The Daily Briefing 7.13.2020

There’s troubling news from New York State, where governor Cuomo has notified drug and alcohol treatment providers he will immediately slash their funding by 31 percent, despite the recent surge in drug overdoses and fatalities related to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Providers—who were given no warning about the surprisingly large cuts—say the consequences are likely to be dire and further strain a mental health network already struggling to provide treatment.

Facilities could close and treatment curtailed, leading to more drug-related deaths, say the providers. The governor had said cutbacks were needed unless Washington comes through with a financial bailout package for the state.

Meanwhile, residents of Washington, D.C. will likely vote this fall on decriminalizing certain plant-based hallucinogenic substances, including psychedelic mushrooms—becoming the latest jurisdiction to take up the issue of effectively decriminalizing possession of mushrooms containing psilocybin, a psychoactive substance.  Although supporters say the drug—currently illegal under state and federal law—can deliver mental-health benefits scientists caution that more research is required to determine whether hallucinogenic drugs can be addictive.

And finally, physicians at a Colorado children’s hospital report that medical marijuana use for nausea and similar symptoms was considered potentially unsafe in nearly two-thirds of oncology patients. The finding is important as more states adopt medical marijuana laws and hospitals establish treatment policies.

The Daily Briefing 7.10.2020

A letter in the New England Journal of Medicine offers insights into health outcomes at an illegal safe injection site in the U.S., and its impact on substance abuse. The evaluation of the unsanctioned site in an undisclosed location found that after 5 years and some 10,000 injections, there were 33 opioid-involved overdoses—all of which were reversed by administering naloxone—and no deaths or referrals to an outside medical institution. Because the study was limited to one city and one site, the results cannot be generalized. But they do offer preliminary evidence that such sites could reduce mortality at a time when nearly 70,000 individuals die each year from drug overdose.

As is often the case with safe consumption models, what’s missing is the treatment component: this study concludes that safe sites could allow substance users to link to other services including treatment, but does not require it. The Rosenthal Center supports safe injection site pilot projects that would create a continuum of care allowing individuals to enter treatment and rebuild their lives—rather than offering only a safe and controlled environment to shoot up drugs.

Meanwhile, a new study from Finland analyzing vaping ads on Instagram shows that vaping companies clearly target young people. About 40 percent of the hundreds of thousands of images that appeared over 6 months promoted flavored e-liquid devices that are very popular with young people.

And finally, the New York City Council as approved a list of occupations that will still require pre-employment testing for cannabis—adding obvious categories such as workers who operate heavy machinery, fuel aircraft and regularly operate a motor vehicle. The original bill said police officers and anyone supervising or caring for children would be tested for pot use.

The Daily Briefing 7.9.2020

Joe Biden is standing firm in his opposition to full marijuana legalization, as a joint Biden-Sanders task force issues policy proposals to bridge the gap between the Democratic Party’s moderate and progressive voters. Progressives have been pushing the presumptive Democratic nominee to embrace nationwide legalization, but he has resisted out of concern for public health—and the lack of scientific evidence on the drug’s impact on teens as well as adults. Under the joint policy statement, Biden endorses decriminalization of pot, federal legalization of medical use, and letting the states decide on recreational use. This is a win for Biden’s thoughtful and scientifically sound go-slow policy until we can assess the risks and dangers of marijuana legalization.

Meanwhile, a crackdown on online sales of e-cigarettes to minors is moving closer after the U.S. Senate passed a bill banning such purchases, opening the way for full adoption by Congress. The measure would also implement strict rules for sales to adults—including age verification—in an effort to control the teen vaping and nicotine epidemic.

And finally, an initiative in Oregon to use tax revenues from marijuana sales to fund drug treatment will be on the ballot in November, but critics say it doesn’t go far enough to expand treatment and also reduces penalties for possession of heroin and meth.

The Daily Briefing 7.8.2020

Joe Biden has taken a principled, and thoughtful stand on marijuana legalization—one based on available science and meant to safeguard public health. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee favors decriminalization and expunging criminal records, but a go-slow approach on nationwide legalization until researchers determine the impact of long-term use.

The Rosenthal Center supports Biden’s uncompromising stance even as he comes under growing pressure to embrace legalization to win votes from young people and progressives.  More politicians should be made aware of Americans’ changing perceptions about pot: our 2020 Cannabis Study found growing support for pausing legalization and curbing commercialization—and policymakers must keep this in mind as they formulate election platforms.

