Author: The Fix

Are American Drugmakers Pushing Pain Pills In India?

“Painkillers are part of the daily routine. They have become more normalized,” says one social worker in India.

At home, major drug manufacturers like Purdue Pharma and Johnson & Johnson are facing declining sales and a plethora of lawsuits. Which is—at least in part—why they have turned their attention to India, a country with a growing middle class population and newly relaxed restrictions on opioid pain medications.

When Dr. GP Dureja founded the Delhi Pain Management Centre, people told him, “Nobody has time to complain about pain in our country.”

Now, that mindset has changed, Dureja said. “I’m getting five to seven new patients per day,” he told The Guardian.

For decades, Indian law tightly controlled access to opioids, because the country historically had issues with opioid abuse.

Normalization Of Opioids

However, in recent years, in part due to lobbying by palliative care advocates, the regulations have been relaxed. Fentanyl and methadone are now readily available for pain relief and are beginning to be abused.

Alfiya Mulla, a social worker in India, said, “Painkillers are part of the daily routine. They have become more normalized.”

American companies are moving in to profit from the change. Mundipharma, controlled by the Sackler family, sells buprenorphine in India, while Johnson & Johnson sells fentanyl patches.

Indians—like Americans of the early 2000s—see pain relief as a right.

Dr. Dureja summed up the changing mindset: “Don’t listen to your forefathers. They said you should tolerate pain, you should not complain, you should not take painkillers. Now, everybody wants to get rid of pain early.”

Public health expert Dr. Bobby John is concerned that with public opinion on their side, drug companies will find ways to flood India with opioids. “Are people going to figure out every trick in the game to make [opioid painkillers] widely available? Of course it will happen,” he said.

Although Dr. Dureja works in pain medicine, even he is concerned by the proliferation of opioids. “General practitioners have started prescribing these drugs, and we’re not educating the population on when to use and not to use,” he said.

Opiophobia

Yet, people who are in favor of expanded access to opioids argue that reducing regulations is important to providing palliative and end-of-life care to Indians who are living—and dying—with chronic pain.

“This is a rather horrible country to die in,” said Dr. MR Rajagopal, an Indian physician who speaks out against what he sees as “opiophobia.”

Rajagopal shared the story of one patient with lung cancer, who came to get morphine tablets. Rajagopal’s clinic was out of the medication.

The patient “told us with outward calm, ‘I shall come again next Wednesday. I will bring a piece of rope with me. If the tablets are still not here, I am going to hang myself from that tree,’” Rajagopal said. “He pointed to the window. I believed he meant what he said.”

View the original article at thefix.com

3 September 2019
New York Overdose Deaths Decline Slightly After Rising For 7 Years

“The decrease in drug overdose deaths is promising but far too many New Yorkers are still dying,” said New York Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot.

The official report for 2018 drug overdose deaths in New York City has been released, showing a slight 2.6% decrease from 2017 after being on the rise for seven years. Last year, there were 1,444 overdose deaths within city limits, compared to just 541 in 2010.

Experts see this as a promising start after the city put forth millions of dollars in efforts to address this problem, particularly as the opioid epidemic has raged on. However, overdose deaths are still too high for anyone’s liking.

“The decrease in drug overdose deaths is promising,” said New York Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot, according to NBC. “But far too many New Yorkers are still dying.”

The U.S. has experienced a “third wave” of the opioid epidemic in recent years due to the increasing prevalence of the highly potent fentanyl. This particular drug is often added to other illicit substances such as heroin or cocaine to increase the euphoric effect, and has been attributed to the heightened death toll of the opioid crisis.

Around 80% of New York’s overdose death cases from 2018 involved an opioid, with around 50% involving cocaine.

A Little Relief

Thankfully, preliminary reports on overdose deaths throughout the country have suggested an overall downturn in the number of fatal cases after several years of severe and alarming spikes.

Much of the nation’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic have revolved around increasing the public’s access to naloxone, the drug that blocks opioid receptors in the brain, halting the effects of an overdose.

Campaigns have been launched across the U.S. to install naloxone kits alongside general first aid kits in public places such as airports and hotels and to recruit people to act as “community responders,” using apps and widespread community involvement to save lives.

