S.O.S. Drug Policy Newsletter & Legislative Updates

WEDNESDAY, July 18, 2018 -- Lowering the default number of opioid painkillers in electronic prescription systems reduced overall use of the drugs, a new study finds. In electronic medical-record systems, prescriptions have a default number of pills. It's been suggested that reducing this number may help curb the use of addictive opioids, such as OxyContin.…

Gabrielle Campbell, PhD Correspondence information about the author PhD Gabrielle CampbellEmail the author PhD Gabrielle Campbell Wayne D Hall, PhD, Amy Peacock, PhD, Nicholas Lintzeris, MD, Raimondo Bruno, PhD, Briony Larance, PhD, Suzanne Nielsen, PhD, Milton Cohen, MD, Gary Chan, PhD, Richard P Mattick, PhD, Fiona Blyth, PhD, Marian Shanahan, PhD, Timothy Dobbins, PhD, Michael Farrell, MD, Louisa Degenhardt, PhD Background Interest in the use of cannabis and…

WASHINGTON  Marco Rubio is just as tired as you are of the ubiquitous commercial where a man in blue scrubs urges families beset by drug addition to call for treatment options. As Congress seeks to stanch an ongoing, nationwide opioid crisis, the Florida Republican is trying to crack down on companies that make money every…

Families whose children suffer seizures from epilepsy have asked legislators in several states to “legalize” cannabidiol (CBD), “medicinal” marijuana, and “whole-plant extracts” so they can use them to reduce their children’s seizures. The marijuana industry has been happy to accommodate, helping parents lobby legislators and, when successful, producing CBD products. But none of these products…