Advisory Panel Calls For CDC To Take Greater Role In Cannabis Policy

WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. health authorities should be taking on a larger role in formulating the nation’s cannabis policy, according to a federal advisory panel.

The Hill reported details of the recommendation last week by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), a federal advisory panel.

NASEM’s report said that with an increasing number of Americans using cannabis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be more involved in providing health guidance surrounding the drug.

“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.  He chaired the committee behind the report, which was sponsored by the CDC and the National Institutes of Health. A CDC spokesperson said Thursday that the agency would study the recommendations, and that more money would be needed to implement them.

“There is an urgent need for a coordinated public health approach to cannabis policy in the U.S.,” Dr. Teutsch said. “Our report shows that cannabis policy often focuses on regulating sales and revenue first and protecting public health second.”

He added, “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.”  38 states and the District of Columbia allow the medical use of marijuana and many of those states also allow adult recreational use, with taxes and regulation of sales similar to alcohol. Florida voters will decide on recreational use in November.

Cannabis is reported to be getting stronger, with levels of the intoxicating compound THC rising.  With that in mind, the advisory panel also called on Congress to change the definition of hemp, which produces THC, so that it can be regulated.  Currently certain products can be sold even when cannabis use is illegal in the region.

Furthermore, NASEM recommended that the CDC create a public campaign, targeting parents and others, to teach them about the risk of cannabis and discourage “unhealthy” use of it.

The report’s recommendations for the CDC include:

— Develop and evaluate health campaigns about cannabis, specifically for parents, young people, pregnant women and people 65 and older.

— Monitor cannabis cultivation, sales, use and health impacts.

— Create best practices for state regulation, including ways to limit youth access.

For Congress:

— Close a loophole that allows intoxicating products derived from to be widely sold, even in states where other cannabis products are illegal.

— Remove restrictions on the Office of National Drug Control Policy that prevent it from studying the effects of cannabis legalization.

For states:

— Require training and certification for cannabis retail staff.

— Automatically expunge or seal records for low-level cannabis-related offenses in states that have decriminalized cannabis.

— Adopt and enforce quality standards set by the U.S. Pharmacopeia, an independent group that sets standards in medicines and dietary supplements.

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