RICK COLLINS

Tonight I had the pleasure of hearing my friend Ken Kunken, Esq., speak at the about his incredible life. Ken suffered a football injury in college that left him a quadriplegic. Despite his disabilities, he went on to become a successful Assistant District Attorney (and to marry his sweetheart and father three sons). Ken overcame obstacles far larger than any barriers most people will ever face, and always with kindness and class. I am grateful to have been his partner as a prosecutor. Ken has written his amazing autobiography and it’s available on Amazon.

The NYPD continues its confused, misdirected campaign against cops building muscle. The policy is nothing new: police personnel can't use unprescribed "STEROIDS OR HGH," supposedly to protect their health (hmmmm, then why allow smoking ci******es or being overweight?) and to prevent so-called "Roid Rage" (largely a myth, and unrelated to HGH anyway). But the department never provides the list of what will be tested for, then subs out the testing to a sports doping lab that tests for substances (like Clenbuterol) that are NEITHER steroids NOR growth hormone, and if you pop positive they go after your job and pension. This new announcement says that supplement contamination is no longer going to be an accepted excuse, even if conclusively proven. That's big news, because I WON a case in the NYPD trial room partly on that defense and have successfully defended police officers in multiple jurisdictions who used over-the-counter products that turned out (verified by testing) to be contaminated with banned substances. Should cops be discouraged from taking dietary supplements, especially sports nutrition products? Check out the thoughts expressed in this article.

NYPD warns cops they could be fired for taking over-the-counter supplements: ‘Complete overreach’ The NYPD is warning workout warriors on the force that there will be no more excuses if a legal over-the-counter muscle building supplement leads to a failed drug test.

Here it is… the first part of an awesome podcast series with Dylan Christiano Gemelli!!

The Dylan Gemelli Podcast featuring SPECIAL GUEST The Anabolic Attorney Rick Collins!! Welcome to the Dylan Gemelli Podcast!! Featuring SPECIAL GUEST The Anabolic Attorney Rick Collins!! Follow Rick on instagram, twitter and facebookInstagram...

Stay tuned for many new podcast interviews in the New Year! Excited for some controversial conversations with some awesome hosts.

It was only a matter of time until a high-profit drug product prompted a counterfeit market. But it’s unclear what is meant by “counterfeits.” It’s NOT compounded products — that’s a different market. And it’s probably not products made in backrooms somewhere. More likely it is genuine Novo Nordisk products which were diverted from the drug supply chain after sale, then relabeled, repackaged and resold with fake pedigrees not reflecting the prior sale. I was involved in a huge investigation into counterfeit HIV drugs and that was the model. In any event, worth noting.

FDA Issues Warning About Counterfeit Ozempic The FDA has seized thousands of counterfeit units of semaglutide.

"Looking at nearly 3,000 U.S. men, those with lower urinary concentrations had significantly higher total levels than men with either normal or high iodine levels." Hmmm.

Iodine Linked With Men's Testosterone Levels Results suggest 'excess iodine is not harmless,' said researcher

Interesting safety finding on prescription-strength .

Seizures found as Epidiolex side effects in rare cases: Safety study Epidiolex, an approved CBD therapy for seizures in Dravet, may in rare cases cause side effects including clusters of seizures, per a study.

One of the few television stars to praise the benefits of TRT!

"Getting on testosterone was huge for me ... I had none by the time I was done with season one, due to the stress and the fatigue and what I had done to my body. For me, it’s a long game. I want to do Reacher for 15 years... I don’t want to have to have surgery after every season, and testosterone helps. I'm a big advocate of it, especially for people in their forties or above. [Men aren’t] aware that it’s out there, but it could be really life changing. It could be a mood stabiliser for people... It can do a lot more than just help you be buff, but it certainly helped in my journey."

'Reacher' Star Alan Ritchson Reveals How Testosterone Therapy Helped Him Get in Shape for Season 2 ‘For me, it's a long game. I want to do Reacher for 15 years... I don't want to have to have surgery after every season, and testosterone helps,’ says Ritchson

The New York Post reports:

“Plus-size TikTokkers are praising Southwest Airlines for its “customer of size” policy, which allows overweight passengers to request a complimentary seat and forces the flight staff to accommodate larger flyers — even if that means kicking others with tickets off the flight.”

“If you’re fat, you know the anxiety of flying and this alleviates it a lot,” Caroline, a travel influencer who said she is a size 20, told her nearly 200,000 followers in a video posted at the end of October. “I had a very comfortable flight just feeling like I was allowed to take up the space I needed. Under the [airline’s] policy, customers whose bodies “encroach” past the armrest are entitled to an extra seat at no additional cost.”

Okay, peeps. My take. The policy doesn’t define what a “customer of size” is nor what “encroach past the armrests” means. It says nothing about body weight distribution. A wide upper body can “encroach” upon the passengers next to you just as much as a “fat” bottom, making a coach flight a nightmare for the average bodybuilder. The width between the Southwest armrests measures only 17 inches. The shoulder width of a solid gym bro can be 24 inches or more.

