Pot on a Plane
On a JetBlue flight from Florida to New Jersey, a 43 year old California resident, Adam Blumenkranz, was caught smoking pot in the lavatory. He was arrested at the Newark airport on drug charges of possessing less than 50 grams of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. His excuse – he holds a “medical” marijuana registration card and is smoking marijuana under the guise of medicine The authorities quickly trumped the man’s medical excuse by clarifying that air travel is under federal jurisdiction and marijuana is always illegal at the federal level.
International Drug Policy Groups Evaluate The Global Impact of Drug Legalization
Significant groups from across the globe came together to evaluate the potential impact of drug legalization. This alliance of drug policy experts found that drugs are an enormous social problem and that the drug trade adversely affects the global economy and the viability of some countries that have become transit routes.
Binge Drinking Way Up!
The Center for Disease Control recently reported that a staggering one in six American adults binge drink. Binge drinking is more common in young adults ages 18-34. This trend of 38 million binge-drinking adults is alarming because approximately 40,000 to 80,000 deaths in the U.S. per year are associated with drinking too much. Some unintended consequences of binge drinking are impaired driving, accidents and injuries, risky sexual activity and interpersonal violence.
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The Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice Launches - THE EVOLUTION OF DRUG POLICY, PART II – What Works and What Doesn’t
In this issue, which is a continuation of the Journal’s exploration of evolving drug policies throughout the world, subject experts will examine the history and evolution of drug policy, as well as the strategies, concerns and problems associated with drug prevalence and use.
America’s Top Ten Deadly Medications
The National Center for Health Statistics just released a report concluding that the nation’s leading cause of accidental deaths is prescription medication overdoses. For the first time in over a century, motor vehicle accidents were not at the top of the list. The prescription drug epidemic continues despite state and federal campaigns. In 2010, enough prescription painkillers were sold nationwide to keep every American medicated 24/7 for an entire month
Survey Indicates Marijuana Use Is Up Among Youth
On December 14th, 2011, the National Institute on Drug Abuse released the results of their 2011 Monitoring the Future Survey. The report showed some disturbing trends about marijuana use among youth. According to this report, daily marijuana use is up in all grades surveyed. The 2011 use rates indicated an upward trend in teens' abuse of marijuana corresponded to downward trends in their perception of risk. For example, only 22.7 percent of high school seniors saw great risk in smoking marijuana occasionally, compared to 25.9 percent five years ago.