CLICKHEREx

Khat may be different, because it needs to be fresh, and it doesn't grow in the UK climate, and wouldn't be economical to grow for sale hydroponically, so the truly devoted addicts will have to learn to grow their own, unless it's grown in Spain, and express trucked to the UK, and sold underground, at a much higher price.

To those few of our readers with delicate sensibilities, I suggest not reading the following, but I regard it as being too important to not post, so that Australia does not go down the same path as the (variously) misguided, uncaring, and corrupt government of the USA. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ http://www.salon.com/2014/06/24/a_swat_team_blew_a_hole_in_my_2_year_old_son/ Tuesday, Jun 24, 2014 A SWAT team blew a hole in my 2-year-old son (UPDATE) That's right: Officers threw a flashbang grenade in my son's crib -- and left a hole in his chest. It gets worse Alecia Phonesavanh Topics: SWAT Team, Police, grenade, feds, Police brutality, police misconduct, Editor's Picks, Babies, War on Drugs, hospitals, ACLU, Politics News A SWAT team blew a hole in my 2-year-old son (UPDATE)Bounkham Bou Bou Phonesavanh(Credit: The Phonesavanh Family) After our house burned down in Wisconsin a few months ago, my husband and I packed our four young kids and all our belongings into a gold minivan and drove to my sister-in-laws place, just outside of Atlanta. On the back windshield, we pasted six stick figures: a dad, a mom, three young girls, and one baby boy. That minivan was sitting in the front driveway of my sister-in-laws place the night a SWAT team broke in, looking for a small amount of drugs they thought my husbands nephew had. Some of my kids toys were in the front yard, but the officers claimed they had no way of knowing children might be present. Our whole family was sleeping in the same room, one bed for us, one for the girls, and a crib. After the SWAT team broke down the door, they threw a flashbang grenade inside. It landed in my sons crib. Flashbang grenades were created for soldiers to use during battle. When they explode, the noise is so loud and the flash is so bright that anyone close by is temporarily blinded and deafened. Its been three weeks since the flashbang exploded next to my sleeping baby, and hes still covered in burns. Theres still a hole in his chest that exposes his ribs. At least thats what Ive been told; Im afraid to look. My husbands nephew, the one they were looking for, wasnt there. He doesnt even live in that house. After breaking down the door, throwing my husband to the ground, and screaming at my children, the officers armed with M16s filed through the house like they were playing war. They searched for drugs and never found any. I heard my baby wailing and asked one of the officers to let me hold him. He screamed at me to sit down and shut up and blocked my view, so I couldnt see my son. I could see a singed crib. And I could see a pool of blood. The officers yelled at me to calm down and told me my son was fine, that hed just lost a tooth. It was only hours later when they finally let us drive to the hospital that we found out Bou Bou was in the intensive burn unit and that hed been placed into a medically induced coma. For the last three weeks, my husband and I have been sleeping at the hospital. We tell our son that we l o v e him and well never leave him behind. His car seat is still in the minivan, right where its always been, and we whisper to him that soon well be taking him home with us. Every morning, I have to face the reality that my son is fighting for his life. Its not clear whether hell live or die. All of this to find a small amount of drugs? The only silver lining I can possibly see is that my baby Bou Bous story might make us angry enough that we stop accepting brutal SWAT raids as a normal way to fight the war on drugs. I know that this has happened to other families, here in Georgia and across the country. I know that SWAT teams are breaking into homes in the middle of the night, more often than not just to serve search warrants in drug cases. I know that too many local cops have stockpiled weapons that were made for soldiers to take to war. And as is usually the case with aggressive policing, I know that people of color and poor people are more likely to be targeted. I know these things because of the American Civil Liberties Unions new report*, and because Im working with them to push for restraints on the use of SWAT. A few nights ago, my 8-year-old woke up in the middle of the night screaming, No, dont kill him! Youre hurting my brother! Dont kill him. How can I ever make that go away? I used to tell my kids that if they were ever in trouble, they should go to the police for help. Now my kids dont want to go to sleep at night because theyre afraid the cops will kill them or their family. Its time to remind the cops that they should be serving and protecting our neighborhoods, not waging war on the people in them. I pray every minute that Ill get to hear my sons laugh again, that Ill get to watch him eat French fries or hear him sing his favorite song from Frozen. Id give anything to watch him chase after his sisters again. I want justice for my baby, and that means making sure no other family ever has to feel this horrible pain. Update: As of the afternoon of 6/24/2014, Baby Bou Bou has been taken out of the medically induced coma and transferred to a new hospital to begin rehabilitation. The hole in his chest has yet to heal, and doctors are still not able to fully assess lasting brain damage. Alecia Phonesavanh is the mother of Bounkham Phonesavanh, nicknamed "Baby Bou Bou." She and her family live in Atlanta. For more information about Bou Bou, go to www.justiceforbabyboubou.com. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ * https://www.aclu.org/war-comes-home-excessive-militarization-american-policing War Comes Home: The Excessive Militarization of American Police - Report 6/23/2014 All across the country, heavily armed SWAT teams are raiding peoples homes in the middle of the night, often just to search for drugs. It should enrage us that people have needlessly died during these raids, that pets have been shot, and that homes have been ravaged. Our neighborhoods are not warzones, and police officers should not be treating us like wartime enemies. Any yet, every year, billions of dollars worth of military equipment flows from the federal government to state and local police departments. Departments use these wartime weapons in everyday policing, especially to fight the wasteful and failed drug war, which has unfairly targeted people of color. As our new report makes clear, its time for American police to remember that they are supposed to protect and serve our communities, not wage war on the people who live in them. War Without Public Support Nearly 80% of the SWAT raids the ACLU studied were conducted to serve search warrants, usually in drug cases. With public support for the War on Drugs at an all-time low, police are using hyper-aggressive, wartime tools and tactics to fight a war that has lost its public mandate. Unnecessary Tragedy Its not uncommon for SWAT teams to brutalize bystanders in their search for a suspect. One family in Atlanta was woken up in the middle of the night when officers burst into their home and threw a flashbang grenade into the playpen where a toddler was sleeping. This is their story. Disparate Impact on Communities of Color It is widely known that policing tactics across the country often unfairly target communities of color. According to our investigation, the use of paramilitary weapons and tactics appears to be no different. These maps show the distribution of SWAT raids by racial composition of neighborhoods in two cities, but this trend is echoed nationwide. Read the complete report for more. Nationwide Trend Hyper-aggressive policing wont go away simply by identifying a couple bad apples or dismissing the problem as a few isolated instances. As this map makes clear, excessive militarization is a nationwide trend. To Serve and Protect, Not to Raid and Ravage Not every situation requires 20 heavily armed SWAT officers and an armored personnel carrier. And yet, we collected reports of full deployments to homes where no contraband was found, where there was no clear reason for thinking the people inside would be armed or awake, and where children and the elderly were present. We need to ensure that hyper-aggressive tools and tactics are only used in situations where they are truly necessary to protect people. Its also time to push for greater transparency and ensure that the federal government is not incentivizing the militarization of our state and local police. Take Action Take action to make sure police are protecting our communities, not invading them.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/10186506/Buyers-score-synthetic-cannabis-online DONNA LEE BIDDLE Last updated 05:00 22/06/2014 People are openly buying and selling synthetic cannabis on internet sites such as Facebook, and dealers say it's as popular as ever despite the Government ban. The ban, imposed last month following a public backlash, led to some shops which sold the products closing down and police raiding warehouses and confiscating stock. Drug counsellors warned banning synthetic cannabis would push the problem underground - and it appears there is still huge demand if social media is any indicator. Sellers are advertising the now illegal products on Facebook buy and sell pages and it's remarkably easy to source - the Sunday Star Times making contact with a seller through a Rotorua page. The dealer offered an ounce of synthetics for $150, or $50 for a bag. She then offered "crack" (methamphetamine) as an alternative and was after a quick sale. Inspector Rob Duindam of the National Criminal Investigations Group, confirmed police were aware of synthetic products being illegally sold online. He said police were constantly monitoring sites and complaints from the public. "With the [Psychoactive Substances Act], it's one of those things that was going to eventuate. People have excess products to get rid of and they can pass through hands in a number of different ways." He said a man was arrested in Christchurch last week for illegally trading synthetic cannabis online. On the Waikato Buy and Sell Page and H-town [Hamilton] Dealz page, sellers were last week blatantly advising people to private message them if they wanted synthetic cannabis. Natural cannabis, or marijuana, is also popular on the pages and buyers have even asked if it can be delivered. A dealer, who asked not to be named, said she sold two brands - a herbal blend called Tai High Juicy Fruit that contained non-psychoactive ingredients and was legal and a product that was banned three years ago, Amsterdam Cafe. Sellers were previously able to get around bans by altering packaging and changing brand names. The seller, based in the Bay of Plenty, said she sold in ounces and her customers usually broke it down into smaller packages to on-sell. She sold up to 20 ounces a day. Another source said a modified version of synthetic cannabis was sold on the streets and from houses in Napier and Rotorua that he knew of. "They buy the legal herb with the base ingredient damiana, then they put amphetamine into it. I even heard of people lacing it with acetone." Synthetic cannabis is illegal to purchase under the Psychoactive Substances Act, and cannot be sold until traders have gone through an approval process, which includes thorough testing to prove there is a low risk of harm. Ad Feedback All existing "legal" highs were effectively banned under the law change that came into effect on May 8, after public protests. Penalties include a $500 fine for personal use, two years imprisonment for supplying the substance or a $50,000 fine for a company. Anal Kumar, who owns a legal high store on Auckland's Queen Street, said most of his customers had turned to herbal highs and electronic smokes such as E-shisha. "We used to sell the highs but now that they're illegal we don't. We have lots of other products for customers." Katie Bayliss, founder of Facebook page Ban Synthetic Cannabis NZ Wide, lost her son Harley to the drug in March this year. "I've looked into it a little bit. Why are these things still available? The government needs to step up and get it all banned," she said. Her Facebook page, which has 35,800 "likes", has become a forum for those suffering the effects of synthetics and their friends and families. "Even though synthetic [cannabis] has been banned my partner has still been able to get it. There are a couple of places I know where he gets it from," said an anonymous poster. "Now that it's been banned it costs more than when it was legal." Duindam said police were working with the Psychoactive Substances Authority to regulate illegal trading. He was particularly concerned about people under 18 and those with mental-health issues, who were most vulnerable. "We are not dismissive of it [online sales] and we are collaborating with all the necessary authorities." Sunday Star Times ____________________________________________________________________________________ "to regulate illegal trading. He was particularly concerned about people under 18 and those with mental-health issues, who were most vulnerable". - I interpret this as them hinting that they will turn a blind eye to synthetic cannabis sales, as long as it is not sold to minors. "Nudge nudge, wink wink. Say no more!"

