Project 2025 dictates new and unproven drug policies

Posted on July 22, 2024 by Servetus

Project 2025 is a creation of The Heritage Foundation, a think tank that has a longstanding position of being anti-marijuana. Their latest work is a political blueprint that sets forth its vision of America should Donald Trump win the presidency in November. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said Project 2025 is designed to “institutionalize Trumpism”. New drug policies and additional drug enforcement priorities are briefly mentioned that could be activated in a second Trump presidential term:

The National Drug Control Program agencies represented a total of $41 billion in fiscal year 2022. […]

ONDCP grant-making activities have been controversial over the years, particularly within conservative Administrations concerned that the White House lacks the expertise to oversee such programs directly. The ONDCP administers two grant programs: the Drug-Free Communities Support Program and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program. While it makes sense to transfer these programs eventually to the Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services, respectively, it is vital that the ONDCP Director ensure in the immediate term that these grant programs are funding the President’s drug control priorities and not woke nonprofits with leftist policy agendas. Thus, the President must ensure that the ONDCP is managed by political appointees who are committed to the Administration’s agenda and not acquiesce to management by political or career military personnel who oversaw the prior Administration’s ONDCP. […]

Reverse its approval of chemical abortion drugs because the politicized approval process was illegal from the start. The FDA failed to abide by its legal obligations to protect the health, safety, and welfare of girls and women. […]

To avoid future moral coercion of the sort experienced with the COVID-19 vaccines, the FDA and NIH should require the development of drugs and biologics that are free from moral taint and switch to cell lines that are not derived from aborted fetal cell lines or aborted baby body parts. […]

The good news is the words “marijuana” and “psychedelics” appear nowhere in the 922-page document. The bad news is that Mexican drug cartels are eagerly awaiting the new rules to unfold so they can smuggle abortion pills and morally-free aborted baby parts.

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16 Responses to Project 2025 dictates new and unproven drug policies

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  8. Servetus says:
    August 5, 2024 at 7:56 pm

    Cannabinoids were studied as a medical option to opioid use for chronic pain:

    As the medical community seeks alternative pain management strategies, cannabinoids have emerged as a potential option. This review discusses the role of cannabinoids in chronic pain management and their potential as an alternative treatment in pain medicine, focusing on efficacy, safety, and possible opioid reduction. The objectives are to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cannabinoids in chronic pain management, explore their potential to reduce opioid use, and identify the mechanisms by which cannabinoids exert their analgesic effects. […]

    Cannabinoids have shown efficacy in managing chronic pain, with evidence indicating their ability to reduce pain and improve quality of life. Studies suggest that cannabinoids can provide significant analgesic effects, although there is variability in efficacy across trials. Findings also show that Cannabinoids modulate pain through the endocannabinoid system, which plays a crucial role in pain perception and inflammation. Limitations: The variability in efficacy across studies suggests a need for standardized formulations and dosing regimens. Long-term effects of cannabinoid use are not fully understood, necessitating further research. More high-quality trials are needed to confirm findings and address potential biases. […]

    Cannabinoids offer a promising alternative for chronic pain management, with the potential to mitigate the opioid epidemic. Integrating cannabinoids into clinical practice, guided by evidence-based protocols, can provide a safer and effective approach to chronic pain management. […]

    MedPage Today: Mitigating the Opioid Epidemic: The Role of Cannabinoids in Chronic Pain Management

    MedRxiv—BMJ—Yale: Mitigating the Opioid Epidemic: The Role of Cannabinoids in Chronic Pain Management—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms

    Reply
    • NorCalNative says:
      August 12, 2024 at 2:56 pm

      If you’re not using cannabis for chronic pain you’re doing it wrong. Smoke is better than waiting an hour for something oral to take effect. Tinctures and transdermal patches are great options in addition to smoking or vaping.

      Here’s the thing though: Weed is NOT opiates and much of the benefit is less analgesic as it is mental relief from suffering. Having slightly less pain helps, but the ability of cannabis to reduce suffering is a huge benefit.

      I’m not happy the medical opiate pendulum has swung back to prescribing abstinence. It’s a complete failure of the medical profession’s inability to do proper opiate management and especially follow-up.

