169 episodes

High Truths on Drugs and Addiction is a podcast hosted by Dr. Roneet Lev, an emergency and addiction physician who has served at the White House and practices on the front lines. Each Monday new episodes will feature experts that answer questions from you, our audience. We hope to bring your day a little bit more High Truths.

High Truths on Drugs and Addiction Dr. Roneet Lev

    • Health & Fitness
    • 4.9 • 147 Ratings

High Truths on Drugs and Addiction is a podcast hosted by Dr. Roneet Lev, an emergency and addiction physician who has served at the White House and practices on the front lines. Each Monday new episodes will feature experts that answer questions from you, our audience. We hope to bring your day a little bit more High Truths.

    Episode #169 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Peter Komendowski and Drug-Free Communities

    Episode #169 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Peter Komendowski and Drug-Free Communities

    Peter Komendowski is one of Iowa’s leading advocates for healthy, drug-free communities.  In the face of the opioid epidemic, a resurgence of meth use, and a marijuana industry targeting Iowa youth he is a sought-after speaker as an expert in substance abuse prevention and high-risk behavior management.
    Peter serves as president of The Partnership for A Healthy Iowa and the Face It Together (PDFI/FIT) coalition, and co-director of the Iowa Digital Literacy & Wellness Project.  He succeeded Senator Grassley as Chair of Face It Together Coalition’s healthy communities’ initiative, which still stands to this day as the oldest statewide coalition of substance abuse prevention resources in Iowa.
    Peter travels throughout Iowa coordinating projects including the Iowa Media Literacy Project, Take5Iowa, the Drug-Free Workplace Program, Speak Out 4 Kids, the Power of Grandparents, the Blueprint for Healthy Communities, and the Iowa Caring Communities Tour.
    He was invited by Mediacom to host the TV series, Children & Drugs: Secrets for Parents, which aired eight episodes in 2013.  Building on that success he was invited back to host the TV show Surviving Bad, now in its 10th year on the air.
    He is co-founder of the Internationally renowned Iowa Digital Literacy & Wellness Conference, and as a writer and a speaker, has been entertaining audiences of all ages with his observations on “living in the digital world – life at the speed of human.”
    He also speaks to children and adults, on topics ranging from “How Substance Abuse, Media and other Addictive Behaviors Impact Your Bottom Line,” “A Mindful Approach to the Media – Knowing the Tricks & Traps,” to “Rebuilding America from the Inside Out.”  He has enjoyed a healthy dose of media exposure, has been a TEDx speaker, and is often aired on Iowa radio and TV stations as a subject matter expert on substance abuse, prevention, and youth high risk behaviors.
    Additional information is available at www.AHealthyIowa.org

    • 1 hr 2 min
    Episode #168 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Shelly Howe, San Diego DEA

    Episode #168 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Shelly Howe, San Diego DEA

    Special Agent in Charge Shelly S. Howe began her law enforcement career in 1999 as a Special Agent with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Narcotics Enforcement, where she worked with the local Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office on numerous federal narcotics investigations.
    In 2003, Mrs. Howe began her career as a Special Agent with the DEA in the Minneapolis/St. Paul District Office.  In 2012, she was promoted to Group Supervisor of the San Ysidro Resident Office and in 2015 was named as the Resident Agent in Charge.  As a supervisor, Mrs. Howe led Special Agents, Task Force Officers, Intelligence Research Specialists and support personnel in support of DEA’s mission.
    In 2017, Mrs. Howe was selected to serve as an Inspector for the Office of Professional Responsibility in Arlington, Virginia.  In 2018, she was promoted to the Executive Assistant for the Operational Support Division and for the Principal Deputy Administrator of DEA.
    In 2019, Mrs. Howe was selected to be the Assistant Special Agent in Charge in the San Diego Field Division.  In 2022, Mrs. Howe was promoted to the Senior Executive Service as the Special Agent in Charge of the San Diego Field Division.  As the Special Agent in Charge, Mrs. Howe is responsible for DEA operations in San Diego and Imperial Counties.
    During her law enforcement career, Mrs. Howe has received numerous awards for exceptional service, including City of St. Paul Chief’s Award, Minnesota State Association Narcotics Investigators Group of the Year Award, and the DEA Administrator’s Outstanding Group Achievement Award.