Naloxone Access

New York City alone has distributed around 230,000 naloxone kits in two years. The medication commonly comes in an easy-to-deploy nasal spray, which anyone can purchase from a local pharmacy and carry with them in case they or someone nearby suffers an overdose.

Local governments have also invested in facilitating access to addiction treatment programs and businesses have contributed by implementing overdose detection technology in customer bathrooms in places like coffee shops and fast food establishments.

Unfortunately, some possibly overlooked populations still saw a rise in the number of overdose deaths in New York, including among older adults ages 55 to 84.

View the original article at thefix.com

3 September 2019
Las Vegas Tavern Operated As "Cocaine Bar" For Decades

The Smuggle Inn operated for over 30 years before being shut down in March.

A former bartender for the Smuggle Inn dive bar in Las Vegas wrote a letter to a local judge saying that the establishment regularly sold cocaine to customers, according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The bartender, Michelle Kirk, said she was hired there at age 28 without any knowledge of the alleged trafficking of this controlled substance. Twenty-four years later, the bar was shut down after a drug bust ended in her arrest and the arrest of another bartender and a few patrons.

Smuggle Inn

“I was hired at the Smuggle Inn at the age of 28,” Kirk, wrote to District Judge David Barker. “I didn’t realize when I started working there that it had been a cocaine bar for many years. It was basically the only reason people went there.”

Smuggle Inn operated for over 30 years at 1305 Vegas Valley Drive before being shut down in March 2019. Kirk pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell for having 58 grams of cocaine and $2,300, plus five grams of methamphetamine. She claims that she initially resisted taking part in selling the drug, but financial stress eventually compelled her to participate.

“The first year of my employment, I did not, would not, participate, due to the consequences,” she said. “After struggling to pay my bills for over a year, I succumbed. I only sold while I worked, just as most others that worked there.”

Deny, Deny, Deny

Both the owner and landlord of the bar have denied any responsibility for the drug operation and the owner, Richard DiCandilo, is not facing any charges. His attorney claims that DiCandilo “gave the keys to the landlord and walked away from the business” several months ago, though the cocaine selling appears to have gone on for many years.

The landlord, Kevin Chin, also claimed ignorance, but said “that explains a lot.” He did, however, confess that a customer had once approached him about “cocaine on the bar,” but never investigated or reported this to the police.

Kirk, now 52, was sentenced to 60 days in jail and five years of probation with the condition that she complete a substance abuse evaluation and treatment plan. She wrote her letter to Judge Barker after nine days asking for early release, saying that she is a good person who made a really bad decision.

“I don’t even get in trouble in the detention center,” she said. “I am an honest, hard working, fun loving, caring, woman and mother that made a HUGE BAD CHOICE a long time ago.”

Her request was denied, and she served her time and was released earlier this month. She’s now looking to move on with her life as a law-abiding citizen, according to her lawyer.

View the original article at thefix.com

3 September 2019
Tyler Skaggs Died Of Accidental Overdose, Autopsy Reveals

Fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol were found in Skaggs’ system.

Fentanyl and oxycodone, as well as alcohol, were found in Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs’ system, according to information released by a Texas medical examiner’s office nearly two months after the 27-year-old’s death.

Skaggs, according to ESPN, was found unresponsive in a Southlake, Texas hotel room on July 1st. His death has now been ruled accidental, with the medical examiner declaring the cause of death “mixed ethanol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication with terminal aspiration of gastric contents.”

In simpler terms, this means Skaggs choked on his own vomit while intoxicated.

Internal Investigation

Despite the medical examiner’s conclusion, Skaggs’ family has expressed doubts as to the nature of his death. In a recent statement, they noted that an employee of the Angels was part of an investigation being conducted into the death.

“We are grateful for the work of the detectives in the Southlake Police Department and their ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Tyler’s death,” the statement read. “We were shocked to learn that it may involve an employee of the Los Angeles Angels. We will not rest until we learn the truth about how Tyler came into possession of these narcotics, including who supplied them.”

