There’s worrying news from Colorado: while the number of high school students who use marijuana has not changed dramatically since pot was legalized in the state five years ago, the way young people use the drug has shifted to more dangerous forms of concentrate, vaping and dabbing. The department of health says about one-fifth of students used pot in 2019, but that the number who dab powerful concentrates had more than doubled in four years, and those that vape has almost quintupled to more than 20 percent. Equally troubling, is that those who use the drug are consuming concentrates with THC levels that can reach 90 percent. As other states consider legalization and regulations to govern the market, these findings point to the many risks and dangers—especially to young people—that must be addressed to ensure public safety.
And finally, as the COVID-19 pandemic rages and drug overdose deaths spike, one doctor in Washington, D.C., is still on the front line of the opioid epidemic. A Washington Post article highlights the work of Dr. Edwin Chapman, who treats about 275 opioid addicts in his office in a predominately Black neighborhood of D.C., a city that recorded 47 opioid overdose deaths in April—the highest monthly total in the past five years. Chapman wants to show the city what recovery looks like through a sustained, committed effort to provide high-quality drug treatment to all who want it—a goal he urges city leaders to embrace.