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☆ Does Legalizing Cannabis Increase Adolescent Use? This Expert Found Mixed Results.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Matt Richtel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Many health experts have worried that relaxing the laws around cannabis will lead to more use of the drug among minors. They found that fewer minors reported having used cannabis in the previous month in states where the drug had been legalized. It seems sensible to assume that legalizing marijuana would lead to more use by young people. Yes, common sense might argue that as cannabis becomes legalized, it will be more accessible. There will be fewer potential legal repercussions, hence availability would increase and use would increase.

Persons: Willy Wonka, Biden, Rebekah Levine Coley, Coley Organizations: District of Columbia, Boston College, New York Times

☆ Opinion | This Is a Very Weird Moment in the History of Drug Laws
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Drug policy feels very unsettled right now. The war on drugs was a failure. But so far, the war on the war on drugs hasn’t entirely been a success, either. But then there was a surge in overdoses and public backlash over open-air drug use. And last month, Oregon’s governor signed a law restoring criminal penalties for drug possession, ending that short-lived experiment.

Persons: —, Oregon’s, “, Ezra Klein Organizations: Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Locations: Oregon

☆ Thailand decriminalized cannabis 2 years ago. Its prime minister wants to ban it again.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Thailand's prime minister has called for a ban on recreational cannabis in a major U-turn. Thailand was the first Asian country to decriminalize cannabis for recreational use in 2022. AdvertisementThailand's prime minister wants to ban cannabis just two years after his country decriminalized it for recreational use. AdvertisementThailand was the first Southeast Asian country to legalize medical cannabis in 2018, and the first Asian country to decriminalize recreational cannabis in 2022, according to Forbes. Other countries have legalized or decriminalized cannabis for recreational use in recent years, including Canada, Germany, Mexico, and South Africa.

Persons: Thailand's, Srettha Thavisin, —, Thavisin, Anutin Charnvirakul Organizations: Service, country's Ministry of Public Health, Forbes, New York Times, Bloomberg, District of Columbia, Prohibition Partners, Thailand's Center, Addiction Locations: Thailand, Thai, Canada, Germany, Mexico, South Africa

☆ Colombia to Sever Ties With Israel Over Gaza War
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Genevieve Glatsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Colombia will sever diplomatic ties with Israel over its prosecution of the war in Gaza, President Gustavo Petro announced in Bogotá on Wednesday, describing the Israeli government as “genocidal.”His announcement came in a speech in Colombia’s capital city in front of cheering crowds that had gathered for International Workers’ Day. “The times of genocide, of the extermination of an entire people cannot come before our eyes, before our passivity,” Mr. Petro said. “If Palestine dies, humanity dies.”Colombia is the second South American nation to break off relations with Israel after Bolivia, which cut ties in November over its strikes in Gaza. Belize also cut diplomatic ties with Israel that month. “Israel and Colombia always enjoyed warm ties.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, “, ” Mr, Petro, Petro’s, ”, Israel Katz, ’, Mr, Colombia’s, Katz, Netanyahu Organizations: International Workers, Israel, Security Locations: Colombia, Israel, Gaza, Bogotá, Colombia’s, American, Bolivia, Chile, Honduras, Belize, “ Israel, Gaza City

☆ Here’s what marijuana researchers have to say about 420 or ‘weed day’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —It’s 420 or “weed day,” and people around the world will be paying homage to their favorite guilty pleasure: marijuana. “I worry when people are in an enclosed space because new data is beginning to show that secondhand marijuana smoke may be just as dangerous as the primary smoke,” Page said. “Approximately 3 in 10 people who use marijuana have marijuana use disorder,” according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, some parents told doctors they believed vaping marijuana was safer than tobacco, Boyd told CNN earlier via email. A cloud of marijuana smoke rises as a clock hits 4:20 p.m. during the Mile High 420 Festival in Denver on "weed day" in 2022.

