Chemsex – Harms from Harm Reduction Practices!

Blood Borne Viruses are on the increase – handing out drug taking paraphernalia that enables, equips and empowers you to take an illegal drug, that gets you so wasted you often have no idea if you\’ve had sex, let alone who with? This is good policy???

Rise in sex while on drugs prompts health warning

There has seen a rise in visits to sexual health clinics from people having unprotected sex while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, according to a doctor in north Wales.

Dr Ushan Andrady warned that people should consider the risks before engaging in such behaviour.

The health board which covers the region has launched a campaign to increase sexual health awareness.

It comes after a fivefold increase in syphilis cases in south west Wales.

Sexual health and HIV consultant Dr Andrady, the clinical lead for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board\’s \’Sextember\’ campaign, said people were not aware of the risks of having unprotected sex whilst under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

\”We have definitely seen a rise in people coming into the clinic after having sex whilst under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and they regret what they have done,\” he said.

\”Sometimes people forget about protection when they are under the influence of drugs and alcohol.\”

For complete story https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-45367610

 

Global: Fair Trade \’Cocaine\’! Look at mee…I \’snort\’ responsibleee!!

The real cost of cocaine: Following the drug from Colombian rainforests to British suburbia

‘There are some Londoners who think it is a victimless crime, taking cocaine at “middle-class parties”,’ Khan said. Dick criticised otherwise ethically minded users ‘who will sit round happily talking about global warming, fair trade, environmental protection and organic farming, but think there’s no harm in taking a bit of cocaine. Well, there is. There is misery throughout the supply chain.’

It’s a reasonable point. In an age when we put so much stock in consumer ethics, considering our footprint on the planet with every stride, why not investigate where your drugs come from, too?

If it ends with a snort, it begins with a seed…. In the first of a litany of environmental crimes occurring throughout the supply chain, the creation of clandestine farms means tearing down swathes of forest.

Rosie had no idea about its origins and doesn’t think about her complicity. She has two degrees, but thought cocaine came ‘from Cuba’ and was always ‘a powder… coming on a boat in the middle of the night’. She likes how coke makes her feel, but didn’t know about the environmental destruction, or cartel violence, or the risks taken by smugglers, or the bribes, or levamisole, or necrosis syndrome, or the young lives being ruined by county lines or lost in gang violence. (She did know about the Kinder eggs, but doesn’t seem very bothered.)

‘I had never really put too much thought into how it got here, just how I can get it,’ she says. And so the cocaine will keep on coming.

For complete story https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/01/real-cost-cocaine-following-drug-colombian-rainforests-british/

 

Canada: Pot Permissible for Police Provided they Prove…Not \’Stoned\’???

Welcome to the insanity of \’legalization\’!!!

Police will be able to toke, but must be fit for duty

September 15, 2018

While members of the Canadian Armed Forces must refrain from using cannabis in the eight hours before they report for duty and for 24 hours before handling a firearm, regulations for police officers don\’t appear to be as tight.

Provided they show up at work fit for duty, your local police officers will be free to smoke a joint with the neighbours when recreational cannabis becomes legal under federal law on Oct. 17.

While members of the Canadian Armed Forces must refrain from using cannabis in the eight hours before they report for duty and for 24 hours before handling a firearm, regulations for police officers don’t appear to be as tight.

The Vancouver Police Department won’t apply any specific time restriction between using cannabis and reporting for duty, which is consistent with the department’s policy concerning alcohol and prescription drugs.

The VPD will add cannabis to its current human resources language concerning prescription drugs and alcohol, a policy change that is in the final stages of approval, according to spokesman Const. Jason Doucette.

“Training around the VPD’s impairment at the workplace policy will contain information on the latest research on the use of cannabis,” said Doucette in a written statement. “We want to provide our officers with the latest information so they can make an informed decision when it comes to cannabis use and being fit for duty.”

For complete and insane article go to https://vancouversun.com/cannabis/cannabis-news/police-will-be-able-to-toke-but-must-be-fit-for-duty

 

USA: Permission on Pot Producing Problems for College Student Potential!

Pot use among college students at 30-year high

Breana Noble, The Detroit News Sept. 5, 2018

Marijuana use among college-age people is at the highest level in three decades and fewer think using it is harmful, according to researchers at the University of Michigan.

Months before Michigan voters will decide whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use, the annual study found marijuana use among the nation\’s 19-to-22-year-olds has increased gradually over the past decade as marijuana becomes more easily accessible and young people view the drug as less risky.

Researchers also found that youths who do not attend college are more likely to use marijuana. The study also surveyed other drug use among the age group and found non-medical use of prescription narcotic drugs was at its lowest since the late 1990s.

The federal National Institute on Drug Abuse paid for the survey, Monitoring the Future Panel Study.

\”In this country, laws are changing, attitudes are changing, people are not perceiving use, even regular use, as dangerous as they used to,\” said John Schulenberg, the study\’s principal investigator and a psychology professor at the university.

\”And this could be the problem. On this daily use, the scientific evidence is pretty clear that this gets in the way of things, and it can be associated with, if not contributing to, a decline in mental health.

