Boston Dynamics

How would you like to have 30 or 40 of these hunting you down? 

weed = fewer opiods

There is evidence that CBD has a range of medical uses, including reducing the need to take opiods. Sadly, idiots like Jeff Sessions are fighting against the spread of weed. 

Legalizing Marijuana Decreases Fatal Opiate Overdoses, Study Shows

from DrugAbuse.com

Researchers looked at medical marijuana laws
and death certificate data in all 50 states.

According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, more than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. In an effort to relieve that constant pain, the number of opiate prescriptions has nearly doubled over the last decade. Today, opiates like hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine flood the streets, driving up addiction rates and fatal opiate overdoses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has officially labeled the problem an “opiate epidemic.” As experts scramble to come up with a plan that combats the nation’s dependence on opiates, a new study published last week in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine indicates medical marijuana might be the key.

Over the past two decades, deaths from drug overdoses have become the leading cause of injury death in the United States. In 2011, 55 percent of drug overdose deaths were related to prescription medications; 75 percent of those deaths involved opiate painkillers. However, researchers found that opiate-related deaths decreased by approximately 33 percent in 13 states in the following six years after medical marijuana was legalized.

“The striking implication is that medical marijuana laws, when implemented, may represent a promising approach for stemming runaway rates of nonintentional opioid-analgesic-related deaths,” wrote opiate abuse researchers Dr. Mark S. Brown and Marie J. Hayes in a commentary published alongside the study.

Getting Down to the Numbers

Researchers looked at medical marijuana laws and death certificate data in all 50 states between the years of 1999 and 2010. During that time, only 13 states had medical marijuana laws in place. Researchers quickly noticed that the rates of fatal opioid overdoses were significantly lower in states that had legalized medical marijuana. In 2010 alone, states with legalized medical marijuana saw approximately 1,700 fewer opiate-related overdose deaths.

“We found there was about a 25 percent lower rate of prescription painkiller overdose deaths on average after implementation of a medical marijuana law,” lead study author Dr. Marcus Bachhuber said.

Marijuana and Chronic Pain

About 60 percent of the nation’s fatal opioid overdoses occur among patients who have legitimate prescriptions for their medications. In states where medical marijuana is legal, however, a legitimate opiate user is able to significantly decrease his or her dosage, making overdose less likely.

Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana laws. Use of medicinal cannabis is approved for a number of conditions, including cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis, and glaucoma. Despite the diagnosis, medical marijuana is primarily used to relieve chronic or severe pain. It’s that pain-relieving effect that decreases the number of fatal opioid overdoses.

Major Pain-Relieving Components of Cannabis

In a 2011 study published in the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, researchers suggest the following medical marijuana components offer pain-relieving properties:

• Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta-9 THC)
• Cannabidiol (CBD)
• Cannabinol (CBN)
• Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV)

Learn more about the signs and symptoms of prescription drug abuse.

Original.

staggering cowardice

Things have been so crazy, I am way off schedule on things. The market crashes, Trump's repeated absurdities, the corruption of the GOP, it's just blurring together. Trump must be removed from office before he does serious damage to this country, and the GOP needs to be trampled in the upcoming elections to send the clearest message possible.

The column below was written by Michael Gerson, a long-time Republican who has had enough. So have we, Michael. One solution I like was proposed by a Republican recently: vote against ANY and ALL Republicans. That could indeed be the only way to save the GOP, by destroying it.

The cowardice among Republicans is staggering

by Michael Gerson

According to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, the declassified Devin Nunes memo — alleging FBI misconduct in the Russia investigation — is “not an indictment of the FBI, of the Department of Justice.” According to President Trump, the memo shows how leaders at the FBI “politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats” and “totally vindicates ‘Trump’ in probe.”

Both men are deluded or deceptive.

Releasing the memo — while suppressing a dissenting assessment from other members of the House Intelligence Committee — was clearly intended to demonstrate that the FBI is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democratic Party. The effort ended in a pathetic fizzle. Nunes’s brief, amateurish document failed to demonstrate that FBI surveillance was triggered solely or mainly by a Democratic-funded dossier. But for cherry-picking above and beyond the call of duty, Nunes (R-Calif.) deserves his own exhibit in the hackery hall of fame. This was a true innovation: an intelligence product created and released for the consumption of Fox News.

Trump’s eager publication of the memo was expected. Yet his action crossed a line: from criticism of the FBI to executive action designed to undermine an ongoing investigation. Trump seems to be testing the waters for direct action against the FBI by testing the limits of what his Republican followers will stomach. So far, there are no limits.

With the blessing of Republican leaders, the lickspittle wing of the GOP is now firmly in charge. The existence of reckless partisans such as Nunes is hardly surprising. The nearly uniform cowardice among elected Republicans is staggering. One is left wishing that Obamacare covered spine transplants. The Republican-led Congress is now an adjunct of the White House. The White House is now an adjunct of Trump’s chaotic will.

