Akei

“It’s a giant market in search of a brand,” Shively said of the marijuana industry. “We would be happy if we get 40 percent of it worldwide.”

“On the Latin American street, the Organization of American States has always borne a reputation, often undeserved, as Washington’s lackey. But the OAS, based in Washington, just sent the western hemisphere a message the White House would rather not hear: It’s time to seriously discuss legalizing marijuana as one means of reducing harrowing drug violence.”

“The Army’s current, laissez-faire attitude towards poppies represents at least the third major policy reversal since the beginning of the U.S.-led war. In the first three years of the Afghanistan war beginning in late 2001, the military wasn’t involved in poppy eradication at all. Under pressure from Russia and other countries neighboring Afghanistan where heroin use is highest, American troops reluctantly added poppy-destruction to their remit in 2004 but considered it a “distraction from fighting terrorists,” according to The New York Times.”

“At the conference, they reported new findings on how these drugs scramble brain activity in ways that might help explain their mind-bending effects. They’re also slowly building a case that these drugs might help people with depression, anxiety and other disorders.”

“To see how the taste of beer affects the brain, researchers gave a group of men tiny tastes of beer, and as the men sipped the beer, the researchers scanned the men’s brains. After a taste of beer, the men’s brains showed a notable release of dopamine, a brain chemical associated with the pleasurable experience of consuming alcohol and other drugs. The effect was even greater among men who had a family history of alcoholism.”

“Obama’s joke shows how far we’ve come since the not-so-long-ago days when standard operating procedure for a politician outed on pot smoking was to plead “youthful experimentation,” express contrition, and boast modestly of having straightened up and flown right.”

“Why stop at the blues? The world could be a better place with rainbow-colored snakeskin unicorns flying through the skies.”

“Scientists working with lab rats —whose brains are wired almost identically to those of humans— have found a way to remove a rat’s cocaine habit by shining a laser light in the prelimbic region of the prefrontal cortex. “

“An estimated 3,600 organized crime gangs are active in Europe, the continent’s policing agency revealed on Tuesday, mainly trading in illegal drugs including supplying some 124 tonnes of cocaine annually.”

““While the PDEA’s foremost mission is to suppress the supply of illegal drugs in the country, DND’s mandate is to guard against external and internal threats to national peace and security,” she added.”

“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.”

“Why was the relatively small gay community so successful in overcoming the strong prejudice it had long suffered while the much larger minority of drug users has still failed to do so? Why has the gay rights movement built so much political clout while drug users are still considered pariahs and drug policy reform still retains its political toxicity? Why have elected officials been well ahead of public opinion on gay rights issues while they are still lagging far behind on drug users-rights issues?”

“For as long as drugs and alcohol have existed, society and religion have weighed judgment on their consumption.”

“These are alarming figures, but campaigns to address them have been slow and drug control has received little attention from the mainstream human rights movement. “

“Colombia’s Justice Minister, Ruth Stella Correa, has said a new drugs bill would decriminalise personal use of synthetic drugs, such as ecstasy.”