Mathew Swinburne

Cannabis use among youth is linked to harmful effects on attention, memory and decision-making, coordination, and mental health. One way to reduce youth cannabis use is to regulate outdoor cannabis advertising. This fact sheet analyzes the outdoor advertising restrictions and policies in jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis for medical and/or recreational purposes.

Because of the potential harms cannabis use poses to youth, many states place restrictions on cannabis advertising. Courts are divided as to whether such restrictions violate a business’s First Amendment rights to engage in commercial speech. This fact sheet details how, depending on the scope and characteristics of a state’s advertising policy, cannabis advertising can be constitutionally restricted in order to protect children’s health.

Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia have now legalized cannabis for medical and/or adult-use. This wave of policy change has important health implications for children, especially those with medical conditions whose treatment includes the use of cannabis products. Additionally, new research is raising concerns about the effects of exposure to cannabis advertising on children and youth. Attend this webinar for an examination of these two youth focused policy issues that states must address as part of cannabis legalization.

The influx of new customers created by the legalization of adult-use cannabis can place a strain on a state’s cannabis supply. This increased demand can present a challenge to the state’s medical cannabis system and potentially reduce patient access to medical cannabis. This fact sheet examines various state policies aimed at protecting patient access to medical cannabis.

Cannabis is legal in most states and most of those living in the U.S. support some form of cannabis legalization. Despite the evolution in state policy and broad public support, cannabis remains illegal under federal law. Things could be changing. In October of 2022, President Biden ordered the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to initiate the administrative process to review cannabis’s classification under federal law.

The changing environment in cannabis law presents critical public health issues that need to be addressed to help maximize benefits and minimize risks associated with legalization. This webinar will explore recent developments in cannabis law and policy with a focus on recent state legalization efforts, protecting medical cannabis patients, youth access and exposure to cannabis products, product safety, and hemp derived products.

by Overview May 25, 2023 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. ETThis webinar will explore some of the legal issues that impact school nursing…

Marijuana, which is still considered an illicit drug at the federal level, is legal in 11 states for adults over the age of 21 for recreational use, and legal for medical use in 33 states. As more states contemplate marijuana legalization, understanding the broad spectrum of public health and policy issues related to cannabis regulation is critical. This collection of resources surveys states’ laws regarding home cultivation and consumption site regulation; zoning restrictions; potency and product regulation; labeling and packaging regulation; youth access regulations and enforcement; and adult-use advertising restrictions.

This Table highlights states which have either invoked or facilitated implementation of Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) during the COVID-19 pandemic beginning Feb. 2020.

Cannabis law and policy is evolving at a blistering pace driven largely by state legalization of medical and adult-use cannabis. While cannabis remains illegal under federal law, there are stirrings of change. In this churn of changing state laws public health is faced with myriad complex issues. How do we address social justice in the shadow of the war on drugs?  What policies are effective in preventing youth access? How can the tax revenue generated by cannabis legalization be used to reinvest in communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs? What role can local government play in this dynamic environment?  To help public health stakeholders better navigate critical issues like these, the Network is hosting a Summit on September 13th and 14th in Baltimore City, Maryland to explore pressing issues in cannabis law and policy.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (commonly known as the WIC program) is the third largest food and nutrition assistance program in the U.S. In 2020 alone, WIC served approximately 6.2 million participants a month, including almost half of all infants born in the country. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the program to expand benefits and alter its administration in ways that have greatly improved participants' lives. This issue brief evaluates the COVID-19 changes to the WIC program and assesses the current issues with the Program highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also provides policy recommendations to ensure greater participation and adequate benefits for participants.

This issue brief examines evidence of racial disparities with respect to COVID-19 infections and deaths, possible causes, and legal protections against race discrimination. It also provides an overview of CSC planning, including key ethical features that may be utilized to ensure that CSC planning incorporates concerns about racial inequity.