But the reason we have prohibition is nothing to do with preventing social harm. It’s about the queasiness politicians feel about legalising something that they perceive still has a huge social stigma attached, even though the public is now firmly in favour of legalisation … It’s perhaps not surprising that [current “war on some drugs”) prohibition is…
There are at least three major hazards inherent in the government’s [increasingly prohibitionist stance and] approach. First, it risks pulling the safety net away from millions of Americans who managed to find a relatively inexpensive alternative to “big bad” opioids, using it for everything from back pain to fibromyalgia… Second, outlawing the powdered leaves of…[kratom] and…
In Portugal, where the government’s approach to drugs is almost completely outside the realm of law enforcement, the climate at music festivals is rather different. Onsite drug-checking services test purity, and virtually no one is hassled for their supplements of choice. That’s because 15 years ago, a bold national policy was implemented where low-level possession of…
“Last year the number of ODs sharply went up, possibly because of fentanyl,” says Sarang. “We can’t say for sure, because there’s no official data, but the number of times someone’s called and told us they’ve had to use naloxone has doubled. So more people are overdosing.” … Yet rather than trying to make the situation…
Drug-related hospital admissions down 95% after onsite testing at festival in Cambridgeshire, UK … An alarming rise in drug-related deaths at music festivals can be countered by testing illicit substances onsite, according to the first academic study of its kind, which has triggered calls for similar services to be rolled out at all major events. The Durham…
*The Opium War Museum entrance in Guangdong, China. Last month, the FDA made the controversial move to approve Dsuvia over numerous objections from high-ranking policymakers. Those opposed included four US senators and Dr. Raeford Brown – Chair of the FDA’s Advisory Panel, who noted that there are actually no distinct medical benefits or application for the drug right now. …
*University of Oregon School of Law “By the end of the ’90s, it was almost impossible to find a Portuguese family with no problem with heroin,” Goulao said, adding that the epidemic was so widespread across all economic classes that the public was crying out for a humane solution … The government formed a commission, and Goulao…
*Oregon Supreme CourtAccording to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “Portugal’s policy has reportedly not led to an increase in drug tourism. It also appears that a number of drug-related problems have decreased.”31 The leading independent researchers to investigate the outcomes of Portugal’s policy, professors Caitlin Hughes and Alex Stevens, wrote in the…
*Senator Stabenow of Michigan meets with representatives of the Kratom Rally in June 2018. The FDA just approved a new opiate (Dsuvia) that is 8-10x stronger than fentanyl. Basically, this says that a plant proven to treat opiate withdrawal [kratom] is more of a threat to public safety than one of the strongest opiates known…
The changes in the state’s criminal code would be significant, the primary goal of the petitioners is to clear the way for the therapeutic use of psilocybin via licensed and regulated producers, processors, and therapists. An initiative that would decriminalize most psilocybin offenses and open the door to regulated production and therapeutic use of the…
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