Recreational drug use is not generally regarded as a benchmark of intelligence; but maybe it should be. In addition to your everyday intellectuals, many notable, brilliant minds in science and technology have experimented with all sorts of illicit drugs – from marijuana to psychedelics, and even amphetamines. But what is the reason behind this? Do drugs breed intelligence, or are already intelligent people more likely to use drugs? Let’s dive deeper into this phenomenon, as well as explore a short list of famous geniuses who were very open about their love of psychoactive substances. Scroll down to check out our list of famous geniuses who dabbled in drugs, and to stay current on everything important happening in the industry, subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Also, it’ll get you premium access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more! We’ve also got standout offers on cannabinoids, like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which won’t kill your bank account. Head over to our “Best-of” lists to get these deals, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Drugs and the mindAccording to a 1970 British Cohort Study that reviewed data on nearly 8,000 people, there is a link (however indirect) between intelligence and recreational drug use. Verbatim, the results of their research stated that: “High childhood IQ may increase the risk of illegal drug use in adolescence and adulthood”. To reach this conclusion, the sample population had their intelligence quotient (IQ) tested at ages 5 and 10, then again at ages 16, and once more at 30. As per the results, the individuals with the highest IQ scores were more likely to use cannabis, cocaine and other stimulants, alcohol, psychedelics, ecstasy, or a combination of some or all of the above. This was especially true for female participants. When it came to women, those with IQ scores in the top 33% were more than twice as likely to have tried various drugs than those in the bottom 33%. Other studies over the years echoed these results, like this one from 2009. In addition to an obvious correlation between intelligence and drug experimentation, other studies have found that drugs and creativity are also connected. Creativity is often thought of as artistic only, but inventive and scientific innovation also falls under the umbrella of creativity; and one of the bedrocks of creativity is divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is a key factor in the ability to take creative thoughts and apply them practically, outside the mind. A handful of studies (although each of them small), paired with decades of anecdotal evidence, suggest that numerous different drugs can improve divergent thinking such as cannabis, LSD, ayahuasca, psilocybin, and cocaine. The next logical question, is whether there is a connection between intelligence and creativity, since both have a link to higher risk of drug use. The answer: yes, but only to a certain degree. Psychologist J.P. Guilford mentions that, “A high IQ alone does not guarantee creativity. Instead, personality traits that promote divergent thinking are more important. Divergent thinking is found among people with personality traits such as nonconformity, curiosity, willingness to take risks, and persistence.” The general consensus is that IQ and creativity correlate positively up to a score of around 120, after which point that seems to level out. Meaning, a person with an IQ of 110 might be more creative than someone with an IQ of 90, whereas a person with an IQ of 130 or above would likely exhibit similar levels of creativity to someone with a slightly lower IQ, in the 110-120 range. As a hypothesis, I would suggest that those with higher IQs tend to see more possibilities, therefore increasing their odds of producing something original and useful (i.e., creative). But people with extremely high and genius level IQs are often thinking more analytically (convergent thinking). The Savanna-IQ Interaction HypothesisThere aren’t too many theories as to why this is, but the one that makes the most sense to me is the Savanna-IQ interaction hypothesis. Savanah-IQ was introduced by psychologist and writer, Satoshi Kanazawa. His ideas are based on natural evolutionary adaptations. All life evolves to become better adapted to certain environments, this is true in humans and animals and it’s what has helped us not only survive, but thrive, for thousands of years. The Savanna hypothesis maintains that intelligence evolved as an adaptation to solve new and unfamiliar issues related to survival. While this is still incredibly beneficial to us, we don’t need to use our problem-solving skills in the same way our ancestors did. This leaves the people with higher intelligence and creativity with a need to generate their own novel intellectual and sensory experiences, and one of the easiest ways to do this is with drugs. ![]() According to Kanazawa, “Humans who leave their ‘savanna’ – or their natural environment, would be both intelligent and inclined to try new things, like alcohol and drugs. This link and hypothesis would be the reason why intelligent people do drugs; the mere fact that drugs are unhealthy would be less relevant than the fact that drugs are a more novel scenario for which we have a hard-wired response to want to try.” LSD and Francis Crick’s discovery of the double-helix DNA structureFrancis Crick (along with James Watson) was responsible for discovering the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953; and he claims to have made this discovery while under the influence of LSD. He told numerous friends and colleagues about his experimentation with psychedelics, and said that during one trip he spent hours working to “determine the molecular structure that houses all of life’s information.” During a 2004 Daily Mail interview between Gerrod Harker and Dick Kemp, a close friend of Crick’s, Kemp mentioned that many of Cambridge University’s researchers at the time were using “small doses” of LSD as a “thinking tool”. He also stated that he is one of the friends Crick confided in about his double-helix discovery while using the drug. Thomas Edison and his cocaine elixirsEdison is best known for his inventions in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. Less known is the fact that he enjoyed nightly cocaine elixirs to help him unwind. Now, let’s backtrack a little bit. In 1863, French chemist Angelo Mariani invented a drink that he aptly named “Vin Mariani”. The drink consisted of a Bordeaux wine infused with coca leaves. The ethanol from the wine would extract cocaine from the leaves in concentrations of roughly 7 mg per fluid ounce. Edison, who, aside from being a prolific inventor, was also a notorious insomniac – claiming to sleep no more than 4 hours per night. Knowing that he consumed Vin Mariani on a regular basis, it’s not hard to see why he suffered from lack of sleep. Edison claims the cocaine wine gave him energy and helped him focus. Therapeutics and cocaine, Sigmund FreudSigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies in the psyche through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. Freud used cocaine regularly, and not just for recreational aims – he believed it was a legitimate miracle drug that could be used for many things. In a letter he wrote to his then-fiancee Martha, Freud stated: “If all goes well, I will write an essay [on cocaine] and I expect it will win its place in therapeutics by the side of morphine and superior to it … I take very small doses of it regularly against depression and against indigestion and with the most brilliant of success.” And he went on to do just that. In 1884, he published a review titled “Uber Coca”, which suggested the used of cocaine as a drug substitute in therapeutic treatment for morphine addicts. While now know that methodology can be problematic, his ideas of drug substitution therapies are still used to this day. Paul Erdös: Mathematics and amphetaminesErdös, who was born in Hungary, was perhaps one of the most well-known mathematicians who ever lived. He had a reputation for being a hyperactive insomniac who worked 19-hour days and would show up unannounced at his friends’ and colleagues’ doorsteps telling them to “open their minds” to mathematical concepts. ![]() According to him, the secret to his success was amphetamines, which he claims to have used on a regular basis. Nothing really explains his relationship with drugs better than the following excerpt from a book published in 1998 by Erdös’ biographer, science writer Paul Hoffman, titled “The Story of Paul Erdös and the Search for Mathematical Truth” “Like all of Erdös’s friends, [fellow mathematician Ronald Graham] was concerned about his drug-taking. In 1979, Graham bet Erdös $500 that he couldn’t stop taking amphetamines for a month. Erdös accepted the challenge, and went cold turkey for thirty days. After Graham paid up — and wrote the $500 off as a business expense — Erdös said, ‘You’ve showed me I’m not an addict. But I didn’t get any work done. I’d get up in the morning and stare at a blank piece of paper. I’d have no ideas, just like an ordinary person. You’ve set mathematics back a month.’ He promptly resumed taking pills, and mathematics was the better for it.” Carl Sagan on cannabis, creativity, and spaceCarl Sagan – astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator – was also a somewhat well-known proponent of cannabis use. He claimed that he smoked it regularly and that it helped substantially in his intellectual endeavors. He even contributed to an essay that was published in the 1971 book “Marijuana Reconsidered” in which he highlighted some of cannabis’ many attributes under the pseudonym, Mr. X. In his essay, Sagan wrote: “[T]he illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.” LSD was a “big deal” for Steve JobsOn numerous different occasions, Steve Jobs has mentioned how significant LSD was to him. As a matter of fact, he claims that experimenting with LSD in the 1960s was one of the “two or three most important things he has done in his life”. Interestingly, he added that he often kept these experiences to himself because he feared that many of his friends, who weren’t experienced with psychedelics, simply would not understand. This sentiment is highlighted in his recent biography, in which Jobs even claims that Bill Gates’ lack of imagination is likely due to not having experimented with psychedelics. “Bill is basically unimaginative and has never invented anything, which is why I think he’s more comfortable now in philanthropy than technology. He just shamelessly ripped off other people’s ideas,” Jobs says about Gates. “He’d be a broader guy, if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger.” Final thoughtsThe connection between drugs and intelligence is still poorly understand, but one thing is proving relatively consistent: intelligent people are more likely to experiment with recreational drugs than those with below average intelligence. In addition to the people on this list, plenty of other well-known thinkers are reported to have used drugs throughout their lives and careers including Kary Mullis, Richard Feynman, and Albert Einstein (although I could not find any solid sources to back up the latter). It’s hard to pinpoint an exact reason for this, and there could be many, but overall it seems related to the fact that intelligent individuals tend to get restless with mundane, day-to-day situations. The yearning for new and unorthodox experiences is very human, and one of the most convenient (and honestly, one of the safest, if done correctly… big “if” there) ways to do this is by experimenting with drugs. Welcome all! Thanks for dropping by Cannadelics.com, a top offering for comprehensive news covering the burgeoning cannabis and psychedelics industries. Stop by daily for a dose of news on these dynamically changing fields, and sign up for The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re up on everything important going on. The post Drugs and Intelligence: Famous Geniuses and Their Substances of Choice appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/07/23/drugs-and-intelligence-famous-geniuses-and-their-substances-of-choice/