Meanwhile, Mexican drug cartels are profiting from the COVID-19 pandemic, ramping up illicit trade in heroin, fentanyl and meth. The surge in illegal drug activity comes amid a spike in overdoses in the U.S., exacerbated by the corona virus lockdown.

And finally, investors in cannabis companies are taking executives to task for not coming through on promises of boundless growth.  Shareholder litigation accuses leaders of making false claims about potential profit and defrauding investors, as interest in the pot market sours.

The Daily Briefing 7.7.2020

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden is under pressure to embrace nationwide marijuana legalization as a policy objective, but he has so far refused out of concern for public health and the lack of scientific evidence about pot’s safety. Pundits believe Biden could pick up the youth and progressive vote by going all in on legalization, as the movement for cannabis reform accelerates amid calls for changes to the criminal justice system. Yet Biden is holding out, saying he wants to be assured that legalizing won’t lead to serious mental or physical problems, in teens or adults, and he has asked for the latest science to guide his policymaking.

At the moment, his marijuana plan calls for decriminalization, expunging criminal records, and moving de-listing pot as a Schedule 1 narcotic, while allowing states that are legal to stay that way. What Biden is proposing sounds like a sensible plan, but in a tight electoral year he might eventually bow to pressure to adopt a more liberal stance on marijuana.

Meanwhile, drug treatment facilities are adopting hospital-level safety protocols to protect patients and staff from COVID-19. In many rehab centers, they are testing incoming patients for corona virus and maintaining social distancing. In part, the new measures are necessary because many people suffering from substance abuse suffer from a number of underlying conditions that might increase their susceptibility to COVID-19.

And finally, Colorado has filed a lawsuit against e-cigarette maker Juul, accusing the company of marketing its products to young people and downplaying the health risks of vaping. The legal action comes after a study showed that in 2018 Colorado had the nation’s highest youth vaping rate.

The Daily Briefing 7.6.2020

The House of Representatives has approved legislation allowing for more research into marijuana and also directing states to educate people about the dangers of impaired driving from cannabis. Tucked into a massive infrastructure bill, the marijuana provisions acknowledge the need for more research into the impact of the drug as the push to legalize pot ramps up in the post-pandemic period. The bill allows researchers access to samples and strains of marijuana being offered to consumers—in other words, at dispensaries in legal states—instead of only from limited, government-grown sources under the current law.

Equally important, the bill authorizes states to conduct research into impaired driving from cannabis and to create a national clearinghouse to study marijuana’s impact on driving. Together, the measures would begin to fill in the gaps of scientific knowledge and evidence about the ways marijuana can change behavior, cognition and capabilities.

Meanwhile, the renowned Harvard psychiatry professor and advocate for marijuana decriminalization and legalization, Lester Grinspoon, has died at 92. Dr. Grinspoon was at first skeptical about marijuana and considered it a dangerous drug. But he later changed his opinion, calling it a relatively safe intoxicant that should be regulated like alcohol. Dr. Grinspoon also carried out thoughtful research on the damage that marijuana laws —and the criminal justice system—inflicted on poor and troubled youth, which has particular resonance today as the movement for criminal justice reform addresses many of these issues.

And finally, regulators in Oklahoma say slushie machines dispensing drinks infused with marijuana component THC are not in compliance with state regulatory guidelines. The drink machines have been popping up at medical dispensaries in the state, but they don’t meet the requirement that pot products be packaged in child-resistant containers.

The Daily Briefing 7.2.2020

 The outbreak of vaping-related illness—known as EVALI—sickened thousands and killed 68 people, leading to investigations into the safety and marketing of e-cigarettes and vaping products, especially those targeted to young people. The CDC eventually stopped tracking the disease, but reports now suggest EVALI is still with us—and might be confused with symptoms of COVID-19.

A report says 8 new EVALI cases have emerged in California, with all the victims between 18 and 25 years old and all having vaped both nicotine and THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana. Doctors say there might be more cases that were missed due to the corona virus, which means the dangers of vaping and flavored e-cigarettes are still present. The outbreak is not surprising, given the surge in e-cigarette use among young Californians, according to a UCLA study. That found the use of pot and e-cigs jumped dramatically between 2017 and 2018, with vaping up nearly 50 percent and marijuana 19 percent.

