opioid crisis

The Sackler family and Purdue Pharma have agreed to pay $7.4 billion to resolve nationwide opioid litigation, marking a major milestone in efforts to hold the makers of the addictive pain medication OxyContin accountable for their role in the opioid crisis. This increased settlement, announced...

In a pioneering study funded by the UK Government, researchers at Imperial College London are set to examine the potential of psilocybin-assisted therapy to treat opioid addiction. As Leafie reported, this marks the first time that the UK government has backed research into using psilocybin for...

Missouri is dedicating $5 million from its opioid settlement fund to research the potential of psilocybin in treating opioid use disorder. As Marijuana Moment reported, this funding initiative follows the passage of HB 2010, a state spending bill, and aims to curb overdose deaths by exploring...

In a first for the U.S., a pilot program in rural Michigan is exploring the use of cannabis as a harm reduction tool. Researchers followed 10 clients who received free marijuana through a harm reduction organization, with promising results. Staff observed positive changes, like one client who...

In the wake of the escalating opioid crisis, the state of Oregon is reconsidering its groundbreaking drug decriminalization legislation. This move comes as the state grapples with a surge in drug-related fatalities and a lack of effective implementation of the existing law. What Happened: The state...

Opioid producer and raw material supplier Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) reached a settlement last week in an opioid lawsuit with Washington state.  What Happened: To avoid trial in Attorney General Bob Ferguson's lawsuit, Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $149.5 million to the Evergreen State...

Supreme Court justices appeared torn on a decision that could put an end to a high-profile trial on the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma. Purdue filed for bankruptcy in 2019, after receiving numerous lawsuits on allegations that its star product OxyContin played a pivotal role in the rise of...

When the first two officially sanctioned overdose prevention centers (OPCs) in the U.S. opened in New York City in late November 2021, they raised eyebrows and some ire. Within less than three weeks after opening, they'd already averted at least 59 overdoses and were...

At Wednesday night’s third Republican presidential primary debate for 2024, the five candidates spent two hours trading jabs in Miami over the usual topics, including how they’d handle the country’s devastating opioid crisis. One of the moderators,...

A devastating epidemic has made its way onto college campuses across the country, where students are carrying opioid overdose reversal drugs in their backpacks along with their textbooks and other belongings. Overdoses, particularly due to fentanyl, are increasing on college campuses....

In the heart of Manhattan, NY, a nonprofit organization has become a lightning rod for a nationwide debate as it forges ahead with a groundbreaking strategy to combat the escalating opioid crisis. Employing the contentious method of supervised consumption, OnPoint NYC is on a mission to thwart...

On Thursday, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked a $6-billion bankruptcy settlement by Purdue Pharma, the maker of the opioid OxyContin, that would shield the Sackler family from civil lawsuits related to the opioid crisis. The court also announced that it will hear a challenge to the settlement...

Robert De Niro’s grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, who was also an actor, tragically died at the age of 19 on Monday. The cause of death was confirmed to be an overdose involving the deadly synthetic opioid – fentanyl, Lenardo’s mother Drena De Niro revealed. What...

Over 109,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses in the 12 months ending in January 2023, representing a slight increase of 0.7% compared to the previous year.  Fentanyl, a highly potent opioid, has played a significant role in the opioid crisis and the surge in drug overdoses in the...

By Lucía Tedesco, via El Planteo.  Researchers demonstrated that CBD is capable of reversing a fentanyl overdose. This was due to a study by a group of scientists from Indiana University, USA, who tested 15 cannabidiol derivatives for these purposes. In 2021, 80,000 people died from...