Persons: CNN —, Dr, Beth Cohen, Cohen, “, ”, Robert Page II, ” Page, Weed, It’s, ’ ” Carol Boyd, Ann Arbor, Peter Grinspoon, ” Young, Sam Wang, Boyd, Grinspoon, Patrick T, Fallon, Nixon, ” Boyd, ” Grinspoon, ’ ”, Page Organizations: CNN, District of Columbia, University of California, University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center, Drugs, University of Michigan, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Massachusetts General Hospital, Marijuana, Children’s Hospital, Yale Medicine, Drug, University of Colorado’s, Getty, University of Mississippi, US Drug, Administration Locations: United States, San Francisco, Colorado, Aurora, Ann, Boston, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver, AFP

☆ Oregon Is Recriminalizing Drugs. Here’s What Portland Learned.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Mike Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Oregon embarked on a landmark plan three years ago to decriminalize hard drugs, it wagered that a focus on treatment over punishment would create a new model for drug policy around the country. But after a deluge of overdose deaths and frequent chaos in the streets of Portland, Gov. Tina Kotek signed into law on Monday a measure to restore criminal penalties for drug possession. The rollback has supporters among a wide range of public officials, including Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland, who found himself presiding over a series of crises since taking office in 2016. He has battled in court to ban daytime camping and tried to establish mass shelter locations (known in Portland as TASS sites) for those without housing.

Persons: Tina Kotek, Ted Wheeler, Wheeler Organizations: Oregon, Gov Locations: Portland

☆ Live Updates: Supreme Court to Hear Arguments on Abortion Pill Access
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Abbie Vansickle | Linda Qiu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

If the Supreme Court sides with the plaintiffs and decides to roll back or invalidate Food and Drug Administration regulations on mifepristone, it would be the first time the court undercut the federal agency’s authority. The abortion pill case before the Supreme Court could have implications far beyond abortion, potentially undermining the regulatory system for all medicines in the United States. If the Supreme Court sides with the plaintiffs and decides to roll back or invalidate F.D.A. They would have to pick up mifepristone in person from a doctor and would have to visit the doctor three times during the medication abortion process. and not to abortion providers, some medication abortion services have been stockpiling mifepristone and may continue prescribing and mailing their supply.

Persons: ”, Matthew J, mifepristone Organizations: Drug, Food and Drug Administration, Northern, Northern District of, Trump, U.S ., Appeals, Fifth Circuit Locations: United States, Northern District, Northern District of Texas

☆ These executives say psychedelics like LSD and MDMA made them better managers — and transformed how they think about fulfilling work
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Rachel Nuwer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Siskind is one of a growing number of entrepreneurs and executives seeking out psychedelics — including LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, and MDMA — for work-related inspiration and guidance. AdvertisementA Manhattan psychedelic sound bathSarah Rose Siskind says one year after her psychedelic-induced revelation, work is going better than ever. When Siskind arrived at work on Monday, she called a staff meeting to share the company's new value-oriented direction. While Zillmer's breakthroughs came in Peru and with ayahuasca, these types of retreats for business professionals are popping up all over and with a variety of psychedelics. Beyond bottom linesThe location where Kiyumí Retreats will host a psychedelic retreat for business professionals later this year.

Persons: —, Sarah Rose Siskind, she'd, I'd, psychedelics, Steve Jobs, Mike Bryk, Siskind, David Luke, psychedelics Henrik Zillmer, Michael Costuros, Henrik Zillmer, Zillmer, It's, John Gilmore, Gilmore, Gül, Dölen, Isabel Wiessner, AirHelp, Kiyumí, Bennet Zelner, Zelner, they'd, John Allison, Allison Organizations: Service, Business, University of Greenwich, Sun Microsystems, University of California, Federal University of Rio, University of Maryland Locations: New York City, Silicon, Peru, Mexico, Noho, Manhattan, Bay, London, Berlin, Berkeley, Federal University of Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil, Netherlands, Brooklyn

The reversal comes as other high-profile liberal jurisdictions are also getting tougher on drugs and crime. And on Super Tuesday, San Francisco voters approved ballot measures that expand police powers and impose mandatory drug-screening and treatment requirements for welfare recipients. San Francisco had more than 800 motor vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents and – though a decline from 2022 – more than 20,000 car break-ins, according to The San Francisco Standard . In 2019, the year before voters approved the decriminalization measure, Oregon saw 280 accidental opioid overdose deaths, according to state public health authorities . “If you were to ask the public at large I think there’s a perception that it hasn’t worked,” says Hansen.

