The rapper and actor is apparently still puffing away, and now he faces marijuana charges in Texas.

It can’t be a surprise to followers of Snoop Dogg, the hip-hop star who has been very outspoken about his fondness for marijuana, that he was arrested in Texas after border agents in the town of Sierra Blanca searched his tour bus.

According to a statement from the Hudspeth County Sheriff, Snoop Dogg (aka Calvin Broadus) “freely admitted” that marijuana cigarettes found hidden in three prescription bottles were his. The stash was located by a drug-sniffing dog, which found the pot in a trash can in the rear of the bus. In all, officials confiscated a total of 0.130 pounds of marijuana, according to the official statement from law enforcement.

Coincidentally, the bust happened along the same stretch of highway where singer Willie Nelson was arrested in 2010 for a similar pot-related offense. Both Snoop Dogg and Nelson have been vocal proponents of legalizing pot.

Following the incident, the 40-year-old Snoop Dogg was arrested, cited for possession of drug paraphernalia, given a court date of January 20 and released, according to the sheriff’s office. While Nelson ended up settling his legal issue with a $500 fine, there is no word on whether Snoop Dogg might face a similarly minimal penalty.

Snoop Dogg is no stranger to the inside of a police station. He has been arrested numerous times over the years, usually stemming from his marijuana use. His penchant for pot even made its way into his music, as he headlined tours with titles like “Up In Smoke” and “Puff, Puff, Pass.” In 2002, though, Snoop made headlines when he announced he was giving up pot altogether, citing his children as inspiration. Apparently, the ban didn’t last. Snoop was arrested in California in 2006 on drug possession and firearms charges.

Marijuana Addiction Help at The Canyon

If you or someone you love needs help with marijuana addiction or other substance abuse issues, call The Canyon at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

Some state laws prohibit those using medical marijuana from buying guns or ammunition. Is it a reasonable precaution or a rights violation?

Firearms dealers in states like Montana are up in arms (pun intended) over federal regulations that don’t allow them to sell guns or ammunition to registered users of medical marijuana. While it may seem prudent to some, marijuana and gun-rights groups insist it denies Second Amendment rights to individuals who are following state law.

Most Americans aren’t even aware that federal law already makes it illegal for someone to possess a gun if he or she is “an unlawful user of, or addicted to” marijuana or other controlled substances. Now, a Sept. 21, 2011 letter from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, issued in response to numerous inquiries from gun dealers, clarifies that medical marijuana patients are included in that definition.

“There are no exceptions in federal law for marijuana purportedly used for medicinal purposes, even if such use is sanctioned by state law,” said the letter by Arthur Herbert, the ATF’s assistant director for enforcement programs and services.

Federal firearm licensees, or FFLs, can’t sell a gun to someone who answers “yes” when a required form asks whether the buyer is a controlled substance user.

While there hasn’t been any change in federal law, this clarification has brought the issue to the forefront, particularly in the 16 states that have legalized medical marijuana use. Some are planning to appeal the regulation, particularly in Oregon.

Marijuana Addiction

If you or someone you love is in need of treatment for marijuana addiction or other substance abuse issues, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

California legalized marijuana for medical purposes. So too did Alaska, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont – in total, 21 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana. Even New Jersey has determined that marijuana is a suitable medication for certain illnesses. Will New York join them?

State Senator Diane J. Savino (NY-D) has sponsored legislation in hopes of getting the ball rolling in that direction. She recently spoke with L Magazine and voiced her opinions on the subject, discussing how her own parents’ passing due to cancer pushed her to believe that perhaps medical marijuana can have some benefits. As a co-sponsor to the bill started by Senator Tom Duane and Assemblyman Gottfried, State Sen. Savino believes that, while New York has always been in the middle in terms of its approach to the issue of drug abuse, drug addiction legislation, and medical marijuana, it’s time to push forward and make some definitive decisions.

Comparing Medical Marijuana to Prescription Drugs

On the question of legality and medical merit, State Sen. Savino had some interesting points to make for her cause. When asked what she thought of the fact that many federal agencies like the DEA seemed to think that marijuana could be used medicinally, Savino pointed out that an agency whose primary goal is law enforcement will always err on the side of fighting addiction and upholding laws that ban the addictive use and abuse of any substance.

