Report of visit by a Committee delegation to examine the impact of Portuguese approach to the possession of certain drugs!
http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24202/1/Justice%20Comm%20Final-Report—Lisbon-2015.pdf
Comments
“Such reports are a joke. A three day visit to hear reports from those with a vested interest in a good outcome. No evidence sited. Instead of a junket tour of Portugal a review of the literature might have been more informative.
The \”dramatic fall\” in HIV cases has no relationship to any policy regarding drugs. Firstly, as at 2011 Portugal had the highest prevalence of any Western European country at .7% compared to .2 to .3%. If the drug policy had any impact one would have thought that 15 years would have been long enough to reduce HIV to European average levels. Moreover only 4.2% of infections were considered to be due to injecting drugs. Put these two stats together and if all injecting drug use was eliminated the best result would be less than a 4% decline among drug users. That is an overall drop of 0.02%. If it has declined then other factors must be responsible.
Also with 13.5% unemployment and much higher among youth it is doubtful if the subsidised job scheme for addicts has had any impact despite the positive spin.
Stats such as average price for drugs may indicate a shift in demand, but crime still exists to supply the drugs. So what use the delegations visit if their aim was to deal with drug selling crime gangs…Utter nonsense. “
Dr C. (Australia)
“Interesting! I wonder why they did not tell us how many addicts are still experiencing death due to drugs or how many are no longer willing to go to treatment or improve their living conditions.”
Dr. C.F. (U.S.A)
“Our Portuguese colleagues say this is a complete crock — it has been a dismal failure.”
Dr A.R. (Australia)
For a look at the evidence go to
https://www.dontlegalizedrugs.com/files/images/pages/TheFailedPortugeseExperiment-The%20Evidence.pdf
It’s Time to Re-Think Prevention: Increasing Percentages of Adolescents Understand They Should Not Use Any Addicting Substances
\”These data have been there all along but the analysis resulting in this finding is completely new. Among 12th graders, the percentage of students who never used alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other drugs in their lifetimes rose from 2.9% in 1983 to 25% in 2014. The percentage of 12th graders who did not use any alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other drugs in the prior 30 days rose from 16.1% in 1982 to 49.6% in 2013. Similar sizeable positive changes are reported for 8th and 10th graders who were first surveyed in 1991. Problems with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs remain gravely serious. However, this new evidence of an increasing percentage of American youth who choose not to use any of these addicting substances gives new hope for the future.\”
For complete article download http://www.ibhinc.org/pdfs/IBHCommentaryAdolescentsNoUseofSubstances.pdf
THE IMPACT OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN OUR SOCIETY
Volume 9, Issue 2 – Summer 2015: http://globaldrugpolicy.org/
CHICAGO (AP) — Medical marijuana has not been proven to work for many illnesses that state laws have approved it for, according to the first comprehensive analysis of research on its potential benefits.
The strongest evidence is for chronic pain and for muscle stiffness in multiple sclerosis, according to the review, which evaluated 79 studies involving more than 6,000 patients. Evidence was weak for many other conditions, including anxiety, sleep disorders, and Tourette\’s syndrome and the authors recommend more research.
The analysis is among several medical marijuana articles published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. They include a small study suggesting that many brand labels for edible marijuana products list inaccurate amounts of active ingredients. More than half of brands tested had much lower amounts than labeled, meaning users might get no effect.
BY LINDSEY TANNER : AP MEDICAL WRITER Jun 23, 12:01 PM EDT (for full article go to….http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_MEDICAL_MARIJUANA_RESEARCH_5_THINGS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-06-23-11-51-43
The Colorado Supreme Court today issued its long-awaited and very important decision in the Brandon Coats v. Dish Network case involving a young man, severely disabled, who was terminated from his employment because he used medical marihuana that, he argued, was a “lawful activity” under state law.
The Court’s decision, 6-0, that affirmed a lower court’s verdict, found that the federal law is relevant in determining what is considered “lawful” under Colorado’s “lawful activities statute.” In other words, Coats’ argument that he was engaging in lawful activities under Colorado state law did not shield him from violating federal law and, as a consequence, being in violation of the state’s lawful activities statute.
The Court’s opinion is important not only because it was reached by the Colorado Supreme Court, but also because many other states considering adopting similar marihuana legislation as Colorado will now perhaps reconsider doing so. This also may influence the present case involving a motion before the US Supreme Court by OK and NE asking permission to file suit against CO for claims arising from what is claimed to be damages related to an unconstitutional state statute permitting the production and distribution of marihuana for recreational purposes, etc.
This is an important decision on several levels, not the least of which is how it will affect employment law. Go here to read the Court’s decision: http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2015/0615/20150615_085459_coats-vs-dish.pdf.
Drug Watch International
S.A.M. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT [email protected]
LEGALIZATION AMENDMENT FAILS IN CONGRESS
But once again, medical marijuana amendments pass
(WASHINGTON DC) – An amendment to the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill that would have stripped federal funds to be used to enforce federal drug laws in states failed today. The \”McClintock-Polis Amendment\” was a key part of the Big Marijuana industry\’s strategy on the Hill this year, and it would have protected marijuana lollipop and candy companies from any regulation.
\”We are re-energized. This is a victory for the science, and it\’s a victory for our Nation\’s kids,\” remarked Kevin Sabet, a former Obama Administration advisor who now serves as President of SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), a group that forcefully opposed the amendment. \”It\’s a crushing blow to the new Big Marijuana industry special interest group. Legalization is not inevitable and we will continue to discuss why today\’s high THC marijuana runs counter to mental health and basic principles of public health and road safety.\”
Any dose of alcohol combined with cannabis significantly increases levels of THC in blood
- Date: May 27, 2015
- Source: American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC)
- Summary:
- Cannabis plus alcohol is one of the most frequently detected drug combinations in car accidents, yet the interaction of these two compounds is still poorly understood. A study shows for the first time that the simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis produces significantly higher blood concentrations of cannabis\’s main psychoactive constituent, THC, as well as THC\’s primary active metabolite than cannabis use alone.
- For complete article go to Any dose of alcohol combined with cannabis significantly increases levels of THC in blood