Rahul Gupta Confirmed as ONDCP Director, PA Pot Poll, Colombia Coca Growers Seize Solders, More... (11/1/21)

The nation has a new drug czar, Italian activists hand in hundreds of thousands of signatures to try to get a marijuana and psychoactive substances initiative before the voters, and more.

Meet the new drug czar: Dr. Rahul Gupta has been confirmed by the Senate to head ONDCP. (MD)

Pennsylvania Poll Has Record High Support for Marijuana Legalization. A new Franklin & Marshall College poll has support for marijuana legalization at a record high, with 60 percent of respondents backing it. That's up one percentage point since the last Franklin & Marshall poll in March. The poll comes as a number of state legislators file bills to make it happen, but such efforts have so far gotten little traction in the Republican-controlled House and Senate.

Drug Policy

Senate Confirms Dr. Rahul Gupta as ONDCP Director. The Senate last Thursday confirmed President Biden's pick to head the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP—the drug czar's office), Dr. Rahul Gupta. Gupta is the first MD to serve as drug czar. Gupta has served as West Virginia's Chief Medical and Health Officer and Senior Vice President at March of Dimes. As the state’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Gupta led the opioid crisis response efforts and launched a number of pioneering public health initiatives, including the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Birthscore program to identify high-risk infants. He also led the development of the state’s Zika action plan and its preparedness efforts during the Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak.

International

Colombia Coca Growers Seize, Then Release 180 Government Soldiers. Hundreds of coca growers armed with sticks and machetes seized 180 Colombian soldiers who were part of an operation to destroy coca crops early last week and released them days later after deciding unilaterally to let them go after negotiations with the government. "The situation ends here with a voluntary agreement from the growers," said a mediator from the ombudsman's office. The eradication operation was taking place near the Venezuelan border and threatened to disrupt the farmers' livelihoods.

Italian Activists Turn in Hundreds of Thousands of Signatures for Marijuana and Psilocybin Referendum. Last Thursday, activists handed in some 630,000 signatures for a referendum to legalize the cultivation of marijuana and other psychoactive plants and fungi. Now, the Supreme Court of Cassation has 30 days to determine that the signatures are valid, and if they are found valid, the Constitutional Court will determine whether the measure conflicts with the national constitution or international treaties. Activists say they intentionally limited the referendum's language to meet that standard.