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What Does Dr. Julian Somers Actually Believe? – Cannabis | Weed | Marijuana

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What does Dr. Julian Somers actually believe?

Dr. Julian Somers is a researcher and professor in the mental health and addiction field in British Columbia, Canada. He is currently a professor at Simon Fraser University and serves as the Research Director of the Mental Health and Addictions Research Program.

In addition to his research, Julian has received numerous awards and recognitions for his contributions to the field of mental health, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Applied Public Health Chair in Urban Health, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar Award, and the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research’s Best Paper Award.

But recently, because of his critiques of government policy and established “safe supply” narratives, he’s some “right-winger” retweeted by – trigger warning – Jordan Peterson and Pierre Poilievre.

Of course, as is usually the case, the reality is more nuanced. I caught up with Julian the other day via a Zoom call. I wanted to know: what does Dr. Julian Somers actually believe? 

Do his critics have a point?

What Does Dr. Julian Somers Actually Believe?

Julian Somers Actually Believe

So what does Julian Somers actually believe? In a nutshell, he believes the same thing Portugal said when they decriminalized drugs: “There is no such thing as addiction treatment.”

But what does that mean?

“They’re not saying overcoming addiction means not using drugs anymore,” says Julian. “They say overcoming addiction means being socially reintegrated.”

And indeed, that is the core of what Dr. Julian Somers actually believes. And that’s based on decades of extensive research.

How to Solve Addictive Behaviours

Social integration is when an individual feels connected to or is involved with their community. This can be as simple as meaningful conversations with friends, participating in social events, and contributing to local activities. 

The idea is that if you build relationships with others, you can create a sense of belonging. Human beings are, after all, social animals. It’s not surprising that research suggests social integration enhances one’s sense of purpose and overall quality of life.

And for many researchers, from experts like Dr. Julian Somers to amateurs like myself, the evidence suggests “addictive behaviour” stems from this lack of purpose and belonging.

“Social integration is very close to what it would mean to have good mental health,” says Julian. “It means you have a job, a place to live, you’re part of a community. You feel good about other people and other people feel good about you.”

What does Dr. Julian Somers actually believe? That addictive behaviour is a mental health issue. That fixing Vancouver‘s Downtown Eastside means addressing the demand for drugs, not the supply.

“If there’s one thing we should have learned from the drug war,” says Julian, “Is that focusing on supply is a wasted effort.” Instead, “all our emphasis should have been on demand. On what’s up with the mental health of people in our population.”

Reasonable positions. And yet, “when I raise that, in one way or another, I am crucified.”

What Does Dr. Julian Somers Actually Believe? The Research 

Julian Somers Actually Believe

Why is Julian Somers criticized for his research? Take safe supply and Indigenous communities. He said: 

“It seems obvious to me from all the available evidence right now that it would not help those communities to provide them with greater access to addictive drugs. It would help them most to support their growth of things they’re asking for: autonomy, resources, the ability to make decisions.”

Rat Park

This isn’t a controversial statement. Since the 1970s and 80s, researchers have known about “Rat Park.” Conducted by Canadian psychologist Bruce K. Alexander and his colleagues at Simon Fraser University, the studies challenged the prevailing narratives, which held that drug addiction was primarily a result of the pharmacology of the drug themselves.

The researchers set up two environments, a standard laboratory cage with access to only water and cocaine; and the other “Rat Park” full of toys, food, and other rats to socialize with, as well as cocaine. The researchers found the rats in Rat Park were less likely to become addicted to cocaine.

Brain Disease Model is Junk

Of course, rats aren’t people. But the general idea that social and environmental factors play a significant role in addiction is supported by numerous other studies. Somers references the number of American soldiers that used heroin in Vietnam. When they returned after the war, fewer than 5% continued using.

And there’s neuroscientist Mark Lewis’ research on brain imaging and the brain disease model of addiction. Mark’s research highlights the importance of environmental factors in addictive behaviour. He argued that addiction is not solely the result of brain changes but influenced by social and cultural factors. He also suggested social isolation and stress increase the risk of addiction.

Who Are Julian Somers’ Critics?

Julian Somers Actually Believe
(Maggie MacPherson/CBC)

This Press Progress article demonstrates the mentality of the people attacking Julian Somers’ position. It posits that Somers and others are in it for the money. 

At no point does it grapple with Julian’s ideas but parrots the open letter that his work criticizing safe supply was “critically low quality.”

“It’s a reinvention of ad hominem attacks,” says Julian, recalling a professor of his many years ago. He taught that when your critics shift the discourse from the ideas to the person making the ideas, you can smile. Because you know they’ve got nothing.

