Regulating Kratom: 2022 Update
Ryan StevensAccording to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), kratom (mitragyna speciosa) is a leaf from a tropical tree in Southeast Asia that can cause stimulant and sedative effects. In late June 2022, in conjunction with the...
Fentanyl Test Strips: Legislation Decriminalizing Their Use
Ryan StevensFentanyl test strips are essentially a drug testing technology, initially developed for urinalysis, but can be effective at detecting fentanyl and fentanyl-analogs in samples of drugs. Lawmakers around the country are looking to decriminalize the...
Which States are Proposing Bans on Flavored Tobacco?
Ryan StevensRecent years have seen a rise in the use of flavored tobacco products. According to the American Lung Association, while the smoking rate among adults has decreased from 21.6% in 2003 to 14% in 2019,...
Delta-8 Bans & Carve-Outs: Legislative Update
Ryan StevensWhile much attention is focused on states and the federal government’s efforts to legalize recreational marijuana, there is a new form of thus far unregulated tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) trending—delta-8. Google searches for “delta-8” reportedly grew by...
States’ Reactions to Supreme Court’s Dobbs Ruling: Abortion Access, Trigger Laws, & More
Ryan StevensIn early May, the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization showed that the conservative majority of the Supreme Court intended to invalidate the holding of Roe v....
Abortion Legislation at the State Level
Ryan StevensFollowing the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on overturning Roe v. Wade, states may soon be able to increase regulation of abortion and have been passing myriad abortion legislation. At issue before the U.S. Supreme...
In the Loop: What’s in the Build Back Better Act
John ZangOn November 19, 2021, the House passed a $2 trillion reconciliation bill—the Build Back Better Act—to implement key elements of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda. The bill has faced an uphill battle in the Senate,...
Telehealth Legislation: 2021 Update
statecapitallobbyistSince the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increased push for patients to meet virtually with their providers and to allow for certain expansions or relaxing of rules related to telehealth. With...
2021 Opioid Related Legislation
Ryan StevensThe opioid epidemic is not a new problem in the United States. In fact, the amount of drug overdose deaths has quadrupled since 1999, including a 5% increase from 2018 to 2019 alone. Additionally, in...
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