Researchers said one-third of young adults in California, about 1.7 million people, were currently using one, or sometimes, more of the products, especially flavored products. These troubling findings support further measures to curb not only the sale of flavored e-cigarettes but all vaping products that still pose great risks to public health.

The Daily Briefing 7.1.2020

Federal and local officials nationwide report alarming spikes in drug overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic, confirming anecdotal evidence that the social isolation, economic losses and lack of access to treatment experienced during the lockdown are having a tragic impact on substance abusers.

While final numbers are not yet available, suspected overdoses—not all of them fatal—jumped 18 percent in March, 29 percent in April and 42 percent in May, according to a federal tracking program. In Milwaukee County, dispatch calls for overdoses have increased more than 50 percent. Health professionals had reckoned with an uptick in overdoses, prompted in part by social distancing that can trigger relapse and the closing of many treatment centers, drug courts and rehab facilities for financial and safety reasons.

What’s needed now is emergency funding to ensure services remain available and recovery centers stay open in this critical time. Meanwhile, an editorial in the American Journal of Psychiatry looks at the issue of using cannabis for treating chronic pain. Although marijuana has shown some promise in this regard, more evidence is required for it to be used safely and more widely in clinical practice—as chronic use of marijuana carries the risk of a patient developing cannabis use disorder.

And finally, city officials in Boulder, Colorado have imposed a hefty 40 percent sales tax on e-cigarettes as part of a more comprehensive initiative to curb an epidemic of teen vaping and nicotine use. It has also banned the sale of flavored vaping products, after public health authorities estimated that 33 percent of high school students in the city vaped.

The Daily Briefing 6.30.2020

At the height of the opioid epidemic, Native Americans overdosed and died at a rate that rivaled some of the hardest-hit regions in Appalachia—but their suffering was often overlooked. An investigative report in the Washington Post takes a closer look at the addiction crisis among tribal communities in Oklahoma. Native Americans have higher-than-average injury rates from work in industries such as farming and logging, and lack access to quality healthcare and non-pharmacological treatment options, making them an easy target for manufacturers, distributors and pharmacy chains.

The opioid industry shipped more than 5.4 million prescription pain pills to Oklahoma’s Jefferson Country alone, an average of 94 pills per person per year. Nationwide, from 2006 to 2014, Native Americans were nearly 50 percent more likely to die of an opioid overdose than non-natives.  Now, tribal communities are among the thousands of plaintiffs in lawsuits seeking a windfall payout from the opioid industry—to be used to fight the opioid crisis among Native Americans and expand treatment.

Meanwhile, marijuana legalization was always touted as a tool to help end systemic racism by encouraging cannabis entrepreneurs in communities of color that were disproportionately incarcerated during the war on drugs. But the reality is that pot businesses are overwhelmingly white-owned, a fact that helps perpetuate racism and also exacerbates white supremacy, a column in Forbes argues.

And finally, HBO is getting into the marijuana trade: the cable network is teaming up with a cannabis maker to sell edible pot gummies to promote a new animated series. While the series isn’t really about marijuana, it seems HBO is simply embracing the culture of consuming weed while binge watching shows.

The Daily Briefing 6.29.2020

Many religious leaders, especially in African-American communities, once warned their congregations about the dangers of marijuana—even calling it a plague on their communities. But now, as marijuana legalization gathers strength, and in the wake of the movement for criminal justice reform, some leaders are weighing the damage the drug might cause against the number of people of color who have been sent to prison, and the benefits it can provide to those in physical pain.

While some leaders remain staunch opponents of pot—saying it is neither medicine nor a harmless recreational drug—others find themselves in the middle of a heated debate over health, race and law enforcement. Many are embracing cannabis reform, with one church even launching its own like of CBD products, with its pastor saying he wants to raise awareness about holistic medicine and entrepreneurial opportunities.

The debate within religious communities echoes a wider conversation taking place across the country about marijuana’s increasingly important role in our society—and how our perceptions and attitudes about put will impact policymaking.

And finally, a Canadian study in Pediatrics finds that restricting e-cigarette ads aimed at young people could help prevent teens from taking up vaping. Canadian provinces that allow retail displays promoting e-cigarettes had nearly three times the teen vaping rate, and teens that said they noticed ads were more likely to start vaping. The study also revealed that the rate of teen vaping more than doubled to nearly 18 percent after e-cigarette laws were relaxed—a finding that should be taken into consideration as the U.S. continues to debate partial bans on flavored vaping devices and e-cigarette advertising.

