California's lieutenant governor endorses the pot legalization initiative, Maryland moves to recriminalize public pot smoking, Indiana's governor signs some anti-meth bills, several Latin American countries advance on marijuana policy, and more.
California Lieutenant Governor Endorses AUMU Legalization Initiative. This is not exactly a shocker since Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has been deeply involved in laying the groundwork, but in a Sacramento Bee op-ed Tuesday, he made it official. Citing the goals of protecting youth and public safety, reducing the black market, offering legal protection to "good actors," and raising revenues, Newsom wrote: "I believe the California Adult Use of Marijuana Act – which has been endorsed by groups as diverse as the NAACP, the California Medical Association and the California Council of Land Trusts – achieves all of these objectives and I will be urging voters to support it this November."
Maryland House Approves Bill Making Public Pot Smoking a Misdemeanor. The House of Delegates Monday approved House Bill 777, sponsored by Del. Brett Wilson (R-Washington). The bill rolls back last year's decriminalization of marijuana possession by making it a misdemeanor to smoke it in a public place. Some House Democrats supported the bill, saying that unwanted exposure to pot smoke is a public health issue.
Heroin and Prescription Opioids
Connecticut Seeks to Limit Opioid Prescriptions for First-Time Patients. The legislature's Public Health Committee Monday unanimously passed a bill that would require doctors to only prescribe seven days' worth of opioid drugs to first-time patients. But some doctors are uncomfortable with the measure, with one MD who is a member of the state's Alcohol and Drug Policy Council calling it a "feel good" idea that will be unworkable and ineffective. "I think you wind up hamstringing well-educated, good doctors and not weeding out the ones with poor prescribing practices," said Dr. J. Craig Allen, medical director of Rushford treatment center with the Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network, which includes the Hospital of Central Connecticut. "A global law that limits prescriptions won’t result in better medical care."
Methamphetamine
Indiana Governor Signs Anti-Meth Bills. Gov. Mike Pence (R) Monday signed into law a package of bills aimed at shutting down meth labs in the state. One requires pharmacies to limit the number of cold pills sold to unfamiliar customers without a prescription, while a second bars people with meth offenses from buying pseudoephedrine without a prescription.
International
Argentine Deputy Files Medical Marijuana Bill. Deputy Diana Conti has introduced a bill that would amend Argentina's drug laws to allow the use, possession, and cultivation of medical marijuana. "The science has advanced, and it appears to me that the prohibition and punishment for the possession of marijuana must end," she said.
Brazil Public Health Agency Authorized Import of CBD Cannabis Oils. Brazil's public health agency, ANVISA, has authorized the prescription and importation of low-THC, high-CBD cannabis oils for the treatment of epileptic seizures. The news was published in the official gazette.
Uruguay Reaches Agreement on Pharmacy Marijuana Sales. The government and the pharmacy industry have reached an accord to get pharmacy pot sales up and running nearly three years after the country legalized marijuana. The new accord paves the way toward actually getting sales going, but it's still not clear when that will actually happen.
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