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The Mass General Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts discovered that its policy of reporting cases of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) to public authorities was disproportionately affecting Black individuals. Sarah Wakeman, MD, senior medical director for SUD at Mass General Brigham Hospital, observed "we don't fully understand why SUD is more prevalent among Blacks. Regardless of whether the pathogen for this disease comes from the wild or some bioweapons lab, the racially disparate effects are concerning. Do non-Blacks have some sort of inborn immunity? Or are there environmental influences that could be responsible?" "While we explicitly reject the idea that sufferers...

911 calls in Seattle could soon be answered by unarmed “crisis responders” instead of police officers through a new “alternate response team” spearheaded by a Democratic council member. Councilwoman Lisa Herbold announced on Friday that they are beginning to hire the first six new positions for a new pilot program to provide for unarmed “crisis responders” to respond to certain emergency calls. […] Herbold was originally behind the vote that began defunding the Seattle police back in Aug. 2020. The plan cut 100 officers from the city’s 1,400 police force and $3 million from the police’s $400 million budget. Around...

Oklahoma has rejected recreational marijuana, per a vote Tuesday on State Question 820. The Associated Press called the race with the "no" votes up by more than a 60 to 40 percent margin just after 8 p.m. Tuesday. State Question 820 would have legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. If passed, SQ 820 would have gone into effect on June 5

A new drug that is making its way across America is literally rotting the skin of users. Xylazine, which has been approved for veterinary use but not for use in humans, acts as a sedative and is a non-opioid drug that does not respond to Narcon. The drug, which is rotting the skin of drug users, is currently most prevalent in major Democrat-controlled cities is also referred to as “tranq dope.” The zombie drug is most prevalent currently most prevalent in Democrat-controlled major cities like Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, San Fransisco, and Los Angeles, where Dr. Gary Tsai, the director...

A new study by researchers found that lower initial cortisol levels may serve as a predictor for retention in treatment programs for substance use disorder. The prospective observational study examined the salivary cortisol, stress exposure, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and treatment retention of males enrolled in abstinence-based, residential alcohol and drug recovery programs. Cortisol levels reflect a physiological response to stress. In this case, researchers found that participants who remained in the treatment program less than 90 days had significantly higher initial cortisol levels than those who remained in the program longer than 90 days. Further, a Cox proportional hazards...

I have had a great life, yet the bottle keeps getting me. Very sad. I am just a man, Is there room on FR for a support group? Would this be a private group or open to the public. My guess, would be privet invite only, we have enough trolls as it is. Jim I would love your thoughts on this. Thanks! Founded

“I didn’t drink because I’m Native," said Melissa Rose, an Akwesasne Mohawk midwife. "I drank to survive colonialism."

According to a Pew survey published one year ago, 91% of Americans think that medical marijuana should be legal, and 62% agree that marijuana in general should be legal. Opposition to making marijuana legal, at 52% in 2010, fell to 32% by November of 2019. In other words, American’s enthusiasm for embracing marijuana is on the rise. In all, 15 states plus Washington DC have now made marijuana legal for recreational purposes for adults over the age of 21, and 33 states have made marijuana legal for medical purposes. Not a Gateway, but Not Desirable EitherFor most people, marijuana is...

'You take rehab.com—our website traffic is up 382 percent in the past 30 days with people looking for treatment for either substance abuse or mental health.' This is a “pandemic within a pandemic,” according to addiction expert Tim Ryan, who’s watched the coronavirus outbreak exacerbate the preexistent opioid and mental health crises with devastating effect. Ryan, the star of A&E’s 2017 “Dope Man” special, is the founder of “A Man In Recovery Foundation,” which partners with Rehab.com. A former heroin addict, his mission is to assist others struggling with substance abuse.In a Friday interview, Ryan explained how the stresses of...

A new study conducted in rats shows that animals ignore social contact in favor of highly addictive opioid drugs. Researchers went on to show that this drug-seeking behavior could be reversed by stimulating a region of the brain. Researchers in the Arizona State University Department of Psychology previously used an animal model of opioid addiction and empathy to show that animals stopped prosocial behaviors - helping another animal - when heroin was available. The same research group has now shown that activating the anterior insula restored prosocial behaviors in opioid-addicted animals. The study will be published in Social Neuroscience and...