Persons: ” Kassandra Frederique, “, ” Leo Beletsky, –, Bob Lee, Henry Cuellar, Democrat –, Mayor London Breed, It’s, ” Beletsky, Tina Kotek, George Floyd’s, ”, Ben Hansen, hasn’t, Hansen Organizations: Drug Policy Alliance, Washington , D.C, San Francisco, Northeastern University, D.C, San Francisco Standard, Republican, Democrat, Mayor London, University of Oregon Locations: Oregon, Washington ,, Washington, carjackings, San Francisco, downtown San Francisco, Portland, Portland –, West Coast

☆ Opinion: Does marijuana cause psychosis? The answer is complicated
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Opinion David L. Nathan | Peter Grinspoon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Still, the question remains: Does cannabis truly cause psychosis and related diseases such as schizophrenia — or is this another overblown claim? It is especially important for us, as doctors, to untangle whether cannabis actually causes psychosis. Still, of all the drugs associated with this uncommon kind of psychosis, cannabis is the most common culprit. CBD products should only be purchased from reputable companies that test their products through independent labs and share the results. We shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that cannabis causes psychosis, but anyone who plans to use cannabis should know their personal risk factors and exercise caution accordingly.

Persons: David L, Peter Grinspoon, David Nathan Eli Nathan Dr, we’ve Organizations: Drug Policy, Harvard Medical School, Marijuana, Drug, CNN, Street Journal, US Food and Drug Administration Locations: hyperbolically

☆ San Francisco’s “Pro-Drug Culture”
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( German Lopez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Culture can sound like an abstract concept, but it matters for drug policy. In San Francisco and other liberal cities, the opposite shift has happened with hard drug use. When I asked people living on the streets why they are in San Francisco, the most common response was that they knew they could avoid the legal and social penalties that often follow addiction. Some came from as close as Oakland, believing that San Francisco was more permissive. As Keith Humphreys, a drug policy expert at Stanford University, told me, San Francisco “is on the extreme of a pro-drug culture.”

Persons: Keith Humphreys, San Francisco “, ” Organizations: Stanford University Locations: Francisco, San Francisco, Oakland

☆ Tristan Thompson: Former NBA champion suspended without pay for 25 games after violating NBA’s drug policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson has been suspended by the NBA for 25 games without pay for violating the league’s anti-drug program. “The Cleveland Cavaliers fully support the NBA/NBAPA Anti-Drug Program, and we are disappointed in the recent news surrounding Tristan Thompson,” the organization wrote. We stand behind Tristan and offer our support throughout this suspension period.”The 32-year-old Thompson has spent time with six different teams in his 13-year NBA career. Thompson – an Ontario, Canada, native – is averaging 3.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game for Cleveland this season. Fueled by the stellar play of All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland has won eight straight games and is currently fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Persons: Tristan Thompson, Thompson, ”, “, Tristan, –, LeBron James –, James, David Maxwell, Thompson –, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Organizations: CNN — Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA, ibutamoren, Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, SARM, US Food and Drug Administration, Doping Agency, The Cleveland Cavaliers, Drug, Cleveland, Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Sacramento, Sacramento Kings , Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, LA Lakers, Eastern Conference Locations: Sacramento Kings ,, Thompson – an Ontario, Canada, –

ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Kristina Amyot’s life has drastically improved since the last New Hampshire primary, but she isn’t confident the current candidates will help others achieve the same success. “I have self-worth now.”New Hampshire, a small state with an outsized role in presidential politics, has heard from candidates promising action on the opioid crisis for several presidential elections now. Political Cartoons View All 253 Images“I feel like every four years it gets talked about, and then it gets lost. More than 80,000 people died of opioid overdoses in 2022, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The final tally for 2022 — 486 deaths — was only four short of the all-time high for New Hampshire, a state of about 1.4 million people.

