Literature Review

Nebraska voters approve legalization of medical marijuana. Here's what to know USA Today; by Greta Cross; 11/6/2 Medical marijuana is now legal in the state of Nebraska, approved by voters on Tuesday. Two ballot measures dealing with medical marijuana were on the Nebraska ballot. A total of 70.7% of voters approved Initiative Measure 437 and 66.9% of voters approved Initiative Measure 438. Initiative Measure 437 establishes a new statute that will allow the use, possession and acquisition of up to 5 ounces of cannabis for medical purposes by a qualified patient with a written recommendation from a health care practitioner. The statue will also allow for a caregiver to assist a qualified patient with these activities. Initiative Measure 438 establishes a new statute that makes penalties inapplicable under state law for the possession, manufacture, distribution, delivery and dispensing of cannabis for medical purposes by registered private entities. The statute will also establish a Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate such activities.

The power of collaboration: Pharmacists and nurses partner to enhance patient care American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) News Center; by Karen Blum; 9/23/24 Pharmacists and nurses work together on today's most pressing health challenges - from managing heart failure to deprescribing in palliative care to tackling obesity in pre-transplant patients. The Collaborative Care Grant for Nurses and Pharmacists from the ASHP Foundation and American Nurses Foundation recognizes the potential impact of this interdisciplinary teamwork on improving healthcare outcomes. At UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, the grant program helped fund the creation of a medication optimization clinic (MOC) for those with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. “It made a lot of sense to bring together our collective expertise to manage these patients to get them on more optimal medications,” said James Coons, a clinical pharmacist in cardiology at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. Coons, an ASHP member and professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, worked with nurse practitioner and longtime collaborator, Jennifer Kliner, on the project.

Medical marijuana study details Arkansans’ use of the drug, raises questions from lawmakers Arkansas Times; by Tess Vrbin for the Arkansas Advocate; 8/15/24 ... The study, conducted by the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, is the first ever population-based study of medical marijuana funded by a federal health agency, the National Institutes of Health. ... The state currently has more than 105,000 cardholders, an increase of roughly 29,000 in three years, according to ACHI’s study. ... Lawmakers on the Joint Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee ... expressed concerns about some of the information in the study, such as the fact that one-third of the certifications for medical marijuana cards in 2021 came from just seven doctors, with little evidence of a physician-patient relationship in many cases.Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana to some extent, and Arkansas is one of 14 states in which the drug is legal only for medicinal purposes.

Arkansas group proposing more access to medical marijuana qualifies for ballot in Nov. election ABC KTBC-3, Texarkana, AR; by Tracy Gladney; 7/6/24 The ballot committee in Arkansas that proposed more access to medical marijuana received enough signatures from around the state to qualify for a ballot in the November election.  90,704 signatures were required for a ballot, and boxes were turned in to the state capitol with 111,402 signatures, well exceeding the number needed. ... The amendment would allow patients to grow their own marijuana at home, end annual renewal requirements for medical certification and expand which medical professionals could approve medical marijuana cards to include pharmacists, physicians’ assistants and nurse practitioners. The state legalized medical cannabis in 2016, and this is the first proposed amendment to this law in eight years. 

Biden announces ‘major step’ toward reclassifying marijuanaThe Hill; by Joseph Choi; 5/16/24The Biden administration announced Thursday it had initiated the formal rulemaking process to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III from its Schedule I designation that it has held for more than 50 years. CBS website maps states where marijuana is legal for recreational and / or medical use.

America’s favorite, weed, comes with big health risks: Pyschosis is an increasing risk of today's strong marijuana.Psychology Today; by Mark S. Gold, MD; 4/30/24Key Points:

Medical marijuana may be sold in pharmacies, but it is not a medicine Psychiatric Times; by Yi-Lang Tang, MD, PhD and Elizabeth McCord, MD; 4/29/24Commentary: Georgia will soon be the first state in the nation to allow independent pharmacies to sell medical marijuana products, with more than 100 pharmacies already applying to participate. This raises serious health concerns. The public should be aware that medical marijuana is not a medicine and that it differs from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications in several key ways. ... Editor's Note: This article contains a list of what is approved (or not) in each state (with Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico); a brief history of medical marijuana; and differences between medical marijuana and FDA-approved medications.

Remedy or gateway drug? Doctors, police differ on path forward for medical marijuana The State; by Anna Wilder; 4/25/24 Medical marijuana blurs lines across law enforcement and the medical community, where advocates and opponents don’t agree whether it is a gateway drug or necessary medical device. With days left in the 2024 session, [South Carolina] House members are hearing from doctors, law enforcement, researchers, pharmacists and others on the highly contested issue. Out of 17 speakers at a Ad Hoc committee meeting Tuesday, eight opposed the bill, nine supported it and one was relatively indifferent. 

The Green Wave: Medical marijuana patient enrollment grew 610% since 2016 InvestingDaily, by John Persinos; 4/18/24 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the University of Michigan recently issued a report about a staggering surge in enrollment in state-sanctioned medical marijuana programs across the nation. The report was published last week by the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Between 2016 and 2020, the number of patients enrolled in medical marijuana programs in the U.S. grew “dramatically,” the report says, rising from about 678,000 in 2016 to more than 3 million in 2020. “This analysis indicates a 610% increase in patient number in the United States from 2016 to 2022,” the report states.

Over 1,200 medical marijuana cards issued ahead of Qualla Boundary dispensary opening Blue Ridge Public Radio News, by Lilly Knoepp; 4/16/24 This Saturday, North Carolina will become the 39th state with access to medical marijuana as the Eastern Band of Cherokee opens the first marijuana dispensary in the state. The Great Smoky Cannabis Company will host a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by a grand opening at 10 a.m. A spokesperson for ECBI said preparations for the opening have involved a variety of stakeholders. ... In March, ... a total of 1,200 cards had been issued. Now, he says, there have been 3,000 applications submitted to the board.

Medical marijuana laws benefit patients without harming public mental health, study finds ScienceBlog, University of Basel; 4/4/24 A study by researchers at the University of Basel has found that the approval of marijuana for medical use in the United States has had little impact on the mental health of the general population, while benefiting those for whom it is intended. The study, which analyzed data from nearly eight million people, sheds light on the ongoing debate surrounding the effects of marijuana legalization on public well-being and its therapeutic value.

Connecticut Appellate Court rules employer could discharge medical marijuana user impaired on the job The National Law Review; by John G. Stretton, Nicole S. Mulé, Zachary V. Zagger of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.; 3/27/24 On March 19, 2024, the Connecticut Appellate Court upheld an employer’s right to discharge an employee for being impaired on the job from medical marijuana under a state law that provides employment protections for qualified medical marijuana users.

Medical marijuana law does not impair employers’ right to drug-free workplace Insurance Journal, by Andrew G. Simpson; 3/22/24 A Connecticut employer has the right to terminate an employee who is impaired by medical marijuana in the workplace. The Connecticut Appellate Court on March 19 upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit brought against a nonprofit pre-school by a teaching assistant who used medical marijuana for treatment of her disability and was fired for violating the school’s drug-free workplace policy by showing up for work impaired.