XPost: alt.hemp, rec.drugs.misc, rec.drugs.psychedelic
XPost: talk.politics.drugs
From: bliss@mouse-potato.com

Drug War Chronicle, Issue #1083 -- 11/1/19
Phillip S. Smith, Editor, psmith@drcnet.org https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/1083

A Publication of StoptheDrugWar.org
David Borden, Executive Director, borden@drcnet.org
"Raising Awareness of the Consequences of Drug Prohibition"

Table of Contents:

1. THE VAPING CRISIS IS REAL, BUT THE RESPONSE BY STATES MISSES THE
POINT [FEATURE]
While the culprit appears to be black market THC vapes, states are
responding by banning flavored pot and nicotine vapes. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2019/oct/24/vaping_crisis_real_response

2. MEDICAL MARIJUANA UPDATE
Connecticut gets more qualifying conditions, Georgia's program is
stalled, Rhode Island's governor and legislature are in a court battle
over who will regulate medical marijuana and hemp, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2019/oct/24/medical_marijuana_update

3. THIS WEEK'S CORRUPT COPS STORIES
A Louisiana narc with a pain pill habit goes down, a Texas school
resource officer gets caught pilfering pain pills, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2019/oct/24/weeks_corrupt_cops_stories

4. CHRONICLE AM: OPIOID MAKERS SETTLE WITH OHIO COUNTIES, MEXICO
MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION MOVES, MORE... (10/21/19)
A federal court says the DEA is doing what it needs to in processing
marijuana research applications, more opioid makers and distributors
settle and pay out over the opioid crisis, the Honduran president's
brother has been convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy in New York,
and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2019/oct/21/chronicle_am_opioid_makers

5. CHRONICLE AM: HOUSTON POLICE GET NEW DOPE SQUAD, MA VAPING BAN
UPHELD, MORE... (10/22/19)
A Massachusetts judge has upheld the Republican governor's ban on vaping product sales, Houston police get a new dope squad in the wake of a
botched fatal drug raid, a key Mexican lawmaker calls for drug
legalization as a means of reducing violence, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2019/oct/22/chronicle_am_houston_police_get

6. CHRONICLE AM: SUPPORT FOR MJ LEGALIZATION STEADY AT 2/3, CHICAGO
PSYCHEDELIC RESOLUTION, MORE... (10/23/19)
Support for marijuana legalization holds steady at 66% in the latest
Gallup poll, the Chicago city council approves a resolution on natural psychedelics, British MPs call for drug decriminalization, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2019/oct/23/chronicle_am_support_mj

7. CHRONICLE AM: THE LANCET COMES OUT HARD FOR DRUG DECRIMINALIZATION,
KANSAS CITY WEED BROUHAHA, MORE... (10/24/19)
A Kansas City city council meeting over marijuana decriminalization gets heated, a Florida poll shows good numbers for marijuana legalization,
The Lancet comes out swinging on drug decriminalization, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2019/oct/24/chronicle_am_lancet_comes_out

8. CHRONICLE AM: BERNIE'S POT POLICY, BETO'S DRUG POLICY, CASTRO'S DRUG
POLICY, MORE... (10/25/19)
Democratic presidential contenders talk drug policy, a new California
marijuana legalization initiative is approved for signature gathering, a Massachusetts judge partially lifts a pot vaping ban, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2019/oct/25/chronicle_am_bernies_pot_policy

9. CHRONICLE AM: MEXICO MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION BILL ADVANCES, UKRAINE
MARIJUANA PROTEST, MORE... (10/28/19)
Some Nebraskans want to see a return to increased drug testing in child
welfare cases, Mexico's marijuana legalization advances but faces a
delay, the INCB criticizes the Australia National Capital Territory over marijuana legalization, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2019/oct/28/chronicle_am_mexico_marijuana

10. CHRONICLE AM: PUSH ON PSYCHEDELICS EXPANDS, MEXICO MISSES DEADLINE
TO LEGALIZE WEED, MORE... (10/31/19)
We're starting to see pot bills getting filed for next year, a push to
ease laws on natural psychedelics is expanding into more cities,
Mexico's marijuana legalization push hits a bump, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2019/oct/31/chronicle_am_push_psychedelics

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================

1. THE VAPING CRISIS IS REAL, BUT THE RESPONSE BY STATES MISSES THE
POINT [FEATURE] https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2019/oct/24/vaping_crisis_real_response

According to the October 18 update (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6841e3.htm) from the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,299 cases of severe lung
injury associated with the use of vaping products have now been reported
since cases first started appearing this summer. They've been reported
in 49 states and the District of Columbia. And 26 people have died.

