“Pharmacology” on The Daily Caller

Almost anyone who has faced a test or a deadline probably wished there was a smart pill to pop. (more)

Congress passed a bill on Wednesday that would reduce the disparities between mandatory sentences for crack and powdered cocaine violations, a step toward ending what legal experts say have been unfairly harsh punishments imposed mainly on blacks. (more)

If you were dying of cancer, how much money would be too much money to spend to extend your life? That’s a ridiculous question, of course, because there is no price tag that could be put on more time with loved ones, but that’s exactly what the government does every day when they decide whether or not to allow “off-label” use of certain drugs, which set the guidelines private insurance follows. (more)

Giving a heroin addict one of the most powerful psychedelic drugs seems like a bad idea. Yet that’s exactly what a group of scientists will do this month. Ibogaine, they say, might be the best way to break drug addicts of their habit. (more)

An overnight traffic stop that began with an expired inspection sticker and obscured rear license plate ended in with the arrest of a passenger on two felony drug charges and one misdemeanor. (more)

The residence of a University of Central Florida student housed a cache of explosive chemicals and a drug den, deputies said. (more)

Four men from Australia, Mexico and the US have been charged after Customs officers found 240 kilograms of cocaine inside stone pavers. (more)

In a basement in La Paz used as an improvised warehouse, millions and millions of coca leaves – cocaine’s raw material – are stockpiled in white, grey and blue bags. (more)

A high-profile spat between the parent companies of the nation’s two largest drugstore chains could mean some people who have their drug coverage managed by CVS Caremark Corp. soon might be unable to get their prescriptions filled at Walgreen Co. stores at a discount. (more)

At least two tonnes of cocaine with a street value of some $1 billion has been seized in The Gambia, bound for Europe. (more)

HARTFORD — Marijuana use had little effect on simulated driving skills, according to a Hartford Hospital study, but test subjects were more easily distracted when under the influence of the drug. (more)

An outraged retiree, “Mr. Edwards,” recently wrote on a health care blog that despite taking a particular brand name cholesterol-lowering statin for 17 years with good results, his United Healthcare/AARP health insurance policy would not cover his preferred prescription. It would, however, authorize another statin—Merck’s Zocor. (more)

The $125 million theft of five paintings by artists like Picasso and Matisse from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris in May caught the attention of the world. But compared with the total annual trade in illicit goods, the heist was small change. (more)

The discovery of anti-infective agents such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, and antibacterials in the 1930s and 1940s represents a transformative moment in human history. They have made an invaluable contribution to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Since their introduction, anti-infectives have revolutionized healthcare and saved millions of lives. Unfortunately, over time, bacterium inevitably develops resistance to existing drugs, making infections difficult if not impossible to treat. (more)

A man carrying a frozen leg of lamb in his luggage has been arrested at a Northern Territory airport after a bag of drugs was allegedly found hidden inside the meat. (more)

The moves would reduce crime and stop dirty needles being left in school playgrounds, Dr Peter Carter, the General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said. (more)

When the pharmaceutical industry maps the world, here’s what it sees: 87% of its $773 billion in revenue comes from the U.S., Europe, and Japan, but sales in those places are stagnant, according to research firm IMS Health (RX). So where is growth to be found? (more)

PERTH, Scotland, April 21 (UPI) — Scottish police said a woman who visited the station to collect her lost purse was arrested immediately for possession of the cocaine found inside the bag. (more)

Jail has done wonders for Cameron Douglas, his famous dad, Michael, wrote in a heartfelt letter to the judge who’ll sentence the drug-dealing Hollywood scion today. (more)

The International Cannabis and Hemp Expo, the first trade show in the United States to allow on-site pot smoking, attracted an estimated 15,000 enthusiasts to Daly City over the weekend. (more)