Chronicle AM: Govs Seek Fed Help for Opioid Crisis, KY GOP Leader Files Legal MJ Bill, More... (1/18/18)

Governors call for more help with the opioid crisis from the federal government, a Kentucky GOP leader files a marijuana legalization bill, the ACLU of Montana warns an overzealous prosecutor, and more.

[image:1 align:left caption:true]Marijuana Policy

Congressmen Reintroduce Bill to Protect Marijuana from Civil Asset Forfeiture. Reps. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Justin Amash (R-MI) reintroduced the Stop Civil Asset Forfeiture Funding for Marijuana Suppression Act on Wednesday. The bill would block seized funds from being used to in the DEA's Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression program. This year's version of the bill is not yet available on the congressional website, but the 2015 version is available here.

Kentucky Republican Leader Files Marijuana Legalization Bill. State Sen. Dan Seum (R-Fairdale), a member of the Republican leadership team, filed a marijuana legalization bill on Wednesday. The bill would allow people 21 and over to legally use marijuana, and it would also legalize the production and sales of pot. The measure is Senate Bill 80.

New Jersey Legalization Bid Must Overcome Democratic Wavering. Newly seated Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy vowed to legalize marijuana in his first 100 days in office, but he's going to have to whip some Democratic senators into shape first. At least a half dozen Democratic senators say they plan to vote against any legalization bill. The state Senate has 40 seats; the Democrats hold 25 of them. If all six Democrats actually vote no, that means passage would depend on at least two Republicans voting yes. There are two GOP senators, Chris Brown of Atlantic and Dawn Addiego of Burlington, who have said they are leaning toward supporting the bill.

Wisconsin Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Would Pardon Marijuana Offenders. A leading contender for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, former state Democratic Party chairman Matt Flynn, said Wednesday he would pardon all low-level, non-violent marijuana offenders if elected. Flynn has repeatedly called for marijuana legalization in the state.

Medical Marijuana

Georgia Voters Ready for Full-Fledged Medical Marijuana Program, Poll Finds. A new poll from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution finds that more than three-quarters of those surveyed want to see the state's limited medical marijuana program expanded. Some 77% said they want greater access to medical marijuana. The poll comes as the legislature considers a measure, House Bill 645, that would allow for medical marijuana dispensaries. The poll also found that support for recreational marijuana was at an all-time high in the state, with 50% saying legalize it.

Heroin and Prescription Opioids

Governors Call on Trump, Congress to Do More to Solve Opioid Crisis. In its first coordinated response to the opioid crisis, the National Governors Association called Thursday for the administration and Congress to provide more money and coordination to fight against it. "While progress has been made, the consequences of opioid addiction continue reverberating throughout society, devastating families and overwhelming health care providers, law enforcement and social services," the governors said as they released a set of 22 recommendations. Among other suggestions, the governors are calling for increased access to the overdose reversal drug naloxone, increased efforts to block illicit fentanyl shipments into the country, and a requirement that drug prescribers undergo substance abuse training and register to use state prescription monitoring databases.

Law Enforcement

Montana ACLU Vows to Challenge County DA's Crackdown on Pregnant Drug and Alcohol Users The ACLU of Montana said Wednesday it will fight any action by Big Horn County Attorney Jay Harris to arrest or incarcerate pregnant women based on alleged harm to the fetus. Harris announced last week that he would seek protection orders barring pregnant women from using any non-prescribed drugs or alcohol and seek contempt orders and jail for any woman who violates them. The ACLU called Harris's move "an egregious abuse of power" and noted that a similar effort in Ravalli County in 2014 was killed in the courts. "If these reports are accurate, then Big Horn County's 'crackdown' on pregnant women is not only counterproductive, paternalistic and cruel, it is also illegal. If your office actively attempts to enforce such a policy, ACLU is prepared to challenge those actions in Court," the group said in a letter sent to Harris.

Sentencing

New Jersey Enacts Law to Examine Racial and Ethnic Impact of Sentencing Changes. On his last day in office, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed racial and ethnic impact statement legislation this week that will provide an opportunity for lawmakers to address the state's high rate of racial disparity in incarceration. Similar to fiscal or environmental impact statements, racial impact statements provide legislators with a statistical analysis of the projected impact of criminal justice policy changes prior to enactment. Armed with the data analysis, policymakers can make more informed decisions about public safety issues without aggravating existing racial disparities. Four other states -- Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota, and Oregon -- have similar policies.