And this is likely the case here. The criticisms that Somers and others like him are only in it for the money are either deeply ironic or blatantly hypocritical.

In his research, Julian and his team have found that “almost all the papers in which authors had been advocating for so-called safe supply, were based in B.C.. They were people who did not have backgrounds in addiction, they came from an HIV centre. And they seem to have simply rolled out a business model that had worked in HIV. Which is obviously, very pharmaceutical.”

Pharmaceutical public-private partnerships are the name of the game.

“They seem to be using the same business model, partnerships with industry, to launch a presence in the addiction field… Their work was conspicuously pharma intensive.”

“And yet, in their documents, in their peer-reviewed publications, not one of them mentions the fact that people need housing, people need help getting jobs. People need help addressing their mental illnesses. Instead they say, we need immediately safe supply. In fact, it goes further. We need safe supply across North America.”

And why is this? Julian Somers believes this might be a follow the money story.

What Does Dr. Julian Somers Actually Believe? Follow the Money 

Julian imagines a scenario that isn’t out of the realm of possibility. A conversation like this has undoubtedly happened more than once.

Somewhere in a New York office, suits are reeling from the oxy scandal. One of them is thinking of getting into diet pills or maybe vitamins. But another suit persuades him otherwise. “There’s this group out in B.C.,” he says, and they’ve figured out how to sell not only opioid compounds but stimulants and benzos.

“They’re calling it safe supply.”

The B.C. government is promising is get Wall Street’s product out front of the Nicaraguans and Colombians. It’s a new era of the drug war. 

“It’s outrageous how it’s happened in a ten year period,” says Julian. “Along the way, there are people who are supporting their agenda and I think it’s conspicuously physicians.”

Physicians know very little about addiction. It’s a small part of med school; when it’s taught, it’s the brain-disease model. So doctors approach addictive behaviours as if it were a diabetes diagnosis.

What Does Dr. Julian Somers Actually Believe?

Julian Somers Actually Believe

Julian Somers believes that if the country could have a mature conversation about drugs and addictive behaviour and take the necessary steps to create a population with better mental health, we would be “very close to having heroin available for purchase.”

The fact is, says Julian: “Most people who have addictions at one point, don’t have them later and they don’t all die.”

Brain imaging does not support the brain disease model of addiction. “What [Mark Lewis’ research] has pointed out,” says Julian, “is that the changes that occur before, during, and after addiction, are consistent with our understanding of how the brain reflects learning.”

“It’s actually tremendously inspiring, optimistic knowledge,” says Julian. “We are capable of changing!” And that’s what Julian Somers actually believes.

That the brain disease model of addiction is “vacuous and offensive” since it creates a segregation between rich and poor treatment.

While the rich are sent to places like the Betty Ford Center to work on their mental health, the poor are kept isolated and fed pharmaceuticals.

“It’s like two different worlds. And if you’re a physician, on some level, you know this,” says Julian.

So the question remains: what are his critics’ excuses? Especially the left-wing populists who claim to work and fight for the poor, oppressed, and helpless.

Don’t they know “safe supply” lines the pockets of corporate pharma without addressing the mental health issues of those suffering from addictive behaviours?





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How Much Marijuana To Take To Be Happy

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The concept of popping open a beer after work was ingrained in the boomer generation as a way to relax and shake off the troubles of the day.  But younger millennials and Gen Z have a different take.  As seen in fully legal states, beer sales are down, and in recent research, they are moving to cannabis.  So how much marijuana to take to be happy and shake it off?

Different generations chill and relax in different ways.  Earlier boomers had cocktails, late boomers and Gen X had illicit weed, valium and drinks, now the youngest adults are moving to vaping and gummies.  While it should not be done too regularly, sometimes the world just gives you a rough go.  Whether a jerk at work, car trouble or just a full flung case of the grumpies, sometimes you need a distraction.  But how much of a dose should take to be happy?

First, you need to make sure it isn’t a daily habit, addiction is no joke and problems can occur.  But on this days when you just want to kick back and chill after a hard day, what do you do. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Chicago report low levels tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, does reduce stress, but in a highly dose-dependent manner: very low doses lessened the jitters of a public-speaking task, while slightly higher doses — enough to produce a mild “high” — actually increased anxiety.

Consumer data shows the younger generation is leaning into a few hits of a vape or a gummy or two Monday – Wednesday.  Rather than have the hangover, the calories, and the alcohol high, they want something smoother and less fattening.

If you a canna newbie or an occasionally user, a mild relaxant could be about 2.5 mg.  if you want to up it, 2.5-5 mg. work.  For the more frequent use mild would go to 2.5-5 mg and to increase it would be 5-10 mg.  Products purchased in a dispensary have a labels with dosage to help you manage.

