Prison Is Rock Bottom

Just when someone thought life could not get any worse for him or her, they end up in prison. It is what happens to a lot of people with a drug addiction. When someone winds up in prison, it really gives them a lot of time to think about what they have done, the people they have hurt, and how bad their addiction has gotten. If that is not a wake-up call for them, I don’t believe anything will be for them. Even though I’ve lived a good, clean life and never been in prison, I can only imagine what it is like in prison and just thinking about it is scary enough for yours truly.

When a drug addict is in prison, they don’t have access to their drugs, which means they are going cold turkey. Cold turkey is incredibly difficult for someone that has become so accustomed to drugs and so used to drugs. They will have to deal with something like cocaine withdrawal. They have grown to rely on drugs, live on drugs, and they need them desperately. It is going to be rough for them, but they have brought this situation upon themselves. One of two things will happen to them: either they are going to get better or they are going to die.

Now, no one wants to see them die, of course, but it is the reality of the situation for many people in prison and many people with serious drug addictions. After all, the addiction was serious enough to land them in prison. That is heavy stuff, people. It is not like they had it under control, although anyone in prison does not have their life under control, especially a drug addict. It forces them to really look at things and really examine where they have gone wrong. If they are smart enough, they will take this time to reexamine their lives and really go after it from a different angle.

If they are stubborn and truly addicted to the drugs, chances are they will probably die behind bars. It is not a pretty story, to say the least, but it is reality for a lot of drug addicts. I would venture to say it is a 50/50 chance in most cases. Each person responds to this type of situation differently. They either pick themselves up by their bootstraps or they fold under the pressure and they can’t handle it.

It helps if they have a good support system outside of prison waiting for them that is hoping they will get better and is rooting them on to improve their quality of life. They want to see them get better and they know they will get better. For some drug addicts, they have gotten so bad; they have alienated everyone in their life. No one wants to talk to them and no one wants anything to do with them. They have burned them so badly in the past they are through with them. In my view, everyone deserves a second chance in life.

By Rehabilitation

Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized

The movement to legalize marijuana continues to gather momentum The Huffington Post says four states have now legalized pot. Communities across the nation are reducing legal penalties for possession of small amounts of the drug. There are good reasons for making cannabis legal. The reality is that some form of recreational drug use has been a feature of nearly every society throughout history. Maybe it’s time to focus policy on managing marijuana instead of trying to eradicate it.

The Medial Benefits

High Times and the Huffington Post report that 23 states now allow the use of medical marijuana. Opponents of legalization often claim that the medical benefits of cannabis are unproven. That’s simply not correct. There is substantial evidence that marijuana is an effective treatment for glaucoma and a variety of seizure disorders. It is known to relieve the symptoms of chemotherapy. Marijuana may have other medical uses as well. It is true that more research is needed. We need to know much more about the long-term impact and side effects of medicinal marijuana. However, current laws make it difficult or impossible for medical researchers to conduct the necessary studies. Legalization will remove the barriers to proper and comprehensive research into the benefits and risks of cannabis. There is one certain outcome of such research: patients will benefit.

The Legal Benefits

Laws banning marijuana use date from the 1930s. Millions of people have been arrested, spent time in jail and have been labeled as criminals in the last eight decades. However, efforts to eradicate marijuana use are notable only for their failure. Law enforcement agencies spend immense amounts of time and taxpayer money arresting and prosecuting people for possession who are otherwise law-abiding citizens. This is time and money that isn’t being used to apprehending violent criminals and the dealers of far more dangerous drugs. Outlaw gangs, drug cartels and even terrorists fund many of their criminal activities by selling pot. Legalization will cut off this source of revenue.

The Economic Benefits

The potential economic impact of a legal cannabis industry is considerable. The Huffington Post reports that studies show the average pot user would spend $647 annually on marijuana. The potential tax revenue is estimated to be $46.7 billion. In a time when state and local governments are scrambling to find the money to support vital services, that is a major consideration. In addition, a legal domestic pot industry will create thousands of jobs and help grow the economy.

Conclusion

It is very difficult to overdose on pot. That’s not true of legal drugs like alcohol. The number of deaths attributable to marijuana use are few. By contrast, deaths from smoking and alcohol abuse total in the hundreds of thousands each year. Given that history shows us that people are going to continue to smoke pot, it only makes good sense to legalize it. We will reap real benefits for health care, law enforcement and economic growth.

