Daily Briefing: 10.28.2020

Newly released documents from litigation involving OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma detail how the company’s controlling Sackler family pushed high-volume sales and higher-dose of the addictive opioid painkiller. The documents also show that the Sacklers have withdrawn approximately $10 billion from Purdue since 2008. The trove of emails, slide decks and charts has come to light following the announcement of an $8.3 billion settlement between the Justice Department and Purdue, which included guilty pleas to three federal felony charges—but no criminal indictments against the Sacklers, who will pay only $225 million.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reports on a new approach to treat addiction called “contingency management” that rewards substance users with money and prizes if they stay abstinent. The therapy is widely used in the Veteran’s Administration, but has not gone beyond pilot programs elsewhere.  Critics argue that users should not be rewarded for taking drugs, and that the treatment is less effective after the prizes are withdrawn. But supporters say that while contingency management is not a panacea for substance use, many patients respond positively—suggesting that this therapy should be more widely studied.

And finally, votes are still being counted in New Zealand’s contentious ballot measure to legalize marijuana. In the lead up to the non-binding referendum earlier this month, polls showed a divided electorate. The bill includes regulations on sales and use that many say are stricter than for alcohol and tobacco.

The Daily Briefing 10.27.2020

A wide range of drug policy reform measures are on the ballot this November, from marijuana legalization in five states to a radical drug-law overhaul in Oregon—which has one of the highest rates of substance abuse in the nation—that would decriminalize entirely personal use amounts of drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Supporters of the Oregon measure point out it would also divert tax revenues from drug sales toward expanding drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration, while critics say that normalizing drug use would increase drug addiction and remove law enforcement and the courts from the equation.

Marijuana legalization is set to make big gains on Election Day, with polls showing voters in closely watched New Jersey and Arizona in favor of cannabis reform. In a remarkable shift, pro-pot forces also have the edge in politically conservative South Dakota, where voters will decide on separate initiatives to legalize both medical and recreational marijuana.

Voters under 50 are more supportive of legalizing recreational pot in South Dakota, while there is a supermajority across demographic lines favoring medical. In all the states deciding on legalization, supporters argue that an expected surge in tax revenue from sales would be directed to worthy causes impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic—such as land conservation and outdoor recreation in Montana and public education in South Dakota.

In New Jersey, the pitch is that legal pot would save tens of millions of dollars for the cash-strapped state and allow police officers to focus on more serious safety threats. Unfortunately, there is little discussion in these states of the potential risks and dangers to public health, and the increase in indirect costs for healthcare and law enforcement that would result.

The Daily Briefing 10.26.2020

A growing body of medical reports suggests that smoking (and vaping) marijuana can be as hazardous for cardiovascular health as smoking tobacco—despite a growing public perception that it’s safe, even health-promoting. Exploring this disconnect, New York Times columnist Dr. Jane Brody looks at new studies contradicting that view, finding that, compared with tobacco, marijuana causes a fivefold greater impairment of the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity.

This is worsened by today’s increasingly potent pot, as well as edible forms of marijuana that have been implicated as a possible cause of heart attacks—many among users younger than 50— when high does of the active ingredient THC are consumed. Vaping is also dangerous, studies reveal, as it delivers the chemicals in marijuana even more effectively, resulting in increased doses to the heart.

Despite such health warnings about consuming cannabis, politicians continue to lead the charge for marijuana legalization. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is the latest to say he’s pushing for legal pot as soon as possible in order to boost economic recovery from COVID.  “We need revenue and we’re going to be searching the cupboards for revenue, and I think this is going to put marijuana over the top,” Cuomo, who has twice failed to deliver on legalization in the legislature, has said.

Perhaps Cuomo feels left out now that neighboring states New Jersey and Pennsylvania are likely to beat New York to legalization. And finally, the Wall Street Journal examines the way financial institutions must navigate spotty regulations and expensive compliance if they want to plow money into cannabis businesses. Disparities between federal and state laws concerning marijuana are inhibiting banks from jumping into what is becoming a lucrative business sector.

