CLICKHEREx

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/712396-Addiction-Mental-Health-and-a-Society-That-Fails-to-Understand-Either neversickanymoreView Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Moderator Recovery Support Join Date Jan 2013 Location babysitting the argument in my head Posts 6,873 Yesterday 16:36 The amazing stardust.hero found and posted this but i thought she may also like it in DitM. Addiction, Mental Health and a Society That Fails to Understand Either Philip Seymour Hoffman died yesterday. He was found with a needle still wedged into his arm, heroin believed to be the culprit. When I heard of his passing yesterday, it hit me in the gut a little bit. Not because I know him, not because I know his family members or friends. Not, much to the dismay of what some may believe, because he was an award winning actor. It hit me because he isn't the only face of addiction, he is just the most recent one. He's just the face that most people recognize, the one that we were familiar with, the one that we came to love through his work on the screen. Whenever someone famous dies, there seems to be this immediate attempt by far too many people to make their life and death insignificant, as though the death of a celebrity somehow negates the death of all the other people who died on that given day. People attempt to place more value on the lives of some people, less on others, claiming that the celebration of the death of a celebrity is a misplaced outlaying of our efforts. I argue the opposite, obviously, particularly in situations like this one where there is so much opportunity for us to learn about addiction, about mental illness, about why lives end this tragic way. The opportunity is there, without question. The issue is whether we, as a society choose to seize it, or whether we chalk this loss up to drug use and wave it off indifferently as another selfish life wasted. It seems we do the latter. Plenty of opportunities have been presented to us in the past, of lives abruptly ended this way. Of people who happen to be famous, but also struggle with the same demons that many of us ordinary folks do, meeting sudden death in this way. Philip became addicted to heroin after struggling with abusing prescription pain medications, an all too familiar and increasingly common path to this addiction. This is not the addiction we want to think it is, the sordid one that happens in alleys, nor is it one reserved only for those in positions of privilege. Heroin doesn't discriminate. Its use is up 75% in the past few years, and the demographics of the users have shifted. It's easier to think that drug addiction happens to other people, to them, over there. Reality tells us that it happens far more often than we want to believe. It's a false sense of security. Chances are that someone you know is addicted to drugs right now, you just may not realize it. Or you do know, but you hide their addiction because of the social stigma. Or you don't hide it, but you shame them instead. Or you don't shame them, but you slowly phase them out of your life because you don't want to be around them anymore or because you just can't do it anymore. Or you keep them around, but talk about them behind their backs, discuss how sad it is that they refuse to get help, vow to be better than they are. Or they do try to get help and sometimes they get better for a while. Or they relapse and die just like he did yesterday. The trouble with drug addiction is that it really isn't about the drugs, no matter how much most people seem to believe that. Drug addiction is a means to an end. It begins usually as a way to try something new, to try and get high, to try and transport yourself somewhere else, to try and just feel better for a minute. Most drug use is self medication for the things that people either can't or won't cope with in real life. The root of most of all that? Mental health conditions, the huge piece of this issue that we find ourselves ignoring all too often every time drugs are involved. Nancy Reagan taught us all that drugs are bad. D.A.R.E. programs taught us that users are criminals, they are bad people. No one ever bothered to tell us that the vast majority of them were in need of help from a mental health system that largely doesn't exist. And you know what happened? People believed them. I can't even begin to tell you all the things I saw flying through my newsfeed yesterday in the wake of his death. Proclamations that he was selfish, that he was a waste, that he should have been happy because he was rich and famous. People who decreed from the mountaintops that if he would have just tried harder, he would have been better. That it's his fault that he died. In reality, he struggled with depression most of his life. He got clean. He was recently in rehab. Addicts don't want to be addicts. Addicts don't want to die. Addicts don't want to throw their lives away. Addicts don't want their children to grow up without parents. They just want to feel better. They just want to feel normal. They just want to stop feeling everything else for a little while. Addicts are people, just like you and me. Addicts come in all forms, dependent on many different things, drugs just being one version of dependence. The problem is that our system is limited, laboring under the illusion that drug addiction is a criminal issue, a medical issue on the fringes that can be fixed with proper rehab. That all ignores the fact that drugs aren't the problem...what led that person to drugs in the first place is the problem. The drugs are just a means to an end. Rehab doesn't fix addicts. It primarily treats the physical symptoms of withdrawal. Prison doesn't fix addicts. It just puts them in a cage for a while. Even death doesn't fix addicts. It just leaves the people who love them here, forever wondering how different things might have been. The only way to really deal with addiction is one that is multi-faceted, one that makes us uncomfortable. It is messy and complicated and takes a lifetime of effort. It sometimes involves relapses and second chances and third chances. It involves support, sometimes sponsors. It involves therapy and counseling until whatever the root cause is has been revealed and addressed. It involves consideration of not just the physical withdrawal, but the emotional withdrawal, the social withdrawal, the psychological withdrawal. It requires a mental health system with adequate resources, which clearly doesn't exist. It requires us to do better. It requires support instead of judgement. And sometimes, even when all those things exist, it fails. It fails because addiction can take people and swallow them whole. It can rob them of everything they value, everyone they love. It can strip them of everything they care about, rob them of reason and logic. It can convince them that they aren't worthy, that they have failed not just themselves, but everyone else. It tells them that they are broken and irreparable. Then it shoves them back down and does it again. Our society says it failed because they didn't try hard enough, because they were selfish, because they were stupid. How exactly is saying things like this going to help anyone? The short answer - it isn't. It just allows us to believe that if we try hard enough, if we care about other people enough, if we are smart enough, we can avoid addiction. Our false sense of security hurts those who need help the most. Never mind the damage done to the people they leave behind. To those who claim Philip's death isn't tragic, I ask you to think about his children. I'm sure they would disagree with you. Until you've been there, you can't know what it is like. Until you've watched someone you love try and claw their way out only to be dragged back in again, you can't know what it is like. Until you've seen someone throw everything away just to feel better for a moment, you can't know what it is like. Until you've dealt with someone desperately in need of help who turned to self medicating instead, you can't know what it is like. Until you've had to tease out where the line between believing in someone and enabling them is, you can't know what it is like. Until you've had to make choices no one should ever have to make, you can't know what it is like. Until you've done all you can to help someone who doesn't want it, you can't know what it is like. We all have our demons. We all have our issues. Many of us are closer to being addicts than we would ever admit out loud. Some of us know how easy it would be to turn. Some of us are addicts already. Some of us already walk the line. Rest in peace, Philip. I hope you've found some now. My love to all those who loved you. some real good stuff here and I subscribed to her >> http://debiehive.blogspot.com/2014/0...d-society.html

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/713601-How-a-convicted-drug-smuggler-survives-a-foreign-jail Bluelighter bit_pattern Join Date Oct 2008 Posts 5,926 Yesterday 20:30 She's a young Australian woman who has been held in a foreign jail for years after a drug smuggling conviction. But she is not the woman you're thinking of. Bronwyn Atherton has been in jail in Lima, Peru, since 2008 - when she was caught trying to smuggle a suitcase containing 18 kilograms of cocaine onto a flight to Paris. Unlike her infamous compatriot Schapelle Corby, however, Atherton's story is largely unknown to her fellow Australians. When I visit her at the Santa Monica prison in the suburb of Chorrillos in Lima, she seems completely lacking in bitterness. Outside a cafe in the jail's visiting area - which has trees and stalls selling stuffed toys and half decent food - she explains how a 28-year-old woman from Cowra in the NSW central west wound up here. Atherton says her downward spiral began early. She was sexually abused as a child and ran away from home at 16. A year later, she became pregnant and later gave birth to a baby boy. Three years later, her son Shamaya died of a constricted bowel. ''It was the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone. I just couldn't believe I lost my beautiful baby son,'' she says sobbing. Soon afterwards she was raped, in what would be the first of three times. ''I decided to leave Australia after the first rape and went to travel around Africa, namely Mozambique and South Africa. It was there that I found out the person who raped me gave me HIV. It all happened within a year of my baby dying.'' She fell into the orbit of a Nigerian drug gang through an apparently benign encounter, but the worst was still to come. ''I was in a cafe in Pretoria and ordered lunch, even though I had no means to pay for it,'' Atherton says. ''I was starving, and then this guy came up to me and paid for my food. Afterwards I met his friends.'' This meeting led to travels with the gang and a further two rapes, before she wound up in Peru. ''It took six months from my first meetings with the guys in South Africa to finally getting the cocaine to smuggle out of Peru So much happened including having a gun held to my head.'' On hearing her story, some might be inclined to feel sorry for a woman who was clearly preyed on by the gang because of her naivety and poor fortune. ''It was still my fault though,'' Atherton says. ''I did agree to take the drugs from South America to Europe.'' Had she landed safely at Charles de Gaulle, she would have received $23,000. ''That said, I was only meant to be bringing nine kilograms of cocaine and not 18 kilograms,'' a fact that would have meant her sentence should have been half as long. Brad Barker, president of the San Diego security firm HALO Corporation, is an expert on organised crime gangs, kidnappings, coercions and mules. ''From my experience mules are victims,'' he says. ''They get tipped psychologically, which also makes them reliable.'' And someone like Atherton is a safe bet. ''She's white, she's blonde, she's pretty and she's the furthest thing from the kind of person you would expect to smuggle drugs,'' Barker says. ''It's very easy to flip someone, by way of threat or reward. The cartels who run these operations are more powerful, have more access to information and are more sophisticated than a female traveller in a foreign land. ''There is nothing as insecure as a girl in a country that's not her home. An imposing man will have no problems convincing her into becoming an asset.'' Drug mules are offered pittances, compared with what they generate for the kingpins. A kilogram of cocaine can be bought in Peru for about $5000 and sold on the streets of Sydney for more than $400,000. Even if a few kilos go astray and some mules get locked up from time to time, it's not a big loss in the multibillion-dollar game. The issue of drug mules has received attention in recent months with the high-profile arrest of Irish woman Michaella McCollum Connolly and Scottish woman Melissa Reid, who were caught at Lima's airport with 11 kilograms of cocaine. The attention can be both good and bad for Atherton. ''I feel very sorry for the girls,'' she says. ''The government will be making an example of them but their case has highlighted the whole dirty business. Because of them, I have had more interest from people on my Facebook and websites, so it's good for donations, which I desperately need. ''Everything here costs money, toilet paper, food, HIV medication. Everything has to be bought and it's not cheap If I didn't get donations, I'd have to eat the normal prison food. I had it the other morning and then I nearly got sick all over this new prisoner.'' So what about her HIV? ''I feel OK, but I'm tired a lot and I have a sick stomach a lot of the time. They give me the medication, and there is a clinic here in the prison. Luckily huge progress is being made in research and I am confident that I will die an old lady.'' About half the inmates of the jail are murderers and Atherton says she keeps mainly to herself. Most of the foreigners have been moved to Ancon 2 supermax prison, three hours outside Lima. The only other Westerner is a Dutch woman called Francesca, who was caught with 46 kilograms of cocaine. She is serving her 11th year of a 15-year sentence. In her mid-40, she seems happy enough with her lot. ''I was told I would be bringing two litres of liquid cocaine in my bag,'' she says, laughing. ''It turned out to be a bit more.'' Francesca looks around the prison with pride. ''This is the best prison is South America, without a doubt.'' Despite the apparent grim nature of her circumstances, Atherton says she has settled into prison life. ''Yeah, it's been over five years. Getting caught was still the most surreal part,'' says Bronwyn. ''I only saw the bag when I got to the airport. Every voice in my head was telling me that this was the worst decision ever and I was going to get caught, but I did it anyway. I was handed a bag weighing 48 kilograms outside, 18 kilograms of which was cocaine. I could hardly lift it. As soon as I walked into the airport, the security guard came straight up to me and asked me to open the bag. I said I don't have a key for the lock. They pulled me into a small room and stuck this poker through the bag and I could see that there was cocaine at the end of it.'' Besides cocaine, Atherton says the bag contained jumpers, cushions, blankets and all the things you need to go to jail. ''The way it works is that the gangs pay off security people at the airports. They are on low wages so it can be anything up to 1000 ($1515) or more,'' she says. ''They also get a bonus for catching people. In my case I had 18 kilograms in my bag, but I was only done for 17 kilograms as they kept one for themselves. Often they return the lot back to the cartels. ''After that you go through the motions. In my case, they didn't launch a big investigation, they weren't out to find the guys who put me up to it, and they just got my details. I spent 15 days in holding, then was shipped around a bit, got interrogated and fingerprinted 100 times. They just do paperwork and then you go to prison.'' Barker says: ''A lot of the time mules get set up to fall, so they get the supplies to go to prison within their bags. It's sick, but that's how these gangs work.'' A seizure at the airport would also open up an opportunity to get a larger shipment through at another location, like a land, sea or municipal airport elsewhere. And Atherton was not keen to tell the police who had forced her into this situation. ''Rats get shot,'' she says. She refused to inform on her Colombian ''uncle'' and his henchmen who put her up to the task. ''I know a girl who ratted and got shot as soon as she walked out the gates. I'm not going to go through this only to be shot at the gates when I walk free. No way mate.'' Atherton was sentenced to 14 years' jail and is scheduled to be released in 2022. So has there been much progress on a possible early release? ''The [Peruvian] government is trying to impress the US and show people that they are hard on drug smugglers. Remember, I did know what I was doing, so I am a criminal. ''That said, I could get a group pardon and my lawyers are working on it now.'' Barker warns, though, that there is a danger that if Atherton is a model inmate, she could be incarcerated for longer. ''Anyone foreign with a large revenue stream is keeping the prisons going, so they may not want them to leave too soon.'' In the meantime, Atherton writes letters to people, which get published on her Facebook page. ''I am kept busy painting,'' she says as she shows off art works that will be sent to Australia and auctioned to raise money. She has also painted a mural at the entrance of the prison and keeps herself busy by writing. ''When I get out, I want to change the world and publish my book. I want to make sure this never happens to anyone again.'' But there will be one more pressing priority. ''The first thing I'll do when I get out is run into the Pacific Ocean I just want to swim and be free. Then I want to go back to my mother in Australia. I need my mum.'' Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/how-a-co...#ixzz2tnI8hPVe Video onsite