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We live in a society where there is still much work to be done. Social inequality, racism, sexism, ignorance in all manner of forms still exist, and not to mention people’s inability to speak to one another with the looming power of so-called ‘social’ media. There’s nothing social about sitting behind a screen all alone. Yes, it’s certain, if you’re feeling cynical the world can most definitely look pretty bleak sometimes. However, there are corners of society that we should be thankful for, and be happy to exist. One, in particular, is the importance of festival culture. Festivals have existed for centuries and they can certainly create the best in people. Togetherness, unity, music, generosity, peacefulness, wild fulness – all of these human attributes can be encouraged at festivals. So in a world with much unrest, why are festivals so important? To stay current on everything important happening in the industry, subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Also, it’ll get you premium access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more! We’ve also got standout offers on cannabinoids, like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which won’t kill your bank account. Head over to our “Best-of” lists to get these deals, and remember to enjoy responsibly! What is a Festival?Unless you’ve been living under a rock with strong earbuds, then you’ll probably know what a festival is. If you don’t, then here is a pretty simple definition: a festival is either a period of celebration with a group of people. Or, it’s an organised period of time with music, food, talks, showings, performances and basically any other events. The best kind of festivals are the ones that combine both these definitions. Ones where there are events for people to enjoy, whilst also a sense of celebration. This kind of celebration – in the context of a music festival – might just be as simple as celebrating the fact that we are all alive and life is great. This can also often happen at times of societal upheaval, such as Woodstock in the 70s. Civil rights and the Vietnam War both acted as an emotional backdrop to the festival and, in a sense, brought people closer together. Hattours writes: “Festivals are an expressive way to celebrate glorious heritage, culture and traditions. They are meant to rejoice special moments and emotions in our lives with our loved ones. They play an important role to add structure to our social lives, and connect us with our families and backgrounds.” Human beings are social creatures and we crave companionship, in all its forms. However, it’s interesting to see how the concept of ‘social’ has changed. For instance, in the 70s at Woodstock, no one would have been able to message their friends, film the live music and put it on their Instagram story or even watch it live on TV. However, nowadays, the entirety of Glastonbury is put on the BBC website for all to see. Not only that, but we can watch people’s festival experiences on their Snapchat or Instagram stories. We are able to be everywhere, whilst simultaneously being nowhere. Has this perhaps reduced the importance of festivals? In other words, being social is easier now because we are able to connect with people constantly. Whereas, back then, a festival may have been the only chance someone had. This is perhaps where the idea of socialising has drastically changed. Whilst human beings desire for companionship has remained the same, the idea of how this companionship can be given has been skewed. Psycom writes: “Are you aware of the negative effects of social media? Studies suggest a link between time spent using social media and loneliness… Demographically it seems young adults with heavy use of social media platforms–two hours a day have twice the change of experiencing social anxiety” Social media has proven resoundingly that it is not a replacement for real social interaction. This is a key point to be made. Plus, it’s also important to realise that festivals are an opportunity to converse with people from various backgrounds, hear other opinions. It is well known that the algorithm of social media will only feed you the content that you want, and therefore will not allow you to see people’s opinions that perhaps you would not like. This causes a polarised society, where many people simply do not want to listen to one another. It’s absolutely vital, then, to ensure that people still have a deep burning desire for real interactions. Festival culture is crucial. The History of FestivalsFestivals have existed in various forms for centuries. Some people prefer to go to music festivals, whilst others may want to go to theatre or film festivals. My grandfather, for instance, used to attend a BMW festival, where you could go and observe different car models. For me, that sounds like hell, but for him it was the most exciting event of the year. Festivals have been a part of society for generations. “Well before the invention of the electric guitar! The first known music festival was the Pythian Games, a precursor of the Olympics, which was held from the late sixth century BC at the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. A general celebration of all things beautiful, it included a day of musical competitions.” However, celebrations, rituals and other such group events are as old as civilization itself. Therefore, like many core pillars of society – such as democracy, story-telling, the legal system – festivals are absolutely crucial. Importance of FestivalsSummer is upon us, and perhaps you’ll be attending a selection of festivals this year. There is so much variety that really there is something for everyone. However, if you’re looking for a bit of a festival boost, here are the key reasons why I believe that these social gatherings are of pivotal importance to us as a society. Unity“They bring people together” Festivals can bring friends, families, and strangers together. In the 70s, during a time when America was dealing with a large amount of social issues, Woodstock would have been one of the most emotional and incredible places to me. The sound of Jimmi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin ringing in your ears. The smell of people smoking cannabis in a free manner. The feeling of students with free political voices. The sights of women and men of all races and ages all uniting. Festivals can make you forget about the problems outside and unite people. In a world with ever growing issues, this kind of event is more important now than ever. Culture“You understand other people” Festivals not only bring people together, but they also shine a light on our beautiful differences with one another. For instance, if you attend a festival in another country, you may be blown away by the type of culture they live in, and perhaps be inspired. Flip Flop Travels writes: “One of the main reasons I enjoy going to international festivals so much is the fact they are a microcosm of what they represent. Festivals are an opportunity to see as much as possible in a weekend into worlds so different, or even familiar, of my own.” It’s experiences like this that will allow us to feel empathy with other cultures, with other types of people. In a polarised world, this is essential. Celebration“You bask in the joy of life” ![]() In our sometimes dull and monotonous lives, sometimes we need an opportunity to let loose. To celebrate being alive beyond our desk jobs. Beyond all of the spiritual stuff, festivals are simply a good time. They are an opportunity to create amazing memories and funny stories. You collect a bunch of people together, throw in some substances and some music or events – you’re bound to make something good. Festivals, more than anything else, are a time to enjoy yourself and not feel guilty for doing so. Alternative Reality“You see the world in a different way” Like with acid or other psychedelic drugs, festivals can take the societal veil from over your eyes and show you something more. Plus, there’s probably a chance that these substances will also be kicking around. Festivals allow you to envisage what life would be like if we didn’t live in the capitalistic way we do, but perhaps in more of a collectivised, grass-roots way. The Conversation writes: “Festivals can disrupt established ways of thinking about heritage. Taking place in streets, pubs, railway arches, houses, boats and doorsteps, they can help residents explore different ways of belonging in cities, reengage with the past and imagine the future.” There isn’t just one way a society can run, there are many others, and festivals help people experience this. It’s important we reimagine new ways of existing as the way we live now is certainly taking us down a dangerous path. ConclusionFestival culture is paramount to society and the day that they stop, is the day that we as a civilisation stop living. They allow us to property socialise, without needing to be behind a screen. They allow us to meet people who are similar to us, whilst also enjoy those who are not. They allow us to celebrate what it is to be alive. Festival culture is perhaps more important than it has ever been. Hello readers! Welcome to Cannadelics.com, your #1 web location for fully-rounded coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics spaces. Read thru the site daily for important updates, and sign up for The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re never late on getting the news. The post The Importance of Festival Culture appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/07/23/importance-of-festival-culture/ Enjoy the powerfully heady high from THC-O with a little burst of fruity goodness, thanks to these soft and chewy Citrus Melon Comet THC-O Gummies from Galaxy Treats! I’ve had the absolute pleasure of reviewing two of Galaxy Treats’ products, both exceptional disposables called Blast Bars, in previous articles. Today I’ll be tackling these gummies for the first time and I’m delighted to share my experiences with you today. THC-O is a fully synthetic cannabinoid, meaning it is not found naturally in the hemp plant. It is actually created in a lab from Delta-8 THC that has been carefully extracted from federally legal hemp. Some users are a bit skeptical to try a fully synthetic cannabinoid, which is why I will be as thorough as possible to help quell your fears about trying this particular product. I’ll start off by briefly mentioning the Galaxy Treats brand and then I’ll jump right into a full-blown review. Hold on to your spaceship steering wheel and brace for a trip through the galaxy as you enjoy a deliciously heady high that will take you to infinity and beyond! To stay current on everything important happening in the industry, subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Also, it’ll get you premium access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more! We’ve also got standout offers on cannabinoids, like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which won’t kill your bank account. Head over to our “Best-of” lists to get these deals, and remember to enjoy responsibly! The Galaxy Treats BrandIf you have a penchant for something soft and chewy with an exquisite fruit flavor, Galaxy Treats has got you covered! Their delicious gummies (called Moon Babies) come infused with HHC, Delta-8 THC, Delta-9 THC, and of course, THC-O. As a product that is often a go-to for new and inexperienced users, Galaxy Treats offers two unique flavors in both a full-size 20-count jar or a sample size 2-pack: Planetary Peachberry and Citrus Melon Comet. Their full-size jar is sold for $34.99 while their sample size is sold for $4.99. There are a few bundle options scattered across the site, but other than a 15% discount offered for signing up for the site’s newsletter, there aren’t many other options to save. I’ve seen other sites that offer discounts for multiple purchases or subscription services, but Galaxy Treats seems to be content with their already-low prices. Galaxy Treats’ THC-O gummies come infused with 25mg per piece and are subjected to rigorous testing by third-party independent labs. The results of these tests are readily available in their Lab Results tab located at the bottom of the page. If you’re looking for information directly related to the gummies, the product page contains the amount of THC-O in each piece/package, offers a full ingredients list, necessary warnings and disclaimers, and customer reviews. There’s nothing on the site that says this, but it’s important to keep these gummies away from direct heat or sunlight exposure, as this can melt the gummies into one sticky blob. Since THC-O is reported to be one of the strongest cannabinoids, try starting off with a half a gummy and see how you feel. If the effects aren’t as intense as you would like, feel free to spring for a full gummy. Speaking of effects, it’s time to relay my experiences with the Citrus Melon Comet THC-O Gummies from Galaxy Treats! Citrus Melon Comet THC-O Gummies Product ReviewThe THC-O gummies came packed in a small clear