The fragile gains we have made over the past few years fighting the opioid epidemic are in jeopardy, as the COVID-19 pandemic places further strains on the nation’s health care system and social safety net, according to a report in The New Republic. It says that as overdose deaths rise in 35 states since the start of the pandemic, many of the measures put in place to address addiction—including the distribution of overdose-reversal drugs, community outreach and needle exchange programs—are at risk as resource are diverted to stop the spread of the corona virus. The article also warns that things could get worse as the economy continues to deteriorate and officials threaten cuts to Medicaid and substance abuse treatment funding due to budget shortfalls.
And finally, an emergency room doctor is speaking out about what he calls the “the lie of medical marijuana,” and the lack of scientific evidence to support the claim that it is an answer for chronic pain control or could be used to treat opioid use disorder. He says the consequences of continuing to market marijuana as such could be grave, noting that the opioid crisis will be followed by the marijuana crisis—even if there are safeguards in place for the distribution of marijuana in any form.