Harsh new laws targeting synthetic drug trade in force from Monday by: DOUG ROBERTSON From: The Advertiser February 17, 2014 12:18AM PEOPLE who manufacture or sell synthetic drugs that mimic the effects of illegal drugs face harsh new penalties under laws that take effect today. They include a maximum fine of $15,000 and/or four years jail, if convicted of manufacturing, packaging, selling or suppling a substance promoted as a legal alternative to an illegal drug. Police say they will begin an education program today to ensure retailers understand the new laws so they can comply. Synthetic drugs often create hallucinogenic effects and are usually made from legal chemicals to circumvent tough laws against illegal narcotics. They include the psychedelic drug known as NBOMe. Other drugs are euphemistically branded as smelling salts, bath salts or plant food. The popularity of the cheaper stimulants has grown in recent years and been linked to several deaths in South Australia. Jurisdictions across the country have had to amend their laws to ensure the drugs are outlawed. Last August, 21 drug users overdosed and displayed bizarre behaviour in Adelaide, prompting police to speculate that they might have taken ecstasy laced with NBOMe. Sydney student Henry Kwan died in June last year after taking a form of synthetic LSD then suffering a psychotic episode before jumping from a window to his death. The Controlled Substances (Offences) Amendment Bill 2013 also outlaws the promotion of synthetic drugs or causing a person to believe such a substance produced effects similar to illegal drugs, or was a legal alternative to a controlled stimulant. Simply promoting a synthetic drug will attract a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine or two years imprisonment or both. Assistant Commissioner (Crime) Paul Dickson said the legislation would help police tackle the sale of synthetic drugs that are often wrongly promoted as safe alternatives to illegal hallucinogen. We are keen to educate retailers about the new legislation and will be providing information about the law to those who have previously been identified as selling these type of products, he said. However, if they fail to comply with the new laws police will take further action including seizing products, issuing warning notices and potentially initiating criminal prosecutions. In October, Mr Dickson told a parliamentary committee into anti-social and criminal behaviour that unsuspecting teenagers were the new generation of drug pushers, buying synthetic drugs online then selling them to friends. Teenagers with no criminal records saw this as a business opportunity but did not realise the potentially lethal effects of synthetic substances or the dangers of dealing drugs. Were pleased (to have) the capacity of firstly warning a person suspected of manufacturing, packaging, selling or supplying such substances that it is against the law. Any failure to heed that warning will result in an offence, Mr Dickson said. The laws clarified the legal position in SA in relation to synthetic drugs, Mr Dickson said. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/harsh-new-laws-targeting-synthetic-drug-trade-in-force-from-monday/story-fni6uo1m-1226828873113

17-02-2014, 04:58 Beenthere2Hippie Titanium Member Join Date: 21-05-2013Female from EarthPosts: 1,036 Blog Entries: 2 Beating Pain Through Mindfulness Instead of Pills With nearly one-third of Americans suffering from chronic pain, prescription opioid painkillers have become the leading form of treatment for this debilitating condition. Unfortunately, misuse of prescription opioids can lead to serious side effects -- including death by overdose. A new treatment developed by University of Utah researcher Eric Garland has shown to not only lower pain but also decrease prescription opioid misuse among chronic pain patients. Results of a study by Garland published online Feb. 3 in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, showed that the new treatment led to a 63 percent reduction in opioid misuse, compared to a 32 percent reduction among participants of a conventional support group. Additionally, participants in the new treatment group experienced a 22 percent reduction in pain-related impairment, which lasted for three months after the end of treatment. The new intervention, called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement, or MORE, is designed to train people to respond differently to pain, stress and opioid-related cues. MORE targets the underlying processes involved in chronic pain and opioid misuse by combining three therapeutic components: mindfulness training, reappraisal and savoring. Mindfulness involves training the mind to increase awareness, gain control over one's attention and regulate automatic habits. Reappraisal is the process of reframing the meaning of a stressful or adverse event in such a way as to see it as purposeful or growth promoting. Savoring is the process of learning to focus attention on positive events to increase one's sensitivity to naturally rewarding experiences, such as enjoying a beautiful nature scene or experiencing a sense of connection with a loved one. "Mental interventions can address physical problems, like pain, on both psychological and biological levels because the mind and body are interconnected," Garland said. "Anything that happens in the brain happens in the body -- so by changing brain functioning, you alter the functioning of the body." To test the treatment, 115 chronic pain patients were randomly assigned to eight weeks of either MORE or conventional support group therapy, and outcomes were measured through questionnaires at pre- and post-treatment, and again at a three-month follow-up. Nearly three-quarters of the group misused opioid painkillers before starting the program by taking higher doses than prescribed, using opioids to alleviate stress and anxiety or another method of unauthorized self-medication with opioids. Among the skills taught by MORE were a daily 15-minute mindfulness practice session guided by a CD and three minutes of mindful breathing prior to taking opioid medication. This practice was intended to increase awareness of opioid craving -- helping participants clarify whether opioid use was driven by urges versus a legitimate need for pain relief. "People who are in chronic pain need relief, and opioids are medically appropriate for many individuals," Garland said. "However, a new option is needed because existing treatments may not adequately alleviate pain while avoiding the problems that stem from chronic opioid use." MORE is currently being tested in a pilot brain imaging trial as a smoking cessation treatment, and there are plans to test the intervention with people suffering from mental health problems who also have alcohol addiction. Further testing on active-duty soldiers with chronic pain and a larger trial among civilians is planned. If studies continue to demonstrate positive outcomes, MORE could be prescribed by doctors as an adjunct to traditional pain management services. 2/4/14 Science Daily Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0204123450.htm Photo: Google Search Mindfulness NewsHawks Crew Read more: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237793#ixzz2tZIzp26l

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/713114-Feds-won’t-enforce-money-laundering-laws-against-banks-doing-business-with-pot-stores slimvictor View Profile View Forum Posts View Blog Entries View Articles 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 5,996 15-02-2014 02:05 Marking another milestone for the legal marijuana industry, the Obama administration on Friday said it has advised U.S. attorneys in states where the sale of marijuana is legal not to prosecute banks that allow pot stores to open accounts and accept credit-card payments. The policy will apply to Washington state and Colorado, where voters legalized the recreational use of marijuana in 2012, as well as the 20 states and the District of Columbia that allow marijuana to be sold for medical reasons. Current federal law prohibits banks from accepting money linked to marijuana transactions because the drug is banned under the federal Controlled Substances Act. The move was hailed as a step forward by proponents of marijuana sales, but banking organizations warned that accepting the deposits was still illegal and said it was unlikely to widely change banks’ business practices. “Legitimate marijuana businesses will no longer be forced to operate as cash-only businesses, a circumstance which has made them highly vulnerable to robbery and other criminal activities,” said Democratic Rep. Denny Heck of Washington state, who had lobbied hard for change in federal practices after his state legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Sales are expected to begin there this spring; they began in Colorado Jan. 1. Frank Keating, chief executive officer of the American Bankers Association, was more cautious on the likely effect of the policy change. “As it stands, possession or distribution of marijuana violates federal law, and banks that provide support for those activities face the risk of prosecution and assorted sanctions,” he said. cont at http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/1...aundering.html

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237712 16-02-2014, 07:30 Rob Cypher Silver Member Join Date: 31-05-2010 Male from United States Posts: 1,715 Police Shoot And Kill 80-Year-Old Man After Wrongfully Raiding His L.A. Home For Meth -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An 80-year-old man was shot and killed by police officers after they mistakenly thought he was cooking methamphetamine in his home. The slain man is Eugene Mallory, a retired engineer living in the rural fringes of Los Angeles County. On June 27, 2013, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies stormed onto Mallory's property and into his house. LA County Sheriff narcotics expert Patrick Hobbs claimed he “smelled the strong odor of chemicals” coming from Mallory’s home. After breaking into the home, deputies claim Mallory was walking down the hallway with a gun pointed at them. Sgt. John Bones says he told Mallory to drop his gun, and when the elderly man refused to comply, they shot him. The shot killed Mallory. The deputies have since revised their story -- they were forced to do so after puddles of blood found on Mallory’s mattress indicated he was shot while lying on his bed. Investigators found yet another problem with the deputy’s story after listening to an audio recording of the event. Rather than shooting Mallory after he refused to drop his gun, deputies shot Mallory first and then ordered him to drop the gun. When it was all said and done, Sgt. Bones shot Mallory six times. Mallory’s gun was found on his bedside table without one shot fired. The raid turned up no evidence of methamphetamines. Mallory’s widow, Tonya Pate, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Jonathan Wolfe Opposing Views February 14, 2014 http://www.opposingviews.com/i/socie...-his-home-meth Attached Thumbnails Read more: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237712#ixzz2tZCfwBnu -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17-02-2014, 19:00 CLICKHEREx Newbie Join Date: 28-09-2012 Male from Australia Posts: 47 Infractions: 0/1 (20) Re: Police Shoot And Kill 80-Year-Old Man After Wrongfully Raiding His L.A. Home For -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm wondering whether the many thousands of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, (around 40% returned with mental health disorders) recruited by the police have something to do with this spate of bad cop killings. Read more: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237712#ixzz2tZE002ms

13-02-2014, 19:58 Pondlife Platinum Member & Advisor Join Date: 04-02-200750 y/o Male from United Kingdom Posts: 1,199 Utopia, Silk Road's Latest Replacement, Only Lasted Nine Days {C}{C} This morning, anyone hoping to browse Utopia, the up and coming now-defunct competitor to Silk Road 2.0, were greeted with an unwelcome but at this point familiar message: “This hidden service has been seized, by the Dutch National Police.” The online black market was shut down a mere nine days after its much-anticipated launch. Despite rumors of a hack, Dutch cops have issued a statement saying they arrested five men in connection with running Utopia and seized computers, hard drives, USB sticks, and “about 900 Bitcoins”—roughly $600,000. Utopia’s servers were apparently housed in Germany, where another man was arrested on suspicion of weapons and drug trafficking. The Dutch launched operation CONDOR in early 2013 to uncover illegal marketplaces on the Tor network, of the likes of Silk Road 2.0 and Utopia. The investigation into Utopia pulled out all the stops: undercover agents and “buy-busts,” not just of drugs, but also a contract assassination—much to the surprise of the Dutch public prosecutor. According to the BBC, Utopia was a very popular marketplace, and more than 1,200 listings for a range of illegal goods appeared on the site within the first several hours of operation. Up until yesterday’s takedown, there were more than 13,000 listings, of the normal variety for illegal marketplaces: an assortment of cannabinoids, hallucinogens, stimulants, an ample supple of hacking services, forged currency and clothes, and guns and ammo. Much like Silk Road, Utopia relied on Bitcoin to facilitate transactions—taking a cut from each one. Like the spinoffs before it, the deep web community had high hopes for Utopia, heralding it as “the biggest competition for Silk Road 2.0.” The site was backed by former Black Market Reloaded administrator “backopy,” and some intended for it to be a kind of replacement for Black Market Reloaded. One of Silk Road 2.0’s forum moderators, "Stealth," posted a brief message late last night expressing solidarity: “This is a serious blow to the darkweb marketplace community as honest competition is our lifeblood,” wrote Stealth. The moderator went on to encourage Utopia members to use the Silk Road’s forums to “regroup and do it again. Show them that you, we, are a hydra—cut off one head and ten more spring up.” Utopia’s seizure—while remarkable in terms of how quickly Dutch cops were able to shut it down—signals a growing trend in the world’s black markets: they're moving online. Drug historian Dr. Paul Gootenberg has told me in the past that the popularity of the internet and the ease of selling illegal goods online make it an attractive new avenue for buyers and sellers. And as more and more services use the darknet to operate, law enforcement has been forced to respond. Is the era of online drug markets over? It seems clear is that despite the careful rhetoric used by the leaders of illegal marketplaces, often referring to their contraband activities as a “revolution” or “movement,” police aren't going to stop chasing them down. http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/uto...sted-nine-days Read more: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237517#ixzz2tGjFxdCh

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/driver-accused-of-drugfuelled-road-rage-death-of-mark-noormets/story-fnhocxo3-1226822930010 (with pic) From: PerthNow February 10, 2014 4:11PM A 36-YEAR-old man was allegedly in a ``drug-fuelled road rage’’ when he crashed his utility into a vehicle, killing a Perth fireman and father-of-four. Rodney Allen Beard is on trial in the West Australian Supreme Court charged with manslaughter and doing an act likely to endanger the safety of another person over the death of 51-year-old Customs Officer, Mark Noormets in December 2012. Beard had allegedly been involved in a road rage incident with Doug Wormall, ramming his car several times, but losing control of his ute and veering onto the wrong side of the road, striking the victim’s car. In her opening address, prosecutor Laura Christian said two men were minding their own business when they encountered Beard on the road. ``Both would become victims of his speed-fuelled road rage,’’ she told the jury. Ms Christian said Mr Wormall was terrified and had tried to call triple-zero during the chase, while Mr Noormets died at the scene and Beard’s leg was injured in the crash. A blood test showed Beard had methylamphetamine and amphetamine in his system, she said. Alan Feast, 46, testified that he had been a methylamphetamine user for 20 years and bought his drugs from the same woman as Beard. He said Beard picked him up from a tavern the night before the crash and seemed ``off his face’’. ``He was agitated and angry,’’ Mr Feast said. Asked how he knew Beard had been affected by drugs, Mr Feast replied: ``You just know after so long (using).’’ Mr Feast said Beard was honking his horn at road users and driving erratically at 140km/h on a highway that night.

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/712400-Australia-drugging-detainees-in-its-secret-immigration-detention-network Australia drugging detainees in its secret immigration detention network #1 bit_pattern View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Oct 2008 Posts 5,740 Yesterday 17:21 This is just horrific. A little bit different to the normal stories here but this tells the tale of an immigration detention employee in comic book form - it's really, really nasty stuff but an incredibly vivid and powerful form of journalism View the cartoon strip at: http://serco-story.theglobalmail.org/ This is a first-hand account of life inside an Australian immigration detention facility, told from the perspective of a former employee of Serco, the ubiquitous multinational service provider that runs the nation’s onshore centres. Realised in a comic-book style and drawn from exclusive interviews and diary entries from the ex-employee, A Guard’s Story offers rare insight into how Australia’s outsourced detention facilities are run. Like all Serco employees, our informant signed a confidentiality agreement and has taken a significant personal risk by talking to us. Prior to being employed by Serco, our source was sympathetic to the plight of asylum seekers in Australia’s detention facilities and took on a job as a “client support worker” to try to help people from inside the system. What follows is our source’s experience, illustrated. Last edited by bit_pattern; Yesterday at 22:14. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #2 spacejunk View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelight Crew -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date May 2011 Location Give it give it give it to me now, now kicks. Posts 2,284 Yesterday 17:43 Thanks B_P; I must admit that over the last 10+ years, it has been emotionally gruelling to "maintain the rage" on this issue - but the links you post and pay wall articles you've shared here are incredibly informative. The MSM has really let us down here. No wonder the scumbag coalition is so rabidly attacking the ABC for doing what taxpayers pay them to do - keep the public informed. Kudos.