The Daily Briefing 10.23.2020

There’s more fallout from the $8.3 billion Purdue Pharma settlement with the Department of Justice, with critics saying that the OxyContin maker will likely escape justice and pay little of the record payout—while the firm’s founding Sackler family will probably get away without facing any criminal charges.

An editorial in the Washington Post asks why no one from the company is going to prison, even after Purdue pleaded guilty to felony indictments for misleading federal officials, paying kickbacks to physicians, and defrauding Medicare and Medicaid, thereby helping fuel the opioid crisis. The Sacklers will pay $225 million in civil penalties, a tiny fraction of the profits they reaped from opioid sales prior to Purdue’s bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, New Scientist points out that the record payout won’t turn back the clock on the opioid epidemic, or deter other companies from pursuing similar behavior. The CDC, the magazine notes, estimates that the opioid crisis costs the country about $80 billion annually, in addition to more than 50,000 overdose deaths.

And finally, New York”s NYU Langone Medical Center will strip the Sackler name from its biomedical institute in light of Purdue’s guilty pleas. The move follows other academic and cultural institutions that have distanced themselves from the Sackler family amid thousands of lawsuits alleging Purdue helped fuel the opioid crisis.

The Daily Briefing 10.22.2020

Reaction to the announcement yesterday of an $8.3 billion settlement between the Department of Justice and opioid drugmaker Purdue Pharma has been largely negative, with the deal widely condemned as insufficient given the harm the company has caused by contributing to the opioid epidemic. Critics point out that Purdue will likely pay only a fraction of the money—the firm has declared bankruptcy—even though it has pleaded guilty to three felony charges, including paying kickbacks to physicians and defrauding Medicare and Medicaid.

The Sackler family, which founded the firm and reaped billions in profits, is paying only $225 million. The public has a right to know if this is a realistic accounting of what it holds and what it owes, in light of the deaths and economic losses Purdue has caused with its highly addictive painkiller OxyContin. There are thousands of other lawsuits still pending against Purdue, and hopefully restitution in those cases will make up for this woefully inadequate solution.

Meanwhile, families of victims of the epidemic say the agreement will bring them little solace or tangible benefits. Many want to see the Sackler family face criminal charges—which is still possible—as the settlement did not rule out further indictments against family members.

And finally, the presidential race is coming to an end but the opioid epidemic has barely registered in the debates or on the campaign trail. More than 470,000 Americans have died over the past two decades from drug overdose, with about 50,000 annually linked to opioids. Ohio, a battleground state, is on track to have one of the deadliest years of opioid overdose deaths—yet there is little mention of the crisis as Americans go to the polls.

The Daily Briefing 10.21.2020

Opioid drugmaker Purdue Pharma has pleaded guilty to criminal charges and reached an $8.3 billion settlement with the Department of Justice, a significant step in the process of resolving thousands of lawsuits related to the opioid epidemic. The Sackler family, founders of Purdue, will kick in $225 million—a small fraction of their immense wealth earned through their control of the company. The charges against Purdue include civil and criminal penalties related to violating federal requirements to monitor promotion and sales of a scheduled drug, involvement in a kickback scheme, and defrauding Medicare and Medicaid. 

The entire Purdue settlement, however, won’t likely be paid because the company is in bankruptcy proceedings. And the drugmaker also faces thousands of other lawsuits by cities, states and Native American tribes for its alleged role in fueling the opioid crisis, which has killed more than 400,000 Americans over the past two decades. Counties and states are also negotiating a $26 billion opioid settlement with three major drug distributors, and there are additional cases pending against pharmacy chains.

The deal with Purdue reportedly doesn’t prevent the government from prosecuting owners or employees of the company in the future, which was a major sticking point in previous negotiations. Analysts say that settling with Purdue might clear the way for resolving the other lawsuits, and possibly reaching a larger global settlement with the scope and scale that adequately addresses the devastating consequences of the opioid epidemic.

