High Truths on Drugs and Addiction

Canada is number one in marijuana consumption and is also producing large population based public heath research on pot. Dr. Daniel Myran is a public health and preventative medicine physician, a family physician and researcher. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Social Accountability at the University of Ottawa and is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine. He practices family medicine with an interest in addiction medicine. Dr. Myran’s research uses health administrative data to track healthcare visits for mental health and substance use at the population level and investigate the impact of alcohol and drug policy including the legalization of non-medical cannabis on these outcomes. His work also focuses on understanding risks and downstream health outcomes associated with substance use disorders. Dr. Myran's publications can be found here. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.

Does Snapchat have blood on their hands? You decide after listening to what happened to Sammy and other kids who got pills from drug dealings using Snapchat. If pornography can be censored on social media, why can't the sensor or at least curb illegal and killer drug sales? Samuel P. Chapman is CEO of The Parent Collective Inc, a California non profit operating in the areas of social media harm and fentanyl poisoning education and activism. Also providing grief support for those left behind. He has done over 160 media appearances warning the nation about the fentanyl crisis. He speaks to law enforcement groups, does grand rounds at hospitals and gives talks to children and their families warning of dangers online for children. He has written Op Eds for major newspapers and is a regular guest on Fox News nationally and locally in California. He has testified before legislatures around the country and participated in Congressional hearings. He is currently sponsoring a bill in Congress named after his deceased son, Sammy's Law (HR 2657,) and is actively promoting bills by the same name in legislatures around the country. Sign Petition for Sammy's law - Dr. Laura Berman - Sammy's mom, relationship therapist, provides grief counseling Bark - parental controls for your kid's devices Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.

Hope vs Handcuff is what Judge Linda Davis recommends for people with a substance use disorder. Judge Linda Davis was appointed to the bench on March 27, 2000, by Michigan Governor John Engler. Prior to her judgeship, she spent 13 years as an Assistant Prosecutor with the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office. Davis played a crucial role in the creation of Face Addiction Now, formerly Families Against Narcotics and has been instrumental in the success and growth of the organization. She has received several prestigious awards from organizations such as the FBI, Care House, and the Girl Scouts of America. Among the awards she has been given are the Macomb Community College Outstanding Alumna Award; the Michigan Association of Treatment Court Professionals President’s Award; the Macomb Bar Distinguished Public Service Award; and the Macomb County Humanitarian of the Year Award. She has also been named the Henry Ford Hospital Woman of Excellence and Influence and the 2019 Community Star for the state of Michigan in conjunction with National Rural Health Day. Judge Davis served on Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s Opiate Task Force and later was appointed to chair the Governor’s Commission for the Prescription Overdose and Opiate Response Team. In addition, she was invited to consult with President Donald J. Trump’s Opiate Task Force and First Lady Melania Trump’s roundtable discussion on how the opioid epidemic is affecting families. Davis’ expertise was also called on by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, resulting in a spot on the state’s Opioid Task Force Advisory Board. Davis is currently FAN’s Executive Director and primary speaker and presents multiple times a week to groups—both statewide and nationally—on the opioid crisis and the stigma associated with addiction. A frequent plenary speaker at conferences, she works tirelessly to educate doctors, nurses, dentists, law enforcement, lawyers, and legislators about substance use disorder. Davis’ recent presentations include those made to Impact100; the Michigan Association of Treatment Court Professionals Conference; the Michigan Rural Health Conference; the Michigan Department of Corrections; the Opioid and Substance Use Disorder Virtual Summit; the Police Treatment and Community Collaborative’s Pre-Arrest Diversion Summit (Chicago); the CDC/HIDTA Overdose Response Strategy Conference (Salt Lake City); and the Southern Nevada Substance Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit (Las Vegas), Keynote speaker for National Rural Health conference (Washington D.C. Presently working on an initiative to take FAN’s programming to rural areas of Michigan, Davis was recently appointed as a voting member of the new Opioid Advisory Commission in Michigan, which will determine how funds from the National Opioid Settlement will be spent in the state.