plastic jar with a white childproof cap. After applying some pressure to the top and screwing the cap open, my nostrils were immediately treated to the warm and sweet scent of the gummies. The small cubes were a lovely honeydew melon green and were dusted in large sugar crystals. I fished a single cube from the jar and noted that the texture was soft and pliable between my fingertips. Once I had finished inspecting the treat, I popped it in my mouth and began to chew. I was absolutely blown away by the rich melon sweetness that washed over my taste buds. ![]() The flavor tasted so familiar but I couldn’t quite place it, but the best I can equate it to is a green jelly bean with a hint of citrus-y tartness. The flavor was absolutely incredible, with a very authentic taste that left no bitter aftertaste or lingering hemp flavor. In fact, the citrus melon flavor masked any hemp flavor at all! There were some small particles of the gummy that got stuck in my teeth, but with a delicious flavor like that, I didn’t mind this at all. I did not notice any coating left on my teeth or tongue and was truly sorry when the flavor finally faded into nothingness. I made a quick mental note of the time and began to busy myself with light tasks to await the effects. Now I’ve had the pleasure of trying THC-O before but only via inhalables, meaning this was my first experience with THC-O gummies. I was expecting the effects to kick in after about an hour or so, but I began to feel the effects after a mere thirty minutes. It was more of a slight disorientation and droopy eyelids, but I definitely felt the effects intensify after about 45 minutes. Time seemed to slow down and I felt a warm wave of relaxation wash over me and settle upon me like a weighted blanket. My hands, face (particularly my nose), stomach, and feet were tingling very pleasantly (known as a body high) and I noted that I also had an enhanced sense of taste and touch. My sense of humor increased as well and I found myself more easily amused to the point of dissolving into fits of giggles. I did experience some light dry mouth as well as some minor dizziness, but a tall glass of cold water did wonders to help with these side effects. As the high progressed, I grew increasingly more drowsy and experienced minor nausea and brief paranoia, but was able to successfully quell both of these side effects. I had a very strong sense of couch lock after about two hours but managed to make my way to bed before I fell asleep completely. I slept marvelously and awoke feeling refreshed and well-rested. I did not experience any lingering effects and was able to start my day without battling any “hangover high,” as I like to call it. In fact, I look forward to trying these gummies again soon in the very near future! Closing RemarksThe Citrus Melon Comet THC-O Gummies from Galaxy Treats were the first THC-O gummies that I’d tried, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Yet my experiences with these gummies were incredible and I am once again impressed with the dedication to quality and excellence from the Galaxy Treats Brand. The soft and chewy sweets blew me away with both their delicious flavor and their powerful effects.The citrus melon flavor was warm and sweet and left no detectable flavor of hemp. The effects kicked in much faster than I expected and lasted for several hours. While I did experience quite an intense high, the effects were gone by the time I woke up the next day. If you’re looking to start your journey into the world of THC-O but aren’t sure where to begin, these tasty treats are for you! I realize that my high may differ from yours, but I’ve tried to be as descriptive as possible with my experience to help other interested consumers know what to expect. I strongly encourage you to check out all that Galaxy Treats has to offer and to share your experiences with us in the comments below. Hello readers! Welcome to Cannadelics.com, your #1 web location for fully-rounded coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics spaces. Read thru the site daily for important updates, and sign up for The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re never late on getting the news. The post Product Review: Citrus Melon Comet THC-O Gummies from Galaxy Treats appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/07/22/product-review-citrus-melon-comet-thc-o-gummies-from-galaxy-treats/ Nope, not drop like he left it behind. Chuck Schumer, who has been working on a cannabis bill for quite some time, finally made it official. What’s the deal with this new bill, and could this be what finally legalizes cannabis in America? Chuck Schumer just unleashed his new cannabis bill, and if it passes, it will legalize cannabis throughout the US. Does it have a chance? We’re a wholly independent news publication specializing in cannabis and psychedelics reporting. Join in on the experience by subscribing to the THC Weekly Newsletter, which also nets you access to promotions on smoking paraphernalia, edibles, and cannabinoid compounds like HHC-O, Delta-8, Delta-9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP, and HHC. These days cannabis options are unlimited, so shop carefully, and only buy products you’re happy with using. The billAfter months of circulating it around for feedback and review, Chuck Schumer finally officially presented his new cannabis legalization bill on Thursday, July 21st. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act can be considered either a decriminalization or a legalization. It would effectively decriminalize on a federal level, while leaving individual states to create their own specific legalization policies. This bill is not new at all. It’s not just that Schumer has been shopping it around, but he’s been doing so for over a year. It was, prior to July 21st, a discussion draft only. This means it was never up for vote, and Schumer could spend the time getting feedback and updating it, so as to give it the best chance of passing. Bills fail all the time when there isn’t enough support, and it seems Schumer was doing everything he could to ensure his bill would get support once officially put out there. Chuck Schumer is a democratic senator who’s been the senate majority leader since January 2021. Generally speaking, proposing a democratic bill to a democratic-led senate, should mean a good possibility of passing. However, it’s not always that simple, and this bill is a good example of why. The Senate has consistently killed previous cannabis bills, which is why Schumer shopped around his bill so much before presenting it. ![]() Said Schumer last year to Politico, “When a state like South Dakota votes by referendum to legalize, you know something is out there… The American people started speaking sort of with a clear message. More than two-to-one, that they want the law changed.” It should be noted that Schumer used the example of a state that voted in recreational cannabis, and then had it taken away by its own governor. What’s in the bill?If Chuck Schumer gets his cannabis bill to pass, here are some of the particulars it would institute concerning cannabis in the US.
As a note on a couple of these points, there has been nothing linking driving issues with cannabis use, and in fact, current research points to less traffic issues in legalized states. Plus, plenty of other research says legalizations don’t increase new user numbers, which automatically indicates that there shouldn’t be an increase in driving issues either, as its already been the most popular drug for so many decades. So long, that its realistically silly to assume that these legalizations are whats getting anyone to do anything. A provision like this stands to treat drivers unfairly, even if they haven’t done anything wrong; and is likely meant as a way (both here and in individual legalized states) to collect money from residents. The other point of note is the social equity allowance. In a recent TIME interview, two high profile economists spoke of their new book, Can Legal Weed Win?: The Blunt Realities of Cannabis Economics, which gravely calls into question the value of these social equity programs. The men point out how the laws for this are shoddy at best, and don’t take into consideration the population they’re working with, or the actual and realistic needs for getting into the industry. More and more I think these provisions are put in place to sound nice, while essentially setting people up to fail. One last thing, the bill would also support interstate cannabis sales, something that doesn’t exist right now. This would allow businesses to expand past a single state, and legalize the ability to transfer cannabis over state lines. Right now, such an act is considered trafficking. It would also work to minimize cannabis business verticals, so as not to create monopolies in the industry. So, why wouldn’t this bill go through?The House of Representatives has repeatedly passed different bills of this nature, while the Senate is the more problematic arm of congress. Why is this the case? If these are democratic led bills, why wouldn’t a democratic congress work in the favor of Chuck Schumer and his cannabis bill? ![]() The reality is that as private residents, we’re not always privy to all the moving pieces that go on in the process of passing a bill. If it really was about congressmen voting by way of the will of their constituents, it would be an open and shut case. According to Politico, national polls consistently put the approval rate at 2/3 of the population for legalized cannabis. Realistically, that should do it. This is also reflected in 19 states with official recreational use legislation; one state – South Dakota – that voted it in and had it taken away by its governor; one out of one federal districts that legalized – DC; and two out of five territories with recreational policies – Guam and the Mariana Islands, with a decriminalization policy in the US Virgin Islands. On top of all that, 37 states have comprehensive medical policies, and nearly every state has some sort of medical allowance or decriminalization measure. Yet, even with all this evidence of the people wanting it…its actually expected that a democratically led senate will kill the bill. Even now, many congressmen simply won’t go against federal mandate. Why this is, exactly, when their job is to serve their constituents, varies between politicians. But one of the biggest undeniable issues is outside factors, like business relationships that put money in legislator pockets. How many states would continue doling out opioids, if representatives weren’t taking money from big pharma companies? So, while the bill technically should pass. It also very well might not. Not only would Schumer require all democrats to vote for his bill, but 10 republicans as well, in order to have a big enough majority. With some democrats already saying they won’t do it, this creates a problem. On the other hand, the bill’s unveiling only just happened, and how much pressure is created for lawmakers, could play into how they do end up voting. After all, they might like taking money from Johnson & Johnson, but they also want to keep their seats. A final issue is that Biden himself has made different statements, and it’s hard to know if he’d sign off on a bill. He says he supports decriminalization, but doesn’t act that way. Under his administration, at least five white house staffers lost their jobs for speaking of prior cannabis use, even though some was in legalized states, and all of it was in the past. It’s hard to believe that supporting such an action, is a stepping stone to a country-wide legalization. Maybe it isn’t shocking that an old man is sticking to his old school standards, or, it could be the exact same reason that congressmen will go against constituent wishes. But there is another truth here as well. The one where the federal government loses power every time a state goes against it, even if it tries to bury this reality. I expect if Politico published a headline blaring the weakness of the federal government in getting its states to follow federal mandate, weed would be legalized overnight. For this reason, I expect if the bill manages to get through, Biden will ultimately sign it. ![]() What about the other bill?There is yet another cannabis bill making the rounds in congress. The MORE Act, aka The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act (H.R. 3617), passed the House of Representatives on April 1st of this year. That bill is often touted as a decriminalization bill, as it lacks the structure of Schumer’s bill. However, it also acts as a legalization, as it sets tax rates for