Metallica says its frontman James Hetfield has entered rehab, and the band is canceling its upcoming tour in Australia and New Zealand. Three of the heavy metal band’s members posted a statement on Twitter Friday announcing the decision and apologizing to fans. […] The statement didn’t elaborate, but the band’s members said they appreciate fans’ understanding and support of the 56-year-old Metallica co-founder. …

"Paying for a tiny dose of luxury doesn’t make me an irresponsible millennial." I’m in Starbucks right now, drinking what I always get: a venti iced coffee with hazelnut, soy, and caramel drizzle. It’s a case study in dribbly brown, a drink both Elle Woods and Dr. Evil would order, but it tastes great and costs less than $5 in the Twin Cities, unless you’re at the airport. I order it every day, except when the temperature falls below zero, or if I’ve earned a free drink on Starbucks’s rewards app. With a reward, I get the latte version of...

Share Tweet Senator Chris Coons threw parties at which cocaine was present in addition to wild drinking and petty crime, according to two former classmates of the Delaware Democrat. Coons attended the wealthy Tower Hill prep school in Wilmington, Delaware, where he graduated with the class of 1981. Coons’ mother married the Gore-Tex waterproof clothing magnate. After moving into a massive ten-thousand square foot mansion, Coons’ mother and stepfather would head to Europe while Coons would host “wild ragers” with “booze kegs” and “white powder.” “Women were everywhere in bikinis,” recalled a former Tower Hill classmate of Coons. Coons gave...

DALLAS, Texas (CBS Local) – A Texas teen’s mugshot has unexpectedly launched her career as a makeup artist. Marshala Perkins of Dallas was arrested in February and charged with possession of marijuana. The 19-year-old was reportedly questioned by police after finishing a makeup tutorial. The teen told reporters she was sitting in her car waiting for friends when officers found two grams of marijuana in the vehicle. After the incident, Greenville police posted the mugshot on their Facebook page, leaving Perkins embarrassed over the arrest. What the teen didn’t expect was her mugshot to get re-posted by a Twitter account...

A resident of Mexico has been charged for conspiracy to grow marijuana with the intent to distribute it and damage to public lands and natural resources, according to federal prosecutors. Everado Cuadro Campos, 49, who is from Michoacan, Mexico, was arrested July 17 at a “marijuana garden” in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in Shasta County, according to a news release by the United States Department of Justice. U.S. Forest Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife agents found a marijuana cultivation site near Rock Creek, according to a Department of Justice criminal complaint, and entered through a “well-worn” path....

(Javonnie McCoy and Atlanta attorney Catherine Bernard after his acquittal) Javonnie McCoy was growing marijuana when the cops came to his Middle Georgia home. He was caught red-handed with it. Almost a pound of it, in fact. He admitted it to police, and later he looked jurors in the eye and said, yep, it was mine. I used it as medicine. The jurors let him go. He was minding his own business and wasn’t hurting anybody, they reasoned. He just doesn’t belong in prison. The jury’s decision earlier this month in Dublin, Ga., may have been due to a...

Javonnie McCoy was growing marijuana when the cops came to his Middle Georgia home. He was caught red-handed with it. Almost a pound of it, in fact. He admitted it to police, and later he looked jurors in the eye and said, yep, it was mine. I used it as medicine. The jurors let him go. He was minding his own business and wasn’t hurting anybody, they reasoned. He just doesn’t belong in prison. The jury’s decision earlier this month in Dublin, Ga., may have been due to a muddled prosecution of a muddy case. Or it may have been...

PERU, Ind. >> Some drug traffickers appear to be using President Donald Trump’s image to brand their illegal wares. An Indiana State Police news release about 129 arrests in a series of drug busts in northern Indiana includes a photo of what police describe as “Trump-shaped ecstasy pills.” They are orange and stamped with a face. On the back are the words “great again,” an apparent reference to Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”(continued)

PERU, Ind. — Some drug traffickers appear to be using President Donald Trump’s image to brand their illegal wares. An Indiana State Police news release: about 129 arrests in a series of drug busts in northern Indiana includes a photo of what police describe as “Trump-shaped ecstasy pills.” They are orange and stamped with a face. On the back are the words “great again,” an apparent reference to Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.” Traffickers sometimes produce uniquely shaped or colored drugs as a marketing technique to encourage buyers to return for more. Friday’s release doesn’t provide details, including...

The plane landed safely at San Jose Mineta International Airport, about 50 miles south of San Francisco. The airline says the passenger accused of smoking was turned over to law enforcement. The remaining 32 passengers were placed on other aircraft to continue their trips. Passengers reported smelling smoke, and one said he smelled marijuana. “It looked like that someone needed to smoke a joint on a plane, and he went into the bathroom, smoked his blunt, and set off the fire alarm,” passenger Jonathan Burkes said.