The Daily Briefing 10.20.2020

President Trump took office vowing to end the opioid epidemic, but four years later his track record is a dismal failure: drug overdose deaths are at a record high and little has been done to stem a national crisis that last year killed nearly 72,000 Americans. His administration has not taken steps to improve the drug treatment infrastructure, and actively supports legal efforts to strike down the Affordable Care Act and cut Medicaid funding, which together have significantly expanded coverage for substance use.

The COVID-19 pandemic has subsequently drained funds and resources and diverted public attention from the opioid crisis. If Biden is elected, however, this could all change with his comprehensive $125 billion plan over 10 years to combat the epidemic, an ambitious proposal supported by the Rosenthal Center. It calls for significantly expanding treatment, ending incarceration for low-level drug offenses, and increasing access to the best evidence-based treatments.

Meanwhile, with New Jersey voters set to approve marijuana legalization on the November ballot, New York also wants to get into what could be a booming business. The top marijuana advisor to Governor Cuomo says cannabis legislation will be introduced to the legislature in January with the goal of gaining approval by April—the priorities being social equity and economic development along with “provisions for public safety.”

And finally, even if New Jersey voters approve the constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana, the state must then work out rules and regulations to govern the new market for adult-use recreational pot. That took 4 years in Maine, and 3 years in Massachusetts, so don’t expect easy access to marijuana soon after the votes have been counted.

The Daily Briefing 10.19.2020

A hard-hitting Washington Post editorial addresses the other public health crisis—the opioid epidemic—that the paper says has been neglected during the coronavirus pandemic but requires urgent attention. Noting that the pandemic has exacerbated the opioid crisis—diverting medical personnel and hospital beds, and causing joblessness and economic stress—the paper calls on both Trump and Biden to address the issue in the remaining weeks of the campaign. It points out that Trump has done little to impact the epidemic, while Biden has a comprehensive $125 billion plan—supported by the Rosenthal Center—that you don’t hear much about.

Meanwhile, Biden did in fact talk about drug policy for a few minutes during last week’s town hall. Discussing criminal justice reform, he said that marijuana should be decriminalized, and called for ending incarceration for low-level drug offenses.Instead of putting people in jail, Biden rightly calls for “mandatory rehabilitation” for drug users and expanding access to treatment.

And finally, If New Jersey voters approve adult-use marijuana legalization in November, as polls suggest they will, it could have a domino effect on neighboring states including New York and Pennsylvania, which currently only allow medical marijuana. One cannabis advocacy group even says it might set off an “arms race” along the East Coast, as other states try to keep pace with New Jersey, which is expecting a windfall in tax revenue and job creation. Total cannabis sales in the U.S. this year are projected to reach $15.8 billion, and recently legalized states such as Illinois have reported record sales. What nobody talks about, however, are the potential public health consequences of legalization—especially for vulnerable groups such as young people—and the increased costs of healthcare associated with easier access to the drug.

The Daily Briefing 10.16.2020

Voters in five states will decide on marijuana legalization measures this November, in what could be a big win for the legalization movement in states such as New Jersey and Arizona. As the vote nears, it appears that pro-pot campaigns are flush with cash while anti-marijuana groups are under funded. That’s a big switch from 2016, when major donors spent millions in a failed attempt to derail legalization. In 2020, advocates for adult-use legalization in Montana have raised more than $7 million, and in Arizona backers have kicked in $3.5 million—mostly from cannabis companies and PACs. If polls are correct, the cash-rich legalization supporters are likely to steamroll to victory.

Meanwhile, the issue of marijuana decriminalization was briefly mentioned during nomination hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, when New Jersey Senator Cory Booker spoke about racial disparities in the enforcement of marijuana laws. Booker didn’t ask any specific questions about cannabis policy issues, while Barrett did say she’s had regular discussions about the topic throughout her career.

