Victims of the opioid epidemic may be able to claim up to $48,000 in compensation from Purdue Pharma, the maker of highly addictive OxyContin, according to an analysis of the company’s latest bankruptcy proposal. Under the terms of the offer, aimed at settling nationwide opioid litigation, covered injuries include overdose deaths, addiction and babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, caused by exposure to opioids in the womb. Payouts would depend on the severity of an individual’s injury or addiction, and come from a $750 million trust established by Purdue, which is facing more than 100,000 personal-injury lawsuits related to the firm’s flagship prescription painkiller. If approved by a bankruptcy court, the firm will also set up trusts to fund opioid abatement and treatment programs.
Meanwhile, New York State lawmakers are inching toward agreement on a marijuana legalization bill, but are stuck on how to address impaired driving under the influence of pot. There’s no roadside test for marijuana or THC, making law enforcement difficult. The impasse came about after legislators acknowledged a significant increase in traffic accidents and fatalities in legal marijuana states.
And finally, as legislators in Albany hash out the legalization measure, they should be aware of a new survey that finds broad support overall for legalization in New York—but also resistance to allowing pot shops in neighborhoods. While 61 percent of New Yorkers favor legalization, 52 percent of New York City residents would chose an opt-out close banning marijuana sales where they live. This disconnect mirrors trends in other legal states—including California, Colorado and Oregon—where a majority of localities don’t want a marijuana retail presence in their backyard.