North Dakota to Vote on Marijuana Legalization, FDA Rejects MDMA-Assisted Therapy, More... (8/12/24)

A central California county is following San Francisco's lead in putting a welfare drug screening measure before voters, Rodrigo Duterte's son wants to drug test Filipino politicians, and more.

Filipino Rep. Paolo Duterte. The son of former president Rodrigo Duterte wants to drug test politicians. (congress.gov.ph)

Marijuana Policy

North Dakota Marijuana Legalization Initiative Qualifies for November Ballot. Secretary of State Michael Howe (R) announced Monday that a marijuana legalization initiative from New Economic Frontier has qualified for the November ballot. Howe said the group had handed in nearly 19,000 valid voter signatures, thousands more than needed to qualify.

The initiative will appear as Question 5 on the ballot. It would legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by people 21 and over. The measure also legalizes the possession of up to four grams of concentrate and 1500 milligrams of "cannabinoid products," and allows for the home cultivation of up to three plants. It contains no provision for a legal marijuana marketplace.

Voters in the state have twice defeated previous legalization efforts, in 2018 and 2022. The Republican-led House passed a legalization bill in 2021, but that was killed in the Senate.

The possession of up to a half ounce of marijuana is already decriminalized, but the state still had more than 4,400 marijuana possession arrests last year.

Drug Testing

California County Approves Ballot Measure Requiring Welfare Recipients to Undergo Drug Screening. Following the lead of nearby San Francisco, which implemented a similar measure earlier this year, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors has approved a ballot measure to go before the voters that would require county aid recipients to undergo drug screening.

The county, whose largest city is Stockton, will now vote on Measure R, also known as "Illegal Substance Dependence Screening and Treatment for Recipients of County Public Assistance." It specifically targets single adults receiving essential living expenses from the county Human Service Agency's General Assistance Program. Those who refuse drug screenings and evaluations could lose their benefits.

The measure is the brainchild of District 3 Supervisor Tom Patti, who said he wanted to support people in accessing drug treatment while also imposing accountability.

"If we can prompt that person and save lives here in San Joaquin County and use this as a tool to help us in engage that person and get their support to participate, I believe this is worth supporting," Patti said.

The General Assistance Program provides a maximum of $367 over five months to purchase food, utilities, and housing. Slightly more than 400 county residents are on the program.

Genevieve Valentine, director of San Joaquin County Behavioral Health Services (BHS), who will carry out the drug testing, told the board the county was not ready to do additional drug screenings beginning in January when the law would take effect because there is a lack of sufficient staffing.

Psychedelics

FDA Sends Rejects MDMA-Assisted Therapy Back for More Study. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last Friday rejected a New Drug Application for MDMA-assisted therapy from Lykos Therapeutics, dealing a hard blow to the effort to broaden the medical use of psychedelics. In a Complete Response Letter (CRL), the FDA said more study is needed and requested an additional Phase 3 study.

The decision is not particularly surprising, especially given that an FDA advisory committee weeks ago criticized the design and conduct of the study the application is based on, and voted overwhelmingly against approving MDMA-assisted therapy.

In a statement late on Friday, Lykos said it plans to request a meeting with the agency to ask it to reconsider "and to further discuss the agency's recommendations for a resubmission seeking regulatory approval for midomafetamine capsules."

Lykos said concerns raised by the FDA echoed those of its advisory committee in June, but added that it had concerns "around the structure and conduct of the Advisory Committee meeting, including the limited number of subject matter experts on the panel and the nature of the discussion."

"The FDA request for another study is deeply disappointing, not just for all those who dedicated their lives to this pioneering effort, but principally for the millions of Americans with PTSD, along with their loved ones, who have not seen any new treatment options in over two decades," said Lykos CEO Amy Emerson.

Jennifer Mitchell, lead author on Lykos' Phase 3 publications, said the agency's decision to request another Phase 3 study "is a major setback for the field."

International

Duterte's Son Files Bill to Mandate Random Drug Testing of Government Officials. Philippine Rep. Paolo Duterte, the eldest son of former Philippines president and drug war criminal Rodrigo Duterte, has filed a bill requiring elected and appointed public officials to undergo random hair follicle drug testing every six months. The measure is House Bill 10744.

"Considering the initiatives towards the deterrence of drug use and abuse, exemptions or favors in the mandatory nature of random drug testing shall not extend to certain class privilege such as the elected and appointed officials, since it becomes imperative upon their own mandate that they shall lead the life of modesty and integrity," Duterte said in his explanatory note.

The bill also calls for institutionalizing voluntary drug testing of candidates for office 90 days before an election.