Drug News and Discussions

[weatheriscool]

[Nanotechandmorefuture]

There's a whole bunch of stuff in the works like Reunion Neurosciences - Mushrooms and much more so stuff like this is nice.

[weatheriscool]

NCAA committee recommends dropping marijuana from banned drug list, focus testing instead on PEDs
Source: ABC News

An NCAA panel is calling for the removal of marijuana from the organization's list of banned drugs, suggesting that testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances.

The proposal released Friday from the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports would mark a big change for the NCAA, which has been conducting drug tests at championship events since 1986. Committee members recommended halting cannabis tests at such events until a final decision is made, likely this fall.

Legislation would still have to be introduced and approved by all three NCAA divisions to take effect. Administrators in Divisions II and III had asked the committee to study the issue.

The recommendation comes as the U.S. is seeing more and more states allowing medical or recreational marijuana use.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory ... -100150857

[weatheriscool]

Fresh insights into how glucose drives tuberculosis vaccine responses offer hope for improved efficacy
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-07- ... ccine.html
by Trinity College Dublin

BCG is a live bacterial vaccine, of limited effectiveness for tuberculosis, but it's the only one we've got. However, scientists in the TB Immunology group at Trinity College Dublin and St. James's Hospital have provided fresh insights into the behavior of a crucial cell in vaccine mechanisms, which may offer a fresh target for scientists seeking to improve vaccine efficacy.

The Trinity and St. James's team have just published their findings, focused on the behavior of CD1c+ myeloid dendritic cells, in the journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology.

Their work outlines an improved understanding of how the body uses glucose to drive immunity after BCG vaccination.

BCG is the most commonly used vaccine in the world. After vaccination with BCG, myeloid dendritic cells in the skin engulf the bacteria and transport them to lymph nodes where they interact with T cells to initiate protective immunity.

[wjfox]

Albania Legalizes Medical Cannabis

JULY 24, 2023

Albanian lawmakers on Friday approved a measure legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. The country’s parliament “voted 69-23 to allow limited and controlled growth of cannabis plants, a move harshly contested by the opposition,” according to the Associated Press.

As the AP noted, the bill’s passage is notable given Albania’s history as “a European crossroads for marijuana trafficking.”

https://hightimes.com/news/albania-lega ... -cannabis/

[weatheriscool]

Ohio Cannabis Legalization Looks Likely to Be on November Ballot

Ohio activists have turned in a final batch of signatures to put a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot after falling short in a prior submission. The new batch includes more than 6,000 additional signatures on the petition, which a GOP congressman told Marijuana Moment he would’ve signed in order to let voters decide on the reform.

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CTRMLA) submitted more than 220,000 signatures to the secretary of state’s office last month, but officials then said they were 679 valid signers short following a verification review. The campaign was then given a 10-day window to close the gap.

With the August 3 turn-in of 6,545 new signatures, advocates feel confident that they’ve made up the difference by a significant margin. They now have to wait for county and state officials to confirm that enough of the signatures were valid.

“This submission validates what we’ve said all along: regulating marijuana is popular in Ohio,” Tom Haren, spokesperson for CTRMLA said. “We’re looking forward to giving Ohio voters a chance to make their voices heard at the ballot this fall.”

https://filtermag.org/ohio-marijuana-legalization/

[weatheriscool]

SD: Draft language released for potential recreational marijuana ballot measure
South Dakota voters could have another chance to legalize recreational marijuana next year.

The state’s voters rejected recreational cannabis legalization in 2022, 53% to 47%.

The new petition comes from Matthew Schweich, of Sioux Falls, a longtime leader in pro-marijuana efforts. On Friday, state Attorney General Marty Jackley fulfilled his legal obligation to release a draft explanation of the potential ballot question.

Jackley’s explanation of the three-page petition says, in part, that the ballot measure would allow people 21 and older to possess, grow, sell, ingest and distribute marijuana. Individuals could posses up to 2 ounces of marijuana and up to six marijuana plants, with a limit of 12 plants per household.

https://southdakotasearchlight.com/brie ... t-measure/

[weatheriscool]

Recreational marijuana makes Ohio's Nov. ballot, joining abortion rights amendment

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio voters will decide in November if marijuana should be legal for recreational use.

Sec. of State Frank LaRose announced Wednesday evening that the proposal to legalize weed gained enough valid signatures in their second go to make the ballot.

The statute didn't have enough valid signatures to make the ballot in July. The group, Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, only needed 679 valid signatures but ended up submitting nearly ten times the number of signatures needed during their cure period. The period is a 10-day second chance to make up for invalid signatures.

“We are grateful to the thousands of Ohioans who helped us get to this point and are excited to bring our proposal to regulate marijuana like alcohol before Ohio voters this coming Election Day,” spokesperson Tom Haren said.

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/pol ... -amendment

[weatheriscool]

marijuana is being de-scheduled
[link:https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politi ... rcna102642|
By Julie Tsirkin and Laura Strickler

WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services is formally recommending that the Drug Enforcement Administration ease government restrictions on marijuana, which remains illegal at the federal level despite more than 40 states allowing its use in some form.

