Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In 'Tokelahoma,' Once-Booming Medical Pot Industry Is Dwindling
Politico: ‘People Just Can’t Pay Their Bills’: Oklahoma’s Wild Marijuana Market Is About To Shrivel
Tokelahoma’s days are numbered. The world’s wildest weed market — which at its peak had nearly 14,000 licensed medical marijuana businesses — has been steadily shrinking since Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly rejected a recreational legalization referendum in March. Heightened enforcement by state regulators and law enforcement is pushing some businesses to shut down. Others are simply realizing that Oklahoma is producing so much weed — a staggering 64 times the volume needed to serve the state’s medical patients, according to a recent study — that it’s impossible to make any money. (Demko, 10/30)
Bloomberg: Illegal Weed In NYC Is Dangerous, Says State Senator
New York’s illicit marijuana market has become a public health threat, state Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said at a public hearing, citing sales to minors and shootings outside dispensaries. “This is a public health issue, particularly for young people. Does it not deserve a more expedited process for addressing the illegal shops?” Hoylman-Sigal said during a joint hearing of the New York State Senate. (Kary, 10/30)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
New Hampshire Public Radio: NH Insurance Officials Say More Transparency Would Improve State’s Health Care Market
State insurance regulators are exploring ways to make New Hampshire’s health care market more transparent – and keep rising medical costs in check. New Hampshire is already one of the few states with a comprehensive online tool that lets patients compare what different providers charge for common medical procedures. The rollout of that website, NH HealthCost, in 2007, led to lower prices over time, according to a 2018 study that looked at medical imaging services. (Cuno-Booth, 10/30)
Colorado Sun: How A Denver Health Clinic Is Trying To Stop The Spread Of HIV
For people living with HIV, the goal is to become “undetectable,” to suppress the virus so much that it’s untransmittable and that a blood test would not even distinguish it. Modern drugs make this possible — when a person takes them every day. But many of the patients who find their way to an HIV “medical home” in a nondescript, beige-brick building in east Denver don’t manage to fill their prescriptions or take their antiretroviral therapy pills regularly. That’s because they have more pressing problems — like where to sleep and how to get food. (Brown, 10/30)
Axios Atlanta: Fulton' STI, HIV Testing Kits Bridge Health Care Gaps
Fulton County health officials say a local experiment that gives people the option of testing for sexually transmitted infections at home could become a powerful tool in public health. Metro Atlanta is home to one of the highest HIV infection rates in the country. Rates of syphilis, gonorrhea and other STIs have recently spiked, too. (Wheatley, 10/30)
Houston Chronicle: Harris County Lawn Care Emits Most Particulate Pollution In Nation
Gas-powered lawn and garden equipment generates hundreds of tons of fine particle pollution in Harris County each year, more than any other county in the nation. A report published Monday by three environmental groups analyzed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data from 2020 and found equipment in the Houston-area county released 358 tons of particles, the equivalent of almost 4 million cars on the road for a year. The next highest volume of particulate pollution emitted by a single county, 274 tons, was released in Illinois. (Ward, 10/30)
