Tag: News

Ban On Select Edibles Alarms Washington State Cannabis Retailers

Retailers and makers will be allowed to sell banned products until the inventory is exhausted or until April 2019.

The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board took many marijuana businesses aback on October 3 when they announced that cannabis-infused products that may have appeal to children – gummy candies, lollipops and/or brightly colored products – will be prohibited from sale.

Makers and retailers alike expressed concern that they were not given adequate warning about what the board is calling a “re-evaluation” of such products; though edibles make up a relatively small portion of marijuana products sold in Washington state (9%), they are a significant revenue stream for many independent companies.

The Board will hold a webinar on October 16 to address concerns about the impending re-evaluation, and companies whose products fall under the ban will have a chance to appeal.

The Board made its announcement via an online presentation, which ascribed its decision as an attempt to address concerns from board members as well as “stakeholders and the public” in regard to infused edible candy.

A re-evaluation of such products, which were previously approved by the Board, led to the new ruling, which stated that “all production of hard candy (of any style, shape or size), tarts, fruit chews, colorful chocolates, jellies and any gummy type products should cease, as they will not qualify” under the new guidelines. The rule will take effect January 1, 2019.

Drinks, baked goods, chips and tinctures do not fall under the ban, as well as certain types of candies, such as chocolate, caramels or mints, provided that they are not presented in a manner that is “especially appealing to children,” such as certain colors, flavors, shapes or additions such as sprinkles or frosting.

Retailers and makers will be allowed to sell banned products until the inventory is exhausted or until April 3, 2019, after which they must be disposed of according to marijuana waste requirements.

Retailers and manufacturers will have to resubmit labels and products for their items to the Board prior to the January 1 activation date; if their products do not meet the new requirements, they will be informed that board approval is being rescinded. The notification will also include information on how to appeal the decision.

Response from retailers and manufacturers was immediate and deeply concerned. While many support the idea of ensuring that products do not appeal to kids, they were also worried about the impact of the ban on their business. “If we lose the ability to make these candies, we’ll be out of business,” said Craft Elixirs owner Jamie Hoffman.

Diana Isaiou, owner of American Baked Co., said that more than half of her company’s sales are edible fruit chews, which require the purchase of large and expensive amounts of ingredients and packaging prior to manufacture. “We don’t get business loans in the marijuana industry,” she said. “These are people’s personal bank rolls.”

Others expressed dismay at what they considered an arbitrary ban. “I’m concerned that whole categories of products are being tossed out categorically,” said Logan Bowers, owner of Hashtag Cannabis. “I don’t see how a chew is inherently more enticing to a child than a cookie.”

The Liquor and Cannabis Board will offer a link to register for the October 16 webinar on the site.

View the original article at thefix.com

11 October 2018
How To Tell If A Child Is Battling Anxiety

Though child anxiety can sometimes take longer to diagnose, it is very treatable once diagnosed.

What initially appears as bad behavior in children can actually be signs of an underlying issue — anxiety disorders.

According to the Washington Post, anxiety disorders are increasing in youth, especially during the school year.

A study recently published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics makes the estimate that about 2 million children and adolescents in the U.S. have a diagnosable anxiety disorder.

When it comes to anxiety in children, it can be difficult to diagnose since it can present as negative behaviors.

“We tend to think of anxious children as these delicate little butterflies, but when kids are scared, they can be ferocious about trying to escape or avoid anxiety-provoking situations,” Eileen Kennedy-Moore, child psychologist and author of Kid Confidence, told the Post.

Susan Newman, psychologist and author of The Book of No, explains that sometimes children can have feelings of anxiety for the first time and don’t always know how to react.

“Children today are stressed on so many fronts: challenged socially, academically, having to cope with physical changes and development, the demands and influence of social media, trying to fit in and be accepted. It’s no wonder they show evidence of anxiety,” Newman told the Post. “Parents should ask questions about anything they notice or want to understand to show their interest and love for their child. Children want to be heard and listened to, even if they tell you to stop being nosy.”

When it comes to anxiety in children, there are some warning signs, though all children differ. One, according to the Post, is psychosomatic complaints.

“Kids don’t usually come home from school saying, ‘I felt really anxious at school today,’ but they do say things like, ‘I have a terrible stomachache; I can’t go back to school tomorrow,’” the Post notes. “Frequent stomach aches, headaches and unexplained muscle aches and pains can all be symptoms of anxiety.”

