Sir Richard Branson has long been outspoken on his views and opinions regarding drug use, abuse and enforcement. Once again he makes headlines by saying he believes drugs should be legalized.

The founder of the Virgin Group who has been involved in some crazy things over the years, including attempting to circle the globe in a balloon and selling space travel to the affluent is all for legalizing drugs. This according to the Daily News.

The British billionaire believes punishment fails to stem drug abuse, and is calling on countries to decriminalize drug use and eliminate criminal penalties on narcotics consumers.

Branson has been involved in the anti-drug movement for many years. He serves on the Global Commission on Drug Policy, which has among its member’s former presidents of Colombia, Brazil and Switzerland. His group released a scathing indictment about the ineffectiveness of the war on drugs. The report went so far as to dismiss the threat of prosecution as a deterrent for drug use.

Portugal Lead by Example

One of Branson’s favorite examples is Portugal which abandoned criminal prosecution for drug use in 2001. Portugal’s Institute on Drugs and Drug Addiction has reported that the percentage of drug addicts in newly diagnosed HIV patients dropped to 22 percent in 2008 from 40 percent in 2002. Illicit drug use is linked to the spread of HIV, due to factors such as sharing needles.

The billionaire business owner was asked the difficult question about his workers’ productivity falling behind if marijuana was legalized. His response was to attack the alcohol and tobacco industries claiming both hurt productivity more than marijuana.

It is time to think outside the box on this war on drugs. Obviously what we currently are doing is not working. However, I certainly do not condone legalizing drugs. I think the answer lies in prevention – more drug classes and counseling.

One of the primary problems with medicinal marijuana is those using it and operating motor vehicles. If you are a non-pot smoker or marijuana user, how much tolerance do you have for people using THC and driving? Not much I bet.

The fact is both users of medicinal marijuana and recreational marijuana are driving under the influence regularly.

How do you tell if someone is too stoned to drive?

Keep in mind - driving while impaired by any drug is illegal in all states!

Most convictions for drugged driving now are based on police observations, followed later by a blood test, according to the Huffington Post.

The goal of course is to establish a field-sobriety test that can indicate whether a person is stoned at the time of the incident, or merely has residual THC in their system.

Of course, the problem is that marijuana stays in the blood long after the high wears off a few hours after use, and there is no quick test to determine someone's level of impairment – not that scientists haven't been working on it.

A solution needs to be found and quickly. Marijuana causes dizziness, slowed reaction time and drivers are more likely to drift and swerve while they're high.

Proposed solutions include setting limits on the amount of the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana, THC that drivers can have in their blood. But THC limits to determine impairment are not widely agreed upon.

The “legal limit” varies from state-to-state. Two states place the standard at 2 nanograms per milliliter of blood. Others have zero tolerance policies. And Colorado and Washington state are debating a threshold of 5 nanograms.

But several factors can skew THC blood tests, including age, gender, weight and frequency of marijuana use. Also, THC can remain in the system weeks after a user sobers up, leading to the anxiety shared by many in the 16 medical marijuana states: They could be at risk for a positive test at any time, whether they had recently used the drug or not.

Researchers envision a day when marijuana tests are as common in police cars as Breathalyzers.

We have some of the world’s greatest scientists. While this may not be the most pressing issue in medicine, there should be a priority placed on finding a Breathalyzer-type solution to test for marijuana.

Is it just me or do NFL wide receivers get into more trouble than other position players? The Cincinnati Bengals seem to have more than their fair share of players with drug and other legal problems.

Bengals receiver Jerome Simpson could receive a 60-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to a drug-related felony charge according to ESPN as part of an agreement with prosecutors, further clouding his future in the NFL.

The four-year veteran is a free agent after completing his contract with the Bengals. His guilty plea could bring a suspension from the league, which would make him less attractive on the free-agent market.

A Whole Lot of Weed

This drug case began back in September, when a package containing approximately two pounds of marijuana was delivered to his home in northern Kentucky.

The package had been tracked by agents from California. Authorities later searched Simpson's home and found approximately another pound of marijuana. He was indicted on a felony charge of marijuana trafficking.

The agreement also calls for three years' probation, 200 hours of community service and drug treatment.

