Open Thread

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Pete

Sorry folks – my mind and energies have been elsewhere, and I have been a poor host recently. Hope to change that soon.

I’ll also have some new posts up in the next couple of days (although the comments section is the most important area right now).

Something to think about… I’m looking for someone to help out with the site by putting in the occasional post or even a link to a good story as a contributor. Wouldn’t have technical skills – I could either give you access, or you could email me the item and I’d post it for you.

It must be someone who I recognize – someone who has been a regular contributor here at DrugWarRant – I get offers practically every day from people who want to write boilerplate posts for this site in exchange for link to their drug treatment scam.

So give me a holler if you’re interested!

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19 Responses to Open Thread

  1. NorCalNative says:
    September 26, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    – my mind and energies have been elsewhere, and I have been a poor host recently.

    Pete, I doubt anyone who spends time on the couch feels that way. Your health and recovery are way more important.

    I don’t link OR think, so I’m not your guy. However if I had a vote I’d suggest that the person that fits your description best is likely Servetus.

  2. Thinking Clearly says:
    September 26, 2018 at 10:50 pm

    Always willing to help as I am able.

    Our paths have crossed here in remarkable ways. Pete, your couch has been (and is) an invaluable refuge and a fountain of good thinking and inspiration, as have you. Just like ripples in a pond, the couches effects have been far reaching. Best to you in whatever you are working on Pete.

    My thoughts are remarkably similar to yours NorCalNative.

  4. DEA FOAD says:
    September 27, 2018 at 12:16 pm

    Epidiolex has been rescheduled by the DEA to Schedule V. CBD other than Epidiolex remains Schedule I.

    Read it at GWP’s website.

  5. darkcycle says:
    September 27, 2018 at 12:39 pm

    Not to worry, Pete. Do what you need to, we’re okay here. We got chips and oreos, your TV works and we recently cleared a new path to the front door to make it easier to get the pizza from the delivery guy. I even tried to clean that sticky spot where Duncan sits (didn’t work).
    Servetus would be a good choice (you like how everybody’s volunteering you?) Or maybe a couple of folks. I’d be willing to pitch in once in a while.
    Just get that leg healed.

    • Pete says:
      September 28, 2018 at 1:54 pm

      Good move clearing the new path, darkcycle. I had been getting complaints from the pizza place. And don’t worry about the sticky spot – if it spreads, the couch is still under warranty.

  6. fukem all says:
    September 27, 2018 at 1:08 pm

    Kamala Harris…. good job! The sheer hypocrisy of the Republican members of this committee beggars belief. It will never happen but if there was any justice Kavanagh would be sharing a cell with Big Bubba. Then perhaps he’d know the meaning of sexual assault.
    Grassley, fucking reptile, creap. “Lett’s all be nice to… her!”

  7. Servetus says:
    September 28, 2018 at 9:33 am

    Okay, I’ll see if I can come up with a posting this coming weekend. Its focus will be drug war propaganda. For now, I have the latest breaking science news on magic mushrooms.

    Johns Hopkins researchers, led by Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., are conducting clinical trials that could get psilocybin moved from Schedule I to Schedule IV in the next five years:

    26-SEP-2018 — In an evaluation of the safety and abuse research on the drug in hallucinogenic mushrooms, Johns Hopkins researchers suggest that if it clears phase III clinical trials, psilocybin should be re-categorized from a schedule I drug–one with no known medical potential–to a schedule IV drug such as prescription sleep aids, but with tighter control. […]

    “We want to initiate the conversation now as to how to classify psilocybin to facilitate its path to the clinic and minimize logistical hurdles in the future,” says Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “We expect these final clearance trials to take place in the next five years or so.” […]

    Although preliminary research studies suggest that psilocybin may be effective for smoking cessation and for disorders such as cancer-specific depression and anxiety, it must clear phase III clinical trials before the Food and Drug Administration can be petitioned to reclassify it. […]

    As for safety, studies show it frequently falls at the end of the scales with the least harm to users and society, say the researchers. Psilocybin also is lowest in the potential for lethal overdose as there is no known overdose level.

    “We should be clear that psilocybin is not without risks of harm, which are greater in recreational than medical settings, but relatively speaking, looking at other drugs both legal and illegal, it comes off as being the least harmful in different surveys and across different countries,” says Johnson. […]

    AAAS Public Release: Reclassification recommendations for drug in ‘magic mushrooms’: If phase III clinical trials are successful, researchers suggest categorizing the drug as schedule IV

    Original Publication (extensive info): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.05.012

    Five years is still a long time to wait for rescheduling. In the meantime, magic mushrooms might be legalized by a number of states in ways that could resemble the smartshops in Amsterdam.

  8. Thinking Clearly says:
    September 29, 2018 at 3:10 am

    “Drug Arrests on the Rise Under Trump”
    https://t.co/JYcgPGxC6A

    “The United States saw an uptick in arrests for drug violations last year, including an increase in marijuana arrests despite legalization in four states and other decriminalization efforts.”