    Mrs. Howe holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with an emphasis in criminal justice from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

    Mrs. Howe is married with three young children.  She enjoys golfing and the outdoor activities San Diego has to offer.                                                                                                           

    • 45 min
    Episode #167 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Libby Jones and Drug Policy Advocacy

    Episode #167 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Libby Jones and Drug Policy Advocacy

    Libby Jones is the Program Director of Global Health Advocacy Incubator, GHAI’s Overdose Prevention Initiative. Libby leads the Initiative’s advocacy efforts, advancing federal policies to reduce the overdose death rate in the United States by expanding access to treatment and promoting harm reduction. Prior to joining GHAI, Libby served as government relations officer at the Pew Charitable Trusts’ substance use prevention and treatment initiative. Libby also has more than 15 years of experience working in the U.S. federal government, having held various positions in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Department of Commerce, Department of Justice.


    Libby holds a Masters Degree in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary.

    • 1 hr 15 min
    Episode #166 High Truth on Drugs and Addiction with Chief Rodney Scott, Customs and Border Patrol

    Episode #166 High Truth on Drugs and Addiction with Chief Rodney Scott, Customs and Border Patrol

    Rodney Scott served nearly three decades in the United States Border Patrol building vast experience and knowledge in federal law enforcement and border security.  Chief Scott assumed command of the United States Border Patrol on February 2, 2020, becoming the 24th Chief.  Scott served as Chief during the Trump, and Biden administrations and retired in August 2021.


    Chief Scott began his career with the U.S. Border Patrol on May 11, 1992, as a member of Academy Class 252.  His first assignment was to the Imperial Beach Station, San Diego Sector as a frontline field agent.  As Chief Scott promoted through the ranks, he earned a reputation as an innovative, problem-solving leader.   As a result, Chief Scott was asked to take on several leadership and specialized assignments.  Following the 9-11 terrorist attacks he served as a principal advisor to the Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on anti-terrorism matters.  Chief Scott was later selected as the Deputy Executive Director of the CBP, Office of Anti-terrorism.  Chief Scott served as the Director for CBP’s, national Incident Management and Operations Coordination Division which oversaw preparedness, national emergency response and interagency coordination.


    Chief Scott was selected to serve as the Chief Patrol Agent for El Centro Sector and the San Diego Sector before being selected as Chief, US Border Patrol.   As the national Chief, Scott led over 21,000 personnel and was responsible for securing the vast international borders of the U.S. between the official ports of entry.


    After retiring Chief Scott immediately leveraged his vast experience and knowledge in border security to inform and educate politicians and the public about the threats that our nation faces when we choose to leave our international borders unsecured.    In November 2021 Chief Scott teamed up with Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) as a Distinguished Senior Fellow on border security and immigration.  Through TPPF and direct contacts, Chief Scott continues to work with Congressional leadership, State legislators, civic groups, and media outlets to provide insight and expertise in border security.  Chief Scott also serves as an advisor to A1C Partners and DFND.  Chief Scott has testified before Congress on several occasions, routinely appears on major news networks and has shared his insights on various podcasts with the likes of Vice President Pence, Dr. Ben Carson and many others.
    Border 911
    Customs and Border Protection Data



     

    • 1 hr 18 min
    Episode #165 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with District Attorney Summer Stephan

    Episode #165 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with District Attorney Summer Stephan