There has been a complete reorganization of the Health and Human Services Department. What has remained, what has been DOGED? What happened to SAMHSA, CDC, NIDA, FDA and key agencies that are important to the prevention, treatment, and recovery of drugs. What about payment for addiction services and medical care? How does all that affect the average American or organization that deal with drug issues. To learn more about the reorganization of HHS I reached out to Jeffrey Davis. Jeffrey Davis is a skilled healthcare executive with substantial knowledge of regulatory advocacy and healthcare policies. Jeffrey’s work focuses on issues tied to provider payment and reimbursement as well as quality reporting. He also has significant experience with recent regulatory developments such as the implementation of surprise billing rules. Jeffrey is the primary author of Regs & Eggs, M+’s weekly regulatory affairs blog. To browse blog entries and subscribe to updates, click here. Prior to joining McDermott+, Jeffrey served as the director of regulatory and external affairs at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). In that role, Jeffrey managed ACEP’s formal response to federal policies and worked with federal agencies and other stakeholders to help advance ACEP’s federal affairs agenda. Jeffrey also spent eight years working with the US Department of Health and Human Services, where he advised senior officials on major budgetary and policy considerations within Medicare and prepared detailed analyses of Medicare regulations and legislation. *** Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of the United States Government or any of its agencies. The content was recorded prior to the speaker's current federal service and is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No agency endorsement or approval should be inferred.

iPill - a devise to ensure medication compliance. Is this something that methadone clinic patients can use to ensure safety? Dr. John Hsu has practiced anesthesia, chronic pain management, addiction medicine for 31 years. He is now on a quest to address the opioid epidemic. He has started three companies, including: IPill Dispenser - a medical device for remote medication adherence monitoring. It is a FDA breakthrough designated product and holds six patents for it. Quivive Pharma - drug development company that has combined opioids with a respiratory stimulant. He is running a clinical trial at the Cleveland clinic and a supported by a $1.9 million NIDA/NIH grant. He holds three patents for this company. Fentavive - a drug development company that has combined Narcan with a respiratory stimulant to address dosing ambiguity with Narcan. He holds one patent for this company.

Drug Endangered Children - 1 in 8 children live with one or more caregiver with a substance use disorder in the United States. Millions of children and families are affected by parental or caregiver legal and or illegal substance misuse today. 759,000 children experienced a parental death due to drugs from 1999-2000. Dr. Lev discussed drug endangered children and solutions with Eric Nation. National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children Executive Director Eric Nation spent over 20 years in the field of law enforcement where he worked his way up to Lieutenant. As a Lieutenant, he led a large successful drug task force and started a countywide Drug Endangered Children Alliance. Mr. Nation came to National DEC to have a greater impact on law enforcement and other professionals by training and educating them on substance misuse and the impact to children. Mr. Nation was the Director of Training and Development where he helped develop curriculum and materials, worked with agencies across the country to provide trainings and technical assistance to professionals. Mr. Nation is also a national trainer on various topics including substance use, law enforcement, building multidisciplinary teams, capacity building, and drug trends. Mr. Nation is currently National DEC's Executive Director impacting change at a different level. Mr. Nation is very passionate about helping children and brings passion to every part of the work he does across the country.

Unspeakable violence happened in 2018, when a 28 year old professional audiologist, Bryn Spejcher, was on a date with a 26-year-old accountant, Chad O'Melia. Chad was a regular marijuana user with a large bong displayed on his coffee table. Bryn inhaled the THC from the bong and within minutes developed cannabis induced psychosis. Having severe hallucinations, Bryn stabbed Chad 108 times, using kitchen knives. She also stabbed her beloved service dog and then repeatedly stabbed herself in the neck, nearly killing herself. Bryn is doing community service for involuntary manslaughter. She joins High Truths with her mother and Aubree Adams. Aubree Adams is the founder and director of Every Brain Matters, a nationally trusted educational resource formed by families with loved ones whose lives were damaged or ended by marijuana. Every Brain Matters has a memorial to the many lives lost to marijuana. She hosts her own podcast, "It's Just pot, what's the problem?" She returns to High Truths from Episode # 170. High Truths discussed the Bryn Spejcher manslaughter case of Chad O'Meilia on previous episodes on High Truths. On episode #163 we spoke with Heidi Swan and Dr. Christy Brown who attended Bryn's trial and discussed the trial. On episode #172 we spoke with Eve Simmon, a reporter from the Daily Mail who reported on the trial. She empathized with Bryn.

