After the first presidential debate failed to tackle the opioid epidemic, there was hope the VP debate would finally address the nation’s drug crises—but the only mention was a pledge by Kamala Harris to decriminalize marijuana and expunge criminal convictions. That’s the official Biden-Harris policy, which progressive Democrats believe does not go far enough because it doesn’t endorse nationwide marijuana legalization (not much is known about the Trump policy on pot).
The moderator failed to ask any questions about the opioid epidemic, at a time when overdose fatalities are at a record 72,000 annually—and are expected to worsen due to the COVID-19 pandemic—and drug treatment providers are in dire financial straights due to budget shortfalls. What’s more, Harris did not have an opportunity to detail the ambitious $125 billion Biden plan to confront the opioid crisis over the next decade—an initiative supported by the Rosenthal Center.
Meanwhile, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has voiced strong opposition to an upcoming Oregon ballot measure that would allow the use of the hallucinogenic compound psilocybin for the treatment of mental health conditions. The APA has called for more research into the drug, as science has not yet determined whether psilocybin is a safe medical treatment for mental health conditions—such as addiction, depression, anxiety disorders and end-of-life distress—which would be permitted under the measure.
And finally, Pew reports that opioid overdose deaths increasingly involve multiple substances, either intentionally or by accident. In 2018, nearly 63 percent of overdose fatalities also involved cocaine, meth and anti-depressants, as well as the synthetic opioid fentanyl. This signals the need to address multi-substance use as part of a comprehensive response to the opioid epidemic