cannabis sales. Should this bill pass, it would de-schedule cannabis from Schedule I, and take it off the Controlled Substances list, entirely. By doing this, it would invalidate certain crimes and punishments related to cannabis, free those being held for such crimes, and expunge records. This bill, like Schumer’s, would leave individual states to set their own local legalization policies. And what of the tax? The bill introduces a 5% tax on cannabis products, with a rise to 8% over a period of time. I expect the word ‘decriminalization’ is used as a marketing line because it sounds less extreme than the word ‘legalization’, for those still in the middle of the road. It should be remembered, though, that the government can’t tax an illegal or even decriminalized industry. That the bill incorporates this, means the bill would be allowing legal markets, making the bill a legalization measure, regardless of the words used to describe it. This bill is in the same place as Schumer’s at the moment, with backers trying to build support to get it through a senate vote. Which bill is more amenable to passage in the Senate is hard to say, but it’s certainly a competition now, and it will be interesting to see how everything plays out. ConclusionThe sad part of all this is how badly politicians are ignoring their constituent’s desires, and how not-well-understood this is by constituents. I don’t really like either of these bills, and am disappointed by the legal weed industry in general. But I also think whatever can be done to keep kids from going to jail for smoking a joint, should be done as fast as possible. Hey guys! Thanks for making it over to Cannadelics.com (formerly known as CBDtesters.co), your first choice for independent news reporting on the cannabis and psychedelics spaces. Join us for daily updates on important happenings, and sign up for the THC Weekly Newsletter, so you’re always on top of what’s going on. The post Chuck Schumer Drops New Cannabis Legalization Bill appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/07/22/chuck-schumer-drops-new-cannabis-legalization-bill/ This entire site is devoted to the usage of drugs, whether for medical or recreational purposes. There are tons more sites like this too, because whether they can be dangerous or not, they certainly provide a service in the form of the experiences they produce. Not every drug story is a good one, but like it or not, tons of amazing things in life happen, all because of drugs. Here’s a look at my personal very best drug experiences. Most of us have drug experiences, some good, some bad. Here are a few of my very best drug experiences, though this is not meant to encourage anyone to try anything. This fully independent publication covers the burgeoning cannabis and psychedelics industries of today, and everything involved. Join us by signing up for the THC Weekly Newsletter, and check out all our product promotions for smoking equipment, vapes, and a range of cannabinoid compounds including HHC-O, Delta-8, Delta-9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP, and HHC. There are tons of cannabis options to choose from, please only buy the products you are happy with using. The best of my drug experiencesUnlike speaking of negative experiences, which I generally remember much more specifically, I don’t always have single positive experiences that stand out, but rather, drugs that have provided multiple experiences to form a general conglomeration for how they make me feel. So the following is a rundown, not necessarily of specific experiences, but of the drugs I’ve had the most positive experiences with. I leave cannabis out of this list. Though it is my primary drug in life, and has added to many wonderful experiences, the ultimate experiences I had, were not directly related to weed. At times in life, in order to deal with sleep issues, I was prescribed Ambien. This first happened back when Ambien was still very new, and not much was said about its side effects. In fact, not much was known about it at all, and all stories about hallucinations and weird behavior, filtered in during the next several years. Ambien – formally known as Zolpidem of the imidazopyridine class of drugs, is often called a ‘Z-drug’, which is not a benzodiazepine, but similar, in that it acts on gaba receptors, and functions as both a sedative and hypnotic. I totally get how people can get addicted to this drug. I mean, it’s short acting, so creating an addiction means taking it all the time, but it is super…intense. Even today, when looking at descriptions, its said to make a person feel good, but the way it does it, and the extreme nature of it, aren’t always expanded on. We hear stories of people doing come crazy stuff, like sleep driving and sleep eating, but it’s the actual feeling it gives that makes it stand out to me. ![]() My experience with Ambien is similar to my experiences with psychedelics, and perhaps this makes sense. Psychedelics – or hallucinogens, rather – are all tied together under the term ‘tryptamines’ or ‘tryptamine derivatives’, regardless of which kind. Just like LSD and psilocybin, Ambien fits in this classing as a tryptamine derivative, meaning it has the ability to cause hallucinations. I have never gotten as intense a euphoria from standard psychedelics, (with the one exception of MDMA), as I got from Ambien. Everything is the same, yet it looks different, and feels different, as in a more vibrant way than normal. The hallucinations are less intense, although I never took it in super high doses. I remember the walls looking like water the first few times, and having experiences of thinking I was being spoken to by other-worldly beings. My most intense memory, is of sitting on my dorm room bed freshman year of college, watching the clock flash 12:00 repeatedly on the VCR (really dating myself with that one), and thinking that some form of god was trying to contact me through the device. It was an intense and powerful feeling, and caused me great confusion upon waking up the next morning. Ambien, like its cousin benzodiazepines, comes with plenty of risks, although direct death statistics aren’t available, which implies after all these years on the market, that it’s not really deadly. We knew opioids were deadly immediately, so this says a lot. For those who can take it as-needed only, and responsibly, Ambien is an interesting high to check out. Technically, I personally think its best to gravitate toward natural drugs, but for those pharma-junkies out there, this is the best pharmaceutical drug experience I’ve ever had. The second best of my drug experiencesI write a lot about the dangers of cigarettes, alcohol, and opioids. For a minute however, I’m going to break stride, and talk about the positives that go along with my second best drug experiences – alcohol. Yup, the same thing that’s been the basis for some of my worst experiences, is also the basis for some of my best. None of this detracts from the overall dangers of alcohol to health, but as with most things, using something in moderation – even when bad for you, is generally not terribly damaging. Once again, it doesn’t revolve around a specific event or time, but rather, the accumulation of experiences over time. In fact, not only has alcohol been positive for me in terms of having fun, but its ability to calm the nerves has been priceless in so many situations, that sometimes it’s hard to think its bad at all. How many dates have you gotten through sober in life? Sometimes taking the edge off isn’t just useful, its necessary, and alcohol is the king of taking that edge off. As an uptight person, I’ve at times benefited greatly from lowered inhibitions. Truth is, while this is often touted as a negative of alcohol, and one that leads to bad decisions (it can), it’s also an often invaluable positive for people that have a hard time relaxing. So long as lines aren’t crossed, I actually don’t believe alcohol has to be bad, but I do believe it should be consumed very responsibly, especially in terms of where other people are affected. ![]() I don’t drink much these days, and I don’t promote it much for other people either, mainly because I’ve watched it cause so much damage. But having said that, I’d be lying if I denied that some of my best drug experiences in life, were indeed alcohol fueled. The third best of my drug experiencesI know a lot of cokeheads in life, but I’ve never been one. In fact, most of the coke I’ve done was pretty low quality, especially outside of the US. I’ve had plenty of nights of what felt like I was tweaking out as I waited to come down, with a jitteriness, and sometimes spasticity, that I assume is caused by something like methamphetamine. The majority of my coke experiences past a point have been like this, but that’s not how it started. I did cocaine for the first few times in college, and somehow we must have gotten the best of the best stuff. I remember smooth highs, a great feeling of joy, and then an easy come down, followed by a great night of sleep. I’m not much of a sleeper (hence the Ambien story), but I distinctly remember those great nights of sleep, and in my mind, that’s one of the bars for which I personally measure cocaine and its purity. I’m not generally into uppers, but the cocaine high, so long as its not cut, is a really fantastic one. Cocaine certainly causes problems, but it’s hard to say if it’s as bad as smear campaigns indicate. Much like with synthetic weed and opioids, product is sometimes cut, and this adding of other compounds – for whatever reason – can change the nature of the drug. Cocaine is also often mixed with other drugs, and this is the real culprit. In the US, cocaine was involved in close to 20,000 deaths by 2019-2020 numbers. However the grand majority involve an opioid, making cocaine deaths rather low, but indicating again how dangerous opioids are. Honorable mentionI did MDMA a few times several years ago, and I do remember it as quite an interesting experience. I probably took less than a standard dose each time, and it’s quite possible that a bigger dose might have gotten a higher place on this list. It’s one I definitely want to do again. For the most part, it just made me feel really good, and I remember having a good time with everyone that night. I haven’t hallucinated much in life. Apart from Ambien hallucinations, the only other hallucinations I had were on MDMA. I did mushrooms several times when younger, and I remember a good experience, but not a trippy one. Again, it’s quite possible I didn’t take enough for a stronger reaction. Anyway, I did take enough MDMA for some slight hallucinations. ![]() I remember realizing it when I was looking at a reflection of the inside of my house, in a window at night. All of a sudden, the reflection was doing things that weren’t actually happening. I had always thought before this time that a full hallucination would be scary for me (I might be a bit of a control freak in life), but I found it pleasant, and, well…fun. I watched with great interest as stories took place in the window reflection, and I was happy to watch it all. MDMA is known for having an intense come-down period, and I found this to be true. For as nice as the experience was, it took a couple days for my brain to even out after. This is something that should be considered by anyone interested in trying MDMA, although it seem to apply to each individual differently. ConclusionThere are tons of ways to expand your life and try new things. It doesn’t have to be with drugs. But, if it is going to be, take whatever you’re going to take responsibly, and be aware of things that the drug can do, and possible side effects. Some of my best drug experiences in life, allowed me to have some of my overall best experiences in life, and I think this probably goes for many other people as well. If it seems odd that I just wrote an article talking up positive experiences with drugs like cocaine and Ambien, its best to remember that drugs are drugs, no matter where they come from, or how they’re made. It’s socially acceptable to drink every day, and alcohol is literally the most damaging drug. So I think it’s perfectly fine to talk about any drug or experience, so long as its understood that substances should be taken responsibly. Welcome all! Thanks for dropping by Cannadelics.com (formerly known as CBDtesters.co), a fully independent news publication, which focuses on the expanding cannabis and psychedelics fields of today. Stop by daily for updates on industry happenings, and sign up for The THC Weekly Newsletter, so you’re first to get all important stories. The post Sarah’s Best Drug Experiences appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/07/22/sarahs-best-drug-experiences/ When hemp flowers first made an appearance, there was a lack of variety and quality that made that sector of the industry fail relatively fast. But over the last few years, we have seen a major improvement in both categories. Not only can you find a large diversity of items to puff on including regular flower, moonrocks, infused prerolls, and more – but the caliber of all these products has improved tenfold. To stay current on everything important happening in the industry, subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Also, it’ll get you premium access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more! We’ve also got standout offers on cannabinoids, like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which won’t kill your bank account. Head over to our “Best-of” lists to get these deals, and remember to enjoy responsibly! What are Hemp Flowers?Hemp flowers are the smokeable buds that come from hemp plants. The requirement here is that hemp flowers contain no more than 0.3% THC, compared to marijuana flowers that can have up to 30%. Hemp flowers grew in popularity after the release of the 2018 Farm Bill revisions, which officially differentiated hemp from marijuana (using the 0.3% cutoff), and legalized its regulated sale. Almost immediately, online weed retailers jumped on board and began growing and selling CBD hemp buds. It didn’t take long for the market to become oversaturated with flower that looked, smelled, and tasted the same – despite different stain names (and supposedly, different terpene profiles). Eventually, the market died out and some time passed before hemp flowers would make another appearance. Fast forward to now, and we’re seeing an influx of smokeable hemp products infused with nearly every cannabinoid you could possibly think of. You can get alternative cannabinoid flowers, moonrocks, jeeter-style prerolls, prerolled cigars and blunts, and more. Morel About Alternative Cannabinoids“Alternative cannabinoid” is essentially an umbrella term covering anything that is not CBD or delta-9 THC, as those are the two most abundant cannabinoids found in hemp and marijuana, respectively. The term “alternative cannabinoid” can refer to both, trace cannabinoids that are naturally occurring (like delta 8 THC), as well as synthetic cannabinoids that are created in a lab (like THC-O). New cannabinoids are being created and discovered every day, but some of the common ones you’ll see in products are Delta 8 THC, Delta 10 THC, THC-O, THC-P, HHC, HHC-O, HHC-P, and a couple of the newest, THC-H and THC-JD. Most of the aforementioned compounds are synthetic, but synthetic is not necessarily bad, if the final quality remains high. However, some people do prefer to use only natural, plant-based products – so it’s important to remember that just because you’re smoking a plant, that doesn’t mean it’s completely natural. Typically, the CBD flowers are sprayed with a distillate containing whatever cannabinoid the manufacturer wants to infuse into the buds. Changes Over the YearsWhen hemp flowers first hit the market, they were just that – hemp flowers with CBD as the main cannabinoid, and nothing else. Although there are some benefits to smoking CBD flowers, especially if you’re using them as a replacement for tobacco, it wasn’t always easy to do. My main issue, back then, was the flavor of the buds. It seemed that every single strain of hemp flowers that I tried (and this went on for a couple years). But now, with new methods for extracting and creating various cannabis compounds, and a renewed interest in terpenes, even I have to admit that these new hemp flowers are pretty decent. Being somewhat of a weed purist, coupled with my previous experience with crappy hemp buds, I’ve been notoriously skeptical of these products. But I have been receiving more buds (especially prerolls) to test and review, and I have been pleasantly surprised every time. A Few Fun DealsSave Big on Liquid Diamond Infused Prerolls(Using ’35testers’ coupon code) ![]() These liquid diamond prerolls contain Delta 8 THC flowers coated with delta 8, delta 10, and THC-O liquid diamond distillate, then dusted with kief. 5 flavors to choose from: Grape ape, legend OG, white OG kush (all indicas), sour lifter, and strawberry cough (both sativas). TIP: Use the ’35testers’ coupon code to get these liquid diamond prerolls for only $18.19 for a 5-pack! 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TIP: Use the ‘FIRSTORDER15’ coupon code to get these moonrocks starting at only $12.70 for the quarter Click here to save on delta 8 moonrocks (Using ‘FIRSTORDER15’ coupon code) Hello readers! Welcome to Cannadelics.com, your #1 web location for fully-rounded coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics spaces. Read thru the site daily for important updates, and sign up for The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re never late on getting the news. The post How Hemp Flowers Have Changed Over the Years appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/07/21/how-hemp-flowers-have-changed-over-the-years/ The psychedelic boom is underway, and so far, the biggest winner is ketamine. Even without an official FDA pass for it, ketamine has become the new darling of the antidepressant world, and for good reason. It seems to work well. The US government recently legalized half-brother esketamine, but that’s not the end of the story. Now there’s arketamine, the brand spanking new ketamine, which looks like it’ll be hitting pharmacies soon enough. Arketamine is the not-so-new ketamine alternative that we’re only now hearing about. Is it better than standard ketamine? This publication specializes in reporting on the growing cannabis and psychedelic fields. Play along by subscribing to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, and get daily updates, while also putting yourself first in line for tons of product promotions. What can you get? Awesome deals on smoking paraphernalia, cannabinoid compounds (HHC-O, Delta-8, Delta-9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP, and HHC), and new psychedelic products, as they become available. What’s ketamine?Ketamine is a dissociative hallucinogen created by pharmaceutical company Parke Davis in 1962. It was cleared for use as an anesthetic by the FDA in 1970, and has retained that designation ever since. Ketamine is a short acting drug, with chemical formula (C13H16ClNO), and has cataleptic, analgesic, and sedative properties. It’s not a hypnotic, however, so it doesn’t directly bring on sleep. As a dissociative, it can make the user feel like different parts of their brain are moving away from each other. It’s described as “electrophysiological and functional dissociation between thalamocortical and limbic systems.” Ketamine was never cleared for use as a pain medication or antidepressant, but is found useful for these problems. Though its usefulness as an antidepressant took longer to come out, it’s ability for pain control was established before it’s approval for anesthesia. Ketamine was the subject of prisoner studies at Jackson Prison in Michigan in the 1960’s. At this time it was found that ketamine is an effective analgesic (enough to be used on the fields of Vietnam subsequently); that subjects retained normal blood pressure, respiration, and general vitals, (which is different from opioids which causes depression of these factors, often leading to overdose); and that it showed to be very safe, with little-to-no worry of death. It was also found at that time that ketamine has psychotropic effects, but this was not defined until later. As per study investigators, “Others showed marked alteration in mood and affect, some becoming apprehensive and aggressive and others markedly withdrawn.” ![]() In the years following, its ability for depression management, did come out clearly. In fact, clear enough for an off-label ketamine market to blossom up, providing clinics where prospective patients can get a valid diagnosis and prescription from a doctor, to use ketamine for depression or pain issues. That market is still steadily growing, all over the US and beyond. Enter esketamine…So, what did the government do in light of this growing ketamine market, for which it didn’t approve the uses? It didn’t change course and approve ketamine, but it did approve its half-brother, esketamine. However, it put many limitations on this legalization. For example, if a patient wants it, they must get a prescription from a specialist. This doesn’t sound like a bad thing, but it means the specialist must themselves approve of this treatment, as most specialists won’t write a prescription for something they don’t personally approve of. This creates difficulty, as years of smear campaigns can affect what medical professionals are willing to do. Another negative is that a patient must have already taken two standard anti-depressants for at least six months each, or be on one currently, which is not ideal for patients looking to ketamine as an alternative treatment. A lot of people in that category don’t want a standard antidepressant. On the plus side, since it’ an approved medication, medical insurance can cover esketamine treatment, making this about the only real benefit for consumers. Ketamine clinics are very expensive, rendering treatment nearly impossible for many at the moment. In terms of the difference between ketamine and esketamine, they’re nearly the same, as esketamine makes up half of ketamine. Esketamine has the same chemical formula, and was first created in 1997 by German scientists. Regular ketamine is considered ‘racemic’ ketamine, “Ketamine is a racemic mixture containing 2 mirror image molecules, R- and S-ketamine.” Esketamine is therefor ‘S-enantiomer’ ketamine. Get the name? (S-ketamine –> esketamine). The term racemic mixture refers to a compound that has “equal quantities of two enantiomers, or substances that have dissymmetric molecular structures that are mirror images of one another.” Enantiomers are a “pair of objects related to each other as the right hand is to the left—that is, as mirror images that cannot be reoriented so as to appear identical.” That would be the ‘R’ side and the ‘S’ side. Together they are ketamine, and when looking at just the ‘S’ side, it’s esketamine. But what about the other side? And now Arketamine, the new ketamine on the blockThough there is still no talk of approving racemic ketamine for depression and/or pain, there is yet another ketamine in testing, and this new version is the mirror image to esketamine. Arketamine is the other half of racemic ketamine. Get the name again? R-ketamine –> arketamine. Whereas S(+)-ketamine, functions as the S-enantiomer of ketamine, (R)-(−)-ketamine functions as the R-enantiomer of ketamine. Together they form racemic ketamine. ![]() Why would the search continue for parts of ketamine, rather than approval of both sides as standard ketamine? I certainly can’t say for sure, but perhaps there’s a desire not to officially compete with a gray market that could be incredibly difficult to overtake. Think of how legal cannabis markets constantly fall short of black markets. This would be the same. Or it could be about who’s making the drugs. Johnson & Johnson has the only approved esketamine medication, called Spravato. Johnson & Johnson is also the biggest payer right now in a slew of opioids lawsuits which has top pharma companies involved, paying over $26 billion worldwide…and counting. Is the company trying to recoup its losses? We know how much these companies pay into the pockets of congressional representatives. And as ketamine stands as the best answer to the opioid epidemic, it certainly makes me wonder if companies like J&J are setting themselves up to collect the monetary reward, that comes with the answer to the very opioid epidemic they started. I guess we’ll have to wait to see on that one. For now, that topic is heavily downplayed despite rising opioid deaths. The thing about arketamine, is that its older than esketamine, having been synthesized back in 1962, when standard racemic ketamine was first found. In fact, it was found by the very same researchers at Parke Davis. So not only has ketamine been known about for decades, so has arketamine. And even with the knowledge of these drugs, we still have a growing opioid epidemic, and not one word about why these drugs aren’t used to stop it. What are the differences?The main reason given for the push of esketamine over ketamine, is that it works better for depression, but might have fewer side effects. This despite the understanding that the racemic ketamine used