Hello again High Truths Listeners. Get ready for a special podcast. It’s special... and a little emotional. Because I have some big news to share with you. So let’s start with the tough part first. The bad news is... I’m going to need to hit pause on the High Truths podcast for now. High Truths is one of my most favorite projects. I love talking to you and I learn so much from my guests. We learn together and inspire action to make things better around us. I will really miss you and High Truths. But here’s the good news — and it’s really good: I’ve been offered — and accepted — a position back at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, ONDCP. Listen to my special message.

HIDTA published its 2025 Marijuana's Impact on California Report. In 2022, 43% of suicides among individuals 25 and under in San Diego County involved THC. Emergency visits due to marijuana rose by 521% in California from 2008 to 2022. Youth aged 12–17 accounted for nearly 38% of marijuana treatment admissions in 2023. High-potency cannabis is increasingly linked to psychosis and cannabis use disorder. Executive Director David King join High Truths to discuss HIDTA and the report. David King was appointed Executive Director of the San Diego Imperial Valley HIDTA ni 2017 after 28 years of law enforcement service with the California Department of Justice/ Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (DOJ/BNE) and San Diego Harbor Police Department. Mr. King is a graduate of the University of San Diego with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Political Science, and he attended the FBI National Academy (FBINA) 240th Session in Quantico, Virginia. Mr. King began his law enforcement career with the San Diego Harbor Police Department in 1989 where he worked a variety of patrol assignments before being selected as the first task force officer ni the department's history to investigate narcotic and bulk currency smuggling at the San Diego International Airport. Mr. King received state and federal recognition when he was named by Harbor Police, Peace Officer of the Year, in 1995. Mr. King was hired by the California Department of Justice/ Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement ni 1997, and he served on the Clandestine Laboratory Program, Special Operations Unit and supervision of multi-agency narcotic task forces. Mr. King promoted to Special Agent in Charge where he expanded wire intercept capabilities and mission readiness for federal, state and local law enforcement agencies combating drug trafficking organizations operating along the U.S./Mexico Border. During Mr. King's tenure with the California Department of Justice he served as Senior Special Agent ni Charge of regional offices located ni San Diego, Riverside, Orange and Los Angeles before retiring as the Executive Director of L.A. IMPACT comprised of 50 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and is credited with being the largest domestic task force in the United States. During Mr. King's tenure at L.A. IMPACT, his teams were the recipient of three national HIDTA Awards, and he is the recipient of the California Attorney General's Award for Excellence as a Team. Mr. King is a lifetime member of the California Narcotic Officers Association (CNOA), National Narcotic Officers Association Coalition (NNOAC), currently serves as an elected member of the National HIDTA Directors Association (NHDA), and he is honored to work with over 800 dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement officers, intelligence analysts and prosecutors who are assigned to HIDTA task forces in San Diego and Imperial Counties.

Mar-Anon is an important support group for people who have loved ones addicted to marijuana. Mar-Anon is based on the same concept of Al-Anon for alcohol. While AA and MA are for people with a substance use disorder, Al-Anon and Mar-Anon is for families. Bart was a summer camp counselor, camp director and teacher, earning his Teaching credential from Chapman University. After retiring from teaching he started volunteering with Mar-Anon, Every Brain Matters and other educational non-profits. Bart used to think marijuana was harmless. “When I was smoking weed in my 20’s I used to say stuff like, “it’s just pot, it’s not a big deal.” Marijuana was a very big deal for his son, Kevin. Bart witnessed his son experience many episodes of Cannabis Induced Psychosis. Kevin died by suicide in 2018 at 29 years old. The last articulate words Bart heard him speak were, “Cannabis has ruined my life.” Resources: Mar-Anon - for supportive meetings Every Brain Matters - for facilitated meeting

There are different opinions on smart drug policies. Some want to decriminalize all drugs, some promote all drug legalization, and there is drug commercialization. What is the balanced approach from international experts? Luke Niforatos with Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions discusses what an expert panel recommends. Luke Niforatos serves as the Executive Vice President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS) and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading drug policy experts. Leveraging more than a decade working on drug, addiction and health care issues, Luke drives the strategy behind FDPS & SAM’s federal, state, and educational initiatives. Luke has testified in state capitols across America. He is a sought-after guest on major media outlets including ABC, Fox News, NBC, CNBC, CSPAN, Newsmax, and network affiliates, as well as syndicated and local radio shows in markets coast to coast. Luke has been featured in Time Magazine and as a speaker at drug policy events held by The Economist, the United Nations’ Commission on Narcotic Drugs, and hundreds of town halls. Prior to joining SAM, he was the co-founder of a successful healthcare company. Luke attended the University of Denver and has a Master of Arts from Johns Hopkins University. @learnaboutsam @gooddrugpolicy @lukeniforatos Learnaboutsam.org Gooddrugpolicy.org

