Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California Considers Decriminalizing 'Magic' Mushrooms, Other Psychedelics
Los Angeles Times: California Could Decriminalize Psychedelics Under New Bill
The possession and personal use of certain psychedelic drugs such as “magic mushrooms” and ayahuasca would be decriminalized in California under a bill introduced Monday backed by mental health professionals and veterans groups. (Wiley, 12/19)
San Francisco Chronicle: Narcan Would Be Required In Libraries, Bars In New California Bill
Assembly Member Matt Haney knows firsthand how fast and easy access to opioid reversal medication can mean the difference between life and death for overdose victims. (Gardiner, 12/19)
In other news about drug use —
AP: Anxiety Added As Condition For Medical Weed In New Mexico
Officials in New Mexico have approved anxiety disorders as a qualifying condition under the state’s medical marijuana program. When approving the move last month, the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Advisory Board cited that up to 25 percent of New Mexico’s adult population — roughly 465,000 people — could be experiencing the effects of such disorders. The ruling takes effect Jan. 1. (12/17)
WUFT: As Anxiety And Depression Increase, More Floridians Turn To Medical Marijuana
Imagine you are walking home from the last day of school before spring break. You plop on your bed, kick off your shoes and take a sigh of relief. No school for a week. At least that is what Tatiana Tipton and the class of 2020 thought. Not only did COVID-19 unleash a virus that affected the entire globe, but the growing pandemic also triggered an epidemic of anxiety and depression among America’s Generation Z and millennial populations. And many people turned to cannabis, as opposed to prescribed medication, to calm their minds. (Sheppard, 12/19)
Stateline: As Fentanyl Use Spikes, Feds Urge States To Ease Methadone Rules
Advocates for people with addiction and the methadone industry have long sought the permanent rule changes proposed last week, which would allow more of the nation’s 476,000 methadone patients to take their daily dose in the privacy of their own homes. (Vestal, 12/19)