Persons: — Kristina Amyot’s, “, ”, —, Kerry Norton, it’s, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, DeSantis, Haley, Jay Ruais, Ruais, It’s, Norton, “ I’m, Chris Christie, Trump, Amyot, we’re Organizations: Hope, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Republicans, New, Florida Gov, Republican, ” Former New Jersey Gov, White Locations: ROCHESTER, N.H, Hampshire, Haven Hill, ” New Hampshire, New Hampshire, Rochester, U.S, China, Manchester , New, ”, Hope, Haven

☆ Why Thailand's having second thoughts about decriminalizing cannabis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Little more than a year after cannabis decriminalization, following an election that saw a more conservative coalition government come into power, there are signs Thailand’s laws on cannabis could be rewritten once again. Most cannabis dispensaries like his he says, have been responsible and diligent from the start in checking buyers’ IDs and educating customers about cannabis rules. “Thousands of cafes, stores, and other cannabis businesses have sprouted and hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent by tourists in a short amount of time,” Zaytsev said. The debate comes just as the quality of domestically produced cannabis in the country was improving, she added. “The quality of Thai cannabis has gotten better and better.

Persons: “, ” Iemvijan, –, Nitikrist Attakrist, ” Attakrist, Chiang Mai, Srettha Thavisin, ” Thavisin, Iemvijan, Cannabis, ”, Wisawa Mcintyre, Anutin Charnvirakul, Athit Perawongmetha, hasn’t, Ley Singdam, Ley, ” Ley, Kitty Chopaka, Chopaka, Michael Zaytsev, LIM, ” Zaytsev, Gloria Lai, ” Lai, ” “, Thavisin, Manan Vatsyayana Organizations: CNN, Thai, Bloomberg, Thailand’s Public, Thai Health, Staff, Reuters Observers, ” Farmers, Thais, International Drug Policy Consortium, Bhumjaithai Party, Getty Locations: Thai, Bangkok, Thailand, Southeast Asia, San, Thonglor, Phuket, ‘, ”, Athit, New York, Asia, Singapore, Indonesia, AFP

☆ Biden administration unveils first 10 drugs subject to Medicare price negotiations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Fiasp and NovoLog, insulins made by Novo Nordisk The Medicare negotiations are the centerpiece of the Biden administration's efforts to rein in the rising cost of medications in the U.S. Drugmakers such as Merck and Johnson & Johnson and their supporters aim to derail the negotiations, filing at least eight lawsuits in recent months seeking to declare the policy unconstitutional. Drugmakers' legal challengesMerck, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Astellas Pharma are among the companies suing to halt the negotiation process. The suits make similar and overlapping claims that Medicare negotiations are unconstitutional. Biden and his top health officials have embraced the lawsuits as evidence that they're making progress in the fight to cut drug prices.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden's, Boehringer Ingelheim, Johnson Januvia, Merck Farxiga, Novartis Enbrel, Amgen Imbruvica, AbbVie Stelara, Janssen, insulins, Johnson, Leigh Purvis, Drugmakers, drugmakers, Robert Davis Organizations: Bristol, Myers Squibb Jardiance, Johnson, Merck, AstraZeneca Entresto, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Medicare, Centers, Services, Biden, AARP Public, Institute, Congressional, Office, Myers Squibb, Astellas Pharma, U.S . Chamber, Commerce, Supreme, Court, Circuit Court, Pharma, White, Big Pharma Locations: U.S, Bristol

☆ Germany Takes Step Toward Legalizing Marijuana
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Catie Edmondson | More About Catie Edmondson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The German government approved a plan on Wednesday to legalize some recreational marijuana use, paving the way to allow adults to legally buy and possess small amounts of cannabis. The legislation, which would allow adults to purchase and possess up to 25 grams of recreational cannabis for personal consumption through nonprofit social clubs, must still be approved by Parliament. But the endorsement from the three-party coalition’s cabinet was a crucial step toward Germany becoming the first major European country to legalize marijuana. The measure is weaker than what Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government had originally proposed. The socially liberal coalition announced its intent to legalize recreational marijuana when it came into power in 2021, quickly finding consensus on an issue opposed for years by the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Persons: ”, Karl Lauterbach, Olaf Scholz’s, Chancellor Angela Merkel Locations: Germany

The new legislation will limit the amount of cannabis young adults can buy to 30 grams a month, compared to 50 grams for older adults. Scholz's government had already watered down original plans to allow the widespread sale of cannabis in licensed shops after consultations with Brussels. Instead, it said would launch a pilot project for a small number of licensed shops in some regions to test the effects of a commercial supply chain of recreational cannabis over five years. Malta became the first European country to allow limited cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use in late 2021. The legislation presented on Wednesday includes strict rules for growing weed - cannabis clubs of up to 500 associates must have burglar-proof doors and windows, with greenhouses fenced off.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Karl Lauterbach, Lauterbach, Armin Schuster, Kristine Luetke, Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke, Angus MacSwan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Scholz's Social Democrats, Free Democrats, Thomson Locations: Brandenburg, Berlin, Germany, Europe, Saxony, Brussels, Netherlands, Switzerland, Malta

