While much of the current discussion around marijuana is related to legalization for recreational use, it’s important not to overlook the topic of medical marijuana. While Colorado and Washington State recently passed legislation making pot use legal for casual imbibers without a medical marijuana card, marijuana is already legal for medical purposes in 20 states […]
In recent years, interventions have earned a bad reputation, due at least in part to a misunderstanding of just what an intervention is (and isn’t). The emotional scenes you see on reality TV bear little resemblance to an average intervention. The real goal of intervening is simply to help a close friend or loved one […]
In April 2014, a mother in South Carolina was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of homicide by child abuse, involuntary manslaughter and unlawful conduct toward a child. Her real crime was allegedly passing on morphine to her baby through breast milk. When the infant died in November 2010 at just six […]
Doctors should be more aware than anyone of the dangers of certain medications and the many ways that abusing them can be harmful. Despite all their knowledge on how to get and stay healthy, MDs and other healthcare providers are not immune from addiction and drug abuse. A recent news report of a doctor and […]
In an ironic twist, there was once concern that Bitcoin would be used to buy illegal drugs but now legal currency is being used to buy a drug called Bitcoin. This hot new brand of ecstasy pills is named after the peer-to-peer payment system introduced in 2009. Bitcoin in Europe This variant of MDMA is […]
Adderall use isn’t just skyrocketing among kids, a growing number of adults are using the ADHD drug for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. While children still make up the biggest group taking Adderall, the number of kids on Adderall rose 18 percent between 2008 and 2012, compared to a 53 percent jump among adults, according to Express Scripts’ […]
We’ve all seen people who take tanning too far, but does this sun-worshipping behavior constitute an addiction? A new study suggests ritual tanning could become abuse on the same level as alcoholism. A standard testing tool used to identify a “substance-related disorder” (SRD) or problem drinking was applied to the tanning practices of college students, […]
In Tennessee, there is a lot of talk about the toll meth takes on the state and its residents. Meth continues to be costly for residents of the Volunteer State. In fiscal year 2011, 1,066 people in Tennessee received publicly funded treatment for meth abuse at a cost of $2.8 million in federal and state […]
Marijuana became legal for recreational use in Colorado on New Year’s Day 2014, but will it be a cash cow for local government? It’s estimated that the state will take in approximately $184 million in tax revenue from marijuana in the first 18 months after legislation, according to a report from the state’s Joint Budget […]
Decriminalizing the sale of pot in the United States is definitely a divisive issue. While many addiction treatment professionals work hard to break the stigma of substance abuse and educate the public about the disease of addiction, increased access is worrisome. The legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington is a move the DEA’s […]