Psychology

Addiction specialists ponder a potential aid: pot

“There’s no scientific reason to believe that somebody is better off being completely miserable and sober than using cannabis occasionally, or even fairly regularly, as an adult and being functional and happy and productive,” said Dr. Reiman, an unpaid consultant with High Sobriety, who added, “Using cannabis is a relatively safe practice.” “Every single treatment…

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Anthropology

A 3-part plan to fix legal weed in the U.S. was just unveiled by two Oregon lawmakers

…”Path to Marijuana Reform,” and it reads like a wish list for drug policy geeks. There are three bills altogether. One deals specifically with tax issues related to the marijuana industry; another includes a variety of far-reaching reforms, such as easing restrictions on banking and medical research; and the third calls for descheduling marijuana, which…

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Anthropology

Israel officially decriminalizes marijuana use

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, who led the reform, said that “the government’s approval is an important step on the way to implement the new policy, which will emphasize public information and treatment instead of criminal enforcement.” MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz), the chairwoman of the Knesset Special Committee on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, said that…

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Biography/Memoir

…Rip Van Winkle on drug policy

“Continued, much less intensified, enforcement of marijuana prohibition would be a tragedy. The drug war has created more than enough societal disasters, both domestically and internationally, since Nixon launched that initiative. Millions of Americans have had their lives disrupted and acquired the stigma of a criminal record for doing nothing more than choosing to use…

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Anthropology

Numbers show marijuana raids more lethal than pot

“The US Drug Enforcement Agency has not yet documented one overdose fatality stemming from the drug itself… at least 20 marijuana-related drug raids since 2010 that have ended in at least one death… suspects have been killed during these raids for as little as 0.2 grams of marijuana.” Drug raids targeting marijuana have been a…

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Anthropology

…vast majority of U.S. voters want federal government to respect state marijuana laws

The nationwide survey of 1,323 voters found that five out of seven voters (71%) — including majorities of Republicans, Democrats, independents, and every age group polled — oppose the government enforcing federal prohibition laws in states that have made marijuana legal for medical or adult use. 93% now support allowing marijuana for medical use and…

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