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/canadian-cleared-of-importing-130kg-of-ice-into-australia-20140625-zsleo.html June 25, 2014 - 3:58PM Mark Russell Court Reporter for The Age A Canadian citizen has been found not guilty of trying to smuggle into Australia more than 130 kilograms of methamphetamine worth more than $200 million in bottles marked ''carpet stain cleaner''. A Supreme Court jury acquitted Ua Iv ''Johnny'' Lim, 32, on Wednesday of one count of trying to possess a commercial quantity of drugs on April 9 last year at a warehouse in Clayton South. The drugs were found in a shipping container that arrived in Melbourne from China on March 29, 2013. The shipper was recorded as Zhuhai City Wanhui Trade Development Company Limited, with a Chinese address, and the goods inside the container were described as commercial cleaning supplies. The shipping container held 833 boxes with Chinese writing on one side, as well as some English writing that said ''carpet stain cleaner''. Inside each box was four one-gallon (3.8 litres) white plastic bottles with a green label describing the contents as ''Charles Barnes Cleaning Chemical Product, Carpet Stain Cleaner''. Crown prosecutor Daniel Gurvich had told the jury the 96 bottles contained methamphetamine with purity ranging from 34 per cent to 39 per cent. The total weight of pure amphetamine came to about 133 kilograms. The bottles containing the drugs were intercepted on April 6 last year by customs officers who replaced them with bottles of carpet cleaner from the same consignment. Those bottles were then replaced with milk bottles filled with water. The container was repacked and delivered to the Clayton South warehouse where Mr Lim was arrested. Defence barrister Scott Johns said that while Mr Lim admitted being at the warehouse and unpacking the goods, he did not know there were drugs inside. ''He was labelling them – nothing unusual about that, nothing sinister about that,'' Mr Johns told the jury. ''He believed they contained cleaning products, and cleaning products only. ''He had no knowledge drugs or illicit substances were inside.'' Mr Johns said there was no admission or intercepted phone call that clearly proved Mr Lim knew about the drugs. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/canadian-cleared-of-importing-130kg-of-ice-into-australia-20140625-zsleo.html#ixzz35idJ5Szi

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/278275.php Monday 16 June 2014 - 12am PST Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Neurology / Neuroscience It has been well documented that heavy alcohol use can cause damage to the brain. But for the first time, researchers from the University of the Basque Country in Spain and the University of Nottingham in the UK reveal the structural brain damage alcohol abuse can cause at a molecular level. In the US, approximately 17 million individuals have an alcohol use disorder. Past research has established that excessive alcohol use can cause problems with cognitive abilities, such as learning and memory impairments and problems with motor skills. According to the researchers of this latest study, such impairments among alcohol abusers have been attributed to regional brain atrophy - the loss or damage of brain cells in certain areas. But they note that until now, the molecular mechanisms behind cognitive impairments have been unclear. To investigate, the team analyzed the postmortem brains of 20 individuals who were diagnosed with alcohol dependence, alongside the postmortem brains of 20 non-alcoholic individuals. The researchers analyzed the prefrontal cortex of each brain - the front region of the brain that is responsible for regulating behavior, abstract thinking and thought analysis. Protein alterations 'may explain cognitive impairments in alcoholics' The team's findings, recently published in the journal PLOS One, revealed that the prefrontal cortex of alcoholic patients demonstrated alterations in the proteins α- and β-tubulin and β II spectrin. The researchers explain that tubulins make up the cytoskeletal structure, or architecture of neurons in the brain, while spectrins are responsible for the shape of neurons. The researchers say that such changes in neuronal structure can influence organization and how the neuronal network of the brain functions, adding: "Thus collectively, we propose that a reduction of the cytoskeletal architecture provides a rationale for the profound differences in the prefrontal cortex neuronal histology of alcoholics, and likely contributes to the cognitive and learning impairments experienced by alcoholics." These findings, the team says, pave the way for further research into how excessive alcohol use impacts the brain. In particular, the researchers want to determine exactly how alcohol leads to such structural alteration and see what changes occur in the enzymes that are responsible for the α- and β-tubulin and β II spectrin proteins. Alcoholic man The researchers say their molecular findings among the brains of alcoholics may explain why alcohol abuse leads to cognitive impairments. They would like to see whether such changes occur in any other areas of the brain, including those responsible for motor function. Such information, the researchers say, could lead to the development of new drugs and treatment options that may reverse the brain-damaging effects induced by excessive alcohol use, which could improve overall quality of life and reduce the number of alcohol-related deaths. Last year, Medical News Today reported on a study published in the journal Cortex, suggesting that excessive alcohol use has long-term negative effects on the brain. More recent research, by investigators at the University of Utah, analyzed the area of the brain that regulates how sensitive we are to the negative effects of alcohol - the lateral habenula. Results of the study, which was conducted in rats, found that those with an inactivated lateral habenula drank more alcohol at a faster rate than control rats. Written by Honor Whiteman

"ex-military makes perfect sence when it comes to policing but it also comes with the above problem, we have been trained to look out for the guy next to us, not to safeguard the guys we are hitting" - You make a good point, and one that I hadn't yet considered, as well as providing insight into the Australian military. Although they wouldn't have been aiming at the crib, they should have observed the multiple clues that there may have been infants, or children present, and not have used military tactics. It's impossible to know if they were just lying, after the event, and trying to protect their arses, or they had tunnel vision, and were too hyped up on adrenaline to notice, or even bother to check out the place beforehand before storming the place like an enemy bunker, and the delay of treating the infant's wounds was criminal neglect, in my opinion, and I hope they are held to account over it, and it forces a change in policy there.

Thanks for your report about Maconha Brava, (Zornia latifolia) which has inspired me to try out the jar I've had gathering dust for some time, now. Looking for other reports, I couldn't find any at Erowid.org, but at http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=433116 8-08-2011, 02:49 PM #1 Coupon Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 48 Zornia Latifolia (Maconha Brava) Like this post? | Zornia is a fairly new plant on the alternative substances market. It is a really easy to grow flower. The literature behind it is pretty much non-existant with the exception of the use in Mexican indian culture and tradition. It is often called food of the gods or wild weed. Throughout the internet it is said that Zornia was used by the mexican indians as a substitute for cannabis. I am going to disagree because I think it wasn't used as a substitute at all but instead as a true entheogen. I received 10 grams of Zornia Latifolia grown locally. It was very stemmy! Was a bit upset at the actual amount of stems so I just said "f#%k it" and threw it all into a coffee grinder. A few seconds later I had a fluff of Zornia It smells great and so I took a small amount and placed it into a pipe... lit it. The smoke is not bad at all! It is actually one of the few things that doesn't make me cough. It has nearly no taste. Not bitter, not sweet... Now for the good part. The effects take about 10 minutes to kick in. It starts out like a kind of cannabis high... but slightly different. Then it just takes off! I smoked around 100mg of dried & chopped Zornia and I was absolutely STONED for nearly 5 hours. I fell asleep still feeling the effects. The effects are weird. It is so similar to cannabis, but different. It almost feels like a mix of cannaboids with a slight MAOI effect??? No nausea. Slight tension in the head but I felt that was almost a healing thing as I have had a shit year. It almost felt like the substance was digging into me and making my physical illnesses "relax". So I kind of want to say that the substance didn't make my head tense but just brought to awareness the tension that was already there. The difference was that I could think clearly and easily! Some cannaboids just make me stupid while stoned... in the sense that I will just sit and stare not thinking at all. This was very introspective. Hallucinations were not huge. But I don't hallucinate easily. It was there though. It seemed more like the eyes couldn't focus... like they were jittery. I also took a look in the mirror and wow! I have NEVER seen my eyes so blood shot and red. I actually got worried that I blew a blood vessel because you hardly could see no white. But the worry receded the next morning when they were back to normal. After effects is a slight headache. Not 100% sure if this was the Zornia or just something else. I've seen other reports of a head ache though... which makes me think about Zornia having MAOI properties even more. Anyways, who else has experienced this??? I would have to say that this would make an amazing base for sythetic cannaboids! Even though they wouldn't be needed honestly. I would also be interested to hear if others have used Zornia in changa (DMT & herb) and if the effects of the DMT when smoked are potentiated and extended. If the Zornia does have MAOI effects, then it should? Plus the Zornia seems to kick in fully right at the time a DMT adventure is coming back to reality... so an afterglow of DMT with the Zornia comeup might be quite amazing?

