As Products With Marijuana Extract Flood The Market, FDA Left Scrambling To Keep Up

Minutes after the farm bill, which legalized hemp in certain circumstances, was signed in December, the FDA asserted that it could police the market because it had already approved a CBD-based medicine — and could subject other products to the same strict standards. But lawmakers say the agency is just creating trouble for itself. Meanwhile, new research shows that edibles could be responsible for an increase in cannabis-triggered emergency room visits.

Politico: Flood Of Products Containing Marijuana Extract Puts FDA In A Bind

Even by the superhyped standard of internet cures, the marijuana and hemp extract cannabidiol is unique, touted as everything from a hair conditioner to a sleep aid and a way to help manage diabetes and fight cancer. The CBD boom is also giving regulators fits, blurring the line between a drug and a dietary supplement and testing how much the government can police health claims. (Owermohle, 3/26)

The New York Times: Marijuana Edibles May Pose Special Risks

Pot brownies and other cannabis “edibles” like gummy bears that are sold online and where marijuana is legal may seem like harmless fun, but new research indicates that edibles may be more potent and potentially more dangerous than pot that is smoked or vaped. The new study analyzed thousands of cannabis-triggered emergency room visits in the greater Denver area, and found that edibles induced a disproportionate number of pot-related medical crises. (Rabin, 3/25)

The Associated Press: Marijuana ER Visits Climb In Denver Hospital Study

Five years after Colorado first legalized marijuana, a new study shows pot's bad effects are sending more people to the emergency room. Inhaled marijuana caused the most severe problems at one large Denver area hospital. Marijuana-infused foods and candies, called edibles, also led to trouble. Patients came to the ER with symptoms such as repeated vomiting, racing hearts and psychotic episodes. (3/25)

And in other news —

The Associated Press: More Aging Americans Are Using Pot To Soothe What Ails Them

The group of white-haired folks — some pushing walkers, others using canes — arrive right on time at the gates of Laguna Woods Village, an upscale retirement community in the picturesque hills that frame this Southern California suburb a few miles from Disneyland. There they board a bus for a quick trip to a building that, save for the green Red Cross-style sign in the window, resembles a trendy coffee bar. The people, mostly in their 70s and 80s, pass the next several hours enjoying a light lunch, playing a few games of bingo and selecting their next month’s supply of cannabis-infused products. (Rogers, 3/25)

The CT Mirror: Recreational Marijuana Bill Clears First Major Hurdle

Lawmakers voted Monday to advance the first of a package of bills that would legalize recreational marijuana, a step they lauded as necessary to begin upending decades of inequality in arrests and convictions against minority communities. The bill approved by the legislature’s General Law Committee would lay the foundation for a marijuana industry in Connecticut. (Carlesso, 3/25)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

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