High Truths on Drugs and Addiction

We have standards unit amounts for tobacco and alcohol, what for THC and marijuana? Is it time. Dr. Tom Freeman is a Reader in Addiction Psychology at the University of Bath, UK. He directs the Addiction and Mental Health Group, an interdisciplinary group bridging Psychology, Life Sciences, Health, Management, and the Institute for Policy Research. He is currently funded by a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. He also leads the Substance Use and Addiction work package of the NIHR Bath Mental Health Research Group, and is deputy lead of the Drugs theme of the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Addictions. His research has generated impacts with the National Institutes of Health, the European Union Drugs Agency, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. Dr. Freeman is internationally known for his research on cannabis and cannabinoids. In this podcast he will discuss his work developing new approaches to help people experiencing problems with cannabis use. These include trials for the treatment of cannabis use disorder, and novel strategies for reducing harms such as the standard THC unit. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.

Is social media safe? What protections do our children deserve? Alexander Neville died at 14 years old after buying what he thought was oxycodone on Snap Chat. A 12 year old boy died after doing a Tik Tok choking challenge. Amanda Todd died by suicide at age 15 after cyberbullying and blackmail. Molly Russell was 14 years old when she died by hanging herself after she binged graphic and romanticized self-harm content up to 2 minutes before she died. Marc Berkman serves as the CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety (OFSMS), which he has grown into the world's preeminent consumer protection organization focused on social media. As a globally recognized expert in social media safety, Marc has testified before Congress and been featured in notable publications like the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times. Previously, Marc served for over a decade as a senior advisor to members of the United States Congress and the California State Assembly. Marc received his JD from Columbia Law School and his BA from UC Berkeley. He lives with his wife and two children in Los Angeles, CA. Organization for Social Media Safety, OFSMS is the first and leading nonprofit (501c3) consumer protection-organization focused exclusively on social media. Through advocacy, education, and technology development, OFSMS protects against all social media- related dangers including cyberbullying, suicide, human trafficking, and more. OFSMS has taught essential safety skills to hundreds of thousands of students, parents, and educators across the world; has passed groundbreaking social media safety legislation like Jordan’s Law; and has conducted groundbreaking with research in partnership with U.C.L.A.'s School of Education. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.

Positive Directions, Drug Free Side-walks, Drug-Free Housing and Recovery. San Francisco activists give hope to people with addiction. Cedric Akbar is a San Francisco-based community leader and a passionate advocate for recovery and prisoner reentry. With over 25 years of leadership, particularly in San Francisco’s Bayview Hunters Point, Cedric serves as the Director of Forensic and Recovery Services at Westside Community Services. He is a founding member of Positive Directions Equals Change, an advisor to Drug-Free Sidewalks, and was elected to the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee in 2024. Feb 2025 BayView Black Newspaper Muck Rack Articles Positive Directions Equals Changes Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.

Faith is an important tool in recovery. Not everyone has is, but if you do, you should tap into this magical source. Globally, about 70-75% of the population believe in God or a higher power and faith traditions represent about 84% of the population. There are about 20 -25 organized religions and over 4,000 faith groups worldwide. The Faith Leaders have an important role in the issue of drugs and are underutilized group in drug prevention, treatment, and recovery. Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman is the founder and director of Chabad Intown - Atlanta. Chabad Intown is now a full-service provider for Jewish Life in Atlanta whose offerings include; Mommy and Me, Intown Jewish Preschool, Intown Hebrew School, C-Teen, Young Jewish Professionals, Intown Jewish Academy, JBN, Jeff’s Place Recovery Center and the Shul @ Chabad Intown. From its inception in 1997 Chabad Intown has grown exponentially and currently serves over 2,000 Jews of all backgrounds throughout the year. In addition, Rabbi Schusterman is a consultant for many Chabad Centers in fundraising and organization management. One of his passions is utilizing technology and business technique to better impact the Jewish world and increase Jewish involvement. He received ordination from the Central Chabad Yeshiva in Brooklyn. He and his wife Dena, Executive Director of the Intown Jewish Preschool, have 8 children, and 2 grandchildren. https://www.clintonfoundation.org/programs/education-health-equity/clinton-global-initiative/overdose-response-network/engaging-community-leaders Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.