The USA is downsizing it's military, and the many thousands who were in one uniform, often seek another; that of police officer, and I strongly suspect that a disproportionate number end up in SWAT teams. The military systematically brutalises and dehumanises people, then sends them overseas and unleashes them on the civilians of countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan in searches for insurgents and enemy personnel hiding in the guise of civilians. On return, with an estimated 40% suffering from mental health disorders, such as PTSD, other anxiety spectrum disorders, and depression. Their soldiers' disorders are often either untreated, or inadequately treated by their veterans affairs department. The treatments their VA prescribes are often antidepressants / anxiolytics like Zoloft, Prozac, and Lexapro, which work, if they do, by dulling the emotions, and / or benzodiazepenes to reduce anxiety levels (so they either don't care what happens to the civilians, [the enemy] or that level of concern for them is reduced. If they are accepted into the police, they retain that military mindset; that the people are either the enemy, or aiding and abetting their actions. They also push for more powerful weapons, and armoured personnel carriers, and use tactics similar to those that they were previously trained in, and familiar, even comfortable with.

http://reset.me/story/opinion-10-things-know-first-ayahuasca-ceremony/ by Ira Israel on June 17, 2014 “Life down here is just a strange illusion.” Iron Maiden, “Hallowed Be Thy Name” Hats off to Bob Morris for his ruthlessly whitebread, antiseptic article in the Sunday Styles section of the New York Times! Glamorizing ayahuasca with celebrity quotes and citing the LA Weekly in calling it “exceedingly trendy” is irresponsible on so many levels! How someone managed to whittle an enlightening, transformational healing experience down to an anti-smoking advertisement is truly remarkable! Using ayahuasca to stop smoking would be like using the Hadron Subatomic Particle Collider to make Jello, like using mindfulness to toilet train a baby, like buying a Ferrari because you like the cupholder. For anyone considering partaking in a such a journey: 10. Your intention should be that you wish to experience the divine, the infinite, Mystery – whatever you choose to call “it,” the “other” as Slavoj Zizec refers to it – that which is beyond the limited perspective of your mind. 9. Accept that the divine/infinite/Mystery cannot be experienced in a way that will make sense to your brain; the divine is infinite; your brain is finite. Trying to cognitively grasp the infinite is like trying to pour the ocean into a thimble. 8. Be aware that you may not enjoy the information that the divine/infinite/Mystery chooses to share with you. However – even if you are a “Born-Again Atheist,” as Gore Vidal referred to himself – you will probably learn a great deal about the fleeting concepts you currently refer to as “My Life,” “My Self,” “My Beliefs,” “My Relationships” and “Reality.” 7. Each time you experience the divine/infinite/Mystery will be different – each experience is akin to a drop in the ocean. 6. The experience will be ineffable, beyond any language, and trying to put it into words will be daunting. 5. “10 years of therapy downloaded in a night” seems to be a fairly universal analogy to convey one of the outcomes. You may wish to take this into consideration before you make plans to attend the Knicks game the following afternoon. 4. The “icaros” (songs) are an integral part of the ceremony and through them you may gain a greater appreciation of the power of music. 3. If you do not adhere to a “dieta” (diet) before the ceremony, the plants will assist your body in ridding itself of the chemicals, salt, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, flesh and other toxins and impurities that you have crammed into it. This is commonly known as purging. If your body (including the subtle energy body) is clean, there will be nothing to purge. 2. Ayahuasca should not be used recreationally nor do I believe should be considered a hallucinogenic because… 1. One may realize that everything perceived through the five senses and assimilated by the mind (including afflictions, addictions, prejudices, etc.) is contrived. Ponder this: is it possible that plant medicine allows one to open “the doors of perception” – as William Blake and Aldous Huxley described – temporarily shed the subjective self, “realize” or merge with the infinite “other,” and thus gain a fresh outlook on mundane reality (subsequently inspiring one to curb afflictions, addictions, and prejudices)? Anyhow, before you endeavor on your first journey, I have been told that you should be wary of the bevy of unqualified people currently pouring plant medicine; be quite certain that your shaman is bonafide as you will be entrusting him or her with your psychological and emotional well-being when you experience your mind deconstruct and reconstruct itself. Yes, once the mind is shattered or “broken open” as Daniel Pinchbeck calls it, one may encounter what Mister Morris refers to in his article as “bipolarity and schizophrenia,” but maybe, just maybe – as R.D. Laing posited – reality OUT THERE (outside of our individual, subjective perceptions) is amorphous and not as linear, rational, well-defined, or comprehensible as our minds are wont to believe. I would be remiss if I failed to mention that, personally, I have never tried a hallucinogenic and doubt I ever will; to me there is something uniquely unappealing – from what I have been told – about hallucinating – it seems like a wasteful and potentially dangerous distraction; similarly, professionally – as a Licensed Psychotherapist and Licensed Professional Counselor - after treating many patients who damaged their brains using drugs recreationally, I do not advocate trying any Schedule 1 controlled substances. However, for anyone who is considering embarking on an ayahuasca ceremony I strongly suggest extensively researching the pros and cons, and refraining from buying into the glib perusal offered in the New York Times “Styles” Section last Sunday. Nobody who has ever drunk ayahuasca would report back that it’s a fucking “style!” Lastly, it is not a coincidence that people interested in those crazy, New Age “fads” such as yoga and meditation would gravitate towards plant medicine, for yoga and meditation were originally devised and designed to guide practitioners beyond their thinking minds and experience the divine/infinite/Mystery. Ira Israel is a Licensed Counselor, a Licensed Psychotherapist, and a Certified Yoga Therapist. He is the author of Mindfulness for Anxiety, Mindfulness for Depression, and Yoga for Depression and Anxiety. For more information about Ira please visit www.iraisrael.com.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/wellbeing/10202346/Sunshine-as-addictive-as-heroin MARK GRIFFITHS Last updated 10:52 26/06/2014 SUN WORSHIPPING: Most top models, including Bar Refaeli, love to show off snaps of themselves at the beach at every possible opportunity. If the many media reports are to be believed: "Sunshine can be addictive like heroin." The claim comes via a study published in Cell based on an experiment carried out on mice at Harvard Medical School. Researchers found that ultraviolet light exposure leads to elevated endorphin levels - the body's own 'feel good' internal morphine - that mice experience withdrawal effects after exposure and that chronic ultraviolet light exposure causes dependency and 'addiction-like' behaviour. Although the study was carried out on animals, the authors speculated that their findings may help to explain why we love lying in the sun and that in addition to topping up our tans, sunbathing may be the most natural way to satisfy our cravings for a 'sunshine fix' in the same way that drug addicts yearn for their drug of choice. Reading the findings of this study took me back to 1998, when I appeared as a 'behavioural addiction expert' on a daytime BBC television show alongside people who said they were addicted to tanning (dubbed by the researchers on the programme as 'tanorexia'). I have to admit that none of the case studies on the show appeared to be addicted to tanning - at least based on my six behavioural addiction criteria: salience (being the most important and preoccupying activity in the person's life), mood modifying, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict and relapse. But it did at least alert me to the fact that some people thought sunbathing and tanning were addictive. On the show, people likened their excessive tanning to nicotine addiction, and there certainly appeared to be some similarities between the people interviewed and nicotine addiction, in the sense that the 'tanorexics' knew they were significantly increasing their chances of getting skin cancer as a direct result of their risky behaviour but felt they were unable to stop doing it, which you could argue is very similar to smoking despite knowing the health warnings. Since then, tanorexia has become a topic for scientific investigation. A 2005 study published in the Archives of Dermatology claimed that a quarter of the sample of 145 'sun worshippers' would qualify as having a substance-related disorder if ultraviolet light was classed as the substance they craved. The paper also reported that frequent tanners experienced a "loss of control" over their tanning schedule and displayed a pattern of addiction similar to smokers and alcoholics. A 2006 study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, reported that frequent tanners (those who tanned eight to 15 times a month) who took naltrexone, an endorphin blocker normally used to treat drug addictions, significantly reduced the amount of time spent tanning compared with a control group of light tanners. Two years later, a study published in the American Journal of Health Behaviour reported that 27 per cent of 400 surveyed students were classified as "tanning dependent." The authors claimed that those classed as being tanning dependent had a number of similarities to substance users, including a higher prevalence among youths; an initial perception that the behaviour was image-enhancing; high health risks and disregard for warnings about those risks; and the activity being mood-enhancing. A just-published study in the American Journal of Health Promotion surveyed 306 female students and classed 25 per cent of the respondents as "tanning dependent" based upon a self-devised tanning-dependence questionnaire. But the problem with this and most of the psychological research on tanorexia is that almost all of it is carried out on relatively small convenience samples using self-reporting and non-psychometrically validated 'tanning addiction' measurement scales. Although some studies suggest that some of my addiction criteria appear to have been met, I have yet to be convinced that any of the published studies show that all of them have been met. In short, empirical research evidence demonstrating a genuine addiction to tanning that encompasses all the known and expected physical and psychological consequences of addiction has yet to be proven. - Griffiths is the director of the International Gaming Research Unit and Professor of Gambling Studies at Nottingham Trent University. - This article was originally published on The Conversation. - The Washington Post

http://www.avonadvocate.com.au/story/2373526/mental-health-minister-issues-reminder-on-illicit-synthetic-drugs/?cs=12 June 24, 2014, 4:01 p.m. MENTAL Health Minister Helen Morton reinforced the message on Tuesday that synthetic cannabinoids are illegal in Western Australia. Speaking at the Western Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Symposium, the Minister said that provisions in the WA Poisons Act meant that it was against the law to supply, sell, manufacture or possess these substances in the State. Let us be clear. All synthetic cannabinoids, along with a number of other synthetic substances, are already prohibited in Western Australia, Mrs Morton said. There are stiff penalties for possession and supply of synthetic drugs under the Misuse of Drug laws, just as there are for cannabis, methamphetamines and ecstasy. These include up to $2,000, or two years, for simple possession, and up to $100,000 and/or 25 years for the sale, supply or possession with intent to supply these substances. Penalties for selling, supplying or offering these drugs to a child are even greater. To further assist with the policing of these prohibitions, the State Government lists specific synthetic substances as they come to the attention of health and police. The State Government will shortly be adding 33 more substances to the list of banned substances, making it absolutely clear to the public that they are illegal, and further assisting with the enforcement of the law, the Minister said. WA continues to be one of the most proactive jurisdictions when it comes to addressing this issue, however consideration is being given to what new laws and other initiatives might be added to strengthen the Governments response. Fact File In 2012, eight groups of synthetic cannabinoids were banned nationally through their listing in Schedule 9 of the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP), making it illegal to supply, sell, manufacture and possess these substances An extra group entry was also included for all synthetic cannabinomimetics, substances which mimic cannabis-like substances, to make it explicitly clear that all synthetic cannabinoids were to be considered illegal The WA Poisons Act adopts the listings in SUSMP by reference, making it also illegal to supply, sell, manufacture and possess these substances in Western Australia.

