President Biden has been slow to embrace cannabis policy reform as advocated by a growing number of Democratic lawmakers, due in part to his age and a family history of substance abuse. Yet a Brookings paper argues that if the Biden White House did jump into the debate, it would ultimately be in a better position to shape such reform to its liking. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, Biden would be able to dampen an overly permissive system of regulation that many progressives in the party prefer. In fact, as president, he could have a powerful role in setting the precise role of the federal government in this space, in a way that reflects his own views. For the most part, Biden favors decriminalization and letting states go their own way on legalization, but does not support ending federal-level prohibition.
Meanwhile, a JAMA research paper finds that the number of calls to poison control centers is increasing for manufactured marijuana products, and links this to cannabis legalization and the emergence of a consumer-driven marketplace for pot. The study showed that between 2017 and 2019, such calls grew from 11 percent of marijuana-related calls to 56 percent, and that calls concerning exposure to edibles most often involved kids.
And finally, fentanyl-related deaths in Santa Clara County, California, more than doubled over the past year, particularly among school-aged children and young adults, including a 12-year old girl (the median age was 26). Many of the victims thought they were taking far less potent drugs, many of which were purchased online. The increase in Santa Clara mirrors a surge in drug overdoses across the country due in large part to the pandemic.