Free Republic

On Tuesday, California moved another step closer to decriminalizing psychedelic drugs amid a debate over whether their prohibition is an outdated remnant of the “War on Drugs.” The bill cleared the Assembly Public Safety Committee 5-3, with proponents touting the benefits to military veterans and others they say can benefit from the use of psychedelics to treat trauma. The measure already passed the state Senate on a 21-16 vote and now heads to the health committee before it can go to the full Assembly, NBC Bay Area reports. If passed, Senate Bill 519 would allow those 21 and older to...

It’s the first time that smoking has been good for your health. New Jersey is now allowing smokers to get the highly coveted COVID-19 vaccine — on the grounds that their habit is considered a high-risk health condition, reports said Wednesday. “Smoking puts you at significant risk for an adverse result from COVID-19 and there are 2 million smokers in New Jersey who fit into these categories,” New Jersey’s Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said, according to NJ.com.

The ban - part of a European Union initiative to discourage young people from taking up smoking - will come into effect on Wednesday, May 20Menthol cigarettes will be banned in the United Kingdom from next week in a bid to discourage young people from taking up smoking. The ban - part of a European Union initiative - will come into effect on Wednesday, May 20. Under the new directive, flavoured rolling tobacco and "skinny" cigarettes will be outlawed. Experts believe youngsters use flavoured cigarettes as they relax airways and lower the severity of smoke. While it is commonly believed...

In the race to come up with a viable vaccine for the novel coronavirus, many groups around the world have been diving into the effort with a great sense of urgency. Various hospitals, universities and even bio-tech companies (some of whom have never produced a vaccine before) have gotten in on the action. But I’ll confess that I didn’t anticipate hearing about tobacco companies entering the competition. And yet, here we are. One of the biggest tobacco companies in the world, British American Tobacco, has somehow developed a vaccine that they say shows great promise and they’re ready to...

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Is one suburban county going too far trying to legislate what residents can and cannot do in the privacy of their own homes? Hoping to be the most progressive county in the state, Suffolk County is proposing a law that would snuff out secondhand smoke in apartment complexes, condominiums, and multi-family dwellings, CBS2’s Jennifer McLogan reported Wednesday. Smoking is already banned in many public places, and near schools and office buildings, but there are no smoke-free laws for apartment buildings, condos, and two-family homes. “Let me be clear, any legislation that there is a vote required...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WKBN) – Living through the pain of being a Cleveland Browns or Cincinnati Bengals fan isn’t enough to obtain a medical marijuana license. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Ohio State Medical Board committee rejected a petition for the condition “being a Bengals or Browns fan.”

It’s always a good time, but it’s never the “right time” to quit when you’re a smoker. You can always find a “reason” to keep doing it – “I still have a few left in this pack,” “I have a stressful week coming up,” etc. But the news of Rush Limbaugh’s diagnosis with advance lung cancer is as good a time as any to quit. If you smoke, call it a day. If you know someone who does, get on their case. It’s a cliché, but it’s also true: never quit quitting. Limbaugh’s shocking announcement Monday left fans stunned, wondering...

llinois’ governor granted more than 11,000 pardons for low-level marijuana convictions on Tuesday, describing the step as a first wave of thousands of such expungements anticipated under the state’s new marijuana legalization law. The expungement process is a key part of the law, which takes effect Wednesday and made Illinois the 11th state to legalize marijuana for people 21 or older. When they crafted the policy, Illinois lawmakers said they wanted to repair some of the damage caused by law enforcement’s efforts to combat sale and use of the drug, particularly in minority communities. Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker announced the...

Conservative leaders are circulating data to White House staff that claims adults who vape will turn on President Trump if he follows through with his planned ban on flavored e-cigarettes, Axios has learned. Between the lines: The data (shown below) reveals that the number of adult vapers in key battleground states greatly outweighs the margins by which Trump won those states in 2016 — and they argue it could cost him reelection. What we're hearing: "While parents may be concerned about e-cigarettes, the people who genuinely care about vaping as a voting issue so far outweighs the number of people...

uul Labs has agreed to stop advertising its popular e-cigarettes in the United States and announced that its chief executive officer is stepping down as state and federal regulators examine hundreds of cases of people who are sick from what appears to be a vaping-related lung disease. The company also said in a Wednesday statement that it will not push back on a Trump administration plan to pull flavored e-cigarettes from the market until the controversial products win approval from federal regulators. In the statement, Juul officials said the company will be "refraining from lobbying the administration on its draft...