And finally, an analysis of posts on social media site Reddit reveals that consumers of CBD products regularly use them for health conditions that have other, proven treatments. Nearly two-thirds claimed CBD helped with mental health conditions, including autism and depression, and 1 in 4 said a CBD product helped with orthopedic problems, despite the fact that only one CBD-based drug has been approved by the FDA (for a rare form of epilepsy). A flood of unsubstantiated therapeutic claims by CBD makers is fueling the use of the marijuana-derived compound, possibly endangering public health if patients ignore or downplay conventional therapies.

The Daily Briefing 10.15.2020

One of the most consequential marijuana legalization votes is taking place next month in New Jersey, with polls showing a large majority ready to allow easier access to the drug. But less known is that nearly 70 communities across the state have moved preemptively to block marijuana sales even before the vote. The communities have enacted local ordinances to ban either all marijuana sales or recreational forms of cannabis, while also saying they favor decriminalization. The bans are in line with the results of the 2020 Rosenthal Cannabis Study, which found that a majority of those surveyed support curbs on the commercialization of marijuana and the right of communities to opt out of legalization.

Meanwhile, an opinion article in MedPageToday refutes the notion that opioid use and overdoses are falling in states with legal marijuana—an argument used by pro-pot groups to support legalization. In fact, Colorado has allowed medical marijuana since 2000, yet in 2019 the state had a record number of drug overdoses, and prescription opioid deaths increased 24 percent in one year alone (between 2018 and 2019). Clearly, marijuana is not helping the opioid problem, the article concludes, and there’s no scientific evidence supporting the use of marijuana as an opioid substitute.

And finally, an article in the Guardian points out that the COVID-19 pandemic is making the drug epidemic in the United States even worse, and many of its victims include those often regarded as society’s least vulnerable: white-collar professionals in law, finance, media, and tech who are facing job losses and other stressors that can trigger drug use. Addiction professionals say they expect a new wave of mental health and addiction problems as the pandemic persists, including healthcare workers such as doctors and nurses.

The Daily Briefing 10.14.2020

A new report sheds light on how medical crowdfunding sites are spreading misinformation about the efficacy of using CBD products to treat cancer, with possible adverse impact for patients. There is no robust clinical evidence to support the use of CBD—the non-psychoactive component of marijuana—for any type of cancer. Yet most campaigns seeking funds for CBD for cancer-related care on GoFundMe portray the compound as a curative or life-prolonging drug for cancer patients.

Commercial businesses cashing in on CBD’s popularity make unsupported claims about using the product as a complementary treatment for cancer—thereby disseminating misinformation that can cause unnecessary financial strain and delay or even exclude evidence-based cancer treatment. Crowdfunding platforms have a responsibility to check the validity of such claims and must intervene to stop spreading this misinformation.

Meanwhile, more misinformation: a new study challenges previous assumptions that opioid use and opioid-related deaths have declined in states with legal marijuana. Instead, an analysis by researchers at Columbia University finds that opioid use actually doubled on days that participants used marijuana, meaning that cannabis is not being substituted for illegal opioids. Pro-pot groups had used the previous finding to claim that marijuana legalization could be deployed to help curb the opioid epidemic.

And finally, Johnson & Johnson has added $1 billion to its contribution to a possible settlement of nationwide opioid lawsuits, bringing the company’s total to $5 billion. Settlement talks are continuing between opioid makers, drug distributors and pharmacy chains that are being sued by states, the federal government and Native American tribes for their alleged role in fueling the opioid crisis.

The Daily Briefing 10.13.2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact of mental health services in New York, as the state shuts 150 addiction beds due to corona virus-related budget shortfalls. Treatment has become harder to find just as the pandemic has driven up demand for such services. Overall, about 400 psychiatric beds remain closed for care, and an additional 400 rehab and detox beds in hospitals and community settings were off-limits due to COVID restrictions. Treatment providers are also in a precarious financial situation, as funding cuts force them to limit services at a time when drug overdoses and fatalities are rising.

