I recently finished a PhD on implementing drug diversion schemes. It explores the contextual conditions within which policy change occurs, some practical elements of implementing drug diversion schemes and some theoretical discussion. Have a read: research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/portalfil...

Interesting article about how cuts have damaged consent-based policing in Britain...

English wastewater analysis comparing Jan - Apr 23 with Jan - Apr 24. Prevalence of ketamine prevalence up by *85%* Prevalence of MDMA up by 52%.

Tragic case - The Vivienne dies from ketamine-related cardiac arrest. Other factors aside (eg other drugs in the mix or underlying conditions) I wonder if the psychological element of catastrophising / drug induced anxiety could feed into cardiac issues, or if it is purely pharmacological.

Cartels react to being designated a terrorist organisation by the US government: www.crashoutmedia.com/p/exclusive-...

For what it's worth (probably not much) I would say hash has medical utility, and better for the lungs. Recent innovations (eg static sift & ice water) create cleaner product with less contaminants. Shame it's not on offer on UK med, apart from distillate in a cart aka the worst possible option.

1/4 So THCa (basically when a cannabis plant is cropped early before it becomes THC) is becoming a thing in the UK. For quite a while companies have been shipping THCa products across all US states. Various UK companies are now importing them and delivering products online. The Home Office states:

Found some casual bumper sticker stigma on a walk today...

Worth a watch for those interested in US-UK cannabis supply... youtu.be/l4_0b4gNKi4

I've done a deep dive into the future of Bristol's only NHS detox unit The campaign to save it has exposed the complex & shifting way services like this are funded, which leaves them vulnerable to closure Read the full story here: www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol...

In a strange twist of fate, libertarian support for Trump resulted in the pardoning of Ross Ulbricht, who ran a major darknet market from 2011 to 2013. www.techradar.com/pro/trump-pa...

Does anyone know of any studies / evidence on taxpayer savings resulting from detox specifically? This is surely a prime example of a public service cut that increases strain on public resources in the long run...

Nice one! Where has this guy been for the last 50 years? drugpolicy.org/news/drug-po...

We need more detox beds, not less! Where is the ADDER funding? Please sign this petition, this facility is amazing. chng.it/XvD9DVstYS

Correlation and TEDI report on trends in samples analysed by drug checking services (2018-2024). A nugget: "Cocaine purity increased until 2023, but in the 1st half of 2024 it started to decline, with an increase in detections of the local anaesthetic procaine." correlation-net.org/2025/01/08/e...

I got quoted in glamour magazine... Props to Ella Glover for the quality journalism. www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/keta...

Govt are considering reclassifying ketamine to a class A drug. ACMD will consider and make recommendations. We'll have to wait to see what ACMD say, plus whether Labour govt. decide to follow said recommendations.

The first sanctioned overdose prevention centre in Ireland opened its doors yesterday. #OPC #HarmReduction

Great news, much needed in Dublin City Centre! This should reduce the use of pre-hospital emergency care (ambulances, A&E, etc.) amongst people who are intoxicated and/or experiencing psychological issues, etc. on their night out. Good news for everyone! #ASafeSpace www.newstalk.com/news/dublin-...

"What you actually have are violent, drug zombies with dead eyes and needles and human feces on the street." I hate to be gloomy but a huge amount of work on destigmatising people who use drugs has just been undone in one stroke. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

(Names changed, I have consent to share) Waiting for my train at a quiet train station I see Jane, a woman I see almost every day in my neighborhood and have gotten to know. She has a needle out and is preparing to go into her groin. She looks flustered and apologises.

Over 99% of over 14k BENZO deaths across England, Wales and NI between 1999 and 2021 involved polydrug use... 85% of them with opioids. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Cocaine seizures by Border Force went a bit mad at the start of 2024. Whether the record seizures in Q1 2024 impacted market price / purity would be a real test of law enforcement efforts.

Traffickers have found a clever way to smuggle fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to Mexico – by first importing them into the United States using duty free “master carton” shipping that contains hundreds of smaller packages in which to hide the chemicals. They are then smuggled into Mexico.

5.5 tons of methamphetamine seized by Indian naval patrol on its way out of Myanmar, a global drug production hub controlled by a variety of a armed groups - some allied with the military and others not. The drug trade now dwarfs the local legitimate economy in Shan State, creating rife corruption.

Interesting paper on harm reduction and social media. This article suggests that Instagram is more moderation-heavy and TikTok more easygoing on harm reductionists. I have to say I have found the opposite! Instagram seems relatively fine but TikTok is regularly removing or choking posts.

Quite a mad case of stigmatisation of people who use heroin here... vigilantes using violence to police their local community. So much ropey logic and drug exceptionalism I don't know where to start! youtu.be/t4UowXTw7Lg