Providing Policy Expertise as Maryland Explores the Challenges of Recreational Marijuana Legalization

Law & Policy InsightsCannabis Legalization and RegulationSubstance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction

August 28, 2019
by Mathew Swinburne

Many states allow for license suspension for non-payment of fees and fines for traffic offenses. These suspensions often have significant health impacts, some of which seem obvious—people need transportation to access medical care. But a closer look reveals a plethora of other negative consequences that impact public health.

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Marijuana Delivery: California’s Looming Legal Battle

Law & Policy InsightsCannabis Legalization and Regulation

February 12, 2020
by Mathew Swinburne

As more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana use, they are being confronted with a broad spectrum of policy issues. One of the emerging issues is whether to allow the legal cannabis industry to deliver marijuana directly to customers. Advocates see it as an issue of access, especially for medical marijuana patients. Opponents argue that delivery will make it easier for kids to get marijuana and that the delivery vehicles will be targeted by criminals.

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The Department of Health and Human Services Recommends Rescheduling Cannabis

Law & Policy InsightsCannabis Legalization and Regulation

September 19, 2023
by Mathew Swinburne

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.

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Cannabis Regulation Resource Collection

Fact SheetCannabis Legalization and RegulationLegislation and Legal Challenges

November 30, 2022
by Mathew Swinburne

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.

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Social Justice Policies in New York’s Cannabis Legalization

Law & Policy InsightsCannabis Legalization and RegulationMechanisms for Advancing Health Equity

October 20, 2021
by Mathew Swinburne

Earlier this year, New York legalized adult-use (recreational) cannabis with the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act.  While it’s now legal for adults to possess cannabis, there are no retail establishments permitted to sell adult-use cannabis. The State is in the process of developing regulations for this new industry and the adult-use market is expected to be operational in late 2022. While New York is focused on creating a safe and efficient industry, it is also incorporating social justice measures, including restorative justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies into its new cannabis system.

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National Minority Health Month: Raising Awareness and Encouraging Action to Address Health Disparities

Law & Policy InsightsCOVID-19 and Health EquityMechanisms for Advancing Health Equity

April 21, 2021
by April Shaw, Dawn Hunter and Mathew Swinburne

Several universities across the U.S. have announced plans to require students to receive a COVID-19 vaccination before heading back to campus for the fall semester. Brown, Cornell, Duke, Northeastern, and Rutgers are among them. Some institutions of higher learning, like Virginia Tech, have determined that they cannot require vaccinations because of the vaccine’s Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) status, but this stance rests on shaky legal grounds.

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