News Brief

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Cj (not verified)

In other words nothing

In other words nothing effective for the so called opiate crisis. Heroin maintenance. I've said this since I first came to this site in 2011 after my arrest and I'm proud to say that in still alive and still using here in 2018. Methadone also doesn't work however it could potentially do better than it has IF they gave REAL methadone. Clinics official position is they can't treat pain. That's I inherently untrue if they're providing you a painkiller. Well they're not. If you really look into this deeply you'll see the scientific proof of what I'm saying. People argue that the FRA requires all ingredients be listed in a given product. This is the common argument against the whole clinic meth is fake. However there is information out there that proved the real methadone, of which there is only 1 and it's the 10mg white pill, is different to the cherry the orange the clear liquid methadone the orange wafer etc. You see the clinic methadone does one thing and one thing only it blocks withdrawals. It also prevents true opiates from working properly. It denies you the euphoria in other words the REASON we use. The white pill on the other hand doesn't. Two personal examples. First. From 2004-2011 I'd get off the streets those white polls now and then and id be so high with the blissfulness. I got arrested and had to play the government game for a year in 2011. At this time I had never been to a meth clinic before. I told an older dude an experienced guy who was my friend what my plan was. He told me straight up dude it ain't gonna get you high. I thought he didn't know what he was talking about. I got in. As the days went on I thought well the dose is low. I'd wait. Up the dose. Eventually I realized no. I was wrong. It isn't like real methadone. Wtf? And the run of the mill counselors don't know anything about it. The clinic pharmacists must know but you never ever see them let alone talk to them. The directors may or may not. Another example. I had this European psychiatrist. She was SORT OF willing to "bend the rules" and try a proper opiate maintenance with me. SO I THOUGHT. Look, heroin maintenance works better than anything. 88%-92% success rate. what success means is you got a job, you got shelter or a home you have good relationships, etc. Basically your life looks a lot like it did before the MONEY issue with prohibition where a 10 cent bag costs 10 dollars and you need what 6 to 10 minimum a day 100 bucks a day 300 grand a year lol gimme a break. So by heroin maintenance taking the MONEY issue out you get your life back BUT opiate dosage is so spectacularly misunderstood. The avg dose of heroin maintenance to be effective is 500mg 2 to 4 times a day. Got That? If you were to want 500mg of an opiate in the US even once a day they'd tell you you would die and pharmacists may refuse to serve your script. (Read the opiate cure that fabulous doctor who DOES get it had a patient on 1,000mg a day of oxy and fought the guys pharmacist over it.) So 500mg not once but two to four times a day. This European psych I knew you want to hear her plan? VICODIN. LOL! Yes 5 mg of I believe hydrocodene and 500 (or more?) Acetimeniphen. And only ONCE a day! Lol. To say it had no prayer in hell of working is an insult to prayers with no chance in hell So she was ignorant to opiates. The "experiment" quickly fell apart. At the end she offered me methadone but I passed. But she was offering me real methadone. Many years later after I realized what was up with the meth clinics I thought I'd take her up on that offer. But she got smart to opiates by then. She refused to give me methadone but she had another patient whom she was giving it to. She said he got it due to chronic pain meanwhile one day I overheard her on the phone with the guy she was super pissed and he was up to junkie shenanigans saying he lost them or something lol. Shed only offer suboxone. Suboxone is worse than clinic methadone. The ppl who created it i hope they are cursed forever. So the point is opiate users are ashamed, why I have no idea. Embrace what you do comrades like all these weed smokers. This shame makes them say lots of lies like they are only using every day because of withdrawal and wanting to keep the sickness off when the truth is deep inside they use cuz they love it. This lie about using because of dope sickness may be responsible for why we have fake methadone but the truth is we want the euphoria. That's the whole damn point. Give people real methadone and the success rate would be higher than the gutter it's in now. There's nothing wrong with wanting euphoria. If you think there is it's all in your head my compatriot. At the very least this lie about fake methadone versus real needs to get out in the open because I assure you at least 95pct of ppl have no clue and I bet you politicians and activists if they knew about this they would be like hey wtf is going on here ? You call your self a methadone clinic give these people real methadone.

Sat, 01/20/2018 - 10:12am Permalink

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In other words nothing

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