Tag: News

DEA Needs Device To Distinguish Between Marijuana, Hemp

One of the primary differences between hemp and marijuana is the amount of THC in each plant.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently sent out a public notice asking for leads on a device that can differentiate between marijuana and hemp, since hemp was made legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, while marijuana remains banned at the federal level.

Hemp and marijuana are both types of cannabis, different special of the same plant. Despite this similarity, the plants have very different effects. Marijuana has a much higher THC content and is used to get high and for medicinal purposes, while hemp has a lower THC content and is used for manufacturing everything from oils to fabrics to CBD products, according to CBD Origin.

The 2018 Farm Bill made it legal to grow and manufacture hemp, but because the plants look similar at first glance this has made enforcing marijuana laws difficult for DEA agents. That’s why the agency is looking for a device that can test plants in the field to determine whether they are marijuana or hemp.

“It must be portable and rugged enough to be used in non-laboratory environments or ambient conditions. All products shall be the most current and up-to-date model/revision(s) available at the time of delivery.

Anticipated maximum quantities to be purchased will be based on evaluation results and agency need,” the agency wrote, according to Marijuana Moment.

The notice emphasized that federally the THC content level is what distinguishes marijuana from hemp.

“[A]ny Cannabis sativa L. plant material with a THC concentration above 0.3% is considered marijuana (AKA marihuana) and is still federally controlled,” the agency wrote.

Businesses who are interested in providing a device for testing cannabis plants can put in an application for consideration before March 15.

The DEA has been put in a tough position as cannabis laws around the country continue to evolve and the agency is still tasked with enforcing the federal prohibition. In addition to scrambling to differentiate between marijuana and hemp, the agency has also been working to give more approvals for marijuana grown for research purposes.

Marijuana Moment reported that the agency plans to increase the amount of marijuana that can be grown for research from 1,000 pounds to more than 5,000 pounds this year, but it has been slow to approve applications from growers.

“The DEA increased the production quota for marihuana based solely on increased usage projections for federally approved research projects,” the agency said in December. “The DEA continues to review applications for registration and registers the number of bulk manufacturers of a controlled substance that is necessary to produce an adequate and uninterrupted supply.

View the original article at thefix.com

11 March 2019
Are Social Pressures Making Women Drink More?

A recent op-ed examined some of the reasons why women are drinking more alcohol than ever before.

Drinking used to be thought of as a boys’ club, and men have traditionally used alcohol had higher rates than women. However, in recent decades women’s drinking has expanded dramatically, and social factors may be to blame.

According to the CDC, the percentage of American women who drink more than once a week has increased dramatically, from 45% in 2002 to 67%.

Writing for The Bold Italic, Ginny Hogan examined the social pressures that may be affecting the rate in which women are drinking.

“The reality is that women often drink for different reasons than men do, and it’s not a stretch to think that those reasons often stem from social pressures that women face but men don’t,” Hogan writes.

Many women feel pressured to relax, even as they deal with higher levels of anxiety than men. Rather than showing that stress to people in their lives, many women opt to drink to mask it.

“When we put social pressure on women to not ever appear stressed or anxious, I worry that we instead make alcohol a more appealing option,” Hogan writes.

In addition, alcohol has become a marker of many female social groups, whether it is symbolizing high-powered career women or moms who gather together and bond over wine.

“Society tends to admire women who can play hard and work hard — to be cheerful and warm even in the face of negative surroundings or working conditions,” Hogan writes.

In popular culture, successful women are often shown sipping a drink.

“Tumblers of brandy, whiskey sours and fishbowls of merlot are synonymous with female glass-ceiling-smashing in TV shows like The Good Fight, The Good Wife, Scandal, Killing Eve, The Killing; I honestly can’t think of a successful female protagonist on TV who isn’t a hard drinker,” said Catherine Gray, author of The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober.

Finally, dating while sober can put even more pressure on women.

“I definitely feel like not drinking ups the stakes for going on a date with me — if getting a drink is the most casual meet-up, it’s like, ‘I’m sorry, you need to commit to coffee and a day date, and I’m now occupying your weekend,’” comedian Molly Brown told Hogan.

Ultimately, pushing back on some of these social pressures could be a way to help women reduce their drinking, if that’s something they desire, Hogan writes.

“I want women to feel OK being in bad moods, to speak up if someone is mistreating them, to be comfortable with boring their date and to turn down happy-hour invitations. If women are able to do this more often, I wonder if we could use alcohol as a way to enhance our lives instead of often suppressing them,” she wrote.