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/712523-Crack-pipe-vending-machines-in-Vancouver my3rdeye View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Aug 2012 Location Planet Microdot Posts 789 Today 00:14 Crack Pipe Vending Machines Aim To Curb Spread Of Disease In Vancouver The Huffington Post B.C. | Posted: 02/08/2014 1:14 am EST | Updated: 02/08/2014 1:59 am EST Two brightly decorated vending machines are the first in Canada to dispense crack pipes as part of a campaign to reduce the spread of disease among drug users in Vancouver. Run by the non-profit Portland Hotel Society which helps people with mental health and addiction issues, the machines have been operating for about six months, reported Vice. Each machine, which holds Pyrex 200 pipes packaged in cardboard tubes, needs to be replenished weekly. Diseases like hepatitis C, HIV, pneumonia and tuberculosis can be spread by sharing chipped or broken crack pipes with people who have sores and burns on their lips. Existing programs provide drug users with safe, clean pipes, but they're usually limited to one a day, Kailin See, director of the Drug Users Resource Centre, told CTV News. The vending machines allow them to buy as many pipes as they need for 25 cents each. The machines, which used to dispense sandwiches, are part of a broader harm reduction strategy. “You have to have treatment, you have to have detox, you have to have safe spaces to use your drugs of choice and you have to have safe and clean supplies," See told CTV. Last summer, a study released by the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS refuted criticism that the distribution of free pipes would encourage addicts. It found that crack use in Greater Vancouver declined since health officials began giving out free crack pipes and mouthpieces to drug users. New South Wales in Australia has syringe needle vending machines, which are now being considered for other parts of that country. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/02...n_4749550.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #2 Cautious_Optimist View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Greenlighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jan 2014 Location Near NYC, USA Posts 26 Today 00:56 Originally Posted by my3rdeye Diseases like hepatitis C, HIV, pneumonia and tuberculosis can be spread by sharing chipped or broken crack pipes with people who have sores and burns on their lips. I never really realized this but it makes sense (exchanging blood/bodily fluids) and I wonder how prevalent disease transmission is via this..?? Of course anything greater than zero is too much but does anyone know of any research/stats..?? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #3 pofacedhoe View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Moderator Sex Love & Relationships -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Mar 2008 Location reason 7 Posts 4,556 Today 01:48 ^ also when you snort off a shared note you can catch things that way -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #4 23536 View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Moderator Drugs In The Media Current Events & Politics -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Dec 2010 Location I'm just about that action, boss. Posts 7,836 Today 02:12 Vancouver sounds heavenly. It looks really nice in Continuum too. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #5 S.J.P. View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Send Email Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jan 2011 Location Montreal, Canada Posts 520 Today 10:31 Originally Posted by 23536 Vancouver sounds heavenly. It looks really nice in Continuum too. Vancouver is a wonderful place, I don't know if there is anywhere else in the world where people try so hard to help down-and-out addicts. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #6 neversickanymore View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Moderator Recovery Support -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jan 2013 Location babysitting the argument in my head Posts 6,899 Today 10:52 Originally Posted by pofacedhoe ^ also when you snort off a shared note you can catch things that way +1 absolutely important for people to remember.. also important for people to remember is that the hep virus can remain in a form which can infect for very long periods of time compared to HIV.. if i remember right months and possibly years so please us a straw and not a bill as the prevalence of people snorting drugs through a bill is pretty high.. so a person could get infected from some random who had the bill months ago. Clean straws are cheap and come in many colors to distinguish people tooters. People dont share drinking straws that often so why share drug tubes

10-02-2014, Fiery_Zen Silver Member Join Date: 11-12-2009 Male from South Africa Posts: 14 Elevated Impulsivity and Impaired Decision-Making in Abstinent MDMA Users Ecstasy (MDMA) has a well-recognized neurotoxic effect on central serotonergic (5-HT) systems in animals, and there is some evidence of persistent serotonergic dysregulation in human ecstasy users. Serotonin is believed to mediate impulsive behavior and effective decision-making. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate impulsive behavior and decision-making in abstinent regular ecstasy users. Three groups were compared: 'ecstasy users' (recreational ecstasy users who reported modest use of illicit drugs other than cannabis), 'polydrug controls' (ecstasy naïve illicit drug users), and 'drug-naïve controls'. All participants completed personal details and general drug history questionnaires, the National Adult Reading Test, Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFF20), a risky decision-making task (RDMT), and the Card Arranging Reward Responsivity Objective Test (CARROT). The groups did not differ on the CARROT measure of responsiveness to financial incentive; however, the ecstasy group displayed significantly elevated MFF20 impulsivity, and showed reduced discrimination between magnitudes of prospective gains and losses when making risky decisions, compared to the 'polydrug' and 'drug-naïve' control groups. These findings may reflect a vulnerability of 5-HT systems in the orbital prefrontal cortex and interconnected corticolimbic circuitry to the cumulative neurotoxic effects of ecstasy and have clinical significance for regular ecstasy users. The combination of elevated impulsivity and impaired use of reinforcement cues in uncertain decision-making may comprise risk factors for continued drug abuse and everyday functioning. Recreational use of 'ecstasy' (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) at nightclubs, dance parties, and 'raves' has become increasingly widespread (eg Tasker et al, 1999; Johnston et al, 2000). The popularity of this drug has given rise to concern, since preclinical research has demonstrated that repeated doses of MDMA can cause serotonergic neurodegeneration in animals (eg Ricaurte et al, 1992, 2000; Steele et al, 1994; Green et al, 1995), and there is some evidence that chronic consumption of ecstasy is associated with protracted dysregulation of 5-HT systems in humans. Drug-free ecstasy users have been found to have low levels of 5-HT, and its metabolite 5-HIAA (McCann et al, 1994; Kish et al, 2000). Additionally, neuroimaging studies suggest that extensive exposure to ecstasy may deplete 5-HT in humans (eg McCann et al, 1998; Semple et al, 1999; Reneman et al, 2000), although such effects appear to recover after prolonged abstinence (Reneman et al, 2001; Thomasius et al, 2003; Buchert et al, 2004). There is also growing evidence that ecstasy use is associated with particular neuropsychological impairments. Compared to ecstasy-naive illicit drug users, recreational ecstasy users have been reported to exhibit persistent impairments of episodic memory and 'executive functions', including deficits in attention and working memory (eg Morgan, 1999; McCann et al, 1999; Gouzoulis-Mayfrank et al, 2000, 2003; Rodgers, 2000; Wareing et al, 2000, 2004; Verkes et al, 2001; Fox et al, 2002; Morgan et al, 2002; Hanson and Luciana, 2004; von Geusau et al, 2004). Impaired 'executive functions' and 5-HT depletion are both thought to play a role in impulse control (eg Evenden, 1999). On the basis of pre-clinical and clinical data, Soubrié (1986) proposed that a reduction in serotonergic activity facilitates active responses at the expense of behavioral inhibition and can result in impulsive behavior in circumstances where an active response is inappropriate and results in either an aversive event or omission of reinforcement. This is in line with clinical evidence that low levels of 5-HIAA are associated with impulsive behavior in the context of certain psychiatric disorders (eg Coccaro, 1989; Linnoila et al, 1993) and with evidence that neuroendocrine responses to fenfluramine are significantly elevated in substance abusers with higher levels of impulsivity (Fishbein et al, 1989). In support of the hypothesis that heavy ecstasy use may result in cognitive impulsivity, we reported that regular ecstasy users commit more errors on a paper and pencil version of the 20-item Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFF20; Cairns and Cammock, 1978)—a measure of 'reflection impulsivity' than either matched polydrug control participants or nondrug controls (Morgan, 1998). Subsequently, we replicated this finding in a study of current and ex-ecstasy users. Both groups of ecstasy users exhibited elevated MFF20 impulsivity compared to ecstasy-naïve polydrug users and drug-naïve controls (Morgan et al, 2002). By contrast, investigations of other behavioral measures of impulsivity have yielded negative results. Gouzoulis-Mayfrank et al (2003) reported that there was no difference in the performance of a Go/No Go task between nonusers, moderate, and heavy ecstasy users despite the evidence that the ecstasy users exhibited poorer memory performance. The lack of consensus in the latter literature may reflect differences in the neuropharmacology of various subtypes of impulsivity (eg Winstanley et al, 2004). In agreement with our MFF20 findings in ecstasy users, Evenden (1999) reported that administration of a 5-HT2 antagonist elevated impulsivity in an animal model of 'reflection-impulsivity' performance, but did not affect other animal models of impulsivity including the inhibitory control subtype assessed by the Go/NoGo task. Furthermore, administration of a 5-HT2 agonist reduced 'reflection impulsivity', but elevated impulsivity in animal models of inhibitory control and temporal discounting. Recently, we have developed a computerized version of the MFF20 to provide a convenient and easily administered measure of reflection impulsivity. Specifically, in the present study, we utilized this variant of the test in samples of ecstasy users, ecstasy-naïve polydrug users, and drug-naïve controls to test the reliability of our earlier findings and to initiate a systematic analysis of the association between ecstasy use and impulsive performance in measures of other kinds of choice behavior. Another manifestation of impulsivity is in the context of decision-making. Real-life decision-making, involving choices between actions leading to uncertain rewards and penalties, depends on the effective processing of information about the probability and value of different outcomes, to arrive at adaptive choices. The cognitive functions underpinning this activity will include the ability to attend to such stimuli, integrate information about the value of different outcomes (using a variety of normative and non-normative heuristics; Kahneman and Tversky, 1979), and select appropriate responses while inhibiting inappropriate options. Therefore, impaired decision-making may reflect a variety of impulse control problems. Research with neurological patients and brain-imaging technologies has demonstrated that the capacity to make effective real-life decisions depends upon the integrity of the orbitofrontal cortex and its neurochemical innervation (Bechara et al, 1996; Rogers et al, 1999a, 1999b, 2004b; Scarna et al, 2005). Recent data suggest that chronic substance abusers show marked deficits in decision-making using instruments known to be sensitive to focal lesions of orbital prefrontal cortex (PFC) (Bechara et al, 2001; Grant et al, 2000; Rogers et al, 1999a). Other data have suggested that at least some of these deficits can be mimicked by acute depletion of l-tryptophan (Rogers et al, 1999a, 1999b), consistent with reports of depleted 5-HT in the orbital regions of PFC of methamphetamine abusers (Wilson et al, 1996). In the present study, we investigated the decision-making of ecstasy users, ecstasy-naïve polydrug users, and drug-naïve controls using a recently devised paradigm, which measures decision-makers' attention to reinforcement signals involved in risky choice: the magnitude of prospective gains (or reward), the magnitude of prospective losses (or punishment), and the probabilities with which each of these outcomes will be delivered (Rogers et al, 2003, 2004a, 2004b; Scarna et al, 2005). Previously, tryptophan-depleted participants showed reduced discrimination between magnitudes of prospective gains associated with different choices in this task (Rogers et al, 2003). There is some evidence that substance dependence can compromise more general incentive-motivational processing (eg Harris and Aston-Jones, 2003). To determine if cognitive deficits were confounded by reduced motivation, a behavioral measure of responsiveness to financial incentive—a computerized version of the Card Arranging Reward Responsivity Objective Test (CARROT; Powell et al, 1996) in which participants sort stimuli under conditions of nonreward and reward—was employed in the present study. To control for any group differences in premorbid intelligence, we employed the National Adult Reading Test (NART; Nelson, 1982). Although we did not seek to test ex-ecstasy users in the present study, the three other groups of participants were similar to those in our previous study (Morgan et al, 2002). However, in contrast to our previous studies, in the present study we succeeded in recruiting primarily current ecstasy and/or cannabis-only users, thereby reducing confounding by histories of other illicit drug use. Source: Neuropsychopharmacology (2006) 31, 1562–1573. __________________ "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway." Read more: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237217#ixzz2stAY1DOI

10-02-2014, 04:55 Phungushead Twisted Depiction Super Moderator Join Date: 21-01-2005 Male from United States Posts: 3,238 Blog Entries: 3 The Psychedelic Road to Other Conscious States How do a few pounds of gray goo in our skulls create our conscious experience—the blue of the sky, the tweet of the birds? Few questions are so profound and important—or so hard. We are still very far from an answer. But we are learning more about what scientists call "the neural correlates of consciousness," the brain states that accompany particular kinds of conscious experience. Most of these studies look at the sort of conscious experiences that people have in standard FMRI brain-scan experiments or that academics like me have all day long: bored woolgathering and daydreaming punctuated by desperate bursts of focused thinking and problem-solving. We've learned quite a lot about the neural correlates of these kinds of consciousness. But some surprising new studies have looked for the correlates of more exotic kinds of consciousness. Psychedelic drugs such as LSD were designed to be used in scientific research and, potentially at least, as therapy for mental illness. But of course, those drugs long ago escaped from the lab into the streets. They disappeared from science as a result. Recently, though, scientific research on hallucinogens has been making a comeback. Robin Carhart-Harris at Imperial College London and his colleagues review their work on psychedelic neuroscience in a new paper in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience. Like other neuroscientists, they put people in FMRI brain scanners. But these scientists gave psilocybin—the active ingredient in consciousness-altering "magic mushrooms"—to volunteers with experience with psychedelic drugs. Others got a placebo. The scientists measured both groups' brain activity. Normally, when we introspect, daydream or reflect, a group of brain areas called the "default mode network" is particularly active. These areas also seem to be connected to our sense of self. Another brain-area group is active when we consciously pay attention or work through a problem. In both rumination and attention, parts of the frontal cortex are particularly involved, and there is a lot of communication and coordination between those areas and other parts of the brain. Some philosophers and neuroscientists have argued that consciousness itself is the result of this kind of coordinated brain activity. They think consciousness is deeply connected to our sense of the self and our capacities for reflection and control, though we might have other fleeting or faint kinds of awareness. But what about psychedelic consciousness? Far from faint or fleeting, psychedelic experiences are more intense, vivid and expansive than everyday ones. So you might expect to see that the usual neural correlates of consciousness would be especially active when you take psilocybin. That's just what the scientists predicted. But consistently, over many experiments, they found the opposite. On psilocybin, the default mode network and frontal control systems were actually much less active than normal, and there was much less coordination between different brain areas. In fact, "shroom" consciousness looked neurologically like the inverse of introspective, reflective, attentive consciousness. The researchers also got people to report on the quality of their psychedelic experiences. The more intense the experiences were and particularly, the more that people reported that they had lost the sense of a boundary between themselves and the world, the more they showed the distinctive pattern of deactivation. Dr. Carhart-Harris and colleagues suggest the common theory that links consciousness and control is wrong. Instead, much of the brain activity accompanying workaday consciousness may be devoted to channeling, focusing and even shutting down experience and information, rather than creating them. The Carhart-Harris team points to other uncontrolled but vivid kinds of consciousness such as dreams, mystical experiences, early stages of psychosis and perhaps even infant consciousness as parallels to hallucinogenic drug experience. To paraphrase Hamlet, it turns out that there are more, and stranger, kinds of consciousness than are dreamt of in our philosophy. Feb. 7, 2014 Ella Cohen Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...62953234754182 Quote: A couple of previous DF threads about Carhart-Harris' research mentioned above: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=215377 http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=176255 This article does take a slightly different approach to the subject, hence the separate thread. Attached Thumbnails Read more: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237198#ixzz2st0oUAvw