Savino said: “They’re right to be concerned about that. But morphine is far more addictive than marijuana. Morphine is [an addictive substance]. OxyContin is tremendously addictive, almost instantaneously to people. Vicodin is addictive. What’s the difference between these two [classes of] drugs? One is dispensed by a pharmacy and one isn’t. But if marijuana has a more palliative treatment to people, why would we not figure out a way to control the distribution of it, the way that we attempt to control the distribution of other controlled substances?

Creating a Medical Marijuana Model that Protects Against Addiction and Abuse

State Sen. Savino is not interested in replicating the mistakes that many states made by being one of the first to implement medical marijuana. Rather, she’s looking at the evidence-based practices that have been successful in different states and hoping that New York can create an effective and functional medical marijuana program. The goal is to mitigate the risks of abuse and the development of addiction that has plagued other states in both the use of medical marijuana and prescription drugs.

What do you think? Can it be done? Should it be done?

More than 2200 pounds of marijuana were stopped on their way into the country in by crews from the US Coast Guard, US Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine, US Navy, and the San Diego Marine Task Force in July. Four smugglers were arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling in connection with the seizure on the coast of San Diego. The drugs and the suspected smugglers were turned over to MTF officials.

A few days later, another 21 bales of marijuana were recovered by the Coast Guard off the coast of Point Loma, California. Three Coast Guard vessels were dispatched to stop the boat that had thrown them overboard and recovered the drugs and brought in two smugglers.

Does Interception of Marijuana Smugglers Have an Effect on Marijuana Addiction?

Absolutely. If there are fewer drugs to go around, then there is less for people to buy. If there is less for people to buy, prices go up. If prices go up on the remaining marijuana, then some people have a moment of clarity that can help them recognize what marijuana is doing to their lives. Others will spend the money for the marijuana and may come closer to the moment that they realize that they are giving up too much in the pursuit of getting high.

On the distribution end, losing huge shipments of marijuana is a cost issue. Growers and smugglers who are in it for the money quickly learn that there’s a high price to pay if they get caught. Losing large shipments can be frustrating and as lower level smugglers are arrested and provide information about those higher up in the organization, they can slowly be dismantled by law enforcement.

Marijuana Addiction and Struggling: A Huge Fight Fought by the Few

Of course, there will always be new smugglers to replace the old and people who are desperate for money who will agree to run boats of marijuana illegally. And addicts who want their drugs will find a way to come up with the money to pay for what’s available – or grow their own or turn to other suppliers.

The best way to fight marijuana addiction is with marijuana rehab. Here, those who are living with a marijuana addiction will be able to get the help they need. If there are no addicts, then there is no demand and when there’s no demand, there is no more distribution.

What do you think? What’s the best way to fight marijuana abuse and addiction?

The reality show Deadliest Catch follows a few different privately owned fishing boats in the Bering Sea, chronicling the hard labor that comes with the job and the personal stories of many of the fishermen as well as the boats’ captains. One thing that the show doesn’t do is address the drug addiction that is rampant among fishermen – until now.

Drug Addiction and Deadliest Catch

It’s not uncommon for fishermen to abuse crystal meth and other stimulants in order to stay awake for 36+ hours at a time during the most labor intensive parts of the trip or for them to smoke marijuana or drink heavily to unwind. But the problem this time around was likely a mixture of job stress and depression. Jake Harris is one of the new owners of the Cornelia Marie after his father, Phil Harris, the former captain of the boat, passed. Though Jake had struggled with drug addiction for years, he sought drug addiction treatment right around the time that his father died and did well during rehab. When he got out, he and his brother were tasked with finding a captain who was a good fit for their boat and would be able to help them carry on their father’s legacy.

The man they chose didn’t quite work out as the brothers had hoped. The boat made absolutely no money at all on their trip and the captain got along with no one on the crew, causing many long-time crew members to find a new boat. It was alleged by the captain that Jake had been smoking marijuana while aboard the ship, and he had a cop waiting to drug test Jake at the dock to prove his charges.

If Jake did get high on board the Cornelia Marie, he wouldn’t be the first fisherman to do so. Stress over the relations between the crew and the captain, financial concerns, and the sheer wear and tear caused by the job may have made it difficult for him to avoid triggers to get high. It’s a topic that the reality show has handled with grace and objectivity, allowing fans a better look inside both the world of fishing and the issue of drug addiction in the workplace.

When Work Encourages Drug Addiction

It’s not an issue exclusive to fishermen. Many people struggle with getting high while at work or drinking heavily and abusing drugs after work and on the weekends due to stress and pressure. The constant threat of losing your job because of the state of the economy doesn’t help, either, and if you don’t like your job, the risk of drug addiction only gets worse.

