Free Republic

A group of experts has discovered proof that people during the Bronze Age used drugs in their ceremonies. By examining hair strands from a burial location in Menorca, Spain, researchers have learned that our ancestors took in hallucinogenic drugs derived from plants. This new information presents the initial clear evidence of drug use in olden Europe. These drugs may have been an important part of their traditional events and practices, according to the researchers. The scientists identified three specific substances, scopolamine, ephedrine, and atropine, in three separate hair samples that they replicated. The researchers noted that due to the dangerous...

Burmese pythons a no-go in Sunshine StateGov. Charlie Crist has signed bills banning the ownership of Burmese pythons and other reptiles and requiring tracking of over-the-counter ephedrine sales. The reptile bill (SB 318) signed Thursday prohibits importation and personal ownership of seven nonnative species. They've become a problem in the wild when they escape or are released and one killed a child last year in Sumter County. The ephedrine law (SB 1050) is designed to help catch those who use of the substance for making illegal methamphetamine. Crist also signed bills loosening Florida seaport regulations so they'll be more competitive...

No, it's not some hypothetical offered by critics of lawsuits against gun manufacturers; it's a real case. From Ashley County v. Pfizer, Inc., decided today by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit (some paragraph breaks added): The Defendants are manufacturers and distributors of over-the-counter cold and allergy medications containing either ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. None of the Defendants are retailers, nor do they sell the medications directly to the public. The Counties allege that the Defendants marketed and sold their products in Arkansas knowing that the products were being used illegally to manufacture methamphetamine. [Footnote: In their briefs...

The mystery of Norman Hsu deepens today with a New York Times report on his collapsing cover stories. While the Gray Lady tries to focus on the sudden retreat of Democrats from a man who has raised almost a million dollars for them, the real story comes in the second half of the article -- in which Hsu appears to be a front: People who met him said they knew only that he ran an apparel business. Efforts to learn more about his trade hit dead-ends yesterday. Visits to companies at addresses listed by Mr. Hsu on campaign finance records...

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Gov. Mitch Daniels visited Vigo County, where the production of methamphetamine has been prolific, to sign legislation Tuesday that will restrict the sale of cold medicines containing ingredients used to make the drug. The law is similar to a Vigo County ordinance that has been in effect since January. State police reported that authorities found 166 meth labs in the county last year, the most among Indiana's 92 counties. The county also topped the state list in 2002 and 2003. The new law, enacted unanimously by the General Assembly last month, places restrictions on the sale...

When ephedrine was believed to be the cause of death for several athletes, notably Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steven Bechler, the government’s response was swift and effective: The FDA banned it in February of 2004. When it comes to abortion, there is always a different set of rules. Mifepristone, also known as RU-486, has been linked to the deaths of three women and six hundred complications since the FDA approved its sale and distribution in the United States in 2000 in the waning months of the Clinton Administration. Ignoring the usual standards for the approval of a questionable drug, the FDA...

In one of the most reactionary moves in recent memory, the Federal government early this year instituted a ban on all sales of the wildly popular diet product ephedra. A smattering of high profile deaths from people who should not have been using ephedra, but nonetheless did, drove a campaign to have the product taken off the market. Not one to think anecdotes are a good substitute for science and empirical data, I don't believe there was any justification in taking ephedra off the market. I still believe the ban ought to be revisited and overturned. Nonetheless, the aftermath of...