      I’ve been using cannabis for pain management for a couple decades and it’s been an old friend. However, weed ain’t an opiate and cannot provide similar pain relief. Thank the new and old gods that I discovered Kratom. Kratom is what’s keeping me out of the doctor’s office and giving as much or more quality-of-life than pot. I use them together as needed.

      Kratom allows me to do grocery shopping and minor yard work in a way that weed NEVER has. The combination of prn use of Kratom with regular daily pot use is the best for chronic pain. I don’t use any OTC or prescription meds so I don’t worry about any drug interactions. Those using other meds need to make sure that the minor opiate Kratom and prescriptions don’t make a bad mix before using.

      Pro Re Nata aka prn is better than regular fixed dosing. Why? Tolerance development. Using Kratom only when really needed helps prevent tolerance. You can develop tolerance using it every day and if you do get to that point it’s important to know how to manage it in a way that doesn’t cause withdrawal symptoms. Most use for me has consisted of one dose per day. The six or seven hours of relief is usually enough for me.

      It’s important to use laxatives with Kratom. I use docusate sodium and/or the psyllium powder and poop just fine on a regular basis. Constipation sucks.

      Fuck medical pussies who put their careers over managing patient’s pain relief. That pendulum swing is bullshit because it’s a function of lazy and inappropriate medical care. Pain contracts with proper follow-up is key for prescription opiates. And, tolerance development is NOT addiction.

      If I were to see my M.D., I would most likely be branded as drug-seeking-behavior immediately. That’s why I don’t make any medical appointments. My chief complaint is pain and they don’t want to deal with it. Thank god for Kratom!

      Reply
  9. Servetus says:
    August 6, 2024 at 7:53 pm

    Culture wars and Big Pharma are accused of blocking research, development and marketing of psychedelics:

    A public opinion survey window conducted last summer by the University of California, Berkeley, found 61% of U.S. voters support legalizing regulated therapeutic access to psychedelics. Breaking it down by party, liberal voter support for legalized therapeutic access to psychedelics was 80%, compared to moderates at 66%, and conservatives at 45%. […]

    …the promise of psilocybin to treat anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is real. The country must expand research into physician-assisted psilocybin treatment. […]

    The use of mushrooms containing psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound, has a history that stretches back millennia. Indigenous cultures have utilized these mushrooms for spiritual and medicinal purposes, treating everything from toothaches to rheumatism. […]

    During the earlier half of the 20th century, academic and scientific research on the potential benefits of psilocybin was being conducted across the U.S., in colleges and universities — and even by the federal government. As Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) has explained, “Study of hallucinogens was commonplace in the 1950s and 60s, but after drugs such as marijuana and LSD became associated with the counterculture movement, the U.S. government’s so-called war on drugs all but put an end to the scientific inquiry.”

    In other words, research was halted not because of concerns about the safety, but because of disdain for hippie, anti-Vietnam War culture. […]

    The mechanism by which psilocybin exerts its effects involves the serotonin 2A receptor, leading to altered brain connectivity and increased emotional responsiveness. Unlike traditional medications, which require regular administration, psilocybin has been shown to have lasting effects after just a few supervised sessions. This unique aspect of psilocybin therapy could revolutionize the treatment for a host of mental health conditions, offering a potentially more effective and sustainable option. One study suggested even a single dose could help relieve major depressive disorder. […]

    The economic burden of major depressive disorder (MDD) among U.S. adults, for example, was an estimated $236 billion in 2018, a 35% increase since 2010. And that is just one of a host of mental health challenges. For people whose anxiety or depression is treatment-resistant, the costs are even more burdensome. Individuals with treatment-resistant depression spend nearly $1,300 a year on out-of-pocket medical and drug costs, and are more likely to be taking a host of medications.