The agreement stipulates that there is no evidence Simpson was dealing marijuana. Simpson’s attorney said Simpson had the marijuana for personal use ( 3 pounds of it) and was probably sharing it with friends.

The agreement allows for Simpson to be on a work-release program -- leave jail during the day to work -- but the judge will decide if that's appropriate.

The second-round draft pick from Coastal Carolina caught 53 passes for 758 yards and four touchdowns last season as a complement to rookie Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green. His grandest moment -- a flip over a defender to score a touchdown -- became a staple of NFL highlight films.

Simpson had one of the SportsCenter highlights of the year in the NFL last season when he did a heels-over-head flip over Arizona linebacker Daryl Washington at the goal line and landed on his feet in the end zone during a 23-16 win on Dec. 14. Simpson raised both arms in triumph, like a gymnast who had just stuck a landing.

Simpson is one of four Bengals either arrested or indicted since last July, along with linebacker Rey Maualuga, running back Cedric Benson and cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones

Maualuga has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge resulting from an altercation at a downtown Cincinnati bar on Feb. 5. It's his second court case in two years. Maualuga pleaded guilty to drunken driving after police in northern Kentucky said he hit a parking meter and two parked cars in January 2010.

The NFL fined Maualuga two game checks and made him forfeit a two-week share of his signing bonus for violating its conduct policy with the drunken driving case. As a repeat offender under the policy, Maualuga could face a suspension next season, depending upon the outcome of his latest case.

Benson, who is a free agent and is unlikely to return to Cincinnati, was charged with misdemeanor assault last July for an altercation with a former roommate in Texas. He served five days in jail there before the start of the season, and was suspended for one game by the NFL.

Jones, who also is a free agent, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct for a disturbance at a downtown bar last July. He was sentenced to a year of probation and community service. Jones has repeatedly been suspended during his seven years with the league, and faces more discipline if he signs with a team.

Wow, a bunch of bad apples on the same team. The Bengals should probably institute a mandatory Ohio drug class for all of its players.

Drug abuse is on the rise among our nation’s youth. The two main drugs that have seen the highest increase in use are marijuana and prescription medications. The key to stopping long-term drug problems is to continue to try and educate youth and convince them not to even try drugs, alcohol and even cigarettes.

Native American Troubles

A national survey asking about use of alcohol and 9 drug classes, including marijuana, inhalants, heroin and prescription painkillers (2005-2008) revealed that there many problems. The study included youth ages 12 to 17.

About 37% of Native American teens reported using alcohol in the past year. Those numbers compare to other races in that 35 percent of whites and 32 percent of Hispanics, 31 percent of mixed race, 25 percent of blacks and 19 percent of Asians reported using alcohol.

With respect to drug use the survey found that about 31 percent of Native Americans used in the past year, compared with 23 percent of those who considered themselves mixed race and 20 percent of whites, the research found. About 19 percent of black, 18 percent of Hispanic teens and 12 percent of Asian teens said they used drugs in the past year.

Marijuana is still the drug of choice. Prescription painkillers like OxyContin and Vicodin have replaced inhalants as the second most commonly.

The study showed that about 8 in a hundred teens met the criteria for substance abuse disorder, which means their use escalated, caused legal problems or interfered with other activities.

It is not surprising that heroin users were the most-likely to form an addiction, but we all know marijuana use and abuse is quite addictive as well.

If you or someone you care about has a drug or alcohol issues please seek help immediately. There are also online drug and alcohol classes and minor in possession classes too.

source: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-15/black-and-asian-teens-have-lowest-rates-of-drug-and-alcohol-use.html

I am sure you have heard the saying “where there is smoke there is fire.” UFC heavyweight Dave Herman has to defend him against charges of smoking marijuana according to mmajunkie.com.

Herman is rethinking the crowd he hangs out with between fights. He claims he didn’t smoke the weed, but was recently around those who used the drug, which may have caused him to fail a pre-fight drug

I don’t buy a word he says, claiming that he sees people smoking marijuana every day. He even uses the argument that it is legal in California.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t see people smoking weed every day!

Herman tested positive for marijuana but tested clean for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

How serious is this guy? He claims he knows he should be staying at home while training for a fight, but that gets boring so he has to go hang out with people smoking marijuana. Give me a break!

