How the pot pardons are playing

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Oct 14, 2022 View in browser   By Ben Leonard , Carmen Paun , Ruth Reader and Grace Scullion Presented by Novo Nordisk President Biden pardoned people convicted on federal marijuana possession charges on Oct. 6. | Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo President Biden's announcement that he'd pardon people convicted of marijuana possession and reassess marijuana's treatment as a drug deemed by the federal government to have no medical use and a high potential for abuse was " the biggest shift in federal policy in more than half a century ," POLITICO's Mona Zhang reported. Since then, news outlets have questioned how big the real-world impact will be. "For advocates and people who were swept up in the federal government's marijuana prosecutions for decades, Biden's move to pardon federal possession offenders is a welcome recognition," wrote Alex Halperin in Slate , while adding: "But it only helps a small fraction of the people whose lives such enforcement has ruined." The pardons only go so far: Most people convicted of marijuana possession face state charges, not federal ones, and Biden's pardons don't help them. And in another report , POLITICO's Paul Demko and Zhang wrote that few governors, Republican or Democratic, will follow Biden's lead at the state level. Some don't think it's wise to treat marijuana more leniently, while others' state laws restrict whom they can pardon. Pot's health risks: Proponents of marijuana legalization think it's ridiculous that the Drug Enforcement Administration categorizes marijuana alongside heroin as a Schedule I drug that has no accepted medical use, considering that 37 states permit its use to ease symptoms of diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer and AIDS . But that doesn't mean there aren't risks, wrote former Baltimore Public Health Commissioner Leana Wen in The Washington Post . "The push for decriminalization should not be misinterpreted as signaling that marijuana is safe for everyone or that recreational use — especially among youths — ought to be normalized," she argued. Wen said she was concerned about the growing belief that marijuana is harmless — she cited a study that found half of college students use weed — given that " abundant research demonstrates how exposure to marijuana during childhood impacts later cognitive ability, including memory, attention, motivation and learning." Wen noted that studies "have linked regular cannabis use in adolescents with lower IQs in adulthood and higher propensity to drop out of high school ." The pot business: Biden's announcement bodes well for the burgeoning cannabis industry. But Forbes' Hank Tucker found that the effect on the bottom line so far is muted. "Cannabis stocks have come down from a spike after President Joe Biden's surprise announcement ," Tucker wrote. For "a more long lasting high," he added, the pardons will need to yield receptiveness to "more impactful legislation and reform." Tucker cited pending legislation in Congress to make it easier for marijuana businesses to get bank loans. Whether that happens will depend on whether the public demands it. And, as POLITICO's Natalie Fertig reported, Americans largely approved of Biden's actions .   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today .       A message from Novo Nordisk: Fixing Medicare's outdated obesity policies can reduce healthcare inequities. Obesity is a major health equity issue. Congress must act now.   WORLD VASECTOMY DAY: Planned Parenthood is offering the sterilization procedure for free to people without health insurance at three clinics in Missouri, citing an increase in demand following the Supreme Court's decision allowing states to ban abortion. On a new episode of The POLITICO Show , Margaret Baum said she's celebrating "male body participation in family planning."   A message from Novo Nordisk:   WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. We were curious to read about a Nigerian city's high twin birth rate, and local women's belief that it's because of their food . Share news, tips and feedback with Ben at bleonard@politico.com, Ruth at rreader@politico.com, Carmen at cpaun@politico.com or Grace at gscullion@politico.com.  Send tips securely through SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp . Today on our Pulse Check podcast , Erin Banco talks with Megan Wilson about why Japan's smallpox doses could be crucial for low- and middle-income countries. Plus, Rep. Elissa Slotkin told Alice Miranda Ollstein why she's still frustrated with Democratic leadership over their lack of preparation on abortion access. Listen to today's Pulse Check podcast   A message from Novo Nordisk: Fixing Medicare's outdated obesity policies can reduce healthcare inequities. Obesity is a major health equity issue. Congress must act now.     TUNE IN TO THE PULSE CHECK PODCAST: Keep your finger on the pulse of the biggest stories in health care by listening to our daily Pulse Check podcast. POLITICO's must-listen briefing decodes healthcare policy and politics, and delivers reality checks from health professionals on the front lines. SUBSCRIBE NOW AND START LISTENING .     TWEET STORM A new study on colonoscopies came out Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine , and the research — plus the media coverage of it — sparked a sometimes angry debate on Twitter about journalistic responsibility and scientific evidence. The researchers examined health outcomes for tens of thousands of people in Europe, some of whom received an invitation to get a colonoscopy while others did not. Previous research has shown the procedure to be highly effective in reducing the risk of colon cancer, and death from it, by identifying cancerous and precancerous polyps. The results of the European study, though, were surprising: It found that the invitation cut cancer risk by 18 percent in the group that received it but didn't result in a significant reduction in deaths. Media organizations ran with it. Twitter But because the study compared invitations to colonoscopies — not actual colonoscopies — many experts laid into the coverage on Twitter. As the American College of Gastroenterology wrote in a letter to CNN , when looking at the people who actually got colonoscopies, the procedure cut cancer risk by 31 percent and death by 50 percent. Twitter Twitter CNN later updated its headline to "New study examines the effectiveness of colonoscopies." The situation underscores how the details of findings can get lost in translation — and that misleading information can spread quickly.   Follow us on Twitter Ben Leonard @_BenLeonard_ Ruth Reader @RuthReader Carmen Paun @carmenpaun   Follow us

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