    Why, then, has it taken so long for research to take off? One reason is lobbying by pharmaceutical firms. Big Pharma wields considerable influence over drug policy and research funding. A naturally occurring substance like psilocybin, which cannot be patented in its natural form and even if altered would likely face patenting controversy, poses a threat to the profitability of pharmaceutical companies. As a result, there is little incentive for these companies to support research into psilocybin, which could undermine their market share for synthetic drugs. […]

    But our current mental health medications are far from perfect; they’re not long-lasting and some may actually harm patients. A study recently published in BMC Medicine suggested benzodiazepines, commonly prescribed medications for anxiety and sleep disorders in older adults, may have long-term negative effects on brain health, specifically on memory and mood regulation. Shouldn’t we continue searching for alternative, better options? […]

    MedPage Today: The Promise of ‘Magic Mushrooms’ for Mental Health Is Real

    –by N. Adam Brown, MD, MBA

    Reply
  10. Servetus says:
    August 10, 2024 at 11:30 am

    Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have made discoveries that could lead eventually to a cure for cocaine addiction:

    07 August 2024–Drugs such as cocaine cause a surge of dopamine in the brain. Normally, a protein in the brain called the dopamine transporter (DAT) helps regulate dopamine levels and prevent the brain from thinking that every experience is pleasurable.

    However, when affected by cocaine, the brain is unable to regulate dopamine levels. Previously, researchers did not know how cocaine affects the different transporters in the brain, but a new study from the University of Copenhagen has changed that.

    “We have learned how cocaine binds to the dopamine transporter, which is a protein responsible for regulating dopamine levels in the brain. What we did was describe the structure of the dopamine transporter, which gave us molecular-level insight into how it is inhibited by cocaine,” says PhD Student Jeppe Cederholm Nielsen, who is one of the researchers responsible for the new study. […]

    When the brain is unable to regulate dopamine levels, everything we do seems great, the researchers explain. Cocaine does not make the brain release more dopamine, but it prevents it from regulating and removing dopamine. […]

    We have learned how cocaine binds and thus blocks this function, and this is important if we want to be able to stop cocaine from affecting the brain,” says Jeppe Cederholm Nielsen […]

    “Our dream is to find a medical treatment for cocaine abuse. While fewer and fewer people are addicted to drugs in general, an increasing number of people become addicted to cocaine. It is one of the most addictive substances out there, and it is becoming more and more affordable,” says Claus Løland. […]

    AAAS Public Science News Release: Cocaine discovery could pave way for treatment for substance abuse

    Nature: Structure of the human dopamine transporter in complex with cocaine

    Authors: Jeppe C. Nielsen, Kristine Salomon, Iris E. Kalenderoglou, Sarah Bargmeyer, Tillmann Pape, Azadeh Shahsavar & Claus J. Loland

    Reply
  11. Servetus says:
    August 15, 2024 at 9:03 pm

    Researchers at MIT developed a subcutaneous device that detects ODs and automatically releases naloxone into the bloodstream:

    14-Aug-2024 — Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a new device that they hope will help to eliminate … delays and potentially save the lives of people who overdose. The device, about the size of a stick of gum, can be implanted under the skin, where it monitors heart rate, breathing rate, and other vital signs. When it determines that an overdose has occurred, it rapidly pumps out a dose of naloxone.

    In a study appearing in the journal Device, the researchers showed that the device can successfully reverse overdoses in animals. With further development, the researchers envision that this approach could provide a new option for helping to prevent overdose deaths in high-risk populations, such as people who have already survived an overdose. […]

    …many people are alone when they overdose, and may not receive assistance in time to save their lives. Additionally, with a new wave of synthetic, more potent opioids sweeping the U.S., opioid overdoses can be more rapid in onset and unpredictable. To try to overcome that, some researchers are developing wearable devices that could detect an overdose and administer naloxone, but none of those have yet proven successful. The MIT/BWH team set out to design an implantable device that would be less bulky, provide direct injection of naloxone into the subcutaneous tissue, and eliminate the need for the patient to remember to wear it.

    The device that the researchers came up with includes sensors that can detect heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. In an animal study, the researchers used the sensors to measure all of these signals and determine exactly how they change during an overdose of fentanyl. This resulted in a unique algorithm that increases the sensitivity of the device to accurately detect opioid overdose and distinguish it from other conditions where breathing is decreased, such as sleep apnea.

