Hi,

Portugal, once lauded for its pioneering drug decriminalization strategy, is now reevaluating its approach in light of new challenges. It still has less overdoses than most countries but not everything is going as intended. Since the pandemic, there’s been an uptick of drug encampments alarming citizens while enrollment into treatment programs suffers a marked decrease. The head of the nation’s drug institute blames a lack of funding and consequently the “decentralization” of drug oversight resources. Sadly, this has led to reluctance by officers to even refer someone for such dissuasion programs as their waiting lists are now measured in years.

In the United States, the FTC and FDA joined forces to send cease and desist letters to several Delta-8 THC companies that packaged edibles in a manner appealing to kids.

A concerning trend is the rising substance abuse among seniors which not only raises public health alarms but also challenges traditional perceptions about addiction demographics. Not even celebrities are safe from this concerning proliferation, as Madonna was allegedly revived with naloxone. While her team claims she had a bacterial infection, she did mention on the Jimmy Kimmel show 2 years ago that she is a fan of opiates but maybe she was joking. Either way, I hope she makes a full recovery. Unintentional fentanyl overdoses can affect all ages as shown by the unfortunate passing of Robert Deniro’s grandson last week. I’d recommend staying away from any synthetic opiate if it's not prescribed by a doctor.

Feel free to subscribe to our Cannabis or Investors International News Roundups.

Have a sensational week!
Jessica