A brand new Tennessee ballot has a robust majority for marijuana legalization, a Japanese three-year-old is honored for recognizing an opium poppy, and extra.
Rogue opium vegetation beware! Inspector Kawamura Yuki, 3, is on the job.
Marijuana Coverage
Tennessee Ballot Reveals Robust Majority for Marijuana Legalization. Any individual ought to inform the state legislature. Though the Republican-dominated legislature cannot bestir itself even to cross medical marijuana, Tennesseans are prepared to maneuver on to full-bore legalization, based on a brand new ballot from Vanderbilt College. That ballot has assist for legalization at 60 % statewide.
Ballot co-director John Greer mentioned there are “robust celebration variations,” with Republicans more likely to oppose legalization and Democrats to favor it.
The legislature has deigned to permit Tennesseans some restricted entry to CBD oil and hemp merchandise, however such half-steps are so far as lawmakers have been keen to go.
Drug Coverage
A Third of American Adults Know Somebody Who Died of a Drug Overdose. Greater than 1,000,000 People have died of drug overdoses up to now this century, forsaking buddies and kin. Now, a brand new survey from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg College of Public Well being finds that just about one-third (32 %) of American adults knew a type of overdose victims.
That’s an estimated 82.7 million folks. Practically one-fifth of American adults (18.9 %), or 49.8 million folks reported having an in depth pal or speedy member of the family die of a drug overdose.
The survey discovered no distinction round political celebration affiliation however did discover that those that knew overdose victims had been extra more likely to see dependancy as a really or extraordinarily vital coverage challenge. Overdose losses had been reported throughout all revenue teams. Forty % of lower-income respondents (outlined as annual family incomes lower than $30,000) reported overdose loss. Over one-quarter—26 %—of respondents within the $100,000 and better annual family revenue class reported an overdose loss.
The information recommended a excessive stage of settlement throughout all teams—better than 60 %, even amongst these reporting no overdose loss—that dependancy is a particularly or essential coverage challenge. Respondents who reported overdose loss had 37 % better odds of viewing dependancy as a really or extraordinarily vital coverage precedence.
“The drug overdose disaster is a nationwide tragedy,” mentioned Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, PhD, assistant professor within the Division of Well being Coverage and Administration on the Bloomberg College, who led the evaluation. “Though massive numbers of UD adults are bereaved resulting from overdose, they is probably not as seen as different teams who’ve misplaced family members to much less stigmatized well being points. Actions to construct assist for coverage change to beat the devastating toll of the overdose disaster ought to think about the function of this neighborhood.”
“This examine contributes new proof that the dependancy disaster and the losses that include it are frequent throughout People, however the burden is bigger amongst those that are extra economically precarious,” mentioned Catherine Ettman, PhD, an assistant professor within the Bloomberg College’s Division of Well being Coverage and Administration. “Addressing dependancy could be a unifying theme in more and more divided instances.”
Louisiana Bans “Gasoline Station Heroin.” Gov. Jeff Landry (R) has signed into legislation Senate Invoice 17, which criminalizes the sale and possession of tianeptine, a drug generally referred to as “gasoline station heroin” for its opioid-like results.
The invoice makes the federally unregulated anti-depressant a Schedule I substance beneath the state’s Uniform Managed Harmful Substances Legislation.
The CDC studies that tianeptine overuse and withdrawal can mimic opioid toxicity results seen in precise opioids. The FDA started warning customers about tianeptine in November 2023, citing studies of customers struggling seizures and lack of consciousness.
The invoice handed each chambers unanimously and can go into impact August 1
Worldwide
Japanese Three-12 months-Outdated Recommended for Discovering Banned Opium Poppy. Police in Tokushima Metropolis in western Japan have honored an area boy for locating a banned opium poppy in his neighborhood. Kawamura Yuki, 3, discovered the plant with blooming purple flowers whereas strolling together with his mom final month.
When the boy noticed the plant, his mom regarded it up on her cellphone and located it was “atsumigeshi,” or the opium poppy. She additionally discovered the plant is banned in Japan after which notified police.
Police then held a ceremony on the native police station, the place the chief requested Yuki to maintain his thoughts robust and ethical and to assist keep peace in the neighborhood. They dressed the boy in a baby’s police uniform and gave him a experience on a motorbike and a police automotive.
Yuki mentioned folks shouldn’t contact poppy vegetation in the event that they discover them.
Though the plant is banned, it’s prolific. Police eliminated greater than 10,450 poppy vegetation in Tokushima Prefecture final yr.