#opioid-addiction

#opioid-addiction

So, here's a sentence I never thought I would write: The new Dwayne Johnson movie is better than the new Daniel Day-Lewis movie. The artist formerly known as The Rock makes his biggest bid for thespian legitimacy in The Smashing Machine, and it's a successful one. Ironically, the former WWE megastar and action-movie icon transcends his cartoonish image by tackling a role that has huge echoes of his career in the squared circle.

Kirsten Smith was 16 when a boy from school injected her with morphine, 18 when she and a date Googled how to crush up and inject themselves with oxycodone, and 19 when she first shot up heroin. Living in Knoxville, Tennessee and modelling herself on Pulp Fiction's freewheeling Mia Wallace, Smith spent her days experimenting with alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy, mushrooms, LSD and benzodiazepines.

Texas passed a landmark law in June 2025, supported by former Gov. Rick Perry, that allocates US$50 million to support research on ibogaine, one of the most powerful psychedelics, for treating opioid addiction and treatment-resistant PTSD. Arizona passed a similar law in May, funding research on ibogaine's effectiveness for treating veterans and those with traumatic brain injuries. These laws come on the heels of states such as Oregon, Colorado, Kentucky and Georgia legalizing ketamine for therapeutic purposes.

The first full trailer for 'The Smashing Machine,' featuring Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr, is now available, highlighting the MMA journey of the athlete.