The update also provides this new syndrome with a name: E-cigarette or
Vaping, product use Associated Lung Injury (EVALI).

In the update, the CDC notes that "all patients have reported a history
of using e-cigarette, or vaping, products" and that "most patients
report a history of using THC-containing products."

As EVALI cases began piling up this fall, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) warned consumers early this month (https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/vaping-illness-update-fda-warns-public-stop-using-tetrahydrocannabinol-thc-containing-vaping)
to "stop using THC-containing vaping products and any vaping products
obtained off the street." The CDC was on the same page (https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html#what-cdc-recommends),
recommending that people "should not use e-cigarette or vaping products
that contain THC," buy black market vaping or e-cig products, especially
those containing THC, or modify or add any substances to e-cig and
vaping products.

Something new is going on. Marijuana and nicotine vaping products have
been around for more than a decade by now -- who remembers the massive
Volcano vape from early in this century? -- and the most popular
nicotine vaping brand, Juul, has been on the market for more than four
years. Yet this wave of vaping-related illness only broke out this summer.

The culprit increasingly appears to be black market THC vaping
cartridges (https://www.leafly.com/news/health/vape-pen-lung-disease-advice-consumers) contaminated with new additives, particularly thinners including
propylene glycol (PEG), Vitamin E acetate, and medium chain
triglycerides (MCT oil). The FDA has begun investigating Vitamin E
acetate (https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/vaping-illnesses-consumers-can-help-protect-themselves-avoiding-tetrahydrocannabinol-thc-containing),
while public health officials in New York have found the substance in a majority of seized vape cartridges (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/health/vaping-illness-lung-vitamin-e.html) there. The FDA also announced in August that it is proposing adding PEG
as a "respiratory toxicant" in its list of harmful tobacco product
ingredients.

While federal health officials have been busy trying to find the actual
cause of the EVALI outbreak, elected and public health officials at the
state level have typically responded with much broader restrictions on
vaping products overall, especially flavored vaping products for both
nicotine and marijuana.

In doing so, they are conflating two separate concerns -- youth vaping
and this new vaping illness -- and coming up with responses that use the
latter to take broad aim at the former. The problem with vaping illness increasingly appears to be not flavored vapes nor legal THC vapes; it's
black market THC vapes using specific additives. Nonetheless, here's how governments have responded:

* In Massachusetts (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vaping-massachusetts-product-sales-banned-temporarily-today-2019-09-24/),
Gov. Charlie Baker (R) last month declared a public health emergency and
banned all vaping products and devices. "The use of e-cigarettes and
marijuana vaping products is exploding, and we are seeing reports of
serious lung illnesses, particularly in our young people," Baker said as
he announced the ban. Medical marijuana patients can still vape, though.
* In Michigan (https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/09/04/michigan-bans-flavored-vaping-products-what-know/2207323001/),
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) used emergency administrative regulatory
powers to make Michigan the first state to announce a ban on flavored
nicotine products. "As governor, my No. 1 priority is keeping our kids
safe," Whitmer said in a statement. "And right now, companies selling
vaping products are using candy flavors to hook children on nicotine and misleading claims to promote the belief that these products are safe.
That ends today."
* In New York (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/york-court-blocks-state-ban-054922585.html), Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced a ban on the sale of flavored
e-cigarettes in September, citing both the outbreak of lung injury and
concerns over teenage e-cig vaping. But that ban has been temporarily
blocked in the courts in response to a challenge from the vaping industry.
* In Oregon (https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2019/10/oregon-will-ban-flavored-vaping-products-oct-15.html),
Gov. Kathleen Brown (D) ordered a six-month ban on all flavored vaping
products early this month. In a joint statement, the Oregon Liquor
Control Commission (which regulates marijuana) and the Oregon Health
Authority said the emergency rules "are significant steps toward
stemming the well-documented tide of e-cigarette use and vaping by
youth, as well as keeping products that may expose people to unsafe
chemicals and other contaminants off store shelves." But a state appeals
court last week temporarily blocked the ban (https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2019/10/oregon-appeals-court-halts-governors-flavored-vaping-ban.html)
on nicotine vaping product, but not marijuana ones.
* In Rhode Island (https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Rhode-Island-issues-emergency-rules-to-ban-vaping-14494931.php),
state health officials issued emergency health regulations at the end of September banning all flavored vaping products. Gov. Gina Raimondo (D)
said she was concerned about the spread of e-cigarette use among teens
and wanted to end the sale of flavored vaping products.
* In Washington (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7526277/Washington-fourth-state-ban-flavored-e-cigarettes.html),
Gov. Jay Inslee (D) issued an executive order in late September banning flavored nicotine and marijuana vaping products for four months. "We
need to act for the public health of our people," said Inslee. "I'm
confident this executive order will save lives."