    “Law enforcement made 1.6 million drug arrests last year, more than any other crime, according to annual data released this week by the FBI.”

    “That’s a nearly 4 percent increase from 2016, according to analysis from the Drug Policy Alliance. On average, one person was arrested for drugs every 20 seconds in the US last year.”

    “The vast majority of drug arrests in 2017 — over 1.4 million — were simply for nonviolent drug possession violations alone. That total is more than twice the number of people arrested for violent crimes, such as assault and manslaughter.”

    “The uptick in drug arrests came as the Trump administration refocused federal law enforcement resources on the war on drugs and initiated a brutal crackdown on immigrants that continues today.”

    … “the number of marijuana arrests nationwide increased in 2017 for the second year in a row after steadily falling for nearly a decade.”

  9. NorCalNative says:
    September 29, 2018 at 12:15 pm

    CBD the good cannabinoid? Not if you look at the list of side effects from the isolated CBD medicine Epidiolex.

    Decreased appetite
    Diarrhea
    Infections
    Liver inflammation/injury

    The four listed side effects do not include rash, fatigue, several sleep disorders, and are certainly not what we’re used to hearing about with cannabis therapeutics. This is single-molecule bull shityness in the extreme. Prop a fucking Ganda. In order to keep kids from THC we’ve created a Political monster.

    At 50 mg/kg a 112-lb kid with epilepsy needs approx. 2,500 mg of CBD, or 2 1/2 grams per dose. By separating CBD from other cannabinoids the effective dose range is very high. And because the effects of CBD are biphasic the therapeutic window is much smaller than with whole-plant cannabis.

    Western medicine U.S. style is serving up a plate of warm feces. They have selected (by design) the absolute worst way to go about helping kids.

  10. Servetus says:
    October 2, 2018 at 11:38 am

    The American Chemical Society weighed in on CBD in a July 25 release:

    …Proof of a therapeutic effect of CBD is strongest for rare seizure disorders, writes Senior Editor Bethany Halford. Three clinical trials enrolling more than 500 patients have shown that a CBD oral solution, taken with other medications, halved the number of seizures in 40 percent of children and young adults with two rare forms of epilepsy. These trials, which were conducted by the British firm GW Pharmaceuticals, convinced the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to approve Epidiolex, a CBD drug made by GW, for sale on the U.S. market. […]

    Despite these promising results, CBD is no miracle cure. Some patients in the studies did not respond to the drug, and others experienced side effects such as sleepiness, diarrhea and elevated liver enzymes — a possible sign of liver damage. To figure out why some people benefit from CBD and others don’t, and what other diseases might be treated, scientists are working to unravel the mechanism behind the compound. In addition to these basic research studies, more than 40 clinical trials of CBD are being conducted for a wide range of disorders. Once these studies are complete, doctors and patients will be better able to distinguish hope from hype, Halford says.

    AAAS Public Release: Cannabidiol: Hope or hype?

  11. DdC says:
    October 2, 2018 at 11:42 am

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in a just-released letter sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration earlier this year, determined that CBD “does not meet the criteria for placement” in any schedule of the Controlled Substances Act. But DEA ended up putting Epidiolex in Schedule V and keeping CBD itself otherwise in Schedule I, citing international treaty obligations.
    https://www.marijuanamoment.net/fda-says-marijuana-ingredient-cbd-doesnt-meet-criteria-for-federal-control/

    A scientific review suggest that “psilocybin can provide therapeutic benefits,” “adverse effects of medical psilocybin are manageable”
    https://marijuanamoment.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2b103be7b5d7ad4abd40bfebc&id=021ca9e60e&e=8bff18e77b

    and “placement in Schedule IV may be appropriate if a psilocybin-containing medicine is approved.”
    https://marijuanamoment.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2b103be7b5d7ad4abd40bfebc&id=3629b91747&e=8bff18e77b

  12. NCN says:
    October 2, 2018 at 2:28 pm

    I was surprised to discover the FDA wanted CBD removed entirely from the CSA. The DEA’s response based on the Single Convention treaty on Narcotics is telling.

    • DdC says:
      October 2, 2018 at 5:19 pm

      It’s the Airplane Movie NCN
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0X0ZYbnHxA

      The Food and Drug Administration has never tested Cannabis Food or Safety or Medicinal abilities. While the Drug Enforcement Administration shows their overall priorities in the title. It’s way past time to realize it is proper to use the “F” word. Fascism.

      No surprise they keep whole plant CBD outlawed while legalizing Big Pharma products. They did the exact same thing Lowering “Merde”nol while keeping Ganja banned. Profits over People.