    District Attorney Summer Stephan has devoted her life to protecting children and families, providing justice to the most vulnerable, and is a national leader in the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Summer rose through the ranks fighting for justice in the trenches before San Diego County voters overwhelmingly elected Summer as District Attorney in 2018 and again in 2022. As District Attorney, she leads the second-largest DA’s Office in California, managing a professional staff of 1,000 employees, serving as the People’s Prosecutor for San Diego County and its more than three million residents. Summer leverages her extensive courtroom, management, and leadership experience to set clear public safety priorities in collaboration with law enforcement and the community, keeping San Diego County one of the safest urban regions in the United States. In 2022, Summer was named one of “The Five Best Prosecutors in America,” utilizing evaluation factors of integrity, fidelity to the rule of law, responsible innovations, and community relations.
    As a trial prosecutor, she tried more than 100 jury trials, including cases of complex homicides, sexually violent predators, child molestation, sexual assaults, school shooting, and human trafficking-related cases. She served as Chief of the DA’s North County Branch and Chief of the Sex Crimes and Human Trafficking Division, a special victims unit she pioneered.
    As the District Attorney, Summer opened a state-of-the-art Family Justice Center in the North County for victims of domestic violence and elder abuse. Summer launched a juvenile diversion program that diverted hundreds of kids away from the school to prison pipeline. Summer fulfilled her commitment to test every rape kit with over 2000 rape kits tested. Her office tripled the prosecutions of hate crimes and doubled down on the prosecution of deadly fentanyl dealers. Summer is implementing innovations to help address the intersection of crime and homelessness.
    DA Stephan holds leadership positions in public safety nationally and locally, including serving as a vice-president of the National District Attorneys Association, and co-chair of the National Association of Women Judges Human Trafficking committee. Summer served on the Governor’s Task Force for High-Risk Sex Offenders and Sexually-Violent Predators. She spearheaded the innovative “Know the Price” campaign, which focused on reducing sexual assaults on college campuses. She also led the award-winning “The Ugly Truth” human trafficking awareness campaign as well as the “San Diego Opioid Project,” aimed at reducing opioid and fentanyl overdoses. Summer led a coordinated effort to protect the community from targeted mass violence with a School Threats Task Force that implemented a unified protocol with all 42 school districts in San Diego County. In addition, she began an effective Veterans Treatment model in North County inspired by a heroic Marine Corps veteran.
    Summer is the recipient of numerous local, state, and federal awards, including an FBI commendation for organized crime prosecution, outstanding achievement award from the Deputy District Attorneys Association for the complex prosecution for the rape and murder of an elderly woman. She was named an “Angel of Anti-Human Trafficking” and a “Modern Day Abolitionist.” In 2022, she received the Bernard E. Witkin Esq. Award for Excellence in the Practice of Law, for her extraordinary contributions, leadership, and accomplishments as District Attorney. She was selected as the 2017 Southern California District Attorney of the Year by Crime Victims United, was awarded the Pathbreaker Award by Shared Hope International, and received the 2019 Humane Award for her work in fighting animal cr

    • 57 min
    Episode #164 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Dr. Meg Haney and Cannabis Addiction Treatment

    Episode #164 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Dr. Meg Haney and Cannabis Addiction Treatment

    Is there treatment and hope for people with cannabis use disorder?

    There is always hope, and there are more treatment options on the horizon.

    Dr. Meg Haney shares information on AEF0117, an inhibitor of the CB1 receptor.

    We discuss a young man who struggles with cannabis use disorder and mental health that his parents attribute to high potent THC products.

     


    Dr. Margaret (Meg) Haney is a Professor of Neurobiology (in Psychiatry) at the Columbia University Medical Center, where she is the Director of the Cannabis Research Laboratory and Co-Director of the Substance Use Research Center. Her research focuses on human laboratory models of cannabis and cocaine use disorders and the assessment of novel pharmacologic and immunologic approaches to treat these disorders. Her particular interest is to define the factors that contribute to the daily use of drugs. Her publications to date have largely focused on: (1) the positive and negative reinforcing effects of cocaine and cannabis, (2) the effects of medications on cannabis and cocaine self-administration, (3) predictors of cannabis withdrawal and relapse, (4) the potential medical benefits of different cannabinoids, alone and in combination with opioid medications.
    Dr. Haney's research has been continuously supported by NIDA since 1999. She is internationally recognized for her expertise, particularly regarding cannabis use disorder. She is an author on more than 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 12 book chapters, is an Associate Editor for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, an advisory editor for Psychopharmacology, a longstanding participant in NIH review groups, and is a fellow in the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and recent past President of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence.
    Dr. Haney frequently provides media interviews, including television (CNBC, NBC, CBS), newspapers (e.g., NY Times, Wall St. Journal), magazines (e.g., Time, New York Magazine), radio (WNYC, NPR), podcasts (Science Rules! with Bill Nye) and digital media (seeker.com).

    • 1 hr 8 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
147 Ratings

147 Ratings

M.G.K. E.S.Q. ,

This podcast is a must!

This is an incredibly educational and accessible podcast. It is so important for people to understand the often terrible ramifications of even what people think is non- harmful and even touted as “beneficial “ drug use. This podcast gives you the actual data from scientific research and let’s you hear experts discuss the issues presented.

Alfredo e ,

Educational

Amazing pod cast!

DrMomkey ,

Highly recommend!

Binging on Netflix will kill time in the evening, but binging on this podcast may keep drugs & addiction from killing your kids! As a college health expert & family physician, I highly recommend this podcast to learn about the true medical risks of today’s concentrated THC products & other drugs. The host is an experienced ER doctor & her variety of knowledgeable guests will bring you back for every new episode.

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