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/712375-Rethinking-schizophrenia-Taming-demons-without-drugs neversickanymore View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Moderator Recovery Support -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jan 2013 Location babysitting the argument in my head Posts 6,838 Today 12:11 Rethinking schizophrenia: Taming demons without drugs Antipsychotic drugs may do more harm than good. The tide is turning towards gentler methods, from talking therapies to brain training "I WAS trembling all the time. I couldn't shave. I couldn't wash. I was filthy," says Peter Bullimore. "I had become the archetypal schizophrenic. People would write on my windows: 'Schizo out' and I had one member of the public slash my face." Today, that period of Bullimore's life is long behind him. He runs a mental health training consultancy in Sheffield, UK, and travels the world giving lectures on the subject. You might think that Bullimore's turnaround is thanks to a wonder drug that has brought his schizophrenia under control. On the contrary: it was the side effects of his medication that had brought him so low. Instead, he opted for a seemingly radical course of action – he was slowly weaned off his medications and started a new type of therapy. Bullimore's experience may be an extreme case, but we have long known that the drugs used to treat schizophrenia are very far from ideal. The downsides have always been seen as a necessary price to pay for relief from the condition's devastating symptoms, but now that idea is being called into question. Not only are the side effects of these drugs worse than we thought; the benefits are also smaller. Although people need to be taken off their drugs slowly and carefully to avoid a relapse, it looks as though outcomes are better in the long run if medication is kept to a minimum. Now, there is growing interest in less damaging ways of helping people with the condition, in particular talking therapies, which research published in The Lancet today suggests can be just as effective as medication. Other alternatives include using virtual reality and special forms of brain training. "People are starting to think differently about schizophrenia," says Max Birchwood, a psychologist at the University of Warwick in the UK. "Attitudes are definitely changing." Since it was first described by European psychiatrists in the late 19th century, schizophrenia has often been seen as the most fearsome of all mental illnesses. Those affected usually start behaving oddly in their teens or 20s: hearing voices or seeing things that aren't there, often coupled with paranoid delusions, such as that members of their family want to kill them. These periods of psychosis may come and go unpredictably over the years, and they can be life-wrecking; 1 in 10 people with schizophrenia commits suicide. Bullimore was 29 when it first hit. Ostensibly his life was on track: he ran a manufacturing business and was married with three children. But during a period of stress and overwork, things started to go badly wrong. He became convinced that cars were following him, and heard voices calling him a pervert. He saw the horror-film character Freddy Krueger looking back at him from mirrors. "It was a very frightening time," he says. After a particularly terrifying hallucination one night, the next day, Bullimore smashed his business partner over the head with a telephone, then went home and curled up in a chair. "I stopped there for three weeks," he says. "All the voices were really, really bad." The causes of schizophrenia are frustratingly mysterious. A long-standing theory is that the strange symptoms stem from a person's inability to distinguish between their own thought processesMovie Camera and inputs from the outside world. The imagined voices often say things the person could plausibly be thinking themselves, for instance. But that doesn't so neatly explain the hallucinations and delusions, nor the memory and concentration difficulties that often come with schizophrenia. Many genes that raise the risk of schizophrenia have been discovered, most of which seem to affect brain development or functioning – suggesting that the condition arises when something goes wrong with the brain's wiring as it develops and matures during adolescence. The prevailing theory is that the problems lie in neural networks that use the brain chemical dopamine, in part because drugs such as LSD and amphetamines, which can cause symptoms of psychosis, are known to raise dopamine levels. Until the 1950s, there was little that doctors could do for someone like Bullimore, other than lock them up in an asylum and sedate them with strong tranquillisers called barbiturates. But then a new class of drugs was developed that proved helpful in treating people in the grip of acute psychosis. These antipsychotics, as they became known, could calm people who were distressed or shouting, without knocking them out like tranquilizers did. The drugs were found to block dopamine signalling, bolstering the theory that overactivity of these pathways caused schizophrenia. As wider use of antipsychotics allowed people with schizophrenia to live in the community rather than a psychiatric hospital, they are often credited with bringing an end to the often inhumane asylums. But right from the start these drugs were known to have unpleasant side effects. Continued here http://www.newscientist.com/article/...l#.UvQ5YfldVmk RECOVERY FORUMS ~~~ADDICTION GUIDE~~~ CONTACT ME -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #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 444 Today 13:30 I read the whole article. Hope more studies confirm the brain training scheme and they can find a way to circumvent acute symptoms through genetic tests of high risk individuals. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #3 neversickanymore View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Moderator Recovery Support -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jan 2013 Location babysitting the argument in my head Posts 6,838 Today 14:55 I think schizophrenia is just a mid step in the evolution of our brains.. i think it is the beginning of the ability of our conscious and subconscious being able to communicate clearly. if you look a the voices that are commonly heard by schizophrenics they seem to be representing specific emotions. I think as this progresses through time it will form a human where the conscious has merged with the unconscious. I always think of a time where i got a head injury an was able to remember every phone number i had ever dialed or heard with out hesitation for the doctors who were looking for contacts. I think they were amused and a friend I was with that had known me for years was there.. he said I spit out hundreds of phone numbers for my entire family and friends.. so this information is locked in the unconscious.. imagine if we had access to it. This is an interesting piece on a woman that has been able to work with her voices and they gave her the answers to on of her doctoral exams.. Is It Possible To Live With The Voices In Your Head? Eleanor Longden RECOVERY FORUMS ~~~ADDICTION GUIDE~~~ CONTACT ME -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #4 defanged View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Greenlighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jan 2014 Location NYC Posts 17 Today 15:21 very interesting article. but anything that advocates getting rid of psych meds to deal with severe mental illness makes me a little nervous. i guess it worked well for this guy, but I'm severely bipolar and after years of fighting doctors trying to give me pills, i've finally found a med combo that works for me - - but now I'm 34, all my friends have high-power jobs or moved or whatever, I'm a bit old to try to attempt college again, I've scared away every relationship I've ever had, and I have no marketable skills. Hooray. That's an after-school special for you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #5 Captain.Heroin View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Nov 2008 Location I wished with all my heart that we could just...leave this world behind. Rise like two angels in the night and magically...disappear. Posts 36,227 Blog Entries24 Today 17:09 Antipsychotics are necessary for some conditions and people. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #6 What 23 View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jan 2013 Posts 764 Blog Entries28 Today 17:57 ^Do you think this must always be the case? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #7 defanged View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Greenlighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jan 2014 Location NYC Posts 17 Today 18:29 hard to make an absolute rule, but most people do agree that for some people (generally people diagnosed with a psychotic/delusional disorder by a competent physician), anti-psychotics are the most effective course of treatment and, for those people, necessary for the establishment/maintenance of a life free of hospitalizations, possible entanglement with law enforcement, and other consequences of living the life of an untreated psychotic disorder. Anti-psychotics have a really bad reputation, even with educated people, but the truth of the matter (and I speak from experience, having been treated with various anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, etc. for most of my life, having had my own bouts of psychotic illness when I've "gone off" my meds) is that they aren't that different from any other medication used to treat any other human illness. Cancer, HIV, acne, and bipolar disorder with psychotic features... Not-stupid people take the appropriate medication for their ailment, if they aren't part of some wackjob religion that chooses prayer over hospitals. (Sorry, if I offended any of those religious people. You aren't nuts. Yeah. Not nuts.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #8 CLICKHEREx View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Greenlighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join DateSep 2012 Posts48Today 21:07 A natural treatment for psychosis follows: Psychosis: For some people suffering from psychosis, (hallucinations, and/or delusional beliefs) the following may well help reduce, or even in some cases, completely eliminate the need for antipsychotics, with their known risks and sometimes unpredictable side effects, but don't expect overnight results; begin the program, preferably maintaining your current medication regime for 6 weeks, and only then consider reducing their amount by around 10% weekly. Google: "TheRoadBack; weaning off antipsychotics" Take 9 Omega 3 fish oil supplements, (high in E.P.A.) or the recommended dose of a high quality of fish, or krill oil daily, like Carlsons, or Melrose: (certified free of mercury) it is best if consumed with an antioxidant, such as an orange, or its FRESHLY SQUEEZED juice. If vitamin E is added, it should be certified as being 100% from natural sources, or it may be synthetic: avoid it! Basically, if a vitamin supplement shows dl, which is the acronym for dextro-levo, it contains both isomers, and is therefore synthetic in origin. Females may benefit by balancing the DHA, & EPA versions of Omega 3 in fish, or krill** oil with ALA flaxseed oil Omega 3, or at least one heaped tablespoonful of ground flaxseed, daily. Vegetarians: Google: "Omega 3; vegetable; supplies" and use with flaxseed. Dr Mercola advises: in the winter months, if not getting sufficient daily exposure to strong light, go to a doctor and ask for a 25(OH)D, also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D, blood test. When you get the results, don’t follow the typical “normal” reference range, as these are too low. The OPTIMAL value that you’re looking for is 45-52 ng/ml (115-128 nmol/l)". The company which tests your levels has to be one of those using the correct form of test, and this topic is addressed via the searchbar at Mercola - "vitamin D3; testing". 59% of Americans are deficient in the extremely important vitamin D3, with their lowest levels occurring in late winter, and early spring. Canadians get even less sunlight exposure. People with the lowest levels are 11 times more likely to suffer depression (psychosis can occur with major depression). Dr. Cannell, from the VitaminDCouncil,org advises that the co-factors most often deficient in the American diet, and necessary to optimise its absorption, and utilisation are magnesium, zinc, boron, and vitamin K2 ( Google: mercola /2011/03/26/the-delicate-dance-between-vitamins-d-and-k Google supplies, or Mercola have supplies of the considerably more bioactive Menaquinone-7 variety of vitamin K2). Otherwise, I recommend using either health food/vitamin stores, or Googling: " Menaquinone-7; variety of vitamin K2; supplies" rather than risking any old, or substandard products at supermarkets, or even on pharmacy shelves. The Omega 3 and vitamin D3 will act as preventatives for a wide variety of disorders and diseases, both physical and psychological, as well as boosting your immune system, and are 2 that most people in Western countries are deficient in, so I suggest that you recommend them to others as well. The best dietary source of vitamin K2 is natto (Only FERMENTED soy products, like natto are safe for females). 10,000iu/daily is generally regarded as safe daily upper limit for vitamin D3, although some people may need 3 times as much, and it is worth checking AFTER you have been using effective strength supplements for 3 months to make sure you have achieved as safe level according to Dr Mercola's suggestions. Test every 6 months in late winter, and late summer. Children should take at least 2,000 IU for every 25 pounds of body weight; test again in 6 - 8 weeks, and if normalised, reduce to 1,000 IU for every 25 pounds of body weight. Some need considerably more, or less. "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]" At wikipedia: "oilofpisces + depression" Google: "niacin + psychosis". Begin using 50 mg of niacin / vitamin B3 daily, to get your body accustomed to it, for at least a few days, before beginning to increase the dosage to 100 mg. Read the doctoryourself website on Hoffer about the dosage, and decide if you want to adopt the conservative approach, above, or start at 100 mg, three times daily, which is safe, and works quicker, but may well cause more skin flushing. Take 3,000 mg of vitamin C daily. I am aware of advice, however, that for it to be utilised, synthetic vitamin C needs to be taken with some of the natural form, (such as the FRESHLY SQUEEZED juice of an orange) and / or bioflavonoids. Optimise vitamin D levels, and take omega 3, niacin, & vitamin C. If supplementing, (the non preferred method, according to Dr John Cannell at the vitaminDcouncil ) use only vitamin D3.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/02/06/vic-drug-tests-attack-workers-union 6 Feb 2014 - 12:18am Vic drug tests an attack on workers: union The construction union says planned drug testing on building sites unfairly targets its members. (AAP) UPDATED YESTERDAY 4:54 PM The introduction of a drug- and alcohol-testing regime on taxpayer-funded building sites amounts to an attack on construction workers, their union says. Companies bidding for a government contract will need to have a comprehensive drug- and alcohol-testing plan in place by mid year under the Victorian government plan. Premier Denis Napthine said the tests will boost safety and crack down on outlaw motorcycle gangs dealing drugs on the sites. He said reports of illicit drug use and distribution on Victorian construction sites are widespread, and the presence of intoxicated and drug-affected workers on building sites is a safety risk. Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) Victorian secretary John Setka said the proposal unfairly singled out construction workers. "There is no epidemic of drug taking on construction sites," he said. "Our health and safety representatives who look out for workers' health and safety are not reporting a problem." Dr Napthine described building sites as potentially dangerous environments. "We want people operating major machinery in dangerous environments to be drug- and alcohol-free, just the same as we demand pilots to be drug- and alcohol-free, drivers of trucks and heavy vehicles to be drug- and alcohol-free," he told Fairfax Radio. "The Masters Builders Association have been lobbying for this, it's been comments from the police expressing concern about drugs through outlaw motorcycle gangs being dealt on building sites, but most of all it's been driven by a need for occupational health and safety." CFMEU occupational health and safety manager Dr Gerry Ayers said there is no evidence of drug dealing on the sites. "If the police have information about bikies selling drugs on sites then they should investigate and act on illegal activity," he said. The plan will also force companies bidding for government projects to install CCTV monitoring, biometric scanning and smartcard technology on their sites. Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said construction workers could be asking why the laws will apply to them and not the premier. He said he would support an alcohol-free parliament. Planning Minister Matthew Guy says he hopes the CFMEU will support mandatory drug testing on building sites. "We believe it's something that should be welcomed by the CFMEU and other unions because we're trying to make workplaces safer for workers on building sites across Victoria," he told reporters. He said similar tests were already in force on many private building sites. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2014/feb/06/chronicle_amfebruary_6_2014 CFMEU lashes out at Victorian drug testing PUBLISHED: 06 Feb 2014 15:40:00 | UPDATED: 07 Feb 2014 11:01:21 CFMEU lashes out at Victorian drug testing Photo: Josh Robenstone Michael Bleby The main building union has condemned the Victorian government’s plans to impose mandatory drug and alcohol testing at work sites as a “slur” on construction workers, saying there was no evidence that people in the industry had more of a substance problem than any other community group. There was no epidemic of ­drug-taking on sites, Victorian Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union secretary John Setka said. “Our on-site health and safety­ ­representatives are not reporting a problem,” Mr Setka said. Premier Denis Napthine on Thursday said he would revise state construction guidelines to require companies to implement comprehensive drug and alcohol screening measures as a condition of tendering for government work. Dr Napthine said reports of illicit drug use and distribution on Victorian construction sites were widespread, as he outlined the change of rules he wants in place by mid-year. “The presence of intoxicated and drug-affected workers on building sites presents a real and serious risk to the safety of hard-working Victorians,” he said. The move is part of a wider attempt by the embattled state government, which on Thursday lost a vote in ­Parliament to establish a parliamentary budget office, to link the opposition Labor Party to the CFMEU following recent allegations of criminal ­behaviour by union figures in ­construction in Victoria and NSW. Treasurer Michael O’Brien on Thursday accused the Labor Party of kowtowing to the union and the state Liberal Party published a YouTube video highlighting donations made by the CFMEU to Labor. Dr Napthine’s announcement sparked a flurry of different statistics. The Master Builders Association of Victoria cited a study that said up to 24 per cent of construction workers had used an illicit drug in the past 12 months, while the state branch of the CFMEU cited research showing that only 2 per cent of the entire workforce worked under the influence of drugs. The MBA Victoria welcomed the announcement. A polarising move “If drug use is on site, then clearly there are drug dealings taking place,” chief executive Radley de Silva said. “They have to get their drugs from somewhere and if it’s related to those in the building industry, that’ll be part of any action that’s taken.” Mr De Silva said he did not know how much it would cost his members to comply with the plans. “What my ­members are more ­concerned about is the cost of not doing such a policy: the cost of any injuries on a site and the costs, God forbid, of any death on a site,” he said. Construction companies reacted with caution to the plan. “Safety is the number one priority for Lend Lease and we remain committed to providing safe conditions for our workers in a lawful environment,” a Lend Lease spokeswoman said. The CFMEU’s Victorian occupational health and safety manager, Gerry Ayers, said the issue was a smoke screen for the government. “They’re trying to distract from their own failures and inability to do some good infrastructure work for this industry,” he said. There were no accurate figures of drug and alcohol abuse on construction sites and the focus on testing was misguided, Dr Ayers said. “Drug testing does not identify the level of impairment,” he said. ”It can pick up if someone smoked marijuana three or four days ago. It doesn’t mean they’re impaired. The biggest impairment in our industry is fatigue. That’s a real killer.” He did not have figures for how many people were killed by fatigue in the industry. All players in the construction industry in Victoria currently subscribe to a policy on alcohol and drugs that is included in the enterprise bargaining agreements between employers and unions and which works, Dr Ayers said. “It’s done in a mature, adult way,” he said. “If people are identified [on site] that are impaired... they can sit down, have a chat, ask them to stop work, order them to stop work. There’s provision for counselling and support.” Mr De Silva said the policy was outdated. “The emphasis is more on rehabilitation. We think it has to be on identification of the problem.” Mr De Silva could not say what changes would be needed to make mandatory on-site testing conform with current EBAs. “The EBA currently has conditions for drug testing,” he said. “Clearly we will have to se what the details will be and then we’ll address that.” Additional reporting by Mathew Dunckley The Australian Financial Review http://www.afr.com/p/business/property/cfmeu_lashes_out_at_victorian_drug_QgGlRplOz7zzXguIu47YOL

