A state legislator in West Virginia has introduced an creative way to reduce deaths from the opioid crisis: legalize marijuana.
At a media event last week, Craig Blair, president of the state Senate, spoke in favor of legalizing the plant for consumption and suggested it could reduce the number of people affected by fentanyl coming across the southern border, which is often laced in commonly used street drugs.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that in 2022, West Virginia had more fatal fentanyl overdoses per capital city than any other state in the country.
According to West Virginia Watch, the Senate president also noted that he sees many West Virginia marijuana dispensary license plates when visiting other states.
Addressing the fentanyl issue, Blair also stated during the event that “there is a problem in the state of West Virginia when marijuana – over 70 percent of marijuana tested – contains fentanyl.” He supports legislation to impose the death penalty on those selling fentanyl.
It is unclear what data, if any, Blair was referring to when making this claim. The Partnership to End Addiction says there is “no solid evidence that marijuana is mixed with fentanyl.”
There is much debate about the extent to which fentanyl is added to marijuana. There were reports about this, but many of them were unfounded.
However, some do he argued that legalizing marijuana would still lead to better outcomes for fentanyl overdoses and other problems.
To be clear, marijuana sold on the unregulated market can vary in quality and purity. In some cases, unscrupulous sellers may even contaminate cannabis with other controlled substances (though fentanyl is rarely, if ever, among them). In other cases, they may sell samples that accidentally contain mold or other ingredients that could pose a stern health risk. However, in other cases, they may sell products containing chemicals that imitate the effects of cannabis but pose much greater health risks.
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Under a legally regulated system, cannabis products are made available in retail stores from licensed producers. The hemp is grown and the products are manufactured in accordance with good manufacturing practices. The products are laboratory tested and appropriately labeled, which provides consumers with access to products with verified purity and potency.
To date, 19 states have passed laws regulating the adult-use cannabis market. So far, these policies are working largely as voters and lawmakers intended. The illicit market is being disrupted (though not completely eradicated) and fewer consumers are exposed to contaminated products.
Overall, the idea is popular with the American public, including Republicans, who typically oppose marijuana legalization.
While it’s not entirely clear how allowing marijuana consumption will impact the fentanyl crisis, it still seems reasonable to conclude that it would facilitate solve other problems that arise from purchasing marijuana on the street along with other drugs.
However, as Blair pointed out, it may be a long time before West Virginians can consume marijuana without fear of being targeted by law enforcement.
