Thu Sep 26 15:01:19 UTC 2024: ## Federal Government Urged to Take Lead on Cannabis Public Health: New Report Highlights Gaps in Regulation
**Washington, D.C.** – A new report commissioned by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has delivered a stark message to the federal government: it’s time to step up its role in shaping cannabis policy to protect public health.
The 341-page document, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), finds that the federal government has been largely absent from the dialogue surrounding legalization, leaving states to navigate the complexities of cannabis regulation with little guidance.
“States have received little federal guidance on how to proceed regarding the health impact of cannabis on the public and communities,” the report states. “Other than two memoranda deferring to states—guidance that was rescinded under the Trump administration—the federal government has been noticeably missing from this dialogue.”
The report highlights a number of key areas where federal action is needed, including:
* **Developing comprehensive public health guidelines:** The NASEM urges the CDC to create “best practices for protecting public health” in legalized states, including guidance on marketing restrictions, age limits, retail operations, taxation, and measures to limit youth access.
* **Removing research restrictions:** The report calls on Congress to lift restrictions imposed by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy that have hampered research into the legalization of cannabis.
* **Centralizing data collection:** NASEM recommends that the CDC establish a comprehensive surveillance system to track state-level cannabis data, including cultivation, product sales, usage patterns, and public health impacts.
* **Addressing the hemp-derived cannabinoid loophole:** The report recommends Congress clarify the definition of hemp to ensure that intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids are subject to the same regulations as other cannabis products.
* **Promoting social equity:** NASEM advocates for states to implement and regularly evaluate social equity programs, which aim to help communities disproportionately affected by cannabis prohibition.
The report emphasizes that while ongoing research is vital, it is crucial for the federal government to take action now to ensure that cannabis legalization policies prioritize public health and equity.
“Now is the time for the federal government to create guidance for states that have legalized cannabis in the interest of protecting the public’s health,” said Steven Teutsch, chair of the NASEM committee that authored the report. “Our report shows that cannabis policy often focuses on regulating sales and revenue first, and protecting public health second.”
The NASEM report is the latest in a series of calls for increased federal involvement in cannabis policy. As more states legalize cannabis, the need for comprehensive, evidence-based guidance from the federal government is becoming increasingly apparent.
First Piper 