If you are living with a drug addiction and feel that your job is part of the cause, take measures to find new employment. If that’s impossible –and for many, it is – then get the drug rehab help you need so that you can learn to manage the stress without drugs and alcohol. Contact us at The Canyon today for more information about our drug rehab program.

Marijuana addiction treatment should address both the physiological effects of the drug and the psychological cravings that characterize addiction. While patients definitely need a medical professional to walk them through marijuana detox and guide through an intensive addiction treatment program, they can bring quite a bit to the table to help themselves avoid relapse and stay on track during the recovery process.

No one knows you better than you. You know your emotional responses to events and people, and you can identify when those emotional responses are serious enough to derail your intentions during marijuana addiction treatment. Relapse usually starts with a triggering event, followed by an emotional response and the compulsion to get high. Here’s what you can do to notice what’s going on and self-correct before you spin out of control.

Triggering Event

Triggering events are different for everyone. It can be something big like a death in the family or a pending divorce or something smaller in scale like someone cutting you off in traffic or speaking to you rudely. Depending on your mood, the smaller issues can glance off you without affecting you on some days and on others, they can cause serious upset.

If you know that certain things trigger a strong emotional response in you, figure out how to avoid them whenever possible. If a relationship is stressful more often than not and you constantly feel like you want to get high as a result, end the relationship. If a job causes you to feel bad about yourself or makes you angry, find a new job.

For the situations that you can’t change – say, your reaction to a family member – figure out how to mitigate the problem. Limit your contact as much as possible and create a plan for how you will handle it when the situation inevitably crops up – without smoking pot.

Emotional Response

Having an emotional response or reaction to an event or stressful situation is natural. How you express those emotions is defined by your maturity level. Throwing fits, screaming and yelling, or becoming violent in any way will do nothing to change the situation positively. Neither will indulging in the compulsion to get high. The answer is not to go to the opposite extreme and ignore those emotional issues or pretend that your fine. The best thing to do is find a way to vent in a healthy manner and let those feelings go in a way that won’t hurt you or anyone around you.

Compulsion to Get High

Everyone gets cravings every now and then during recovery. There’s no avoiding it. How you handle those cravings is key. If the triggering event and emotional response make you crave marijuana despite your best efforts, have another plan in place. Call someone. Distract yourself. Treat yourself in some other way. Do something –anything – else except get high. Don’t let anything come between you and your marijuana addiction recovery.

There’s been another professional casualty due to the Contra Costa County drug task force debacle.  Stephen Tanabe, a Contra Costa County Sheriff’s deputy recently resigned in the face of accusations that he set up DUI busts to ruin the reputations of men who wound up on a dirty private investigator’s bad side. That alleged dirty private investigator is Chris Butler, currently accused of being the right hand man to drug ring operator and former head of the drug task force, Norman Wielsch.

Norman Wielsch was arrested recently for stealing drugs confiscated in drug busts, drugs like crystal meth, marijuana and steroids, among others.

Tanabe was officially arrested for “possession and transfer of an assault rifle and conspiracy to possess and sell controlled substances.” The investigation into the drug ring run by Butler and Wielsch is ongoing.

What the Investigation Means to Previous Drug Investigations

Unfortunately, the suspect and illegal dealings of those involved in the current investigation calls into question the results of hundreds of other cases run by the task force in Contra Costa County. Officials are angry and many are gearing up for cases that attempt to overthrow their convictions in light of the new information. Police misconduct is one of the most common reasons for overturned convictions and drug arrests that get thrown out of court before they result in conviction or sentencing. In this case, the flood gates have not yet opened and likely won’t until convictions of the arrestees are obtained. Given the steady flow of new information, arrests and resignations, convictions likely won’t be long in coming. Though none are guilty until proven innocent, the word is that many are planning their own cases based on the outcome.

Do You Have Confidence in Law Enforcement Officials?

It should be pointed out that while cases like these get a host of media attention, the very reason they are so starkly highlighted is that they don’t happen all the time. If corruption were an everyday occurrence, the media wouldn’t spend so much time on it. Thousands of law enforcement officials do their jobs honorably and have a true desire to stop drug trafficking as much as possible and help those who want to fight their own issues with drug addiction.

Unfortunately, the public doesn’t always agree. What do you think? Do you trust law officials to do the right thing when it comes to victims of drug addiction and drug sales arrests? Or do you feel that most law enforcement professionals don’t earn the trust of the public?