Fox is winning the race to render the term addiction meaningless.

Michigan has a ballot proposal that, if passed, will legalize medical marijuana. It looks like it will easily pass. Moreover, it seems to be getting very little attention--it's noncontroversial.How did we get here? I think it's safe to say that this proposal would have been a major flashpoint 8 years ago. In fact, I attended … Continue reading Michigan’s medical marijuana proposal

An explanation for the impact of continued smoking on recovery rates?A study of alcoholics in treatment for their alcohol problems used brain scans to examine how performance on cognitive tests changes with abstinence from alcohol. Twenty-five alcoholics stopped drinking for six to nine months, but the 12 who smoked continued to smoke.“We found that the … Continue reading One more reason to quit smoking

A new drug policy brief is getting some attention:Decades of research has taught us a good deal about the ingredients of a successful national drug control strategy. Achieving any measure of progress requires a comprehensive agenda involving treatment, prevention, domestic law enforcement, interdiction, and source country initiatives. But these ingredients are not all of equal … Continue reading Fixing National Drug Control Policy

Bill White has a response to the Bill Miller study on the effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness) of spiritual guidance in an addiction treatment setting. He warns against throwing the baby out with the bath water and offers a series of questions about spiritual guidance, recovery and treatment:How are the following defined and delineated:spirituality, spiritual … Continue reading Revisiting spiritual guidance in treatment