Drugs | Cocaine Research

How Does Methadone Work

August 18, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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We often hear about methadone clinics for heroin addicts but many people have no idea what methadone is and how it works. While methadone is a drug similar to heroin, the main feature and helpful aspect of it is that it lasts longer than heroin and takes longer to work. This alleviates the rush that some get from heroin and can help with maintaining abstinence since the high is still there but the sought after rush is not. Simply put, methadone helps with a gradual transition away from heroin, which helps users stay clean more often than trying to stop heroin cold turkey.

While methadone is still a drug and is still unsafe, it is a better alternative than actual heroin use. The key to using methadone is the gradual transition away from all opiates. It acts as a gateway to abstinence and can also help an addict stay safer because the clinics make sure the users get clean needles and clean drugs. On the streets, a heroin addict risks getting a needle that may have been used by a person that is HIV positive or getting too much of the drug and overdosing. There can also be the chance of gaining an infection or damage to the circulatory system when using street drugs. Lastly, the purity is always in question, whereas methadone is administered by a health care official.

Methadone can help but the user has to be on a closely monitored program to ensure success and safety. Methadone cannot be combined with other drugs or alcohol because this can cause a fatal reaction. It is important that the person using it follows the physician’s strict orders. Although this can be hard for some users, it is still more helpful than a user sticking with heroin and not trying the gateway drug.

Filed Under: Drug Addiction, Drugs Tagged With: Drugs, Heroin, HIV, Methadone

Crystal Meth – What is it Doing and Where is it Coming From?

August 10, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Crystal Meth’s Terrifying Reality

Often authoritative bodies working to combat drugs and drug use become exuberant in their campaigns discouraging the use of various drugs. Crystal methamphetamine might be one drug where that would be impossible. Some scary and surprising statistics are below:

• Treatment for Meth has overtaken treatment for cocaine and heroine in 14 US States
• In 2006 1.4 million American’s tried Crystal Meth
• 18-25 year olds are responsible for the biggest increase in treatment
• Meth use is greatest among 35-45 year olds
• It takes $1000 worth of ingredients to make $20,000 of Meth
• Over 10 million people in the US have used Meth

Where is it coming from?

Precursor chemicals were available in the US until recent new regulations surrounding the sale of cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, lithium batteries, rock salt, lye, iodine, paint thinner, drain cleaner, gasoline additives, and red phosphorus went into effect. Most of the Meth in the United States was supplied by super labs (usually houses retrofitted to produce large quantities of Meth) in California and Northern Mexico. In 2004 alone, 8,000 meth labs were raided and seized by law enforcement in the US where some 3,000 were children were recovered. Since the crackdown on precursor chemicals in the US, production has largely moved south of the border. In 2004 Mexico imported 200 tons of pseudoephedrine when around 70 tons would have been the amount Mexicans needed to control their colds. In 2006, 5.1 million tablets were seized by Mexican authorities hidden in a shipment of ceiling fans from China. That same year Mexican police seized the largest meth lab ever discovered in the Americas that was producing 400 pounds of Meth per day. In the midst of Felipe Caldarón’s cartel crackdown were the president is putting unprecedented pressure on Mexico’s drug cartels pseudoephedrine is no longer imported with impunity, but Mexico is still a country awash in precursor chemicals.

Filed Under: Medical Tagged With: Drugs, Health, Methamphetamine

Introducing Crack Cocaine

August 1, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Crack Cocaine made its debut on the streets of major US cities during the mid eighties. Powered cocaine is cooked with baking soda and water where the bicarbonate breaks down into carbon dioxide and sodium carbonate. The hydrochloride in cocaine is separated from the cocaine alkaloid producing a free base or crack cocaine. When that freebase crack cocaine is smoked it is absorbed into a user’s blood stream in 8 seconds. The high comes on much faster and is much more intense than regular cocaine producing an extremely addictive euphoria. The part of the brain responsible for controlling reward is flooded with extra neurotransmitters thus the euphoria.

