What\’s even more frightening is that Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines, is one of the worlds highest profile proponents for legalizing WEED!

Do the math people! Do the math!

Report examines pilot fatalities, illicit drugs

BY DOUGLAS CLARK  |   MARCH 12, 2020

A recently released National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report maintains the prevalence of prescription, over-the-counter, and illicit drugs found in fatally injured pilots has increased since its last focus in 2014.

The findings determined of 952 pilots fatally injured between 2013 and 2017 with available toxicology tests results, 28 percent tested positive for at least one potentially impairing drug, which authorities said represented a rise above the 23 percent figure in the 2014 study. Additionally, investigators indicated 15 percent were positive for at least one drug connected to a potentially impairing condition — an increase of 3 percentage points from the 2014 study.

Researchers also revealed an increase in the percentage of fatally injured pilots testing positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in marijuana, with the NTSB concluding evidence of that drug use presents a safety hazard ineffectively addressed and called for the FAA to inform pilots marijuana use by airmen is prohibited.

For complete story https://transportationtodaynews.com/news/17327-report-examines-pilot-fatalities-illicit-drugs/

Think marijuana isn’t addictive? Former users say think again

By John Keilman, Chicago Tribune, March 8, 2020,      

A person smokes marijuana at a private residence in the West Loop on Jan. 25, 2020 in Chicago. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

CHICAGO – In the basement of the Mustard Seed, a red brick building in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood that hosts dozens of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings each week, a handful of people gathered on a recent night to discuss a different addiction.

They were members of Marijuana Anonymous, a rapidly expanding 12-step organization that serves those struggling with a drug that is now legal in Illinois and 10 other states, and that many people view as innocuous.

“When you’re in rehab for weed, you don’t say you’re in rehab for weed,” said Robb, a 30-year-old who lives in Chicago. “Half the people will laugh you out of the room.”

But treatment specialists say marijuana’s addictive potential is well-established. About 1 in 10 people who use the drug end up with the condition known as cannabis use disorder, meaning they continue to use compulsively even when it messes up their lives.

The Chicago Tribune spoke with people in recovery from marijuana addiction about those problems, the complexities of treatment and the reluctance of others to recognize the seriousness of the habit (as is customary for participants in 12-step programs, they asked to be identified only by their first names or no name at all).

Guillermo, a 19-year-old Chicagoan, said the first time he got stoned “felt like I was a piece of butter melting on a stack of pancakes.” But the rapture faded quickly, and smoking weed soon became a joyless reflex akin to brushing his teeth in the morning, he said.

Potent marijuana frequently put him into hangoverlike “kush comas,” he said, and sapped his motivation and alertness so thoroughly that his mother threatened to put him into a mental hospital.

“I was just stoned all the time,” he said. “I was barely even there.”

Dr. Itai Danovitch, chair of the department of psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, said the hallmarks of cannabis use disorder are similar to those of other addictions.

People become physically dependent on the drug, needing more to achieve the same effect, and they suffer withdrawal symptoms if they stop using. They lose control over their consumption. And they keep going even after their use causes them to suffer adverse consequences.

Robb entered a similar program and said it helped him get through surprisingly intense withdrawal symptoms.

“I got headaches, dry heaves, extreme emotions and mood swings,” he said. “The first two weeks were bad. THC kills your ability to dream, so I was dreaming again for the first time in four years. My mind was catching up on everything I had repressed. Many of the reasons I started getting high in the first place were coming out in my dreams.”

Some experts question the efficacy of 12-step programs, which, given their anonymity and fluctuating membership, are notoriously hard to study. But Danovitch said they have proved helpful for many people, even if they can’t be considered formal treatment.

“We think of it as a community intervention,” he said. “It’s undoubtedly powerful and effective, but not everyone is willing to participate in it.”

Rick, 54, said Marijuana Anonymous helped him give up the drug when he started attending meetings about a decade ago. Since then, he said, the sense of fellowship has provided strong motivation to stay sober.

“These meetings have given me an accountability I could never maintain on my own,” he said. “They just keep me focused.”