Walmart says it will stop selling electronic cigarettes at its namesake stores and Sam's Clubs following a string illnesses and deaths related to vaping. The nation's largest retailer said Friday that it will complete its exit from e-cigarettes after selling through current inventory. It cited growing federal, state and local regulatory complexity regarding vaping products.

The Trump administration last week announced plans to ban most flavored e-cigarettes. New York just announced an emergency order to ban flavored vaping. A sixth person has died from vaping-related lung disease, according to the alarmists in news media. CNN has proudly signaled its virtue by announcing it will no longer run Juul and other e-cigarette ads. A few weeks ago, my son shared with me that his public school anti-drug program focused almost entirely on discouraging vaping. That’s right, our leaders have prioritized the “threat” of vaping over heroin, cocaine, alcohol, and smoking.

I am deeply concerned about the growing epidemic of e-cigarette use in our children. We need to do all we can to protect the public from tobacco-related disease and death, and prevent e-cigarettes from becoming an on-ramp to nicotine addiction for a generation of youth.--Melania Trump

A sixth American has died after developing a severe vaping, related lung illness, Kansas officials reported Tuesday. The American Medical Association on Monday urged Americans to stop using electronic cigarettes of any sort until scientists have a better handle on the cause of 450 lung illnesses and at least five deaths related to the use of the products. The AMA, one of the nation's most influential physician groups, also called on doctors to inform patients about the dangers of e-cigarettes. They want physicians to make sure their patients are are aware of the devices' potential toxins and carcinogens, and to...

June 5 (UPI) -- One of the wealthiest communities in California has become the first city in the United States to ban the sale of tobacco products, after councilors approved a new law that will take effect in 2021. The city of Beverly Hills passed the new law Tuesday. While it doesn't bar smoking inside city limits, it prohibits any business from selling tobacco products beginning Jan. 21, 2021. The new ordinance exempts existing cigar lounges and will allow hotels to sell such products to guests. Councilors said they will consider hardship exemptions for businesses that can prove the law...

<p>A glimpse of student athletes in peak physical condition vaping just moments after competing in a football game led Stamford High School Principal Raymond Manka to reconsider his approach to the epidemic.</p> <p>His Connecticut school traditionally has emphasized discipline for those caught with e-cigarettes. Punishments become increasingly severe with each offense, from in-school suspensions to out-of-school suspensions and, eventually, notification of law enforcement.</p>

Sens. Mitch McConnell and Tim Kaine plan to introduce a bill Monday that would raise the federal minimum age to buy tobacco to 21 in hopes of curbing what regulators are calling an “epidemic” of teen vaping.

Starting in May, the only smoke coming out of Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom will be from the fireworks. Disney announced on Thursday that it is banning smoking, vaping, and stroller wagons in Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney water parks, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, effective May 1. There will be designated smoking areas outside of the entrances, and smoking visitors will be able to return to their park once they are finished, a Disney spokesperson told the Orlando Sentinel. Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services, said it's "about time" smoking was banned at Disney...

(CNN)"The legislature finds that the cigarette is considered the deadliest artifact in human history." So begins the text of a new bill introduced in Hawaii's State House, calling for a phased ban on cigarette sales in the state by 2024. Hawaii has some of the most restrictive cigarette laws in the nation. In 2016, it became the first state to raise the age to buy cigarettes to 21. Now, its new bill calls for raising the cigarette-buying age to 30 by next year, up to 40, 50 and 60 in each subsequent year, and up to 100 by 2024. That...

Video from Atlanta shows store employee assaulting customer for wearing pro-Trump shirt This brand new video from Atlanta, Georgia, shows a store employee assaulting a customer for wearing a pro-Trump shirt. The assault occurs at 0:36https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65b7YuGOYMw