Marijuana Myth

 "Marijuana is all-natural, therefore, it is safe and healthy to smoke it.   It grows in nature, so it is fine."

Today’s marijuana is not the same substance as the plant that grew indigenously in nature.  The main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is THC.  The average THC content has more than doubled in the last 14 years.  This increase is attributed to decades of crossbreeding and cultivation techniques used by growers attempting to synthesize a more potent substance. Using the logic of the fact that it grows in nature, one could argue that rubbing poison ivy on one’s skin or eating poisonous mushrooms is healthy.  In truth, some things in nature are just not safe for human consumption. Opium and Coca grow in nature, but few marijuana users I have spoken with believe that smoking these substances is healthy.

Guilt and Addiction

 Guilt is a state of mind that informs us when we do something against our value system. Addicts in early recovery struggle with a great deal of guilt because addiction leads to behavior that often has negative consequences and goes against conscience. Guilt should not be confused with shame which informs us that we are bad people just because we exist. Much of the guilt we addicts endure is self inflicted.

A Cure for Alcoholism

After all these years many have asked -  is there really a cure for alcoholism?  Many scientists, physicians and others in the helping professions have looked diligently for a cure for alcoholism.

Now a physician in says he’s found it. Dr. Olivier Ameisen, a cardiologist from says he’s found a cure for alcoholism. Dr.Ameisen states that working with rats using therapeutic doses of Baclofen took away their alcohol cravings. Dr. Ameisen is now ready to proceed in clinical trials with humans to see if he really has discovered a cure for alcoholism.  Baclofen has already shown great promise in reducing cravings already in cocaine and opiate addicted patients.