    This study showed that fentanyl first leads to a drop in heart rate, followed quickly by a slowdown of breathing. By measuring how these signals changed, the researchers were able to calculate the point at which naloxone administration should be triggered. […]

    The researchers hope to be able to test the device in humans within the next three to five years. They are now working on miniaturizing the device further and optimizing the on-board battery, which currently can provide power for about two weeks.

    The research was funded by Novo Nordisk, the McGraw Family Foundation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering. […]

    AAAS Public Science News Release: An implantable sensor could reverse opioid overdoses–the new device, which can be implanted under the skin, rapidly releases naloxone when an overdose is detected

    Device: An implantable system for opioid safety

    Authors: Hen-Wei Huang, Peter R. Chai, Seungho Lee, Tom Kerssemakers, Ali Imani, Jack Chen, Marco Heim, Jessica Y. Bo, Adam Wentworth, Fokion T. Sanoudos-Dramaliotis, Ian Ballinger, Saurav Maji, Matt Murphy, Alexander Alexiev, Gloria H. Kang, Niora Fabian, Josh Jenkins, Andrew Pettinari, Keiko Ishida, Jason Li, Siheng Sean You, Alison M. Hayward, Anantha Chandrakasan, Giovanni Traverso.

    Reply
  12. Servetus says:
    August 15, 2024 at 9:25 pm

    Drinking coffee or tea can reduce a person’s risk of dementia in later life according to two studies:

    05-AUG-2024—Coffee and tea intake were associated with long-term cognitive changes in older adults, two prospective studies presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) suggested. […]

    Among 6,001 Health and Retirement Study participants in the U.S., drinking two or more cups of coffee a day was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia over 7 years compared with drinking less than one daily cup (P<0.05), reported Changzheng Yuan, ScD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston and the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China, in a poster presented at the meeting.

    Moderate tea drinking — up to two cups a day — was also associated with a lower dementia risk compared with no tea consumption (P<0.05).

    When total caffeine intake derived from coffee and tea was calculated, participants in the highest quartile of caffeine consumption had a 38% decreased risk of dementia (P=0.032), Yuan and co-authors said.

    In another study presented at AAIC, researchers showed that among 8,451 U.K. Biobank participants, daily coffee and tea intake predicted the slope of fluid intelligence decline.

    Decline in fluid intelligence was slower among older adults who had moderate coffee consumption (one to three cups of coffee a day) and those who never drank coffee, compared with those who drank four or more daily cups, said Kelsey Sewell, PhD, of Murdoch University in Perth, Australia. This suggested an upper limit to coffee intake, she observed.

    Tea drinking, however, showed a different pattern. U.K. Biobank participants who never drank tea had a greater decline in fluid intelligence compared with those who had moderate (one to three daily cups) or high (four or more cups per day) tea consumption.

    Both coffee and tea contain bioactive compounds, including caffeine. Prior work has suggested that coffee may have a protective role in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

    MedPage Today: Coffee-Dementia Link Continues to Unfurl — Two studies hint at protective relationships for some coffee and tea drinkers

    Reply
  13. Servetus says:
    August 15, 2024 at 9:52 pm

    Thirty-four brain reward circuits are identified that can offer insights into addictions:

    August 14, 2024 – A research team – co-led by Penn Nursing – has made a significant breakthrough in understanding the complex neural circuitry underlying reward and addiction by identifying 34 distinct subtypes of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain region involved in pleasure and motivation…offer(s) insights into the diversity of these neurons and their potential roles in substance use disorders. […]

    The researchers also found that these MSN subtypes are conserved across species, suggesting that the findings may have broad implications for human brain function and behavior. Additionally, by analyzing genetic data linked to substance use disorders, the team identified potential differences in the roles of specific MSN subtypes in these conditions.

    This groundbreaking research provides a foundation for future studies aimed at developing targeted therapies for addiction and other brain disorders. By understanding the specific functions of different MSN subtypes, scientists can develop treatments that precisely target these cells, potentially leading to more effective and less harmful interventions. […]

    AAAS Public Science News Release: Unveiling the brain’s reward circuitry

    Nature–Scientific Reports: A single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of medium spiny neurons in the rat nucleus accumbens

    Authors: Benjamin C. Reiner, Samar N. Chehimi, Riley Merkel, Sylvanus Toikumo, Wade H. Berrettini, Henry R. Kranzler, Sandra Sanchez-Roige, Rachel L. Kember, Heath D. Schmidt & Richard C. Crist.

