Patients receiving treatment for lung illnesses sustained from vaping had injuries that resemble chemical burns from mustard gas, according to a physician at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Brandon T. Larsen, a surgical pathologist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, told the New York Times that lung tissue samples... Read more
It’s been almost one year since cannabis became legal in Canada. In light of the upcoming anniversary, a new study looked at the ways that cannabis has affected the workplace. Findings from this study show that by and large legalization has had a much smaller impact on things than... Read more
After prescribing opioids to a West Virginia woman who subsequently died, a Virginia doctor has been sentenced to 40 years in prison. A district court ruled that Joel Smithers was guilty of over 800 federal drug charges, including illegally distributing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose. The prosecution... Read more
The Department of Veterans Affairs ushered in a new policy this week making its healthcare facilities completely smoke-free. Most notably, the policy, which took effect on Tuesday, eliminates designated smoking shelters that had been a fixture at many VA hospitals. Now, smoking is strictly prohibited on the grounds of... Read more
Healthcare products manufacturer Johnson & Johnson announced on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with two Ohio counties to settle a lawsuit over the company’s role in the ongoing opioid crisis. Under terms of the settlement, Johnson & Johnson would pay Cuyahoga and Summit counties a total of... Read more
Poor Missourians who obtain authorized medical cannabis treatments no longer have to worry about losing their welfare benefits if they test positive for THC. Previously, Missourians who obtained welfare benefits through the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program were at risk of losing their benefits if they failed a... Read more
Los Angeles County now has 30 days to buy flavored tobacco after its Board of Supervisors approved a ban on all such wares, including menthol products. The decision, which applies to the unincorporated areas of the county that are home to one million residents, comes amidst a rash of... Read more
As legal battles between pharmaceutical companies and a number of local, state, tribal, and now federal government groups heat up, a new report implicates the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in the ongoing opioid crisis. Ultimately, the report argues that the DEA contributed to the spread of the opioid crisis,... Read more
When recreational weed became legal in California, it included provisions that gave local governments the power to bar pot shops. And according to reporting done by the Los Angeles Times, roughly three-fourths of all municipalities have done precisely that. Yet despite the high number of localities that have prohibited... Read more
On Monday, a growing operation received the first one-acre, conditional-use permit for cannabis cultivation in Sonoma County, the northern California hotbed for Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir. The operation will be overseen by a grow team known as Petaluma Hills Farm, but the entire property—which will be located... Read more
