Federal Health Agencies Must Take Stronger Role In U.S. Cannabis Policy Shift, New Report Says
As cannabis consumption becomes increasingly common across the U.S., a federal advisory panel is calling for a major shift in how the government handles marijuana policy.
Moving away from the “Just Say No” campaigns of the past, Thursday’s report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine advocates for a public health-focused approach, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) playing a larger role than ever before, PBS News reported.
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A Health-Centric Shift In Cannabis Policy
“We’d like the federal government to step up to provide some leadership in this area,” said Dr. Steven Teutsch of the University of Southern California, who chaired the committee behind the report.
The CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored the findings, which suggest that the rise of stronger cannabis products coupled with higher rates of daily use necessitate a more robust federal response.
A CDC spokesperson confirmed that the agency is reviewing the report’s recommendations but stressed that additional …