      Is The DEA Legalizing THC?
      http://endingcannabisprohibition.yuku.com/topic/1680
      ~ AMA Ends 72-Year Policy: Ganja is Medicine 11/10/09
      ~ Con Flicts of Interest Bush Barthwell & Bayer
      ~ Andrea Barthwell is a former Deputy Director of the O.N.D.C.P.
      ~ US Government Patents Medical Pot
      ~ One-third of drug safety advisers in U.S. show conflicts of interest
      ~ Government Bias Prevents Gains in Cannabis Research June 12, 2002
      ~ FDA’s counsel accused of being too close to drug industry
      ~ Big Pharma Set to Take Over Medical Marijuana Market
      ~ How Big Pharma’s Deceptive Advertising
      Helps Addict Patients, Screw Over Doctors and Jack Up Insurance Rates

  13. Servetus says:
    October 3, 2018 at 10:33 pm

    A cannabis study done at the Université de Montréal appears to blame marijuana and/or alcohol consumption for cognitive dysfunctions in adolescents:

    3-OCT-2018–…The study found that vulnerability to cannabis and alcohol use in adolescence was associated with generally lower performance on all cognitive domains.

    “However, further increases in cannabis use, but not alcohol consumption, showed additional concurrent and lagged effects on cognitive functions, such as perceptual reasoning, memory recall, working memory and inhibitory control,” Conrod said. “Of particular concern was the finding that cannabis use was associated with lasting effects on a measure of inhibitory control, which is a risk factor for other addictive behaviours, and might explain why early onset cannabis use is a risk factor for other addictions.” Morin added: “Some of these effects are even more pronounced when consumption begins earlier in adolescence.” […]

    AAAS Public Release: Teen cannabis use is not without risk to cognitive development

    Why worry about what teenagers smoke or drink when any cognitive-dysfunctional party animal can grow up to be a Supreme Court nominee?

    • NCN says:
      October 4, 2018 at 11:32 am

      LOL!

      The dude is a lying sack of shit. Who needs a binder full of notes to tell the truth?

      • DdC says:
        December 31, 2018 at 1:53 pm

        More heart attacks or strokes to freaked out parents finding their kids stoned, than from kids getting stoned having heart attacks or strokes. It also causes insanity in non-toking zealots, called Chronic Prohibitionism.

        another… on Cannabidiol
        that seems like news but isn’t or shouldn’t be.

        Dutch Study Finds CBD Weakens
        THC’s Pain-Relieving Benefits
        https://t.co/21XKDTPk8c

        Two different body systems. Requires whole plant synergy including THC dominant for Neurological and CBD for Inflammation. Both have records of treating seizures.

        Farm Bill Has Legalized Hemp,
        but Legal CBD is Another Story
        https://t.co/DZlaPtbVHO

        So this resolution I skeptically still see Sabet-age with Hemp CBD tossed in with Ganja CBD to prove it doesn’t work, especially for pain. Like they did keeping Hemp outlawed to grow because growers would hide their maria-juana plants. DEA was forbidden from learning a thing about pollination or the economics of Ganja marketing. Stalling ASA lawsuits, then arbitrarily and capriciously just saying no.

        Families Set Empty Chairs
        as Holiday Vigil for Pot Prisoners
        https://t.co/puGLdvVRWZ

        1999 AMA/IoM studies to remove it as schedule #1 due to its medicinal effects. Never made it to the FDA, still sitting somewhere in the dank files of the HHS. NIDA insinuations become headlines of fact. Who needs fake news. The dark deep state runs prohibition and Sessions seemed more than happy to escalate it, as he pulled babies from their mothers at the border. Still a back burner issue for the established D-Krats. Biden leading… and the wheels on the bus go round and round.

        Organic Cannabis Standards
        Develop Out of Government’s Reach
        https://t.co/PAtWRJHLHN

        I ask someone if they could open a package of Dispensary goods. Plastic heavy duty envelope had a trick zipper lock to get to the hermetically sealed jars or various configurations of puzzlebox doobie holders. Obviously they figure if we can’t open them we can’t use the product. In many cases medicinally. Stoners and kids don’t seem to have a problem. I guess the joke Browne is laughing at is the seniors trying to relieve their arthritis, but can’t open the excessive plastic, glass and electronic waste. To collect with Trump’s slaughter of air and water protections.

        Over Taxed and Regulated garnishing sympathy from Ted Cruz as Jon Boner is lecturing on Ganja while the Turtle pushed Hemp and Trump signed it with the regulations he hates. While every democrat Ganja bill withered without a vote. Cures kill profits treating synthetically. Bad enough they’re preventing profits staying healthy. Commerce Clause got the munchies and ate the 10th Amendment.

        Perspective: California Legalization Is Lumbering to Life
        https://t.co/eJ8Remmulm

        “I don’t know any consumers who are satisfied with the prices or products compared to how it was a year ago,” ~ Dale Gieringer

        Happy New Year

        Maybe a nice Anointing for the Jolidays…
        https://t.co/6BLEmtZaQk
        In Exodus, 30:23, God directed Moses to make a holy anointing oil composed of myrrh, sweet cinnamon, (250 shekels or 6.34 lbs) of “kaneh-bosm”, cassia, and olive oil. “And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.”

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