Other signs include anger and irritability, sadness, isolation and avoidance, fatigue, poor concentration, school refusal and frequent questions.

Just like signs of anxiety can differ from child to child, so can triggers. Triggers can include genetics, academic pressure, bullying, big transitions, loss and violence or abuse.

Though child anxiety can sometimes take longer to diagnose, it is very treatable when that diagnosis is made, according to the Post. Through identifying triggers and learning coping skills, children and parents can learn to take control of anxiety.

“A pediatrician is a good first stop to rule out or diagnose possible medical issues and to refer a licensed mental health practitioner who specializes in working with children,” the Post reads. “Cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy can be very effective treatment options for children with anxiety.”

View the original article at thefix.com

11 October 2018
Russell Brand On Rock Bottom, Importance Of 12-Step Fellowship

“Sharing your story with another addict, as I did in my recovery, proved vital. Nothing I said to this person was too boring or terrible or trivial to him.”

Russell Brand never shies from talking about his experience with addiction and recovery.

Ahead of attending Wellspring, the three-day “wellness festival” happening in Palm Springs Oct. 26-28, where he’ll be the keynote speaker, Brand spoke with the Los Angeles Times about hitting rock bottom, living mindfully, and the importance of fellowship.

“I hit rock bottom in 2003 with an addiction to heroin, which had cost me a job at MTV, a radio show, friends and girlfriends,” said Brand, who began using drugs at age 19.

He used heroin for four years before his manager and friend Chip Sommers put things in perspective, telling him “I’d wind up either in a prison, lunatic asylum or graveyard.”

He started going to a 12-step program, which he benefits from to this day. By accessing the support of others, he learned the importance of having a sense of community that the 12-step program provided.

“Inevitably, when reason wanes, when the spiritual experience wanes, being part of a community lets you remind one another. Addicts yearn for some sense of connection that makes them feel more healed, more whole, more happy,” he said. “Sharing your story with another addict, as I did in my recovery, proved vital. Nothing I said to this person was too boring or terrible or trivial to him. He related to me—and the disconnectedness that I had always felt lifted. And so did the need to take drugs.”

Brand also relies on a daily regimen of meditation—“a shower for the brain”—and exercise.

“You have to design your own program, what’s right for your body and your mind,” he said. “For me meditation is not nearly enough. I need exercise too. And community.”

In his 2017 book Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions, Brand chronicles his path to recovery and shares wisdom accumulated from over a decade sober.

In the book, the comedian, actor, activist and advocate for addiction recovery and mental health adapts the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous in his own expletive-laced words.

“[Now] I don’t struggle with [addictive] urges because the program I live by helps me remain serene and prevents those urges from arriving,” he said. “If I feel those urges—even though I don’t feel them so often because I’m working the program—I talk to other people and I do stuff for other people and I meditate and pray. There’s a whole sort of series put in place for when I feel those urges.”

View the original article at thefix.com

11 October 2018
Keira Knightley Talks PTSD, Dealing With Early Fame

In a new interview, Knightley revealed the toll that sudden fame took on her mental health after the box office success of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Keira Knightley first broke through to stardom with the film Bend It Like Beckham in 2002, then she hit the jackpot with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. But early fame was very difficult for her to handle, and as she tells The Hollywood Reporter, she was diagnosed with PTSD after having “a mental breakdown at 22.”

Knightley says the run of Pirates sequels “was completely insane – from the outside you’re like, ‘Whoa, that was hit after hit after hit!’ But from the inside, all you’re hearing is the criticism.”

Knightley’s insecurities about being a young actress festered. “I was aware that I didn’t know what I was doing, you know? I didn’t know my trade, I didn’t know my craft. I knew that there was something that worked sometimes, but I didn’t know how to kind of capture that.”

Being in the tabloids was hard to deal with as well. “I didn’t handle it well,” she reveals. “It was a really rude awakening to he world of misogyny…I never experienced that level of hatred on a day-to-day basis. There was a sense of, like, battle every day of leaving the house.”

After Knightley suffered her mental breakdown at 22, “I did take a year off there and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because of all that stuff.”

Knightley traveled for a year, saying it “gave me that space I needed to be able to start again. I felt pretty much like I sort of didn’t exist and I was this weird creature with this weird face that people seemed to respond to in quite an extreme way, and I couldn’t quite figure any of it out.”

Knightley also felt her family helped her through this dark time in her life, and she adds, “I can really enjoy things now. I look back and I just sort of want to give myself a hug and be like, ‘Oh, you’re doing all right, you’ll be all right.’”