The move comes 11 months after President Joe Biden ordered the top health agency to conduct a review of the drug. The recommendation is to move marijuana from what’s known as a Schedule I drug to Schedule III, under the Controlled Substances Act.

[wjfox]

UK's first drug consumption room to get go-ahead

2 hours ago

The UK's first official consumption room for illegal drugs including heroin and cocaine is expected to be approved by authorities in Glasgow later.

The facility is backed by the Scottish government as a way to tackle the country's drugs deaths crisis.

It would involve users taking their own drugs in a hygienic environment under the supervision of trained health professionals.

A health centre in the east end of the city would be used for a pilot scheme.

The idea has been discussed for years but it is able to go ahead now after Scotland's senior law officer said users would not be prosecuted for possessing illegal drugs while at the facility.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66929385



Credit: Glasgow City Council

[weatheriscool]

Landmark marijuana financing bill set to move forward in the Senate
Source: CNBC

Published Wed, Sep 27 2023 7:00 AM EDT

A new bill that aims to give the marijuana industry access to banking services is expected to move forward in the Senate on Wednesday. The Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Banking Act was introduced by a bipartisan group of senators last week. The bill would provide legal protection to banks or other financial institutions that offer services to state-legal marijuana businesses.

The Senate Banking Committee will mark up the bill Wednesday, and the panel is expected to vote to advance it to the full chamber’s floor. The bill is being led by Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; Steve Daines, R-Mont.; Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz.; and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., as well as Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

“This legislation will help make our communities and small businesses safer by giving legal cannabis businesses access to traditional financial institutions, including bank accounts and small business loans,” the senators said in a joint statement. “It also prevents federal bank regulators from ordering a bank or credit union to close an account based on reputational risk,” they added.

Even as 39 states have legalized marijuana for recreational or medical use, the sector has struggled to scale. Marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I substance, or one with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, along with federal prohibition, pose a risk to banking institutions. This, in turn, has limited access to financing and a broader market.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/27/marijua ... gress.html

[firestar464]

It's clear that the govt just wanna profit off the weed

[weatheriscool]

DEA has seized over 55 million fentanyl pills in 2023 so far, Garland says
Source: CBS News

September 26, 2023 / 2:21 PM

Washington — Law enforcement agencies have so far seized over 55 million pills of fentanyl this year and more than 9,000 pounds of powder containing the deadly drug, Attorney General Merrick Garland told dozens of families whose loved ones died after ingesting fentanyl. And the Drug Enforcement Administration is on pace to seize more fentanyl in 2023 than in any previous year, a yield that continues to grow annually, according to DEA Administrator Ann Milgram.

"Violent drug cartels are manufacturing and moving fake pills designed to look exactly like brand name drugs and instead, they contain deadly fentanyl," Garland said, highlighting what he said are the dangers posed by the work of the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels in Mexico. "They are fueling this epidemic," the attorney general alleged, "The Justice Department is attacking every aspect of the cartels' operations."

Fentanyl, a strong opioid about 50 times more powerful than heroin, has become increasingly present in the U.S. drug supply and has caused a wave of overdose deaths among people who consume it or use drugs they didn't realize were tainted with the substance. Garland, Milgram and approximately 150 individuals affected by the growing proliferation of fentanyl on America's streets gathered at DEA headquarters outside of Washington, D.C., Tuesday for the second annual Family Summit on Fentanyl.

The event coincided with recent attempts by law enforcement and Justice Department officials to tackle the opioid and fentanyl problem facing the U.S. and pressure transnational organizations that fund and traffic deadly drugs. Earlier this month, the U.S. secured the extradition of Ovidio Guzmán López, son of notorious drug trafficker and former Sinaloa cartel leader, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dea-seized ... land-says/

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[wjfox]

Ohio Issue 2: State votes to legalise recreational cannabis

3 hours ago

Ohio voters have approved a measure to legalise adult recreational marijuana use. It will take effect in 30 days.

Voters supporting the new law, known as Issue 2, defied the will of the state's Republican controlled legislature.

The measure was first introduced in 2022, but was stalled by Republican lawmakers, triggering a lawsuit to get legalisation on the ballot.

On Tuesday, Ohio became the 24th state in the US to legalise non-medical cannabis use.

"Marijuana is no longer a controversial issue," said Tom Haren, spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. "Ohioans demonstrated this by passing State Issue 2 in a landslide."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67357157

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

[firestar464]

Medical: Good

Recreational: Must be nationalized and provided through a program that helps people quit

[weatheriscool]

[wjfox]

Germany legalises cannabis, but makes it hard to buy

49 minutes ago

The German parliament has backed a new law to allow the recreational use of cannabis.

Under the law, over-18s in Germany will be allowed to possess substantial amounts of cannabis, but strict rules will make it difficult to buy the drug.

Smoking cannabis in many public spaces will become legal from 1 April.

Possession of up to 25g, equivalent to dozens of strong joints, is to be allowed in public spaces. In private homes the legal limit will be 50g.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68378807