View the original article at thefix.com

11 March 2019
New Mexico May Soon Legalize Recreational Marijuana

The state’s house voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use, potentially joining the growing number of states that have done so.

New Mexico could soon become the 11th state in the U.S. to legalize recreational marijuana. The state’s House of Representatives passed the measure on Thursday despite being voted against by every Republican representative as well as a few moderate Democrats.

The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Javier Martinez (D), believes his bill will get through the senate because he reached across the aisle and worked on it with three senate Republicans.

If passed, the bill would establish a system of sales and taxation modeled after Washington and Colorado, where marijuana has been legal for several years. However, as a compromise with senate Republicans, the New Mexico bill proposes mostly state-run marijuana dispensaries, with private sales being allowed if no state-run dispensaries are nearby.

The legislation could become active as soon as mid-2020, possibly generating $9 million in tax revenue, according to estimates from state budget analysts. This figure is expected to grow to as high as $90 million in 2023.

New Mexico’s Governor, Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham, is likely to support the bill—as she ran on a platform “to move towards legalizing recreational cannabis in a way that improves public safety, boosts state revenues and allows for New Mexico businesses to grow into this new market.”

The state senate has only until March 16th to make a move on the bill, which is good news for legalization opponents.

“This is no surprise as legalization bills have passed the New Mexico House before. The bill now heads to the Senate, where there already exists a legalization bill that still has to clear three committees before the session ends next Thursday. While the House has passed this bill, we are confident the Senate will see through the tactics of Big Tobacco and Big Pharma investors and put public health first,” said Luke Niforatos of the anti-marijauna organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

Several other states are also considering bills to legalize marijuana, including New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. Support for legalization on the federal level is growing, arriving in a wave of Democrats vying for the 2020 presidency who support the end of nationwide marijuana prohibition.

View the original article at thefix.com

11 March 2019
Real Housewife Luann de Lesseps Takes Sobriety "Day by Day"

The ‘Real Housewives of New York’ star says her co-stars support her on her sober journey.

Countess Luann de Lesseps, who stars on the Real Housewives of New York, told Life & Style that she’s received immense support from her co-stars in her sober journey.

“You know what, I take it day by day,” de Lesseps said. “I take my sobriety seriously, and day by day, and I just am learning to enjoy myself without drinking. So it’s eye-opening and it’s not easy. It’s always a struggle, but I feel a lot better.”

The reality star may have realized she had a problem with alcohol when she was charged with several crimes following a Christmas Eve arrest, including battery of an officer, disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest with violence, and crimes against a person, and two corruption by threat charges for telling officers, “I am going to kill you all.”

Her hefty list of charges could have landed her five years in prison, according to TMZ. She even rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors, instead arguing that she was emotionally distraught because of the geographic location.

“This was my first time in Palm Beach since my wedding, and being here brought up long-buried emotions,” she explained. “I want to offer my sincere apologies to anyone I might have offended with my behavior. I am committed to a transformative and hopeful 2018.”

Following the incident, she committed herself to rehab and recovery.

“After the events of last Saturday night in Palm Beach, I am truly embarrassed. I have decided to seek professional guidance and will be voluntarily checking into an alcohol treatment center,” she said. “I intend to turn this unfortunate incident into a positive life changing event. Once again, I sincerely apologize for my actions. I have the greatest respect for police officers and the job they do.”

Now, de Lesseps is better and back in the spotlight in a cabaret show.

“Nine months ago, I was in jail, and now I’m a cabaret star,” she said in the season 11 trailer. “Isn’t that crazy?”

Given that the cast of the Real Housewives is provided alcohol to drive the drama, de Lesseps may find herself relying on her co-stars to stay clean… and her recovery may become a driving narrative of the show.

View the original article at thefix.com

11 March 2019
American Idol Contestant Celebrates Sobriety With Demi Lovato Song

Contestant Logan Johnson shared his journey to sobriety with American Idol’s panel of celeb judges.

Eight months ago Logan Johnson, 20, was living in active addiction to opioids. Now he is bound for Hollywood after a heartfelt audition for American Idol, during which he sang Demi Lovato’s relapse ballad “Sober.”

“Growing up, music was everything to me, but the path to get there wasn’t always an easy one,” Johnson said in a video for the singing contest.

When Johnson was growing up in Boise, Idaho, he saw his older brother struggle with addiction.

“It was pretty hard for me to live with,” Johnson said. “I thought I would learn from his example, but unfortunately I really got into painkillers.”

Despite knowing the pain of loving someone with addiction, Johnson found himself following in his brother’s footsteps.

