The other day I was on a conference call and we were discussing which tags and keywords should be included in a collaborative online database. The terms “substance use” and “harm reduction” were both on the list. I suggested we add “addiction.” Some other people on the call said that
Continue readingTag: drugs
Melissa Fong: Are the Anti-Gentrification Front protesters wrong to “vandalize” Save-on-Meats?
My facebook feed went crazy last night with my Vancouver friends posting about a stolen sandwich board. Why is this important? Context: Save-on-Meats is kind of an iconic butcher in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. A long time retailer that had mixed reviews has now invested some capital into their business and,
Continue readingArt Threat: War on Drugs doc launches for free – Friday Film Pick: Breaking the Taboo
It’s too early in the day for us to watch a documentary on the so-called “war on drugs,” so we’re not actually endorsing this week’s FFP, Breaking the Taboo, which has just been launched for free viewing on YouTube, but it looks like it will be an interesting hour of
Continue readingThings Are Good: Marijuana Decriminalization Lowers Youth Crime Rate
Marijuana has been recently decriminalized in a few states in the USA, and based off of data from California the overall rate of youth arrests will drop dramatically. This is good news because now so many young lives won’t be destroyed for participating in using a drug that has negligible health effects (way less than […]
Continue readingknitnut.net: The lowdown on substance use
Last night I attended a free session at our local mental health facility. It was called Getting the Low Down on Substance Use, and was presented by Michael Coughlin, a registered nurse with the Royal’s Substance Use and Concurrent Disorders program. I was interested because I have a young friend
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: War On Office Supplies
With the War on Drugs deemed an abject failure, it’s time to focus our security state on some other threat. I propose Office Supplies. The police have a head start, and the Office Supply dealers don’t see it coming. First staplers, now pens. The War on Office Supplies continues in
Continue readingArt Threat: How to Make Money Selling Drugs – Documentary is part how-to video, part indictment of drug policy
Of the 372 film titles listed in the Toronto International Film Festival’s program this year, few are likely to raise more eyebrows than How to Make Money Selling Drugs, a documentary that surprisingly delivers precisely what it promises. From tiff.net: Stylishly shot and cheekily framed as a subversive educational film,
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Prohibition is Still Failing. Portugal Shows That Decriminalization Works
When I was quite young and much more naive than I am today, I was talking to my dad about drugs. We were talking about all the negative health effects of smoking in school, so I told my dad that I thought that it would be a wonderful idea if
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Dune
Dune is an epic science fiction tale about religion, inter-stellar politics, and the awesomeness of riding around on giant worms that crap out the greatest drug ever.* The drug in question is called melange, or spice; in addition to extending … Continue reading →
Continue readingThe Liberal Scarf: Young Liberals take strong stand against Mulcair’s pro-Harper, pro-prohibition stance on marijuana
Today Young Liberals across the country are taking part in a campaign taking on NDP leader Tom Mulcair for his pro-Harper position on marijuana prohibition. I’m proud to count myself as part of the Ottawa team, putting up posters, handing out information and buttons, and reaching out to the majority of
Continue readingknitnut.net: Safe injection sites: Treating people with addictions like they matter
Last October, the Supreme Court ruled that Insite, Vancouver’s safe injection site, could stay open despite the Harper Government’s objections. The arguments hinged on whether addiction was primarily a health issue or a crime issue. If it were a health matter it would fall under provincial jurisdiction; if it were
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Honey, I Scalded the Kids
I don’t care for coffee. I don’t make this a secret, even though I probably should, since non-coffee drinkers are often looked at as some sort of aliens who are probably in league with The Man who makes you get up too darn early. Yes, I like the smell, and
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: We Must Stop Stephen Harper and the 20% from Destroying Canada
There has been lots of discussion about how Stephen Harper’s majority only represents 40% of voters because of the way our electoral system works. But, in reality, his agenda has much fewer supporters. We must remember that the Conservative Party is a coalition. It is not a coalition in the
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Smoking Pot Not As Damaging to Lungs as Cigarettes
Many people come to my blog to read about things neither of us wish were happening, but they want my opinion about it along with some facts I’ve found. Here’s some news that some people may find very interesting, and it backs up a study I remember reading about years
Continue readingthe woodshed: Rick Parry is not as think as you stoned he is!
Here are the “high”lights of soon-to-be-former-presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s recent speech in New Hampshire. If you want to sit through the entire addled trainwreck you can watch it here.He doesn’t look sleepy and he isn’t slurring his…
Continue readingThe Skwib: The Halloween Feast of Madness Bird
Say what you will about Marge and Delia, but they served a mean turkey dinner. Sure they might have been witches. Sure, they tended to use a little too much salt when they were cooking. (Probably from all the dehydrated eye of newt, which is very high in sodium, but they could never seem to […]
Continue readingLaw is Cool: Safe injection facilities and arbitrary government decisions
I often talk to friends or strangers about law. I remember a debate I had with someone once about the government. Can it make arbitrary decisions? I said yes, and he said, rather indignantly, no. His logic was that arbitrary means capricious with a tinge of tyranny. Doesn’t our democratic government respect the rule of […]
Montreal Simon: The Insite Victory and Kevin’s Story
I’ve written about Kevin before. The young heroin addict I found shooting up on the door step of the Yale Town apartment I was renting, while taking a summer course in Vancouver.How I felt like I was looking at somebody dying before my eyes. How h…
Continue readingDeath By Trolley: Kicking Addictions: Commentary on What It Takes and What Helps
Work on getting past addictions by setting effective, personally-valued goals, exercising discipline but tolerating lapses, accessing support, finding substitutions, distractions and adaptive strategies, and cultivating mindfulness and insight into emotions and thought. 
Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Girly Men Are The Real Thing!
Harper Government: Changing our genes and caffeine. Arnie the Governator was right! There are girly men. Do you know what’s causing them, and causing girls to hit puberty before their parents have time to buy them inappropriate clothing? The Harper Conservatives, the Free Enterprise (Tea Party) Republicans, and the heartless industries poisoning you. Coke and […]