A Short High

The high enjoyed by crack cocaine smokers is very intense for 1-3 minutes, strong for 4-7 minutes, and pretty much over at ten minutes. The increased energy and confidence quickly give way to depression and craving for the high again. The logical response of a crack user is to take another hit, but since the flood of the neurotransmitters is less each time more crack has to be smoked for an increasingly weaker high. A user trying to avoid the inevitable come down resulting from the brain’s return to low levels of dopamine (the neurotransmitter) can cause cycles of binging. Such binging causes paranoia, irritability, irrational behavior, and can even develop into temporary paranoid psychosis; the user can hallucinate and lose touch with reality. Delusional parasitosis can also occur making a user think there are bugs crawling on his or her skin.

Addiction to Crack

Most experts agree that crack is cocaine in its most addictive form. This conclusion is probably drawn from the desperation shown by users and their insatiable hunger for the drug. Other experts remark that hardcore cocaine users usually switch to crack looking for a more intense high, inciting that crack is drug sought by existing addicts. The high is so intense flooding the brain with levels of neurotransmitters communicating feelings not attainable by normal body chemistry. Users want to achieve this feeling so badly again and again that they will do just about anything to get it.

Filed Under: Drugs Tagged With: Cocaine, Crack cocaine, Drugs

The War on Drugs

July 30, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

A long history

The phrase “War on Drugs” became a common way to refer to the US governments operations to halt the sale, use, manufacture, and importation of illegal drugs after President Richard Nixon used it in 1971. Anti drug legislation and enforcement has a long history in the US starting in 1914 with the Harrison Narcotic Tax Act which regulates the distribution of narcotics. In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act covered the restriction of marijuana. The US Interdepartmental Committee on Narcotics was created in 1954 under Eisenhower. Finally, the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 drives current federal antidrug policy as seen today.

Negative Effects of the War on Drugs

Approximately 55 percent of federal prisoners and 21 percent of state prisoners are serving sentences related to drug offenses; over 500,000 people incarcerated for drugs. Money made from the illegal drug trade also sustains street gangs that are responsible for all kinds of violent crime and property damage. The US spends between 20 to 30 billion dollars per year and spent over 30 billion in 1998 alone. Article I of the constitution specifies that congress can “regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among several states, and with the Indian tribes.” Despite that, until recently federal law enforcement frequently conducted raids on operations producing and selling drugs within state lines; for example, a person growing and selling marijuana within California.

What we Say

Folks aimed at abolishing the War on Drugs (a term shelved by the Obama administration) usually do not put forth a coherent strategy for doing so. Their opposition is equally uncreative with accepting the status quo of drug enforcement policy. The status quo is costly in human and monetary terms, and many reckon it is a failed strategy. Some polling data shows that three quarters of Americans believe the War on Drugs is failed, but legalization, especially for hard drugs, remains an ambiguous and unproven solution. The truth is we really only know full legalization would virtually eradicate system-related drug crime, not user-related or economic-related drug crime

Filed Under: Drugs Tagged With: Drug abuse, Drug War, Drugs

Marijuana – A Subtle Danger

May 11, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

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Is marijuana really bad?

Marijuana is often championed as the natural drug that does not have any negative side effects. Because marijuana is seen as such a harmless drug when compared to Class – A drugs like cocaine, heroine, ecstasy, etc. marijuana is often thought to not have an affect on a person’s functioning. Marijuana is in fact a much less harmful drug than those Class – A drugs mentioned above, however, it can have a significant impact on a person’s ability to function normally.

What are the side effects?

When marijuana use becomes anything other than recreational (1-4 per month use) it can begin to change a person’s behavior. Marijuana affects everyone differently; some people maintain the same behavior during periods of heavy habitual use while others are significantly affected. Users that experience behavioral deviations often exhibit subtle changes in their social and or work lives. Heavy marijuana users are often less outgoing and willing to navigate unfamiliar social settings. They prefer to hang out in smaller groups of close friends and are more sedentary. Heavy marijuana users can also suffer a lack of motivation to do extra work outside of what they have to get done. For example, a heavy marijuana user might perform fine at work, but lack the motivation to pursue personal goals outside of work like continuing education, physical fitness, or entrepreneurial aspirations.

Does everybody suffer the side effects?

Not everyone suffers the side effects mentioned above; there are high functioning heavy marijuana users. There are heavy marijuana users that are lawyers, doctors, engineers, etc. just like there are high functioning alcoholics. However, the percentage of high functioning marijuana users among the total population of heavy marijuana users is scant. Most heavy marijuana users endure at least some of the side effects mentioned above.