\”If one is involved in heavy use, and they continue with that,\” Schulenberg said, \”then their health and wellness and happiness is probably not as high as those who do not use or do not continue to use.\”

For complete story https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/2018/09/05/monitoring-future-panel-study-university-michigan-marijuana-college-students-2017/1190950002/

 

#Recovery Month CANADA: Overdoses on \’harmless\’ Weed? This is before legalization?

Spike in cannabis overdoses blamed on potent edibles, poor public education

\”He had eaten a [cannabis] edible and just couldn\’t handle it,\” MacIntosh said.

Cannabis overdoses are something he said he\’s personally witnessed at the bar three times in the past year.

That mirrors a trend happening across the country – as the Oct. 17 date for legalization of recreational pot looms, CBC News has learned that cannabis-related emergency room visits have spiked.

Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows that over the past three years the number of emergency room visits because of cannabis overdoses in Ontario has almost tripled – from 449 in 2013-14, to nearly 1,500 in 2017-18.

In Alberta, the number has nearly doubled over the same timeframe, from 431 to 832.

Symptoms of cannabis overdose – or more precisely, THC poisoning, THC being the main psychoactive chemical in pot – include elevated heart rate and blood pressure, anxiety, vomiting and in some cases psychosis, possibly necessitating hospitalization.

Symptoms of cannabis overdose – or more precisely, THC poisoning, THC being the main psychoactive chemical in pot – include elevated heart rate and blood pressure, anxiety, vomiting and in some cases psychosis, possibly necessitating hospitalization.

 

Outside of Alberta and Ontario, the statistics on cannabis overdoses are sparse. But the CIHI figures that are available for other reporting jurisdictions, which include small samples from health centres in Nova Scotia, P.E.I., Yukon, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, show Canadians in some regions are being sent to a hospital because of pot at four times the rate they were in 2013.

\”That\’s just the tip of the iceberg,\” said Heather Hudson at the Ontario Poison Centre at SickKids children\’s hospital in Toronto, pointing to a rise in the number of cases involving children and cannabis.

\”We are certainly getting more calls about children who are being exposed unintentionally,\” she said.

For complete article go to ‘Who said WEED was Harmless??

 

 

USA: Texas – Cannabis a Key in Killings!

Death Highlights Cannabis’ role in Texas child-abuse death

In March, Texas released its report on child abuse deaths, finding half the 172 child abuse deaths in 2017 coupled with substance abuse.  Marijuana was the most-used substance connected to child abuse and neglect deaths, followed by alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine.  In one terrible case last year, Cynthia Randolph left her 1-year old and 2-year-old in the car while she smoked pot.  Both children died.

According to the report, of the deaths caused by parent or caregiver substance abuse, 56 used marijuana; 23 used alcohol; 16 involved cocaine; 14 were linked to methamphetamine, 2 involved opiates and 1 was connected to heroin.   Many abusers were co-abusing substances, such as combining marijuana and cocaine.

In 2017, Arizona also published a report showing that marijuana was the substance most often linked to child abuse deaths in 2016.

When will the public wake up?

Those who say that marijuana makes people calm misunderstand how cannabis works on their brain.   People who advocate for “responsible” use of marijuana need to cut out the delusion and misrepresentation. Popular magazines such as Oprah, Allure and Cosmopolitan present marijuana use as glamorous or at the cutting edge of our culture.  A California company MedMen, aka The Mad Men of Marijuana, aggressively tries to rebrand the stoner image.

In Atlantic Magazine last week, Annie Lowrey wrote an article  exposing the truth about marijuana addiction.  While the author tells the truth about addiction, she opines that marijuana is relatively benign compared to alcohol and tobacco. She may be basing her belief on old information, when 3 or 4% of the population used weed, vs. 65% using alcohol.  Marijuana is far more toxic to the brain than tobacco.

Meanwhile, our country focuses on opiate addiction, instead of  poly-drug  abuse.

In Pennsylvania, a child died because her mom gave her a drink laced with fentanyl and then smoked marijuana.  Although the fentanyl killed the girl, the mom’s marijuana use is loosely related to the death, although Poppot is not counting it in its total of 115 deaths.

For complete article Cannabis key in killings

 

 

USA: Pregnant & Nursing Mothers – Should Avoid Cannabis!

\"\"
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2018
CONTACT: Colton Grace [email protected]
864-492-6719

American Academy of Pediatrics Urges Pregnant and Nursing Mothers to Avoid Marijuana Use
(Alexandria, VA) –  In response to growing evidence that more pregnant and breastfeeding women are using marijuana and concerns about the potential risks to developing fetuses and infants,, the American Academy of Pediatrics (A.A.P.) released a recommendation this week that women avoid the drug altogether when they are pregnant or breast-feeding. 

Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) president, Dr. Kevin Sabet, released the following statement:

\”We applaud the American Academy of Pediatrics\’ decision to shed light on the dangerous implications of marijuana use during pregnancy. This sends a clear message to the Big Marijuana industry that the scientific community and others will not fall for the blatant falsehoods and misinformation used to suggest that marijuana is safe.