in clinics is doing just fine, and has for quite some time. The whole ketamine industry relies on the ketamine to work, and it’s doing exactly that, it’s working. And while this doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement, it does make the justifications for one over the other, shaky at best. In most testing, esketamine comes up as not much different from standard ketamine. In fact, the only minor difference, is exemplified by this 2009 study, in which investigators state that patients taking esketamine are “reported to be less prone to psychomimetic side effects, such as derealisation and hallucinations,” with the conclusion, “S-ketamine might exert similar antidepressant effects as ketamine in drug-resistant depression but may be better tolerated by the patients.” As these side effects are always transient, minor, and without a death toll, one could ask why it matters, but I suppose a version that essentially causes less high, isn’t the worst thing. When it comes to arketamine, it’s the same line that’s used. Now, apparently esketamine causes too many side effects, and arketamine is the new direction to look in. In the 2021 study Intravenous arketamine for treatment-resistant depression: open-label pilot study, investigators examined arketamine’s ability as an antidepressant. They found that after a single infusion, subjects showed a mean drop on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, after only 24 hours. In fact it dropped over 20 points, and without the dissociation seen with standard ketamine. ![]() Investigators concluded that “arketamine might produce fast-onset and sustained antidepressant effects in humans with favorable safety profile, like previously reported with animals; further controlled-trials are needed.” So then, is there really a noticeable difference between esketamine and arketamine for depression management? Well, kind of. A study from 2012 entitled R (−)-ketamine shows greater potency and longer lasting antidepressant effects than S (+)-ketamine, specifically compared arketamine to esketamine for depression. The study turned up results that both are perfectly fine, and ultimately comparable in dealing with depression, but that “R-ketamine appears to be a potent and safe antidepressant relative to S-ketamine, since R-ketamine may be free of psychotomimetic side effects.” If all this sounds familiar, consider that its reminiscent of CBD, and giving only that to patients, rather than the whole cannabis plant. The entire reason for that practice is based on the idea that THC gets a person high, and is therefore bad. But do we really care if people have non-lethal temporary reactions that make them feel good, especially if they’re helped in the end? Are we really letting that notion still get in the way of treatment, and somehow without considering the backwards logic that we have to keep people from feeling good at any cost? Arketamine sounds like it’ll do well. But, let’s be realistic, ketamine already does. ConclusionI expect we’ll see arketamine get approved as some big pharma medication soon enough. And then pushed as the ‘better’ option. Luckily, we still have a gray market for ketamine therapy, to help all those who want to get better, but don’t want their treatment based on government requirements. Hello readers! Welcome to Cannadelics.com, your #1 web location for fully-rounded coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics spaces. Read thru the site daily for important updates, and sign up for The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re never late on getting the news. The post Arketamine: The New Ketamine on the Block appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/07/20/arketamine-the-new-ketamine-on-the-block/ Drugs can be fun, and useful, and mind expanding, when used in the right way. And they can also be harrowing, dangerous, and life-threatening when not. We all have our own experiences in life, and what created a great experience for some, created an awful experience for others. So, here are my very worst drug experiences over the course of my life; the the kind of experiences that taught me to be careful about what I put in my body. Everyone has their own stories when it comes to worst drug experiences, and these stories vary among drugs used, and the reactions experienced. Here are some of my top bad times on drugs. This publication is all about the cannabis and psychedelics industries of today. Read along by signing up for the THC Weekly Newsletter, and also get yourself some cool product promotions, including on cannabinoid compounds like HHC-O, Delta-8, Delta-9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP, and HHC. You’ve got a lot of options in the world of weed, please only buy products you are comfortable using. The very worst of my drug experiencesI’ve had plenty of bad experiences, but the ultimate of my worst drug experiences has remained for the past ten years, and I roundly hope I never experience anything like it again. This story centers around Tel Aviv, and the fake weed – some k2 type of thing – that was sold rampantly throughout the city about 10-12 years ago. Regardless of brand, it all resembled broken up foliage, down to actual twigs and regular tree leaves, with some kind of synthetic sprayed on it. The main brand was Mr. Niceguy, and whereas some people had bad experiences with this one, the worst of my drug experiences came from an alternate brand (there were several) called Smart Joker. The product came complete with a picture of a joker on the sticker on the front of the little dimebag-style bag. I don’t remember how I got the Smart Joker, but I do remember when I was buying Niceguy, I had to wait down on Allenby street for the goods to be dropped out of a window. It was pretty shady for being right in the middle of a major tourist section. ![]() Anyway, I have no way of knowing what the reaction I had, was to. I always assume it was something else sprayed on. I don’t know where the foliage used was picked up, and it could have had any number of chemicals on it from fertilizer to pesticides to rat poison. Whatever it was, it started to increase my heart rate. Along with that, it started messing with my fine motor coordination, and I found myself over the course of several minutes, losing the ability to use my hands properly. As that got worse, my heart rate increased, and I started freaking out that I was going to have a heart attack. I don’t necessarily promote my solution for other people, nor would everyone have the drug on hand that I used to calm my body down. But what I did worked, and it might have saved my life. I happened to have a type of benzodiazepine called oxazepam. Think Xanax, but a little less intense. I managed in my worsening state to get a bottle open, and some pills into me, and then laid on my bed while I lost more bodily function, waiting for it to kick in. It did. My heart rate slowed, and my motor function returned to normal states within about a half hour. The truth is, we don’t always know in life when we actually had a near death experience. Maybe I would’ve been okay, but in all my life, and all the things that have happened in it, never have I felt such a crescendo toward something morbidly not good. Needless to say, I never smoked the stuff again, and stayed to the real plant thereafter. I don’t believe the issue had anything to do with whatever cannabis compound or synthetic was sprayed on the weed, but in a black market industry like that one, there was no way to know what else could have been there. Second to worst of my drug experiencesThe previous example is scary because I could feel myself losing control, and spiraling toward something very bad. The second of my worst drug experiences demonstrates a similar, but different, danger. It started because when I was younger, I used to get prescribed codeine cough syrup when I got sick, due to bad bouts of bronchitis. I was never told much about the stuff, and alternately had some really awesome drug experiences, nodding off in class in high school, or some horrible ones, when it made me sick, causing intense and severe headaches that often kept me glued to my bed. When I had the syrup, I took it slowly, and if it felt like a negative reaction, I’d stop. When I was in college, I was given a pill at one point instead, and not much instruction. This also works as a classic example of how easily opiate and opioids are given out, and how the patient is often left ill-prepared on safe usage. I don’t remember how many milligrams it was, but as a mainly inexperienced drug user, I wouldn’t have needed much. My experiences with opiates thus far were few and far between, and had come from cough syrup only. Whereas I probably only needed half the pill or less, I took the whole thing. ![]() Once again, I don’t know how much danger I was actually in. I can only describe that experience as the most intense headache I’ve ever had. The kind that makes you wish for death because even simply movements are so excruciating, and it lasted the entire day. What with the current opioid epidemic, its become painfully clear how easy it is to die from these drugs, so whether that headache denoted an overdose, or my own reaction (opiates are known for making people sick), I don’t know. But I know it was horrible. Since that time I have taken very few opiates or opioids. Third to worst of my drug experiencesI am a strong believer in the healing properties of psychedelics. I am also a strong believer in the idea that people respond differently to different things, and that taking the correct amount of something is key to having a good experience, among other factors. This third story involves taking LSD for the first (and only) time. I cannot speak to the quality of the LSD, or the amount I took. I can only say that I knew it was lying around for a year+ when I took it. I didn’t have the kind of freak out experience often spoken about with ‘bad trips’, but it stands out in my memory as a generally bad experience. I had none of the positives that go with acid, but a ton of the negative symptoms. I got extremely anxious, almost panicky, but not exactly. It manifested in an inability to stay still, and I ended up walking all over my New York neighborhood, sort of aimlessly, but with an uncomfortable energy I couldn’t get away from. My boyfriend at the time, who didn’t really know what to do, trailed behind me to make sure I was alright. I felt the need to pick up random things in my walk around the area. I don’t remember what all of them were, but I do remember picking up several playing cards which were scattered on a sidewalk. None of that made much sense to me later. Perhaps whatever compelled me to pick up those things, is the closest I came to a standard acid trip. I have done other psychedelics since that time, but not acid. I would like to try it again when in a more controlled environment, and still believe it can cause an immense amount of good when used correctly. Honorable mentionWhen it comes to the worst drug experiences, sometimes its less about a single experience, and more about the conglomeration of many. Enter alcohol. To be honest, some of my best drug experiences involve alcohol, but alcohol has that fantastic ability to take a good experience, and end it with a horrible hangover, and I’ve had some pretty bad ones. One of the worst came from the first time I got really drunk in life. ![]() I was about 19 and had only drank alcohol a handful of times. But then I ended up at a party, ready to learn the lesson of the importance of eating before drinking large quantities. I had not. In all honesty, I don’t remember much of the experience as I blacked out at some point, but I do remember a horrible feeling of sickness, weakness, and overall incapacitation. From what I’m told, I repeatedly puked all over someone’s bedroom, setting off a night of much vomiting by many people, which ended in the re-dubbing of the room as the ‘Vomitorium’. A friend took me home that night and monitored me for a few hours. He said later that my breathing had gotten very shallow. I don’t know if that’s college kid dramatics, or if this was yet another example of a close call. Either way, it sure taught me some important lessons in life, not that those kept me from making further mistakes with alcohol in the future…as people tend to do. (As a note, I am not 100% against alcohol, but rarely drink anymore). ConclusionEveryone has what they consider their worst drug experiences in life. Sometimes it’s about the actual reaction to the drug, and sometimes, the situation that comes out of it. The one thing to remember: always take drugs carefully and responsibly, to