By The War on Drugs

The War on Drugs Must End

The general consensus among most Americans today seems to be that the government’s drug policy has failed us as a country. There is a great deal of evidence that the policy of prohibition in America has done far more harm than good. The incarceration of drug-related offenders on a massive scale is a good example. The government would have us believe that the War on Drugs is about getting rid of drugs. But what if that is not the case?

What if the War on Drugs has always been a tool to systemize prejudice against marginalized people? What if it has been used as a tool to justify the increased law enforcement against urban communities? What if the War on Drugs is a tool to keep certain people oppressed and to give other people more power in this country?

The War on Drugs has a dark history. All drugs used to be legal, and 100 years ago, America’s first drug tsar said: “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.”

It is quite clear if we look back over the history of drug laws that the War on Drugs is not about the good of the American people. It’s about oppression and marginalization of a people. It’s time for us as the American people to rise up and say “enough is enough.” It is time for us to join together as a movement. We need to get the word out to friends, communities, and also policymakers to advocate for change.

Being against the War on Drugs does not mean being for substance abuse or addiction. Those who suffer from addiction need to be treated for the disease of addiction, not treated like criminals and thrown into jail. For more information on this, take a look at our post, “Addicts Belong in Rehab, not in Prison”.

By The War on Drugs

Addicts Belong in Rehab, not in Prison

Everyone is familiar with the idea that the punishment should fit the crime. Most of the laws and consequences of breaking them reflect this principle in our country. When it comes to drugs, this is not the case. While it’s easy to understand why those who distribute these illegal substances actually do deserve to spend some time in prison, about 80% of arrests in this country which are drug related are for possession. Studies prove that addiction is a disease, and it is a disease that needs to be treated. However, instead of sending addicts to rehab for treatment, our justice system sends them to prison.

In the 1980s when the “War on Drugs” was started, the strategy for the criminal justice system was to send all drug-related offenders to prison as a deterrent. This was a way of sending a message about illegal drugs. However, addicts have not gotten the help that they need, and the War on Drugs has not been successful. It has been revealed that viewing addiction and drug use the way we view military problems and treating addicts as if they were soldiers in an army on the opposing side is not an appropriate or helpful approach.

Addiction is a problem that affects individuals. The only way to deal with the addiction epidemic is to allow all addicts the chance to get better. The best way to allow addicts the chance to get better is to allow them to visit rehabilitation facilities like The AION Recovery(https://twitter.com/AionRecovery). Drug rehabilitation facilities that are staffed by addiction specialists and qualified healthcare professionals is essential.

The rates of addiction and drug abuse have not improved over the past thirty years in spite of law enforcers arresting and incarcerating drug users. It is time for lawmakers and politicians to take a stand. It is time for a paradigm shift. Addicts need to receive treatment for their disease. This approach may prove to be expensive. It’s not cheap to send offenders to rehab. However, sending them all to jail is already completely bankrupting our country as it is.

By Rehabilitation

New Study Shows that Psychedelics Help Reduce Opioid Addiction

One of the myths of the War on Drugs involves the criminalization of those who use psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms. In recent years, it has been shown that users of these types of substances are less likely to suffer from mental illness, psychological distress, and suicidal thinking. Recent research has gone a step further and shown how psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy can be effective treatment for certain disorders like substance use disorders.

A new study that was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology showed that psychedelic use is associated with a decreased chance of opioid abuse and also dependence among those respondents who have a history of illegal opioid use. There was a 40% reduced risk of opioid abuse in the past year and a 27% decreased risk of opioid dependence in the past year among those who used psychedelics. Aside from marijuana, which saw a 55% decreased chance of past-year abuse of opioids, no other illegal substance caused a decreased risk of past-year opioid abuse or dependence.

The study draws from six years of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The authors of the study reveal that the associations between psychedelic use and the lack of opioid abuse are “pervasive and significant”. More research needs to be completed to determine why, the study does confirm the statements of those who have found drugs like marijuana, ibogaine, and kratom to be tools that have led to them having better mental health and peace of mind. In many cases, these substances were useful in helping individuals to decrease opiate use. When it comes to the discussion about addiction, drug abuse, and overdose, safe and legal access to these substances should be a part of the conversation as well as ending the War on Drugs.

It’s certainly not just that our current president is increasing the War on Drugs, and he thinks the best way to deal with opioid addiction is to build a wall and deport millions of documented and undocumented citizens. It’s also completely unjust that thousands of people are getting arrested and incarcerated for possessing psychedelic substances in this country.

It is clear that this study tells us that we need to have a more holistic approach to the treatment of detox in this country. The treatment of addiction may need to include medication or the use of other substances.

By Addiction