Exclusive: White powder residue found after events held at Chevening and Downing Street, say sources
Traces of a suspected class A drug were found at a government grace-and-favour home after parties attended by political allies of Liz Truss, the Guardian has been told.
The white powder was discovered at the Chevening estate last summer in the days before Truss won the Tory leadership contest and became prime minister, according to sources.
Continue reading...Despite premier Daniel Andrews refusing to budge on the issue, Legalise Cannabis party promises to push ‘forcefully’ on drug reform
A group of progressive candidates that might hold the balance of power in the Victorian upper house have vowed to push for cannabis decriminalisation despite premier Daniel Andrews refusing to budge on the issue.
While the Legalise Cannabis party said it was too early to “count their eggs”, preliminary projections suggest they are in the running to win three upper house seats – but it is promising to push “forcefully” on drug reform if elected.
Continue reading...Researchers say despite the lack of symptom relief, more trials are needed to focus on the targeted use of medicinal cannabis
The first high quality study looking at the impact of cannabidiol oil on palliative care patients with advanced cancer found it did not improve their pain, depression, anxiety, or quality of life.
Palliative care is one of the conditions for which medicinal cannabis has been approved in Australia.
Continue reading...NSW police say several transnational organised criminal networks were collaborating on drug imports
Six Sydney men have been charged and millions of dollars in cash and drugs seized after a multi-agency police investigation into an international drug ring.
Another man was arrested in Los Angeles as part of a joint operation with US homeland security.
Continue reading...32 tonnes of packaged drug found in raids on farms and production plants across country
Marijuana with a street value of at least €64m (£56m) has been seized in Spain – the largest amount ever found – police said.
Spanish police said they had seized 32 tonnes of packaged marijuana.
Continue reading...Minister says legalisation could set precedent for rest of Europe, though plan is still subject to EU approval
Germany wants to make it legal for adults to purchase and own up to 30g of cannabis for recreational use and to privately grow up to three plants, the country’s health minister has announced, saying the intended outcome could set a precedent for the rest of the European continent.
“If this law comes to pass, it would be the most liberal project to legalise cannabis in Europe, but also the most regulated market”, the Karl Lauterbach said at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday. “It could be a model for Europe.”
Continue reading...Country investigating 206 cases of kidney injury that could be linked to ingredients in liquid medicines
Indonesia has banned the sale of all syrup medicines as it investigates the deaths this year of nearly 100 children, warning that the liquids may contain ingredients linked to fatal kidney injuries.
The move comes just weeks after the World Health Organization issued an alert over four Indian-made cough syrups that it said were potentially linked with acute kidney injuries and the deaths of 70 children in the Gambia.
Continue reading...‘As far as we’re aware, this is the first detection of a new drug by a drug-checking service anywhere in the world,’ says professor
A new recreational drug dubbed CanKet, similar to ketamine but with unknown side effects, has been found by scientists at Australia’s first fixed pill-testing site.
CanTEST, a face-to-face drug-checking service, was launched in Canberra in August. Since then, almost 200 people have brought their recreational drugs in for analysis and advice based on the results. Some people choose to discard their drugs if the service finds they are laced with harmful or unexpected substances.
Continue reading...Researchers identify medications that could be repurposed, including treatments for heart conditions and stomach ulcers
Scientists have pinpointed a range of commonly used medicines that could be repurposed to treat people suffering from obesity and diabetes.
The medicines – to be outlined at the International Congress on Obesity in Melbourne this weekend – include treatments for stomach ulcers and heart rhythm disorders and were identified using sophisticated computer programs.
Continue reading...FDA says supply does not meet demand and drug-maker says backorders are due to ‘significant rise’ in prescription rates
An increase in prescriptions and an ongoing labor crunch have helped contribute to a nationwide shortage of Adderall across the US.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday confirmed the shortage of the drug, used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. The FDA said Teva, the largest manufacturer, is facing “ongoing intermittent manufacturing delays”.
Continue reading...Roslin Institute engineered a flock to help research into the genetics of Batten disease
A flock of gene-edited sheep has been used by scientists to pinpoint a promising treatment for a lethal inherited brain disease that afflicts young children. The researchers, based in the UK and US, say their work could lead to the development of drugs to alleviate infantile Batten disease.
