Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More Marijuana Legislation Focusing On Making Changes To Criminal Justice System, Helping Those Harmed By War On Drugs
Stateline: Marijuana Bills Increasingly Focus On Social Justice
State lawmakers and advocates pushing to legalize marijuana this year aren’t just touting legalization as a way to raise tax revenue and regulate an underground pot market. They’re also talking about fixing a broken criminal justice system and reinvesting in poor and minority communities that have been battered by decades of the government’s war on drugs. The focus on justice and equity has sharpened over time, longtime pot advocates say, as it’s become clear that such issues should be addressed and that doing so won’t alienate voters — most of whom, polls consistently show, support legal marijuana. Civil rights groups also have raised their voices in legalization discussions. (Quinton, 7/19)
The Oregonian: Study Finds More Oregon College Students Using Marijuana After Legalization
Oregon State University researchers found that Oregon college students, including those under 21, were much more likely to use marijuana after recreational use became legal, according to a study published this week. Most of the increase in the post-legalization period was among students who reported using marijuana one to five times a month, not among heavy users, the study found. (Voorhees, 7/18)
Stat: This Mass. Company Says It Can Sniff Out Microbes On Marijuana
Massachusetts is one of 10 states that allow people to use marijuana recreationally. But with legalization comes, well, legislation — including standards for safety testing. Only one lab has completed the application for a license from the state government to test weed for microbial and other contaminants for recreational sales. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission is expected to vote on that application later this month. (Sheridan, 7/19)
The Associated Press: Attorney General: Oklahoma Board Went Too Far With Pot Rules
Oklahoma's Board of Health overstepped its authority with several of the emergency rules on medical marijuana it adopted last week, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter wrote Wednesday in a letter to the head of the agency. In the letter to Interim Commissioner of Health Tom Bates, Hunter specifically cites last-minute changes the nine-member board approved last week that prohibit the sale of smokable marijuana and require a pharmacist at every dispensary. (7/18)
Cincinnati Enquirer: At Least 3 Out Of 10 Ohioans Are Eligible For A Medical Marijuana Card
Enquirer research suggests at least three out of 10 Ohioans endure one of the 21 medical conditions that under state law can be treated with medical marijuana. That could be 3.5 million Ohioans - about ten times as many as the state has estimated will use the program. (Saker, 7/18)
Miami Herald: Surterra Forced To Stop Processing Medical Marijuana
Surterra, one of the state’s largest medical marijuana treatment centers, has been forced to stop processing cannabis — halting its production of new items — after it failed to meet a food safety inspection deadline in a little-noticed provision of state law last week. The requirement, which mandates that medical marijuana treatment centers complete third-party inspections in the first year to ensure “good manufacturing practices,” caught several businesses by surprise earlier this month when the Department of Health indicated that it was enforcing the provision in letters sent out July 6. (Koh, 7/18)
Tampa Bay Times: One Of Florida’s Largest Medical Marijuana Businesses Forced To Stop Processing Pot
Surterra, which was one of the first businesses in the state allowed to dispense medical marijuana, operates eight locations across in the state and the only physical dispensaries in Miami Beach, North Port, Largo and Deltona. Its reach is outpaced only by Trulieve, which has dispensaries in 15 cities. "Surterra will comply with all of the regulations set forth by the Department of Health in order to ensure that Floridians continue to receive the safest, most naturally derived treatments to enable health and well-being, as recommended by a doctor," said company spokeswoman Kim Hawkes in a statement. (Koh, 7/18)