    Reply
  14. Servetus says:
    August 22, 2024 at 8:41 pm

    Combining cannabis extract with standard anti-nausea and anti-vomiting medication in cancer chemotherapy improved the standard medication performance by a factor of three:

    August 21, 2024 — Adding cannabis extract to standard antiemetics tripled the rate of complete response for treatment-refractory chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), a randomized trial showed.

    The complete response rate increased from 8% with antiemetics plus placebo to 24% with the tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol (THC-CBD) extract. Adjunctive use of THC-CBD offered similar improvement over placebo with respect to absence of significant nausea, use of rescue medication, daily vomiting, and improvement in emesis-related quality of life (QoL). […]

    “The absolute improvement and relative improvement in complete response rates in our study exceeded the absolute improvement of 10% considered sufficient to warrant changing recommendations in antiemetic, and — within the limits of cross-trial comparisons with heterogeneous trial designs — was at least comparable with modern studies of aprepitant and olanzapine, and older studies of cannabinoids” the authors stated.

    “Our data support the claim that oral THC-CBD is an effective and safe option for the prevention of refractory CINV,” they added. “Availability, access, affordability, cultural attitudes, societal barriers, and legal barriers may limit implementation.” […]

    MedPage Today: Adjunctive Cannabis Extract Improves Nausea-Vomiting Prevention in Cancer Patients

    Journal of Clinical Oncology: Oral Cannabis Extract for Secondary Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Final Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Phase II/III Trial

    Authors: Peter Grimison, PhD, MPH, MBBS, BSc, FRACP, Antony Mersiades, MBBS, Adrienne Kirby, MSc, BSc (Hons I), Annette Tognela, MBBS, Ian Olver, MD, PhD, AM, Rachael L. Morton, PhD, MScMed(Clin Epi)(Hons), Paul Haber, PhD, MBBS, BMedSci, FAChAM, and Martin R. Stockler, MBBS.

    Reply
  15. Servetus says:
    August 31, 2024 at 2:12 pm

    Cannabis and psychedelics use by U.S. adults reached historic highs in 2023:

    29-AUG-24 — The percentages of adults using cannabis and hallucinogens over the past year stayed at historically high levels in 2023, according to the latest findings from the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future survey.

    The results show that the prevalence of adults aged 19 to 30 and 35 to 50 who used cannabis and hallucinogens over the past year remained at higher levels compared to previous years.

    In contrast, past-year use of tobacco cigarettes remained at all-time low levels among both adult groups.

    Past-month and daily alcohol use continued a decade-long decline among those 19 to 30 years old, with binge drinking reaching all-time lows. Among 35-to-50-year-olds, however, the prevalence of binge drinking in 2023 increased from five and 10 years ago.

    The Monitoring the Future study is conducted by scientists at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. […]

    Cannabis use in the past year and past month remained at historically high levels for both adult groups in 2023. Among adults 19 to 30 years old, past-year, past-month and daily use of cannabis (use on 20 or more occasions in the past 30 days) were reported by approximately 42%, 29% and 10%, respectively. Among adults 35 to 50, reports reached 29%, 19% and 8%, respectively. While these 2023 estimates are not statistically different from last year, they do reflect five and 10-year increases for both age groups.

    Cannabis vaping in the past year and past month was reported by 22% and 14% of adults 19 to 30, respectively, and by 9% and 6% of adults 35 to 50 in 2023. For the younger group, these numbers represent all-time study highs and an increase from five years ago, though for the mid-life adult group, they do not reflect a change from years before. […]

    Hallucinogen use in the past year continued a five-year steep incline for both adult groups, reaching 9% for adults 19 to 30 and 4% for adults 35 to 50 in 2023. Types of hallucinogens reported by participants included LSD, mescaline, peyote, shrooms or psilocybin, and PCP. […]

    University of Michigan News: Cannabis, hallucinogen use among adults still at historic highs–Vaping among younger adults and binge-drinking among mid-life adults also maintained record-high levels, NIH-supported study shows

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