New report recommends larger role for CDC in cannabis public health policy

A federal advisory panel is recommending the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) take a larger role in policymaking around cannabis, as its use among Americans continues to grow.

A report issued Thursday by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) outlined several recommendations for the CDC regarding how the agency can get more involved. The panel is also pressing Congress to change the definition of hemp — which produces THC, an intoxicating chemical — so that it can be regulated, thus closing a loophole that allows certain products to be sold even when cannabis use is illegal in the region.

“There is an urgent need for a coordinated public health approach to cannabis policy in the U.S.,” Dr. Steven Teutsch, a senior fellow at the University of Southern California, wrote in a release. “Our report shows that cannabis policy often focuses on regulating sales and revenue first, and protecting public health second.”

“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,” Teutsch, who chaired the committee, added.

NASEM also urged CDC to create a public campaign, targeting parents and others, to teach them about the risk of cannabis and discourage “unhealthy” use of it, according to the report. The panel also recommended that the agency create a public health surveillance system to monitor the impact of cannabis on public health and track sales of products.

The report was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the CDC.

Their findings come as daily and near-daily marijuana use is overtaking the daily use of alcohol. THC levels in products have also spiked, per the report.

Around 17.7 million people in 2022 said they use marijuana daily or nearly daily, an analysis published in late May revealed. Currently, 38 states and the District of Columbia allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes, according to the CDC.

The advisory panel said regulators on the state level should mandate certification and training for workers who deal with customers at cannabis retail stores. NASEM also recommends states that have already legalized or decriminalized cannabis seal or expunge records for “low-level cannabis-related offenses.”

Cannabis use has been seen as a treatment to ease chronic pain — but the risks for heavy users can include car accidents and repeated bouts of vomiting that can send people to the emergency room, The Associated Press reported.

The report comes as the Biden administration made moves earlier this year to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I designation to Schedule III. The change will likely soften penalties around its use.

Complete decriminalization of marijuana could be accomplished through Congress with legislation removing the drug from the Controlled Substances Act.

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