In the UK, Batten disease affects between 100 and 150 children and young adults and is inherited from two symptomless parents who each carry a rare recessive gene mutation.
Continue reading...Some patients are taking cannabis for conditions where there is little evidence it is effective, GPs and researchers say
Prescriptions for unapproved medicinal cannabis products in Australia have quadrupled since 2019, with half issued for adults aged 24 and under.
Researchers and GPs’ representatives have questioned whether the boom has led to patients taking cannabis for conditions where there is little evidence it is effective, given large gaps in the data and the role of cannabis manufacturers in promoting their product to practitioners.
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Continue reading...Fed up with stoned visitors and worried by hard-drug criminality, the mayor wants to clean up the city. But will it work?
Strumming gently at a guitar, outside the “nicest” coffee shop in Amsterdam, French tourists Terry Novel and Manon Fouquet enjoy a quiet joint in the sun.
They have no idea of the dark cloud around them and the cannabis sector in Amsterdam. The council has just spent a day debating whether to ban tourists from cafes such as Coffeeshop The Rookies – where the state currently turns a blind eye to foreigners smoking weed and taxes the profits.
Continue reading...Up to £5m allocated to help young people escape drug gangs, with money also going to helpline
Up to £5m has been allocated by the Home Office to support victims of county lines exploitation over the next three years.
Hundreds of victims will be helped to escape drug gangs following the expansion of support services in London, the West Midlands, Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
Continue reading...Prof Dan Howard says he’s ‘puzzled’ it took the government nearly three years to agree to such modest changes in policing
The author of a landmark inquiry into crystal methamphetamine (“ice”) addiction in New South Wales has warned the government’s commitment to expand pre-court diversion for drug users in the state could be pushed into “the never-never” if it is not implemented by the March election.
On Wednesday the NSW government released its long-awaited response to Prof Dan Howard’s 14-month inquiry into drug addiction in NSW, committing to spending $500m on expanded treatment services and justice initiatives.
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Continue reading...TGA report recommends reduced packet sizes and restricting over-the-counter sales of the drug to people 18 and over
The size of paracetamol packets sold in supermarkets could be reduced and limits introduced on the number of boxes that can be bought, in a bid to reduce injury and death from intentional overdoses.
The recommendations are contained in an independent expert report published by Australia’s drugs regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration. The report found rates of intentional paracetamol overdose were highest among adolescents and young adults, and more common among women and girls.
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Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Continue reading...Over the last six years, the vast majority of overdose deaths in British Columbia have been driven by impurities in street drugs
A Canadian advocacy group has pledged to continue selling cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin to users, in defiance of a federal government order to stop, arguing that their plan is the only way to save lives amid a nationwide drugs crisis.
Over the last six years, more than 10,000 people have died from drug overdoses in the province of British Columbia, with the vast majority of deaths driven by impurities in street drugs.
Continue reading...Commander Julian Bennett refused to take a drug test in 2020 after his lodger contacted police alleging drug use
A senior Metropolitan police commander who wrote the force’s drug strategy allegedly smoked cannabis in front of his lodger every day, a gross misconduct hearing has been told.
Commander Julian Bennett later threatened to resign when he was asked to take a drug test on 21 July 2020, a disciplinary panel heard.
Continue reading...Albanian gangs controlling UK drugs trade offer minibus trip and Channel crossing for £4,000 on TikTok
Official data released on Thursday has confirmed suspicions that Albanians are now a prominent national group among the asylum seekers travelling across the Channel.
But the Home Office and refugee charities are still trying to explain why there has been a recent surge in demand.
Continue reading...Canberra service examined 70 samples in August with 25% of potential users discarding drugs once made aware of what they actually contained
Australia’s first government-backed pill and drug testing service has found a majority of samples were tainted with other substances, with a quarter of people choosing to ditch their drugs after getting them checked.
In its first month of operation, Canberra’s fixed-site CanTest health and drug checking clinic examined 70 samples, with 18 people discarding their drugs once the results were in.
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