\”Based on the research, we know that marijuana use in utero can lead to a whole host of issues ranging from low birth weight to developmental problems. Even worse, marijuana use during pregnancy has been linked to a rare, fatal developmental disorder known as anencephaly.

\”Marijuana can have incredibly deleterious effects on young minds and it is absolutely shameful, though not surprising, that the industry would push its wares and pseudo-science on young mothers.

\”It was recently reported that nearly 70% of dispensaries in Colorado were recommending high potency THC products to expectant mothers to \”treat\” symptoms of morning sickness. This is especially concerning given these dispensaries are not staffed with medical staff and are not able to give accurate medical advice.

\”As research grows and the painful lessons are being learned from states that have legalized marijuana, more and more are moving to reject pot. Lawmakers in Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire have said no to legalization and commercialization bills so far this year.\”

A recent study published by the journal Pediatrics found that THC, the psychoactive compound found in marijuana, was detectable in 63 percent of samples of breastmilk collected from women who claimed to have used the drug prior to pumping.

 

Australia: \’Winking a Weed\’ not ethical, wise or helpful in prisons!

Prison guards warned not to turn blind eye to pot-smoking inmates

August 2018

Prison guards who turn a blind eye to “low-level” recreational drug use among inmates such as smoking marijuana can expect “significant consequences”, the Queensland Corrective Services Commissioner has warned.

In evidence to the Crime and Corruption Commission’s Flaxton inquiry, Dr Peter Martin said while he supported the “sensible, pragmatic application” of local decision-making by prison managers, it did not extend to turning a blind eye to unlawful behaviour.

“I have responsibilities to government and under the Corrective Services Act, as a … commissioner, I need to act always (sic) consistent with law,” Dr Martin said.

Dr Martin told the inquiry that unlike academics who could put forward suggestions on how best to manage prisons, he was responsible for justifying his actions.

“Turning a blind eye to unlawful behaviour, having regard to the fact that in my position … representing government when the law reflects the will and perspective of government, is a non-negotiable hard limit that knocks up against not only what I can do, but also my personal hard values, ” he said.

“And I’m unflinching, completely unequivocal on that point, notwithstanding the fact that the sensible pragmatic application of a local policy for very good and valid reasons is a very different issue… I have the responsibility, I have to act in accordance with the law and I take my responsibilities very seriously.”

The Commissioner said an example of good, discretionary decision-making by prison staff would be keeping a TV on beyond the normal finish time to let inmates watch a sports match that had gone into extra time… “But that does not extend to turning a blind eye to corrupt, unethical behaviour. I absolutely draw a very, very hard line … and there would be very significant consequences for those who chose to take a different approach.\”

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/prison-guards-warned-not-to-turn-blind-eye-to-pot-smoking-inmates-20180829-p500hf.html

 

 

USA: Legalizing Weed Wont Increase Use, said no sober person ever!

Legalize will not see an increase in cannabis uptake!  So the pre-legalization mantras went – despite axiomatic principles that accessibility, availability and accessibility ALL increase consumption. And, look who the largest demographic of toxin takers are? The most vulnerable to harm – the young!

One in seven U.S. adults used marijuana in 2017

(Reuters Health) – With more and more states legalizing marijuana, whether for medical use, recreational use, or both, increasing numbers of Americans are using cannabis. A new survey finds that one in seven had used marijuana in 2017, with smoking being the most common manner of consumption, according to a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

People were more likely to vape or to consume marijuana as an edible in states where recreational use has been legalized, researchers found in the nationally representative survey of 16,280 U.S. adults.

Overall, 14.6 percent said they had used cannabis in the past year, while 8.7 percent said they had used the drug in the past 30 days. A greater proportion of people, 20 percent, reported using marijuana in the past year if they lived in a state where recreational use was legal, as compared to just 12 percent in states where it was completely illegal. In states where medical marijuana was legal, 14 percent of those surveyed said they had used in the past year.

While 12.9 percent reported smoking marijuana, 6 percent said they had consumed edibles, 4.7 percent reported vaping, 1.9 percent said they had used concentrates and 0.8 percent reported using topical versions of cannabis.

“There are increasingly novel forms of marijuana available and the risks of these products to health are unknown,” said study coauthor Dr. Salomeh Keyhani of the University of California, San Francisco. “THC (the psychoactive component) is very high in some forms of marijuana, the concentrates, for example. We don’t understand the impact of products with high THC.”

Keyhani is concerned about the rapidly changing landscape. “It seems like the current regulatory structure is not keeping pace with commercialization,” she said. “There is commercialization without uniform standards on the types of products that can be sold or marketed to the public.”

Cannabis use was inversely related to age. Younger people were more likely than older ones to use, with those between 18 and 34 reporting the highest use.

Smoking was the most common form of cannabis use, at 55 percent.

For more https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-marijuna-us-adults/one-in-seven-u-s-adults-used-marijuana-in-2017-idUKKCN1LC2B7

 

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