A ballot initiative in Oregon this November to decriminalize all drugs received a significant funding boost with a $500,000 donation from Mark Zuckerberg’s foundation. The Facebook founder’s contribution represents roughly a third of all funding raised so far for the initiative, which would decriminalize drug possession and use a portion of existing legal marijuana sales to expand substance misuse treatment. If approved, low-level possession would be considered a civil infraction punishable by a maximum $100 fine and no jail time—an effort to reframe drug use as a public health issue rather than a matter to be handled through the criminal justice system.
Meanwhile, a new study of female veterans shows that one third have tried or intend to try marijuana to manage menopause symptoms. Only about 20 percent said they had tried conventional hormone therapy, a finding that doctors call “alarming” as there’s no evidence that cannabis helps with menopause symptoms while hormone therapy is proven to be safe and effective.
And finally, the Wall Street Journal reviews a new product lineup of CBD-infused food and drink products, from olive and chili oils to chocolate bars and Turkish delight. Amid much praise for adding these items to your pantry, the article does acknowledge that research into CBD—the non-psychoactive component of marijuana—remains “inconclusive and contradictory.” It also fails to mention some of the outlandish and unproven claims that CBD marketers have made about such products, including alleviating anxiety and helping patients with Alzheimer’s disease.