Meanwhile, one of the largest opioid makers—Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals—has declared bankruptcy as part of a potential $1.6 billion settlement of the nationwide opioid lawsuits. The company, which makes generic opioid painkillers, is one of many firms being sued in thousands of lawsuits for allegedly contributing to the opioid epidemic.

And finally, more and more celebrity athletes are endorsing CBD products—although there is scant scientific evidence the compound is an effective treatment for a variety of ailments, as CBD makers claim. Nevertheless, CBD has become a burgeoning industry, and athletes are using their status and social media reach to champion the products—sometimes falsely suggesting that consumers should use the products as an alternative to opioids for pain, as well as for insomnia and anxiety. So far, there’s no uniform policy across major sports leagues concerning CBD, which contains the non-psychoactive component of marijuana.

The Daily Briefing 10.12.2020

Latest polls show that New Jersey voters poised to approve marijuana legalization in November by a two-to-one margin, with widespread support from across the political spectrum and strong backing from the Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. The referendum would legalize adult-use recreational marijuana, but the legislature would still have to work out rules and regulations to govern the new cannabis market. Murphy has called legalization “an incredibly smart thing to do,” and regards it as a way to reform the criminal justice system and promote social justice, describing marijuana arrests as a waste of taxpayer dollars. No word, however, on the risks pot poses to public health and the potential for increased healthcare costs.

Meanwhile, cannabis company stocks have surged after last week’s vice presidential debate, in which Democratic VP-nominee Kamala Harris vowed to decriminalize marijuana under a Biden administration. Even though many states have legalized marijuana use, banks and other financial institutions have so far largely refused to work with the industry as cannabis is till a classified substance at the federal level.

And finally, Mexico is set to legalize marijuana—which would make the country the world’s largest legal marijuana market. The country’s Supreme Court recently cleared the way for legalization, ruling that individual liberty outweighs any potential downsides. Supporters also claim legalization would reduce drug cartel violence, but critics point out that the role of pot in the international drug trade has been diminished since legalization in Canada and some U.S. states have reduced demand for Mexican pot.

The Daily Briefing 10.9.2020

Sales of CBD-based products are booming, backed by celebrity endorsements and ads claiming that the marijuana derivative will cure all that ails you. An editorial in Scientific American, however, sets the record straight: there’s little scientific evidence showing that CBD—now available in oils, cream, tinctures and food and beverages—does anything the marketers say it does. One study of people with mental health conditions found “scant evidence” that CBD improved depression or anxiety disorders, ADHD or PTSD.

Another report found no evidence of a therapeutic effect of CBD for chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced vomiting and muscle spasms. The FDA is currently considering new regulations for CBD—the non-psychoactive component of marijuana—but until then the CBD market operates virtually without clear oversight, which could potentially harm consumers who are expecting miracle cures or avoiding conventional therapies. To safeguard public health, we need more research into CBD to determine both the harmful and possible beneficial effects.

And finally, a new study looks at the influence that marijuana advertising and the location of cannabis dispensaries has on adolescents using pot. The research shows that regular exposure to marijuana ads on billboards, websites and storefronts increases the likelihood of underage cannabis use. Concerning the location of retail stores, study participants who lived within five miles of a dispensary were more likely to report intentions to use the drug than those who lived farther away. The results provide critical insights for states that are considering legalizing marijuana and are grappling with how to regulate and control underage use.

The Daily Briefing 10.8.2020

After the first presidential debate failed to tackle the opioid epidemic, there was hope the VP debate would finally address the nation’s drug crises—but the only mention was a pledge by Kamala Harris to decriminalize marijuana and expunge criminal convictions. That’s the official Biden-Harris policy, which progressive Democrats believe does not go far enough because it doesn’t endorse nationwide marijuana legalization (not much is known about the Trump policy on pot).