One state, though, has had a more reasoned and measured response. In
Colorado (https://www.denverpost.com/2019/10/14/vaping-illness-regulation-marijuana-additives-colorado/),
regulators this month proposed a ban not on flavored vape products or
THC vape products, but one specifically targeting the additives that are
in question: PEG, MCT Oil, and Vitamin E acetate. The move came after
public hearings and consultations with industry stakeholders.

The plan also includes requiring labels that identify any additives to
vaping products and vaping cartridge packaging for products that include additives will have to say "Not FDA Approved."

Drug reform advocates, while acknowledging the seriousness of the vaping illness, are critical of what they see as exaggerated and heavy-handed responses and suggest that the outbreak is all the more reason to
legalize marijuana.

"All the vape bans really accomplish is to stoke more fear and stigma
around yet another substance," Matt Sutton, director of media relations
for the Drug Policy Alliance, said in an emailed statement. "What we are
seeing play out right now is a real-life drama of how various substances
are criminalized without justified reasoning and reliable research to do
so. Taking this approach, we fail to consider the harm that may result
from its removal from the marketplace, such as people turning to the
black market or more harmful substances."

"Banning vapes will only stop legal vapes, with no known problems," said
Dale Gieringer, long-time head of California NORML. "Illegal vapes won't
be affected. There is a concerted campaign by public health officials,
led by the FDA, the CDC, and the California Department of Public Health
trying to demonize vaping in general, even though there's strong
evidence that vaping in general is much safer than smoking (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-14043-2), for all sorts of
obvious reasons," said Gieringer. "In other countries, such as Britain (https://www.cnbc.com/video/2019/07/11/uk-government-promotes-vaping-as-smoking-cessation-tool.html),
public health authorities are encouraging vaping to reduce smoking."

For concerns about vaping marijuana products, the policy prescription is obvious, said Sutton: "For THC, the issue is undoubtedly the lack of regulation, which cannot be put in place so long as it remains illegal
at the federal level," he argued. "At this point, with these illnesses
becoming a growing concern, it is incumbent on policymakers to legalize marijuana in the interest of public health."

For CANORML's Gieringer, the current vaping panic is just that -- a sort
of moral panic that creates a demand for action, whether or not that
action addresses the actual problem and whether or not that action leads
to negative consequences.

"During this entire scare, teen vaping goes up and up and up, but teen
smoking has gone down, down, down. There's no public health crisis
evident, but the anti-smoking crowd is trying to misinform the public,
and they've succeeded. Polls now show over 50 percent (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-vaping-poll/more-americans-say-vaping-is-as-dangerous-as-smoking-cigarettes-reuters-poll-idUSKBN1W9136)
believe vaping is as dangerous as smoking. They've succeeded in
panicking the public and misinforming it about the advantage of vaping
over smoking," he argued.

"Another irony of this current hysteria is the resort to policies that
ban flavored nicotine vapes when one of the attractions of vaping is
flavor," said Gieringer. "Losing flavored vapes could drive people back
to menthol cigarettes. If they're smart, they would at least keep
menthol or some flavors on the market. The FDA could ban menthol
cigarettes and smokers would go to vapes, which is a public health benefit."

Amidst all the concern about THC vaping, Gieringer had some simple
advice for pot vapers: "Don't use underground products," he suggested.

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