For complete article https://www.columbian.com/news/2020/mar/08/think-marijuana-isnt-addictive-former-users-say-think-again/

Child cannabis addiction has nearly doubled in last decade

Normalising marijuana \’is danger to teenagers\’

In 2018, 621 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 received treatment in Ireland for addiction to cannabis – making up 85pc of the problem drugs for the adolescents (stock photo)

March 01 2020

The number of child cannabis addicts has nearly doubled in Ireland as the drug has become more fashionable.

Addiction has soared among teenagers in Ireland in the past 10 years while cocaine accounts for only a small fraction of addiction cases.

In 2018, 621 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 received treatment in Ireland for addiction to cannabis – making up 85pc of the problem drugs for the adolescents.

While cocaine generates headlines, it accounted for only 5pc of cases of teenage addiction in 2018 or 39 cases, ecstasy accounted for 2pc, benzodiazepines account for 5pc and heroin had zero cases.

Cannabis is seen as much less harmful than hard drugs like heroin and cocaine but consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at the HSE\’s Adolescent Addiction Service, Dr Bobby Smyth, said it is by far the single biggest addictive drug for Irish children.

\”We seem to have a blind spot for cannabis in society. Cocaine is nudging upwards but it\’s well behind cannabis.\”

While cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis among adolescents, it is most often a classic addiction issue.

\”It consumes their lives. I knew many young people who get away with it but there is a significant minority who have their lives devastated by it.\”

Marijuana normalisation has snowballed with US states including California legalising recreational use of cannabis.

Dr Smyth believes positive messages around cannabis are driving the treatment rates for addiction to the drug, which have gone from 348 child cases in 2008 to 621 cases in 2018 in Ireland.

He said: \”There is a really highly organised and sophisticated campaign driving the legalisation of cannabis agenda.

\”The harms and risks are being lost. We need some counter messaging. A lot of young people are rather thoughtlessly walking in to using cannabis.

\”Teenagers know it\’s not good to be drinking from first thing in the morning to last thing at night. But they are smoking cannabis the way they smoke cigarettes and that\’s a disaster.

For complete article https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/child-cannabis-addiction-has-nearly-doubled-in-last-decade-39002922.html

UK Government \’not willing to consider\’ decriminalisation of drugs, says drug summit chair

Ahead of a second drug summit in Glasgow, Kit Malthouse also said that safe consumption rooms are \”a bit of a distraction\”

The MP chairing the UK Government’s drug deaths summit in Glasgow has said that the UK Government is “not willing to consider” decriminalisation as a possible means for reducing harm caused by drugs.

Speaking on BBC Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, the UK Government Minister for Crime, Policing and the Fire Service Kit Malthouse said that more had to be done to expand treatment and crack down on drug distribution before the government “even contemplates something like (decriminalisation)”.

On safe drug consumption rooms, Malthouse said that drug consumption rooms are “a bit of a distraction” from other means of preventing drugs deaths.

He said: “If you look around the world and look at the research, the numbers that are affected are quite small. Actually the bulk of people who are dying from drug consumption need treatment, they need education and help and support over a long period.”

Pressed by presenter Gary Robertson that safe consumption rooms may help prevent deaths in the immediate term, Malthouse said that he believes politicians tend to “reach for a simple solution” and that there is no “silver bullet” to stop drug deaths.

He said: “It would take us some time to get them in place, they’re quite small scale and the scale of the problem, certainly in Scotland and elsewhere int the UK, demands a much more assertive approach.”

The UK Government drug deaths summit in Glasgow takes place one day after a similar event was held by the Scottish Government.

Writing in the Daily Record, Malthouse said that harm reduction measures such as heroin-assisted treatment and the use of Naloxone, an anti-overdose injected drug, was important.

But he said that cracking down harshly on criminal gangs and drug dealers was still an important part of the UK Governments approach.

“I am passionate about tackling the ruthless, organised crime gangs who are supplying drugs to vulnerable people.

“These criminals do not care about the harm they do to individuals and communities — their actions drive greater drug use and related offending.

“We must relentlessly pursue the organised criminals that are behind this evil trade.”