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/727085-The-link-between-weed-and-schizophrenia-is-way-more-complicated-than-we-thought slimvictor View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Moderator Drugs in the Media -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Dec 2008 Location "Darkness cannot be dissipated with more darkness. More darkness will make darkness thicker. Only light can dissipate darkness. Violence and hatred cannot be removed with violence and hatred." - Thich Nhat Hanh Posts 6,279 Yesterday 19:13 Study finds genetic overlap between cannabis use and schizophrenia The association between marijuana and schizophrenia is historically fraught. In the 1960's and 1970's, scientists thought that smoking weed could trigger psychosis in just about anyone. Today, these findings are more nuanced, but researchers still think that cannabis can trigger schizophrenia in people who are predisposed to the disease meaning those with family histories of the disorder. Yet, in the last decade, some scientists have actually started to look at the effect in reverse. The resulting studies suggest that the neurobiology underlying schizophrenia might also put people affected by the disorder at increased risk for smoking pot. But these results haven't garnered nearly as much attention as studies suggesting the opposite. Now, a new study, published today in Molecular Psychiatry, lends further support to the idea that schizophrenia plays a role in an individual's likelihood of smoking weed, by showing that the genetic variants predicting schizophrenia can also be used to predict a person's tendency to smoke pot, regardless of their mental health history. This, researchers say, demonstrates that the causal relationship between cannabis use and schizophrenia might not be clear cut, and that at least a small part of the association might be caused by genetic overlap, where the same genes that predispose certain people to enjoying weed might also predispose others to developing schizophrenia or both. To tease apart this relationship, researchers took genetic data from recently published studies of schizophrenia, and identified genetic variants associated with the disease. Then, they applied that information to a random sample of about 2,000 healthy Australians to see if those variants could also predict cannabis use. cont at http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/24/58...mplicated-than DiTM Guidelines DiTM Videos Thread BLUA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #2 pmoseman View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jan 2013 Location United States Posts 1,221 Today 03:04 "Furthermore, some studies have found that smoking pot accelerates the development of schizophrenia in those who are genetically predisposed, but that association took a hit in 2010, when researchers found that accounting for things like gender, lifetime mental health history, and socioeconomic status erased the effect." <- excerpt from article http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2900481/ <- This study being refered to ((scathe scathe scathe)) I looked into the "erasure" claim made in this portion of the article and found out a few things in the research that make me wonder. There were 4 variables to predict a lifetime history of cannabis use disorders in first-episode subjects (one more than the 3 mentioned in the article): male gender, lower subject socio-economics status, better premorbid childhood social adjustment, and more severe positive symptoms at study entry. I see no need to leave that last one out, other than to give the article some sense of balance. So, these variables predict whether or not a young adult schizophrenic patient had a lifetime history of cannabis use disorder NOT whether or not they had used cannabis. They used multivariate logarithmic recursion, which I have some untrusting familiarity with. The claim in question is that of the article. The study has some clever things to say about smoking dope... and I have some equally ingenious questions, however, this claim really boils down to the strength of the mathematical recursion model. This plot describes 32% of the variation. This model would certainly give you erroneous results. I would not use it for anything. Last edited by pmoseman; Today at 03:11. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #3 CLICKHEREx View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join DateSep 2012 Posts95Today 14:30 Anyone who has a family history of schizophrenia would be well advised to avoid cannabis use, but if they continue to use, they may well benefit from the following: "A study from the Orygen Research Centre in Melbourne suggests that omega-3 fatty acids could also help delay or prevent the onset of schizophrenia. The researchers enlisted 81 'high risk' young people aged 13 to 24 who had previously suffered brief hallucinations or delusions and gave half of them capsules of fish oil while the other half received fish-tasting dummy subtitute. One year on, only three percent of those on fish oil had developed schizophrenia compared to 28 percent from those on the substitute, but the result has not yet been published in a peer reviewed journal.[13]" View: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_oil & http://www.oilofpisces.com/depression.html#depression Check out: http://www.google.com/search?q=niaci...=0&aqi=g1&aql= A post on natural treatments for psychosis (visual / auditory hallucinations, and / or delusional beliefs) may be found at https://au.answers.yahoo.com/questio...5052114AAO7Lf0

I agree that hallucinogenic / entheogenic mushrooms are safer than ayahuasca, which can be fatal. Over the years, I've used many types of drugs, including psilocybin, in "goldtops" magic mushies, in Darwin.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/06/24/educated-wealthy-and-using-drugs-it-time-change-australias-drug-laws According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, around 40 per cent of Aussies have tried illegal drugs. Yet, you'd be hard pressed to find a politican, professional or any high profile person who would admit to it. By Rachael Thornton Source The Feed 24 Jun 2014 - 9:07 AM UPDATED YESTERDAY 9:11 AM Australian Bureau of Statistics figures say that last year Australians spent $7 Billion on illegal drugs with drug dealers making a tidy $6 billion profit. The Australian Government spent $1.7 Billion fighting the war on drugs in 2013 alone. Will Tregoning is a researcher and a co-founder of Unharm - a not for profit organisation that aims to reduce drug harm and demand by challenging current drug policies. He says the typical drug user in Australia doesn't fit our current ideology. "People have this stereotype that the people who take drugs are heroin addicts who live on the street or dole bludgers at home punching bongs on the couch," says Will. "The reality is that you're more likely to have taken drugs if you're employed, you're more likely to have taken drugs if you've got a tertiary education." "A lot of wealthy people take illegal drugs." According to The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, around 9 million Australians have used illegal drugs in their lifetime. That's 40 per cent of the population. So with so many Australian's now taking illegal drugs - is it time for drug laws to be reformed? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I would have liked to make some comments under the article, but was not prepared to provide SBS with both my email address, AND its password!!!

Articles are better judged by the information they contain, rather than the experience, or lack of it, of the writer, in my opinion. Many journalists know little, or nothing about drugs, often referring to "synthetic LSD", for example, when LSD is a synthetic hallucinogen / entheogen, yet the content of their articles can still have validity.

http://phys.org/wire-news/164386603/ancient-man-used-super-acoustics-to-alter-consciousness-and-spe.html June 16th, 2014 Linda Eneix Ancient Man Used “Super-Acoustics” to Alter Consciousness (... and speak with the dead?) Research team members enter the "Oracle Room" of the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, Malta (ca. 3600 BCE) A prehistoric necropolis yields clues to the ancient use of sound and its effect on human brain activity. Researchers detected the presence of a strong double resonance frequency at 70Hz and 114Hz inside a 5,000-years-old mortuary temple on the Mediterranean island of Malta. The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is an underground complex created in the Neolithic (New Stone Age) period as a depository for bones and a shrine for ritual use. A chamber known as "The Oracle Room" has a fabled reputation for exceptional sound behavior. During testing, a deep male voice tuned to these frequencies stimulated a resonance phenomenon throughout the hypogeum, creating bone-chilling effects. It was reported that sounds echoed for up to 8 seconds. Archaeologist Fernando Coimbra said that he felt the sound crossing his body at high speed, leaving a sensation of relaxation. When it was repeated, the sensation returned and he also had the illusion that the sound was reflected from his body to the ancient red ochre paintings on the walls. One can only imagine the experience in antiquity: standing in what must have been somewhat odorous dark and listening to ritual chant while low light flickered over the bones of one's departed loved ones. Sound in a Basso/Baritone range of 70 – 130 hz vibrates in a certain way as a natural phenomenon of the environment in the Hypogeum, as it does in Newgrange passage tomb, megalithic cairns and any stone cavity of the right dimensions. At these resonance frequencies, even small periodic driving forces can produce large amplitude oscillations, because the system stores vibrational energy. Echoes bounce off the hard surfaces and compound before they fade. Laboratory testing indicates that exposure to these particular resonant frequencies can have a physical effect on human brain activity. In the publication from the conference on Archaeoacoustics which sparked the study, Dr. Paolo Debertolis reports on tests conducted at the Clinical Neurophysiology Unit at the University of Trieste in Italy: "…each volunteer has their own individual frequency of activation, …always between 90 and 120 hz. Those volunteers with a frontal lobe prevalence during the testing received ideas and thoughts similar to what happens during meditation, whilst those with occipital lobe prevalence visualized images." He goes on to state that under the right circumstances, "Ancient populations were able to obtain different states of consciousness without the use of drugs or other chemical substances." Hal Saflieni (ca. 3600 BCE) Credit: Mediterranean Institute of Ancient Civilizations Writing jointly, Anthropologist, Dr. Ezra Zubrow, Archaeologist and Psychologist, Dr. Torill Lindstrom state: "We regard it as almost inevitable that people in the Neolithic past in Malta discovered the acoustic effects of the Hypogeum, and experienced them as extraordinary, strange, perhaps even as weird and "otherworldly". What is astounding is that five thousand years ago the builders exploited the phenomenon, intentionally using architectural techniques to boost these "super-acoustics". Glenn Kreisberg, a radio frequency spectrum engineer who was with the research group, observed that in the Hypogeum, "The Oracle Chamber ceiling, especially near its entrance from the outer area, and the elongated inner chamber itself, appears to be intentionally carved into the form of a wave guide." Project organizer Linda Eneix points to other features: "The carving of the two niches which concentrate the effect of sound, the curved shape of the Oracle Chamber with its shallow "shelf" cut high across the back, the corbelled ceilings and concave walls in the finer rooms are all precursors of todays' acoustically engineered performance environments." She says, "If we can accept that these developments were not by accident, then it's clear that Ħal Saflieni's builders knew how to manipulate a desired human psychological and physiological experience, whether they could explain it or not." Why? It was demonstrated at the conference that special sound is associated with the sacred: from prehistoric caves in France and Spain to musical stone temples in India; from protected Aztec codexes in Mexico to Eleusinian Mysteries and sanctuaries in Greece to sacred Elamite valleys in Iran. It was human nature to isolate these hyper-acoustic places from mundane daily life and to place high importance to them because abnormal sound behavior implied a divine presence. In the same conference publication Emeritus Professor Iegor Reznikoff suggests that Ħal Saflieni is a link between Palaeolithic painted caves and Romanesque chapels … "That people sang laments or prayers for the dead in the Hypogeum is certain, for a) it is a universal practice in all oral traditions we know, at the same period, around 3,000 BC, we have the Sumerian or Egyptian inscriptions mentioning singing to the Invisible, particularly in relationship with death and Second Life, and finally c) the resonance is so strong in the Hypogeum already when simply speaking, that one is forced to use it and singing becomes natural." Drs. Lindstrom and Zubrow hint at a more hierarchal purpose for the manipulation of sound. "The Neolithic itself was characterized by cultures focused on new invention…enormous collective collaborations over extended periods of time. For these large-scale projects of agriculture and building, social cohesion and compliance was absolutely necessary." The same people who created Ħal Saflieni also engineered a complete solar calendar with solstice and equinox sunrise alignments that still function today in one of their above-ground megalithic structures. There is no question that a sophisticated school of architectural, astronomic and audiologic knowledge was already in place a thousand years before the Egyptians started building pyramids. Eneix believes that Malta's Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is a remnant of a rich cultural tradition carried by the Neolithic migrations that spanned thousands of years and thousands of miles. More information: www.archaeoacoustics.org Provided by Mediterranean Institute of Ancient Civilizations