Herman should start by taking a drug class. He should also not hang around people who smoke. Do you think he ingested second-hand smoke, or do you agree that where there’s smoke there’s fire?

As scary as it sounds, our nation’s middle schoolers are in great need of drug classes. Kids are becoming exposed more regularly to more drugs than ever before. I certainly recall a few of my middle school friends trying marijuana with maybe 25% experimenting with alcohol.

Things have changed. Now marijuana is prevalent in middle school with harder drugs like cocaine, crystal meth and designer drugs like bath salts and Night Lights.

Night Lights

Middle Scholars’ knowledge of the synthetic drugs is surprising to law enforcement officers. When speaking to middle school classes about a drug called “Night Lights”, everyone knows what he's talking about - except the teacher.

This is a critical issue. There are very few adults and parents familiar with the synthetic drugs on the market. Do you know what Night Lights are? They are red capsules filled with a white powder that mimics the psychedelic designer drug ecstasy.

Real Story

Late last month, two men were charged with ingesting synthetic drugs after one of them went on a drug-induced rampage with his car in the Cabela's parking lot after smoking synthetic marijuana. He damaged several vehicles and the outside of the store. The driver in the Cabela's incident told him that ingesting the synthetic compound was a "nightmarish" experience.

Kids call these ‘fake drugs,' so that makes them think it's not as dangerous as real marijuana because it's fake.

Synthetic drugs available in this area generally fall into two categories: synthetic cannabis and synthetic cathinones, which is a manmade version of the outlawed khat plant.

Why They Can be Purchased Legally

Drug makers can quickly alter the chemical nature of any synthetic drug they design; changing it just enough to make sure it is not defined by an existing statute. That's why convenience stores, smoke shops and head shops still are able to legally sell synthetic products that are packaged and promoted as substitutes for marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine and other illegal drugs.

Makers of the synthetic products also circumvent federal laws by marketing them as products that are typically not intended for human consumption: bath salts, potpourri, incense, foot powder or jewelry cleaner, among other things.

The FDA needs to step in here. Don’t you think?

Even Night Light pills, which can sell for $14.99 each, will include the wording, "Not intended for human consumption," right below an enthusiastic description of the altered state of consciousness the product will induce.

Unfortunately, users have no way of knowing exactly what they are swallowing or smoking. There are at least 200 different forms of synthetic marijuana.

This reads like fiction. How can the government allow these synthetic drugs to exist? I have never been one for looking to the government for assistance. Parents and educators need to get on the ball. More drug classes are needed. These drug classes are necessary for both kids and parents.

Read more: http://rapidcityjournal.com

If you needed one more reason not to start taking crystal meth how about this – it can increase your chances of suffering from schizophrenia.

According to psychcentral.com, researchers in Toronto, Canada have found evidence that heavy methamphetamine users might have a higher risk of developing schizophrenia.

This finding was based on a study comparing the risk among methamphetamine users not only to a group that did not use drugs, but also to heavy users of other drugs.

Methamphetamine and other amphetamine-type stimulants are the second most common type of illicit drug used worldwide.

People hospitalized for methamphetamine dependence that did not have a diagnosis of schizophrenia or psychotic symptoms at the start of our study period had an approximately 1.5 to 3.0-fold risk of subsequently being diagnosed with schizophrenia, compared with groups of patients who used cocaine, alcohol or opioid drugs. 

They also found that the increased risk of schizophrenia in methamphetamine users was similar to that of heavy users of cannabis (marijuana).

Researchers examined California hospital records of patients admitted between 1990 and 2000 with a diagnosis of dependence or abuse for several major drugs, including methamphetamine, cannabis, alcohol, cocaine or opioids. They also included a control group of patients with appendicitis and no drug use. The methamphetamine group had 42,412 cases, while cannabis had 23,335.

There has been a longstanding debate as to whether there is a connection between methamphetamine use and schizophrenia. In Japan, experts believe that methamphetamine might cause a schizophrenia-like illness, based on their observations of high rates of psychosis among methamphetamine users admitted to psychiatric hospitals.