In 2015, Knightley spoke to Elle about therapy. “I highly recommended it. I don’t do it at the moment. But in my early 20s when I found everything completely overwhelming, 100%, I did it! I think when you’re in those moments in your life, and you want to get through them…you have to do whatever it is to help you get over it. You have to give it a go. Try anything that might help.”

View the original article at thefix.com

11 October 2018
Lady Gaga & WHO Director Pen Essay For World Mental Health Day

The duo call for additional treatment funding and the need for governments to better prioritize mental wellness in the essay.

Mental health issues are universal—and costly without proper treatment—so why is mental illness still a taboo subject?

That question is raised by Lady Gaga and Tedros Adhanom, director-general of the World Health Organization, in a new essay published in the Guardian on the eve of World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10): “800,000 people kill themselves every year. What can we do?”

This annual statistic translates to “more than the population of Washington, D.C., Oslo or Cape Town,” they write. “Sometimes they are famous names such as Anthony Bourdain or Kate Spade that make headlines, but they are all sons or daughters, friends or colleagues, valued members of families and communities.”

Globally, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds, yet mental health receives less than 1% of global aid, they write.

This lack of funding translates to a higher cost overall—mental health issues cost $2.5 trillion a year globally, which will keep rising if they continue to be excluded from the conversation.

“Stigma, fear and lack of understanding compound the suffering of those affected and prevent the bold action that is so desperately needed and so long overdue,” they write.

Gaga (born Stefani Germanotta) and Adhanom urge governments to invest in mental health services, saying it will not only help individuals but benefit state coffers as well.

“Research shows there is a fourfold return on investment for every dollar spent on treating depression and anxiety, the most common mental health conditions, making spending on the issue a great investment for both political leaders and employers, in addition to generating savings in the health sector,” they write.”

Individuals have a part to play too, by supporting one another and urging lawmakers to make mental health a priority. “We can all help to build communities that understand, respect and prioritize mental wellness,” they write.

The essay cites local efforts that are moving the momentum in a positive direction, such as the ThriveNYC initiative in New York City.

Germanotta—who previously revealed that she lives with PTSD—spearheads the Born This Way Foundation, established in 2012, with her mother Cynthia Germanotta. The foundation focuses on young people with the goal of creating a “kinder and braver world.”

View the original article at thefix.com

10 October 2018
Maryland Funeral Directors: We're The "Last Responders" To Opioid Crisis

Funeral directors in the state claim that safety has become an issue when dealing with opioid overdose victims.

Proactive funeral directors in Maryland are stocking up on naloxone, the opioid overdose antidote, as they’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of opioid-related deaths.

They’re calling themselves the “last responders” to Maryland’s opioid crisis, the Baltimore Sun reports.

In 2017, the Tri-County Funeral Directors Association launched an awareness campaign in local newspapers to notify communities that “We Don’t Want Your Business” when it comes to opioid abuse.

“We see a side of this tragic epidemic that many don’t see,” said association president James Schwartz. “The devastation families are facing is heartbreaking.”

Schwartz tells the Baltimore Sun that other funeral home directors have known not only family members, but funeral home guests “who have come and had either an opioid reaction in the parking lot or other areas during the service time.”

“This has caused the folks stress because not only are they grieving this person and now somebody else is having the same tragic result,” Schwartz said.

The National Funeral Directors Association urges members to protect themselves while handling deceased victims of opioid overdose.

“Coming into contact with a minuscule dose of fentanyl or carfentanil can be fatal,” the association warns. (This point is oft-repeated, but harm reduction and addiction/recovery advocates say it’s merely a harmful myth.)

“The opioid crisis presents unique challenges for funeral directors, from working with families whose loved one has died from an overdose to protecting themselves from harm when handling the body of an overdose victim during removal or embalming,” says the funeral directors association.

In 2017, opioid overdose deaths continued to climb in Maryland, accounting for the majority of drug/alcohol-related deaths—2,009 of 2,282 overdoses were opioid-related, according to the state’s Department of Health.

“This is an escalating epidemic,” said Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen, whose city saw the worst of the opioid crisis. “But still we don’t even see the peak of this epidemic yet.”

In response, Maryland schools and libraries are also stocking up on naloxone. “The rule of thumb is: when in doubt, use it,” said funeral director Jeffrey L. Gair.

The antidote is there “if there’s ever the need while we’re on duty at the funeral home,” Gair said.

