pointed to more funds needed for entrepreneurs to succeed and not be saddled with debt.

What youve done is nice, but its crumbs given the need and damage," she said.

State officials say there will be nine applications that encompass different aspects of the industry from nurseries to weed bars.

Conditional licenses meant to kickstart the industry have already gone out to cultivators. Those licenses were first offered to existing state-licensed hemp farmers, and were rolled out before the growing season so cannabis could be harvested in time for the states first dispensaries. As of now, there are now over 220 farms in New York that can grow cannabis for sale.

Meanwhile, the application for a separate license to process cannabis products closed at the end of June.This license allows cannabinoid hemp processors already authorized by the state to move into cannabis.

Applicants can only apply for one type of license. That's meant to ensure the industry doesnt get monopolized by large companies.

The timeline and criteria for additional licenses will be developed in the coming months.

The Office of Cannabis Management website (cannabis.ny.gov) has the latest information on applications, funding and regulations. Officials have also hosted in-person workshops and webinars to provide the latest updates on the industry.

Eduardo Cuevas covers race and justice for the USA TODAY Network of New York.He can be reached atEMCuevas1@gannett.comand followed on Twitter@eduardomcuevas.

Go here to read the rest:

New York is set to open cannabis dispensaries in 2022. What to know. - The Journal News

As a clinical psychologist at the Imperial College London, Rosalind Watts witnessed hundreds of patients emerge from crushing depression after participating in clinical trials using psilocybin-assisted therapy. In 2017, in a bid to win over skeptics of psychedelic medicine, she enthusiastically described these transformative, groundbreaking experiences in a TED talk that's been viewed almost a million times.

However, in a recent Medium article, Watts admits: "Watching again today, I can't help but feel as if I unknowingly contributed to a simplistic and potentially dangerous narrative around psychedelics."

Now a billion-dollar industry is blossoming around psychedelic drugs and their potential to treat an entire range of ailments.

Now a billion-dollar industry is blossoming around psychedelic drugs and their potential to treat an entire range of ailments. Yet, Watts and others in the sphere are troubled by what they see as unrealistic expectations and a tendency to gloss over the genuine risks involved.

Complicating matters further, psychedelic "services" will soon be legally accessible in states such as Oregon, with legalization pending in other areas, even before the FDA has approved it.

We Are Still "Astonishingly Ignorant"

When it comes to older adults, the stories of cancer patients shedding their fear of death and veterans released from the grip of PTSD after psychedelic-assisted therapy cause real hope (some of these reports can be watched in the new Netflix documentary with Michael Pollan, "How to Change Your Mind," 2022). Yet there is no "miracle cure." And while psychedelics, when used with respect and intention, can be transformative, they don't produce the desired results for everyone. And there are risks to be considered.

In the last five years, the FDA has granted breakthrough status in the approval process for two psychedelic drugs psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and MDMA for PTSD based on their safety and efficacy in clinical trials. But, with imminent legalization, the scientific establishment is concerned that our knowledge about these substances is still lagging and impeded, in large part, by the same War On Drugs era restrictions on research continuing today.

While significant progress has been made in recent years, as Roland Griffiths, a veteran psychedelics researcher from Johns Hopkins, recently observed during a 2022 SXSW panel, we are still "astonishingly ignorant" about how these drugs work.

At a recent conference on psychedelics as treatments for psychiatric disorders convened by the National Academies of Sciences, experts from various fields raised a list of concerns regarding this topic. Not only are the physiological underpinnings of how psychedelics work on the human consciousness still unclear, but there are also confounding issues of blinding and bias in the clinical studies and a lack of consensus on dosing and treatment protocols.

Factoring in The Cost of Therapy

The FDA will look for satisfactory answers before these drugs are federally legalized and approved for public use a process that may take years.

A psychedelic journey can be intensely painful, frightening, disappointing, joyful, moving, and profoundly healing. Hence, those approaching their journey in a therapeutic context will ideally have sufficient trust in their therapist's support to relinquish control and fully submit to the experience.

Before their journey, nonetheless, a few preparatory sessions with a therapist may be enough to achieve that level of trust. Others might require more. After the trip, some clients will need more therapy to integrate the experience and insights. As Watts has observed, even study participants who improved dramatically after the drug sessions felt the effects wear off over time and reached out for support long after the trial had ended.

Who's Watching the Watcher

Therapy hours are costly, and it is still unclear whether the expense will ever be covered by insurance. If this form of therapy is paid for out-of-pocket, many will not be able to afford it. Still, group therapy options may make the psychedelic experience more accessible and even offer additional benefits.

A psychedelic journey can be intensely painful, frightening, disappointing, joyful, moving, and profoundly healing.

