Drug Facts

DEA: Marijuana Has No Medical Use, Remains Illegal

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Facts, Marijuana Use and Abuse on July 11th, 2011

Despite the growing number of medical marijuana advocates who have sworn to the drug’s medicinal benefits, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has ruled that marijuana has no medical or therapeutic use and thus will remain classified as a dangerous and illegal drug.

medical marijuanaAccording to a letter from DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart in response to the petition filed by medical marijuana advocacy groups, marijuana has not been proven effective for any medical use and treatment in the United States, and that the use of marijuana for medical purposes is not coupled with proper procedures to ensure safety and that it still has a high potential to be abused.

The decision came much to the disappointment of those who supported the re-classification of marijuana nine years ago when they sought to have the government look into the medical benefits of cannabis for treatment of glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases.

Unfortunately, the Drug Enforcement Administration has responded negatively to the petition filed at the Court of Appeals from medical marijuana advocates for the drug to be considered legal for medicinal purposes.

In a report from the L.A. Times, DEA’s ruling will put marijuana in the line of heroin and MDMA which are all considered dangerous drugs. Under federal law, marijuana is among the Schedule I list of controlled substances.

Americans for Safe Access chief counsel Joe Elford says their group was not surprised with the latest ruling on the lawsuit they have filed years ago. He says the Obama administration would never allow for the legalization and commercial cultivation of marijuana. “It is clearly motivated by a political decision that is anti-marijuana,” he said.

There have been a number of states, including California, which has adopted the legalization of medical marijuana. It can be expected that another vote will be made on 2012, and supporters pushing for its legalization will continue their cause.

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Medical Marijuana Club Gives Out Free Marijuana Samples!

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Facts, Marijuana Use and Abuse on July 6th, 2011

In Phoenix, despite a number of marijuana dispensaries deprived of clearances to open, a club opened on the 4th of July with marijuana freebies for their customers.

marijuanaThe 2811 Medical Marijuana Club was inaugurated last Monday and clients were happy to have another dispensary where they can get their medications. They were more delighted as the club offered free samples of marijuana just a few steps away from the dispensary.

According to a report on Fox11AZ, a lot of patients have registered and are now members of Club 2811. Vicki Smith, one of the club’s clients, says she’s learning more about medical marijuana and her questions are being answered quickly by the operators of the dispensary. Club 2811 also becomes a good place for her and other patients to interact and share stories and information with regards to medical marijuana. With soft music and comfortable seating, customers feel at ease and relaxed.

According to Allan Sobol, general manager of Club 2811, the center caters to clients who are looking for other legal opportunities to get hold of the medication that they badly need. He adds, “This is intended as an educational and resource center. It’s designed to allow networking amongst patients and caregivers and other people in the industry.”

The club’s opening invitation reads ‘Private Cannabis Membership Club opens in Phoenix. What better way to celebrate your Independence then to get your FREE MARIJUANA?’

Before people jump to the wrong conclusion, Sobol clarified that they only gave away about one-eighth of an ounce to clients who have state-approved marijuana cards. When asked about the legality of their Club, he says they have contacted law enforcement in the state and that they are very transparent in every activity that happens within the club.

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Cocaine Filled with Veterinary Drug Rots Skin!

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts on June 28th, 2011

For the longest time, authorities have warned parents and their children about the dangerous effects of illegal substances like cocaine. Aside from being addictive, cocaine can cause problems in the brain that could lead to death.

rotten fleshBut today, the illicit drug just got more dangerous. According to reports from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, about 82% of the amounts of cocaine that they have seized are all mixed with another drug that can literally rot the skin on user’s noses, cheeks and ears. Drug dealers are adding what is known as levamisole, a veterinary drug, to the cocaine shipments that they distribute around America.

In the illegal drugs industry, fillers are used on products to gain more profit. This is probably how levamisole ends up in cocaine. Cheap cocaine is usually composed of up to 90% filler, and dealers before would usually use baking soda for this purpose. Dr. Noah Craft from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute says that the problem brought about by this low-grade cocaine in the market can be very big.

Levamisole is now the choice of most drug dealers to act as fillers since it has the same effect on brain receptors like cocaine has. This will make cheap cocaine perform a lot closer to high-end grades, thus sellers will be able to have a big margin of profit.

In a feature on The Week, wounds brought about by using tainted cocaine appear a day after contact with the substance. The skin’s blood vessels are damaged, and the skin is starved with oxygen resulting to skin turning purple and eventually dies and rots.