For complete article go to https://www.holyrood.com/news/view,uk-government-not-willing-to-consider-decriminalisation-of-drugs-says-drug-_15174.htm

Vaping oils that have proven deadly flooding across Arizona border: \’Everyone should be concerned\’

Illegal crude oil marijuana floods into Arizona from border

Arizona Sheriff\’s Deputies are struggling to keep up with the amount of illegal marijuana coming across the border. Things have gotten even harder as Mexican cartels are now smuggling what\’s called \’crude oil\’ marijuana. It\’s one of the strongest forms of THC vaping and it\’s proving to be deadly. The vaping cartridges sell for about $50. They\’re not only being sold on the black market, but on social media too. Detectives were able to track down a dealer near Phoenix, right from his home operation.

PHOENIX, Ariz. — A dangerous form of marijuana is flooding across the Arizona border and quickly spreading across the U.S.

It’s called \”crude oil,\” a highly potent, concentrated form of liquid marijuana that’s used for vaping or edibles. It’s something Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies in Arizona are seeing more and more of.

“Our Seizures are up, our arrests are up, the dangers for our deputies has increased dramatically,” said Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone.

It’s one of the strongest forms of THC vaping and it’s proven to be deadly.

“This is a social issue that is going to lead to the loss of lives, we know we’ve seen things such as suicides, we’ve seen young adults die from the implications of the chemicals themselves, we’ve seen mental health challenges from this drug itself, therefore, everyone should be concerned,” said Sheriff Penzone.

Maricopa County Sheriff\’s deputies recovered 25 gallons of crude oil marijuana and about 10,000 cartridges of vaping liquid from one operation east of Phoenix.

Detectives say legal marijuana vaping cartridges contain at most 30 percent of the high inducing THC, but this new ‘crude oil’ version contains up to 80 percent THC.

Detective Matthew Shay with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said once the black crude oil marijuana is brought into the U.S., it’s then brought to illegal processing labs where it can be distilled or cleaned, ready for vaping. Sheriff Penzone said it\’s hard to put a number on just how many illegal labs are around Phoenix — but he estimated there are at least dozens.

“I started law enforcement in 1988. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a time where the complexities of illegal drug distribution and the adverse impact it has on our community has been more severe than what we are seeing right now,\” Penzone said.

The vaping cartridges sell for about $50. They’re not only sold on the black market but on social media, too. Detectives were able to track down a dealer near Phoenix who started trying to peddle cartridges on his social media accounts, police said.

“So 25 gallons of crude and we recovered about 10,000 cartridges total off of that one guy…We located him through advertising to his various clients through social media….he had his own warehouse where he had a large lab set up there,” Shay said.

Detectives said making the crude oil is dangerous. Marijuana leaves are washed with harmful chemicals like propane or butane, which extracts the high inducing THC. It’s then mixed with ethanol and distilled several times to make it more translucent, ready for vaping.

For complete story go to Vaping bad! Vaping and Weed — disastrous!

Worried About CBD Hurting Your Liver? Here’s What the Experts Have to Say

• A new study shows evidence that extremely high doses of CBD can be damaging to the liver.
• But experts say this research, which was done in mice, is still in the early stages, and more information is needed.
• CBD isn’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, but the agency has been cracking down on companies claiming certain health benefits from taking CBD.

The market for products containing cannabidiol (CBD) – the non-psychoactive, pain-relieving chemical in cannabis – has exploded in recent years, but the product is still relatively understudied.

That’s drawn scrutiny from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulators as manufacturers make claims on their CBD products that aren’t necessarily backed by science.

Now, a recent mouse study has been making headlines for the findings that taking too much CBD might lead to liver damage in high enough quantities.

Should you be worried? We took a look at the study and talked to experts about what this mouse study can mean for human fans of CBD.

What the study says 

Citing a “lack of comprehensive toxicological studies devoted to CBD safety that are critical for further marketing of CBD and CBD-containing products,” researchers from the University of Arkansas investigated the effects of treatments of various doses of CBD on a group of 8-week-old mice.

While the mice largely tolerated the CBD, those given the highest doses – a human equivalent to 200 milligrams (mg) of CBD – showed clear signs of liver toxicity, the researchers found.

