American Psychiatric Association gives guarded protection to Medical Marijuana; Users continue to lose financial aid

In a major development, the American Psychiatric Association, one of the foremost medical associations, has unanimously approved a resolution calling for the protection of patients, doctors, and their medical marijuana rights, in states where laws exist to provide said rights. However, this resolution must still be approved by the APA board of trustees.

In other narco news, an editorial from the nytimes critiques current practices of denying federal student aid to students convicted of certain drug offenses. The piece correctly points out that this practice creates a “revolving door”, whereby cutting educational aid, this program destroys and disables the future prospects and experiences of bright young people. All for smoking a plant.

Political Matching Quiz

Here you can answer a short quiz on different social and political issues and the computer spits out the most similar candidate for president. Also, gives some interesting reasons why this candidate is similar to your beliefs.

I got Bill Richardson, the current governor of New Mexico. I met him while I lived in New Mexico, and Mr. Richardson seems extremely well-versed in international politics, as well as the fact that he is very aware of issues surrounding climate change and nuclear proliferation, two biggies for me. I’m not certain that I’ll vote for him, but it was interesting to see why he ‘lined up’ with my selections.

Opium producers shift to Cannabis in Afghanistan

Since the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, international efforts have attempted to reduce the production and harvest of opium poppies, Papaver somniferum (sleepy poppy). It has been remarked numerous times, and throughout modern history, that Afghanistan produces the majority of the worlds opium. Recent figures state that 90% of heroin worldwide originates as Afghan opium. Remember the failed British Invasions of Afghanistan (the first, second, and third)? Of course not, but that was also a ploy, in part, to control the extremely lucrative Charas trade between Afghanistan and British controlled India (an important trade route still today). Despite repeated attempts, the report report commissioned by the UK and executed in 1949 found that:

• Abuse was not widespread
• Regulating traffic would be near impossible with such porous and mountainous borders
• Chara and opiate use were culturally accepted practices, and
• Taxing chara use or import would be difficult at best

While the British failed to suppress Chara use, 21st century Americans knew they could do better than their cross-Atlantic pre-democratic progenitors. Ironically, in attempts to disrupt opium production -often the sole method of subsistence for Afghan farmers- US policy has pushed farmers to instead cultivate cannabis.

Ain’t that unexpected. Who would’ve thunk that by destroying a national economic, agricultural and social tradition, farmers would turn to something else to support themselves? The best part, by US classifications, Cannabis, a schedule 1 drug, is “more illegal” than opium, classified as schedule 2. So, by our own measurement system, we’ve made anything but progress.

Study Abroad

When I was 18, I moved to Spain and attended the public Universitat de Barcelona. A private company facilitated many of the basics, but it was pretty much all me the rest of the way. Today, I saw this article exploring the standardization and increased popularity of study abroad programs for American undergraduate students. Still today, as a Senior at the University of Washington, it is impressive how much the University pushes students to undertake foreign study, or for that matter, domestic study (state tuition compacts, study exchange). But is it really study abroad to pay your normal school tuition or more, live in american managed islands/sanctuaries in a foreign place, and attend classes in english?

Honestly, I didn’t work that hard at school during my year abroad - apparently some do, some don’t. I thought it funny that on the second page of the nyt article, they mentioned half the students failing in a spanish university. All that aside, I’d just like to say that no matter, do as much as you can when you’re abroad. Get away from what you know and relax with all that newness.