The moderator failed to ask any questions about the opioid epidemic, at a time when overdose fatalities are at a record 72,000 annually—and are expected to worsen due to the COVID-19 pandemic—and drug treatment providers are in dire financial straights due to budget shortfalls. What’s more, Harris did not have an opportunity to detail the ambitious $125 billion Biden plan to confront the opioid crisis over the next decade—an initiative supported by the Rosenthal Center.

Meanwhile, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has voiced strong opposition to an upcoming Oregon ballot measure that would allow the use of the hallucinogenic compound psilocybin for the treatment of mental health conditions. The APA has called for more research into the drug, as science has not yet determined whether psilocybin is a safe medical treatment for mental health conditions—such as addiction, depression, anxiety disorders and end-of-life distress—which would be permitted under the measure.

And finally, Pew reports that opioid overdose deaths increasingly involve multiple substances, either intentionally or by accident. In 2018, nearly 63 percent of overdose fatalities also involved cocaine, meth and anti-depressants, as well as the synthetic opioid fentanyl. This signals the need to address multi-substance use as part of a comprehensive response to the opioid epidemic

The Daily Briefing 10.7.2020

As the movement to decriminalize illicit drugs in the U.S., accelerates, the New York Times explores what happened in Portugal when took that step in 2001—and concludes that its was largely beneficial although also somewhat misunderstood. Portugal’s plan decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs—but not drug trafficking—and at the same time significantly expanded access to substance-use disorder treatment and invested in harm reduction measures such as needle exchanges.

As a result, incarceration declined and the number of individuals in treatment rose: today, 75 percent of those with substance-use disorder in Portugal receive medication-assisted treatment (MAT), compared to less than half in the U.S. The overdose death toll is strikingly different in the two countries, with nearly 72,000 Americans dying in 2019 compared to less 100 in Portugal, which has a population of around 10 million. Many aspects of the Portuguese model are definitely worth studying, as we discuss ways to address the opioid epidemic and other drug crises.

Meanwhile, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is actively campaigning for a yes vote on marijuana legalization in November, promising voters that legal adult-use pot would spur economic development and tax revenue, and help right the wrongs of the criminal justice system that has disproportionately discriminated against communities of color. No word from the governor however on the potential risks to public health.

And finally, in Vermont, Governor Phil Scott is still on the fence about signing a bill to legalize marijuana. With just one day left to do so, Scott says he’s still concerned about social justice provisions in the bill after winning concessions on impaired driving and local control through community opt-out clauses.

The Daily Briefing 10.6.2020

A ballot initiative in Oregon this November to decriminalize all drugs received a significant funding boost with a $500,000 donation from Mark Zuckerberg’s foundation. The Facebook founder’s contribution represents roughly a third of all funding raised so far for the initiative, which would decriminalize drug possession and use a portion of existing legal marijuana sales to expand substance misuse treatment. If approved, low-level possession would be considered a civil infraction punishable by a maximum $100 fine and no jail time—an effort to reframe drug use as a public health issue rather than a matter to be handled through the criminal justice system.

Meanwhile, a new study of female veterans shows that one third have tried or intend to try marijuana to manage menopause symptoms. Only about 20 percent said they had tried conventional hormone therapy, a finding that doctors call “alarming” as there’s no evidence that cannabis helps with menopause symptoms while hormone therapy is proven to be safe and effective.

