Drug Decriminalization

Access to legal cannabis stores is associated with a reduction in opioid-related deaths in the United States, particularly those linked to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, finds a study published by The BMJ.

It is estimated that an increase from one to two cannabis dispensaries in a county was associated with an estimated 17% reduction in all opioid-related mortality rates. An increase from two to three dispensaries was associated with a further 8.5% reduction in all opioid related mortality rates. Their findings are based on data for 812 counties within the 23 US states that allowed legal cannabis dispensaries to operate by the end of 2017.

According to a proclamation in Thailand's new Royal Gazette, the sale and possession of 102 substances classified as Category 2 drugs by the 1979 Narcotics Act may be sold or used under very specific limitations. Possession and use will be granted to governmental organizations, approved pharmacies, and health workers such as pharmacists, dentists, and veterinarians for the purposes of producing approved medical formulas or approved research.

The regulatory shift is similar to that made in the wake of December 2018 legislation that cleared the way for medical marijuana. Included in the new regulation, which will come into effect in July 2021, are opium, fentanyl, codeine, cocaine, and other substances.