Does Snapchat have blood on their hands? You decide after listening to what happened to Sammy and other kids who got pills from drug dealings using Snapchat. If pornography can be censored on social media, why can't the sensor or at least curb illegal and killer drug sales? Samuel P. Chapman is CEO of The Parent Collective Inc, a California non profit operating in the areas of social media harm and fentanyl poisoning education and activism. Also providing grief support for those left behind. He has done over 160 media appearances warning the nation about the fentanyl crisis. He speaks to law enforcement groups, does grand rounds at hospitals and gives talks to children and their families warning of dangers online for children. He has written Op Eds for major newspapers and is a regular guest on Fox News nationally and locally in California. He has testified before legislatures around the country and participated in Congressional hearings. He is currently sponsoring a bill in Congress named after his deceased son, Sammy's Law (HR 2657,) and is actively promoting bills by the same name in legislatures around the country. Sign Petition for Sammy's law - Dr. Laura Berman - Sammy's mom, relationship therapist, provides grief counseling Bark - parental controls for your kid's devices Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.

There has been a complete reorganization of the Health and Human Services Department. What has remained, what has been DOGED? What happened to SAMHSA, CDC, NIDA, FDA and key agencies that are important to the prevention, treatment, and recovery of drugs. What about payment for addiction services and medical care? How does all that affect the average American or organization that deal with drug issues. To learn more about the reorganization of HHS I reached out to Jeffrey Davis. Jeffrey Davis is a skilled healthcare executive with substantial knowledge of regulatory advocacy and healthcare policies. Jeffrey’s work focuses on issues tied to provider payment and reimbursement as well as quality reporting. He also has significant experience with recent regulatory developments such as the implementation of surprise billing rules. Jeffrey is the primary author of Regs & Eggs, M+’s weekly regulatory affairs blog. To browse blog entries and subscribe to updates, click here. Prior to joining McDermott+, Jeffrey served as the director of regulatory and external affairs at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). In that role, Jeffrey managed ACEP’s formal response to federal policies and worked with federal agencies and other stakeholders to help advance ACEP’s federal affairs agenda. Jeffrey also spent eight years working with the US Department of Health and Human Services, where he advised senior officials on major budgetary and policy considerations within Medicare and prepared detailed analyses of Medicare regulations and legislation. *** Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.

Drug Endangered Children - 1 in 8 children live with one or more caregiver with a substance use disorder in the United States. Millions of children and families are affected by parental or caregiver legal and or illegal substance misuse today. 759,000 children experienced a parental death due to drugs from 1999-2000. Dr. Lev discussed drug endangered children and solutions with Eric Nation. National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children Executive Director Eric Nation spent over 20 years in the field of law enforcement where he worked his way up to Lieutenant. As a Lieutenant, he led a large successful drug task force and started a countywide Drug Endangered Children Alliance. Mr. Nation came to National DEC to have a greater impact on law enforcement and other professionals by training and educating them on substance misuse and the impact to children. Mr. Nation was the Director of Training and Development where he helped develop curriculum and materials, worked with agencies across the country to provide trainings and technical assistance to professionals. Mr. Nation is also a national trainer on various topics including substance use, law enforcement, building multidisciplinary teams, capacity building, and drug trends. Mr. Nation is currently National DEC's Executive Director impacting change at a different level. Mr. Nation is very passionate about helping children and brings passion to every part of the work he does across the country.

Hello again High Truths Listeners. Get ready for a special podcast. It’s special... and a little emotional. Because I have some big news to share with you. So let’s start with the tough part first. The bad news is... I’m going to need to hit pause on the High Truths podcast for now. High Truths is one of my most favorite projects. I love talking to you and I learn so much from my guests. We learn together and inspire action to make things better around us. I will really miss you and High Truths. But here’s the good news — and it’s really good: I’ve been offered — and accepted — a position back at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, ONDCP. Listen to my special message.

