The Latest News from Our Field

Two new studies suggest synthetic marijuana, also known as “K2” or “Spice,” may cause kidney damage. The studies were presented at a meeting of the National Kidney Foundation.

Two federal agents have been charged with money laundering and wire fraud in connection with the undercover investigation of Silk Road, the website that sold drugs and other illegal items.

Twenty-two drug offenders serving time in federal prison will be freed, the White House announced Tuesday. President Obama’s decision to commute the prisoners’ sentences builds on “his commitment to address instances of unfairness in sentencing,” White House Counsel Neil Eggelston said.

More states and cities are considering needle-exchange programs as a way to fight the spread of HIV and hepatitis C among intravenous drug users, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The American Academy of Pediatrics announced its opposition to random drug testing in schools, Reuters reports. There is little evidence such “suspicionless” testing is effective, and it comes with potential risks, the group said in a policy statement.

GNC has agreed to institute new testing procedures on its herbal products, after the New York State Attorney General’s office accused the company and other major retailers of selling adulterated and/or mislabeled dietary supplements.

Indiana Governor Mike Pence declared a public health emergency as the state battles an outbreak of HIV linked to intravenous use of the painkiller Opana.

The Department of Health and Human Services will provide more funds to distribute the opioid overdose antidote naloxone to first responders and family, USA Today reports.

A new government anti-smoking campaign will include radio and print ads that question e-cigarettes’ value in helping smokers quit.

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors has approved an ordinance requiring drug manufacturers to fund and administer a take-back program for unused and unexpired medications, The Wall Street Journal reports. The measure awaits the mayor’s signature.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy will host a series of webinars to outline the dangers of synthetic cannabinoids (Spice), cathinones (bath salts) and other new synthetic drugs.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, March 20 - Thursday, March 26, 2015.

As more states legalize the recreational use of marijuana, parents are finding it more challenging to talk to their teens about drug use. A new resource for parents, called the “Marijuana Talk Kit” takes this new landscape into account.

As more states expand access to the opioid overdose antidote naloxone, some experts say more is needed to address the opioid addiction crisis, USA Today reports.

A bill introduced by three U.S. senators that would end the federal prohibition on medical marijuana faces opposition by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to Politico. The committee includes some of the most senior legislators in Congress.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse this week awarded the University of Mississippi $68.8 million to grow and analyze marijuana, Time reports. The university’s marijuana research lab has been the sole producer of federally legal marijuana since 1968.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s chief medical officer is trying to implement new drug policies that would bring increased oversight and consistency. Currently there is a wide variety of approaches among schools in how they deal with drug policy infractions.

Marijuana being grown today is much more potent than marijuana grown 20 or 30 years ago, according to a study by a Colorado-based lab.

Initial results on studies evaluating the effectiveness of the marijuana extract cannabidiol for treating severe epilepsy in children are mixed, according to The Wall Street Journal.

If all new cars had devices that prevent drunk drivers from starting the engine, an estimated 85 percent of alcohol-related deaths could be prevented in the United States, a new study concludes.

A new study finds students who attend schools with suspension policies for illicit drug use are more likely than students at schools without such policies to use marijuana in the following year.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a nationwide alert in response to a surge in overdose deaths from heroin laced with the narcotic drug fentanyl, the most potent opioid available for medical use.

President Barack Obama this week said if enough states decriminalize marijuana, Congress might reschedule the drug. Marijuana is a Schedule I drug, which is defined as a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer of California is a co-sponsor of a bipartisan bill to end the federal prohibition on medical marijuana, federal records show. The Washington Post reports that Boxer’s office did not announce her support of the bill when it was introduced last week.

A new fund to help low- and middle-income countries fight legal challenges to their smoking laws by the tobacco industry has been created by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.