Marijuana is addictive, especially with the high potency products. And with addiction come withdrawal. Withdrawal of THC is not like withdrawal from fentanyl or alcohol. It is more like withdrawal from nicotine - insomnia, anxiety, headaches. The symptoms last about 2 weeks and there are no medications to help. However, going up the FDA rapid approval pathway is a new medication. We talk about this treatment in this podcast. Ginger Constantine, M.D. is the Chairperson, Co-Founder & CEO of PleoPharma. Ginger Constantine, MD – Chairperson and CEO - with over 25 years of pharmaceutical regulatory and clinical development experience with the approval of more than 15 products filing numerous INDs, NDAs, and MAAs. Previous Vice President of Women's Health & Bone Repair Clinical Research at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals through its acquisition by Pfizer in 2010. Expertise in Phase 1 through 4 clinical development strategy and execution. ​ Founded EndoRheum Consultants in 2010, a successful clinical development consulting firm. Member of multiple scientific advisory boards. Has planned, authored and presented numerous scientific studies. PheoPharma was granted fast-track designation for PP-01, a new investigational drug for cannabis withdrawal syndrome.

Jamie Ross wears many hats. She is Executive Director of the PACT Coalition, coordinator for the Nevada Statewide Coalition Partnership and sits on too many boards and committees to count. Jamie Ross has been the Executive Director of the PACT Coalition since 2011. She has been involved with substance misuse prevention from a young age, and took that passion into a career creating system wide change to reduce substance misuse. The PACT Coalition is a substance misuse prevention coalition in Las Vegas with diverse funding focusing on the spectrum of prevention including mental health, primary and tertiary substance misuse prevention, and the intersection of prevention into all aspects of community building. Jamie believes in the power of community to change itself for the better. When a community comes together to solve its own problems, the result is transformative. As Sam Quinones says, ‘the solution to the opioid crisis isn’t naloxone, it’s community.’

Communities can and should lead in creating an environment that prevents addiction. It is much easier to prevent a problem than treating a problem. One high level prevention initiative is fixing the Farm Bill that opened up the door to a new type of poison on Americans. The various intoxicating Hemp products, Delta-8, Delta-10, and others, have never been tested on rats, let alone kids. Sue Thau has been leading the charge in fixing the Hemp loop hole. Sue Thau is a Public Policy Consultant representing Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). She is nationally recognized for her advocacy and legislative accomplishments on behalf of the substance abuse prevention field. She has an extensive background in public policy and has held high positions at the federal, state, and local levels. She was a Budget Examiner and Legislative Analyst at the Office of Management and Budget, in the Executive Office of the President for over ten years. Sue was a driving force behind the passage, reauthorization and full funding of the Drug-Free Communities Act. In addition, Sue has worked to save and enhance funding for all federal substance abuse prevention and treatment programs over the last two decades. She is highly respected as an expert on demand reduction issues by members of Congress and staff on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill. Sue has an undergraduate degree from Cornell University in Human Development and Family Studies and a Master’s Degree from Rutgers University in City and Regional Planning.