In anticipation of the day that psychedelic-assisted therapy is legalized, many thousands of therapists and guides have been and continue to be trained to provide such a service. However, there is currently no consensus about who is authorized to fulfill this function. Should it be a therapist, social worker, health care professional, chaplain, or a caring companion?

Not to mention, in this emerging field, there is currently no professional organization of psychedelic-assisted therapists that would certify its members and handle violations of professional ethics. This was recently underscored when an alarming instance of boundary violations in a psychedelic-assisted therapy trial was exposed in the media, raising concerns over how to guarantee the safety of patients in such a highly vulnerable state.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

One member of the community shaken by this event was psychiatrist Craig Heacock. As one of the therapists in that same clinical trial, he felt compelled to offer his perspective on his podcast, Back From the Abyss.

Heacock proposes that we view therapist violations as one extreme of the psychedelic-assisted therapy story, while miracle cures represent another. But to get a realistic picture of the promise versus the perils of psychedelic-assisted therapy, Heacock suggests we focus on what happens between those extremes.

In a conversation with a patient who received treatment in the same clinical trial, she described the life-transforming healing she experienced after decades of living with crippling PTSD. But she also spoke of her continued struggles with the challenges of everyday life. For Heacock, this kind of "two steps forward one step back" is what we can realistically expect for such a therapy.

Undoubtedly, for someone who has suffered their entire life with extreme mental distress, the first of those two steps can be a giant one. So in spite of the inevitable setbacks, there is still meaningful progress.

Read more here:

Beyond the Hype: A Sober Look at Psychedelics - Next Avenue

A recentNew York Times/Siena College poll showing 64 percent of Democrats preferring a new standard-bearer in 2024 rocked the White House and the political landscape, but it should not have come as a big surprise. After all, President Joe Biden continues to fall short of the promises that drew many Democrats, including myself, to his candidacy in 2020: his pledge for a new strategy combatting Covid-19.

Consider the Food and Drug Administrations recent decisionallowing pharmaciststo play doctor and prescribe Pfizers anti-viral treatment Paxlovid, which Biden himself, having contracted Covid-19, is now taking. The agency claims this is meant to increase access to the medicine, which must be taken as soon as symptoms arise. But the drugs fact sheetis a tangled web of restrictions that will make it impractical for most pharmacies to take the risk. Why is the FDA encouraging this?

The answer is plain to anyone who has been following the plight of independent doctors during the pandemic. Our public health agencies heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical industry and beholden to Bidens vaccine first approach are committed to diminishing the medical profession and centralizing authority with bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. They have prosecuted a relentless campaign to reduce physicians to cogs in a health care system that is aggressively transforming all medical professionals from providers to prescribers.

The problems with Paxlovid are no secret. FDA granted Pfizer emergency use authorization for the drug after a single trial with questionable results. The medicine has many contraindications, meaning it cant be taken by someone who simultaneously would be taking certain anti-depressants, anti-seizure, anti-psychotic, cholesterol, or blood pressure medications. Furthermore, many Americans cannot take Paxlovid, given that nearly half of adults have cardiovascular disease.

The risks are plain to see in FDAs guidance, which recommends referring the patient to a doctor if sufficient information is not available to assess renal and hepatic function or potential drug interactions. Numerous contraindications are listed, and caution is advised throughout. The burden is on the patient to furnish medical records to prove that he or she doesnt have any significant kidney or liver disease, drug sensitivities, or other medications that could cause serious adverse events.

Nevertheless, pharmacies have spent months and millions of dollars lobbying for the right toplay doctorand prescribe Paxlovid. The economic motives of such a move are clearly in their favor, as, unlike doctors, they profit directly from dispensing drugs. Its no surprise the National Community Pharmacists Association celebrated the win as acourse correction. Its CEO said, Pharmacists are the drug therapy and drug interaction experts. This move opening up their ability to assess the need for and prescribe Paxlovid will improve patients timely access to treatments that will help keep them out of the hospital and alive.

This may be as absurd a statement by a health organization as I have heard in the pandemic. No pharmacist could ever safely dispense a novel medicine with an unprecedented amount of drug interactions without in-depth knowledge of the severity of the patients medical problems or the critical necessity of each of their other medicines. This fact was not lost on the American Medical Association, which temporarily snapped out of its woke-activist-induced coma to offer qualified criticism.

While the majority of COVID-19 positive patients will benefit from Paxlovid, it is not for everyone, and prescribing it requires knowledge of a patients medical history, as well as clinical monitoring for side effects and follow-up care to determine whether a patient is improvingrequirements far beyond a pharmacists scope and training, American Medical Association President Jack Resneck Jr. said in a statement.

The tell is right there, though. The AMA is fine with Paxlovid as long as physicians are doing the prescribing. Ceding authority is the problem, which is why the agency previously called the idea dangerous in practice and precedent when the Biden administration first proposed it in theTest to Treatinitiative.