http://www.marijuana.org/post/89580000260/marijuana-considered-for-looser-restrictions-by-u-s * Excerpt from Bloomberg; By Anna Edney 2014-06-20 U.S. regulators are studying whether restrictions on marijuana should be eased, a step toward decriminalizing the drug at the federal level. The Food and Drug Administration is conducting an analysis at the Drug Enforcement Administration’s request on whether the U.S. should downgrade the classification of marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, said Douglas Throckmorton, Deputy Director for Regulatory Programs at the FDA, at a congressional hearing. John Entwistle says: Click here to read the petition yourself *. This was filed on November 30, 2011 by the governors of four states. All previous petitions were filed by marijuana legalization activists and were denied but this one is different. We predict that this petition will be granted and the result will be the removal of pot from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. This is what we have worked our entire lives to make happen.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/new-assets-seizure-laws-to-take-every-last-cent-from-convicted-drug-lords/story-fni0fee2-1226964288678 New assets seizure laws to take every last cent from convicted drug lords Matt Johnston state politics reporter Herald Sun June 23, 2014 10:00PM More than $50 million has already been seized from Tony Mokbel. DRUG barons sent to jail now face being stripped of almost all they own, even without any evidence their riches are ill-gotten gains. Tough new laws to ensure crime doesn’t pay will also crack down on kingpins who shield their assets by parking them in a relative’s name. Police will get new powers to freeze and sell off assets. Forfeiture laws to be introduced to State Parliament this week would allow courts to label a criminal convicted of large-scale drug cultivation or trafficking a “serious drug offender”. A Ferrari seized by police from Tony Mokbel’s home. Authorities could then pursue the criminal’s property without having to prove, as they must now, that the property was involved in the commission of a crime or was bought with the proceeds of crime. CHARLIE BEZZINA: Why stop laws at drug kinpins? EDITORIAL: Time to stop drug lords flaunting their wealth FAT TONY: Busted laying huge bets inside MOKBEL’S MONEY: Inside ‘The Company’ GANGLAND: Inside Melbourne’s underworld CARL WILLIAMS: Greed drove underworld serial killer Attorney-General Robert Clark told the Herald Sun this meant they would lose almost everything “save for basic household goods and tools and a modestly priced vehicle”. “Any financial gain drug traffickers may have stood to make will be effectively wiped out,” he said. “These laws will send a strong message to would-be drug traffickers that crime will not pay in Victoria. Not only will they go to jail for a long time, but they will lose almost everything they own. “Drug traffickers are peddlers of death and misery, who wreak a terrible toll on young lives across our state. “Those behind the mass distribution of ice and other drugs across our state need to be hit hard.” The money raised would go into government coffers. High-profile cases of drug tsars living off suspected proceeds of crime include Tony Mokbel, who escaped to Greece on a yacht in 2006. More than $50 million has been seized from the trafficker and his associates, but recent Herald Sun revelations about Mokbel laying huge racing bets from prison suggest a continuing flow of money. The legislation is to include safeguards to try to ensure that innocent third parties, such as an unwitting housemate or partner in an asset, are not swept up in asset seizures. Under baseline sentencing laws before Parliament, drug kingpins also face a 14-year average jail term. Further law and order reforms, including a push to dump defensive homicide laws, are due to be debated in Parliament as early as this week. ________________________________________________________________________________________ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/drug-crims-to-lose-all-assets/story-fni0ffsx-1226964298551 June 24, 2014 12:00AM DRUG traffickers richly deserve to have their considerable assets seized under new laws to be introduced in the Victorian Parliament. There is no question these new laws will be supported by a public tired of the arrogance of criminals who live a millionaire lifestyle, surrounded by their ill-gotten gains. Drug lords enjoy flaunting their wealth for all to see. Their ostentatious behaviour is an insult to the law-abiding community. Tony Mokbel drove a Ferrari and owned racehorses before fleeing Australia in a yacht he bought to aid his escape to Greece. He was arrested still running his drug empire through the internet and on mobile phones. No longer will criminals be able to keep their assets safeguarded from their crimes. Offenders convicted of serious drug offences will forfeit everything they own. The law used to require proof that the assets in question were the proceeds of criminal activities. Under the new laws, such assets do not have to be linked to crime. Convicted criminals will be left with no more than their clothes and what might be found in a modest home. The Ferrari or the Porsche will no longer sit in the driveway. There may no longer be a driveway to the house where their family may be living. The criminals themselves will be serving years in jail under new sentencing requirements. Nor will it be a case of selling off what they own before they can be convicted. An order will stop the disposal of property from the time they are charged until the outcome of their trial, or the charges being withdrawn. These are harsh laws but necessary to deal with the asset empires built up by serious offenders and for too long beyond the reach of police. In the case of Mokbel, serving a minimum of 22 years in jail for drug trafficking, authorities have seized more than $50 million in assets. Even so, there are still large sums undiscovered, which Mokbel is drawing on to lay bets for tens of thousands of dollars on major horse racing meetings. For a time, criminals had to prove their assets were not the profits of crime, which is the reverse of the usual onus of proof that rested with police and prosecutors. Wealthy drug offenders will undoubtedly engage the services of highly paid solicitors and barristers to challenge the new legislation, but the Government is confident they will not succeed in what would be a major constitutional challenge. The new legislation will have the imprimatur of the Victorian Supreme Court in declaring someone a “serious drug offender” after convicting a defendant of the most serious of drug offences. Victorian Attorney-General Robert Clark calls drug traffickers “peddlers of death and misery who wreak a terrible toll on young lives”. This is the grimmest of realities. Mr Clark says criminals dealing in ice and other dangerous drugs will see their financial gains simply “wiped out”. There are safeguards to ensure innocent third parties, such as families, are not disadvantaged by seizures under the Confiscation Act. Dependants will not be left homeless, but most likely they will be living in a different home. One of the major benefits of the new legislation is to stop assets being reinvested to finance further criminal activities, which is often the case in high-end drug trafficking. A major problem with existing legislation is to separate from assets that which has been obtained legitimately and what are the proceeds of crime. That is no longer at issue. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ "and other dangerous drugs" - Just who is to say what determines whether a drug is dangerous, or not? How about cannabis? Will a small time grower, producing enough for him/herself and partner, and selling just enough to pay for electricity, nutrients, replacement lights, growing media, etc. lose everything they have worked to build all their lives? And what about newly married couples, etc. where one is unaware that the other is dealing? Is synthetic cannabis to be regarded as a dangerous drug? Hashish? Such criminals will soon learn to steadily move their wealth to states, territories, and countries where the Vic / Qld laws can't touch it, or put some in the hands of close and trusted friends, or even corrupt lawyers / bankers / "business people" who aren't dealing, and/or go bush regularly, and bury it in multiple locations.

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2014/s4029235.htm * Anna Vidot reported this story on Thursday, June 19, 2014 18:40:00 Listen to MP3 of this story ( minutes) | MP3 download * MARK COLVIN: A West Australian Government backbencher says he still doesn't know if the synthetic cannabis he brought onto the floor of State Parliament is illegal. WA Liberal Phil Edman is pushing his own Government to do more to tackle artificial cannabis. He says ministerial colleagues told him the substance was legal, but confusion reigned after the Minister for Mental Health told Parliament that all synthetic cannabis products were illegal. Anna Vidot reports. ANNA VIDOT: Liberal MP Phil Edman presented himself to Rockingham Police Station in Perth's southern suburbs this morning, to "turn himself in" and surrender a three gram bag of synthetic cannabis he thought he'd bought legally. PHILLIP EDMAN: I've asked the police if I'm going to be charged or whether the substance that I've handed in this morning is illegal, and they have said to me that they don't know if it's legal or illegal, as they will now have to send it off for it to be tested. ANNA VIDOT: The confusion about what's legal and what's not began yesterday, when Phil Edman declared he'd bought synthetic cannabis over the counter in his electorate and would table it in the Parliament. Mr Edman's been publicly pushing his own Government to do more to tackle synthetic cannabis, which he says is exacerbating issues like youth unemployment and domestic violence in his community. To prove how easy it is to obtain, Phil Edman told the chamber he sent a couple of staffers out to buy some. When other MPs questioned whether the substance Phil Edman wanted to table was in fact legal, he said he'd sought advice on that from the state's Health Minister. PHIL EDMAN: I have asked Minister Kim Hames about this product and he's also assured me that this product is legal at the moment. ANNA VIDOT: The Mental Health Minister Helen Morton then stood to clarify the Government's position on Mr Edman's synthetic cannabis, which earlier in the day she'd said was still legal. HELEN MORTON: All synthetic cannabinoids in Western Australia are illegal. ANNA VIDOT: A spokesperson for the Health Minister Kim Hames has also told the ABC that the Minister advised Mr Edman that, "he could not be sure if the product in his possession was legal or illegal, given he did not know what substances it contained." Mr Edman says police have told him they won't know whether or not he's broken the law until the test results on his substance come back. And he says that points to the problem in the system - that the police can't take action until a specific package of synthetic cannabis is analysed and is proven to contain a banned substance. WA's Police commissioner Karl O'Callaghan. KARL O'CALLAGHAN: It points to nothing if we don't know what the substance is. So for argument's sake, the first thing we've got to get to for base one is to find out what's in those packages. ANNA VIDOT: The commissioner says WA Police don't need additional resources to deal with synthetic drugs. KARL O'CALLAGHAN: Drug investigation and doing work on these sorts of things is part of our normal business. I mean, the answer is not to have more police running around doing these things. The answer is actually to have good legislation which keeps the people who sell them in check. ANNA VIDOT: The WA Government has acknowledged that state legislation around synthetic drugs could be improved, and it's currently seeking to ban 33 substances, including the one bought by Phil Edman. There's also work ongoing to reverse the onus of proof and require the people selling synthetic drugs to prove that they're not harmful. Phil Edman says enough time's been wasted in confusion. PHILLIP EDMAN: The Minister said last night what I did have in my possession was illegal. I guess in one way that's good news, and I ask that the authorities, for the police, for the Government to now prosecute those shops that are selling synthetic cannabis and know they should be prosecuted under the full extent of that law. That should happen today. They should happen now, if that is true. And if it can't happen right now, or it can't happen at all, the questions need to be asked, why? MARK COLVIN: WA Liberal Phil Edman ending Anna Vidot's report.