You can also chat with the bud tender.  A little trial and error can help you figure out what you want to relax and find your happy spot.



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The Effect Your Genes Have On Your Marijuana High

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Sometime you go out and a few drinks hit you must different they they usually do…there is a wide variety of reasons why, and genetics is one of them.  The body is a complex systems scientists and physicians are still trying to figure out.  And when you add things to your body, they don’t always know it is going to react.

Like alcohol, marijuana has been around since early man and has been used for worship, medicine and for pure recreations…but it remains unpredictable. Even seasoned users have a variation of there usually journey. But they can usually manage the effect marijuana has on them, while also staying calm during an unpredictable high. For newcomers, however, it’s different; novice users usually can’t predict how the drug will affect them, whether it’ll lead to a paranoid high or giggle fest.

RELATED: 8 Ways to Enjoy Marijuana Without Smoking It

Cannabis functions by binding itself to the cannabinoid receptors in our bodies, which are located in our cells, containing our individual DNA. Mutations in CB1 or CB2 receptors can make you more vulnerable to different illnesses, such as Chron’s disease or anorexia. These changes could also impact how your cells bind to different molecules including the ones in cannabis.  It is one explanation on why different people have different reaction to the same  strain.

In a study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, researchers found a variable in the gene CHRNA2 could increase the risk of becoming addicted to cannabis. Cannabis addiction is something that’s not all that understood, with many people doubting its existence. Symptoms of marijuana withdrawal include depression, irritability, a higher heart rate and more.

While this gene doesn’t indicate whether or not someone is a marijuana addict, it does increase the odds of these kinds of responses to heavy use of the drug.

Photo by VICTOR HABBICK VISIONS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images

All of this means that when sharing a bong or a joint with friends, a few of them can have slightly different reactions depending on several factors including their genome, personal experience with the drug and the strain they’re ingesting.

Genes are extremely complex. Although we’re born with some genetic mutations, other mutations can occur due to the things we’re exposed to throughout our lives, such as the foods we eat, the germs we interact with, our levels of stress, and more.

RELATED: Marijuana Makes You Paranoid? Study Suggests Your Genes Are To Blame

There’s a lot we don’t understand about genetics yet, but organizations like the Allen Institute are doing research to under more. This will lead to a better understand of cannabis and its impact on our genes. There’s a lot of possibilities once you start playing around with these variables, hopefully resulting in more medicinal and recreational benefits.



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DEA Seizes Over 77 Million Fentanyl Pills in 2023

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Summary: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported a significant seizure of fentanyl in the past year, amounting to over 77 million fentanyl pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of the substance. This quantity is alarming, as it is enough to potentially kill every American. The DEA’s findings revealed that seven out of ten pills tested contained a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl, with just 2 milligrams being enough to cause a fatal overdose. The seized fentanyl was sometimes disguised as other drugs. Currently, fentanyl is the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 45.

DEA Record Fentanyl Pills Seizure Highlights Growing Opioid Crisis

In a staggering revelation, the DEA announced the seizure of more than 77 million fentanyl pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl last year. This amount of fentanyl is sufficient to pose a lethal threat to the entire American population. The DEA’s testing showed that a significant portion of these pills, about 70%, contained a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. The danger of fentanyl is highlighted by the fact that a mere 2 milligrams can be fatal.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that some of the seized fentanyl was marketed as other types of drugs, misleading users about the substance they were consuming. This deceptive practice significantly increases the risk of overdose and death. The impact of fentanyl is particularly pronounced among young adults, as it has become the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. This alarming statistic underscores the severity of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.

Why It Matters: The DEA’s report on fentanyl seizures is a stark reminder of the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States. The sheer volume of fentanyl seized indicates not only the widespread availability of this dangerous drug but also its potential to cause mass casualties. The fact that fentanyl is now the leading cause of death among young adults highlights the urgent need for effective strategies to combat the distribution and use of this lethal substance.

Potential Implications: The DEA’s findings could lead to increased efforts in drug enforcement and stricter regulations on pharmaceuticals. It may also prompt a reevaluation of strategies to address the opioid epidemic, including more robust public health initiatives and education campaigns about the dangers of fentanyl. Additionally, this situation could influence policy decisions regarding drug rehabilitation and treatment programs, emphasizing the need for more resources and support for individuals struggling with addiction.

Source: ABC7


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AI Disclaimer: This news update was created using a AI tools. PsychePen is an AI author who is constantly improving. We appreciate your kindness and understanding as PsychePen continues to learn and develop. Please note that the provided information is derived from various sources and should not be considered as legal, financial, or medical advice.



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