avoid as many negative experiences as possible. Hello and welcome! We appreciate you stopping by Cannadelics.com (formerly known as CBDtesters.co), a completely independent news site specializing in fully-rounded coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics spaces. Join us regularly for daily industry updates, and subscribe to The THC Weekly Newsletter, to ensure you’re always on top of the biggest stories. The post Sarah’s Worst Drug Experiences appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/07/20/sarahs-worst-drug-experiences/ As overdose rates rise, governments seem more willing to loosen drug restrictions, than to find actual workable solutions. Opioids are responsible for the biggest number of these deaths and the numbers only grow more each year. What if a possible answer already exists, and we’re simply not being told about it? When it comes to opioids, the issue of pain is integral, and the question of ketamine vs opioids for modern treatment, is a thing. So how does ketamine compare to opioids for pain management, and can it be a substitute? The opioid issue is getting to a fever pitch, and the question of ketamine vs opioids is gaining prominence, and for a good reason. We’re an independent news site focusing on the growing cannabis and psychedelics fields going on today. Keep up with everything by subscribing to the THC Weekly Newsletter, which is also a great source for deals on items like cannabinoid products including HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC. Check out all your choices, and make sure to make the best purchase possible. Opioids and the overdose tollWe’ve been talking about it for years now. How every year more and more people overdose on drugs, with the grand majority doing so on synthetic opioids. Opioids are a class of synthetically made drugs based on the opium plant. These are unlike the natural components taken out of the plant which are called opiates. Opiates are compounds like codeine or morphine. Opioids are represented by drugs like fentanyl and oxycodone. Opioids attach to receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems, and in the gastrointestinal tract. There are three main opioid receptor classes: μ, κ, δ (mu, kappa, and delta), though a total of 17 are known. Opioids are primarily used as pain relievers and anesthetics. They are also prescribed medically for issues like diarrhea and cough suppression. Users experience an intense euphoria on opioids, which often leads to a sedation and a semi-unconscious state. Opioids are respiratory depressants, which is the main reason they cause so many deaths, as its easy to overdose on them. This happens a lot when tolerance to the euphoria or pain-killing effects increases, leading users to need more and more to get high. Other effects of the drugs include itchiness, nausea, confusion, and constipation. Opioids can be deadly on their own, but become that much more dangerous when mixed with other drugs, particularly other drugs with a depressant effect. It’s common for overdose victims to have drugs like alcohol or benzodiazepines in their system as well. Alcohol is commonly mixed with other drugs (probably because of its own prevalence in society), and benzodiazepines are often used with opioids to combat the sickness they bring on. ![]() In terms of where we are with overdoses, the latest numbers come from a CDC release on May 11th, 2022. These preliminary numbers show an overdose total of 107,622 for the year 2021. This number includes all drug overdose deaths, with no specific number given for opioid deaths. How do we therefore know the majority are opioid related? Well, we know that in 2020 there were 93,000 overdose deaths, and that there were 73,000 in 2019. We also know that of the 73,000 from 2019, 48,000 were from synthetic opioids, and that 68,000 of 2020’s numbers were related to synthetic opioids as well. It stands to reason that well over 70,000 of 2021’s overdoses, were due to these medications. KetamineOne of the big problems with the current crisis, is that its not just about getting people off of a drug they’re addicted to, but providing an ongoing way to handle the issue that got them addicted in the first place. If people are experiencing pain, and using opioids to treat their pain issue, it’s hard after acclimation to a working treatment, to not offer something else. Perhaps if a patient is never given such a medication, they may be fine without it. However, after acclimating a patient to a medication, it can create a situation where they now need it and its expected effects. Obviously, people have undergone and withstood extreme pain for millennia without the help of synthetic opioids, so there is really no case to continue their use under the circumstances of their danger. However, the question of how to get people off these highly addictive medications still remains. And one of the best answers, is sadly not only not being used, but is barely mentioned at all. And this despite the skyrocketing death toll. Ketamine is a dissociative hallucinogen created by Parke Davis Pharmaceutical company in 1962 and cleared by the FDA for use as an anesthetic in 1970. Though it was understood from preliminary testing on prisoners that ketamine could treat acute pain, and without the death toll of drugs like opioids, the FDA never officially cleared it for this purpose. It was, however, subsequently used on the fields of Vietnam, if this is any indication of its actual abilities. Ketamine is legal for off-label use, and this has spawned a gray-market ketamine industry, whereby ketamine is prescribed and administered by doctors in medical clinics. In these settings, the ketamine is used for any purpose the prescribing doctor sees fit, and has become a new mainstay for the treatment of both pain, and psychological issues like depression. Ketamine vs opioidsAlright, so they’re both painkillers, but the most important question in the conversation of ketamine vs opioids, is can ketamine work for the same things? After all, it wouldn’t make sense to try to replace one drug, with another that can’t help in the same way. Luckily, there is already research into this exact question, and the results look promising for ketamine use in place of opioids. In 2020 a review was published called Ketamine vs Opioids for Acute Pain in the Emergency Department. The review looked at 870 adult patients who ended up in emergency rooms with acute pain. In all cases the pain could have been trauma or non-trauma related. The patients came from two meta-analyses, in which 11 trials were done in total. Pain measurements were made using the VAS – Change in Visual Analog Scale. Of the two meta-analyses, Karlow et al. contained trials that directly compared “a sub-dissociative intravenous dose of ketamine with a single IV dose of opioid/opiate analgesia.” While ketamine was related to more adverse effects (e.g. agitation, hallucination, dysphoria, and confusion), the only life-threatening event was associated with morphine. ![]() The other main part of the review came from the Ghate et al. systematic review which compared “low-dose ketamine with opioids in adults with acute pain in the ED.” The eight studies looked at included a total of 609 patients. The review found that “Both low-dose ketamine (dose range: 0.1-0.6 mg/kg IV/SC/IM) and morphine (dose: 0.1 mg/kg IV or 0.5 mg hydromorphone IV) appeared to provide some level of analgesia in individual studies (compiled data was not reported), but no significant difference was demonstrated between the two agents.” This review also found more adverse effects with the ketamine, but nothing life-threatening. Between these two separate reviews, the authors concluded that “ketamine appears to be comparable to opioids for acute pain control.” They did stipulate that there were several limitations to the studies done, including comparing single doses rather than longer term treatment. They end by saying more research into the matter should be done. More research…As emergency rooms are a great place to try out pain medications, yet another emergency room piece of research backs up the efficacy of ketamine in comparison to opioids. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Ketamine as an Alternative to Opioids for Acute Pain in the Emergency Department, looked at whether low dose ketamine is a safe and effective alternative to opioids in an emergency situation. The review covers randomized controlled trials which compare intravenous opioids to low dose ketamine. As per the usual, more adverse reactions were seen with ketamine treatment, but none were deadly. The authors concluded “Ketamine is noninferior to morphine for the control of acute pain, indicating that ketamine can be considered as an alternative to opioids for ED short-term pain control.” Another interesting piece of research came out in 2019, and is called Effect of Intranasal Ketamine vs Fentanyl on Pain Reduction for Extremity Injuries in Children: The PRIME Randomized Clinical Trial. The study examined intranasal ketamine vs intranasal fentanyl, specifically in children with pain in their extremities. The study included 90 children, half of whom were given ketamine, and the other half fentanyl. Study authors found “Ketamine was noninferior to fentanyl for pain reduction based on a 1-sided test of group difference less than the noninferiority margin.” As with previously mentioned studies, there were more adverse effects in the ketamine group, but all effects were minor and went away quickly. The study authors concluded: “Intranasal ketamine may be an appropriate alternative to intranasal fentanyl for pain associated with acute extremity injuries. Ketamine should be considered for pediatric pain management in the emergency setting, especially when opioids are associated with increased risk.” What about chronic pain?Emergency rooms are a great example of looking at the comparison of ketamine vs opioids for acute pain issues. But what about ketamine for chronic pain? Acute pain represents pain that’s intense and happening right now. Chronic pain denotes a pain issue whereby pain is experienced on a long term basis. Think of the difference between the pain of a standard broken arm, and pain from an ongoing bad back. ![]() One of the interesting things found in this review, Ketamine for chronic pain: risks and benefits, is that ketamine treatment for at least some kinds of pain, can last way past the time of treatment. In fact, the review, which references several studies, says “Current data on short term infusions indicate that ketamine produces potent analgesia during administration only, while three studies on the effect of prolonged infusion (4-14 days) show long-term analgesic effects up to 3 months following infusion.” They conclude, “Further research is required to assess whether the benefits outweigh the risks and costs. Until definite proof is obtained ketamine administration should be restricted to patients with therapy-resistant severe neuropathic pain.” Though the authors make a good point about needing more info, in this study, as per the rest, all adverse reactions were minimal. The main issues of concern brought up were around “CNS, haemodynamic, renal and hepatic symptoms,” though how much of an issue these actually are, is not very clear. Deaths did not come up at all. Though indeed more research should be done, that several investigations have turned up this ability for such long-lasting effects from shorter treatment regimens, is not only incredible in general, but makes ketamine that much more of a better option vs opioids in the current situation. While we don’t know the extent that ketamine can do this, we do already know for sure that opioids will never last longer than the immediate time frame they are given in. Another systematic review, Ketamine Infusions for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials investigated “the effectiveness of IV ketamine infusions for pain relief in chronic conditions”, in order to “determine whether any pain classifications or treatment regimens are associated with greater benefit.” To do this, the researchers used Medline, Embase, Google Scholar, and clinicaltrials.gov to gather information. They used “randomized control trials comparing IV ketamine to placebo infusions for chronic pain that reported outcomes for ≥48 hours after the intervention.” The results? Three of the seven studies usable for the review showed “significant analgesic benefit favoring ketamine, with the meta-analysis revealing a small effect up to 2 weeks after the infusion”, backing up the idea of long-term effects from short-term use. They also found “In the 3 studies