The Psychonaut as CEO

It appears to attract younger CEO's from industries such as technology, entertainment, and high finance. It's here that we encounter language such as 'visioning', 'aspirationalizing', and 'future-proofing', whatever that may be.

As it turns out, thousands of drug tests administered by prison authorities in California, our most populous state, have apparently been invalidated. The culprit: our old enemy, lab error.

Here’s the story, from a recent issue of The Guardian:

Revealed: drug tests in California prisons yielded false positives, affecting thousands of people

That’s not good. Especially given the possibility of requests for parole that were (or will be) wrongfully denied on the basis of a false positive result.

How this mess came about: During a three-and-a-half month span of 2024, the private lab’s testing process changed due to a temporary shortage of a common chemical reagent. A replacement chemical was found and put into use. Suddenly, authorities began to see very different results from the testing process.

For instance:

"From January through April, when the normal chemical was being used, the monthly positive opiate rate... ranged from 6.6% to 6.8% ."  But once the new...

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A Bad Test Result

I don’t know how often we question the findings, but it makes me think that a critical examination of our own procedures, say on a quarterly and yearly basis, might be a heck of a good idea.

A Bad Test Result

I don’t know how often we question the findings, but it makes me think that a critical examination of our own procedures, say on a quarterly and yearly basis, might be a heck of a good idea.

Detection Dilemma

Seems to me this is just another weakness in the plan to rely on border control and enforcement to stem the rise of synthetic drugs in the US.

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A Visit to Injection Central

Target client for these operations is the chronic daily user, mostly but not exclusively of opioids, and that’s a difficult population for such programs to work with.

Sad, But Also True

She wasn't being entirely altruistic-- she did charge participants a cool five hundred dollars apiece-- but it's reasonable to assume that she meant well, with no intent to cause harm.

Life in a Hot Spot

Make it a continuing effort, using strategies based in evidence, and harnessing the power of human interaction-- instead of relying on a burst of anti-drug education, however intense.

A Visit to Injection Central

Target client for these operations is the chronic daily user, mostly but not exclusively of opioids, and that’s a difficult population for such programs to work with.

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“It was never a problem”

That's important in a treatment context, because a history of multiple drug use means they will be tempted to focus on one substance --  their "drug of choice", whatever they may feel that is -- while minimizing the importance of the others.

“It was never a problem”

That's important in a treatment context, because a history of multiple drug use means they will be tempted to focus on one substance --  their "drug of choice", whatever they may feel that is -- while minimizing the importance of the others.

Exercising for Chronic Pain Relief

We've known for several decades that regular exercise, even the mild sort, helps lessen symptoms of depression. It comes as no surprise that it may also help with CPS and the mood problems that accompany it.

Drugs in Jail

If 70% or more of a jail population has been identified as having a drug or alcohol problem – that does happen – then what you’re really operating is a treatment center that happens to have bars on the windows and guards at the entrance.

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