The Daily Briefing 6.25.2020

Drug policy often comprises efforts to reduce the supply of drugs, expand health and social services to addicted individuals, and prevent addiction in the first place. As the opioid epidemic rages on, with troubling spikes in overdoses and fatalities during the Covid-19 lockdown, a new report from Brookings says there are now new opportunities to focus on prevention.

These measures could include promoting safer opioid prescribing, issuing public health warnings about the dangers of the super powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, and ensuring prescription opioids are locked up and out of the reach of children. The audience for such measures, the report notes, includes prescribers and pharmacists—not just potential users—with the goal of achieving greater control over supply, as most of the opioids that are misused come from legal and regulated distribution. In addition, regions not yet exposed to black market fentanyl should use every tool available to delay its arrival through law enforcement, although this is not a long-term solution.

At the same time the clinicians, patients and pharmacies need nudges and system redesign, not just education, to avoid become unwitting accomplices in the opioid crisis. While the educational component of prevention is important, it will probably remain only modestly effective, mainly because it is mostly adults, rather than adolescents, who initiate opioid use through prescription drugs.

The Daily Briefing 6.24.2020

Los Angeles was once seen as a potential showcase for the nascent marijuana industry in California, which legalized recreational pot in 2018 and was poised to become the world’s largest legal market for the drug. But it hasn’t turned out that way. In L.A., illicit trade continues despite legal marijuana dispensaries. And a much- touted program to encourage social-equity and minority-owned pot businesses—to help communities disproportionately impacted by the long-running war on drugs—has been slow to take shape.

While the city council proposes changes to laws regulating the market, the failure of the cannabis industry in L.A. is further evidence that legalization is not a cure-all for many problems facing state governments, including a shortfall in tax revenues and social inequality.

Meanwhile, a thoughtful op-ed in The Hill by Dr. Adam Bruggeman, an addiction medicine physician in Texas, argues that in order to fight the opioid epidemic, we must all work together—including physicians, patients, the government and insurance companies. He points out that only a small fraction of physicians are certified to prescribe addiction medications, and that and insurance companies should re-evaluate the high cost of treatment to make it more widely available.

And finally, a new CDC report says nearly 11 percent of adult Americans over the age of 20 used prescription painkillers between 2015 and 2018. Prescription opioid use was higher among women than men, and use increased with age—important data that can be used to determine further measures to control prescription opioid use.

The Daily Briefing 6.23.2020

Marijuana legalization was on course for a big year in 2020 as dozens of states prepared to tackle the issue either through legislative measures or public voting. But when the corona virus hit, social distancing regulations and other priorities blunted that momentum. Now analysts believe cannabis reform might get a boost as states seek ways to plug huge budget shortfalls due to the economic downturn and subsequent decline in tax revenues.

Many states that have been weighing legalization already are facing some of the biggest shortfalls of more than 10 percent, which might encourage state leaders to accelerate efforts to legalize marijuana. Before doing so, however, legislators might want to read new studies noting a correlation between increased traffic fatalities in the first four states to legalize recreational pot.

One study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found an excess 75 traffic deaths per year after retail sales began in Colorado in 2014. If every state legalized recreational marijuana sales, the study concluded, an extra 6,800 people would die each year in traffic accidents.

Although the studies did not determine if the drivers were stoned—which can impair driving—supporters of legal weed should look carefully at such results, and the potential risks of pot, as they push for cannabis reform. And finally, it’s the end of vaping in Australia after the country bans nearly all imports of e-cigarettes.

Consumers had turned to buying overseas products after the sale of e-cigarettes was made illegal, citing health concerns. The prohibition will last for 12 months while the government concludes a public consultation on the regulation of nicotine products.

The Daily Briefing 6.19.2020

Native Americans in Washington State have been hit hard by the opioid epidemic. They die of opioid overdoses at a rate nearly three times higher than non-natives, and access to drug treatment is scarce in rural areas such as Clallam County, which has been flooded with prescription pain pills and black tar heroin. But when a tribe proposed opening a multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art drug treatment center for both native and non-native patients struggling with substance abuse, local residents fought back—arguing that it would draw “addiction tourists” to the small town, hurt housing prices and overwhelm schools ad law enforcement.