View the original article at thefix.com

10 October 2018
Is The White House Waging A "Secret War" On Marijuana?

The administration’s Marijuana Policy Coordination Committee may be responsible for hindering marijuana legalization.

Trump has said in the past that he supports states’ rights to establish their own marijuana policies—yet according to a report by BuzzFeed News, administration officials are waging a “secret war on weed” to push back on support of marijuana legalization across the country.

Rolling Stone says the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) confirmed the existence of the Marijuana Policy Coordination Committee, but “stopped short of confirming” that the goal of the coalition of federal agencies was to shed a negative light on marijuana legalization.

Members of Congress confirm that the White House’s actions contradict what Trump has said about marijuana policy—leading them to wonder: “Is there someone within the Trump administration directing a negative marijuana message?” as a senior congressional staffer put it.

“Every time I speak to someone in the administration, despite what the president has said, they tell me it isn’t happening. My question is, who is in charge over there? It borders on ridiculous,” Rep. Tom Garrett of Virginia told Rolling Stone.

On multiple occasions, Trump has said that he supports a state’s right to choose how it handles marijuana policy. “In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state,” he said at a 2015 campaign rally in Sparks, Nevada.

“The president is right on this issue,” said Garrett. “The gatekeepers need to do their job, not undermine good policy.”

Some point to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions as the main force within the administration that’s fighting marijuana policy reform. “I’ve discussed marijuana policy with senior White House officials, cabinet members and the president,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. “My personal assessment is that the attorney general is the problem.”

Jeff Sessions is notoriously anti-marijuana. The 71-year-old former senator from Alabama—who once said “Good people don’t smoke marijuana”—has made it a point to enforce, and enhance, the federal prohibition of marijuana.

“I don’t think America is going to be a better place when people of all ages, and particularly young people, are smoking pot,” the attorney general said in February 2017. “I believe it’s an unhealthy practice, and current levels of THC in marijuana are very high compared to what they were a few years ago, and we’re seeing real violence around that.”

In response to Sessions’ renewed “war on drugs,” bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate to protect state marijuana policy.

View the original article at thefix.com

10 October 2018
First-Ever Case Of Netflix Addiction Being Treated In India

The man would turn on Netflix first thing in the morning and binge-watch shows and movies for more than seven hours every day.

Internet addiction disorder is not officially recognized in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), but it’s very much a reality for some.

A serious case of digital addiction in India highlights the serious effects of getting hooked on technology. According to The Hindu, last week a 26-year-old man became the first “Netflix addict” to seek treatment at the Service for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) clinic at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bangalore.

The man would turn on Netflix first thing in the morning and binge-watch shows and movies for more than seven hours every day to escape the reality of being unemployed. He did this for six months, the Hindu reports.

“Whenever his family pressurized him to earn a living, or when he saw his friends doing well, he would watch the shows on offer continuously,” said Manoj Kumar Sharma, a clinical psychologist at SHUT. “It was a method of escapism. He could forget about his problems, and he derived immense pleasure from it.”

SHUT was established in 2014 to help people experiencing a “pattern of excessive use of technology.” Sharma and his team help address the problematic use of technology and replace the technology with healthy activities, build coping skills and strengthen a patient’s support network.

The unidentified patient—who experienced fatigue, disturbed sleep and eye strain as a result of his Netflix habit—was put on a regimen of relaxation exercises, therapy and career counseling at SHUT, according to the Print.

Sharma said that many of his patients who excessively watch TV and movies on streaming platforms also struggle with gaming addiction. “The best advice is to avoid the use of technology if it becomes a coping mechanism,” said Sharma.

While not officially recognized as a mental disorder in the DSM-5, internet addiction disorder affects many—young and old.

The Hindu notes that children also struggle with digital addiction. “The addiction interferes with the child’s academic performance and counselors are advising students and parents to keep a close watch on the duration and the shows they watch,” said Mansoor Khan, a school official in Bangalore who said they have begun noticing the problem in young students.

View the original article at thefix.com

10 October 2018
Bradley Cooper’s "A Star Is Born" Role Hits Close To Home For Sober Actor

“Anytime you’re trying to tell the truth you need to go to places and use things that have happened to you, or you’ve read about or experienced.”

As someone in long-term recovery, Bradley Cooper’s role of heavy-drinking musician Jackson Maine in A Star Is Born is one that isn’t too far off from the star’s own experiences in the past, he tells Variety.