So, are large-sized bodybuilders included in this policy, or just people with obesity? Let’s see what happens next time a jacked bro shows up at the Southwest counter demanding a free extra seat. Could there be the makings of a discrimination class action lawsuit here…?

Southwest Airlines is praised for ‘customers of size’ policy that allows overweight flyers to purchase one seat and get another complimentary Plus-size TikTokkers are praising Southwest Airlines for its “customer of size” policy, which allows overweight passengers to request a complimentary seat.

Oh, uh-oh, Ozempic!? CNN reports that US poison control centers “say they are seeing a steep increase in calls related to semaglutide, an injected medication used for diabetes and weight loss, with some people reporting symptoms related to accidental overdoses. Some have even needed to be hospitalized for severe nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, but their cases seem to have resolved after they were given intravenous fluids and medications to control nausea. From January through November, the America’s Poison Centers reports nearly 3,000 calls involving semaglutide, an increase of more than 15-fold since 2019. In 94% of calls, this medication was the only substance reported.”

But the blame is being directed at the compounded versions of the drug. “The compounded versions of semaglutide are often different from the patented drug. Many contain semaglutide salts called semaglutide sodium and semaglutide acetate. The FDA says the salt forms of the drug have not been tested and approved to be safe and effective the way the patented form of the medication has, and thus they don’t qualify for the compounding exemption in the law for drugs in shortage. In other cases, the compounded versions are sold in unapproved dosages.”

“The name-brand drugs are sold in pre-filled pens, which come with some safeguards. Patients dial to the correct dose and click to inject, so it’s harder to make mistakes. Ordinarily, people start at lower doses and work up over time to the therapeutic amount so their bodies can adjust. Compounded versions, however, typically come in multidose glass vials, and patients draw their own doses into syringes. It’s easy to get confused. … A 50-year-old man accidentally gave himself 50 units instead of 5 units as his first dose for weight loss. He vomited for two days and had nausea for a week.“

Is the fault on physicians for not explaining things properly or on easily confused patients?

Poison centers see nearly 1,500% increase in calls related to injected weight-loss drugs as people accidentally overdose | CNN Poison control centers across the US say they are seeing a steep increase in calls related to semaglutide, an injected medication used for diabetes and weight loss, with some people reporting symptoms related to accidental overdoses.

Today the DEA issued a temporary order scheduling six synthetic cannabinoids in Schedule I in order to “avoid imminent hazard to the public safety.” The temporary order took effect immediately and will stay in place until December 12, 2025.

The six cannabinoids include:

Methyl 3,3-dimethyl-2-(1-(pent-4- en-1-yl)-1H-indazole-3- carboxamido)butanoate (Other name: MDMB–4en–PINACA)

Methyl 2-[[1-(4-fluorobutyl)indole- 3-carbonyl]amino]-3,3-dimethyl- butanoate (Other names: 4F–MDMB– BUTICA; 4F–MDMB–BICA)

N-(1-amino-3,3-dimethyl-1- oxobutan-2-yl)-1-(pent-4-en-1-yl)-1H- indazole-3-carboxamide (Other name: ADB–4en–PINACA)

5-Pentyl-2-(2-phenylpropan-2- yl)pyrido[4,3-b]indol-1-one (Other name: CUMYL–PEGACLONE; SGT– 151)

Ethyl 2-[[1-(5-fluoropentyl)indole-3- carbonyl]amino]-3,3-dimethyl-butanoate (Other names: 5F–EDMB–PICA; 5F– EDMB–2201

Methyl 2-(1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-1H- indole-3-carboxamido)-3-methyl butanoate (Other name: MMB–FUBICA)

DEA Cracks Down On Synthetic Cannabinoids, Classifies These Six As Schedule I Drugs DEA has issued a temporary order under the Controlled Substances Act, scheduling six synthetic cannabinoids in Schedule I.

Alpha Male Challenge

Today's psychologists think that seeing "superhero standards" of strength and muscularity are harmful to men. This guy suggests avoiding exposure to muscular bodies (goodbye, bodybuilding magazines and websites!), cutting back on your time in the gym for your own "well-being," and being less gender "rigid." But I'm smart enough to know that Superman is an "unrealistic" ideal but to find him inspiring to be better than I am. Thoughts?

Reversing The ‘Superhero Standard’—The Root Of Men’s Body Image Issues Here’s how you can develop a healthier relationship with your body and redefine masculinity in a more inclusive and realistic way.

Wishing all our CGMB clients, colleagues and friends a Happy Holiday Season and the very best for the New Year ahead.

Want to learn more about the sports and active nutrition market's regulatory and legal landscape? Join Daniel Fabricant and me for an online panel discussion at 11 am TODAY. Free to join at this link!