06-02-2014, 17:04 Rob Cypher Silver Member Join Date: 31-05-2010 Male from United States Posts: 1,692 Naked Florida Man ‘On Some Kind Of Narcotics’ Was ‘Trying To Eat’ Teen’s Face Off -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A 6-foot-3, 250-pound naked man died after being shot by a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s sergeant when he attacked a former New York City police officer, chased a man and his young son and bit a man on the face. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a Tuesday night news conference that the man later died at a hospital but it wasn’t immediately clear whether he died from gunshot wounds or from a medical condition. According to Bradshaw, the man was walking on a street in Delray Beach when, for no apparent reason, he attacked the 66-year-old retired officer. The man continued down the street, where he chased a man and his 10-year-old son near the entrance to a gated community. Bradshaw said the man then started fighting with an 18-year-old man, who defended himself with a box cutter. The man bit the 18-year-old on the face. “The 18-year-old thought he was trying to eat his face off,” Bradshaw said. “The people that he assaulted, starting with the retired NYPD guy, the people that he chased and then the 18-year-old, said this guy had like super human strength,” the sheriff said. “But he’s a big guy to start with. He’s not fat, he looks like an NFL linebacker. And he basically was terrorizing people all up and down this street.” Deputies arrived and tried to calm the man down. They used a stun gun, but the man kept going. “He takes a fighting stance. They’re trying to get him on the ground. He starts charging them,” Bradshaw said. That’s when a sergeant fired three times, once to the torso and twice on the lower part of the body. The man was taken to Delray Medical Center, where he died. The injured police officer and the teen were also taken to the hospital. Their conditions were not available. Bradshaw said the 10-year-old boy injured himself trying to go under the gate to get away from the man. The sheriff said investigators are trying to figure out the man’s identity and to get some background information on about him. Bradshaw said the man was “obviously on some kind of narcotics to act like this.” “The deputies had to do what they had to do to disable this guy so he didn’t get into this gated community and wreak havoc in there,” Bradshaw said. The incident is reminiscent of a 2012 attack in Miami in which a naked man attacked a homeless man and chewed off much of his face. The man, Rudy Eugene, was shot and killed by a Miami police officer. Witnesses said he had been swinging from a light pole minutes before the attack. Lab tests found only marijuana in his system. The victim in the Miami attack, Ronald Poppo, lost his left eye, his nose and most of the surrounding skin. CBS-Tampa Bay February 5, 2014 http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2014/02/05...eens-face-off/ Read more: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236861#ixzz2sWXS9aF6 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

06-02-2014, 07:16 Phungushead Twisted Depict Super Moderator Join Date: 21-01-2005 Male from United States Posts: 3,231 Blog Entries: 3 Longtime Sufferers of Cluster Headaches Find Relief in Psychedelics -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, it’s a thing. About a year ago, I attended a conference at a Boston-area university. I joined the ranks of experts and students playing session-hooky in the hallways. The conversation turned to MDMA, and its use in treating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. A doctor turned to me and whispered, “You think that’s something? You should see what psychedelic mushrooms are doing for patients with cluster headaches!” Intrigued, I asked, “What?!” The doctor gushed that they were seeing remission, and that patient groups across the country were helping each other heal with the ‘shrooms. When I asked for more details, and if he would go on record, he politely clammed up and walked away. I suppose that was for the best—I couldn’t find a media outlet at that time to take the story anyway. Oh, what a difference a year makes. As medical marijuana gains traction across the nation, the cannabis plant’s therapeutic value is seldom questioned, except perhaps by those whose job it is to support marijuana prohibition. And with the mainstream recognition that this plant might have more healing power than the Federal government cares to acknowledge, other, traditionally more frightening illicit drugs like psychedelics, are being noted for their therapeutic value, too. Psilocybin—aka “magic”—mushrooms and LSD are Schedule I drugs, the same Federal class marijuana sits in having no recognized medicinal value and a high potential for abuse, are being turned to for relief of cluster headaches. ++++++++++ Cluster headaches are excruciating for those who suffer from them. More than one person in the course of research for this story likened the headaches to “an icepick piercing your brain through your eyes.” The headaches come in cycles, sometime multiple times a day, and an attack can last for up to 90 minutes. It’s debilitating to the point where cluster headache patients cannot function normally in society—how do you tell your boss you need to take an hour off while you suffer through excruciating pain? Modern medications—from opiates to steroids to neuro-implants—are, at best, minimally effective. There is no known cure. The suicide rate for those with the disease is 20 times the national average (PDF), according to a report published by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a 501©(3) non-profit research and educational organization dedicated to expanding the usages of psychedelics and marijuana. There are an estimated 1 out of every 1000 Americans, 350,000-400,000 people, who suffer with the disease. Bob Wold, 61, started getting the killer headaches 35 years ago. He tried over 70 different medications, and none of them worked. There is only one FDA-approved medication for cluster headaches. Other than that, all other treatments are off-label. According to Wold, the National Institutes of Health has spent less than $2 million on studying cluster headaches in 25 years. And so, Wold was “always on the look out for something better.” Combing the Internet and message boards, he started doing research, and found people talking about psychedelics. “A guy in Scotland had used some LSD recreationally and his cluster headaches didn’t happen that year. [The headaches] start the same time of year, every year,” he explains, so if your cycle starts in the spring, that’s when they’ll usually start to come on. “This guy’s cycle didn’t start that fall, and he attributed it to LSD,” Wold says. “When [Albert] Hoffman was researching LSD, he was looking for a drug for headaches and migraines.” “Other people tried it, and had amazing results,” Wold continues. “It gave long-lasting results after just a couple of doses. You could avoid the [headache] cycle from just 2-3 doses, 5 days apart at the start of cycle—and that stops it. It works. We’re trying to figure out why that is.” And when he says “doses”—it’s not what you might think. These sufferers do not want to trip. They want relief. Just a quarter of what would be considered a recreational dose is effective for stopping their headaches. Wold says that while low-doses of LSD are effective, (“People liken it to the buzz of drinking three beers,” he says.) it’s difficult to get. “But mushrooms are effective, and you can grow your own. For a $50-$100 investment, [patients] can grow several years worth of medication.” And that’s what many cluster headache patients are doing now—growing their own mushrooms for medicine. Wold founded ClusterBusters, a 501©3 non-profit organization involved in research, education, and advocacy for cluster headache patients, in 2002 to get formal research going. He even took his anecdotal research to Harvard. ++++++++++ Dr. John Halpern, MD, is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Laboratory for Integrative Psychiatry, Psychiatrist-in-Charge of Division Coverage—Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. In other words, he’s a Harvard expert. “People from ClusterBusters came to me,” says Halpern. “There was nothing published on psilocybin and LSD for cluster headaches. I thought it would be important to get something into the literature.” So Halpern started doing research. “[Cluster headaches] is one of the most painful conditions we know of in medicine,” Halpern says. “Proposing a hallucinogen as a solution is a real arduous process to get authorized.” So Halpern suggested looking at a non-hallucinogenic 2-Bromo-LSD, instead of LSD. It’s similar in chemical structure to LSD, except for a huge bromine atom that prevents receptors in the brain from picking up the hallucinogenic properties of the drug. Halpern went to Germany, where there is a compassionate use provision that allows a doctor to take on the risks of administering a non-approved drug if there is a compelling need. There they tried non-hallucinogenic 2-Bromo-LSD for chronic cluster headaches. It worked. “One patient had cluster headaches for 27 years. He had debilitating 3-month long cycles, and wasn’t responding to meds. He was devastated. He was getting 40 cluster headaches a week.” After his treatment, he had zero headaches for 17 months. “This drug appears to shut cluster headaches down and puts patients into remission,” says Halpern. “It’s astounding.” “[People] are suffering and they don’t need to be,” says Wold. “There are things that can help them. A lot of people won’t touch anything that isn’t FDA approved. Most people who try psychedelics for clusters are trying psychedelics for the first time. It’s a big step for them. People need to do their own research and find out how safe psychedelics are, especially in a clinical setting. I’ve lost a lot of friends over the years—some have refused to try the psychedelics. I understand. It’s fear about what might happen. “The reason so many people are involved in pushing for the research, it’s for the people who want FDA approved medication, and not have to worry about losing their job or their family,” Wold continues. Yet, that’s proving to be more difficult than one suffering from the disease might hope. For one thing, there’s about twice as many people with the disease in the USA than the required maximum to achieve “orphan drug” status—a position that would grant a good deal of government support, protection, and potential financial return. The other issue? While everyone interviewed for this article stressed they didn’t want to sound cynical, the same comment kept coming up: profit before people. In other words, should a pharmaceutical company or investment firm sink the hundreds of millions of dollars into research and the process to get, for example, non-psychedelic 2-Bromo-LSD approved by the FDA as a legitimate prescription drug, they would want a guarantee that they’d have a significant return on that money. To sell three pills a year to less than half a million people… you don’t have to be a mathematician to see that the financial return on that would not exist. In other words, “psychedelics work so well, you take fewer doses,” says Halpern. “That’s a problem. They work too well to attract the research.” “I’m stunned and afraid 2-Bromo-LSD might not ever get developed because of a drug development system that wouldn’t support a drug like this. And let’s face it: it’s an unusual way. Just three pills stop the attacks for months—even years,” says Halpern, sounding frustrated. “I know that there’s lots of people using psilocybin and LSD. But if we got Bromo to market, they wouldn’t have to do that.” “These are people who aren’t from a background of illicit drug use, and it’s awkward for them,” Halpern continues. “They have an extensive community of support amongst themselves. Some have elected to grow their own mushrooms. Many have tremendous hesitation in breaking the law and engaging in something that hasn’t been approved by the FDA.” “We stress with everyone that they should discuss this with their doctor,” says Wold. “Most patients go for months from drug to drug trying to find something.” If patients are using mushrooms and LSD underground, says Halpern, it’s because “the system has failed” to develop a non-psychedelic option, like 2-Bromo-LSD. “It’s as close to a functional cure as possible.” According to Halpern and Wold, there are investors interested in the development of the drug—but only if it gets orphan drug status. “We have to get in a lab and do this research and find out why it’s working,” said Halpern. ++++++++++ Brian E. McGeeney, MD, MPH, is a neurologist and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine. He walks the delicate line of treating patients who suffer from cluster headaches. “I’m not promoting [psychedelics] to patients,” he stresses. “I am open to discussing it with patients. But it’s their decision to use it or not.” But, what makes him a sought-after doctor in the community? “I don’t freak out like a lot of other folks” when the topic of psychedelics comes up, remembering that, “We have First Amendment protection.” McGeeney says that cluster headaches are a “disorder that destroys people emotionally. The use of hallucinogens gives them a break, which they wouldn’t otherwise get. Many feel ignored or let down by the medical community. Physicians lose interest in them as treatments don’t work. The use of [psychedelics] is a last resort.” “Sometimes our standard medical treatments don’t work,” he continues. “And there’s a lot of bitterness among patients for lack of help from regular health care professionals.” “As physicians, we don’t want to be accused of wrong-doing, promoting illegal activity,” McGeeney says. “Physicians get scared about what the drug interactions might be. And then physicians might be conflicted about what to put down in the medical records, because if they put down what is happening, will that be used against them at some point in time? We want to walk a fine line between not pushing that [therapy] on anybody, but be understanding and helpful and act as a resource for patients who are pursing [that type of solution].” “It’s such a pity that we don’t have good evidence behind this, because of its scheduled nature,” McGeeney says. McGeeney also sees potential treatment for migraines, “to a variable extent… It hasn’t been looked at all. If it works for cluster, what about the common headache?” Halpern echoes the potential too, “This drug [2-Bromo-LSD] could be a blockbuster, just for cluster headache, but what if it turns out it’s good for migraines too?” “We’ve come a long way,” says Wold. “When I first started ClusterBusters, I couldn’t even get doctors to return an email if it included ‘psilocybin’ in the email. I don’t have that problem anymore. We’re accepted as members of the biggest headache societies and medical groups. They’re coming to our conferences and making presentations and they’re interested in what we’re doing.” “When I see people committing suicide because they don’t have anything to treat their headaches, it’s amazing to me that anyone would keep an option from someone at that point,” says Wold. And while the plea for research thumps louder in the cluster headache community, Halpern, (whose company, Entheogen Corp, holds the patent on the non-psychedelic 2-Bromo-LSD) is left with one observation. “In the absence of fact, fear can reign.” 05 February 2014 Valerie Vande Panne The Daily Beast http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...chedelics.html Attached Thumbnails Read more: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236811#ixzz2sVbTSgL5