“Anytime you’re trying to tell the truth you need to go to places and use things that have happened to you, or you’ve read about or experienced,” Cooper said. “And that’s all part of the beauty of turning whatever things you’ve gone through into a story. I find that to be very cathartic. I remember learning that in grad school, our teacher said all the insecurities, all the dark stuff you get to use that and that’s really the truth.”

The film, which hit theaters Oct. 5, has generated a lot of buzz and is being slotted as an award winner, with Forbes calling it the “movie to beat” at the Oscars. Cooper directed the film and co-starred alongside pop star Lady Gaga.

Cooper first spoke publicly about his substance use battles and recovery in 2012, stating he had gotten sober at age 29 after his use of alcohol began affecting his work.

“I was so concerned [with] what you thought of me, how I was coming across, how I would survive the day,” Cooper said at the time. “I always felt like an outsider. I realized I wasn’t going to live up to my potential, and that scared the hell out of me.

In 2016, Cooper spoke to Barbara Walters about his recovery, crediting his recovery for his success in his career and his relationships.

“I would never be sitting here with you, no way, no chance [if I hadn’t gotten sober,]” he told Walters. “I wouldn’t have been able to have access to myself or other people, or even been able to take in other people, if I hadn’t changed my life. I never would have been able to have the relationships that I do. I never would have been able to take care of my father the way I did when he was sick. So many things.”

As of Oct. 8, A Star Is Born had earned $44 million in North America and $57 million worldwide. Cooper tells Variety that his biggest hope is that viewers forget they are watching Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga and instead get caught up in the story.

“I hope you just see the characters, that’s the point. From the opening that was one of the key things in structuring the movie and shooting it. I really want to make sure that you forgot it’s me and that you forgot it’s her right away, otherwise the story won’t work.”

View the original article at thefix.com

10 October 2018
"Beautiful Boy" Earns Rave Reviews For Its Raw Portrayal Of Addiction

The movie is based on the best-selling addiction memoirs by father and son David and Nic Sheff.

Steve Carell stars a man trying desperately to save his son from addiction in his new film, Beautiful Boy.

The movie, which will be released Oct. 12, is an adaptation of a book by the same name by the journalist David Sheff, and the memoir Tweak, by Sheff’s son Nic.

While Sheff wrote about trying to help his son, Nic wrote a first-hand account of his addiction. Both books became bestsellers.

In an interview with Time, Carell said that he is careful not to own the Sheffs’ stories when he speaks about the film.

“Talking about the movie is almost as daunting as doing the movie,” Carell said. “You don’t want to speak as if you’re an authority.”

Carell said that as a parent he related to his character, David, and his desperate bid to find help for Nic.

“Being a dad, there’s an inherent worry you have as soon as you have kids that never goes away,” Carell said. “To experience them spiraling out of control with absolutely no recourse…” He paused. “David was mourning his son while his son was still alive.”

Timothée Chalamet plays Nic. The 22-year-old actor said that using drugs has become “masochistically glorified” among youth.

“Young people have such disillusionment with our post-post-post-industrial world, where student debt is crazy and job opportunities are less afforded to people,” Chalamet said. “Opiates have become the drug of choice, as opposed to drugs in the ’60s like LSD that amplified your surroundings—these are drugs that will numb you regardless of how terrible your environment is, and you’re guaranteed the same feeling each time.”

He added that he has seen friends struggle with addiction to cope with their negative feelings.

“There’s a misconception that addicts are using with a great amount of euphoria, when in reality, they’re just keeping up a feeling, or avoiding reality,” Chalamet said.

Carell and Chalamet said that they hope the film provides a realistic glimpse into the complications and heartbreak of addiction, just like the Sheffs do in their books.

“Clearly it’s important to us, or else we wouldn’t have done it,” Carell said. “But when you get the question, ‘Why should people see this film?’ How do you even respond to that? Because it’s compelling and emotionally resonant?”

They also want the movie to build compassion for families touched by addiction.

“We talk about drug abuse as a moral failing,” Chalamet said. “For us, that’s a hope for the movie: that it starts a conversation to see it not as a taboo.”

Families that have dealt with addiction will likely relate to what they see onscreen.

“People are bracing for a really difficult ending,” Chalamet said. “Or something that ends with a flourish—a montage of hope or something. But this is just scene after scene where we tried to do it as diligently as possible.”

“In my understanding, that’s the reality of addiction,” Chalamet said. “It’s one day at a time. You’ve never really won the fight.”

View the original article at thefix.com

10 October 2018