Matt Elrod 🇨🇦
@mattelrod.bsky.social
Reclusive Canadian audiophile, poetic naturalist, veteran drug policy reform activist, library cataloguer, programmer and webmaster. Born to be mild.
https://elrod.ca/matt/
https://www.chess.com/member/melrod42
https://lichess.org/@/Grasshopper62
https://elrod.ca/matt/
https://www.chess.com/member/melrod42
https://lichess.org/@/Grasshopper62
"This week, we go one toke over the line and look at the emerging world of cannabis marketing. We start with the question - just how does a plant become illegal?"
Cannabis Marketing
Podcast Episode · Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly · 2025-12-20 · 27m
podcasts.apple.com
December 20, 2025 at 8:10 PM
"This week, we go one toke over the line and look at the emerging world of cannabis marketing. We start with the question - just how does a plant become illegal?"
"At week 26, Mini-Mental State Exam total score was significantly higher in cannabis- when compared to placebo-treated patients ... No significant difference was detected between placebo and cannabis groups in terms of secondary outcomes and adverse events incidence."
A randomized clinical trial of low-dose cannabis extract in Alzheimer's disease - Rafael de Morais Cury, Taynara da Silva, Fernando Cezar-dos-Santos, Yasmin Rafaela Correia Fakih, Karlin Andrea Ramíre...
Background Preclinical and clinical evidence suggest that low-dose cannabinoids could ameliorate Alzheimer's disease (AD) signs and symptoms. We designed t...
journals.sagepub.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:39 PM
"At week 26, Mini-Mental State Exam total score was significantly higher in cannabis- when compared to placebo-treated patients ... No significant difference was detected between placebo and cannabis groups in terms of secondary outcomes and adverse events incidence."
“I’ll never go back to drinking,” said one participant. “I find cannabis is not a destructive force like alcohol has been on me. It’s a gentle glow.”
Cannabis substitution program shows promise in reducing alcohol consumption
Cannabis substitution in an Ottawa managed alcohol program is linked to a significant reduction in daily alcohol consumption among participants.
stratcann.com
December 16, 2025 at 8:26 PM
“I’ll never go back to drinking,” said one participant. “I find cannabis is not a destructive force like alcohol has been on me. It’s a gentle glow.”
"As communities across the province grapple with street disorder and a sense of insecurity, involuntary care is seen by many as a solution. Politicians of all stripes have offered it up to concerned residents and businesses as a path forward."
The challenges of involuntary care in B.C. - Writer's Bloc
It seems so simple, so basic an idea you wonder why it has not been implemented yet. It is involuntary care.
www.castanet.net
December 16, 2025 at 8:20 PM
"As communities across the province grapple with street disorder and a sense of insecurity, involuntary care is seen by many as a solution. Politicians of all stripes have offered it up to concerned residents and businesses as a path forward."
"... it could be argued that the risk involved with new solutions is outweighed by the inadequacy of current ones and is therefore worthy of trial."
Decriminalisation: The Solution to Ireland’s Drug Crisis?
universitytimes.ie
December 15, 2025 at 9:23 PM
"... it could be argued that the risk involved with new solutions is outweighed by the inadequacy of current ones and is therefore worthy of trial."
Aligning with past research (Guttmannova et al., Reference Guttmannova, Lee, Kilmer, Fleming, Rhew, Kosterman and Larimer2016), this somewhat simplistic finding expresses the difficulty of providing a single population-level measurement of whether alcohol and cannabis are complements or substitutes.
Understanding alcohol and cannabis bundling: Evidence from a basket-based choice experiment | Journal of Wine Economics | Cambridge Core
Understanding alcohol and cannabis bundling: Evidence from a basket-based choice experiment
www.cambridge.org
December 14, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Aligning with past research (Guttmannova et al., Reference Guttmannova, Lee, Kilmer, Fleming, Rhew, Kosterman and Larimer2016), this somewhat simplistic finding expresses the difficulty of providing a single population-level measurement of whether alcohol and cannabis are complements or substitutes.
"Although the average time that it takes a person with a SUD to enter into prolonged recovery is eight to nine years with three to four treatment admissions, many courts expect defendants to immediately enter into long-term sobriety."
Drug Policy | 12 | Neuroscience-Informed Responses to Substance Use |
Neuroscience demonstrates that substance use disorders (SUDs) are chronic, brain-based illnesses that have a profound effect on the brain, decision-making, and
www.taylorfrancis.com
December 14, 2025 at 1:08 AM
"Although the average time that it takes a person with a SUD to enter into prolonged recovery is eight to nine years with three to four treatment admissions, many courts expect defendants to immediately enter into long-term sobriety."
“We will ultimately just see drug use move from within the [site] to parks, to alleyways, to doorways of businesses, and with it will come, I think, the deaths that [supervised consumption] has been preventing for years and helping mitigate,” said Oliver.
Alberta government to close Calgary’s sole supervised consumption site in 2026 | CBC News
The Alberta government has confirmed it will follow through with a longtime pledge to shutter Calgary’s only supervised drug consumption site at Sheldon Chumir Health Centre, despite criticism from ad...
www.cbc.ca
December 14, 2025 at 12:52 AM
“We will ultimately just see drug use move from within the [site] to parks, to alleyways, to doorways of businesses, and with it will come, I think, the deaths that [supervised consumption] has been preventing for years and helping mitigate,” said Oliver.
"Clear, evidence-based reporting is important to counter myths, explain legal uncertainty and show what these centers actually do."
