Chronicle AM: Atlanta A Step Closer to MJ Decrim, Drug Treatment Privacy Threat, More... (10/3/17)

Atlanta is one step away from decriminalizing marijuana possession, patient advocacy and health care groups unite behind a campaign to protect the privacy of drug treatment patients, and more.

It was a 15-0 vote for marijuana decriminalization in the Atlanta city council chambers Monday.

Delaware Panel Meets Again This Week, Has Issues. The state task force charged with examining issues around the legalization of marijuana is set to meet again on Wednesday. Members said that before legalization could occur, several issues would have to be addressed, including public and workforce safety, taxation and banking rules, insurance and liability issues, and concerns about the long-term effects of marijuana use.

Massachusetts Regulators Urged to Avoid "Walmart of Weed" Situation. State pot grower advocates urged regulators Monday to institute a tiered licensing system for marijuana cultivation to avoid out-of-state corporate control of the state's legal pot crops. Peter Bernard, president of the Massachusetts Grower Advocacy Council, said a 1 million square foot grow facility being funded by "Colorado money" makes his "New England blood boil" because it could signal that locals will be shut out in the nascent industry. Instead of a "Walmart of Weed" approach, Bernard said, the state should encourage craft cooperatives. "Craft cooperative grows will provide that top shelf product that commands a top shelf price, much like a fine bottle of wine commands a higher price than box wine. Only the tourists and occasional tokers will waste their money on Walmart Weed," he said in testimony reported by MassLive.

Atlanta City Council Unanimously Approves Decriminalization Ordinance. The city council voted 15-0 Monday to decriminalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana. The mayor now has eight days to sign or veto this bill. If the mayor does not act, the ordinance becomes law. State law allows for up to six months in jail for pot possession, but the Atlanta ordinance would limit punishment to a $75 fine.

Heroin and Prescription Opioids

As Opioid Crisis Rages, Campaign to Protect Patients' Privacy Rights Launched. More than a hundred of the nation's leading patient advocacy and health care organizations have launched the Campaign to Protect Patient Rights to advocate for maintaining the confidentiality of substance abuse disorder patients. The campaign comes as moves are afoot to eradicate existing protections in a misguided bid to address the crisis. Under federal substance abuse disorder confidentiality rules, treatment providers are barred from disclosing information about a patient's drug treatment without his or her consent. Proposals to replace those rules with the more relaxed HIPAA standards "would not sufficiently protect people seeking and receiving SUD treatment and could expose patients to great harm," the groups said.