An op-ed by Paul J. Larkin in The Regulatory Review explains how “regulation of marijuana has been based on a false distinction for almost a century.” Although components of the marijuana plant may be synthesized into real medications in the future — like the FDA-approved drug Marinol, synthetic THC — medical marijuana will never meet scientific criteria of modern medicine. Larkin concludes, “The real question is whether lawmakers should revise federal law to allow marijuana to be used for recreational purposes, just as alcohol and tobacco can be so used today. If Americans are to honestly debate marijuana use, the debate must be over its utility as a recreational drug, not as medicine, and who should regulate its potential uses—the FDA Commissioner or the U.S. Attorney General. The United States has followed the wrong approach to marijuana regulation for 80 years. It is time to get it right.” Read more.
Dr. Robert DuPont Speaks to the Justice Speakers' Institute about Prevention and Chemical Slavery
As a prison psychiatrist in the late 1960s, Dr. Robert DuPont came to understand that the rising crime at the time was directly linked to the heroin epidemic that raged in cities across America. In this conversation with the Justice Speakers Institute, Dr. DuPont discusses the journey from his realization to the present day national movement to end addiction. He discusses the science behind addiction and the important next steps humanity needs to take to finally end the drug epidemic.
IBH PRESIDENT ROBERT L. DUPONT REVIEWS NEW FILM "BEAUTIFUL BOY": ADDICTION OFTEN BEGINS WITH A ‘BEAUTIFUL’ BOY OR GIRL
The new film “Beautiful Boy” depicts the experiences of a father and son, David and Nic Sheff, as Nic dives deep into a methamphetamine addiction. Not only is this film based on David’s and Nic’s pair of best-selling memoirs, Beautiful Boy and Tweak, the film mirrors the experiences of millions of Americans whose brains have been hijacked by addiction. In this review, IBH President, Dr. Robert DuPont discusses this film and the parallels between Nic and David’s experience and the experiences of the many people with substance use disorders and their families Dr. DuPont has seen throughout his 50 year career. IBH commends David, Nic and all of those involved in making this film, on producing a striking cautionary tale as well as a compelling reminder that recovery is possible for everyone. Read Dr. DuPont’s review here.
DR. ROBERT DUPONT PRESENTS HIS BOOK, CHEMICAL SLAVERY: UNDERSTANDING ADDICTION AND STOPPING THE DRUG ADDICTION
IBH President Robert L. DuPont, MD presented his book at The Heritage Foundation hosted by Senior Research Fellow Paul Larkin. Following Dr. DuPont’s remarks which focus on the state of the nation’s drug epidemic, the future of prevention and addiction treatment, he answers questions from the audience.
ADDICTION POLICY FORUM RELEASES YOUTH DRUG PREVENTION TOOLKIT
OP-ED: WE CANNOT LET E-CIGARETTES BECOME AN ON-RAMP FOR TEENAGE ADDICTION
An op-ed in The Washington Post from Alex M. Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Scott Gottlieb, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), brings much-needed attention to the growing problem of youth use of nicotine through e-cigarettes: In one year fom 2017 to 2018, “the number of high-school-age children reporting use of e-cigarettes rose by more than 75 percent. Use among middle-schoolers also increased nearly 50 percent. That is an epidemic… The surge in e-cigarette use by teenagers is alarming because nicotine is highly addictive and can harm brain development, which continues into young adulthood. Worse, kids who start on e-cigarettes are actually more likely than non-user peers to migrate to smoking tobacco…” Read more.
IBH promotes the prevention goal for youth under age 21 as One Choice: no use of any alcohol, nicotine, marijuana or other drugs for reasons of health. Read more about One Choice Prevention.
7 REASONS WHY I THOUGHT AA WASN'T FOR "SOMEONE LIKE ME"
The Fix features a powerful statement of a person struggling recovery who unexpectedly found recovery support in Alcoholics Anonymous. “As time went on, I quickly realized that the reasons I believed that AA wasn’t for me weren’t just misguided, they were completely wrong. While I wish I’d had these realizations sooner, I’m grateful now for the fellowship I found when I was finally able to open my heart and mind.” Read more.
OP-ED: IT’S HIGH TIME WE TOOK A BREATH FROM MARIJUANA COMMERCIALIZATION
The Denver Post published a remarkable op-ed from Colorado US Attorney Bob Troyer urging Colorado and other states considering marijuana legalization to pause and assess the results of this policy experiment. Among the highlights he mentions:
Colorado's youth use marijuana at a rate 85 percent higher than the national average
Marijuana-related traffic fatalities are up by 151 percent
70 percent of 400 licensed pot shops surveyed recommend that pregnant women use marijuana to treat morning sickness
Colorado has a booming black market exploiting our permissive regulatory system
Marijuana tax revenue adds less than one percent to Colorado's coffers, which is more than washed out by the public health, public safety, and regulatory costs of commercialization
Colorado's alcohol consumption has steadily climbed since marijuana commercialization
He wisely says, “We should pause and catch our breath before racing off again at the industry's urging.” Read more.
MARIJUANA USE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS AT HIGHEST LEVEL IN 30 YEARS
New data from the nationally representative Monitoring the Future survey show marijuana use among college students has reached the highest levels in three decades. Notable, in 2017 4.4% of college students reported daily or near-daily marijuana use in the past month while 13.7% of same-age non-college students were daily users, a number that has doubled since 2006. Principal investigator John Schulenberg noted, “The brain is still growing in the early 20s, and the scientific evidence indicates that heavy marijuana use can be detrimental to cognitive functioning and mental health… Getting a foothold on the roles and responsibilities of adulthood may be all the more difficult for these one-in-eight noncollege youth who use marijuana on a daily or near daily basis. As for college students, we know from our research and that of others that heavy marijuana use is associated with poor academic performance and dropping out of college.” Read more.
CHEMICAL SLAVERY NOW AVAILABLE
At a time when the nation is searching for ways to save lives from opioid and other drug overdoses as well as how to reduce the burden of addiction on individuals, families and communities, IBH President Robert L. DuPont, MD has written Chemical Slavery: Understanding Addiction and Stopping the Drug Epidemic, for parents, teachers, physicians and for everyone afflicted by addiction. The book also guides leaders in public policy and planning positions, as well as drug abuse treatment. Chemical Slavery covers two crucial topics: First, the national drug epidemic including an understanding of its evolution to become a national emergency, and the science of addiction and recovery. Second, Dr. DuPont presents his experience-based guide to the intimate, day-to-day struggle with the disease of addiction from prevention to lasting recovery. This book shows the ways in which these two domains of addiction, the national and the personal, are intertwined and can be both understood and managed. Read more.