“I looked at what he was doing and I told myself that I was better than what he was. But the truth of the matter was I was doing the exact same things — lying to my loved ones, to everyone in my life. I really feel like I’ve put my family though a hell that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone,” Johnson said.

However, Johnson and his brother were both able to get help.

“I just got to a point where I had to change. It was really, really hard to finally come clean and say I’ve got my own issues too and I need help,” Johnson said. “I really look up to my brother and all the things that he’s had to face. We have been able to connect on another level and to really be there for each other.”

Johnson’s mother, Nanette, said that American Idol could be the win that the family needs after many years of hardship.

“I don’t think most people, unless they’re living with addiction in their family, I don’t think they know how hard it is,” she said.

Standing before judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry, Johnson was open about his addiction experience.

“I’m grateful today that I have 8 months of sobriety. I just know that I have a lot to share with my music,” he told them, before launching into “Sober.”

When he finished, the judges praised Johnson’s voice before calling his family in to watch them unanimously vote “yes” to sending him to Hollywood.

“One day at a time,” Perry told Johnson. “Congratulations. You’ve worked really hard and you should be proud of your clarity that you’ve given yourself. You’ve earned this.”

Richie told him, “You now have three more people on your support team.”

Watch Johnson’s full audition below:

View the original article at thefix.com

11 March 2019
Opioid Treatment Specialists Struggle To Address Sexual Dysfunction In Patients

Addiction experts worry that people with opioid use disorder may stop medication-assisted treatment due to the side effect of sexual dysfunction.

People treating their opioid addiction with drugs like methadone and buprenorphine often struggle with sexual dysfunction, according to a report in Filter.

All opioids lower the amount of free and available testosterone in the human body, and lower testosterone levels are directly associated with a lower sex drive and more difficulty achieving orgasm regardless of gender. However, the actual source of sexual dysfunction can be difficult to determine, and obtaining treatment can be even more challenging.

According to Dr. Alan Wartenberg, former president of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, 30 to 40% of individuals taking methadone and 20% of those taking buprenorphine experience sexual dysfunction.

The chances of experiencing this problem increase, the higher the dose of the medication, but some patients may have a low sex drive and related issues due to other aspects of recovery such as stress, co-occurring mental illness, and other medications taken in addition to the methadone or buprenorphine.

Regardless of the source of the problem, medical professionals involved in addiction treatment stress that sexual dysfunction in recovering individuals needs to be addressed. Some patients may leave treatment if the issue becomes intolerable.

Sexual functioning is considered a key aspect of one’s quality of life. Getting better might not seem worthwhile if a decent sex life is not in one’s future. Sexual dysfunction can also make it more difficult to get pregnant.

“I remember as an administrator at the clinic, there were some patients that decided to end their treatment for a number of reasons, including the issue of having a lowered sex drive,” said President Mark Parrino of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence.

In order to effectively address this problem, experts believe that people in addiction recovery need a comprehensive evaluation in order to discover the true cause of sexual dysfunction and determine the best treatment approach.

In anyone else with issues relating to sex, a specialist would be seen and tests would be done to measure hormone levels and screen for depression and performance anxiety. Unfortunately, the social stigma surrounding addiction creates a barrier for those in recovery.

“[T]he American attitude about addicts is that addicts are sick, they need help, but they’re also sinners so we shouldn’t help them too much,” said founding director of the Integrated Substance Abuse Programs at UCLA, Dr. Walter Ling.

At the same time, it’s difficult to find doctors who have a good understanding of both addiction and sexual dysfunction. There is also a general stigma around the issue of sexual dysfunction, and the problem is not well understood in women. This lack of understanding has resulted in a lack of effective treatments for female sexual dysfunction (FSD).

Dr. Karen Boyle, a urologist at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, believes that the lack of treatment options makes it difficult for people to take FSD seriously.

“The gender bias still exists,” she said in an interview with ABC News. “We have so many really good medical treatments for men. When the FDA approves a drug for the treatment of FSD it will give real credibility to the biological basis of this type of disease.”

All of these issue combined makes it very difficult for women in recovery from opioid addiction to address sexual dysfunction.

View the original article at thefix.com

9 March 2019
New York Invests In 14 New Addiction Treatment Centers

Recovery Community Centers will focus on long-term recovery and offer ongoing support to combat relapse.

New York State is investing more than $5 million to support the opening of 14 new drug addiction treatment and recovery centers, bringing the total number of new centers opened since 2016 to 25. At the same time, two of the state’s existing addiction treatment facilities will be expanded.

The funds were awarded by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) as part of a statewide effort to combat the current opioid epidemic.