http://www.tripme.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?11999-The-Shamanic-View-of-Mental-Illness ----------------- 16-06-2014, 04:08 PM #1 Neo Administrator Join Date Oct 2006 Posts 5,202 Thanks 3,236 Thanked 2,925 Times in 1,065 Posts The Shamanic View of Mental Illness June 12, 2014 / 334990 views The Shamanic View of Mental Illness In the shamanic view, mental illness signals “the birth of a healer,” explains Malidoma Patrice Somé. Thus, mental disorders are spiritual emergencies, spiritual crises, and need to be regarded as such to aid the healer in being born. What those in the West view as mental illness, the Dagara people regard as “good news from the other world.” The person going through the crisis has been chosen as a medium for a message to the community that needs to be communicated from the spirit realm. “Mental disorder, behavioral disorder of all kinds, signal the fact that two obviously incompatible energies have merged into the same field,” says Dr. Somé. These disturbances result when the person does not get assistance in dealing with the presence of the energy from the spirit realm. One of the things Dr. Somé encountered when he first came to the United States in 1980 for graduate study was how this country deals with mental illness. When a fellow student was sent to a mental institute due to “nervous depression,” Dr. Somé went to visit him. “I was so shocked. That was the first time I was brought face to face with what is done here to people exhibiting the same symptoms I’ve seen in my village.” What struck Dr. Somé was that the attention given to such symptoms was based on pathology, on the idea that the condition is something that needs to stop. This was in complete opposition to the way his culture views such a situation. As he looked around the stark ward at the patients, some in straitjackets, some zoned out on medications, others screaming, he observed to himself, “So this is how the healers who are attempting to be born are treated in this culture. What a loss! What a loss that a person who is finally being aligned with a power from the other world is just being wasted.” Another way to say this, which may make more sense to the Western mind, is that we in the West are not trained in how to deal or even taught to acknowledge the existence of psychic phenomena, the spiritual world. In fact, psychic abilities are denigrated. When energies from the spiritual world emerge in a Western psyche, that individual is completely unequipped to integrate them or even recognize what is happening. The result can be terrifying. Without the proper context for and assistance in dealing with the breakthrough from another level of reality, for all practical purposes, the person is insane. Heavy dosing with anti-psychotic drugs compounds the problem and prevents the integration that could lead to soul development and growth in the individual who has received these energies. On the mental ward, Dr Somé saw a lot of “beings” hanging around the patients, “entities” that are invisible to most people but that shamans and psychics are able to see. “They were causing the crisis in these people,” he says. It appeared to him that these beings were trying to get the medications and their effects out of the bodies of the people the beings were trying to merge with, and were increasing the patients’ pain in the process. “The beings were acting almost like some kind of excavator in the energy field of people. They were really fierce about that. The people they were doing that to were just screaming and yelling,” he said. He couldn’t stay in that environment and had to leave. In the Dagara tradition, the community helps the person reconcile the energies of both worlds–”the world of the spirit that he or she is merged with, and the village and community.” That person is able then to serve as a bridge between the worlds and help the living with information and healing they need. Thus, the spiritual crisis ends with the birth of another healer. “The other world’s relationship with our world is one of sponsorship,” Dr. Somé explains. “More often than not, the knowledge and skills that arise from this kind of merger are a knowledge or a skill that is provided directly from the other world.” The beings who were increasing the pain of the inmates on the mental hospital ward were actually attempting to merge with the inmates in order to get messages through to this world. The people they had chosen to merge with were getting no assistance in learning how to be a bridge between the worlds and the beings’ attempts to merge were thwarted. The result was the sustaining of the initial disorder of energy and the aborting of the birth of a healer. “The Western culture has consistently ignored the birth of the healer,” states Dr. Somé. “Consequently, there will be a tendency from the other world to keep trying as many people as possible in an attempt to get somebody’s attention. They have to try harder.” The spirits are drawn to people whose senses have not been anesthetized. “The sensitivity is pretty much read as an invitation to come in,” he notes. Those who develop so-called mental disorders are those who are sensitive, which is viewed in Western culture as oversensitivity. Indigenous cultures don’t see it that way and, as a result, sensitive people don’t experience themselves as overly sensitive. In the West, “it is the overload of the culture they’re in that is just wrecking them,” observes Dr. Somé. The frenetic pace, the bombardment of the senses, and the violent energy that characterize Western culture can overwhelm sensitive people. Schizophrenia and Foreign Energy With schizophrenia, there is a special “receptivity to a flow of images and information, which cannot be controlled,” stated Dr. Somé. “When this kind of rush occurs at a time that is not personally chosen, and particularly when it comes with images that are scary and contradictory, the person goes into a frenzy.” What is required in this situation is first to separate the person’s energy from the extraneous foreign energies, by using shamanic practice (what is known as a “sweep”) to clear the latter out of the individual’s aura. With the clearing of their energy field, the person no longer picks up a flood of information and so no longer has a reason to be scared and disturbed, explains Dr. Somé. Then it is possible to help the person align with the energy of the spirit being attempting to come through from the other world and give birth to the healer. The blockage of that emergence is what creates problems. “The energy of the healer is a high-voltage energy,” he observes. “When it is blocked, it just burns up the person. It’s like a short-circuit. Fuses are blowing. This is why it can be really scary, and I understand why this culture prefers to confine these people. Here they are yelling and screaming, and they’re put into a straitjacket. That’s a sad image.” Again, the shamanic approach is to work on aligning the energies so there is no blockage, “fuses” aren’t blowing, and the person can become the healer they are meant to be. It needs to be noted at this point, however, that not all of the spirit beings that enter a person’s energetic field are there for the purposes of promoting healing. There are negative energies as well, which are undesirable presences in the aura. In those cases, the shamanic approach is to remove them from the aura, rather than work to align the discordant energies Alex: Crazy in the USA, Healer in Africa To test his belief that the shamanic view of mental illness holds true in the Western world as well as in indigenous cultures, Dr. Somé took a mental patient back to Africa with him, to his village. “I was prompted by my own curiosity to find out whether there’s truth in the universality that mental illness could be connected with an alignment with a being from another world,” says Dr. Somé. Alex was an 18-year-old American who had suffered a psychotic break when he was 14. He had hallucinations, was suicidal, and went through cycles of dangerously severe depression. He was in a mental hospital and had been given a lot of drugs, but nothing was helping. “The parents had done everything–unsuccessfully,” says Dr. Somé. “They didn’t know what else to do.” With their permission, Dr. Somé took their son to Africa. “After eight months there, Alex had become quite normal, Dr. Somé reports. He was even able to participate with healers in the business of healing; sitting with them all day long and helping them, assisting them in what they were doing with their clients . . . . He spent about four years in my village.” Alex stayed by choice, not because he needed more healing. He felt, “much safer in the village than in America.” To bring his energy and that of the being from the spiritual realm into alignment, Alex went through a shamanic ritual designed for that purpose, although it was slightly different from the one used with the Dagara people. “He wasn’t born in the village, so something else applied. But the result was similar, even though the ritual was not literally the same,” explains Dr. Somé. The fact that aligning the energy worked to heal Alex demonstrated to Dr. Somé that the connection between other beings and mental illness is indeed universal. After the ritual, Alex began to share the messages that the spirit being had for this world. Unfortunately, the people he was talking to didn’t speak English (Dr. Somé was away at that point). The whole experience led, however, to Alex’s going to college to study psychology. He returned to the United States after four years because “he discovered that all the things that he needed to do had been done, and he could then move on with his life.” The last that Dr. Somé heard was that Alex was in graduate school in psychology at Harvard. No one had thought he would ever be able to complete undergraduate studies, much less get an advanced degree. Dr. Somé sums up what Alex’s mental illness was all about: “He was reaching out. It was an emergency call. His job and his purpose was to be a healer. He said no one was paying attention to that.” After seeing how well the shamanic approach worked for Alex, Dr. Somé concluded that spirit beings are just as much an issue in the West as in his community in Africa. “Yet the question still remains, the answer to this problem must be found here, instead of having to go all the way overseas to seek the answer. There has to be a way in which a little bit of attention beyond the pathology of this whole experience leads to the possibility of coming up with the proper ritual to help people. Longing for Spiritual Connection A common thread that Dr. Somé has noticed in “mental” disorders in the West is “a very ancient ancestral energy that has been placed in stasis, that finally is coming out in the person.” His job then is to trace it back, to go back in time to discover what that spirit is. In most cases, the spirit is connected to nature, especially with mountains or big rivers, he says. In the case of mountains, as an example to explain the phenomenon, “it’s a spirit of the mountain that is walking side by side with the person and, as a result, creating a time-space distortion that is affecting the person caught in it.” What is needed is a merger or alignment of the two energies, “so the person and the mountain spirit become one.” Again, the shaman conducts a specific ritual to bring about this alignment. Dr. Somé believes that he encounters this situation so often in the United States because “most of the fabric of this country is made up of the energy of the machine, and the result of that is the disconnection and the severing of the past. You can run from the past, but you can’t hide from it.” The ancestral spirit of the natural world comes visiting. “It’s not so much what the spirit wants as it is what the person wants,” he says. “The spirit sees in us a call for something grand, something that will make life meaningful, and so the spirit is responding to that.” That call, which we don’t even know we are making, reflects “a strong longing for a profound connection, a connection that transcends materialism and possession of things and moves into a tangible cosmic dimension. Most of this longing is unconscious, but for spirits, conscious or unconscious doesn’t make any difference.” They respond to either. As part of the ritual to merge the mountain and human energy, those who are receiving the “mountain energy” are sent to a mountain area of their choice, where they pick up a stone that calls to them. They bring that stone back for the rest of the ritual and then keep it as a companion; some even carry it around with them. “The presence of the stone does a lot in tuning the perceptive ability of the person,” notes Dr. Somé. “They receive all kinds of information that they can make use of, so it’s like they get some tangible guidance from the other world as to how to live their life.” When it is the “river energy,” those being called go to the river and, after speaking to the river spirit, find a water stone to bring back for the same kind of ritual as with the mountain spirit. “People think something extraordinary must be done in an extraordinary situation like this,” he says. That’s not usually the case. Sometimes it is as simple as carrying a stone. A Sacred Ritual Approach to Mental Illness One of the gifts a shaman can bring to the Western world is to help people rediscover ritual, which is so sadly lacking. “The abandonment of ritual can be devastating. From the spiritual view, ritual is inevitable and necessary if one is to live,” Dr. Somé writes in Ritual: Power, Healing, and Community. “To say that ritual is needed in the industrialized world is an understatement. We have seen in my own people that it is probably impossible to live a sane life without it.” Dr. Somé did not feel that the rituals from his traditional village could simply be transferred to the West, so over his years of shamanic work here, he has designed rituals that meet the very different needs of this culture. Although the rituals change according to the individual or the group involved, he finds that there is a need for certain rituals in general. One of these involves helping people discover that their distress is coming from the fact that they are “called by beings from the other world to cooperate with them in doing healing work.” Ritual allows them to move out of the distress and accept that calling. Another ritual need relates to initiation. In indigenous cultures all over the world, young people are initiated into adulthood when they reach a certain age. The lack of such initiation in the West is part of the crisis that people are in here, says Dr. Somé. He urges communities to bring together “the creative juices of people who have had this kind of experience, in an attempt to come up with some kind of an alternative ritual that would at least begin to put a dent in this kind of crisis.” Another ritual that repeatedly speaks to the needs of those coming to him for help entails making a bonfire, and then putting into the bonfire “items that are symbolic of issues carried inside the individuals . . . It might be the issues of anger and frustration against an ancestor who has left a legacy of murder and enslavement or anything, things that the descendant has to live with,” he explains. “If these are approached as things that are blocking the human imagination, the person’s life purpose, and even the person’s view of life as something that can improve, then it makes sense to begin thinking in terms of how to turn that blockage into a roadway that can lead to something more creative and more fulfilling.” The example of issues with an ancestors touches on rituals designed by Dr. Somé that address a serious dysfunction in Western society and in the process “trigger enlightenment” in participants. These are ancestral rituals, and the dysfunction they are aimed at is the mass turning-of-the-back on ancestors. Some of the spirits trying to come through, as described earlier, may be “ancestors who want to merge with a descendant in an attempt to heal what they weren’t able to do while in their physical body.” “Unless the relationship between the living and the dead is in balance, chaos ensues,” he says. “The Dagara believe that, if such an imbalance exists, it is the duty of the living to heal their ancestors. If these ancestors are not healed, their sick energy will haunt the souls and psyches of those who are responsible for helping them.” The rituals focus on healing the relationship with our ancestors, both specific issues of an individual ancestor and the larger cultural issues contained in our past. Dr. Somé has seen extraordinary healing occur at these rituals. Taking a sacred ritual approach to mental illness rather than regarding the person as a pathological case gives the person affected–and indeed the community at large–the opportunity to begin looking at it from that vantage point too, which leads to “a whole plethora of opportunities and ritual initiative that can be very, very beneficial to everyone present,” states. Dr. Somé. The Shamanic View of Mental Illness by Stephanie Marohn (featuring Malidoma Patrice Somé) (Excerpted from The Natural Medicine Guide to Schizophrenia, pages 178-189, or The Natural Medicine Guide to Bi-polar Disorder) http://earthweareone.com/what-a-shaman-sees-in-a-mental-hospital/ The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Neo For This Useful Post: Drael (18-06-2014), explorer (17-06-2014) 17-06-2014, 06:01 AM #2 explorer I read one theory about schizophrenia being caused by random releases of DMT from the pineal gland. So the patient is getting similar visions to those a tripper gets without needing to consume any drug. It makes sense that these people are choosen to be shamans. In a supportive environment I see no reason why the visions and insights obtained by a schizophenric should be any less worthy than those obtained through the use of psychedelics. The Following User Says Thank You to explorer For This Useful Post: Neo (17-06-2014) 18-06-2014, 12:38 PM #3 Drael Highly Valued TripMe Senior Contributor 70% of people experiencing psychosis report "insights". They notice things. The Following User Says Thank You to Drael For This Useful Post: Neo (19-06-2014) 21-06-2014, 10:04 PM #4 mish.mu Senior Member Join Date Aug 2011 Posts 231 Thanks 354 Thanked 245 Times in 102 Posts Weed in NZ Given that admitting one sees and experiences the world in any manner different from the acknowledged norm leads to ridicule and condemnation, if not outright shunning or discrimination, and that anything out of the norm is frequently labeled as an illness or disorder rather than openly explored, or dare I even suggest embraced, it's not exactly surprising that those with certain gifts are often labeled, or should I say brushed off, as having a mental illness. It's also not surprising that those who end up in a situation where said gift is no longer manageable, for one reason or another, resort to seeking help from the one source outside of religion which is available to those in the west, medical professionals, and as a result end up labeled with a mental illness. If you try to suggest that anything other than a mental illness is going on then you're told you have 'dysfunctional' thinking or that you're trying to justify remaining unwell. Up against a system and society which treats difference this way, is it no wonder that so many are so unwilling to speak about such experiences .. about what it is they truly see. The Following User Says Thank You to mish.mu For This Useful Post: CLICKHEREx (Today)

