The always pithy 12 step and disease model critic, Stanton Peele, weighs in on the celebrity rehab backlash.

A smart retort to a study that cast some doubt on the effectiveness of AA.

This post about the recently published paper on the history of LSD treatment for alcoholism does a great job of summarizing the positive points from another post on the subject by Nick Johnstone.I posted info on the paper last week and thought hard about posting a link to Nick Johnstone's comments. I decided not to. … Continue reading New Recovery: Acid and Alcohol Don’t Mix

Antonio Maria Costa says marijuana, also known as cannabis, is an even bigger threat to society than heroin and cocaine. Video here.

The scientific journal Addiction has an editorial on the potential unintended consequences of addiction brain science. Here are some of the current and potential problems that they identified:Simplistic interpretations of this model of addiction have been used to justify heroic treatment interventions in the brain's function, such as ultra-rapid opiate detoxification and, recently, neurosurgery for … Continue reading Avoiding potential misuses of addiction brain science

New evidence that indoor smoking bans yield significant health benefits: The non-smoking workers participating in the study filled in questionnaires about their lung symptoms, took lung function tests and gave blood samples. Before the ban, nearly 80 per cent — 61 people — reported respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and phlegm … Continue reading Bar workers show health benefits after smoking banned

Marijuana Campaign Refutes the Drug Czarhttp://youtube.com/v/oTIItJA64NcDrug Czar John Walters and a decriminalization advocate talk about a ballot initiative in Nevada that seeks to decriminalize possession of marijuana in quantities of less than one ounce.Personally, I found the decriminalization advocate more credible. I've got serious concerns about decriminalization, but I find the ONDCP's hysteria just as … Continue reading

What impressed me about this article was not that the Dutch government is cracking down on coffee shops. (For the record, I'm agnostic on their drug policy. Sweden and the Netherlands both appear to have found policies that work for them.) Rather, this statement leaped out at me:For international travelers, Amsterdam has long served as … Continue reading Dutch Conservatives Crack Down on Coffee Shops

Exciting news for kids with fetal alcohol syndrome:Children with fetal-alcohol brain damage, once thought beyond recovery from their often debilitating condition, can develop at the same level as normal children if they get constant mental stimulation and nurturing in their first two years

Marijuana may be helpful in treating alzheimer's:In lab experiments, investigators from Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, found THC appears to block an enzyme in the brain that causes plaque to form more effectively than approved drugs.