According to MLB spokesman Pat Courtney, the MLB was not aware of such an investigation and will also be looking into it. “We were unaware of the allegation and will investigate,” Courtney said.

The Angels took on the Boston Red Sox the evening the autopsy was released. The team’s general manager Billy Eppler refused to speak of any allegations, but expressed the team’s overall sadness and cooperation.

“I can just say that we were saddened by that report and completely heartbroken,” he said. “Everyone’s searching for facts, and everyone within the organization wants facts, which is why we are actively cooperating with an investigation.”

The Team Speaks Out

According to ESPN, the autopsy found 38 nanograms per milliliter of the pain medication oxycodone and 3.8 nanograms per milliliter of the even stronger pain medication fentanyl. It also found that Skagg’s blood alcohol level was .122%.

Despite their surprise at the findings, Skaggs team members and managers say it doesn’t change their grief.

“But frankly, for me and for the guys in the clubhouse, it doesn’t really change anything,” Angels manager Brad Ausmus said, according to ESPN. “We still lost a teammate, lost a friend, and we miss him.”

“We miss Tyler every day,” Eppler added. “That clubhouse misses him every day. We miss him in our lives, and we pray for him, and we pray for his family, every day. We pray for our own healing every day, as well. Nothing that we learned today changes those feelings. Not one bit. But this is like a shot to our core, and it brings back a lot of pain from that tragic day.”

View the original article at thefix.com

3 September 2019
Artie Lange Facing An Indefinite Stay In Rehab

“Artie is doing well and staying sober,” a source close to Lange has stated.

Troubled comedian Artie Lange is facing an indefinite stay in rehab, according to a report by Radar Online.

The new report contradicts a previous one that stated Lange would only be in rehab until the end of the summer, and despite all reports that he’s been “doing well and following the rules,” a release date for Lange to actually leave rehab has not been set.

The comedian had been in rehab for reasons connected to his May arrest where the Essex County Sheriff’s Office found him in non-compliance with the conditions of his probation. His most recent round of legal troubles began in 2017 when he was hit with possession charges, resulting in a court order to attend a six-month addiction treatment program.

Prior Legal Troubles

Some people close to him think the arrest was the best thing that could have happened to him at the time. At least one source told Radar Online Lange was raring to go in a “self destruct mode,” doing anything he could to dodge drug court programs and jail time.

“He knows he won’t survive drug court,” the source said. “So he’s going to party as much as he can until he gets thrown in jail or a year-long rehab.”

Lange has long struggled with addiction. His troubles have led him to two suicide attempts, fleeing from interventions and relapses. Eventually, his substance abuse got in the way of his 10-year-long stint on The Howard Stern Show. The titular host of the show, Howard Stern, remained silent on the matter for a long time before opening up to Rolling Stone.

“I’m very dismayed about where he’s at. I do care, but for a whole bunch of reasons that relationship had to stop,” Stern told the magazine. “Artie was on the show for 10 years. He’s a fantastic comedian. There’s nobody who could have sat in like that.”

Community Service

Lange seemed to be on an upward track, doing community service through a New Jersey-based treatment facility and passing all his drug tests, until he was arrested for non-compliance with the terms of his probation in May. Though his current rehab stint doesn’t have a set end date, he’s expected to leave some time in September to be transferred to New Jersey’s Hudson County Court to face judgement on his violations.

View the original article at thefix.com

3 September 2019
7 Ways to Be a Rebel…in Sobriety

Alternate rebellion can help shake up ennui and distress, otherwise known as life. It’s a great act of self-acceptance in a world that wants you to follow their dumb unwritten rules. Guess what, world? I do what I want.

People who have struggled with addiction and alcoholism are rebels by nature. If you disagree, you’re just proving my point. Getting into recovery and following the rules we need to follow if we’re going to stay sober and have a better life can feel like something’s missing – that old Eff You to the face of the world. But what if there were ways to rebel that didn’t leave a trail of dumpster fires and broken bones in your wake?

Alternate Rebellion, which is taught in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), is the idea that there are healthy, nondestructive ways to rebel, or “act out.” There are many ways to feel like yourself without hurting yourself. It’s also highly effective as a tool for distress tolerance (a term that describes one’s capacity to cope with or withstand negative emotions or stressful conditions).