In addition, repeated doses of a smaller amount of CBD – the human equivalent of around 50 mg – also showed signs of liver swelling and damage.

“Although (a dose of) 200 mg is not applicable to most real-life scenarios, it does provide critical information regarding the potential consequences of CBD overdose as well as for doses needed for further subchronic and chronic toxicity studies,” the authors, publishing in the journal Molecules, wrote.

For complete article https://www.healthline.com/health-news/can-cbd-hurt-your-liver-what-to-know-about-a-new-study

Amsterdam looks to bar foreign visitors from buying cannabis

Mayor cites survey of tourists in the Wallen and Singel as she looks to clean up overcrowded red-light areas

Daniel Boffey in Brussels and Jon Henley Fri 14 Feb 2020

The survey of foreign visitors to the Singel area found 34% would come less often to Amsterdam if they were not allowed to buy cannabis from the coffee shops. Photograph: Alamy

The mayor of Amsterdam has sought to win political backing for her cleanup of overcrowded red-light areas by revealing that a third of foreign tourists and nearly half of Britons would be less likely to visit the city again if they were barred from buying cannabis in the coffee shops.

Home to 1.1 million people, the city attracts more than 17 million visitors a year. The municipality is particularly keen to dissuade foreign visitors from taking advantage of gedoogbeleid, “policy of tolerance”, towards cannabis.

The survey by Amsterdam’s research, information and statistics office suggests that 34% of all those who visit the Wallen and Singel areas — which have a concentration of red-light activities and coffee shops — would come less often to the city if foreigners were not allowed to buy cannabis from the coffee shops, while 11% would never come again.

Of the British visitors surveyed, 42% said they would return to Amsterdam less often.

Among respondents of all nationalities, 40% said they would no longer use “hashish or weed” on their visits if such a ban was enforced.

The 100 visitors to the Wallen and nearby Singel surveyed were aged between 18 and 35, the majority of whom (57%) said they counted coffee shops as playing an important role in their choice to come to Amsterdam.

Beyond the city’s canal district becoming overly populated by tourists, and permeated by what is seen as an increasingly seedy culture, Halsema is seeking to deal with the paradox of the Dutch tolerance policy.

While licensed coffee shops are allowed to sell cannabis from their premises, production of the drug is illegal. The result is that the coffee shops often deal at the “back door” with organised crime gangs.

Separately on Thursday, Amsterdam city hall said group tours of the main Wallen red-light district and other areas of the capital containing sex workers’ windows would be formally banned from 1 April, while guided tours elsewhere in the centre would require a permit.

Victor Everhardt, deputy mayor for economic affairs, said red-light district tours had been outlawed because it was “disrespectful to treat sex workers as a tourist attraction”. Other tours must “adhere to new, stricter rules to prevent disruption for residents and businesses”.
For complete story go to https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/13/amsterdam-looks-to-bar-foreign-visitors-from-buying-cannabis-mayor-tourists-red-light-district

What an 1890s opioid epidemic can teach us about ending addiction today

By HAIDER J. WARRAICH FEBRUARY 11, 2020

In the ’90s, chronic pain was rampant in America. Opioids, which had previously been taboo, were suddenly being prescribed by doctors. A supposedly safer opioid had been developed which, as a physician wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine, was “not a hypnotic” and carried no “danger of acquiring the habit.”

This movement created a monster, addicting millions of Americans to opioids. Global overproduction fueled even more demand and, as authorities clamped down, many of those addicted to these medicines turned to more potent ones, making an overdose only a minor miscalculation away.

I’m referring, of course, to the eighteen nineties, which eerily echo how the modern opioid epidemic emerged a century later.

The 1890s and 1990s were both characterized by unopposed amplification of the benefits of opioids, the transformation of physicians into unabashed cheerleaders, and the central role of China – first as a global consumer of opium and later as a manufacturer of fentanyl. In the 1890s, the compound marketed by Bayer to supposedly treat morphine addiction was heroin, while in the 1990s, the drug made by Purdue Pharmaceuticals and marketed as a painkiller with low potential for abuse and addiction was OxyContin For more go to … We Have Been Here Before — Are We That Stupid, or Just…..?