The students at the San Diego State University Graduate Program in Homeland Security use this High Truths podcast as part of their curriculum. Robert J. Harkins, MS, is a Lecturer and Academic Advisor (Lastnames: A-M) for the Graduate Program in Homeland Security. Professor Harkins has extensive Homeland Security public safety expertise specializing in offenses and conspiracies involving United States Code, Title 21, Food and Drugs (Controlled Substances Act), and governmental managerial experience, to include investigative planning, critical thinking, and oversight of personnel and programs. Mr Harkins is extremely involved with organizations and associations focused on the networking of professionals in the public safety and public health sectors. As an Adjunct Faculty member with the Homeland Security Graduate Program, Mr. Harkins led a major effort to secure external grant support for teaching about Fentanyl to the San Diego County region on multiple levels, and helped design and build demonstration products for a major grant proposal to the CDC that was prepared and submitted via the SDSU Research Foundation. Mr. Harkins works with regional leaders in helping move Fentanyl and opioid abuse awareness to regional, state, and national leaders, and to many people serving in the law enforcement and social services community responding to the opioid epidemic. Mr. Harkins represents SDSU and the Homeland Security Program in regular meetings with community leaders, law enforcement leaders, and social service leaders responding to the alarming number of overdose deaths in San Diego County. Mr. Harkins has taught about Fentanyl including the design of Fentanyl education programs for middle school and high school as well as adults. These meetings with community leaders led to the creation of the Community Response to Drug Overdoses (CReDO) subcommittee, which is supporting a mandate by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to create a Fentanyl education curriculum for all schools in San Diego County along with Narcan/Naloxone distribution. Mr. Harkins' ability to provide compelling teaching is from the hundreds of teaching episodes he has had in contacting community members, as well as teaching them how to recognize Fentanyl poisonings and then how to appropriately respond. These teaching experiences have given him a profound ability to communicate to a wide variety of people in a compelling way, which has almost certainly saved many lives in the region. Mr. Harkins uses this same teaching experience in teaching and advising of graduate students in the Homeland Security Graduate Program.

Sean Hemeon is an actor (911, Criminal Minds, True Blood, CW’s the Husbands), writer and artist. Originally from Northern Virginia, he now lives in Los Angeles with his husband and two Bostons. Sean will have his debut memoir The Good Little Druglord, the inspirational story of a (former) Mormon drug dealer who found redemption as a narc for the federal government—confronting the Russian Mafia, his darkest self, his mother, and the mother of a young man who died because he failed to act. The Good Little Druglord is an ode to redemption, recovery, and the mother/son bond—an ultimately UpLit memoir about a gay Mormon drug-dealing narc for the federal government. As a drug-dealing meth addict, I embraced my “darkness,” claiming my place among the worst of God’s beasts until my deeper humanity was challenged, when someone died because I failed to act. It was the call from the dead boy’s mother, begging to know what happened, that shattered me. I wrote this book to let that grieving mother know what happened to her son, and to let my own mother know what happened to her son. I also wrote this book for those struggling with identity, and for those who care about them. I believed I was a decent human, until I was confronted with the reality I was not. I believed I deserved every horrible thing that had happened in my life: abandonment, molestation, and beatings. I deserved to go to prison or be murdered by the volatile Russian Mafia meth supplier to whom I owed thousands of dollars. Like many others, maybe you, I spent too many years of my life engaged in a futile battle for self-love and acceptance. As long as I believed I was the cause for the lack, it would always feel like chasing rainbows (or running from them in my warped Mormon case). I picked up beliefs in my childhood from my parents, society, and religion that shaped a false identity. It was my fault my depressed mother didn’t love me, so I tried to be the best little Mormon boy I could be. When that failed, I became her worst fear: a hedonist, raging faggot, drug-dealing narc. I rejected the authentic parts of myself, and forced the “acceptable” to be effective until it wasn’t, leading to an implosion. It took me nearly twenty years to get here, journaling to find my way as I fought to be loved. I wore this story like a badge of honor in recovery, like a masturbatory glory piece. I wallowed in victim-y stuff, abating shame, but now, the shame is healing. I’ve shared my narrative, not just for the collective but to remember myself. It has become my superpower: Never forgetting my addiction makes whatever happens today a bonus, no matter how low I feel. There are other accounts of addiction, religious abuse, sexuality, and even gay boys and mothers, but few are wrapped in a riveting tale about a drug-dealing narc for the federal government evading the Russian Mafia. It’s identity and acceptance wrapped in a thriller. Perhaps by the end, there may be hope for a drug-addicted loved one, or yourself if you need the help. I hope this story helps you see that you and those you care about can live through your worst fears and nightmares. You, too, can be a mother-effing dandelion fighting to grow through the cracks. You, too, can also make peace with your mother, or her memory. My mother proudly walked me down the aisle at my very gay wedding and applauded when I kissed my new husband. By the end of this, you’ll want to hug your mother, too.

