Marijuana, i.e., cannabis, is now legal in eleven states for recreational use, thirty-three states for medical purposes, and another sixteen states have decriminalized it (usually fines for possession of small amounts). The upcoming election will see several legalization ballot measures, including recreational use legalization in Arizona, Montana, and New Jersey and medical use in Mississippi. South Dakota will have both medical and…
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The obesity paradox: Obese patients fare better than others after heart surgery
The World Health Organization has declared obesity to be a global epidemic that “threatens to overwhelm both developed and developing countries.” However, is obesity always bad when it comes to health?
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How unscientific Covid policies are harming birthing mothers and their newborns
The unfortunate backlash of government and institutional policies regarding Covid-19 have affected countless individuals in the United States since the pandemic began. Suicide, drug abuse, and prescriptions of depression medication are on the rise, hinting at the turmoil many Americans are facing. With the focus on preventing the spread of coronavirus, which has a mortality rate similar to that seen…
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How the lockdowns will drive up healthcare costs
The Covid-19 lockdowns have done untold amounts of economic damage, most of which has yet to reveal itself. Permanent unemployment for millions, countless bankruptcies, rent defaults and much more will jar the economy for the foreseeable future.
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When it comes to masks, there is no “settled science”
As the “fifteen days to slow the spread” continues to extend indefinitely, the issue of mask mandates has become increasingly contentious. The debate has been exacerbated by the inconsistency of the recommendations of authorities (political, scientific, and imaginary). Early in the pandemic, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) advised against the…
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The false-positive panic over Covid-19
Imagine an articulate chief lemming bragging that not only had his followers jumped off a cliff, but that they had done so in far greater numbers than any other slice of the rodents. This is the position occupied by the US regarding testing for Covid-19. We’ve done more testing than any other country and bragged a lot about doing so;…
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Do lockdowns work? Mounting evidence says no
The coerced economic "shutdowns"—enforced with fines, arrests, and revoked business licenses—are not the natural outgrowth of a pandemic. They are the result of policy decisions taken by politicians who have suspended constitutional institutions and legal recognition of basic human rights. These politicians have instead imposed a new form of central planning based on an unproven, theoretical set of ideas about…
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State lockdowns are creating a mental health disaster
Although state lockdowns have served governors well as a heavy-handed show of force, the policies are a patent neglect of the many nuances inherent in human action. They have led to a host of unintended consequences, including the emergence of a new health crisis—a dangerously sharp rise in mental illness. Though states are gradually wading out of lockdown, the damage…
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The biology of coffee, the world’s most popular drink
You’re reading this with a cup of coffee in your hand, aren’t you? Coffee is the most popular drink in the world. Americans drink more coffee than soda, juice and tea — combined.
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New Year’s anxiety hangover? Here’s what’s happening in your brain
Have you ever woken up in the morning (or afternoon) in a cloud of worry after having a few drinks the night before?