What follows is a list of several acts of alternate rebellion I have found to be very satisfying, and a link to a more comprehensive (and less aggressive) list. We already know how to get creative under pressure when it comes to self-destruction. Now, that same energy and talent can be used in ways that make you feel good about yourself before, during, and after. After all, everything we do in life is because we’re searching for a certain feeling. There are so many more ways to get there than the limited world of self-harm.

1. Cut off a friend you find boring

I had a friend — I suspect most of us have had this friend — who was sweet and loyal and utterly boring. Half the time I didn’t know, or care, what the hell she was talking about. I think a lot of us feel like we have to take what we can get in terms of human connection because we’re so fundamentally unlovable, but we don’t. Even if, say, that friend was there for you during a really dark period in your life — you realize that was their choice, and of course they got something out of it too. Ignore their calls. Refuse to read the Twilight fan fiction they keep pushing on you. When they reach out to say “What happened? Are you dead?” Refrain from saying, “Bitch, you know I’ve been posting on Insta.” Say you just don’t feel like chatting right now. Because you don’t. To them. Revel in the fact that you just did something kinda bad. It feels good.

2. Disagree with an overly confident person

I cannot recommend this enough. Especially people who can’t handle being disagreed with. Los Angeles is lousy with them. And I hate to state the obvious, but they are usually straight white men. Easy to find. You don’t have to lie; I guarantee you hear things you don’t agree with every day. And just like that: Hey. I don’t agree. Smile. The smiling is the best part. If you want to present your opposing view, have at it, but often the look on their face and their sheer inability to deal with being disagreed with is enough.

3. Get a tattoo

I went from having zero tattoos because commitment issues to having six in eighteen months because addiction issues. I regret nothing. That’s actually the first tattoo I got: je ne regrette rien. I am not French, but I do identify as a snob. There’s a great story behind it, which I will happily tell anyone hitting on me and also you. It was posted by a friend of mine who was dear to me in only the way someone you’ve followed on Tumblr for many years and only met twice in person can be. She wrote that she spoke French and nobody knew that about her and also that it’s the title of a gorgeous song, so she wanted to get it as a tattoo.

It was one of her last posts. She died suddenly in her bed at the age of 32. So I got the tattoo to honor her, and because all the bullshit got me here. Also, it’s a chance to stick a needle in your arm, but in a good way. I love my tattoos. They make me feel like a badass. Some people say oh no, they are forever, but guess what? The body is so temporary. Also: lasers.

4. Play uncool music with your windows down

I’m partial to Miley Cyrus’s Party in the U.S.A. right now, but you do you, boo. Don’t play it so loud that you scare dogs and upset children, but, you know, a little loud. Just loud enough that you feel like you shouldn’t. And dance. Dance and don’t let anyone looking at you stop you. And don’t stop at a red light next to a Tesla containing an outwardly perfect person. Party. In the U.S.A.

5. Travel somewhere you’ve always wanted to. Alone. Even if you don’t have “enough money.”

Traveling alone is my jam. I always wanted to go to Italy, and in rehab I moaned over the fact that it wasn’t fair that I couldn’t drink wine in Italy. Guess what? Nobody was taking drunk me to Italy. Traveling alone is the best because you don’t ever have to compromise on what to do or where to go or what to eat – every rebel’s dream.

In the past two years I’ve been to Costa Rica, Thailand, and Bali alone as well as a dozen states in the continental U.S. I frequently bring my dog, who flies and stays everywhere free because I have a letter from my therapist, another fantastic act of alternate rebellion. I love whenever someone tries to tell me I can’t have my pet somewhere. I quietly offer to show them paperwork, while in my head I’m screaming “EXCUSE ME HE’S AN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL HE KEEPS ME CALM.” I’ve been nervous about how I’m going to pay for my upcoming Italy/Greece trip, but writing this helped me remember that I had no idea how I was going to pull off any of the other international trips either. Financial insecurity is lame, so I cured it with another act of alternate rebellion.