Drugs are bad. Nothing good can come from the use of illicit drugs. If you or someone you care about has a drug problem, please seek help. If you prefer to maintain total anonymity, there are online drug classes too.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out which drugs teens abuse most. When I was a kid there was alcohol and weed, with alcohol holding a huge preference to weed and all other drugs combined.

No matter how hard we try to pound the evils of drugs and alcohol into the brains of our children, still substance use and abuse is a major issue. What is really scary is the drastic rise in the use of marijuana. And this isn’t just any cannabis, this stuff is extremely potent.

Pot has become the “in” drug among adolescents. Perhaps fewer respect how dangerous the drug as many states have legalized it for medicinal use.

According to a recent national study as reported by the Kansas City Star, teens believe marijuana is much less harmful than the adults advising them against its use portray.

In another study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that daily marijuana use among high school seniors hit a 30-year peak in 2011, even as the use of alcohol and cigarettes is falling off.

Further disturbing is that in 2011, twice as many 10th-graders reported smoking pot at some point during the month of the survey as did their counterparts 20 years ago: 17.6 percent versus 8.7 percent.

According to the Kansas City, MO newspaper, the good news is alcohol consumption is on the decline. In 2011, 27.2 percent in 2011 admitted to drinking beer, wine or spirits within a 30-day period — that’s two-thirds of what it was in 1991.

The bad news is marijuana use is skyrocketing faster than drinking is falling. Therefore, kids seem to be switching their choice of substances rather than opting to lead soberer lifestyles. What is needed are more online MIP classes.

Marijuana use seems to be on the rise everywhere. From Europe to the US and Canada to the farthest reaches of the planet, societies are being smoked out. Australia is perhaps the place best-known on the planet for chronic marijuana abuse.

Australians are world-class dopes, according to research.

And cops say residents of Victoria are doing more than their bit to keep the nation up in cannabis smoke.

The study found over 200 million people used illicit drugs globally, with those in wealthier countries most likely to abuse illicit substances.

It found Australia and New Zealand were the highest users of cannabis in the world, with up to 15 per cent of 15 to 64-year-olds having used the drug at least once in the past year.

The popularity of illicit drugs was linked to cost and supply.

Victoria Police has seized record amounts of cannabis in recent years, confiscating 9000 plants in a two-day blitz a little over a year ago.

Why do you think marijuana use is on the rise? Back in the 70s, when marijuana smoking first became a significant part of the Hippie culture, dope smokers were just that – dopes. Now it seems like it is almost completely accepted. We need more drug education classes.

As a child of the 70s, who witnessed the proliferation of marijuana, I still have to admit I am stunned by a very recent University of Michigan study. Do you know what they seem to have discovered?

Sit down! According to the study, the percentage of high school students who smoke marijuana is greater than those who smoke tobacco! Holy, crud – does America have a weed problem or whatjQuery15209949025802779943_1324157222492

Nearly 23 percent of 12th graders polled said they used marijuana over the last month, compared with 18.7 percent who said they smoked cigarettes.

Cigarette use is down among all three grades, dropping 60 percent during the last 15 years, according to the survey. Among 12th graders, 18.7 percent reported they smoked a cigarette during the past month, compared with 36.5 percent in 1997 – the most recent peak.

Binge drinking is also at a historic low among the combined grades surveyed, down from 41 percent five years ago to 22 percent this year. Binge drinking is defined as four drinks in one sitting for women, five for men.

Findings among 12th graders show that 36.4 percent used marijuana in the past year while 6.6 percent used it daily, up from 31.5 and 5 percent, respectively, from five years ago.

The reason why marijuana is becoming so popular is that the perceived risk is down.

Corresponding to the rise in marijuana use is the increased use of synthetic marijuana, which is often sold in drug paraphernalia shops, gas stations, or online. The drugs, also known as "spice" or "K2," contain chemical compounds that produce a high similar to marijuana when smoked.

This is the first survey that tracked synthetic marijuana; 11.4 percent of 12th graders reported abusing the drug during the past year.

The survey polled 46,773 students from 400 public and private schools across the US.

Even though I was one of the “stoners” in high school, I certainly was part of a much smaller group than those who loved to blow fags (smoke cigarettes or chew tobacco). This is an alarming trend, one that I also have witnessed in my classes as a counselor on for both in class and online drug education classes.