In Canada, suspected users of cheap cocaine have been diagnosed with Hepatitis C and anemia. Here in the U.S., more doctors are seeing gruesome wounds due to the use of cocaine. Authorities have warned that tainted cocaine is not only distributed in New York or L.A. but in the whole country as well.

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Montel Williams Will Open Medical Marijuana Dispensary

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Facts on June 17th, 2011

It seems like medical marijuana advocates has found an ally in Montel Williams, as the talk show host will soon be opening his own medical marijuana dispensary.

Montel WilliamsWilliams has recently announced that he’s in talks with a group in Sacramento, California for his planned dispensary. If plans push through and he lands an agreement with the concerned people, Williams could add up another title on his belt; as a marijuana seller, legally that is.

It’s no secret to the industry that Williams himself suffers from multiple sclerosis and that despite having a number of pain killers prescribed by his doctors, only cannabis has had a significant effect against the chronic pain brought about by his illness. He claims he is able to withstand the neurological discomfort and improve his health by using cannabis.

In an interview for the Sacramento Bee, Williams laments, “Prescription drugs nearly shut down my kidneys. Then a doctor suggested I try medical marijuana.”

In a feature on NY Daily News, Montel’s planned dispensary will be very different compared to those already in existence. Marijuana will not be displayed in the facility and the actual product will only be seen by patients when they are about to use it (outside the property), whether in edible or smokable form.

Williams tells the Bee that he wants people to have a different perspective on pot. He wants patients and non-patients alike to identify marijuana as a real medication and not just a thing for addiction. His facility will be family-friendly that even parents can walk right into it.

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Designer Drugs: A Growing Problem on Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts on May 2nd, 2011

The illegal drug industry is a sure business that will probably never go bankrupt. Every time authorities and law makers regulate or ban specific substances, another variety comes into the market. It’s one business that’s so dynamic and always on the move, even the best researches and studies could not catch up and simply become insignificant.

2-CEDesigner drugs are particularly damaging to young users. These drugs mask themselves as some type of legal substances which kids can readily get hold of. Some examples are K-2 and Spice. Although chemical regulation is a positive step towards controlling these substances, they simply do not stop the existence of these drugs. Manufacturers can easily “design” new drugs, adding up to the growing number of designer drugs in the market.

Another example of a designer drug is the now popular 2-CE. This drug can still be obtained legally. It’s both a stimulant and a hallucinogen which unlike other substance takes a longer period of time for it to completely set in into one’s system. This allows users to use more than they can take and could die from overdose. It has already showed its very ugly effects when a teen in Minnesota died when he took more than he can take of 2-CE he legally obtained via the internet.

The concern now is the lack of information that parents and kids have on this drug. Knowledge and information is very important in helping parents and children combat the threats and possible adverse effects that it may have on the family. What people can do is to continue educating and increasing prevention scales accompanied by treatment facilities capable of adapting to the ever-changing scenarios of drug addiction. This may be the only hope so that one day, proliferation and manufacture of these drugs can be put to a complete stop.

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Dangers of Rohypnol and GHB

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts on April 22nd, 2011

We have previously presented some common club drugs that teens and young adults are using. Let us now focus on two major drugs that are considered highly dangerous.

date rape drugset’s start with flunitrazepam, or better known as Rohypnol. Sexual assault cases that happen when victims become incapacitated is usually the work of culprits who used this drug, hence the moniker date rape drug. Rohypnol, when mixed into alcoholic drinks or other depressants can be very dangerous. A person becomes sedated with some amount of being hypnotized when Rohypnol enters their system. This makes an individual an easy target for sexual assault.

There are other effects of Rohypnol in the body. It retards the muscles and can cause amnesia too. Like most drugs, Rohypnol is also addictive, and it has not been approved for any purpose in the US.

Another drug that you have to watch out for is GHB or gamma-hydroxybutyrate. Like Rohypnol, GHB is also linked to sexual assault cases and has been abused in the US for its euphoric, sedative, and anabolic effects in the body.

GHB is widely used throughout the country. In New York, people within the fashion industry have been identified to use the drug, while it has been used a synthetic steroid in fitness centers in Atlanta. Other names for GHB include “liquid ecstasy,” “somatomax,”and “scoop.”

GHB can easily bring a person into a coma and increased seizures especially when combined with methamphetamine. Other signs of GHB abuse are difficulty in breathing and nausea. When an addict withdraws from GHB, he may experience anxiety, tremors, insomnia, and excessive sweating.

Both Rohypnol and GHB abuse are under the “Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act of 1996” which increased the penalties of sexual assault using controlled substances.

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