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/726970-Report-Holder-Tells-DEA-Chief-to-Get-in-Line neversickanymoreView Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Senior Moderator Recovery Support Science & Technology Join Date Jan 2013 Location babysitting the argument in my head Posts 9,923 Today 13:24 I think we may have missed this one? Report: Holder Tells DEA Chief to Get in Line MAY 16, 2014 • BY MICHAEL WARREN The head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration was called in to speak with Attorney General Eric Holder and told to get in line with the Obama administration's policy on lessening sentencing for drug offenders, according to a report from the Huffington Post. DEA chief Michele Leonhart has taken public stands in recent months against the administration's rhetoric on marijuana legalization as well as efforts by the White House and the Justice Department to ease punshiments for those covicted of federal drug crimes. HuffPo's Ryan Reilly and Ryan Grim report that Leonhart was "called in" by Holder for a "one [on] one chat about her recent insubordination." Leonhart seems to have gotten the message. Here more from their story: Leonhart was responding to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who asked about the importance of mandatory minimums. Some law enforcement groups oppose the Smarter Sentencing Act, a bipartisan bill that would roll back the length of certain mandatory minimum prison terms. Leonhart emphasized the importance of mandatory minimums, leaving the impression she opposed changes to the current sentencing structure, which gives federal prosecutors huge leverage over defendants. Justice Department concerns about Leonhart were heightened when, after her testimony, a DEA spokeswoman would not say whether Leonhart endorsed changes mandatory minimums, telling The Huffington Post that the DEA administrator's testimony would "have to speak for itself." The concerns led to a conversation between Holder and Leonhart, according to a person familiar with the discussion. Leonhart told her boss there had been a misunderstanding. The DEA sent The Huffington Post a follow-up statement a week after the first, expressing Leonhart's public support for reforms made by Holder that rolled back the deployment of harsh mandatory minimum sentences against certain drug offenders. http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/...ne_792883.html >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The DEA: four decades of impending and rejecting science RECOVERY FORUMS ~~~ADDICTION GUIDE~~~ CONTACT ME CLICKHEREx Bluelighter Join Date Sep 2012 Posts 94 Today 13:51 I suspect that Obama may have had a word in Holder's ear, but it's about time that power crazed bitch was put back in her box.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2014/jun/20/medical_marijuana_passes_new_yor by Phillip Smith, June 20, 2014, 03:29pm The New York legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo ® reached a last-minute compromise on medical marijuana this week, and today, the state Senate and Assembly approved the compromise bill, Program Bill 57. Gov. Cuomo says he will sign the bill into law, making New York the 23rd medical marijuana state. The bill is more limited than many patients and advocates would have preferred. It forbids smoking medical marijuana, although patients may vaporize or consume it in edibles. It also forbids using the raw plant. And it limits access to those with specified qualifying conditions, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy. In all, patients with ten specific diseases or conditions will qualify for medical marijuana. The state will be able to add other conditions, and, under the bill, it must determine within 18 months whether to add Alzheimer’s, PTSD, muscular dystrophy and dystonia, and rheumatoid arthritis. The bill also places restrictions on healthcare providers, such as requiring that all recommendations for medical marijuana be made by physicians (excluding nurse practitioners or physician assistants who can prescribe many other medications) and mandating that participating physicians take a training course, an extremely uncommon requirement in US medicine. Cuomo, who has never been a big fan of medical marijuana, through a spanner in the works late last week, demanding a number of changes be made to win his support. This came after the Assembly had already passed the Compassionate Use Act and the GOP-dominated Senate had signaled it would allow a vote. The sponsors of the Compassionate Use Act, Assemblymane Dick Gottfried (D-Manhattan) and Senator Diane Savino (D-Staten Island) worked over the weekend and through this week to craft a compromise that addressed the governor's concerns, and now, New York has a medical marijuana bill, albeit more restrictive than originally envisioned. For patients and advocates it was a bittersweet victory. "Today, the Senate passed a medical marijuana bill that will help some patients in New York, and that is good news,” said Susan Rusinko of Auburn, who has multiple sclerosis. "But this bill they passed is far from perfect. With any medication, the decision about the best mode of administration, including smoking for some patients, should be left up to healthcare providersand their patients, and this bill does not do that. We fought hard to get this far, and we’ll keep fighting to make sure that New York’s medical marijuana program becomes the best in the country." "I’m pleased that the New York Senate stood with patients and on the side of compassion when they passed the medical marijuana bill today," said Holly Anderson, executive director of the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester. "This was a long, hard fight, and we are elated that cancer patients and others will have one more tool to help alleviate disease symptoms and side effects of treatments. But this bill has flaws, including the exclusion of smoking, which may be the cheapest and most effective way for many patients to use medical cannabis. We call on the Commissioner of Health to quickly implement a program that is accessible to all patients, regardless of their income." "Today the Senate passed a medical marijuana bill that will help some, but not all, seriously ill New Yorkers who could benefit from medical cannabis," said Kate Hintz of North Salem, whose daughter, Morgan, has Dravet’s Syndrome, a serious seizure disorder. "As a parent of child with a seizure disorder, I’m glad that my family will be able to access medicine that can help my daughter. But I must remind these lawmakers that they are not doctors. The decision if and how to treat a condition with medical marijuana should be left up to the patient and the doctor, not our government. We will keep fighting for the regulated, flexible program that all New Yorkers deserve." "This is a huge step for patients in New York who will benefit from this legislation, and without question, today would not be possible but for the dedicated and sustained organizing work by patients, families, and advocates," said Gabriel Sayegh, New York State director for the Drug Policy Alliance. "And we are especially appreciative of the leadership shown by Assemblyman Gottfried and Senator Savino," he continued. "This bill is far from perfect. Many of the limitations in this bill – like the restrictions on conditions and physician-patient relationships– are unnecessary and not supported by the science. And we know that overly restrictive medical marijuana programs leave patients behind. But if implemented quickly and effectively, this program will help thousands of sick and suffering New Yorkers, who need help now." “Passage of this measure comes as a relief to thousands of seriously ill New Yorkers and their families. Medical marijuana can be an effective treatment option for a variety of debilitating conditions. For some patients, it is their only option," said Karen O'Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. "While the bill’s passage is a significant step forward, it leaves behind thousands of patients. We hope the governor’s staff promptly implements the measure and that the health department will approve additional qualifying conditions," O'Keefe added. "Voters overwhelmingly agree that seriously ill people should have legal access to medical marijuana." Both the Drug Policy Alliance and the Marijuana Policy Project have worked along with state and local organizations for more than a decade to pass a medical marijuana bill in New York.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/06/20/James-Bushart-arrested-for-meth-and-harassing-couple-in-car-he-thought-was-a-spaceship James Bushart arrested for meth and harassing couple in car he thought was a spaceship from UPI 20 Jun 2014 BRYANT, Ark., June 20 (UPI) -- This sounds like a close encounter with a blurred mind... An Arkansas man was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and disorderly conduct after he allegedly harassed a couple in a car because he believed they were cruising around in a spaceship. He also thought the driver was an alien. When James Bushart was arrested, police allegedly found methamphetamine and a pipe that was used to smoke meth. The alleged victims called police after Bushart began following them around and then pulled up in front of their Plymouth Prowler to demand that the "alien take his spaceship back to where they came from." Bushart is also accused of making threatening gestures. "That was my biggest problem with what was going on was how upset he was. I guess in reference to the vehicle was the only thing I could think," driver Jay Ward told FOX 16. "I was a little upset about that mostly because I also had a passenger with me that was concerned for her safety as well." According to the police report, the 44-year-old was shaky and talking to himself while performing field sobriety tests. He also said he was interested in the Plymouth because "it looked like a futuristic machine" and later told police that "he was a very big deal and had 100,000 Asian flowers."