The new treatment centers, called Recovery Community Centers, will focus on long-term recovery, offering ongoing support to combat relapse, which is a common part of addiction recovery.

“Treatment alone is not enough for people dealing with addiction, and we need to make sure that the proper recovery supports are available,” said OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “These new centers will offer people in recovery a chance to meet their peers going through the same challenges, receive help to reclaim their lives from addiction, and build a new life in recovery.”

According to Niagara Frontier Publications, these centers will offer peer support, skill building, recreation, wellness education, employment readiness, and social activities with the help of professional staff, peers in recovery, and volunteers. This is just one part of a “multi-pronged approach” put into action by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

“We are committed to investing in recovery centers across the state to help individuals and families struggling with addiction,” said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul during her announcement of the funding plan.

“This funding will establish 14 new recovery community centers and expand services at two existing centers across the state. We want to ensure people have access to the resources and services they need to lead healthy and safe lives and continue our efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.”

This new grant comes on the heels of funding secured by Cuomo in December of 2018, when over $9 million was directed toward opioid addiction treatment services, including $2.1 million for new treatment facilities in high-risk areas. Prior to that, over $25 million was allocated to address the opioid epidemic in 19 counties in the state of New York in September.

All of this funding is part of a national effort to halt the rising rates of opioid-related overdose deaths, which have increased six-fold from 1999 to 2017.

Thankfully, preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) appear to show that these deaths are beginning to level off, likely due to comprehensive efforts by states across the country to expand addiction treatment and distribute the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone.

View the original article at thefix.com

8 March 2019
Incarcerated Drug Offenders Freed By First Step Act

The 14 Rhode Island inmates are among an estimated 2,600 federal prisoners who may be eligible for early release under the First Step Act.

Fourteen inmates in the Rhode Island prison system have gained early release under the First Step Act, The Providence Journal reports.

The federal law, passed in December 2018, provides sentencing relief to individuals convicted of crack cocaine-related charges before 2010 as a means of addressing what the Journal called “widespread acknowledgment of unfair lengthy mandatory crack-cocaine sentencing polices,” which sent numerous individuals—mainly people of color—to prison, many of which under life sentences.

The 14 Rhode Island inmates are among an estimated 2,600 federal prisoners who may be eligible for early release under the First Step Act.

As Vox noted, the First Step Act makes retroactive the reforms set in place by the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which reduced a disparity between sentencing for crack and powder cocaine sentencing handed down after the law’s passage.

The law also expands the margins by which judges can avoid imposing mandatory minimum sentences and revises the “three strikes” rule so that individuals with three or more convictions, including those for drug offenses, automatically receive a 25-year sentence instead of life.

And it increases both the number of “good time credits”—which grants prisoners the opportunity to gain early release for good behavior—from 47 days to 54 days, while also allowing them to get “earned time credits” for participating in job and rehabilitation programs.

The Journal cited the case of one of the inmates, Joel Francisco, a former gang member who was sentenced to life in prison for crack cocaine trafficking in 2005. Having been twice convicted for felony drug crimes prior to his sentencing, Francisco was handed down a mandatory life sentence under then-current drug laws.

“The judge at his original sentencing was forced to impose a life sentence, despite finding that a 15-year sentence was appropriate,” said public defender Olin Thompson.

Ten days after President Trump signed the First Step Act into law on December 21, 2018, Francisco wrote to the court to request an early release under the law’s guidelines.

In his request, he cited having accepted responsibility for his actions, and noted the measures he’s taken to establish a life outside of his criminal past, including the 20-plus programs he’s completed during his 14 years in prison, including personal growth and conflict management.

On February 5th, Judge John J. McConnell approved an agreement between Thompson and federal prosecutors, which allowed Francisco to leave prison on time served that same day.

News of his release received a wary response from police. The Journal quoted Commander Thomas Verdi, who had worked Francisco’s case for years before his incarceration. “He had a propensity for violence. His nickname is Joe Crack, and [his gang] ran their operation through the use of violence.”

But Thompson was quick to point out that Francisco’s track record behind bars, as well his time already served, qualified him for the early release. “Even after this reduction, he still ended up serving nearly 15 years for his non-violent drug offenses. The First Step Act merely extended to him and many others the benefit of reforms to our drug laws to make them fairer, more sensible and less racially disparate.”

Chief U.S. Probation Officer John G. Marshall voiced optimism for the future of individuals like Francisco.

“You’re looking at life in prison and you get your life back,” he said. “That’s a pretty big swing. Hopefully, everybody is going to be successful.”