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/710020-Byron-MDMA-Magistrate-fires-off-at-the-police Byron - MDMA - Magistrate fires off at the police #1 poledriver View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jul 2005 Posts 7,455 Yesterday 14:13 Byron - MDMA - Magistrate fires off at the police A MAGISTRATE has had a shot at police for wasting taxpayers' money after he dismissed a charge against a man caught with ecstasy at Splendour in the Grass. Shane Ellis was spotted by police acting suspiciously when he saw officers and drug detection dogs as he was walked toward the main gate of the music festival at North Byron Parklands on July 27 last year. Ellis turned and walked in the direction he had come from while trying to remove something from a bag he carried. When police approached Ellis a drug detection dog indicated the Mt Isa man had illegal drugs. A search of Ellis's bag uncovered five blue ecstasy tablets in a plastic resealable bag hidden inside a sunglasses container. He was issued with a court attendance notice and entered a guilty plea to possessing a prohibited drug when he appeared at Byron Bay Court on September 19. When dismissing the charge, Magistrate David Heilpern said "the expense to the public of matters such as this is enormous". He said despite Ellis's guilty plea, the matter had five adjournments in seven months. "This was five tablets that the police valued at $100," he said. Mr Heilpern noted Ellis had no prior convictions in NSW or Queensland, and ordered the drugs be destroyed. http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/...olice/2147530/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #2 neversickanymore View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Moderator Recovery Support -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jan 2013 Location babysitting the argument in my head Posts 6,505 Yesterday 14:16 Hell yes!!!!!! I hope to god things are changing!!!!!!!! RECOVERY FORUMS ~~~ADDICTION GUIDE~~~ CONTACT ME -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #3 poledriver View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jul 2005 Posts 7,455 Yesterday 14:19 Hell yeah, Splinter in the ass (splendour in the grass) is one of our biggest music festivals in Aus, maybe THE biggest one. I bet the police are gobsmacked over this. 5 pills is def over the personal use limit and could be seen as dealing with the wrong judge I think. From the drugs misuse and trafficking chart - Small quantity - 0.25 g (personal use, I think) Traffickable quantity - 0.75 g (dealing I think) Commercial quantity - 0.125 kg (larger scale dealing I think) Large Commercial quantity - 0.5 kg (even larger scale dealing I think) Chart is here - http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/n...5256/sch1.html So i'm not sure how much 5 pills weighs, but I'm pretty sure it'd be over 0.25 g's? Lucky dude.

04-02-2014, 03:02 Join Date: 03-12-2012 21 y/o Male from Portugal Next question: can the NSA crack Tor keys? Next question: can the NSA crack Tor keys? "After more revelations, and expert analysis, we still aren't precisely sure what crypto the NSA can break. But everyone seems to agree that if anything, the NSA can break 1024 RSA/DH [DH refers to Diffie-Hellman] keys." With that Friday blog post, Errata Security CEO Robert Graham ignited a spark of outside posts reporting on Graham's observations about Tor. "The problem with Tor is that it still uses these 1024 bit keys for much of its crypto," he said, "particularly because most people are still using older versions of the software. The older 2.3 versions of Tor uses keys the NSA can crack, but few have upgraded to the newer 2.4 version with better keys." Tor is short for The Onion Router, a service that offers anonymous browsing. Tor takes a user's Internet traffic and masks its location. He suggested that the Tor community do a better job getting people to upgrade to 2.4. His speculation follows an exercise where he ran his own "hostile" exit node on Tor and surveyed encryption algorithms established by incoming connections. TOR still uses 1024 RSA/DH keys for much of its crypto. About 76 percent of the 22,920 connections that he polled used some form of the older version keys. "Only about 24 percent of incoming connections were using the newer software," he said. With the newer keys. the operations involved are more computationally intensive. According to the NSA site posting back in 2009, the US National Institute for Standards and Technology recommended that these 1024-bit systems be upgraded to something providing more security. The NSA discussion, titled "The Case for Elliptic Curve Cryptography." said that the US National Institute for Standards and Technology recommended that these 1024-bit systems were sufficient for use until 2010. "The question is what should these systems be changed to? One option is to simply increase the public key parameter size to a level appropriate for another decade of use. Another option is to take advantage of the past 30 years of public key research and analysis and move from first generation public key algorithms and on to elliptic curves." "Of course, this is still just guessing about the NSA's capabilities," noted Graham. © 2013 Phys filhodd View Public Profile Send a direct message to filhodd Find all posts by filhodd Add filhodd to Your Contacts Join Date: 14-01-2003 98 y/o Male from Netherlands Posts: 27,224 Blog Entries: 3 Re: Next question: can the NSA crack Tor keys? The main problem with RSA is that the NSA has paid RSA to use faulty / vulnerable code. This means that the NSA can simply access 76% of all TOR traffic. My bet is that this explain much about arrests surrounding TOR based sites like Silk Road, etc. __________________ Keep DF ad-free. We need supporters to pay the bills. We are €1650 short per month. Your donations provide drug information, harm reduction and recovery support to tens of millions per year. Every €1 gives 7.000 people access to DF. Donate now: € 20, € 50, € 100, € 150 or a custom amount. Alfa View Public Profile Send a direct message to Alfa Find all posts by Alfa Add Alfa to Your Contacts View Blog Silver Member Join Date: 29-10-2013 Male from United States Posts: 231 Blog Entries: 3 Re: Next question: can the NSA crack Tor keys? Alfa, I am no expert on these things, but the SR-related arrests seemed to involve a lot of very low-tech legwork: "turning" people apprehended on a mundane charge, "entrapment," coercion, etc... All of which implies-- at least superficially-- that they could not read the TOR encrypted traffic on SR. I suppose that it is possible that the arrests were managed in this way to fool people into believing that TOR was still safe. But this is taking things a bit far, in my opinion. Please note the pattern of arrests, and subsequent behavior of the feds following these dramatic arrests. Also note all of the circumstances surrounding Shrem's arrest, and subsequent federal moves to "regulate" Bitcoin. To my eyes, it looks like the real target of these related events were (1.) the deepweb, in and of itself. And (2.) the use of digital currencies like Bitcoin, that confound government attempts to closely monitor economic transactions, be they legitimate or illegitimate transactions. I am not at all tech-savvy. But the task of decoding encrypted communications relayed through TOR would seem to exceed any computing capacity of even the NSA, at present. My cyber security people tell me that this is the case. But maybe they are wrong. So long as TOR stays on it's toes and changes it's encryption key at each stage of the relay the task of breaking the code is immense, if not actually impossible. The weak link in TOR, as I understand it, is how they write these keys, at each stage of the relay. If they are using a computer to generate "random keys" then these keys can be anticipated, so to speak, by any sufficiently large computing network, such as the NSA has at it's disposal. One of the most elusive mathematical concepts is: how does one create something that is truly "random?" The solution for TOR, I think, is to not attempt to create "random" keys. Such attempts are, by definition, doomed to failure. What one computer can do, another computer can undo. Instead, I think that there needs to be some sort of decidedly low-tech system put into place. Vast numbers of continuously rotating people at every stage of the relay who will write keys on the basis of nothing more than whims and an ability to think creatively. Computers are never whimsical. And they are never creative. These two qualities are reserved to human beings exclusively. Do you follow my thinking here? Yes, this would be a much more cumbersome and awkward way of doing things. And, yes, there remains the problem of how to screen and oversee the vast numbers of people writing the keys. Some specific lines of communication could be compromised by either human ineptitude or traitors "volunteering" to lend a hand. But I can also envision deploying such people in a blind manner, so they personally have no idea what traffic they are writing keys for. I can also envision a pyramid of oversight, so to speak, where the people at the top (easily cleared for.security purposes) would whimsically and creatively interfere with these keys-- supplanting some, redirecting others, and constantly rearranging the relay lines. Unless the NSA managed to penetrate the top of this pyramid-- a feat comparable to the CIA getting an operative appointed to head up the KGB-- the whole enterprise, I think, would stay safe. Overall, the system would survive such minor compromises as did occur. Just as the KGB survived its numerous compromises. In such a hybrid system (human-machine), most lines of communication would remain secure, I believe. And the NSA (and other agencies of governments throughout the world) would be largely circumvented. Could you comment, please? You seem to know a lot more about these things than I do. Last edited by bluenarrative; 04-02-2014 at 08:27. bluenarrative View Public Profile Send a direct message to bluenarrative Find all posts by bluenarrative Add bluenarrative to Your Contacts View Blog 04-02-2014, 08:28 Alfa Productive insomniac Administrator Join Date: 14-01-2003 98 y/o Male from Netherlands Posts: 27,224 Blog Entries: 3 Re: Next question: can the NSA crack Tor keys? TOR needs its own certificates and keys instead of relying upon parties that can be bought off or coerced into corruption. __________________ Keep DF ad-free. We need supporters to pay the bills. We are €1650 short per month. Your donations provide drug information, harm reduction and recovery support to tens of millions per year. Every €1 gives 7.000 people access to DF. Donate now: € 20, € 50, € 100, € 150 or a custom amount. Alfa View Public Profile Send a direct message to Alfa Find all posts by Alfa Add Alfa to Your Contacts View Blog 04-02-2014, 09:12 Silver Member Join Date: 29-10-2013 Male from United States Posts: 231 Blog Entries: 3 Re: Next question: can the NSA crack Tor keys? Alfa, Thank you for your prompt reply to my questions. Do you think that is the extent of TOR's weakness? Certificates and keys? How can such certificates and keys be created by a small tightly-knit group of people in a storefront in Cambridge, Massachusetts? Doesn't the nature of the group render it highly susceptible to sabotage? Do you think that I am wrong about the whole SR story being an assault on the deepnet and/or Bitcoin? Even if TOR had its own certificates and keys, doesn't the problem of computer generated randomness remain vulnerable to de-encryption by other computers? What did you think about my idea of infusing the whole thing, somehow, with whimsy and creativity, to thwart algorithmic interpolation? I'm just tossing around very broad and sketchy ideas here. But is my thinking about the value of certificates and keys way off track? I am just curious about these things. But the idea of leaving the NSA holding it's own dick rather pleases me! Read more: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236604#ixzz2sKQo5RRs