Covid cases and deaths are down massively from their last peak in January. Most states have lifted restrictions and returned to normal. Yet just days after the FDA made this announcement, the Biden administration again extendedthe Covid public health emergency because the president cant lose the specter of Covid as a political tool.

Vaccination rates haveleveled off, and Paxlovid salesbottomed outin April due to a combination of supply problems and sinking demand. Pfizer pushed expectations for the drug sky high, and now it needs to deliver on that promise. The FDAs move shows howdeftly the company has used the pandemic to influence government and public health agencies to serve its shareholders.

The pharmaceutical industry, led by Pfizer and in league with the Biden administration, is waging war against independent doctors who refuse to cede control over patient well-being and they are winning. If there is any hope for change, it will come in November.

The red wave forming off our political shores is a culmination of many factors. Inflation and gas prices are hitting all-time highs, and just 13 percent of Americans believe the country is heading in the right direction. But relying on scare tactics to distract voters back to Biden is a strategy not supported by medical conditions on the ground.

Lets hope whoever rides into Washington on that red wave will take on this fight with integrity.

Pierre Kory, MD, is president and chief medical officer of the Front-Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance.

Unlock commenting by joining the Federalist Community.

Read the original:

Biden And Big Pharma Are Using Covid-19 To Circumvent Doctors - The Federalist

Despite the irrepressible love that Boris Johnsons government has shown for illegal parties, it is now taking the opportunity to tighten drug laws on its way out of the door. There is perhaps no more fitting tribute to the hypocrisy of this government than the latest drugs proposal from the Home Office.

Swift, Certain, Tough: New consequences for drug possession is a word-salad of a white paper and a last-gasp attempt to codify the Johnson governments preoccupation with punishing middle-class coke-heads and recreational drug users. The only certainty is that the prime minister and home secretary behind the paper will have been evicted from office by the time it progresses through the legislative process.

But we shouldnt downplay the significance of this attempt to penalise drug users. This style of punitive politics has become increasingly characteristic of the British state, at the same time as our politicians are failing to find answers to the big economic and constitutional questions of the day. While countries such as Georgia, Germany, Uruguay and the US have all been moving away from the failed war on drugs strategy forged in the 1970s, which sought to prohibit drugs and criminalise drug users, the Johnson administration has spent much time trying to breathe new life into these discredited policies.

Research shows these policies disproportionately affect the poorest and most vulnerable communities and racial minorities, and contribute to higher rates of imprisonment among these groups. Yet the government has spent the last few years taking every opportunity to insist that drug prohibition would magically work if it instead targeted middle-class drug users. The white paper was meant to be the moment when we found out how this new plan would be achieved. Perhaps arresting someone for drug possession would now be followed by a test of their middle-class credentials: could they distinguish the salad fork from the dessert fork? Whats their reaction to Mumford & Sons? In the end, it turns out that the strategy for attacking recreational users is just a mix of tough language and overt cruelty wrapped around a tacit recognition that the mass criminalisation of drug users is utterly pointless.

One of the ideas here is to give fixed-penalty notices to first-time offenders, and refer them to drug-awareness courses. There isnt much difference between this proposal and Sadiq Khans plan to pilot diversion schemes for cannabis possession in Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley. Similar schemes are already being run by a number of police forces, including Durham and Avon & Somerset. They allow police officers to divert people from the criminal justice system and towards rehabilitation or counselling programmes. Yet when Khan announced his plans in London, Priti Patel condemned the London mayor and said he has no powers to legalise drugs (diversion schemes do nothing of the sort).

The basic argument behind diversion schemes is that its impossible for the police and courts to try to criminalise everyone caught in possession of drugs. In the white paper, the government seems to accept this obvious premise. Even so, the paper includes a pointless, punitive directive that people should be made to pay for rehabilitation courses. And just in case anyone mistakenly thought this policy showed compassion towards drug users, the paper even explores the feasibility of setting the payment for rehabilitation courses above cost, meaning those attending would be paying more than it costs to run the programme, and the government would be profiting from their misfortune.

These new proposals also include a three-tier system of escalating punishment, which echoes the notorious three strikes system in the US that resulted in waves of incarceration during the 1990s. This white paper policy is less extreme but nonetheless draconian: if the offender doesnt pay the fixed-penalty notice or attend the drug-awareness course, they could be prosecuted. If arrested a second time, theyre issued with a caution alongside another drug-awareness course and a period of mandatory drug testing. Finally, if caught a third time, the offender would be charged and, if convicted, subject to new civil court orders that could exclude them from bars, confiscate their passport or driving licence and place them in ankle tags to monitor their blood for drugs. Any failure to comply could result in prison.

