Public Policy

A big cannabusiness just purchased two hundred acres in Tularosa, Otero County, claiming that will eventually be the nation’s largest dedicated parcel.

A number of experts pointed out the risks associated with a dramatic increase in opioid prescribing. They were ignored in favor of others who downplayed those risks.

It’s a move that helps bring the FDA on board with the CDC, instead of simply reviewing and approving new pharmaceutical opioids for the marketplace.

The theory is that the more users we put in jail or prison, the fewer left out on the street. So why hasn’t that substantially reduced arrest and overdose statistics?

I’ve been expecting a public relations counterattack on behalf of, and probably funded by, the pharmaceutical industry.

Many of those programs treat opioid users without relying on medication, and yet manage to achieve remarkable success rates– sometimes 80% over a five year period.

I think at this point, most law enforcement personnel would agree. They’ve concluded that, as the saying goes, this is one of those problems we “can’t arrest our way out of.”

It isn’t PhDs in the white lab coats who show up at your doctor’s office to provide false or misleading information about drug safety.

…if this type of strategy didn’t succeed 30 years ago, what makes us think it’ll be a success this time around?

When they get sick with diseases related to substance use, they’ll avoid going to the doctor or hospital, until their illness is advanced and more extensive and expensive care is involved.