I Thought...

...they were going to say Vodka, but I was wrong:

Workers Accidentally Dug Up These Solid-Gold Artifacts, But They Were STUNNED To Find out What They Actually Were

"Workers unearthed these ancient relics in Russia while digging holes to install power lines along with some other precious items including three gold cups, a finger ring, two neck rings, and a gold bracelet. However, they still had to figure out the mystery about what the artifacts were.

There was only one clue: a strange black substance inside of the items. After hiring a criminologist to determine what it was, they had their answer. These ornate, 2,400 year old artifacts are essentially old world “bongs” and the black residue was remnants of opium and cannabis (Emphasis mine).

Shocked? Don’t be. It’s believed that the Scythian tribes, a race of warriors who ruled much of Eurasia for over 1,000 years, were thought to smoke both substances in order to prepare their minds for battle."

Surprise! Surprise!

RCMP says 7 of 10 female aboriginal homicides committed by aboriginals

And the rest of them would be shady characters involved in the drug trade and prostitution.

Honestly, if you don't want to face reality, you ain't gonna solve anything.

Interesting Take On...

...addictions: The Likely Cause of Addiction Has Been Discovered, and It Is Not What You Think

"-addiction is an adaptation. It's not you. It's your cage."

From the CBC...

...Destiny Nahanni-Hope, 20, found dead in Wrigley, N.W.T.

"Her body was found frozen behind a house in the small community.

RCMP say an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. Police say there is no evidence so far of foul play.

Police and the N.WT. coroner's office are investigating."

Drugs? Alcohol? But will the CBC report it if it's found to be so?

Memory Lane - Sorta

And here we thought it was about LSD.

Good Grief!!

U.S. mom gets 20 years after baby overdoses on morphine-laced breast milk

Very Interesting

Genetic Strategies to Detect Genes Involved in Alcoholism and Alcohol–Related Traits

"Alcoholism is one of the most common and costly health problems in the United States. Substantial evidence from family, twin, and adoption studies suggests that genetic factors play a role both in normal patterns of alcohol use and in alcohol use disorders (i.e., alcohol abuse and dependence). It is estimated that approximately 50 to 60 percent of the variance in alcohol dependence can be attributed to genetic factors (McGue 1999). Researchers are currently attempting to identify the specific genes involved in patterns of alcohol use and alcohol dependence. These efforts are complicated by the complex nature of alcoholism and its development. Thus, although studies have convincingly demonstrated that genes play a role in the development of alcoholism, the same studies have also provided strong evidence for the importance of environmental factors."

Is alcoholism in our DNA? Researchers link gene mutation to excessive drinking

"A single mutation in the gene can scramble the chemical messages that inhibit drinking, compromising the body’s ability to consume alcohol in moderation, researchers found.

Experiments on mice found that those with mutant copies of the Gabrb1 gene preferred drinking diluted alcohol over water, in contrast to those with normal genes."

[---]

"Although some humans drink excessively for a variety of reasons, the findings suggest that a few may be more genetically at risk of alcoholism, researchers said."

Alcohol-Dependence Gene Identified

"The gene is related to a receptor that allows for the movement of Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) between nerve cells. GABA is the major inhibitory chemical in the central nervous system.

"There were lines of evidence from other studies -- animal studies, in vitro studies -- that suggested GABA receptors are involved in the behavioral effects of alcohol," says lead author Danielle M. Dick, Ph.D., research assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Because GABA receptor genes were likely candidates and previous studies had linked this area on chromosome 15 to alcoholism, we zeroed in on three GABA receptor genes but only found significant association with one of them.""

[---]

"Dick says it is important to point out that genetic make-up does not necessarily mean a person is doomed to become an alcoholic.

"One reason it is so difficult to find genes involved in psychiatric disorders is that there is an interplay between genetic and environmental factors," she says. "A person can carry all kinds of genes that predispose them to alcohol dependence, but if they never take a drink, they won't become an alcoholic."

I remember years and years ago this theory got some coverage in the news. The then head of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians called it racist, of course. I wonder if we'll get a similar outcry concerning this research. Can't take the blame entirely off the evil "White Man", now can we. After all, he should have known this, three or four hundred years ago.

Good On Ya, Canada!

Canadian warship crew makes 500 kg heroin seizure

""It keeps the drugs off the streets and out of the hands of criminals, but it also has a massive impact on the finances of international terrorist organizations."

HMCS Toronto left Halifax in January. It is currently part of a international naval task force patrolling the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean."

