Sep 28, 2021 | Science & Technology
In this talk, Associate Professor Suresh Muthukumaraswamy describes the recent renaissance of psychedelic drug research and the pathway for psychedelics to be introduced as important new medicines. This talk was part of the 2021 home edition of the Raising the Bar...
Jun 16, 2021 | Politics & Society, Science & Technology
By Peter Davis Access to medicines is in many ways a litmus test of a decent society, particularly if a medication can make a difference between life and death. The short answer is that they are not! Unlike many other countries, hospital patients receive their...
Nov 12, 2020 | Politics & Society
By Joseph Boden “We will begin to make real progress when we realise that the War on Drugs has been a complete failure and damaging to our society, and that significant changes in our attitudes and laws are needed to begin to deal with drugs as a health issue,...
Sep 2, 2019 | Science & Technology
New research from the University of Otago has revealed that cannabis use is in decline among young people in New Zealand. The study showed that between 2001 and 2012, lifetime use of the drug among teenagers dropped from 38% to 23%. It also revealed that weekly use...
Jun 20, 2019 | Referee, Science & Technology
By Kate MacKrill Kate Mackrill explores what is known as the nocebo effect and whether the media can, in fact, influence the side effects of medication. You are probably aware of the placebo effect – a therapeutic benefit from a sugar pill or even real medication...
May 16, 2019 | Science & Technology
In December 2018, the New Zealand parliament passed a bill to create a regulated market for medicinal cannabis and a legal defence for users who take the drug for palliative reasons. Under the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Act, the government has...
Mar 25, 2019 | Science & Technology
By Eileen Reynolds Eileen Reynolds investigates the opioid crisis that has gripped the United States over the last few years. Every day, 115 people in the United States die of an opioid overdose—a death toll so high that it’s caused the nation’s overall life...
Dec 13, 2018 | Politics & Society, Science & Technology
By Sam Smith A medicinal cannabis bill has just passed its third reading in the New Zealand parliament. But is it time to also look at recreational use in the country? New Zealand is gearing up to decide the future of cannabis law in the country. Currently, it is...
Sep 11, 2018 | Science & Technology
By C. Michael White The Green, a gathering place in New Haven, Connecticut, near Yale University looked like a mass casualty zone, with 70 serious drug overdoses over a period spanning Aug. 15-16, 2018. The cause: synthetic cannabinoids, also known as K2, Spice, or...
Aug 6, 2018 | Science & Technology
By Yewande Pearse Hallucinations may be a symptom of mental illness, but they are not necessarily harmful, as Yewande Pearse explains. As late as the 18th century, hallucinations in their various forms were considered independent diseases or syndromes. In 1821, Alexis...