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-trading-standards-investigation-illegal-7283535 Jun 18, 2014 07:00 By Anuji Varma A top medic says Class B and prescription-only drugs like Viagra are regularly added to the potentially toxic substances Around 40 per cent of “legal highs” obtained from Birmingham shops contained ILLEGAL drugs, researchers have revealed. A top medic says Class B and prescription-only drugs like Viagra are regularly added to the potentially toxic substances. Samples were taken from retailers by Birmingham Trading Standards before being handed to City Hospital for testing by pathology director Dr Jonathan Berg. He said: “People taking legal highs are the guinea pigs. Results from tests showed that around 40 per cent contain classified drugs or prescription-only medication.” See inside the lab City Hospital saw four cases of patients who had taken party drugs which are readily available in shops across the city. And a baby recently born at the hospital tested positive for the legal high AKB-48 after the mother, who also tested positive, had given birth. Dr Berg said: “Sometimes people who have taken them are not forthcoming with what substances they have ingested. “If we can show the patient has taken a legal high the potential saving is considerable and it will help efficient healthcare. “Legal highs come in various forms, such as powders, pills, plant materials – which mimic marijuana – and even vapour refills for e-cigarettes. They are always sold for ‘research purposes’ and never for human consumption. “But the majority of people buying them do ingest the drugs which can have deadly consequences. They are nasty chemicals and kill people. “A number of people have collapsed in Birmingham as a result, but the retailers are still selling these drugs.” The warning comes days after we told how a Birmingham accountant died after taking a legal high at a wake to mourn the death of her friend – who had been killed by the same party drug. Carl Fearon, 24, was found dead on a sofa after taking GBL – sold as an alloy wheel cleaner. Hours later Lynette Nock, 28, staged a “impromptu wake” at her home, but lost consciousness after taking the same drug. Now a video has been put together warning people of the dangers of party drugs. It features Dr Berg, as well as Birmingham’s senior coroner Louise Hunt. “It’s a one minute 40 second video that warns of the grave dangers of legal highs. We need to create awareness of what these substances can do,” Dr Berg added. For more information, visit www.legalhighsgameover.com

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/826675 Caroline Cassels June 12, 2014 Receive an email from Medscape whenever new articles on this topic are available. BOTOX ® Injections in Plastic Surgery Dystonia Treatment using Botulinum Toxin (Botox R) NEW YORK ― A single injection of cosmetic botulinum toxin (BTX), which is typically used to improve the appearance of facial wrinkles, may be an effective treatment for depression. In one of the first studies to suggest this, investigators at the Hannover Medical School in Germany found that treating the facial muscles involved in emotion with botulinum alleviates depressive symptoms. "Our emotions are expressed by facial muscles, which in turn send feedback signals to the brain to reinforce those emotions. Treating facial muscles with botulinum toxin interrupts this cycle," study investigator Prof. Tillmann Kruger said at a press conference here at the American Psychiatric Association's 2014 Annual Meeting. Novel Approach According to the investigators, positive effects on mood have been observed in patients who have undergone BTX treatment for glabellar frown lines. A previous open case series showed that depression remitted or improved after such treatment. To confirm these results, Dr. Kruger and colleague M. Axel Wollmer, MD, from the Asklepios Clinic North Ochsenzoll in Hamburg, Germany, conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of BTX injection as an adjunctive treatment for major depression. A total of 30 patients with high levels of chronic and treatment-resistant depression were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to receive a single injection of BTX or a single injection of saline placebo. The study's primary end point was a change from baseline in depressive symptoms, as measured by the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD17), during the 16-week study. Six weeks after a single treatment, the BTX group experienced an average 47.1% reduction in HAMD17 scores vs 9.2% in the placebo group. The investigators found that the effect size was even larger at the end of the study and that treatment-dependent clinical improvement was also reflected in the Beck Depression Inventory and the Clinical Global Impressions Scale. "This study shows that a single treatment of the glabellar region with botulinum toxin may shortly accomplish a strong and sustained alleviation of depression in patients who did not improve sufficiently on previous medication. It supports the concept that the facial musculature not only expresses but also regulates mood states," the investigators write. Dr. Kruger said BTX may offer a "novel, effective, well-accepted, and economic therapeutic tool for the treatment of major depression." These findings have since been replicated in 2 subsequent studies, one by Michelle Magid, MD, and colleagues, which was presented in March at the American Academy of Dermatology 72nd Annual Meeting and reported by Medscape Medical News at that time, and the other by Eric Finzi, MD, PhD, and colleagues, which was published in the May issue of Journal of Psychiatric Research and was also reported by Medscape Medical News. Dr. Kruger reported that he and his colleagues are currently conducting a meta-analysis of the 3 randomized trials in an effort to "further corroborate this novel treatment approach." The researchers are also testing BTX's therapeutic potential in other psychiatric disorders. Commenting on the study, press conference moderator Jeffrey Borenstein, MD, president and CEO of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation in New York City and chair of the American Psychiatric Association's Council on Communications, said that pursuing new treatments for depression is "crucial." Dr. Borenstein added that he would like to see this line of research pursued in studies that include larger numbers of patients. Dr. Kruger, Dr. Wollmer, and Dr. Borenstein report no relevant financial conflicts of interest. American Psychiatric Association's 2014 Annual Scientific Meeting. Abstract NR3-030. Presented May 4, 2014. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Our emotions are expressed by facial muscles, which in turn send feedback signals to the brain to reinforce those emotions. Treating facial muscles with botulinum toxin interrupts this cycle," - For those people unable to access / afford botulinum toxin therapy, I suggest adopting "smiling therapy" From http://your-mental-health.weebly.com/b.html about natural treatments for depression (currently offline for maintenance, but should be back later) More is at https://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20140514083426AARwQqC & https://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20140615011107AAPCuGt View them if interested. SMILE: 'There is a relationship between mood, and facial expressions, and it has been shown to work both ways, to some extent, with many people, particularly if not clinically depressed. Smile in the mirror for 1 minute, every morning, or when exercising. Rest for a while, then repeat once. Laughing is good, too, if you are capable of it, so watch comedies, and read humorous books, or Google: "jokes". I now suggest avoiding the news on television, as it can have a depressing effect, and/or cause anxiety. Use RSS feeds, Your Yahoo, etc., preferably from a wide range of sources, as national sources may be biased, or subject to security censorship. Smiling in the mirror is a form of inductive therapy: use your eyes, as well as your mouth, and smile when greeting people, unless it is inappropriate to do so. Smiling is a two-way mechanism. We do it when we're relaxed and happy, but doing it can also make us feel relaxed and happy. It transmits nerve impulses from the facial muscles to the limbic system, a key emotional center in the brain, tilting the neurochemical balance. This can change the way people react to you, and improve your relationships with them, resulting in you feeling better about yourself. If you don't use your eyes, and display some teeth, it may be perceived as being less than genuine'.