Medical Marijuana And Other Pipe Dreams

I was just listening to the Roy Green Show. He was interviewing Jodie Emery, the wife of Marc Emery, the "champion" of legalizing weed and making it a controlled substance, just as alcohol is. I am opposed to its legalization and here's why:

1) The legalization of alcohol has not stopped bootlegging. People old enough to buy it still sell it to under-aged people. There is no reason to expect the same will not happen with marijuana.

2) Nor has legalization and control of alcohol stopped alcohol addiction.

3) Marijuana can be, and is, laced with all sorts of other more nasty stuff that can do great harm to users, and lead, ultimately to addictions of one sort or another, not to mention possible lung disease.

In this debate, why is no one talking about that? Well, I know why the Emorys won't talk about it, but why is no one else talking about it?

Drowning In ...

...booze?

22 rescued unharmed as wine tasting boat starts sinking during cruise of San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay? Are you sure it wasn't drugs?

Har. Har. I'm so funny. /sarc

Our Tax Dollars at Work

Saskatchewan scientists discover key to drug-free hemp

"Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan have identified the process that marijuana plants use to create tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the active ingredient in pot that gets smokers high —and say it could help breeders create pot plants that contain no traces of the drug and can be freely used in fibres or pharmaceuticals."

Betcha they had a grand old time coming up with the secret of "tetrahydrocannabinol free hemp" too nor would they have had trouble finding students to assist in the lab.

This Is The Town...

...in Northern Saskatchewan were I taught school years and years ago (must be about 25 years ago or more). I see nothing has changed.

Oh wait. They now have an RCMP detachment, right in town. Fat lotta good that's done.

Insite Insights

Quebec opens door to safe injection sites following Supreme Court ruling

Supreme Court's Insite decision sends mixed messages

Landmark Insite decision threatens peace between judges and legislators

Harper swings and misses on Insite

What I Don't Understand...

...about all efforts to ameliorate the drug abuse problem, is the clientele is already addicted. It seems to me these efforts are being made at the wrong end.

Efforts to prevent the illicit drug trade to begin with - you know - that thing called prevention, should be where we put our resources.

Toward that end pushers should be hung at dawn. Users should be locked up together in a big room and carefully guarded 24/7. No visitors allowed, other than in a family counseling context.

Afghanistan's poppy fields and farmers should be bombed into oblivion. Etc. Etc.

Case closed.

The Fallacy of Legalizing Illicit Drugs

Here's a good rant about the subject.

My sentiments, exactly.

Of course, I doubt those who advocate legalization are capable of thinking about the fuller ramifications. Their brains are probably addled by drugs already.

Just as alcohol and tobacco are "controlled" substances, all control does is open up opportunities for bootleggers and smugglers to prey upon, oh, say, more and more of our young people, ruining their lives before they are even out of their teens. No, "legalizing" this stuff doesn't make crime go away.

Good Luck With That...

...Cissy:

"Whitney Houston's troubled daughter is now under the watchful eye of her grandmother Cissy, who is determined not to lose the 18-year-old the way she lost the drug-addled diva."

[---]

Cissy Houston “couldn’t do nothing with Whitney and the hangers-on, moochers and enablers that sucked the life out of her,” the second source continued. But “she has the reins of this now.”

[---]

"Bobbi Kristina was found doing drugs after her mom’s glorious sendoff Saturday, The Daily Beast reported — an account Whitney Houston’s camp denied.

An aspiring singer like her mom, Bobbi Kristina is the daughter Whitney Houston had with R&B has-been Bobby Brown. She has been tied to drug use before.

With both parents battling their own demons, she never got the tough love a child needs sometimes, the second source added.”

[---]

"There were new reports that family members, including Brown, want Bobbi Kristina in rehab. Fritzo said she had not entered a treatment program.

One thing is certain: Bobbi Kristina will likely never hurt for money. Whitney Houston reportedly made $1 million from the upcoming movie “Sparkle,” and her albums have done big business on iTunes and Amazon since her death.

[---]

"The family is also now licensing footage from Houston’s funeral to various media outlets. Bobbi Kristina is believed to be her mom’s primary heir. Meanwhile, in Beverly Hills, some of Whitney Houston’s dazzling jewels and beautiful gowns will be up for auction next month.

A trove of mementos, including one of Houston’s black velvet dresses and the earrings she wore in “The Bodyguard,” will form part of the long-planned celebrity sale at Julien’s auctionhouse.

“Her items can increase 10, 20 even 30 times compared to their previous value prior to her death. These items become part of history really,” said auctionhouse owner Darren Julien."

The vultures are circling. Or, to put it another way, "the hangers-on, moochers and enablers that sucked the life out of her" are circling.

The Prince of Pot...

...will not be happy. While he's away the cops will play.