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Naturally Informed - Active Aging: Mastering the Market 2023. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. The goal for 2023: to live stronger, longer. Consumers today are focused on extending health span, defined as the period of one’s life that one is healthy. Emphasis on the healthy, because we want to stay active and energized into our golden years. And more than ever before, younger generations ar...

"Growth hormone (GH) or testosterone can better protect against spinal fractures than a common osteoporosis medication alone in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) or severe Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), according to a long-term study."

Growth hormone, testosterone help protect against spinal fractures For Duchenne or Becker MD, growth hormone or testosterone was found more effective against spinal fractures than zoledronic acid alone.

Check out Dr. Todd Lee’s podcast for my latest interview!

Anabolic LAW & The Steroid Stigma || GUEST SERIES w/ Rick Collins, Esquire Sometimes this industry feels like Breaking Bad with the shady things people have to do to get their medications. It surely doesn't help when practitioners ...

A few technical inaccuracies and I’m not quite sure about the “retired bodybuilder who now practices law” description but overall this is a good piece on the new peptide guidance from FDA.

Inaccuracies

Retired Bodybuilder Who Now Practices Law Reveals Why Peptides Used for Muscle Growth Are Being Banned by FDA - EssentiallySports Former bodybuilder Rick Collins and the seven-times Fitness Model of the Year, Mike O'Hearn discuss why Peptides are getting banned.

This week we looked at the current “normal” range of men’s testosterone levels for the purposes of prescribing T. Given the substantial decline in T levels since the 1980s, why are we using today’s diminished levels as the standard? Aren’t we thus normalizing DEFICIENCY? Watch the new groundbreaking podcast.

The Health Optimization Doctor’s Roundtable - Hosted by Jay Campbell 📧 Subscribe to Jay's email list and Raise Your Vibration! 👉 http://join.jaycampbell.com 👈 ✅ Become Fully Optimized by Joining Jay's Private Online Members...

My colleague Marc Ullman quoted on the Balance of Nature enforcement action citing illegal disease claims, manufacturing violations, and SOP deficits. Curious that FDA did not require that the "adulterated product" be recalled....

Court orders Balance of Nature to stop production & sale of non-compliant supplements A federal court has ordered the manufacturer and distributor of the Balance of Nature brand to cease the production and sale of the dietary supplements after the FDA accused the two Utah-based companies behind it of multiple violations spanning years.

PEDs History Lesson: Steroids Were Banned Because They Were Effective | The Mike O'Hearn Show While different in practice, is the recent FDA decision on peptides similar to the US ban of steroids? Steroid lawyer Rick Collins explains.

New podcast interview with Mike O'Hearn. Check it out here!

Steroids Were Banned Because They Were Effective, Not Because They Were Dangerous PODCAST RECAP: https://generationiron.com/mike-ohearn-rick-collins-steroids-peptides/In the latest episode of Generation Iron and Barbend's The Mike O'Hearn ...

It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to Official Muscular Development Magazine. After 250 monthly columns spread out over 22 years, touching on all things fitness, hormones, law, and culture, I have been advised that the magazine is closing up shop and will print no further issues. So sad. When I started, print was still a powerhouse and social media didn’t yet exist. It’s a different world now. I will deeply miss working with the members of Team MD, and I wish them well in all their future endeavors. What’s next for me? I’ll keep my day job lawyering my butt off and maybe see what else looks interesting!

New study found that lower levels of testosterone were associated with an increased risk of developing arthritis.

Lower serum testosterone is associated with increased likelihood of arthritis - Scientific Reports Studies have suggested that serum testosterone levels may be strongly correlated with the pathogenesis of arthritis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the relationship between serum testosterone levels and arthritis in US adults using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey...

NEWS ALERT: New York Governor Hochul is about to sign the Clean Slate Act into law, making the sealing of most misdemeanors and felonies automatic in three and eight years respectively provided there are no new convictions and the person is no longer on probation or parole. The law will take effect one year from today.

“The Nevada Athletic Commission has instituted new policies that draw the line between what drug testing results it deems “atypical” as opposed to “adverse.”

At a monthly meeting Tuesday, the NAC established new thresholds for substances previously prohibited: GW1516, dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (DHCMT) long-term metabolite (M3), clomiphene, epitrenbolone (trenbolone metabolite), and selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMS).”

Backed by UFC, Nevada changes drug-testing threshold policies for previously prohibited substances UFC CBO Hunter Campbell presented to the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) before changes were officially made Tuesday.

USADA has unveiled the changes to the 2024 WADA global anti-doping prohibited list, which goes into effect January 1, 2024.

What's Changing on the 2024 WADA Prohibited Doping List? There are a few significant cahnges to the 2024 global anti-doping prohibited lists. Find out what's changing in January.

Dave Palumbo and I chat about the recent New York State age restriction law on certain supplements!

THIS STATE IS BANNING SUPPLEMENTS! Preeminent attorney Rick Collins (https://www.rickcollins.com/) joins Dave Palumbo to discuss a proposed ban on supplements to certain age groups in New York...