The center would have combined native healing practices with medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which combines withdrawal medications with therapy and peer-based counseling. Yet one year later, the death toll continues to mount as the fight over the facility drags on, dividing the community and raising uncomfortable questions about racism, the nature of addiction treatment and the intentions of the tribe itself, which traces its roots to the area for centuries. Meanwhile, a documentary by Frontline and the Financial Times traces the story of opioid maker Insys, and how its executives became the first pharmaceutical bosses to get prison terms for bribing doctors to prescribe prescription painkillers, fueling the opioid epidemic.

And finally, the battle over dangerous flavored e-cigarettes and vaping devices moves to Montana, where a temporary state ban on such products has expired and the vaping industry vows to fight a new plan by the state health agency to impose permanent restrictions on sale. With an estimated 30 percent of Montana high school students using e-cigarettes the officials say concerns over vaping—and the outbreak of vaping-related lung illnesses—are as urgent now as they were last year, before being overshadowed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Daily Briefing 6.18.2020

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was an early advocate last year of banning the sale of flavored vaping products that are responsible for fueling a teenage nicotine epidemic. But courts continually blocked her efforts after the vaping industry filed a legal challenge that eventually left the measure in limbo. Now the state Senate has passed a bill that would specifically allow individuals to sell flavored vaping products, opening the way for legally sanctioned sales.

The bill also imposes an 18 percent sales tax and increases the age requirement for buying tobacco and vaping products to 21 from 18. Republicans backing the bill say it would offer adults a choice whether to use the products. But it does nothing to regulate the vaping industry’s targeted marketing of flavored devices to underage consumers. This has led to a surge in teenage nicotine use, with about 20 percent of high school students saying they vape.

Meanwhile, Texas might be moving toward acceptance of legalized recreational marijuana, due to a huge budget deficit and economic losses caused by the corona virus lockdown. Marijuana decriminalization and legalization area increasingly popular in the state, and are receiving even more attention because of the financial crisis as well as the criminal justice reform movement.

Supporters say opening cash-strapped Texas to retail sales of pot could provide a new source of income for the state. But missing from the discussion are the increased costs of healthcare—and the negative impact on young people—that are likely to result.

The Daily Briefing 6.17.2020

Teenagers coping with drug addiction face daunting challenges, yet there are fewer and fewer specialized facilities that cater to their specific needs. One encouraging trend, however, are high schools designed for students in recovery, including Heartland in Ohio, a state with the second-highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the country. Heartland is the first such high school in Ohio, offering personalized learning, daily mindfulness lessons and group sessions.

Recovery high schools, which have existed since the late 1980s, have grown rapidly since the early 2000s in the wake of the opioid epidemic. Studies show the schools can significantly reduce students’ substance abuse and improve mental health, in part by providing a welcoming, highly structured and supportive environment for teens struggling with addiction.

Meanwhile, an article in Vox looks at methadone—one of the most studied and successful forms of drug treatment—and how its high cost is unmanageable for many patients. Those quoted in the story say they like methadone treatment but that either insurance won’t pay for it or the clinic doesn’t accept their insurance. A 2019 study found that in recent years, coverage for addiction treatment has gotten worse, relative to physical healthy services.

While methadone in its generic form is relative cheap, it costs more as part of addiction treatment largely due to legal requirements for staffing, storage, security and other services. Many of these rules were relaxed during the COVID-19 pandemic—making it easier to both prescribe and distribute drugs such as methadone—which should be studied to determine effectiveness.

The Daily Briefing 6.16.2020

A task force advising presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on drug policy is pushing for him to adopt a broader call for nationwide marijuana legalization. Now, Biden’s official stance includes decriminalizing cannabis possession, federally rescheduling it, expunging prior records, legalizing medical use and letting states set their own policies on recreational.

While that approach covers many of the bases for marijuana reform, some members of the task force say this more moderate position is insufficient and untenable—and perhaps more importantly, would not likely garner support from the progressive wing of the party, which is regarded as crucial for Biden to win the election. This has become more apparent in light of the movement to accelerate criminal justice reform and policing policies, which in the past have led to disproportionately high incarceration rates for drug offenses among people of color.