Mar-Anon is an important support group for people who have loved ones addicted to marijuana. Mar-Anon is based on the same concept of Al-Anon for alcohol. While AA and MA are for people with a substance use disorder, Al-Anon and Mar-Anon are for families. In keeping with the anonymous aspect of the organization, I am just using Bart's first name. Bart was a summer camp counselor, camp director and teacher, earning his Teaching credential from Chapman University. After retiring from teaching he started volunteering with Mar-Anon, Every Brain Matters and other educational non-profits. Bart used to think marijuana was harmless. “When I was smoking weed in my 20’s I used to say stuff like, “it’s just pot, it’s not a big deal.” Marijuana was a very big deal for his son, Kevin. Bart witnessed his son experience many episodes of Cannabis Induced Psychosis. Kevin died by suicide in 2018 at 29 years old. The last articulate words Bart heard him speak were, “Cannabis has ruined my life.” Resources: Mar-Anon - for supportive meetings Every Brain Matters - for facilitated meeting

Marijuana is addictive, especially with the high potency products. And with addiction come withdrawal. Withdrawal of THC is not like withdrawal from fentanyl or alcohol. It is more like withdrawal from nicotine - insomnia, anxiety, headaches. The symptoms last about 2 weeks and there are no medications to help. However, going up the FDA rapid approval pathway is a new medication. We talk about this treatment in this podcast. Ginger Constantine, M.D. is the Chairperson, Co-Founder & CEO of PleoPharma. Ginger Constantine, MD – Chairperson and CEO - with over 25 years of pharmaceutical regulatory and clinical development experience with the approval of more than 15 products filing numerous INDs, NDAs, and MAAs. Previous Vice President of Women's Health & Bone Repair Clinical Research at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals through its acquisition by Pfizer in 2010. Expertise in Phase 1 through 4 clinical development strategy and execution. ​ Founded EndoRheum Consultants in 2010, a successful clinical development consulting firm. Member of multiple scientific advisory boards. Has planned, authored and presented numerous scientific studies. PheoPharma was granted fast-track designation for PP-01, a new investigational drug for cannabis withdrawal syndrome.

Communities can and should lead in creating an environment that prevents addiction. It is much easier to prevent a problem than treating a problem. One high level prevention initiative is fixing the Farm Bill that opened up the door to a new type of poison on Americans. The various intoxicating Hemp products, Delta-8, Delta-10, and others, have never been tested on rats, let alone kids. Sue Thau has been leading the charge in fixing the Hemp loop hole. Sue Thau is a Public Policy Consultant representing Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). She is nationally recognized for her advocacy and legislative accomplishments on behalf of the substance abuse prevention field. She has an extensive background in public policy and has held high positions at the federal, state, and local levels. She was a Budget Examiner and Legislative Analyst at the Office of Management and Budget, in the Executive Office of the President for over ten years. Sue was a driving force behind the passage, reauthorization and full funding of the Drug-Free Communities Act. In addition, Sue has worked to save and enhance funding for all federal substance abuse prevention and treatment programs over the last two decades. She is highly respected as an expert on demand reduction issues by members of Congress and staff on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill. Sue has an undergraduate degree from Cornell University in Human Development and Family Studies and a Master’s Degree from Rutgers University in City and Regional Planning.