This paper is a mess of contradictory objectives: it attempts to increase the punishments imposed on drug users while also diverting drug users from the criminal justice system. It reflects the utterly confused approach that Britains politicians show towards drugs. They know the system doesnt work, but cant let go of it because they have little to offer voters beyond promises to be tough on crime. They want to speak to the persistence of inequality but are unwilling to implement reforms that would reduce the wealth gap so instead proffer an attack on middle-class drug users. This is cynical, performative politics: the government has no intention of dealing with the problems afflicting Britain, so instead it produces soundbite policies that play to public fears while leaving the status quo untouched.

In reality, making drug users pay to undertake drug-awareness courses will mean the wealthy dodge the three-strike system, while those without the means to pay will face further punishment. Meanwhile, any rise in stop and search that results from this punitive approach to drug possession will affect poor and minority communities far more than middle-class users. In short, if these policies become law, they will lead to the incoherent punishment of a small minority. Its an appropriate last will and testament for the Johnson regime.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 300 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at guardian.letters@theguardian.com

Continued here:

British drugs policy is punitive and contradictory. And now itll go backwards - The Guardian

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) The fentanyl epidemic in the US is unprecedented, and the DEA has seized enough fentanyl to give a lethal dose to every person in America.

San Diego is the gateway for the majority of those pills coming over the border, and the special agent in charge of the DEA says everyone in the community needs to be aware of the fentanyl epidemic, before you make a deadly mistake.

KUSIs Ginger Jeffries has spent endless hours getting to the bottom of this epidemic, getting facts on how it is impacting Americans, specifically our children.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. It was originally developed for pain management applied in a patch on the skin. However, because of its high-powered ability drug dealers started to add it to heroin to either increase the potency or even disguise it as a cheap alternative.

It works by binding the areas of the brain that control pain. Someone on fentanyl will experience sedation, often confusion, and extreme emotions. A lethal dose is as small as 3 granules of salt.

The DEA launched the One Pill can Kill public awareness campaign in September of last year, to attack this growing problem on every level.

The majority of the counterfeit drug production is happening in other countries, mainly China and Mexico, and then trafficked here to the US.

Common emojis for fake prescription drugs include, a blue dot, or a banana for Oxy and Percocet.

Other signs to watch out for is how a dealer will try to advertise by using the plug or money bag and how potent a batch is and if they have a lot or a little.

As a parent, knowing what your kids are communicating about could be the difference between life and death!

See the original post:

'One Pill Can Kill': How Fentanyl changed the war on drugs - - KUSI

My son, Robert, passed away in January 2017. He died of an accidental overdose of opioids. For me and my family, the last five years have been filled with minutes, hours, and days of tremendous sadness with grief gripping every ounce of us. How can we use our horrific loss and heartbreak? We can wield it in anger and bitterness, or we can use it to support life-giving solutions.

Recently I recalled some of my thoughts from the night of Roberts death. I thought of all the moms who lost their sons and daughters in war. Someone had appeared at their doorstep with the horrific life-altering news that their precious child had died in battle. The one held most dear to their heart had passed from this world. I remember thinking they died for a cause.

Our present-day battle is the War on Drugs, where we are using our criminal justice system to handle a health crisis. For the loved ones we lost in its collateral damage, bringing an end to it is perhaps the best way to honor them.

I can't help but wonder what our lost loved ones would say if they were able to speak. Would their message be for more jailing to heal the problem? Would their message be for long sentences? Or would it be listening to the stories of people using drugs and in addiction?

Would our loved ones want more and more punitive reactions? Or would they want us to look for the best way to keep people in the struggle alive and functioning?

What would those who have died want for other people using drugs who are still here?

Perhaps they would challenge us to sit in on an open AA meeting or any support group, coming face to face with people who are in the struggle. Those who are walking the walk. The people in these groups are real people exposing their thoughts and fears. Each one can share and is understood. Being able to totally relate gives strength and courage.

I pray those we have lost have not died in vain. And their legacy collectively can be for more understanding and compassion and less shame. Maybe they will be known in years to come as trailblazers in the fight against the War on Drugs. And their lives will be viewed as a sacrifice to upend the old way of using the criminal justice system to tackle our drug problems. Maybe this is part of the battle. Maybe our loved ones have died for a cause. I feel that would be the most amazing blessing that could develop from this tragedy that is being played out before us.

Will apathy progress us? Will turning a blind eye advance solutions? Will the same old path of punishment lead us to a better place? It hasn't yet. How can we fight for the betterment of those still on earth, those still enveloped in the struggle? I think I know what our loved ones would say. Let's give them a voice.

Lee Malouf is an advocate for health-centered responses to drug use. She can be reached at missyazoo@aol.com

See the rest here:

OPINION: Honor our lost loved ones by ending the war on drugs - HubcitySPOKES.com