6. Take a bath in the middle of the day

I actually did this in the middle of writing this article and it felt fantastic. I was sitting here feeling resistant about doing one of my favorite things on earth, writing, and contemplating shutting the computer down and taking a nap, eating even though I’m not hungry, turning on the TV, or a host of other things that are mildly self-destructive and won’t help me feel good about myself in the long run. So I lit my best candles, threw some crystals in there, added a few handfuls of epsom salts and a liberal amount of lavender bubbles, and in went my Juul and I. Right before I did it, I thought: I’m totally not supposed to do this, but it isn’t hurting me or anyone, so YAY. That is pretty much the definition of an act of alternate rebellion.

7. Wear your jammies out in public

A lot of people have strong opinions about people wearing sweatpants in public and I think it’s so outdated. It’s nice to be comfy, especially when you’re in distress. When I was drinking and using, sure, I’d look a mess and probably have unbrushed teeth and hair as I went in search of an open liquor store on any morning of the week, but it’s so lovely to put a little makeup on, brush my hair and teeth, and put on my most stylish and comfortable loungewear, and go out…anywhere. The grocery store? Oh yeah. The movies? Even better. Something about wearing sweatpants in public tickles me. Always has, ever since my college roommate said when we were hungover one Sunday, “You’re going to wear THAT to the dining hall?” Yes, bitch, I certainly am.

My intention with this piece is not to convince others to do exactly what I have done, but to inspire your wheels to turn toward what feels good to you. Alternate rebellion can help shake up ennui and distress, otherwise known as life. It feels like a secret even though it’s often the opposite. It’s the individuation so many of us missed out on in our lost adolescences. More than anything, it’s saying yes to yourself, to your inner child, to exactly who you are exactly at this moment. It’s a great act of self-acceptance in a world that wants you to follow their dumb unwritten rules. Guess what, world? I do what I want.

A list of tiny alternate rebellions can be found here: https://www.dbtselfhelp.com/html/alternate_rebellion.html

And more information on DBT here: https://behavioraltech.org/resources/faqs/dialectical-behavior-therapy-dbt/

How do you rebel in recovery? Tell us in the comments.

View the original article at thefix.com

3 September 2019
Dad Day: Death Is A Holiday

Once a year on our fake holiday, we shine light on the person he was. We show him how much we remember—and how little we can forget.

Almost a year had passed since my ex-husband, Josh, was found dead.

As the anniversary approached, I felt pressure from friends and family to mark the occasion. My son and I had spent an entire year trying to regain shreds of normalcy and happiness.

The idea of revisiting our loss with a date circled on the calendar seemed agonizing and dumb. It would be like swimming in a lightning storm. Sure, you might not get struck and drown, but why would you risk it?

Plus, there were practicalities. Since Josh was “found” dead after a long battle with alcoholism, we didn’t know the exact date of his death. We couldn’t spend the day visiting his grave because he was cremated and his ashes were in our living room. I suppose we could’ve held a vigil next to the bookcase where the urn sits, but that seemed weird.

What I knew for sure was that I couldn’t ignore the day. I didn’t want my son Dash to look back years later and wonder why we hadn’t done anything for that first anniversary. I never wanted him to think that I had forgotten his dad or didn’t love him, even though we had been divorced for three years before he died.

Sobbing over photos and focusing on Josh’s absence would be an awful way to spend the day. I’m also not a big fan of the otherwise popular “celebration of life” thing, because of the way it erases our sadness. I think people should be allowed to grieve in all its complexity.

I hated hearing, “He would have wanted you to be happy, he wouldn’t want you to cry.” First of all, that negates the pain of our loss, and second, if Josh could have whatever he wanted, I’ll bet that he would have wanted not to be dead.

So I created Dad Day—a day when Dash and I do everything his father would have loved. Josh was British and loved Marmite, so we “eat” it for breakfast. We don’t really eat it, because it is a disgusting yeast paste that neither of us can stand. But we smear it on toast, take a bite, gag, then run to the sink to spit it out. After that, we stick to Josh’s other favorites: pizza, Dr. Pepper, popcorn, and gummy bears.

