A spate of overdose deaths linked to counterfeit, fentanyl-contaminated pills is roiling Boulder, Colorado, panicking parents and young people, and public health officials in the city. At least a dozen people ranging in age from 18 to 68, including college students—have died recently by fentanyl, either on its own or in combination with other drugs. Fentanyl-laced pills have been circulating in the county for the past couple of years, part of a national trend: in fact, two in five of all the counterfeit pills circulating in the country contain drugs make in Mexico to look like oxycodone and Xanax tablets, and contain enough fentanyl to kill a person instantly. More prevention and education efforts are therefore needed, along with interdiction, which is already at a high level: in any given week, DEA officials in the Denver field office seize between 5,000 to 100,000 counterfeit pills
There’s a growing body of evidence connecting cannabis use during pregnancy to negative health impacts—with the latest study warning that marijuana can lead to anxiety, aggression, and hyperactivity in children from age 3 to 6. This survey, based on 322 mother-child pairs, analyzed hair samples, placental tissue, and behavioral studies, finding higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. National guidelines recommend against the consumption of cannabis products while pregnant because of its effects on fetal health and child development.
And finally, it seems there’s something that both Democrats and Republicans can agree on—marijuana legalization. A growing number of Republicans, generally more conservative than Democrats on the pot question, are getting behind a GOP House bill to lift the federal prohibition on marijuana. The measure would also impose a nationwide 21-year age limit with an exception for medical use, and allow states to make their own rules and around cannabis—including banning sales within state borders. Analysts say the push and pull between the parties may lead to a compromise with Democrats over their more progressive legislation, and eventually lead to national legalization.