Racial disparities in drug enforcement have long been a problem, and some believe that treating such offenses as a public health issue—rather than a justice one—is the best way to redress past policies. As Biden formulates his policy on marijuana, he will have to balance calls for criminal justice reform—including marijuana legalization—with the reality that easier access to pot poses risks and dangers of its own, especially for adolescents and young people.

The Daily Briefing 6.15.2020

Drug treatment centers across the country are facing a financial crisis as the corona virus pandemic cuts patient enrollment and threatens funding. Many facilities are seeing fewer patients, due to social distancing regulations, and are concerned about looming state and federal budget cuts due to the economic downturn.

A large percentage of centers have already furloughed or laid off employees, and are running short of cash reserves, while also having to invest in new technology for tele-health services that enable them to treat patients remotely. The crisis comes as drug use and overdose deaths surge during the pandemic lockdown, raising the risk of backtracking on progress fighting the opioid epidemic.

Meanwhile, a new University of Pennsylvania study finds that few patients in Philadelphia receive critical follow-up care after a drug overdose. Only 1 in 6 were in treatment within 90 days of an overdose, although services such as rehab, medications and counseling are deemed essential to help prevent relapse.

There were also racial disparities in Philadelphia—a city with one of the highest opioid-related death rates—as Black patients were half as likely to receive treatment as non-Hispanic whites.

And finally, the vaping industry is looking forward to a post-pandemic summer sales boom as consumers return to “enjoying” nicotine and marijuana vaping products. The execs told Forbes their products are safe, despite the outbreak last year of vaping-related illnesses and deaths and links to worsening symptoms and outcomes for those who contracted Covid-19. There was also no mention of the partial federal ban on flavored products targeted to teens, and accusations the industry has fueled a nicotine epidemic among young people.

The Daily Briefing 6.12.2020

There are growing concerns about mental health issues, including suicide and substance abuse, among the millennial generation born at the start of the 1980s. Facing economic upheaval in the post 9/11 years, and now weathering the global corona virus pandemic and job losses, the Millennials face increasing stress, anxiety and despair, with a resulting 20 percent spike in mortality rates since 2008 for those ages 20 to 34.

Drug-related deaths for this age group more than doubled from 2007 to 2017, while alcohol-related deaths rose by 69 percent and suicides by 35 percent. The uptick is particularly pronounced for young people with less education, who face more financial strain and unemployment with the decline of manufacturing, leading to what is known as “deaths of despair.”

Meanwhile, as debate rages about much-needed criminal justice reform, some Congressional Democrats argue that nationwide marijuana legalization should be on the agenda. The lawmakers believe that eliminating the prohibition on cannabis—and the selective enforcement of cannabis laws in communities of color—would be an important step to promote racial justice. While decriminalization of pot is a sensible goal, the representatives fail to mention the health risks and dangers posed by marijuana to all communities.

And finally, police in Detroit have busted a $41 million opioid ring involving doctors, nurses and pharmacists who had distributed nearly 2 million prescription pain pills. Despite a crackdown on such practices, and increased prescription drug monitoring, the criminal dealings that fueled the national opioid epidemic are still operating—and contributing to the ongoing drug crisis.

The Daily Briefing 6.11.2020

Michigan legalized medical marijuana 12 years ago for certain health problems and allowed adult use for any ailment in 2018. What has happened in that time period? According to a new University of Michigan study, past-month pot use climbed 60 percent—especially among young adults ages 18-25—and one in 30 pregnant women use the drug. The number of fatal car crashes involving a driver under the influence more than tripled to 23.4 percent.

In addition, hospitalizations and emergency department visits increased—with teens and young adults accounting for the largest share of cases. Meanwhile, in Colorado, public perceptions about pot and driving are lagging behind statistical evidence highlighting the risks. A report from the state’s department of transportation says many Coloradans don’t believe that marijuana can impair driving, even as the number of drivers involved in fatal car crashes in the state who tested positive for pot rose sharply each year since 2013, more than doubling since 2018.

The department now wants to build an awareness campaign about the dangers of pot and driving—long after Colorado legalized marijuana. And finally, Ohio’s medical board has rejected proposals to add autism and anxiety to the list of 21 ailments that can be treated with medical marijuana. Opponents of including autism and anxiety said there was not enough data showing the benefits of pot for these patients, adding that such as a move would negatively impact the health and well being of thousands of children.