Death, crime and care: What research says about harm reduction centers
Clear, evidence-based reporting is important to counter myths, explain legal uncertainty and show what harm reduction centers actually do.
healthjournalism.org
December 11, 2025 at 12:27 AM
"Clear, evidence-based reporting is important to counter myths, explain legal uncertainty and show what these centers actually do."
"Canada has demonstrated its ability to innovate in the fight against opioid overdoses, they point out: it is currently the only country to experiment with safe supply on a large scale."
Opioids: clarifying the concept of safe supply to save lives
Canadian researchers want to clarify the concepts related to safe opioid supply to better assess their impact and guide public-health policies.
nouvelles.umontreal.ca
December 11, 2025 at 12:18 AM
"Canada has demonstrated its ability to innovate in the fight against opioid overdoses, they point out: it is currently the only country to experiment with safe supply on a large scale."
"Provinces with higher cannabis retail density have seen some of the most pronounced alcohol declines. This substitution effect is subtle but real, and it is now part of the competitive landscape."
The Slow, Stunning Retreat of Canadian Alcohol
Moderation isn’t a movement anymore; it’s a market signal—and one the industry can’t afford to ignore.
agrifoodanalyticslab.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 6:51 PM
"Provinces with higher cannabis retail density have seen some of the most pronounced alcohol declines. This substitution effect is subtle but real, and it is now part of the competitive landscape."
"Apparently, all it takes is someone telling President Trump that someone in federal prison was “targeted by Biden” or “is being treated very unfairly” and Trump asks where he can sign to issue a full pardon."
Why Is President Trump Pardoning a Notorious Convicted Drug Trafficker? | National Review
www.nationalreview.com
December 1, 2025 at 6:39 PM
"Apparently, all it takes is someone telling President Trump that someone in federal prison was “targeted by Biden” or “is being treated very unfairly” and Trump asks where he can sign to issue a full pardon."
"If the trillions invested in the figurative, and now literal, "war on drugs" haven't stemmed the tide of drugs, then what was the point?"
Port: Harm reduction policies work for addicts and their communities
If we're measuring the success of harm reduction by a reduction in the number of people abusing drugs, then sure, they aren't working, but that's the wrong metric to use.
www.inforum.com
December 1, 2025 at 6:09 PM
"If the trillions invested in the figurative, and now literal, "war on drugs" haven't stemmed the tide of drugs, then what was the point?"
"Medetomidine is even more potent than xylazine, and Larsen says these drugs are “very synthetic, highly concentrated versions which are easier to smuggle. More profitable for dealers but also much, much more dangerous for users.”"
How a Downtown Eastside drug testing service is tracking a changing drug supply | BCIT News
bcitnews.com
November 28, 2025 at 5:33 PM
"Medetomidine is even more potent than xylazine, and Larsen says these drugs are “very synthetic, highly concentrated versions which are easier to smuggle. More profitable for dealers but also much, much more dangerous for users.”"
"Participants consumed significantly less alcohol after smoking cannabis with 3.1% THC and 7.2% THC, reducing consumption by 19% and 27%, respectively."
Acute Effects of Cannabis on Alcohol Craving and Consumption: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial - PubMed
Following overnight cannabis abstinence, smoking cannabis acutely decreased alcohol consumption compared to placebo. Further controlled research on a variety of cannabinoids is needed to inform clinical alcohol treatment guidelines.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
November 19, 2025 at 10:19 PM
"Participants consumed significantly less alcohol after smoking cannabis with 3.1% THC and 7.2% THC, reducing consumption by 19% and 27%, respectively."
"But one major promise remains unfulfilled: the creation of Manitoba’s first supervised drug consumption site. More than two years after Premier Wab Kinew pledged to open one, there’s still no announced location or timeline."
Opinion: Keeping forward momentum to slow drug deaths
For the first time in five years, there is a glimmer of hope in Manitoba’s drug overdose crisis.
www.winnipegfreepress.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:24 PM
"But one major promise remains unfulfilled: the creation of Manitoba’s first supervised drug consumption site. More than two years after Premier Wab Kinew pledged to open one, there’s still no announced location or timeline."
"Findings suggest that recent SSP use was associated with recent SUD treatment uptake, while recent CLS involvement was not. These findings underscore that SSPs remain a vital component linking people who use drugs into SUD treatment."
Linkage to substance use disorder treatment through syringe services programs and the criminal legal system: A Cross-Sectional Study
Evidence on how two approaches—syringe services programs (SSP) and criminal legal system (CLS) interventions—are associated with substance use disorde…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 17, 2025 at 6:36 PM
"Findings suggest that recent SSP use was associated with recent SUD treatment uptake, while recent CLS involvement was not. These findings underscore that SSPs remain a vital component linking people who use drugs into SUD treatment."
"Rehab is a must-read whistle-blower, demonstrating how many rehabs and sober living homes in the United States offer punishment for profit, not treatment."
Blowing the Lid Off the Scandal of US Rehab
Shoshana Walter's new book is a devastating exposé of cruelty, exploitation and systemic barriers. She tells Filter about her takeaways.
filtermag.org
October 16, 2025 at 5:46 PM
"Rehab is a must-read whistle-blower, demonstrating how many rehabs and sober living homes in the United States offer punishment for profit, not treatment."
"While thousands of Canadians have died in recent decades from the toxic drug crisis, fentanyl isn’t the first substance that has stirred controversy in the province."
The history of how an unassuming plant became the root of B.C.’s drug crisis
Black Press Media delves how the opium poppy sprouted into today’s deadly opioid crisis
www.vicnews.com
September 28, 2025 at 11:28 PM
"While thousands of Canadians have died in recent decades from the toxic drug crisis, fentanyl isn’t the first substance that has stirred controversy in the province."