State legislatures are keeping us busy with lots of drug-related bills, New York's attorney general gets a deal on naloxone pricing, the feds will crack down on drug courts that don't allow opiate maintenance, and more. Let's get to it:
New Mexico Legalization Bill Killed [24]. The House Agriculture and Wildlife Committee voted 7-1 to table House Bill 160 [25], which would have legalized marijuana and allowed for regulated and taxed sales. Opponents said it would lead to more drug use on the job and impair public safety.
Medical Marijuana
Virginia CBD Bill Passes Senate [26]. The Senate voted Thursday to approve Senate Bill 1235 [27], which would allow patients with epilepsy to use CBD cannabis oil to control their seizures. The measure passed 37-1. A similar bill has already passed out of committee in the House and awaits a floor vote.
Hemp
Federal Industrial Hemp Act Picks Up New Sponsors [28]. The bill, HR 525, would remove hemp from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. The bill now has 52 cosponsors -- 34 Democrats and 18 Republicans. The newest are Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) and Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC).
New Synthetics
New Hampshire Bill to Ban Synthetic Drugs Wins Committee Vote [29]. The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 106 [30], which would restrict the sale and possession of all synthetic drugs. The bill would give the Department of Health and Human Services the ability to "add, delete, or otherwise revise" the list of substances included in the law and set a $500 fine for businesses caught distributing the drugs.
Asset Forfeiture
House Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Federal Asset Forfeiture Next Week [31]. The House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations will hold a hearing on federal asset forfeiture uses and reforms. The hearing is set for next Wednesday at 10:00am.
Colorado Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill Vote Stalled [32]. A bill that would require a criminal conviction before asset forfeiture could take place has been stalled. Senate Bill 6 [33] was supposed to have a committee hearing this week, but the hearing has been delayed, with no make-up date announced.
Harm Reduction
New York Attorney General Gets Deal to Reduce Price of Overdose Reversal Drug [34]. State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has reached an agreement with Amphastar Pharmaceuticals that will result in cheaper prices for the company's formulation of naloxone, which can reverse opiate overdoses. The company nearly doubled the price of the drug last fall as demand rose, giving rise to a chorus of complaints. The deal would give New York state naloxone buyers a $6 per dose rebate. But the company had increased the price of the drug by about $20 per dose.
Drug Testing
Wisconsin Governor Narrows Public Benefits Drug Testing Proposal [35]. Gov. Scott Walker (R) no longer plans to require drug screening and possible drug testing for all public benefits recipients; instead, now only childless adults will face the screening.
Law Enforcement
Feds to Crack Down on Drug Courts That Don't Allow Opiate Maintenance [36]. Acting drug czar Michael Botticelli said during confirmation hearings Thursday that drug courts receiving federal funds will no longer be allowed to deny opiate addicts access to opiate maintenance treatments such as suboxone. Click on the link for more details.
International
New Cartel Violence in Matamoros Sends Newspaper Editor Fleeing to Texas [37]. At least 15 people have been killed in the past week in confrontations between drug trafficking factions in Tamaulipas state, across the border from South Texas. And a newspaper editor from Matamoros has fled to Texas after being threatened upon publishing reports of a shootout that left nine people dead. Enrique Juarez Torres, editor of El Manana, said he had been kidnapped, beaten, and threatened with death for his reporting. The Thursday edition of the newspaper carried no news of his kidnapping or any other reports on cartel activity.
Laos Vows Crackdown on Drugs; Will Target Addicts as Well as Traffickers [38]. Laotian security officials say they will be going after important drug rings and street dealers, but also drug users. "We're targeting the buyers, sellers, and consumers," a security official said. Laos has already ratcheted up drug law enforcement, with drug arrests up five-fold in 2014 over 2013. The moves come as opium production continues in the country and next door in Myanmar.