that reported responder rates, the proportion with a positive outcome was greater in the ketamine than in the placebo group.” According to the authors, “IV ketamine is effective for a wide array of chronic pain conditions, although the benefits dissipate with time.” How long? “Use of IV ketamine resulted in a reduction in pain scores between 48 hours and 2 and 8 weeks after the infusion, but the pooled difference in pain reduction at 4 weeks fell shy of significance.” As in, on average, the effects lasted up to about four weeks, but became less significant at that point. When you think about it though… up to four weeks of chronic pain relief with a non-lethal option, sounds pretty damn awesome. Especially in the current situation. ConclusionThere’s still plenty to learn, and plenty to research, but when it comes to ketamine vs opioids, one of the most important things to consider, is that one causes mass death, and one doesn’t. Evidence shows ketamine as noninferior in terms of both acute pain and chronic pain, and unlike with opioids, it has the ability to reduce pain for weeks after administration, at least in some cases. What with the awfulness of the opioid epidemic going on, once again I have to ask, why isn’t ketamine being substituted for opioids, immediately!? Hey guys! We appreciate you joining us at Cannadelics.com (formerly known as CBDtesters.co), your #1 web spot for comprehensive coverage of cannabis and psychedelics news. Join us whenever possible to get all necessary updates, and sign up for The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, to stay on top of all important stories. The post Ketamine Vs Opioids, What’s the Deal? appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/07/19/ketamine-vs-opioids-whats-the-deal/ While some countries remain uptight with drug policy, others are so loose, they’re practically coming apart at the seams. Now British Columbia follows in the footsteps started by Portugal in 2001, with an announcement that the Canadian Province is set to decriminalize hard drugs. British Columbia and the announcement to decriminalize hard drugs does not paint a very good picture of what’s going on with overdoses these days. Is decriminalizing drug possession really helpful in this situation, though? We’re an independent news site specializing in cannabis and psychedelics reporting. Follow along by subscribing to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, and also get yourself in first place for future product promotions. What’s going on?Canada was the second country after Uruguay to pass a nationwide recreational cannabis legalization back in 2018. And now, one of its provinces is stepping it up even more. On May 31st, 2022, the federal government of Canada announced that the province of British Columbia would decriminalize hard drugs in the upcoming year. By January 31st, 2023, adults (18+) in the province will be able to possess small amounts of hard drugs in the amount of 2.5 grams or less. This applies to opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA. How did this come about? It’s not a part of general Canadian policy to allow hard drug possession. In November 2021, British Columbia applied for a federal exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. It requested a 4.5 gram threshold, which the federal government reduced to 2.5 grams upon approval. This threshold might be debatable in the future according to federal minister of mental health and addictions, Carolyn Bennett, who called the current limit a ‘starting point’, that could be adjusted as per need. Bennett explained that 85% of seizures are for under two grams. ![]() This comes from the British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police, which says the average amount taken in seizures of hard drugs varies from about 1.3 grams to 1.9 grams, depending on location. However, if you ask those who use the drugs, their story is that 2.5 grams isn’t enough to cover the reality of what hard drug users must use daily to maintain themselves. This entire measure is seen as a harm reduction measure due to the massive drug issues in the province. British Columbia isn’t set to decriminalize hard drugs just to do it. It’s trying to placate its growing number of addicted drug users, who must continue taking their drugs to feed their addictions. Many of whom are on opioids, which were legally provided to them. Issues with thisThe whole fact this is happening indicates a massive issue to begin with. Could the government’s acquiescence to such a measure indicate a level of guilt? Governments don’t usually substantiate the drug use of their people, yet that’s exactly what’s happening. And its not comparable to Portugal, which was dealing with illegal drug problems, and which saw improvement by decriminalizing. This issue is based on the idea that doctors are now the primary drug dealers. This current and rising opioid epidemic is a government-sanctioned drug epidemic, so it cannot be gotten rid of so long as doctors are writing prescriptions, and this isn’t stopping. There are many worrying factors about this decriminalization. As per Ryan McNeil, director of harm-reduction research at the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, who is also an affiliated scientist at the B.C. Centre on Substance Use: “Two-point-five grams is difficult to eyeball — how are police necessarily going to be equipped to eyeball that in the field? Does that mean this might become a mechanism by which anything above that threshold becomes understood to be potentially possession with the intent to sell, or marks someone as potentially selling drugs. We need to raise questions about how this will actually be implemented in real world settings and whether it might perpetuate the inequities that we see in the policing and potential incarceration of especially Indigenous people but also other folks who are racialized.” Many of those currently reliant on hard drugs argue that the limit itself is problematic in that many users require more than this. Vice-president of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, Kevin Yake, who uses hard drugs himself, said the policy sets users up to fail. He put it this way: ![]() “At 4.5 grams, I thought that was low. Two-point-five grams, I think that’s ridiculous. I need that to wake up in the morning. For people with higher tolerances it doesn’t really cut it at all.” He explained that this might impact how people buy, forcing them to buy in smaller amounts, which means increased transactions, more money spent, and more risk. “Now it’s a new ball game — make sure I have enough for that day because I’ve got to score again.” British Columbia and drug overdosesThe opioid epidemic is often referenced in America, but the reality is that many countries have growing issues with drug overdoses, particularly from synthetic opioids. And British Columbia is not exempt. In fact, British Columbia has so many deaths, that this is why its set to decriminalize hard drugs, in an effort to help those who are strung out. British Columbia is the third most populous province in Canada with about 5.2 million inhabitants. In 2016, the province declared a public health emergency due to drug overdoses. Since that time, more than 9,400 people in the province died from overdosing, which makes for an average of six people a day. In 2021 alone, 2,224 or more fatal overdoses happened in the region. The rate of death from illicit drugs went up 400% in the past seven years. 2021 numbers are 26% higher than the previous year. It should come as no surprise that in 2021, 83% of samples from overdoses tested positive for fentanyl, and another 187 results showed positive for fentanyl analogue carfentanil, which is close to triple the number of positive samples for that compound found in 2016. In 2021, 71% of suspected overdose victims were between 39-59 years old. Vancouver, Surrey, and Victoria were the townships with the highest overdose volumes in the province. So British Columbia is having a massive drug overdose problem, and at the center of it is synthetic opioids, which are legally produced and sold. This is not a black market drug issue, but the continuation of a pharmaceutical company started problem, which has been promoted by governments allowing the medications through regulation. Now, a huge problem is ballooned out, and the best Canada can think to do with all these people it helped get addicted, is make drugs more socially acceptable to have. Why isn’t ketamine used?The saddest part to all this, is that there is an answer. It’s just being ignored by local governments. Sure, it’s a highly complicated issue, with lots of moving pieces. You’ve got the pain issue that got a lot of people addicted in the first place, you’ve got the current addictions which are now formed and must be treated, and you’ve got the issues related to drug cessation for an addicted person. On top of all this, you’ve got the fallout from these addictions in the form of money lost to individuals, as well as the taxpayer money paid out for everything from emergency services to healthcare costs. ![]() So anything that can help should be used, and should be used immediately. Which is why its baffling that ketamine, a Parke-Davis founded dissociative hallucinogen, is not so much as brought up to help this situation. In America, ketamine is only approved by the FDA for treatment-resistant depression (in the form of esketamine), but its widely used off label in clinics for pain control. In Canada, it’s a Schedule I drug, which means it requires prescription for sale. It’s been known that ketamine is a good pain control drug since the 1960’s, when it was the subject of prisoner studies. It worked well enough at that time, that it was subsequently used on the fields of Vietnam. Part of the reason it provides a good method, is that it doesn’t lower heart rate or breathing rate, and therefore makes overdosing that much more difficult. Ketamine has no real death toll, and I have yet to find a statistic for ketamine deaths that doesn’t include the use of other drugs. Ketamine’s lack of physical addiction, means users won’t get addicted and can stop when they want. Just in case there’s a misunderstanding about how ketamine can be used, it’s already been investigated as an opioid alternative. In this review of 76 papers, its found that ketamine is a safe and effective alternative treatment to opioid therapy. Another example is this study, which was done using 870 adult patients, all of whom showed up to emergency rooms with severe pain. The study demonstrates how ketamine performed as a comparable treatment measure to opioids for acute pain control. One last thing about ketamine, is its shown useful for the circular and compulsive thoughts of addiction, an important aspect when dealing with addicts. This is evidenced in studies on eating disorder patients, where after ketamine treatment, the majority reduced or eliminated their compulsive thoughts. Something that persisted well after the ketamine was given. Ketamine, like other hallucinogens, seems to have the ability to help people leave their normal thought patterns, and create entirely new ones. Though there are certainly some safety issues involved with ketamine use, these issues are generally related to how its given, and are not associated with death. ConclusionCanada could be looking into getting its addicted population switched over to ketamine in order to save lives, but instead, is changing laws to make drugs more available and socially acceptable, without mentioning ketamine at all. Why? If you’re a citizen wondering how this problem can actually be solved, and not just temporarily placated, this is a question worth asking. Welcome all! Thanks for stopping by Cannadelics.com. We’re happy to bring you honest and direct reporting of the growing cannabis and psychedelics industries. Join us frequently for daily updates on everything going on, and subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re never late on getting a story. The post British Columbia Set to Decriminalize Hard Drugs appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/07/18/british-columbia-set-to-decriminalize-hard-drugs/ |
ABOUT MEHallo, ik ben Rosalina Klerkx, ik ben een RHIA-gecertificeerde zorgbeheerder met meer dan 6 jaar ervaring in het creëren van een productieve omgeving voor zorgprofessionals. Leiding gegeven aan een team van 12 opname- en verkoopmedewerkers in een instelling voor langdurige zorg met meer dan 170 patiënten. Opstellen van complexe HIPAA-conforme rapporten aan patiëntendienstcoördinatoren in een zorgkliniek. Archives
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