Dutch marijuana trade, German meth, and more! Tox on the Web

The politics and economics of marijuana in the Netherlands: The above piece from PBS NewsHour makes the point that the illogical patchwork system controlling the market for recreational cannabis in the Netherlands is nothing like the comprehensive regulation being instigated in Colorado and Washington state. HT @erowid) Must-read: Meth in Germany: A recent issue of Der Spiegel has an extensive report on the growing problem of methamphetamine abuse in Germany. Apparently, much of the meth is manufactured in Czechoslovakia and slipped across the border. Many of the people who become hooked on the drug are students and young mothers whose workloads are more intense than their natural energy. It only takes months for many users to transform themselves from high-flyers to zombies. Meth releases massive amounts of neurotransmitters, like the happiness-inducing serotonin or dopamine or the stress-inducing noradrenalin, and, in the long term, damages the nerve cells in the brain. Users struggle with paranoia and days of sleeplessness. They are aggressive, feel neither hunger nor thirst nor pain. Addicts first lose weight, then their teeth and finally their sanity. At this point, meth seems to have overtaken other addictive drugs such as heroin and alcohol. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, the number of people who tried meth for the first time went up by 51 percent in 2012. “This means meth has outstripped heroin in terms of new users,” says Roland Härt...
Source: The Poison Review - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Medical cannabis chemical warfare agents Georgetown germany liquid nicotine marijuana methamphetamine netherlands Redstone arsenal ricin Source Type: news