And what to make of Ryan (R-Wis.)? I have been a consistent defender of his good intentions. But after the 17th time saying “He knows better,” it dawns that he may not. By his recent actions, the speaker has provided political cover for a weakening of the constitutional order. He has been used as a tool while loudly insisting he is not a tool. The way Ryan is headed, history offers two possible verdicts: Either he enabled an autocrat, or he was intimidated by a fool. I believe Ryan to be a good person. But the greatest source of cynicism is not the existence of corrupt people in politics; it is good people who lose their way.

The United States Congress is an institution of great power. According to the Constitution, it can deny jurisdiction to the Supreme Court. It can remove the commander in chief. But now it watches as Trump makes the executive branch his personal fiefdom. It stands by — or cheers — as the president persecutes law enforcement professionals for the performance of their public duties.

Why can’t Republican legislators see the personal damage this might cause? Trump has made a practice of forcing people around him to lower their standards and abandon their ideals before turning against them when their usefulness ends. His servants are sucked dry of integrity and dignity, then thrown away like the rind of a squeezed orange. Who does Trump’s bidding and has his or her reputation enhanced? A generation of Republicans will end up writing memoirs of apology and regret.

The political damage to the GOP as the party of corruption and coverup should be obvious as well. This is a rare case when the rats, rather than deserting a sinking ship, seemed determined to ride it all the way down.

But it is damage to the conscience that is hardest to repair. For Republicans, what seemed like a temporary political compromise is becoming an indelible moral stain. The Russia investigation is revealing a Trump universe in which ethical considerations did not (and do not) figure at all. Who can imagine a senior Trump campaign official — say, Paul Manafort or Donald Trump Jr. — saying the words “That would be wrong”? Their degraded spirit has now invaded the whole GOP. By defending Trump’s transgressions, by justifying his abuses, Republicans are creating an atmosphere in which corruption and cowardice thrive.

How can this course be corrected? “You only have one political death,” said Rep. John Jacob Rhodes, the late Republican congressman from Arizona, “but you can choose when to use it.” Larger showdowns — concerning the possible firings of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein — now seem likely. If there is nothing for which Ryan and other Republican leaders will risk their careers, there is nothing in which they truly believe.

Original.

February stargazing

This has been a really cold, rainy, cloudy winter so far down here in South Texas. Much colder than "usual" they say. Uh huh. What else can you do? Keep looking up. Spring is right around the corner of the solar system.

Stargazing Summary

Three bright planets congregate in the southeastern quadrant of the sky at dawn this month. Jupiter is the brightest and highest of the three, shining brilliantly from near the center of Libra, high in the south at first light. At the same time, Saturn is low in the southeast, just above the teapot formed by the brightest stars of Sagittarius. Mars slides between them. It begins the month closer to Jupiter (and close to its "rival," Antares), but ends the month closer to Saturn.

More stargazing information »

Radio Program Highlights

If you want to start hearing the StarDate program in your area, you can request a station to carry our program by emailing the request to stations@stardate.org.

February 1-4: Groundhog Day. The celebration of Groundhog Day may trace its roots back thousands of years, and we'll talk about one of its possible forebears. Join us for this, plus the year's best showing of a little giant and much more.

February 5-11: Moon meanderings. The Moon passes a whole lineup of bright objects in the early morning sky this week — three planets and a star. We'll tell you all about those close encounters, and explain why two of the Moon's companions are rivals.

February 12-18: Shooting gallery. Our planet Earth is like a target in a shooting gallery. In fact, we got hit by a cosmic bullet five years ago this week, and we'll have details. We'll also talk about the winter Milky Way and much more.

February 19-25: The big dog. Canis Major, the big dog, scurries low across the south on winter evenings, and we'll have details. We'll also talk about two of the dog's impressive stars, including one that pulses like a beating heart. Join us for the big dog and more.

February 26-28: Planetary protection. As far as we know, Earth isn't threatened by fleets of alien spacecraft. But it could be threatened by something less obvious: microbes from other worlds. Join us for efforts to protect Earth and other worlds from each other.

Program schedule »

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Coming Up in StarDate Magazine

In our March/April issue, we'll introduce you to several groups of researchers preparing for future trips to Mars in simulated Mars environments on Earth. And we'll tell you about the life of Benjamin Banneker, a pioneering African-American astronomer of the Revolutionary era.

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Caitlin Casey Receives 2018 Pierce Prize

Dr. Caitlin Casey of The University of Texas at Austin was awarded the Newton Lacy Pierce Prize by the American Astronomical Society at its semi-annual meeting in Washington, D.C. in January. The organization awards the prize each year for "outstanding early-career achievement in observational astronomical research based on measurements of radiation from an astronomical object."

Read more »

About SkyTips

SkyTips is a monthly email newsletter for visitors to McDonald Observatory and StarDate Online. Each issue features stargazing highlights, upcoming StarDate radio program descriptions, and other news. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends and family.

SkyTips is a publication of the University of Texas McDonald Observatory Education and Outreach Office, 2515 Speedway C1402, Austin, TX 78712. Reproduction of SkyTips content is permitted with proper credit given to McDonald Observatory.