What’s the big deal?

There is no big deal; marijuana is not going to ruin your life like heroine, cocaine, alcohol, or some other drugs. Despite that, marijuana is dangerous because of its ability to subtly change your behavior without evident warning signs. You won’t hit rock bottom, but you may end up being less extroverted, chasing less goals, seeking less self-renewal, etc. There are plenty of heavy marijuana users that are doing just fine in life, but that is all they are doing – just fine. If you are intent on being an extraordinary person heavy marijuana use won’t positively obstruct that prospect, but it will probably make it harder.

Filed Under: Awareness, Drug Research, Drugs Tagged With: Adverse effect, Drugs, Marijuana

Marijuana – Is Prohibition Ending?

March 17, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Proposed Legalization

No fewer than 14 states have passed legislation allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. That movement has been coupled with a sweeping decriminalization for marijuana possession, distribution, and cultivation. This change of attitude and subsequent regulation towards marijuana has been driven by west coast states, primarily California. This past January the state Assembly’s public safety committee approved a bill that taxes and regulates marijuana like alcohol. The passage of that bill may have acted as a precursor to Prop 19, a proposition on the November ballot that seeks to legalize cultivation, sales, and possession of marijuana for those 21 and older. The legislation draws out regulation for retail and wholesale distribution, sets up a fund for drug abuse and prevention, and bans the use of state or local authorities in enforcing inconsistent federal law.

The Debate

Advocates say the prohibition of marijuana drives the business into the hands of criminal entrepreneurs that push harsher product. Proponents of legalization posit scarce law enforcement resources are wastefully allocated to fight a substance far less dangerous than alcohol. Those against legalization say a society already ravaged by legal alcohol and tobacco does not need another log on the fire. Anti drunk driving groups say the legalization of marijuana will increase the number of impaired drivers on the road. Opponents of legalization also say the drug will become more available to minors.

What is not Talked About in the Debate?

Many states are considering relaxing marijuana law and taxing marijuana in efforts to climb out of large state budget deficits. California state assemblyman Ammiano stated, “The change of administrations in Washington has sent a signal for more accommodation of marijuana smokers and we have a dire, dire budget situation in California.” California politicians have there eyes on potentially one billion dollars per year of tax revenue if legislation passes. There are not many people stopping to talk about the virtue (or lack thereof) in finally legalizing marijuana in large part because those we elect cannot balance a budget.

Filed Under: Drug Addiction, Drugs Tagged With: Drugs

Salvia Divinorum – The Seer’s Sage

January 11, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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What is Salvia?

Salvia Divinorum is a psychoactive plant originating in Oaxaca, Mexico. It grows mostly in the shade of other trees on the banks of rivers or other moist areas. Mazatec shamans have long used the plant in rituals to induce visions and higher states of consciousness. They believe the plant is an incarnation of the Virgin Mary and its use in ritual manifests her nature. Salvinorin A is the psychoactive constituent that causes various effects in different users that can include visions, uncontrollable laughter, a body high, insightfulness, feelings of being physically pulled or bent by forces, a feeling of connectedness to nature, etc.

It is Strong

Of natural psychoactive compounds, Salvinorin A is the most potent. However, potency does not mandate toxicity. In rodent testing (where rodents were exposed to much higher levels of Salvinorin A than which a humans would be exposed) no signs of organ damage were found. Salvia can be ingested through different methods and taken in different strengths according to the effects a user wants to produce.

Methods

Salvia in the United States is usually distributed as dried ground leaves resembling coffee grounds. Leaves (not ground), extracts, and even live Salvia Divinorum plants can be purchased at head shops and over the internet. The shamans of Mazatec only used fresh leaves and chew them directly or extract the juice to make teas. Chewing and swallowing of the leaves is a few times more potent smoking salvia, the popular method in the US. Smoking potent dried Salvia (different strengths are available) produces an intense high lasting a few minutes. A user may be in an immediate intense state for one to three minutes, feel a less intense, but high sensation for five to 10 minutes thereafter, and then experience a light high for about 20 minutes after that. When fresh Salvia is chewed or an extract is taken in some form the high may come on slower, but last an hour or two.

Filed Under: Drugs, Medication Tagged With: Drugs, Mexico, Salvia Divinorum