Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Rushing Health Rules To Make Them Harder To Reverse
The Hill: Biden Races Clock On Health Regulations With Eye On Potential Trump Return
President Biden’s administration is working overtime to ensure his health care priorities are protected from a potential second Trump White House. In recent weeks, regulatory agencies have been racing against the clock to finalize some of their most consequential policies, such as abortion data privacy, antidiscrimination protections for transgender patients and nursing home minimum staffing. (Weixel, 5/5)
In related news about marijuana reclassification —
NPR: Marijuana Reclassification Will Make It Somewhat Easier To Study, Scientists Say
As the Biden administration moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, scientists say the change will lift some of the restrictions on studying the drug. But the change won't lift all restrictions, they say, neither will it decrease potential risks of the drug or help users better understand what those risks are. (Chatterjee, 5/3)
AP: As The US Reclassifies Marijuana, Could More States Legalize It?
As the U.S. government moves toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, there may be little immediate impact in the dozen states that have not already legalized cannabis for widespread medical or recreational use by adults. But advocates for marijuana legalization hope a federal regulatory shift could eventually change the minds — and votes — of some state policymakers who have been reluctant to embrace weed. (Lieb, 5/4)
The Atlantic: Marijuana’s Health Effects Are About To Get A Whole Lot Clearer
Earlier this week, news leaked of the biggest change in federal drug policy in more than half a century. The Associated Press reported—and the Department of Justice later confirmed—that the Drug Enforcement Administration plans to recategorize marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. ... Cannabis will soon be moved to the much less restrictive Schedule III, which includes prescription drugs such as ketamine and Tylenol with codeine that have a moderate-to-low risk of addiction. (Berke, 5/3)
