News: Four Big Decisions on Drugs and Drug Policy [#134]

This Week in Drugs

This week, Sam and Sarah talk about the latest drug news, and each story brings up a big decision about how society approaches drugs. First, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court may rule on whether using drugs while pregnant should constitute child abuse. The next big decision is a hypothetical one, with the New York Times asking 30 experts how they would spend $100 billion over five years to fight the opioid epidemic. Then they discuss a decision already made by a court, where a man will be forced to take anti-psychotic drugs in order to stand trial – but should someone who isn’t competent to stand trial be legally responsible for crimes they committed while also incompetent? And finally, a big decision our society seems to have already made: that it’s perfectly reasonable to serve alcohol to people throwing axes at targets. But why is that allowed when marijuana bars are still banned, even with zero axes being thrown? Tune in to hear the TWiD team talk about these issues and more.

Big Stories:

• Pennsylvania Supreme Court Could Decide Whether Using Drugs During Pregnancy Is Child Abuse
  • The case, In the Interest of: L.J.B.
  • We discussed similar subject with Lynn Paltrow from the National Advocates for Pregnant Women on Episode 96
• How a Police Chief, a Governor and a Sociologist Would Spend $100 Billion to Solve the Opioid Crisis
• Bixby bombing defendant may be force-fed antipsychotic drugs, federal magistrate rules
• Baltimore ax-throwing bar to open in April in Highlandtown
  • Coming to Boston area too

Headlines:

• After an extended delay, Ireland’s Health Services Executive has decided the country’s first supervised injection site will open in Dublin, subject to planning approval. Dr. Eamon Keenan, head of HSE Addiction Services, said the sites allow “a marginalized group of society, injecting drug users who may be homeless, to access a harm reduction service that will improve their health, access them into a range of medical and social services, and contribute towards a reduction in drug-related deaths.”
• On February 5, Canadian pharmacy chain Shoppers Drug Mart notified the Ministry of Health about a case where a customer was supposed to get a naloxone kit, but received fentanyl instead. Now, they have investigated the matter, and Shoppers announced it was an isolated case of human error and that there is no risk to the public.
• After losing a lawsuit in 2014, Gregory Zullo and the ACLU are taking the marijuana ‘sniff test’ ruling to the Vermont supreme court. The state has 21 days to file a brief in response.
• Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, has become the third Senate sponsor of the Marijuana Justice Act, introduced by Cory Booker of New Jersey and also sponsored by Ron Wyden of Oregon. It’s widely speculated that Gillibrand is eyeing a presidential run in 2020, and this shows that marijuana legalization is gaining consensus among Democrats.

Forecast:

• After months in custody, a US federal judge ruled Thursday that Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman will face trial on September 5th.
• Tuesday, February 20, is the anniversary of the 21st Amendment being introduced in Congress. This happened in 1933, and it moved incredibly quickly: it was approved by the states throughout the year, and was ratified on December 5, less than 10 months after being introduced.

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• Tom Angell’s Marijuana Moment

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Music Credits:

Intro: Dance for Sport by the2ba

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The post News: Four Big Decisions on Drugs and Drug Policy [#134] appeared first on This Week in Drugs.