☆ Fast, cheap and deadly
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +18 min

Fast, cheap and deadly How fentanyl replaced heroin and hooked AmericaLeer en EspañolReuters obtained and analyzed ten year’s worth of data on drugs seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents at ports of entry along the southern border. It shows: Fentanyl seizures by weight more than tripled in the last quarter of 2022 compared to a year earlier. Pills were mentioned in nearly half of fentanyl border seizure incidents in 2022, up from just 6% five years earlier. A fifth of fentanyl seizures take place on pedestrians, the Reuters analysis shows. Over the same period, heroin seizures fell more than 80% from over 2,000 kg, according to the Reuters analysis.

Persons: Bryce Pardo, Troy Miller, Joe Biden, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, ”, Chris Urben, Urben, Joaquin ‘ El Chapo ’ Guzman, “, CBP’s Miller, Jonathan Caulkins, James Mandryck, Oxycontin, Lopez Obrador, narcotrafficking, Lopez, Rosa Rodriguez, Cecilia Farfan, Mendez, Freed, Pardo, Romain Le Cour, Cour, Carlos Perez, Perez Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Customs, Border Protection, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, United Nations Office, Drugs, DEA, CBP, U.S, Nardello, Carnegie Mellon University, U.S . Postal Service, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mexico's, North, Forensic Laboratory, University of California, Global, Transnational, U.S . Congress ’ Commission, New Generation, Center for Research Locations: Mexican, U.S, Mexico, Sinaloa, El Paso, Arizona’s Nogales, United States, offscreen, sierra, China, Beijing, Washington, University of California San Diego ., ”, New, New Generation Jalisco, Mexico City

☆ Oregon’s Hard-Drug Decriminalization Policy Is a Disaster - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

How soon is too soon to call a progressive and libertarian policy obsession a public policy fiasco? In the case of Oregon’s Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act, better known as Measure 110, the moment can’t come soon enough. The Drug Policy Alliance, which spent millions to help pass the measure, called it “the biggest blow to the drug war to date” and celebrated its supposed success in a slick video. “Often, she says, someone is passed out in front of the lobby’s door, blocking her entrance. The other day, a man lurched in, lay down on a Forte couch, stripped off his shirt and shoes and refused to leave.”

Persons: “, Jennifer Myrle, Jan Hoffman, Jordan Gale, ” Organizations: Drug Policy Alliance, Forte Portland Locations: Oregon, Forte

Djamani was sentenced to the mandatory death penalty in 2018 after being convicted of possessing 31 grams of heroin. Djamani is the first woman to be hanged in Singapore since hairdresser Yen May Woen, 36, in 2004, who was also convicted of drug trafficking. Criminal lawyer Joshua Tong said those convicted of drug trafficking were usually men, but he had seen “his fair share” of women drug offenders. We demand an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty,” the group wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. The case put Singapore’s zero-tolerance drug laws back under scrutiny, with rights advocates arguing the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking is an inhumane punishment.

Persons: Saridewi, Djamani, Yen, Woen, ”, Celia Ouellette, “, ” Adilur Rahman Khan, Chiara Sangiorgio, Joshua Tong, Tong, Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, Kirsten Han, “ TJC, Suppiah, Dharmalingam Organizations: CNN, Singapore, Central Narcotics Bureau, Business Initiative for Justice, International Federation for Human Rights, Ministry of Home Affairs, Twitter, United Nations Office, Drugs Locations: Changi, Singapore, “ Singapore, France, Asia, East, Southeast Asia

☆ Marijuana farmers in Colombia push government to find a place for them
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Cajibio CNN —On a recent Friday morning, about 200 coca and marijuana farmers gathered in the small town of Cajibio, southwestern Colombia, to hear the government out. More than 200,000 farmers of drug crops live in criminality in Colombia because their harvest is illegal, according to COCCAM, a workers’ union representing farmers involved in cocaine and marijuana production. Meeting between Colombia's government and drug farmers in Cajibio. Opponents of legal marijuana, like rightwing opposition leader German Vargas Lleras, say legal weed would only push more people into drug consumption, and celebrated the collapse of the latest regulation effort. “This is not about me or you getting high, it’s about the farmers and the producers,” Miranda told CNN.

