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
"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."
"But they're doing this in an always risky and unpredictable environment, where access to some harm-reduction services, such as drug testing, is limited or politicized."
People who use drugs are trying to stay safe in a politicized world, our surveys show
People who use drugs are increasingly trying to reduce harm—by obtaining the life-saving drug naloxone and testing their drugs—according to new data.
medicalxpress.com
September 27, 2025 at 1:46 AM
"But they're doing this in an always risky and unpredictable environment, where access to some harm-reduction services, such as drug testing, is limited or politicized."
“According to the regularly conducted survey, the proportion of adolescents aged 12 to 17 who have consumed cannabis in the past 12 months fell from 6.7 percent in 2023 to 6.1 percent this year.” reported RND
Study: Youth Cannabis Use Declined In Germany Following Legalization
The German Federal Institute for Public Health recently published data regarding youth cannabis usage rates in the European country post-legalization.
internationalcbc.com
September 27, 2025 at 1:42 AM
“According to the regularly conducted survey, the proportion of adolescents aged 12 to 17 who have consumed cannabis in the past 12 months fell from 6.7 percent in 2023 to 6.1 percent this year.” reported RND
Reposted by Matt Elrod 🇨🇦
On days when veterans reported being high from cannabis for longer periods, they tended to report fewer PTSD symptoms and lower levels of negative affect.
Cannabis use linked to short-term relief of PTSD symptoms in veterans
A new study suggests cannabis use may offer same-day reductions in PTSD symptoms and negative affect among veterans. However, the effects appear short-lived, raising questions about long-term reliance...
www.psypost.org
September 27, 2025 at 1:17 AM
On days when veterans reported being high from cannabis for longer periods, they tended to report fewer PTSD symptoms and lower levels of negative affect.
"Results suggest that cannabis consumers self-titrate when switching between flower and concentrate product types, but more frequent consumers prefer higher-potency versions of a given product type and consume them in larger amounts."
Self-Titration of Cannabis Consumption: An Epidemiological Perspective
Cannabis legalization has expanded access to high-potency products (e.g., dab concentrates) that deliver large amounts of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 9, 2025 at 5:02 PM
"Results suggest that cannabis consumers self-titrate when switching between flower and concentrate product types, but more frequent consumers prefer higher-potency versions of a given product type and consume them in larger amounts."
“These findings underscore that people don’t just stop using cannabis when their state bans it. They often shift to alternatives that are easier to access, even if they’re less well-studied or poorly regulated”
www.forbes.com/sites/ajherr...
www.forbes.com/sites/ajherr...
States Without Legal Weed See More Delta-8 THC Usage, Study Finds
A new study has found that the use of delta-8 THC products is more common in states that continue to prohibit marijuana and have not regulated the compound.
www.forbes.com
September 9, 2025 at 12:01 AM
“These findings underscore that people don’t just stop using cannabis when their state bans it. They often shift to alternatives that are easier to access, even if they’re less well-studied or poorly regulated”
www.forbes.com/sites/ajherr...
www.forbes.com/sites/ajherr...
"History and science have shown these are the places doing the work that helps us all."
Opinion: Province moving backwards by closing harm reduction centres
What is to become of places, like Red Deer's Turning Points or Calgary's Alpha House, that have provided low-barrier, wrap-around care?
calgaryherald.com
August 19, 2025 at 6:54 PM
"History and science have shown these are the places doing the work that helps us all."
"The notion that cannabis legalization was promoted as a way to end a deeply embedded black market instantly is simply not supported by the facts, just feelings."
The growing conservative push against legal cannabis
Canada’s 2018 cannabis legalization felt like global progress toward sensible policy, but seven years later, momentum has stalled amid growing political pushback.
stratcann.com
August 11, 2025 at 5:55 PM
"The notion that cannabis legalization was promoted as a way to end a deeply embedded black market instantly is simply not supported by the facts, just feelings."