Opioid overdose deaths are surging in the Chicago area, with Black residents accounting for more than half of the nearly 1,200 deaths this year—although they make up only a quarter of the population. The number of deaths began to rise months before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the subsequent lockdown, economic losses, existing social inequities and the lack of adequate healthcare services have added new challenges. Officials warn that the corona virus pandemic has overshadowed the growing opioid crisis in Cook County, and have called for measures including greater availability of overdose-reversal drugs.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy says the state will have to be innovative to make up for budget shortfalls due to the COVID-19 economic slump—including marijuana legalization, which he described as a “no-brainer” solution to raise tax revenues and also promote social justice. Murphy said he hopes New Jersey will get there sooner rather than later because legalization is “an incredibly smart thing to do.”
And finally, what isn’t smart when it comes to marijuana legalization is pot brands that falsely claim their product can be used to treat opioid addiction. A JAMA study found that a large proportion of medical marijuana dispensaries make unsupported claims about the effectiveness of cannabis for opioid use disorder, including that marijuana could replace FDA-approved medications for treating opioid addiction. It's further evidence that regulations and curbs on commercialization are critical to control a legal marijuana market.