Mark Kleiman sees an opportunity for research on ecstasy for the treatment of PTSD.

A direct challenge to the U.K. reliance on methadone.I find it pretty easy to imagine similar circumstances in the U.S. if it weren't for the numbers of recovering people already in the field and the good fortune to have high profile recovery advocates like Senator Harold Hughes and Betty Ford in the right place at … Continue reading Treatment reform in the U.K.

From Marginal Revolution:As of July 1, the Netherlands will ban smoking in public places.The smoking of cannabis and hashish, however, will be allowed, at least in licensed cafes.The regulation will be that adding tobacco to the smoke (a popular practice) will be forbidden and that only "pure pot" will be allowed.More here.

A great story of recovery and the professionals who didn't believe that it was possible. We get calls from people with the same experience here in the U.S., they want to get off methadone and the clinic treats it as noncompliance. They often feel that their only options are to get back on heroin or … Continue reading Kicking methadone in the U.K.

One explanation for "wet brain"?

More reason to take teen drug use seriously. (Just don't hype it.)"The fact that these were, to an extent, predictable deaths raises additional concerns about the hazards of alcohol and drug problems in teens and young adults," said Duncan B. Clark, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Pittsburgh … Continue reading Teens Who Abuse Alcohol Or Drugs Are More Likely To Die Young

This map shows how local law enforcement answered the question, "What drug poses the greatest threat to your area?" Blue is cocaine, red is methamphetamine, amber is heroin, and green is marijuana.This map is from the National Drug Threat Survey. Even though I'm aware of the regional differences in drug use, it's still striking every … Continue reading What drug poses the greatest threat?

A challenge to the ONDCP hype about pot potency. I support policies intended to keep kids from using drugs, but the ONDCP would really help themselves if they were less sensational and more honest. The result of this hype is that kids learn quickly that the ONDCP and CASA are not a reliable sources of … Continue reading Pot potency commentary

Social economists are playing a larger role in drug policy discussions. There may be a lot of good reasons for them to have a place at the table, but this post, while not about addiction, does a great job illustrating why I believe social economists shouldn't be given too much sway.They offer an intellectually stimulating … Continue reading Social economics

It struck me today that so many of the disagreements related to drug policy and services boil down to disagreements about the nature of the problem. Here's Bill White on the historical essence of addiction counseling:If AOD problems could be solved by physically unraveling the person-drug relationship, only physicians and nurses trained in the mechanics … Continue reading The Historical Essence of Addiction Counseling