Drugs & Prohibition

U.S. launches new major anti-smoking campaign

"US health officials launched a hard-hitting offensive aimed at slashing the numbers of smokers across the country following the success of a similar campaign last year. The new campaign encourages smokers to kick the habit with a series of adverts spotlighting the wrenching personal stories of individuals battling smoking-related illnesses or diseases. The number of calls to health services doubled to around 200,000 during the 2013 campaign, which cost $54 million and lasted 12 weeks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. launches new major anti-smoking campaign

Here Come the Salt Police!

"Medical researchers at Harvard University have released a report which says that Americans eat too much salt. This is a follow-up report on an earlier report by the same team, authored by the same man with the unpronounceable name, which concluded that Americans eat too much sugar. The author of the report, predictably, called for the federal government to enact legislation to limit the intake of salt in processed foods. In other words, he wants to turn the federal government into the equivalent of Nanny Bloomberg. He doesn’t like sugar. He doesn’t like salt. And, most of all, he doesn’t like liberty." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHere Come the Salt Police!

1 in 5 American teenage boys diagnosed with ADHD

"Nearly one in five American teenage boys is diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, marking a dramatic rise in the past decade. The condition, for which potent stimulant drugs like Adderal or Ritalin are often prescribed, has been previously estimated to affect three to seven percent of children. The newspaper compiled the data from raw figures provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which took a phone survey of 76,000 parents from 2011 to 2012. The report said that 15 percent of school-age boys in the United States have received an ADHD diagnosis, compared to seven percent among girls." Continue reading →

Continue Reading1 in 5 American teenage boys diagnosed with ADHD

Alfred Anaya Put Secret Compartments in Cars. So the DEA Put Him in Prison

"The technically savvy are on notice that they must be very careful about whom they deal with, since calculated ignorance of illegal activity is not an acceptable excuse. But at what point does a failure to be nosy edge into criminal conduct? The challenge for anyone who creates technology is to guess when, exactly, they should turn their back on paying customers. Take, for example, a manufacturer of robot kits for hobbyists. If someone uses those robots to patrol a smuggling route or help protect a meth lab so that traffickers can better evade law enforcement, how will prosecutors determine whether the company acted criminally?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAlfred Anaya Put Secret Compartments in Cars. So the DEA Put Him in Prison

Missouri man facing charges for using fake penis to pass drug test

"A 34-year-old St. Louis man is facing criminal charges after he allegedly attempted to use a prosthetic penis to pass a drug test. According to FoxNews.com, Sydney Levin was arrested and charged with 'possession of a forging instrument.' He was caught attempting to use the Whizzinator Touch, a device designed to fool drug tests by creating body-temperature synthetic urine that will test negative for drugs. Police arrested Levin and released him when he posted $25,000 bond. In 2010, Gerald Willis of Los Angeles was sentenced to six months in federal prison for running the company that sold the Whizzinator. Willis’ company no longer exists." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMissouri man facing charges for using fake penis to pass drug test

UPS receives $40 million fine for shipping prescription drugs for online pharmacies

"UPS Friday agreed to forfeit $40 million and implement a compliance program after a Department of Justice probe found the company delivered drugs on behalf of illegal online pharmacies. The agreement followed an investigation that showed that UPS was shipping drugs on behalf of Internet pharmacies that were distributing controlled substances and prescription drugs that were not supported by a valid prescription. Despite being on notice from employees that such illegal shipments were being delivered, UPS 'did not implement procedures to close the shipping accounts of Internet pharmacies,' said a Department of Justice statement." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUPS receives $40 million fine for shipping prescription drugs for online pharmacies

Former MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan, now organic farmer, thanks marijuana growers for hydroponics

"Former MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan thanked comedian Tommy Chong and marijuana growers for perfecting hydroponic farming technology. 'I’d like to issue a letter of gratitude to Tommy and all the hydroponic marijuana growers in the world,' he said on The Young Turks. 'Much as porn made the Internet, the cutting edge of hydroponic lighting and water flow and nutrient film technique that really has been been perfect as a result of the marijuana industry is the very techniques that we are now benefiting from to yield incredibly nutritious kale, bok choy, swiss chard, basil, bell peppers — you pick it. So, Tommy, thank you.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan, now organic farmer, thanks marijuana growers for hydroponics

Kansas couple: Indoor gardening prompted pot raid

"Two former CIA employees whose Kansas home was fruitlessly searched for marijuana during a two-state drug sweep claim they were illegally targeted, possibly because they had bought indoor growing supplies to raise vegetables. April 20 long has been used by marijuana enthusiasts to celebrate the illegal drug and more recently by law enforcement for raids and crackdowns. But the Hartes' attorney, Cheryl Pilate, said she suspects the couple's 1,825-square-foot split level was targeted because they had bought hydroponic equipment to grow a small number of tomatoes and squash plants in their basement." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKansas couple: Indoor gardening prompted pot raid

Evaluating Drug Decriminalization in Portugal 12 Years Later

"Twelve years ago, Portugal eliminated criminal penalties for drug users. Since then, those caught with small amounts of marijuana, cocaine or heroin go unindicted and possession is a misdemeanor on par with illegal parking. Experts are pleased with the results." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEvaluating Drug Decriminalization in Portugal 12 Years Later

Seized drugs stolen from Fribourg police building

"Red-faced police in the canton of Fribourg are admitting that 34 kilograms of hashish and marijuana seized by officers from drug offenders has been stolen from a warehouse. Police had stored 28.6 kilograms of hash and 4.8 kilograms of pot, seized from three different investigations, in a building in Châtillon, near the city of Fribourg. The drugs were likely stolen in late November or early December last year but the theft was only recently noticed, according to media reports. Cantonal police said they discovered that a metal bar on one of the windows at the rear of the warehouse had been sawn off on December 5th." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSeized drugs stolen from Fribourg police building