View the original article at thefix.com

8 March 2019
Border Patrol Seize Nearly $1 Million In Cocaine Hidden In Tomatoes

The cocaine seizure was one of two major drug busts that happened at a Laredo port of entry last week.

Border patrol agents in Laredo, Texas had a productive weekend—seizing $3 million in drugs including more than $850,000 in cocaine that was being smuggled in a shipment of tomatoes.

“Securing the cargo environment is a critical mission for [Customs and Border Protection] and this weekend’s significant cocaine seizure underscores the need for our officers to stay ever-vigilant and aware of the narcotics threat while facilitating lawful commerce,” Albert Flores, the port director at Laredo Port of Entry told KTXS12 News.

The Dallas Morning News reported that on Friday (March 1) an officer with CBP stopped a tractor trailer. When officials searched the truck, they found 111 packages of cocaine hidden in 44 packages. If they had been sold on the street, the drug could have raked in $857,500.

On Saturday (March 2), officials at another bridge border crossing in Laredo stopped a man with an American passport who was driving through the crossing. In his vehicle they found 4 pounds of heroin and 120 pounds of methamphetamine, which were detected using drug-sniffing dogs. Those drugs had a street value of more than $2 million, officials said.

“I congratulate our frontline officers for their firm commitment to carry out the CBP mission and protect the public from illegal narcotics,” Flores said.

President Trump has talked about how a border wall will stop the flow of narcotics into the United States. “Our southern border is a pipeline for vast quantities of illegal drugs, including meth, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl.”

However, experts point out that most drugs are smuggled into the country via legal entry points, like the Port in Laredo. Because of this, experts have argued that increasing resources for Customs and Border Protection would do more to stop illegal drugs than a wall would.

“A wall alone cannot stop the flow of drugs into the United States,” Christopher Wilson, deputy director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars told Vox in 2017.

“If we’re talking about a broader increase in border security, there could be some—probably minor—implications for the overall numbers of drugs being trafficked. But history shows us that border enforcement has been much more effective at changing the when and where of drugs being brought into the United States rather than the overall amount of drugs being brought into the United States.”

In addition, demand for the drugs mean that smugglers will always look for new and innovative ways to get them into the country, experts say.

View the original article at thefix.com

8 March 2019
Melania Trump: Media Should Focus On Opioid Crisis, Not "Gossip"

The First Lady addressed the opioid epidemic at a recent town hall meeting in Las Vegas.

First Lady Melania Trump called on the media this week to spend more time focusing on the opioid epidemic and less time on frivolous reporting.

“I challenge the press to devote as much time to the lives lost and the potential lives that could be saved by dedicating the same amount of coverage that you do to idle gossip or trivial stories,” she said during a town-hall meeting in Las Vegas on Tuesday (March 5).

The meeting was part of a three-stop tour highlighting her “Be Best” campaign, which focuses on well-being for young people by touching on topics including the dangers of opioids, according to NBC News.

The first lady continued, “I wish the media would talk about more and educate more children, also adults, parents, about the opioid crisis that we have in the United States. They do it already, but I think not enough.”

Trump said that coverage of the opioid epidemic should focus on the human toll of drug addiction.

“When we see breaking news on TV, or the front pages of newspaper — it is my hope that it can be about how many lives we were able to save through education and honest dialogue,” she said.

In her own home, she warns her son Barron, 12, that “drugs are dangerous. It will mess up your head. It will mess up your body and nothing comes positive out of it,” according to Time.

Mrs. Trump is focusing on the opioid epidemic as part of overall wellness for young people, and feels that education is a key component of that.

“As a mother and as first lady, it concerns me that in today’s fast-paced and ever-connected world, children can be less prepared to express or manage their emotions and oftentimes turn to forms of destructive or addictive behavior such as bullying, drug addiction or even suicide,” she said last year. “I feel strongly that as adults we can and should be best at educating our children about the importance of a healthy and balanced life.”

At the Las Vegas event Trump spoke with Eric Bolling, a former anchor for Fox News. Bolling’s son Eric died at 19 from a drug overdose, and Bolling has spoken publicly about the loss, including in a White House video.

“We never saw it coming,” Bolling said. “We never thought we would get that call.”

In the video Bolling emotionally warns parents that they need to be aware that anyone’s child can fall victim to opioids.

“Not-my-kid syndrome is a killer. Because you just don’t know. It could very well be your kid,” he said. “So do us all a favor. Do yourself a favor. Do your family a favor. Do your children a favor. Have the discussion with them and do it again. And again. Get involved in your kids lives. …You could save a life. “

View the original article at thefix.com

8 March 2019