The Denver Post editorial board is taking a strong stand backing curbs on marijuana products with high levels of THC—the psychoactive component that gets you high—after Colorado doctors report an alarming spike in patients suffering psychosis, especially in young people. Colorado has been a pioneer in pot legalization, but it’s only now that officials are becoming aware of its dangers, citing research studies in prominent medical journals showing that marijuana with THC levels of up to 90 percent poses a “substantial risk” to mental health. And, that it’s relatively easy for teens in the state to purchase the maximum allowable amount of such concentrates. The paper isn’t calling for the re-criminalization of marijuana, but for “shutting down the pipeline to our schools” as essential for public health and safety and protecting teens—all the more reason for states considering legalization to impose a temporary pause, until we can fully assess the impact on consumers.
Meanwhile, the Biden White House says it will allow people to apply for jobs in the administration if they have used marijuana recreationally—that is, if they agree not to use while working and submit to drug screenings. The White House wants to open up the pool of possible applications, especially young people, a spokesman said, which might be difficult for some without a waiver dismissing prior pot use.
And finally, Texas is not a legal marijuana state, but that isn’t stopping enterprising businesses from selling a new type of hemp-derived product—called Delta 8—that gets you high but doesn’t circumvent current laws. Hemp is legal, and the new product is an example of how industrious entrepreneurs are creating myriad new offerings with different marketing angles, using the country’s fractured laws on recreational pot.