Efforts to accelerate the pace of marijuana legalization are gaining strength, as four state attorneys general urge Congress to pass a federal legalization bill as early as next month. The AGs from New York, Oregon, Delaware and Minnesota reason that “the responsible regulation and control of marijuana will be more beneficial to society than prohibiting and criminalizing it,” noting that cannabis reform is as urgent as ever as a matter of public health and safety. In their view, decriminalizing pot and regulating cannabis would help reduce youth access and promote public safety—although it's not clear what evidence, if any, supports this theory. In fact, many studies show the opposite—that marijuana use among young people often increases following legalization, along with car traffic fatalities and emergency room visits among other health risks posed by easier access to pot.
Before moving ahead with legalization, the Rosenthal Center proposes a moratorium to allow time to better understand the impact of pot in legalized states, especially when it comes to vulnerable populations, as well as strict rules and regulations to control the market.
Meanwhile, a new study shows that Americans have a significant lack of understanding about opioids—despite the ongoing opioid crisis and extensive media coverage of addiction issues. The survey finds that while a majority of Americans say they know what an opioid is, only 22 percent could successfully identify seven commonly prescribed opioids.
And finally, consumers are buying products with CBD—the non-psychoactive component of marijuana—in record numbers, and they’re also giving CBD to their pets for ailments including anxiety and skin conditions, despite warnings from vets. Sales of pet CBD products grew nearly 1,000 percent in 2019, although vets say that peer-reviewed research on CBD for dogs is still limited and no products have been approved by the FDA—much like the current status of CBD for humans.