Tennessee’s Drug Paraphernalia Immunity Law — T.C.A. § 40-7-124
This 2015 state law protects Tennesseans from drug paraphernalia charges — but only under one circumstance.
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From Personal Experience
I Quit Smoking by Vaping — But Now I’m Taking More Nicotine Than Ever Before
The story of how I got hooked on cigarettes is funny. Well, not “ha ha” funny, but strange — that’s for sure. It was February 2017. I was three months short of earning a bachelor’s degree — a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) in Accounting — and was gearing up to apply for
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Let’s Start Using “PWLE” in Place of “People With Lived Experience”
We’re all familiar with “people who use drugs” (PWUD) — a person-first phrasing now-often used in place of once-more-common alternatives like “addicts,” “junkies,” and even “drug users.” I actually prefer “drug user” to PWUD, but that’s not important. In the world of harm reduction, we support things like drug-involved organizations hiring active and former drug
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Current American Medication-Assisted Treatment Conventions Aren’t All Ideal
While medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs across the country have reduced harm that enrollees otherwise would have experienced without enrolling, some feel that MAT hasn’t been expanded far enough throughout the United States. I can’t help but feel glad it’s legal here in Tennessee, though I also believe our current MAT system is far from ideal
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How Current Tennessee Laws Affect Drug Users
Without laws, uncivil action would permeate society. Laws are essential to maintaining order. Few of us would be willing to live somewhere that doesn’t have laws or an active law enforcement presence. Unfortunately, across the United States, existing laws unfairly treat people who use drugs. This is especially true in Tennessee — take syringe laws
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I’m Burnt Out from Practicing Harm Reduction
I’ve been giving out clean syringes, naloxone kits, and educating drug users and laypeople both here in Northwest Tennessee and online for about three years. Only once have I been paid for doing these things, which came in the form of writing three articles about laws that affect drug users here in Tennessee. I’ve also
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Common Opioid Potentiators and How They Affect Opioids
These over-the-counter drugs and substances can be used to improve the analgesic and recreational potential of opioids. Always remember to use responsibly, no matter the reason for your opioid use.
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Avoid These Places When Buying Kratom
Gas stations, head shops, and music stores are bad places to buy kratom. Why? Find out here.
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Probation From a Drug User’s Perspective — Failures of the Criminal Justice System
What’s probation been like for me? Has it made me a better person? Has it curbed my drug use? Has it done anything good for me, at all?
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Solutions to Northwest Tennessee’s Area-Specific Challenges
Note: Since the publication of this article, I’ve been made aware of two Syringe Services Programs in West Tennessee. Both are in Memphis — A Betor Way and the Memphis Area Prevention Coalition’s SafePoint. Northwest Tennessee (NWTN) is home to just as many drug users as anywhere else, though not nearly as many — if any — resources that
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