Josh was a huge hockey fan, so we bust out his New York Rangers jerseys. Dash wears the white one all day, and I wear the blue one for as long as I can stand it. My God, the polyester! We watch cricket, which neither of us understand, and his favorite movies, like The Warriors, then finish the day with as many episodes of The Simpsons as time allows.

Stories about Josh naturally come up. I tell Dash about the time he threw a big party while his parents were out of town. He would have gotten away with it if he hadn’t recorded a lot of it on the answering machine. Or the time he met Margaret Thatcher and accidentally dropped a condom at her feet. Her response was, “Well? Pick it up then!”

Josh’s brother Max calls from Italy and shares more wild tales, like the Christmas they out-ran the police in Zanzibar, or the time Josh sent his six-year old brother Louie home alone in a London taxi, because he wanted to spend some time with a cute girl he had just met. We laugh about what a crazy teenager he was. And yes, we cry a little, because Josh would have loved Dad Day, and he’s missing it.

Joshua Keep was born on April 21,1969 and was found dead on August 19, 2016. But he wasn’t just his delivery and expiration dates. He was his smile. He was the way he laughed and gave and yawned and worked and loved. I want to give Dash the intimate pieces of the man he can never know in this way. I try to breathe life back into Josh through stories and myths of his heroism, his stupidity, and his kindness.

So once a year on our fake holiday, we shine light on the person he was. We pull him back to us. All of the things and the people he loved are still here. We show him how much we remember—and how little we can forget.

“Dad Day: Death Is A Holiday” is featured in the upcoming anthology We Got This: Solo Mom Stories of Grit, Heart, and Humor slated for release on September 10th.

View the original article at thefix.com

2 September 2019
Thousands Of Marijuana Convictions Automatically Expunged In New York

Around 24,000 New Yorkers will have their records cleared by a new marijuana decriminalization law.

Tens of thousands of people in New York state will have their low-level marijuana offenses expunged under a marijuana decriminalization law that took effect on Wednesday (Aug. 27).

The law was the consolation prize for marijuana reformers after the state failed to pass cannabis legalization this year. Under the new law, possessing less than 2 ounces of marijuana is a violation punishable by a fine of $200 or less. Prior to this, it was a misdemeanor offense.

How It Works

As part of the new law, New Yorkers will automatically have low-level marijuana offenses expunged from their records, although the process could take up to a year, according to The New York Times.

The State Division of Criminal Justice Services estimated that about 24,000 people across New York will have their records cleared because of the new law, but the Drug Policy Alliance says that the number is likely to be much higher, since nearly 900,000 New Yorkers have been arrested for low-level marijuana offenses since 1990.

Racial Disparity

The automatic expunging of records has been praised by many people who point out that marijuana prosecutions disproportionately affect people of color.

“For too long communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by laws governing marijuana and have suffered the lifelong consequences of an unfair marijuana conviction,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.

Having a clean record “gives people a new lease on life, removing the suffocating stain of stigma that prevents so many from reaching their highest potential,” said Khalil A. Cumberbatch, a social justice reform advocate who was pardoned by Cuomo in 2014 and now works as the chief strategist at New Yorkers United for Justice.

One of the bill’s co-sponsors, state senator Zellnor Myrie of Brooklyn, said that clearing records and decriminalizing marijuana is an important first step to correcting the damages done by the war on drugs.

“I represent Brownsville; that was ground zero for a lot of this,” he said. “[This] is just the beginning of the state recognizing the errors of that war.”

Even those who are not in favor of marijuana legalization applauded the measure. Kevin Sabet, director of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an advocacy group that opposes legalization, said that marijuana use should be seen in a similar fashion to speeding.

“It’s something discouraged, but it’s not something that is going to destroy your life if you’re caught doing it,” he said.

He continued, “We don’t want people in prison for marijuana use, but the criminal sanctions on marijuana is not a reason to commercialize and normalize marijuana.”

View the original article at thefix.com

31 August 2019
Workers Won't Take Mental Health Days, And That's A Problem

About 55% of workers say they are afraid to take a mental health day, a new survey revealed.