And finally, the Wall Street Journal reviews a new product lineup of CBD-infused food and drink products, from olive and chili oils to chocolate bars and Turkish delight. Amid much praise for adding these items to your pantry, the article does acknowledge that research into CBD—the non-psychoactive component of marijuana—remains “inconclusive and contradictory.” It also fails to mention some of the outlandish and unproven claims that CBD marketers have made about such products, including alleviating anxiety and helping patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

The Daily Briefing 10.5.2020

The Trump administration is said to be poised to settle all lawsuits against Purdue Pharma for its role in the opioid epidemic, in a deal that would purportedly allow the founding Sackler family to retain billions of dollars—and let the president claim a victory for opioid victims. The settlement, as outlined by the New Yorker magazine, would include a $3 billion payment by the Sacklers—far less than the family’s accumulated wealth from Purdue profits—and also preclude any future legal liability against the family. This would leave the company and the Sacklers unaccountable for contributing to the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans over the past two decades, when the firm aggressively marketed highly addictive prescription painkillers as safe and effective.

The Purdue case is one of thousands of pending lawsuits brought by states, counties, tribes and the federal government against opioid makers, drug distributors and pharmacy chains, and a settlement with Purdue could encourage other defendants to seek a similar agreement that critics say would essentially them off the hook for the opioid epidemic.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post investigates the nation’s top drug agency—the Office of National Drug Policy Control (ONDCP)—and finds it has had an “unsteady performance” under Trump in response to the drug crisis. The ONDCP suffers from erratic management, the paper says, and has failed to come up with an annual strategy to guide more than a dozen federal agency and hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending.

And finally, voters in New Jersey will decide on marijuana legalization on the November ballot—making the state, if the measure is approved, the 12th to legalize recreational cannabis and one of the biggest new pot markets in the country. The debate over legalization, however, has focused less on public health and safety of marijuana and the dangers posed by the drug, and more on its role in criminal justice reform.

The Daily Briefing 10.2.2020

The FBI says marijuana arrests in the United States declined in 2019 for the first time in four years, at a time when a national debate is taking place about the legalization and decriminalization of pot as part of criminal justice reform. Police arrested more than 545,000 individuals—mostly for marijuana possession—down from about 663,000 the year before, although this still represents a cannabis bust every 58 seconds. The FBI did not point to any particular factor for the decline, but noted that before 2016 there had been a consistent drop in marijuana arrests for roughly a decade.

Meanwhile, Governor Jared Polis of Colorado will mass-pardon more than 2,700 low-level marijuana convictions for possession of up to two ounces of pot, the current legal limit for medical marijuana users in the state. Colorado follows other states including California and Nevada that have pardoned low-level marijuana convictions and expunged criminal records. The Rosenthal Center supports decriminalization of marijuana while also strongly advocating for curbs on commercialization, as well as a moratorium on further legalization in order to determine the impact on public health and safety in legal-states.

And finally, in the run up to a national vote in New Zealand to legalize marijuana, the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has acknowledged that she has used pot in the past. As nearly 80 percent of New Zealanders say they have also consumed cannabis, there has been little reaction. It’s not clear, however, how the legalization vote will turn out as polls show the electorate is closely divided on the issue.

The Daily Briefing 10.1.2020

One of the many low points of Tuesday’s presidential debate was the moment when President Trump attacked Joe Biden’s son Hunter over his past drug use. The barrage of criticism and lies perpetuates “a harmful stigma of addiction, the Washington Post concludes, noting that an estimated 23 million Americans struggle with drug-use disorder at some point in their lives. Stigma is a powerful social penalty and is often just as deadly as the addiction itself, the paper notes; it can keep people in the shadows and fearful of seeking help and acknowledging that there is a problem.

Meanwhile, drug overdoses continue to climb in many states, with Ohio reporting that there were more fatalities in the state in May than in any month in at least 14 years. Overdoses are skyrocketing in part because of the despair and economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To stem the rise, addiction organizations are urging the state to increase the availability of overdose reversal drugs, and to boost funding for Medicaid, which is the largest payer of substance abuse treatment.

And finally, Vermont Governor Philip Scott is having second thoughts about signing a marijuana legalization bill passed by the state legislature, citing worries about provisions to promote racial justice and social equity. The bill does address concerns about commercialization and access to the drug, including allowing municipalities to opt in to allow pot business and to establish their own regulations and licensing requirements.