Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer is making a big effort to end federal-level marijuana prohibition, but his biggest problem to win passage may be Democratic senators—not generally more conservative Republican members. The latest to signal their disapproval are senators Shaheen of New Hampshire, and Tester of Montana. Shaheen, for her part, noted that research shows legalization of cannabis leads to more drug use, adding that we’re in the middle of a deadly opioid epidemic. A few other senators are also on the fence, and Schumer can’t afford any dropouts in his own party to get this through. Even if it did pass, the White House is still noncommittal about whether President Biden would sign the legislation.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration is considering banning menthol cigarettes and also lowering the nicotine in all cigarettes sold to levels at which they are no longer addictive. A menthol ban aims to curb smoking initiative among young people, while lowering nicotine would push smokers to alternatives including e-cigarettes, which can be equally addictive, especially among younger consumers.
And finally, a new study shows how e-cigarette companies are still pursuing youthful users by embedding product placements in popular music videos, which remains legal. The study found that those exposed to e-cigarette imagery were more likely to vape—and that some of these videos were viewed more than one billion times. Vaping use is surging among young people and is a public health concern.