More than half of American workers are afraid to take a day off to take care of their mental health, and that’s a moral and financial concern, according to one executive.

A survey conducted by Mental Health America and The Faas Foundation found that 55% of workers were afraid to take a day off to deal with mental health challenges.

Ryan Bonnici, chief marketing officer at the software company G2, says that’s bad news for everyone.

“Businesses have not only a moral but also a financial incentive to make the mental health of their employees a priority,” Bonnici wrote for Scientific American.

Prioritizing Mental Health

Bonnici goes out of his way to make mental health a priority among his employees. This started when Bonnici was honest with his direct-reports, telling them that he needed to reschedule a meeting because he was taking a mental health day.

“My experience shows that the biggest, most important step business leaders can take is to open up about our own mental health in an honest way,” Bonnici writes. “This is particularly true for those of us in the C-suite. (Corporate high-level positions) Ultimately, it’s the only way to make clear to our employees that they are safe to do the same.”

Since then, Bonnici has had multiple employees speak to him about their need to take a day off to tend to their mental health.

“Increasingly, my employees and people from outside my department have come to speak with me about what they’re going through. I also hear from people at other companies all the time wanting to discuss their struggles,” he writes.

The Benefits Of Mental Health Days

Allowing people time to tend to their mental health can increase employee productivity and reduce healthcare costs, so it makes good business sense, Bonnici argues.

“No one, at any business, should feel afraid to take a mental health day. And no one should ever be punished for doing so,” he writes.

Recently, Oregon lawmakers passed a measure that will allow students to take mental health days and get an excused absence.

“A big issue for students with mental health is when you have to miss a day because you’re going through depression or you have a therapy appointment,” Hailey Hardcastle, a student who pushed for the legislation, told NPR. “It’s really hard to make up tests and homework because teachers or the administration might not take it as seriously as a physical illness.”

View the original article at thefix.com

30 August 2019
DEA May Be Coming Around On Expanding Marijuana Research

The DEA will finally review potential growers of marijuana used in research, which is currently very limited in quantity and quality.

After years of delaying progress that would expand the supply of marijuana for research, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced Monday that it will move forward with reviewing potential marijuana growers.

The agency issued a regulatory filing and held a press conference on Monday.

“I am pleased that DEA is moving forward with its review of applications for those who seek to grow marijuana legally to support research,” said Attorney General William Barr in a statement.

One Grow Facility

Right now, scientists who want to study cannabis must use marijuana grown by one University of Mississippi facility, the only grower that has a contract with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to legally grow cannabis. This limits the amount of marijuana research that can be done, as well as the quality of the product being studied.

In 2016, the DEA announced that it would accept applications from other organizations seeking to grow cannabis for research, but it never approved any permits.

That prompted one scientist, Dr. Sue Sisley, director of Scottsdale Research Institute, to sue the agency, alleging that the current arrangement is a monopoly on marijuana growth. “The bottom line is scientists need access to options,” Sisley told NPR.

Sisley’s lawsuit likely prompted the DEA’s action on Monday, Think Progress reported.

Shane Pennington, who is on Sisley’s legal team, said that although the announcement may have seemed dry, it was monumental. “Until today, no one could do anything. We were handcuffed, in limbo,” he said. “Now they’ve done something. It’s a huge, huge deal.”

Still, he was a bit apprehensive, saying, “I have high hopes, but I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Matt Zorn, a lawyer for the Scottsdale Research Institute, said that he is “cautiously optimistic” following Monday’s announcement. “It’s a positive first step because we were stuck in a kind of administrative limbo,” he said.

Catch-22

Zorn explained how marijuana’s Schedule I status creates a catch-22.

“On the one hand, you can’t do the research with good, high-quality cannabis because it’s a Schedule I drug. On the other, it’s a Schedule I because nobody can really do the research,” he said.

Sisley pointed out that getting approval to grow cannabis for research is just the first step. Then, scientists will need to grow marijuana that is comparable to the high-quality pot that people obtain from dispensaries.

“We haven’t really won anything until scientists are finally utilizing real-world cannabis flower in their clinical trials,” she said.

View the original article at thefix.com

30 August 2019