House Passes George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, HI Marijuana Legalization Bill Advances, More... (3/5/21)

A Long Island doctor has been the first in New York to be charged with murder for his opioid prescribiing practices, there's strong popular support for marijuana legalizaion in Connecticut, and more.

The killing of George Floyd has now led to the House passage of a major policing reform bill. (Creative Commons)

Alabama Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Advances. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved a marijuana decriminalization bill sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro). The bill would turn the current possession misdemeanor for less than two ounces into a violation with a maximum $250 fine. Possession of more than two ounces would be a misdemeanor, but punishable only with a fine. The bill now heads to the Senate floor.

Connecticut Poll Has Strong Majority for Marijuana Legalization. A new poll from Sacred Heart University has support for marijuana legalization at 66%, with 38% strongly supporting and 28% merely supporting. The poll comes as Gov. Ned Lamont (D) seeks support for a marijuana legalization push.

Hawaii Marijuana Legalization Bill Wins Senate Committee Vote. In a joint meeting Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary and Ways and Means committees voted to approve Senate Bill 767, which would legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by people 21 and over and create a path toward legal marijuana commerce. The bill now heads for a Senate floor vote.

Medical Marijuana

Tennessee Medical Marijuana Bill Advances. The Senate Government Operations Committee on Wednesday approved SB0854/HB0621, the Tennessee Medical Cannabis Act. It is a full-fledged medical marijuana bill that would allow use of the substance for a set of specified qualifying medical conditions. The bill now heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Heroin and Prescription Opioids

New York Physician Charged with Murder for Pain Pill Prescribing. A Long Island doctor, George Blatti, has become the first physician in the state to be charged with second-degree murder after police and prosecutors accused him of "depraved indifference" in prescribing opioid pain medications to his patients, including five who died of drug overdoses. Prosecutors characterized the 76-year-old physician as a "serial killer" who knowingly prescribed "huge" amounts of opioids to his patients.

Blatti's arrest is part of a larger trend of going after doctors for opioid prescribing. In 2011, 88 nationwide doctors faced criminal charges, civil lawsuits or medical suspensions over opioid prescribing; in 2019, that number had jumped to 477. Historically such prosecutions haven't always been reasonably targeted -- the '00s case of Dr. Frank Fisher is instructive -- and deciding whether a given prosecution of this type is a reasonable one can require extensive research.

Law Enforcement

House Passes George Floyd-Inspired Police Reform Bill. The House on Wednesday approved HR 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act on a 220 to 212 vote mainly along party lines. The measure had passed the House last year, but didn't move in the then Republican-controlled Senate. The bill would create a national database to track police misconduct, ban some no-knock warrants, ban chokeholds, and move to end racial and religious profiling. It would also weaken "qualified immunity" for police officers, lowering the bar for people to sue police for alleged civil rights violations. Now, the ball is in the Senate's court.