Persons: Gloria Miranda, Yulier Lopez, Lopez, Ivan Duque, Cajibio, “, Stefano Pozzebon, Gustavo Petro, Petro, Juan Carlos Losada, ” Losada, Losada, German Vargas Lleras, ”, ” Lopez, Luis Cunda, Cunda, Colombia Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Cunda, Miranda, ’ Chris Alexander, ” Miranda, Nestor Osuna Organizations: CNN, Justice Ministry, Colombian, Liberal, ’, Human Rights Watch, New, Losada Locations: Cajibio, Colombia, UNODC, Colombian, CNN Colombian, Colombia’s Cauca, COCCAM, Cauca, ‘, Miranda, Caloto, United States, Uruguay, Latin America, Denver, Colorado, New York State, Bogota

☆ Aaron Rodgers: NFL star credits psychedelics for improving his performance on the football field
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Aaron Rodgers has continued to advocate for the legalization of some psychedelics, claiming this week that ayahuasca helped to improve his performance on the football field. The NFL has confirmed that taking ayahuasca doesn’t violate its drug policy. CNN has reached out to the NFL about psilocybin and its drug policy. Rodgers, who recently left the Packers for the New York Jets, made reference to the decriminalization of psilocybin in Colorado while speaking in Denver. “The response from other people in the sports industry has been pretty incredible,” said Rodgers.

Persons: CNN — Aaron Rodgers, ayahuasca, It’s, ” Rodgers, “, Rodgers, Matthew Stockman, Aubrey Marcus, they’ve, ” Organizations: CNN, NFL, Green Bay Packers, Oregon, Packers, New York Jets, Getty Locations: Denver , Colorado, Colorado, Denver, psychedelics

Aaron Smith, CEO of the National Cannabis Industry Association, speaks during a news conference on the Safe Banking Act outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Sept. 14, 2022. The Senate banking committee is holding its first-ever hearing Thursday on a bipartisan bill that would allow the cannabis industry to access traditional banking services, which marijuana businesses see as critical to their survival. The meeting, titled Examining Cannabis Banking Challenges of Small Businesses and Workers, will hear testimony from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Sens. Thursday's hearing will determine next steps in getting the bill to the Senate floor for a vote, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other key lawmakers express support for it. "Without full access to the banking and payments system, legal cannabis businesses are forced to operate in the shadows," said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who is also chair of the committee.

☆ America’s New Drug Policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( German Lopez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In fact, needle exchange programs can reduce overdoses and drug use over time, by acting as hubs that educate people on safe practices and connect them to addiction treatment. First, lawmakers grew desperate to reduce overdose deaths, which have climbed for decades and surpassed 100,000 annually for the first time in 2021. Second, the overdose crisis is now so widespread that many more people, including members of Congress, know someone hurt by it. “Every single member of the House and Senate has grieving constituents coming in, having buried kids or brothers or sisters or moms or dads,” Keith Humphreys, a Stanford University drug policy expert, said. Previous drug crises disproportionately hurt marginalized populations — such as Black people during the 1980s crack epidemic and poor white people during the 1990s-2000s meth epidemic.

☆ Tangaraju Suppiah: Singapore executes man for trafficking two pounds of cannabis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Tangaraju Suppiah, a 46-year-old Singaporean, was hanged early on Wednesday in Changi Prison and the family have received a death certificate, his sister Leelavathy Suppiah told CNN. Tangaraju was first sentenced to death in 2018 for “abetting the trafficking of more than one kilogram of cannabis (1,017.9 grams),” according to a statement from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB). The court found he was in phone communication with two other men caught trying to smuggle cannabis into Singapore. “As is the case for many people currently on death row in Singapore, Tangaraju was forced to represent himself to seek a review of the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold his conviction. Singapore has a strong reputation as a rule of law country so this concerning omission is not normal,” Perrett added.

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