As fentanyl-related overdose fatalities surge across the country, to more than 100,000 annually, efforts are underway to both reduce the availability of the drug and increase penalties for those with sell it or mix it with other drugs—one of the main causes of overdose deaths, as users consume the product unaware that it is contaminated. One way to reduce accidental overdoses is to make fentanyl test strips—which can detect the drug’s presence—more widely available; strips are currently used at safe syringe sites and other harm reduction facilities, and sometimes at concert venues where drugs are being taken. Lawmakers in some states also want to hand down harsher sentences for those caught dealing fentanyl or contaminating other drugs with it, although much of the fentanyl coming into the U.S. is from China or comes over the border from Mexico. Since last year, at least half a dozen states have enacted laws to legalize fentanyl strips and a dozen others are considering them.
Meanwhile, as New York State gears up to implement a marijuana legalization law passed last year, a government website called Cannabis Conversations has been launched to inform consumers about this new market—and the potential dangers of cannabis. It bluntly says that there can be real health risks and impacts, especially if you are pregnant, and can be addictive and lead to cannabis use disorder (up to 3 in 10 people who use pot develop this condition.) The site tells consumers that certain cannabis compounds like THC, the drug's psychoactive ingredient, can affect the developing brain in young people, with possible effects such as difficulty thinking and solving problems, memory and learning issues, reduced coordination, difficulty maintaining attention, and problems with school and social life. At least the government is being honest about the risks, but with all these downsides and potential health hazards, it’s a wonder that legalization happened at all.
And finally, The New York Times looks into another myth about marijuana —that it can improve your sex life—and casts some doubts about taking the drug as an aphrodisiac. According to the paper, the research so far on the subject is so thin that it’s hard to say with certainty whether cannabis will increase or decrease desire or improve your sex life. It adds that anecdotal evidence suggests that the right dose and delivery method can make a positive difference with some people by enhancing the senses, but also warns that it could inhibit desire.