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December 14, 2023

Events and Announcements

• Opioid settlement webinar: Landscape and efforts to evaluate and maximize impact (Overdose Response Strategy) – Dec. 15 from 12 – 1 p.m. 
• Risk factors for youth substance misuse (PTTC) – Jan. 9 from 10 – 11:30 a.m. 
• Public health consequences of changes in the cannabis landscape (National Academies) – Jan. 11 
• Cannabis and public health - an overview for those who are new to this work (CannAct) – Jan. 29 from 5 - 7 p.m. 
• Minnesota’s medical cannabis program adds new delivery method for patients (Minnesota Department of Health) 
• New cannabis research center launches at UMN School of Public Health   (University of Minnesota School of Public Health) 
• Biden-Harris administration calls on housing community to help expand access to life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications like naloxone (SAMHSA) 

Data and Research

• 2022 National survey on drug use and health (NSDUH) releases (SAMHSA) 
• Emergency department visits at Veteran’s Health Administration hospitals related to alcohol Intoxication: A ten-year retrospective (Science Direct) 
• Clustering of smoking, alcohol consumption and weight gain in pregnancy: Prevalence, care preferences and associated factors (BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth) 
• No evidence found that cannabis reduces long term opioid use, study shows (Science Daily) 
• Genomic study links cannabis abuse to multiple health problems (Science Daily) 
• Study identifies peptide as key mediator in heavy alcohol drinking (Science Daily) 
• Combined use of alcohol and THC can affect rat brains, study finds (Science Daily) 

Alcohol

• Tennessee launches campaign to promote safe alcohol use during holidays (TN DSHS) 
• Alcohol taxes aren't high enough, says World Health Organisation (Reuters) 
• WHO technical manual on alcohol tax policy and administration (WHO) 
• New Jersey approves alcohol delivery by DoorDash, Instacart (CBS News)

Cannabis

• First director of UMN Cannabis Research Center on studying the impact of marijuana legalization in Minnesota (MPR News) 
• New interactive evidence-based mapping tool gives policymakers more insight into highly concentrated cannabis products (Science Daily) 
• Camden cannabis dispensary opens in a neighborhood pharmacy, thought to be the first of its kind (The Philadelphia Inquirer) 
• Minnesota set to launch roadside impairment test for marijuana (Star Tribune) 
• Cannabis use disorder increasing among veterans with psychiatric disorders (American Psychiatric Association) 
• Does a loophole in Minnesota’s new recreational cannabis law permit the sale of higher potency cannabis flower by hemp retailers? (MinnPost) 

Opioids and Prescription Drugs

Tobacco and E-cigarettes

• Most young adults who use e-cigarettes have never smoked (JAMA Network) 
• Young adults used less tobacco and alcohol after cannabis legalization (Forbes) 
• White House delays decision on banning menthol cigarettes (The New York Times) 

Other Drugs

• Pharmacist verification of buprenorphine providers (SAMHSA) 
• ‘A monster’: Super meth and other drugs push crisis beyond opioids (The New York Times) 

Psychedelic Medicine

• Psychedelic medicine task force (MN Department of Health) 
• Could psychedelics be the future of mental health? (MPR) 
• Psychedelic therapy is having a moment — here’s what you need to know (Healthline) 
• Legal use of hallucinogenic mushrooms begins in Oregon (New York Times) 
• Colorado voted to decriminalize psilocybin and other psychedelics (Time) 
• Washington Psilocybin Services Act: A magical legislative solution for promoting benefits of psychedelic drugs (Reuters) 
• MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, MAPS) 
• Psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”) for treatment-resistant depression (Compass Pathways) 

Learn more by visiting the MDH Alcohol and Other Drugs website. 

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