The struggles and triumphs of an addict

In March, the commander in chief of the War on Drugs stood in front of a crowd of policymakers, advocates and recovering addicts to declare that America has been doing it wrong. Speaking at the National Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta – focused on an overdose epidemic now killing some 30,000 Americans a year – President Barack Obama declared, "For too long we have viewed the problem of drug abuse ... through the lens of the criminal justice system," creating grave costs: "We end up with jails full of folks who can't function when they get out. We end up with people's lives being shattered." Touting a plan to increase drug-treatment spending by more than $1 billion – the capstone to the administration's effort to double the federal drug-treatment budget – Obama insisted, "This is a straightforward proposition: How do we save lives once people are addicted, so that they have a chance to recover? It doesn't do us much g...

                                  America: Addiction by the numbers 1. 21.5 million: The amount of people aged 12 or older in 2014 had a substance use disorder in the past year. 2. 1 in 5: The amount of young adults in 2014 who were users of illicit drugs. 3. 7,800:The daily number of people 12 and over who tried an illicit drug for the first time. 4. Marijuana: The drug most new illicit drug users begin with. Followed by prescription pain relievers and then inhalants. 5. 700 Billion: The amount the abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs costs to our Nation annually in costs related to crime, lost work productivity and health care. 6. 3x: The amount the business of recovery has increased in the last 25 years. 7. 14,000: The amount of addiction treatment facilities. 8. 35 billion: The an...

BEFORE CANNABIS AFTER CANNABIS . As an anti-addiction activist I must admit I'm a little perplexed standing on this side of the fence on this topic, but seeing Charlottes story is all that it took and I am a convert. What we must understand is and if you watched the video you  heard marijuana is of two main ingredients. THC which is the Psychoactive part that will cause relaxation and relieve anxiety and is what is commonly known as being high or stoned which in all honesty doesn't get you high as a  Valium . The other chemical is called CBD,  cannabinoids,which is a great anticonvulsant and pain reliever. I'm not debating the recreational use of Marijuana, but it is obvious our government has lied to us when scheduling marijuana a one  because a schedule one drug is the worst of the worst and schedule one is reserved for drugs with no possible medical use.The Government has known marijuana has many medical uses because the federal governme...