Sean Hemeon is an actor (911, Criminal Minds, True Blood, CW’s the Husbands), writer and artist. Originally from Northern Virginia, he now lives in Los Angeles with his husband and two Bostons. Sean will have his debut memoir The Good Little Druglord, the inspirational story of a (former) Mormon drug dealer who found redemption as a narc for the federal government—confronting the Russian Mafia, his darkest self, his mother, and the mother of a young man who died because he failed to act. The Good Little Druglord is an ode to redemption, recovery, and the mother/son bond—an ultimately UpLit memoir about a gay Mormon drug-dealing narc for the federal government. As a drug-dealing meth addict, I embraced my “darkness,” claiming my place among the worst of God’s beasts until my deeper humanity was challenged, when someone died because I failed to act. It was the call from the dead boy’s mother, begging to know what happened, that shattered me. I wrote this book to let that grieving mother know what happened to her son, and to let my own mother know what happened to her son. I also wrote this book for those struggling with identity, and for those who care about them. I believed I was a decent human, until I was confronted with the reality I was not. I believed I deserved every horrible thing that had happened in my life: abandonment, molestation, and beatings. I deserved to go to prison or be murdered by the volatile Russian Mafia meth supplier to whom I owed thousands of dollars. Like many others, maybe you, I spent too many years of my life engaged in a futile battle for self-love and acceptance. As long as I believed I was the cause for the lack, it would always feel like chasing rainbows (or running from them in my warped Mormon case). I picked up beliefs in my childhood from my parents, society, and religion that shaped a false identity. It was my fault my depressed mother didn’t love me, so I tried to be the best little Mormon boy I could be. When that failed, I became her worst fear: a hedonist, raging faggot, drug-dealing narc. I rejected the authentic parts of myself, and forced the “acceptable” to be effective until it wasn’t, leading to an implosion. It took me nearly twenty years to get here, journaling to find my way as I fought to be loved. I wore this story like a badge of honor in recovery, like a masturbatory glory piece. I wallowed in victim-y stuff, abating shame, but now, the shame is healing. I’ve shared my narrative, not just for the collective but to remember myself. It has become my superpower: Never forgetting my addiction makes whatever happens today a bonus, no matter how low I feel. There are other accounts of addiction, religious abuse, sexuality, and even gay boys and mothers, but few are wrapped in a riveting tale about a drug-dealing narc for the federal government evading the Russian Mafia. It’s identity and acceptance wrapped in a thriller. Perhaps by the end, there may be hope for a drug-addicted loved one, or yourself if you need the help. I hope this story helps you see that you and those you care about can live through your worst fears and nightmares. You, too, can be a mother-effing dandelion fighting to grow through the cracks. You, too, can also make peace with your mother, or her memory. My mother proudly walked me down the aisle at my very gay wedding and applauded when I kissed my new husband. By the end of this, you’ll want to hug your mother, too.

Fentanyl Pipeline: How a Chinese Prison Helped Fuel a Deadly Drug Crisis in the United States - we discuss this publication in ProPublica and much more in a fascinating discussion with Sebastian Rotella. Sebastian Rotella is an award-winning foreign correspondent, investigative reporter and novelist. His reporting has taken him across the world to more than 30 countries. Since 2010, he has been a senior reporter at ProPublica covering international security issues such as organized crime and intelligence. His honors include a Peabody award, multiple awards from the Overseas Press Club, Columbia University’s Moors Cabot Prize for coverage of Latin America, and Italy’s Urbino Press Award. He is a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Sebastian is also a critically-acclaimed author of three novels: Rip Crew (2018), named one of Kirkus Review’s best crime novels of the year; The Convert’s Song (2014), an editor’s pick on Amazon; and Triple Crossing, the New York Times Sunday Book Review’s favorite action thriller and debut crime novel of 2011. He is also the author of Twilight on the Line: Underworlds and Politics at the U.S.-Mexico Border (1998), named a New York Times notable book. He has been an invited speaker at the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the U.S. Army, the NYPD Intelligence Division, and U.S. and foreign embassies, think tanks and universities. His coverage of the U.S. Mexican border inspired two songs on Bruce Springsteen’s album The Ghost of Tom Joad. Rotella articles of interest: https://www.propublica.org/article/china-fentanyl-prison-yafeng-illegal-drug-trade https://www.propublica.org/article/chinese-organized-crime-us-marijuana-market https://www.propublica.org/article/oklahoma-marijuana-china-diplomat-visits https://www.propublica.org/article/marijuana-oklahoma-china-immigration-safety-workers https://www.propublica.org/article/china-cartels-xizhi-li-money-laundering https://www.propublica.org/article/liu-tao-trump-meeting-china-investigation https://www.propublica.org/article/how-beijing-chinese-mafia-europe-protect-interests