Lori Jane Gliha is an award winning investigative reporter with Scripps News. She is also the nation's expert in tracking pediatric fatalities due to fentanyl. She joins us to share her experience. This is an episode you may want to watch on You Tube to view some of Lori Jane's video clips. The show notes have links to reports. Lori Jane Gliha is an ethical, enterprising, award-winning national investigative reporter for Scripps News. She is known for her exclusive, national, in-depth investigations, hard-hitting interviews, and continuous coverage of important issues including the use of ketamine - by paramedics -to sedate agitated people; fentanyl poisonings among babies, toddlers, and young children; and gun violence. In 2025, she was awarded the prestigious duPont-Columbia Award for her investigation into the deadliest mass shooting of 2023 in Lewiston, Maine. She has received two national Edward R. Murrow Awards and has been awarded the highly competitive IRE award for longform video journalism, a national recognition for investigative reporters and editors. She received a degree in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Southern California, and graduated, Summa cum Laude, as the Outstanding Broadcast Journalism Undergraduate. She minored in Spanish. Scripps News Investigates: The silent toll of the fentanyl epidemic. Nov 2023 How a 5-year-old ingested fentanyl in her kindergarten classroom Poisoned: Fentanyl's Child Victims march 2025 He was gasping for air: How witnesses describe child fentanyl poisonings Colorado Gov Jared Polis 'disheartened by communication gaps in child fentanyl cases Twin babies and parents saved following hospital fentanyl test States push for life saving fentanyl testing laws amid rising opioid concerns - April 2025 Many Child fentanyl deaths remain uncharged, Scripps News review finds

Fentanyl Pipeline: How a Chinese Prison Helped Fuel a Deadly Drug Crisis in the United States - we discuss this publication in ProPublica and much more in a fascinating discussion with Sebastian Rotella. Sebastian Rotella is an award-winning foreign correspondent, investigative reporter and novelist. His reporting has taken him across the world to more than 30 countries. Since 2010, he has been a senior reporter at ProPublica covering international security issues such as organized crime and intelligence. His honors include a Peabody award, multiple awards from the Overseas Press Club, Columbia University’s Moors Cabot Prize for coverage of Latin America, and Italy’s Urbino Press Award. He is a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Sebastian is also a critically-acclaimed author of three novels: Rip Crew (2018), named one of Kirkus Review’s best crime novels of the year; The Convert’s Song (2014), an editor’s pick on Amazon; and Triple Crossing, the New York Times Sunday Book Review’s favorite action thriller and debut crime novel of 2011. He is also the author of Twilight on the Line: Underworlds and Politics at the U.S.-Mexico Border (1998), named a New York Times notable book. He has been an invited speaker at the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the U.S. Army, the NYPD Intelligence Division, and U.S. and foreign embassies, think tanks and universities. His coverage of the U.S. Mexican border inspired two songs on Bruce Springsteen’s album The Ghost of Tom Joad. Rotella articles of interest: https://www.propublica.org/article/china-fentanyl-prison-yafeng-illegal-drug-trade https://www.propublica.org/article/chinese-organized-crime-us-marijuana-market https://www.propublica.org/article/oklahoma-marijuana-china-diplomat-visits https://www.propublica.org/article/marijuana-oklahoma-china-immigration-safety-workers https://www.propublica.org/article/china-cartels-xizhi-li-money-laundering https://www.propublica.org/article/liu-tao-trump-meeting-china-investigation https://www.propublica.org/article/how-beijing-chinese-mafia-europe-protect-interests

