The Latest News from Our Field

They say it’s not a call for legalization, but Canadian researchers contend that marijuana interventions should be focused on the minority of users likely to have problems with the drug ... Sick convicts? Nine times more parolees than average citizens in Montana have medical-marijuana cards ... In the dubious honors department, Missouri now has the nation’s lowest tobacco tax -- 17 cents per pack -- thanks to a recent tax hike in South Carolina ... Keeping away from drinking and smoking can help teens avoid headaches, researchers say ...

The New York Post is warning that another 9-11 could be coming unless we cut cigarette taxes. Writer Deroy Murdock says that Islamic terror groups are getting money by smuggling cigarettes from low-tax states like Virginia to high-tax ones like New York. Ergo, New York’s tobacco tax should be frozen or cut, says Murdock.

Here’s a better idea: raise Virginia’s tobacco tax in the name of fighting terrorism.

Here’s one way to separate the sick from the stoners: A California doctor is promoting a form of medical marijuana he claims is more therapeutic -- but won’t get you high ... Isn’t that special: Researchers say that frequent users of ketamine (a.k.a. Special K) can develop incontinence ? Professional poker players are renowned for their stamina and focus -- but some may be using drugs to gain an edge at the table ? Yet another report finds fewer heart-attack hospitalizations after public smoking bans -- this time in London ?

Is there really a teenager in America who is not aware of the fact that 21 is the legal drinking age? I ask because it seems like every so-called underage-drinking prevention campaign involving the alcohol industry is some variation on the theme of, "Hey kids, remember, if you’re not 21, you can’t drink." You know, the kind of message that’s always effective with kids -- telling them they’re not old enough to do something.

The collected papers of William White, an important author and historian in the addiction treatment and recovery field, are now online in a new website devoted to his writings.

Society needs to go back to school on preventing dangerous college drinking, a university administrator says ... Is the Obama administration trying to bury a report on Mexican meth production? ... A new Colorado law aims to rein in the state?s medical-marijuana dispensaries ... Secondhand smoke exposure could contribute to depression, a study finds ...

Invigorators and Teas? This is surely not your typical conference. Grounded in "principles of recovery and gender-responsive, trauma-informed care," the 4th National Conference on Women, Addiction and Recovery will include: "Expert Teas" (small groups gathering in a ’living-room environment ... to discuss and problem-solve with recognized experts’); "Invigorators" (40-minute sessions designed to energize participants around a given topic); Facilitated Discussions; Mini Plenaries, big-name speakers and more.

You still have a couple of days to register at their "early bird" rate (through June 15). Or get two people from the same organization to attend to lighten the load on your wallets.

They don?t spend much time in smoky bars, but kids are among the beneficiaries of laws banning indoor smoking ... A Washington watchdog group says two FDA tobacco advisory panel members who work for drug companies should step down ... A state court has revived a lawsuit against a San Francisco ordinance banning pharmacies from selling tobacco products ... Walgreens -- which filed the S.F. suit -- also has resumed selling alcohol in its stores after a self-imposed 15-year ban ...