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/711700-Cannabis-Fatality-Verdict-Disputed-Huffngton-Post #1 Si Ingwe View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries Visit Homepage View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Mar 2002 Location UK Posts 2,043 Today 04:20 An advocacy group has challenged the verdict of an inquest which states a mother-of-three’s death was a direct result of cannabis poisoning. Gemma Moss was found dead on her bedroom floor in October with moderate to high levels of the class B drug in her system. Tests of her vital organs found nothing out of the ordinary, though a pathologist at the 31-year-old’s inquest this week in Bournemouth said she may have suffered a cardiac arrest triggered by cannabis toxicity. Her death was registered as cannabis toxicity and a coroner recorded a verdict of death by cannabis abuse. But Peter Reynolds, the leader of Cannabis Law Reform (CLEAR), tells HuffPost UK: "Science simply doesn't support this verdict. There must have been another factor involved and there isn't any evidence that cannabis was the causative factor. “Tragically, spontaneous cardiac arrest does occur in apparently healthy people. Cannabis is the least toxic therapeutically active substance known to man". Moss, a devout Christian who was baptised last year, was known to use cannabis regularly throughout her adult life, but had stopped for two years before her death. She began using it again to help her sleep after becoming anxious and depressed following the breakup of her relationship, the inquest heard. more - http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014...tml?1391098515 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #2 neversickanymore View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Moderator Recovery Support -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jan 2013 Location babysitting the argument in my head Posts 6,633 Today 04:57 Wow one woman has no apparent cause of death so they blame it on grass.. Don't worry grass can take it.. its become strong from all the years of being unjustly fingered as the cause of so much that I dont think it bothers it much anymore. What a joke. RECOVERY FORUMS ~~~ADDICTION GUIDE~~~ CONTACT ME -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #3 plmar View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Oct 2012 Location London Posts 788 Today 05:02 Wow theyre going to use this as an excuse and move this fucking country's drug laws backwards by another 50 years. Guess its time to move to Cali or Holland or something -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #4 foolsgold View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Aug 2010 Location where angels play Posts 6,659 Today 05:03 I am thinking weed sprayed with noids more like than just good old weed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #5 Si Ingwe View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries Visit Homepage View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Mar 2002 Location UK Posts 2,043 Today 05:50 I'm inclined to agree with that Fools. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #6 foolsgold View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Aug 2010 Location where angels play Posts 6,659 Today 07:23 I've been hospitalized twice because of noids in the last couple of years so more than likely that than weed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #7 23536 View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Moderator Drugs In The Media Current Events & Politics -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Dec 2010 Posts 7,778 Today 11:51 I'd like to get some physiological info about this topic. Something from journals. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236329 Devout British mother-of-three, 31, dies from cannabis poisoning after smoking joint 31-01-2014, 09:41 ZenobiaSky Queen of ZEN Join Date: 10-04-2012 45 y/o Female from United States Posts: 530 Blog Entries: 29 Devout British mother-of-three, 31, dies from cannabis poisoning after smoking joint -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A mother-of-three is believed to have become the first woman in Britain to die directly from cannabis poisoning. Gemma Moss, a 31-year-old churchgoer, of Boscombe, in Bournemouth, Dorset, collapsed in bed after smoking a cannabis cigarette that led her to have moderate to high levels of the class B drug in her system. Tests of her vital organs found nothing wrong with them although it was suggested she might have suffered a cardiac arrest triggered by cannabis toxicity. Miss Moss' death was registered as cannabis toxicity and a coroner has recorded a verdict of death by cannabis abuse. Deaths directly from cannabis are highly unusual. In 2004 a 36-year-old man from Pembrokeshire became the first person in the UK to died from cannabis toxicity. David Raynes, of the National Drug Prevention Alliance, said: 'It is extremely rare and unusual for a coroner to rule death from cannabis abuse. 'In 40 years I have never come across deaths from cannabis alone. There have been cases where it has been combined with other drugs or alcohol. 'It has often been said that cannabis doesn’t cause death. Users usually pass out before they can take enough cannabis to kill them. 'This case serves as a warning that cannabis can cause immense harm. 'Cannabis is know to increase heart rate and blood pressure. Cannabis these days is designed to be much stronger than cannabis used in the sixties to meet demand of users who want a stronger hit.' Miss Moss, a devout Christian, had frequently used cannabis during her adult life but had stopped for two years before her death last October. She started using it again to help her sleep after becoming depressed and anxious due to breaking up with her boyfriend. An inquest heard Miss Moss smoked half a joint a night to help get her to sleep. Her friend, Zara Hill, said she and Miss Moss smoked cannabis worth about £20 together in the week before her death. Miss Hill told police that Miss Moss smoked as much as £60 of the drug a week, although this was disputed by her family. On the night of October 28 last year, Miss Moss, who had two sons, Tyler, 15, and Tessiah, eight, and a daughter, went to bed after rolling a joint. She was found unresponsive in bed the following morning by Chloe Wilkinson, the girlfriend of Miss Moss’ teenage son. She summoned an ambulance to the flat in Boscombe but Miss Moss was pronounced dead at the scene. Half of a joint was found underneath her body and a wrapper containing brown and green leaves of the class B drug was discovered in her handbag. A post-mortem examination revealed that there were no obvious signs of abnormality in Miss Moss’ body. But Dr Kudair Hussein, a pathologist, told the inquest in Bournemouth, that there were moderate to heavy levels of canabinoids in her blood. He said: 'The physical examination and the examination of various organs including the heart and the liver showed no abnormality that could account for her death. 'The level of canabinoids in the blood were 0.1 to 0.15 miligrams per litre, this is considered as moderate to heavy cannabis use. 'I looked through literature and it’s well known that cannabis is of very low toxicity. 'But there are reports which say cannabis can be considered as a cause of death because it can induce a cardiac arrest.' Mr Sheriff Payne, the Bournemouth coroner, asked Dr Hussein: 'You are satisfied it was the affects of cannabis that caused her death.' Dr Hussain replied: 'Yes sir.' The inquest heard Miss Moss grew up in London but moved to Bournemouth about five years ago. She was said to have changed her lifestyle and found faith since relocating to the south coast. She regularly attended the evangelical Citygate Church in Bournemouth and was baptised there last year. Her mother, Kim Furness, told the inquest her daughter struggled to sleep and had admitted that she had started smoking a 'small amount' of cannabis at night. Miss Furness said: 'For years she smoked it (cannabis) every day. 'When she moved to Bournemouth she stopped for two years and then had a break up with her relationship and started again. 'It was one half of a joint to get to sleep. She never smoked in the day. She was really honest about cannabis because from where we come from its normal to smoke cannabis. 'She was trying to stop again. She rang me and said "mum, I have just started again, I will stop but I needed half to get to sleep".' 'She said she would go to the doctors to get something to help her sleep to stop her doing it. She wasn’t excessively smoking.' Detective Inspector Peter Little read a statement from Miss Hill. She also Miss Moss was stressed about her benefit money being stopped and because her son had been excluded from school. In recording a verdict that Miss Moss died from drug abuse, Mr Payne said: 'Gemma had been a long term user of cannabis. 'She suffered from depression and was on prescription drugs to try and deal with that although it would not appear she was taking them at the time of her death. 'She usually used it (cannabis) in the evenings to try and help her to get to sleep and did not use it in the day time. 'The post mortem could find no natural cause for her death. 'With the balance of probability that it is more likely than not that she died from the effects of cannabis.' Carolyn Stuart, a coroner’s officer, said: 'It is very rare to have cannabis toxicity as a cause of death. She was a healthy 31-year-old woman who had nothing wrong with her.' Russell White, a leader at the Citygate Church, said: 'Gemma was a good mother and brought up her children mainly on her own. 'She was full of fun and loved life and loved coming to church. She was a committed member of the church and brought her children along. 'I think she came from a difficult background but she I think she was clean to a large degree in terms of drugs. 'She is very much missed and her death was a real shock to us.' Miss Moss lived with her two sons but it believed her daughter lived with her father in Jamaica. Last October Miss Moss posted on her Facebook page about how excited she was about travelling to the Caribbean to visit her daughter over Christmas. Lucy Dawe, from the anti-cannabis group Cannabis Skunk Sense, said: 'People who are pro-cannabis will say it won't kill any body but unfortunately it does. 'It is very upsetting because we now have three young people with no mother and the mother probably thought she was doing something perfectly safe. 'Along with death, cannabis can also cause a lot of other problems like psychosis, chronic depression, strokes, and anxiety. 'These effects need to be something that are generally well-known. People think because cannabis is a plant it won't be dangerous but it leads people to a false sense of security.' But Peter Reynolds, president of CLEAR Cannabis Law Reform, a group that campaigns legalising the class B drug, said he doesn't believe anyone can die from taking it. He said: 'It is popularly believed that there has never been a death because of a toxic effect of cannabis on the body. 'Clearly, it is possible that somebody may have had an accident while intoxicated through cannabis use but that would be an indirect cause. 'Unlike opiates, alcohol or other drugs, cannabis cannot depress basic life functions to the point of death. 'Cannabis is probably the least toxic therapeutically active substance known to man. 'In conclusion, I would say that it is pretty much unbelievable that anyone's death could be directly attributable to cannabis.' By SAM WEBB PUBLISHED: 07:54 EST, 30 January 2014 | UPDATED: 13:01 EST, 30 January 2014 Daily Mail UK http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...joint-bed.html __________________ "It's never to late to be what you might have been!" "What is, IS. What is not, IS NOT. No amount of wishing or wanting can change that simple fact." ZenobiaSky View Public Profile Send a direct message to ZenobiaSky Find all posts by ZenobiaSky Add ZenobiaSky to Your Contacts View Blog #2 31-01-2014, 10:40 Suncream Silver Member Join Date: 21-06-2013 53 y/o Male from United Kingdom Posts: 45 Re: Devout British mother-of-three, 31, dies from cannabis poisoning after smoking jo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Those of us living in the UK will know to read this article in the knowledge that the newspaper putting it out is written for people who are not very clever and think Obama is a dangerous Marxist. Its a paper that only runs stories that confirm the prejudices of it's readers. Every single day they run a story saying that the UK is being overrun with foreigners who are bleeding the rest of us dry. A great deal is made of the fact this person apparently went to church. So? What have we to take from that? Cannabis is so dangerous that it will kill you EVEN IF you pray. Suncream View Public Profile Send a direct message to Suncream Find all posts by Suncream Add Suncream to Your Contacts #3 31-01-2014, 15:46 Baba Blacksheep Silver Member Join Date: 30-05-2011 42 y/o Male from England Posts: 295 Re: Devout British mother-of-three, 31, dies from cannabis poisoning after smoking jo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The usual shiteola one expects from such a rag. The Mail and its journalists, reporters and news desk should be held responsible for the spreading of misinformation and damaging sensationalism they purport in their articles. Read more: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236329#ixzz2rxKB33p7

http://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/police-wasting-time-on-alternative-shops-retailer/2154813/ 30th Jan 2014 6:00 AM Updated: 31st Jan 2014 6:30 AM Enchantments owner Ann Healy wants police investigating synthetic cannabis trafficking to stop targeting stores like hers. Enchantments owner Ann Healy wants police investigating synthetic cannabis trafficking to stop targeting stores like hers. Amy Marshall ROCKHAMPTON retailer Ann Healy says police should stop wasting time and resources targeting alternative lifestyle shops when it comes to synthetic drugs. The Enchantments owner's comments come after Happy High Herbs in Mackay won a legal battle for the return of more than $50,000 worth of stock seized in a police raid on June 3 last year. Magistrate Damien Dwyer handed down his ruling in favour of the natural herbs store in a Mackay court yesterday, ordering police to pay more than $8000 in legal costs. The court heard the warrant was restricted to where there was a "reasonable suspicion" items contained synthetic cannabis. However the officer in charge of the investigation allowed the seizure of items outside these parameters. Ann, who had more than $10,000 worth of alternative products seized from her own store in 2012, said the ruling set a precedent for those in the industry. "We're happy to abide by the laws and regulations to keep consumers safe," she said. "But what happens is the wholesalers are on one side of the fence and the authorities are on the other - retailers get stuck in the middle. It's highly unfair." Ann said there was confusion surrounding the legislation and often they were the last to know about any changes. "We trust wholesalers to do the research," she said. "We really aren't the bad guys - like a publican or a tobacconist we are just there to sell a product." Ann said she hoped the ruling would encourage police to "get smarter" when it came to applying the law.

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/711797-How-not-to-make-a-bed-–-synthetic-drugs-in-Australia poledriver View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jul 2005 Posts 7,573 Today 06:58 How not to make a bed – synthetic drugs in Australia Sophisticated synthetic drugs are flooding the Australian market, and for every drug banned there are five others lurking in the wings. Emergency consultant and illicit drug expert Dr. David Caldicott says a temporary ban on these products is just a starting point to buy us some time. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Santayana, G. (1906): “Reason in Common Sense” in The Life of Reason Vol.1. The illicit drugs market has undergone a revolutionary change in the last decade. Home-grown marijuana, home-made methamphetamine and imported heroin have all been eclipsed in profile by the new kids on the block, the novel psychotropic substances (NPSs). In retrospect, we should have seen it coming. Like Cassandra, some of us did, but were unable persuade anyone that a storm was on its way. Back in 2005, at a conference in Sydney, pills were being handed out for free, with the reassurance that they were completely legal (photo). We took them back to Adelaide for analysis and demonstrated that they were pharmaceutical grade methylone, a product that none of us had even heard of, and which was the first legal high that we had collectively ever seen. In 2007, we identified, for the first time in Australia, mephedrone in capsules, now widely regarded as the ‘Queen of the New Stoned Age’. These were the first spots of rain in what was to become a monsoon. As medical professionals, what could we expect to emerge from such an evolutionary crucible, where the principal selection pressure was merely enforced limitation of drug supply? If the illicit market were a virulent infectious disease, one which was largely being treated for 50 years with only a single antibiotic – let’s call it ‘Interdict-icillin’ – we would have been stunned had resistance not developed. The only surprise about the emergence of more nimble markets is that anyone is surprised. Let us be very clear here – this is a mess of our own creation. Evolutionary pressures on the more traditional and cumbersome markets, from both the supply and demand sides of the equation, have rendered them uncompetitive. On the demand side, an insatiable search for novel sensations, coupled with the unique selling points of a general inability of standard screening tests (or sniffer dogs) to identify NPSs, and their ambiguous legal status, has resulted in a huge surge of interest from the consumer. The perfect storm is finally achieved by an explosion of information, immediately available on the World Wide Web, describing products as they emerge. The spread of ideas, including drug trends, has become more virulent, and using the virtually impregnable Silk Road and its successors as a source of acquisition has meant that the street corner dealer has been made redundant, replaced by the more cheerful and significantly less armed-and-dangerous postie. On the supply side, why wouldn’t suppliers elect to provide a product of ambiguous legality and unquestionable purity, with minimal risk of seizure or confiscation? The products currently on the market are far too sophisticated to be the creations of meth-addled tweakers working out of car-boots and cheap hotel rooms. They are sidelines of inconspicuous multinational industrial chemical plants, the owners of which have realised that it is as profitable to produce a 100kg batch of novel product on demand as it is to produce 100 tonnes of their rather duller industrial solvent. The traditional clandestine routes from South West China remain the same – all is already in place for a risk-averse supply chain. The new market is intelligent, reactive and dynamic, and for every drug banned, there are five lurking in the wings, waiting to take its place. Like the emergence of a new strain of influenza, we are faced with something more than the innocuous yearly antigenic ‘drifts’ in drug consumption – this represents a tectonic antigenic ‘shift’. It presents an opportunity to re-evaluate how we deal with the issue of recreational drugs in modern Australian society, an opportunity that may not present itself again for a generation. A temporary ban on these products is a good starting point, to at least buy some time to decide what we want as a country. There is an excellent tradition of harm-minimisation in Australia, but every generation of drugs requires its own specific tactics. The NPS market is attempting to regulate itself, and this should be welcomed and guided rather than dismissed. New Zealand legislators have been prepared to bravely embark on a trial of legalized social tonics, marking a fresh approach to the issue which is unlikely to be worse than current global policy, and which may yet yield very positive health benefits. In addition, we need to get a handle on the population harms caused by these products, and not just the dramatic and tragic examples selected by the media for our consumption. How much harm do they cause compared to our traditional illicits, especially compared to our true ‘legal highs’, alcohol and tobacco or to diverted pharmaceuticals? To truly reduce harm, we need to be able to identify and accurately measure it, rather than rely on sensationalist anecdote and politically charged rhetoric. One measure of medical harm which might seem obvious to the lay reader is to record the acute medical harm associated with emergency department attendance; however, no robust system of recording these harms is in place in Australia. There is a real risk of disconnection between consumer and legislator if credible control options are not used. Simply banning products as they turn up on the market merely turns up the temperature in the crucible, encouraging the emergence of products never before seen in human poisoning. This is a dangerous place to be, ensuring that emergency medical professionals charged with treating overdoses may never be able to fully get a handle on what they will be faced with. Merely banning the packaging of legal highs, as most recently proposed by several state governments, is a laughably inefficient use of resources, akin to the use of sniffer dogs in Australia, or the hilarious-if-it-wasn’t-serious suggestion by the previous federal government of banning any plants that contained dimethyltryptamine. The latter would have resulted in the outlawing of several native state and federal floral emblems, including wattle and the Sturt desert pea, plant species more likely to spontaneously become carnivorous than to become significant players in a new drugs panic. Worse than merely being a failure, “The War on Drugs” has been an unmitigated disaster, a slow motion train-crash that has cost trillions of dollars and adversely affected the lives of billions of individuals – with no real net gain to public health. In the recent federal election, one of the most uninspiring in living memory, neither of the major political parties displayed the moxie to take a position on drugs policy. It has been a greater crime in Australia to appear to be ‘soft on drugs’ than to propose any meaningful policy other than the now out-dated approach of prohibition. With the re-election of a party traditionally committed to an ideological agenda on illicit drug use as opposed to a medical one, AOD workers around the country are nervously hoarding their grant money in mattresses, while the suppliers of sniffer dogs lick their lips in anticipation. The author cited in the beginning provides us with another quotation to finish with: “Fanaticism consists in redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim”. As a society, as a species even, on the issue of recreational drugs, we need to decide what our aim is, and who it should fall to decide what our aim should be. Should it be left in the hands of those whose job depends on the result of a popularity contest, whose position can be swayed by the influence of lobby groups, and for whom a ‘moral panic’ is not necessarily a bad thing? Or does the public have the right to expect that our policies be based on independent, peer-reviewed evidence, conducted by individuals who have worked in the field for a lifetime? Is it more important to stop individuals from consuming drugs, no matter what the consequences, even if those consequences are that more young people contract blood-borne viruses, or diseases yet to be defined, or even if it means more of them have to be incarcerated or actually die as a lesson to their peers? This is the essence of prohibition. Or should we do whatever we can to stop young people getting hurt, even if it means providing them with messages about how to stay safer during their overwhelmingly self-limiting drug-using career? It is the responsibility of physicians to inform these policy choices and to insist that the tyranny of dogma is not given the opportunity to suppress evidence. This is a time for evidence-based policies, and not policy-based evidence. This is our bed, and it’s our choice as a society not only how we and our children lie in it now, but also how to make it for the next generation of young Australians. Dr. David Caldicott is an Emergency Consultant at the Emergency Department of the Calvary Hospital in Canberra and a Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine at the Australian National University. He is a spokesperson for the Australian Science Media Centre on issues of illicit drug use and the medical response to terrorism and disasters. Dr. Caldicott designed and piloted the Welsh Emergency Department Investigation of Novel Substances (WEDINOS) project in the UK, a unique program using regional emergency departments as sentinel monitoring hubs for the emergence and spread of novel illicit products, and is currently replicating this work in Australia with the ACT Investigation of Novel Substances (ACTINOS) Group. The opinions in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those held by Calvary Hospital or ACT Health. http://www.openforum.com.au/content/...rugs-australia