Carlton Hall Consulting LLC (CHC) – Driving Global Change Through Community Solutions and Prevention Mastery Carlton Hall Consulting LLC (CHC) is a dynamic, full-service consulting firm dedicated to providing customized solutions that drive measurable change for communities, organizations, and individuals. With a mission to solve complex social challenges and improve the human condition, CHC delivers expert training, technical assistance, and capacity-building services to clients in both the public and private sectors at local, national, and international levels. As a co-owner of Prevention Mastery, CHC is at the forefront of professional development in the prevention field. Prevention Mastery is a cutting-edge, customizable online Learning Management System (LMS) that provides a suite of enhanced consultative services tailored for prevention professionals at the federal, state, regional, local, and international levels. Designed to streamline digital learning, Prevention Mastery consolidates e-learning needs into a single, comprehensive platform—offering automated training assignments, completion records, version control, and tracking. Through expert-led, self-paced courses, Prevention Mastery equips prevention professionals with actionable, data-driven strategies to drive change and leadership in the field. Led by President and CEO Carlton Hall, CHC has been a leader in substance abuse prevention, capacity building, and community problem-solving for over 25 years. Carlton’s work spans four continents, partnering with global organizations, national governments, and grassroots coalitions to advance prevention science and demand reduction efforts. CHC has played a key role in international initiatives, including collaborations with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Colombo Plan, and the African Union, and has supported groundbreaking conferences and training programs in Kenya, India, South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, and Uganda. Committed to culturally responsive solutions, CHC has launched impactful global programs such as the Global Youth Prevention Scholars Initiative (GYPSI) and the NHIF Initiative in Kenya, which provided life-changing healthcare access to over 116 women and their families. CHC continues to shape global prevention efforts through executive training, technical assistance, and capacity-building support, including its work with SAMHSA’s Southeast Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC, Region 4). Carlton Hall also serves as President of the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (NA-DEC) and sits on the board of Movendi International, further amplifying CHC’s influence in shaping sound drug policy, advancing prevention science, and strengthening community-led solutions worldwide.

Dr. Mark Gold gives a historical perspective on field of addiction from the original research of the brain disorder to current events. Dr. Mark Gold is a frequent contributor to Psychology Today. Dr. Mark Gold is an inventor, pioneering translational researcher, Eminent Scholar, Distinguished Professor, & Chairman whose career in translational neuroscience began in 1972. His theories have changed the field, stimulated research, and led to new treatments. Gold, while at the YSOM, proposed a novel brain mechanism and changes to explain opioid dependence and withdrawal, and discovered the anti-withdrawal efficacy of alpha-2 adrenergic agonists-clonidine and lofexidine. With his Yale colleague & mentor Herb Kleber, Gold helped change addiction psychiatry to disease management, evidence-based care with MATs, and evaluation & treatment of co-occurring disorders. He has made major contributions to Naloxone in overdose and Naltrexone and agonist therapies in OUD. Gold’s work proved that cocaine caused a relative dopamine deficiency, anhedonia & was addicting Gold pioneered the study of second-hand tobacco, cannabis, and opium smoke. Gold and Kelly Brownell co-chaired the historic Yale Conference on Food and hedonic overeating and the Oxford University Press textbook. Over his 25-year career at the University of Florida, he was a Professor of Neuroscience, physician-scientist at UF McKnight Brain Institute, and University bench-to-bedside leader. He became a UF Distinguished Professor, Eminent Scholar & Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry. He was awarded an innovator award from UF President as a translational researcher and inventor for work on Xhale Assurance’s disposable pulse oximetry ala sensor, which Philips acquired in 2018. Dr. Gold was a Founding Director of the MR-guided radiation oncology pioneer Viewray and AxoGen, the nerve recovery and repair platform. Since his retirement, Gold has continued his work as a researcher, mentor, and inventor working at WUSTL. Translating scientific progress to help patients, he worked with ADAPT Pharma on naloxone and naltrexone culminating in a HEAL grant to develop longer-acting formulations. He is on the BOD of education, intervention, and prevention organizations, including CADCA. ASAM presented Gold with the McGovern ” Annual Award for highly meritorious contributions … Lifetime pioneering work”. Dr. Gold has received the APA’s Foundation Fund Award, APF’s Pillar of Excellence, DEA & NAATP’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Research, and Distinguished Alumni Awards from Yale, WUSTL, and the University of Florida. He was a Founding Editor of the Journal of Addiction Medicine & UpToDate. Currently, the Specialty Chief Editor of SUDs and Behavioral Addictions in Frontiers in Public Health. Since his retirement as a full-time academic in 2014, Dr. Mark Gold has continued his teaching, mentoring, research, and writing as a University of Florida Emeritus Eminent Scholar, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University and an active member of the Clinical Council at the Washington University School of Medicine’s Public Health Institute. With Kelly Brownell, he has updated their ground-breaking Food and Addiction by Oxford University Press for a paperback edition and is currently working on updates and revisions for a Second edition. He has analyzed and presented epidemiological research on the opioid and emerging cocaine epidemics. He has written and lectured on responses to reduce overdose deaths, medication assisted therapies and opioid use disorders. He regularly lectures at Medical...