Legalization and social acceptability of marijuana have contributed to a false perception that it’s safe to use in pregnancy. The truth is, there is no known safe level of prenatal marijuana exposure.
We found babies born to mothers who used cannabis during pregnancy were likely to weigh less and be born earlier. Our study adds to a growing body of evidence on this topic.
Many LGBTQ+ people at risk for overdose are left out of harm reduction efforts.
(Unsplash/Delia Giandeini)
The overdose crisis — coupled with a lack of accessible harm reduction services — represents a growing concern for young queer and trans men who use drugs.
Inmates work in the laundry room at Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility in Santee, California, on April 22, 2020.
Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, missteps in transitioning the incarcerated back to their communities places this already vulnerable populace at greater risk of getting and transmitting the virus.
In trying to suppress the cannabis market in 1923, the government accidentally helped to form an impressive illegal cannabis economy.
A back alley in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, a high-risk COVID-19 area due to the fact the vulnerable populations converge there, is pictured in January 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Drug users are already among the most marginalized and stigmatized populations in times without a pandemic. Unless we decriminalize drug use, once again they will bear the brunt of another deadly disease.
From January 31, ACT laws allow residents to cultivate and posses small quantities of cannabis.
guruXOX/Shutterstock
The ACT legislation conflicts with federal laws, which still prohibit the possession of cannabis. It’s unclear how police will respond and whether users could still be charged.
Drug-related deaths in rural areas rose by 41% since 2008.
Shuang Li/Shutterstock
Many rural communities have experienced economic decline in recent years and have poorer access to drug treatment services. This increases the risk of drug use and overdoses.
There’s no evidence drug use is a barrier to job seeking. And testing can’t distinguish between one off, irregular or regular use.
Inside a strip search booth used at music festivals. New research has found strip searches have increased 20 fold in the last 12 years.
Obtained by Redfern Legal Centre from NSW Police Force under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW)
In a non-policing context, having to perform such acts would be a serious assault. This is why strip searches are meant to be a last resort and only used in serious and urgent circumstances.
Festival goers bring their phones. So why not use them to receive tweets about high-dose drugs in circulation, as the UK is doing?
from Vinnikava Viktoryia/www.shutterstock.com