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/711618-Britain-seeks-advice-from-Uruguay-regarding-legalisation-of-cannabis Si Ingwe View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries Visit Homepage View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Mar 2002 Location UK Posts 2,033 Today 04:16 http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1659468-i...uana-a-uruguay This article apparently translates, roughly, thus - Interested, Britain requested details of legalizing cannabis from Uruguay. Cameron administration officials debated for over an hour on the implementation of the law which regulates the production and sale of cannabis. MONTEVIDEO -. Britain showed interest about the recent legalization of marijuana in Uruguay and made inquiries about a Uruguayan authorities yesterday through a videoconference. Specialists in the field explained the minister for crime prevention in Britain, Norman Baker, rationale and implementation-still ongoing-the law governing the production and sale of marijuana in Uruguay. "We received the proposal to have a video conference with British Minister of Interior, (who) was very interested in knowing firsthand the basics of the law recently approved by Parliament and (...) how can we implement this law" , said the Ministry of Communication of the Uruguayan Presidency Diego Canepa, who chairs the National Drug Board Uruguay. During the conversation, which lasted over an hour, the two discussed "what are the impacts on the law can have not only public health but also in security," said Canepa. The British ambassador to Uruguay, Ben Lyster-Binnis, also participated in the videoconference. Uruguay last December became the first country to pass control of the cannabis market and its derivatives, an unpublished project promoted by President José Mujica . Under the law, those over 18 can access the drug through self-cultivation, consumer clubs or buying in pharmacies, in all cases with limits and prior registration with the state. Although the standard is already in force the Executive Branch works in its regulations, which define from the way licenses are granted to plant up how will the user registry to buy in pharmacies. Canepa also noted that authorities invited Britain to join the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the standard, which has attracted controversy and interest worldwide. "There is a very large international debate at this time, not only in the region but also in Europe and United Nations level," he said, but added that Uruguay does not want "to model no." "Uruguay believes this is best for Uruguay and Uruguayan conditions, it is a decision to improve the health (...) and we are confident that it will improve some aspects related to security. But not everyone has the same reality" he emphasized. As authorities prepared the regulation of the law, which should be ready no later than April autocultivadores cannabis are prepared to participate in the production and sale of marijuana and official Uruguayan scientists announced that they will begin to investigate the effects of the drug on sleep and wakefulness. Meanwhile, Cánepa admitted earlier this month that foreign laboratories looked at the Uruguayan government on future production of marijuana in the country to buy cannabis for medicinal use.

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/711577-Wholesale-business-owner-employees-indicted-in-multi-million-dollar-drug-operation Wholesale business owner, employees indicted in multi-million dollar drug operation #1 poledriver View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message View Blog Entries View Articles Add as Contact Bluelighter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join Date Jul 2005 Posts 7,536 Today 17:28 Wholesale business owner, employees indicted in multi-million dollar drug operation Eight people have been indicted on charges filed in connection with a large-scale drug operation that supplied illicit drugs to customers in Ohio and across the country. The indictments of the owner and employees of Oncore Wholesale follow a joint-investigation by the Fairfield-Hocking Major Crimes Task Force, the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy. The investigation uncovered a large amount of Kratom, Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds, and nitrous oxide being sold by the company over the internet for consumption. Authorities made the discovery after serving a search warrant at the company's warehouse on Busey Road in Fairfield County in July. Canal Winchester resident David G. Surratt Jr., 37, the owner of Oncore Wholesale, was indicted by a Fairfield County Grand Jury on Friday on the following charges: Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity Trademark Counterfeiting Trafficking in Drugs Trafficking in Harmful Intoxicants Possession or Sale of Unapproved Drugs The following Oncore Wholesale employees were indicted on the same charges, plus an additional charge of Conspiracy to Commit Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity: Sarah M. Surratt, 32, Canal Winchester Adam D. Haase, 38, Columbus Shawn R. Lewis, 38, Columbus David A. Highben, 40, Columbus Amanda E. Parsons, 25, Lancaster Kevin J. Wilt, 27, Canal Winchester "These individuals were blatantly promoting and selling the products for consumption," Attorney General Mike DeWine said. "Although these are not your typical street drugs, we do have concerns that abuse of these substances could become more common." "These drugs mimic the effects of other very hazardous drugs," said Fairfield-Hocking Major Crimes Task Force Commander Eric Brown. "This is a whole new side to the drug trade, and we want to stop these drugs from coming into our communities before they become a more widespread problem." The Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seed is a schedule three drug and nitrous oxide is often abused as an inhalant. Kratom, an herbal drug grown in southeast Asia, has no legitimate medical use and has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, therefore making it illegal to manufacture for human consumption, posses for human consumption, or sell for human consumption. “These indictments are the result of local and state law enforcement agencies working together to combat the trafficking and possession of drugs that cause harm to the citizens of Ohio,” said Jesse Wimberly, a spokesperson for the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy. "The Board of Pharmacy looks forward to providing testimony regarding the non-FDA approved drug Kratom, which is an emerging drug of concern that state and local authorities are closely monitoring." "I have high praise for the authorities involved in this investigation, including the alert Fairfield County Sheriff's deputy who initially discovered the warehouse," Fairfield County Prosecutor Gregg Marx said. "I also want to give credit to the tireless efforts of Assistant Prosecuting Attorney James A. Davey who presented the cases to the Fairfield County Grand Jury and spent countless hours discussing the cases with the officers and preparing the extremely complicated indictments." In addition to the drugs, investigators also uncovered thousands of branded products, including beer cans, energy drinks, and other household products that had been modified with hidden compartments and sold to conceal illegal products from detection. Authorities determined that the business made more than $2 million from the illegal sales in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Upon serving an arrest warrant on David Surratt Jr. earlier this week, investigators found an additional warehouse on Groveport Road in Franklin County, which also stored a large amount of Kratom and counterfeit products. Additional charges could be filed. Members of the Fairfield-Hocking Major Crimes Task Force include the Pickerington Police Department, Lancaster Police Department, Logan Police Department, Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfield County Prosecutor’s Office, Hocking County Sheriff’s Office, and Hocking County Prosecutor’s Office. http://www.norwalkreflector.com/arti...8881?trending=

29-01-2014, 03:43 Phungushead Twisted Depiction Super Moderator Join Date: 21-01-2005Male from United StatesPosts: 3,222 Blog Entries: 3 Psychedelic drug ayahuasca could help in battle against cancer, researcher says psychedelic brew consumed by shamans deep in the Amazon could help in the fight against cancer and should be researched, according to a Brazilian scientist. Ayahuasca — meaning the “vine of the souls” – is traditionally prepared using the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and Psychotria viridis leaves, though other combinations of plants are sometimes used. Psychotria viridis contains N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in the leaves, while Banisteriopsis caapi contains beta-carbolines such as harmine and harmaline. For centuries, the psychedelic brew has been used in shamanistic healing rituals. A Natural Geographic reporter who participated in an ayahuasca ritual described the experience as “terrifying—but enlightening.” Eduardo E. Schenberg of the Federal University of Sao Paulo thinks some of the healing powers attributed to ayahuasca deserve scientific attention, particularly when it comes to cancer. “There is enough available evidence that ayahuasca’s active principles, especially DMT and harmine, have positive effects in some cell cultures used to study cancer, and in biochemical processes important in cancer treatment, both in vitro and in vivo,” he wrote in an article published in SAGE Open Medicine. ”Therefore, the few available reports of people benefiting from ayahuasca in their cancer treatment experiences should be taken seriously, and the hypothesis presented here, fully testable by rigorous scientific experimentation, helps to understand the available cases and pave the way for new experiments.” Rumors of ayahuasca helping people with cancer are common, according to Schenberg, and there are at least nine case reports of cancer patients using ayahuasca during their treatment. Of these nine reports, three showed improvements after consuming the psychedelic brew. Rumors and less than a dozen case reports are hardly substantial evidence. But the physiological effects of the drug suggests there might be some truth behind them, Schenberg said. DMT produces a powerful psychedelic experience by binding to serotonin receptors in the brain. More importantly, for Schenberg, the drug also binds to the sigma 1 receptor, which is found throughout the body and is involved in many cellular functions. The sigma 1 receptor appears to be implicated in the death signalling of cancer cells. In addition, harmine has been shown to induce the death of some cancer cells and inhibit the proliferation of human carcinoma cells. Other physiological factors suggest the combination of DMT and harmine could have medically-important antitumor effects, though more research is need. “In summary, it is hypothesized that the combined actions of β-carbolines and DMT present in ayahuasca may diminish tumor blood supply, activate apoptotic pathways, diminish cell proliferation, and change the energetic metabolic imbalance of cancer cells, which is known as the Warburg effect,” Schenberg wrote. ”Therefore, ayahuasca may act on cancer hallmarks such as angiogenesis, apoptosis, and cell metabolism. ” DMT is currently prohibited as a Schedule I drug by the U.S. Controlled Substances Act and the international Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The drug is relatively unknown compared to other illicit substances like cannabis, but researchers have found that DMT appears to be increasing in popularity. “If ayahuasca is scientifically proven to have the healing potentials long recorded by anthropologists, explorers, and ethnobotanists, outlawing ayahuasca or its medical use and denying people adequate access to its curative effects could be perceived as an infringement on human rights, a serious issue that demands careful and thorough discussion,” Schenberg wrote. January 26, 2014 Eric W. Dolan PsyPost http://www.psypost.org/2014/01/psych...her-says-22353 Quote: Ayahuasca and cancer treatment Eduardo E Schenberg Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil Instituto Plantando Consciencia, São Paulo, Brazil Abstract Objectives: Comprehensively review the evidence regarding the use of ayahuasca, an Amerindian medicine traditionally used to treat many different illnesses and diseases, to treat some types of cancer. Methods: An in-depth review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, books, institutional magazines, conferences and online texts in nonprofessional sources regarding the biomedical knowledge about ayahuasca in general with a specific focus in its possible relations to the treatment of cancer. Results: At least nine case reports regarding the use of ayahuasca in the treatment of prostate, brain, ovarian, uterine, stomach, breast, and colon cancers were found. Several of these were considered improvements, one case was considered worse, and one case was rated as difficult to evaluate. A theoretical model is presented which explains these effects at the cellular, molecular, and psychosocial levels. Particular attention is given to ayahuasca’s pharmacological effects through the activity of N,N-dimethyltryptamine at intracellular sigma-1 receptors. The effects of other components of ayahuasca, such as harmine, tetrahydroharmine, and harmaline, are also considered. Conclusion: The proposed model, based on the molecular and cellular biology of ayahuasca’s known active components and the available clinical reports, suggests that these accounts may have consistent biological underpinnings. Further study of ayahuasca’s possible antitumor effects is important because cancer patients continue to seek out this traditional medicine. Consequently, based on the social and anthropological observations of the use of this brew, suggestions are provided for further research into the safety and efficacy of ayahuasca as a possible medicinal aid in the treatment of cancer. Full article is here: http://smo.sagepub.com/content/1/2050312113508389.full Attached Thumbnails Read more: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236149#ixzz2rljUxZLh

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2014/01/27/08/42/100-australia-day-arrests-in-nsw 100 Australia Day arrests in NSW 8:38am January 27, 2014 The majority of Australia Day revellers in NSW behaved well and enjoyed the festivities in safety, although around 100 people were arrested and charged after going too far, police say. Adding to this was a separate police operation targeting the Big Day Out at Sydney Olympic Park where more than 120 people were arrested and charged with drug and other offences. More than 2000 officers were deployed across the state in Operation Shoreline on Sunday, targeting anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related crime as people celebrated Australia Day. During the operation, 100 people were arrested and charged with a total of 127 offences including assault, affray, assault/hinder police, offensive behaviour, breach bail and drink-driving, police said. Operation Shoreline Commander, Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch, said the majority of people enjoyed Australia Day events without incident and returned home safely. "The small number of people that chose to do the wrong thing were targeted and swiftly dealt with by police," he said in a statement. Mr Murdoch said excessive alcohol consumption was again of concern and he urged those continuing celebrations on Monday to do so responsibly and stay safe. More than 30,000 music fans attended the Big Day Out at Sydney Olympic Park where drug-detection dogs conducted more than 570 searches of people and police arrested and charged 122 revellers. Of those, 71 were charged with drug possession and two for drug supply, while 25 people were issued with cannabis cautions and three were charged for offensive behaviour. Police also seized alcohol from ticketholders on their way to the festival, with 10 under-aged youths dealt with over alleged possession of liquor. Hundreds of people were also refused entry or ejected from the venue for inappropriate and anti-social behaviour, police said. South West Metropolitan Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli, said the majority of people enjoyed their Big Day Out safely. "It was disappointing to see that some people in the crowd refused to heed our warnings and insisted on doing the wrong thing. "We continually reminded ticketholders that prohibited drugs were not only illegal, but also highly dangerous and potentially life-threatening, yet some still believed they were above the law," Mr Mennilli said. Compare with: Big Day Out at Sydney: 2013 - "Three arrests, and 108 offences is a much healthier result than last year’s Big Day Out, with an operation that saw 49 people charged with drug possession, 4 with drug supply offences, and 16 people issued cannabis cautions, while another 165 people were refused entry for being drunk". Compare with: http://www.shaman-australis.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=37490 of 26/1/14 "THERE'S been a decrease in the number of drug-related arrests at Melbourne's Big Day Out music festival. A total of 29 people were arrested for drug offences on Friday, down from 40 people at the same festival at the Melbourne Showgrounds last year. Acting Superintendent Bernie Edwards says only a small number of the 23,000 music fans at the festival were doing the wrong thing. Sniffer dogs were used to find revellers carrying illegal drugs. Police seized drugs such as ecstasy, amphetamines and cannabis. Of the 29 arrested, 15 people have been referred to a drug diversion program and 14 have been cautioned". - http://www.shaman-australis.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=37490 Interesting to note that around 24% of those people were carrying drugs detected by dogs, but can only wonder at what they may have missed out on, and also what that % would have been had they all used best practice recommendations like wrapping it and putting it in a cigarette packet, and keeping it in a breast pocket will generally keep the stream of scent molecules constantly being emitted by most drugs to an airstream height which is above that of any drug sniffer dogs, so they can't detect it.