Welcome to Overnight Health Care on Friday, where we’ve been following the latest policy and news developments affecting your health. Register here. It was a big day for U.S. football fans as the U.S. men’s national team brought together England and Iran in their World Cup group next fall. Parliament has voted to decriminalize marijuana, but it is unclear what will happen next, as deep partisan divisions remain. For The Hill, we are Peter Sullivan, Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Send us tips and comments at [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] Let’s start. Parliament approved a bill to decriminalize marijuana Parliament passed legislation Friday that will end the federal ban on marijuana and eliminate long-term criminal penalties for anyone who distributes or possesses it.
The bill, called the Marijuana Reinvestment and Elimination Opportunity Act (MORE), will remove cannabis from the list of federally banned substances, eliminate some previous cannabis-related offenses, and impose a federal tax on every 5 cannabis. at 8 percent and funds programs aimed at helping communities affected by the war on drugs.
The bill was largely approved along party lines 220-204, with three Republicans supporting all but two Democrats. The legislation comes amid a growing shift in public attitudes toward marijuana, with most states passing some sort of decriminalization or legalization law.
Cloudy future: The measure is now going to the Senate, but it is not clear if it can win the required 60 votes. Majority leader Charles Sumer (DN.Y.) is working with fellow Democrats to introduce a marijuana legalization bill just this spring.
The White House has also not yet issued a statement on whether President Biden supports the legislation. Biden has stated that he opposes broad legitimacy. As of now, marijuana is classified by the federal government as a “program 1” drug, meaning it is considered highly addictive with no medicinal value — like heroin and worse than fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine.
Read more here. GOP STILL HAS DEEP DOUBTS ABOUT MARIJUANA The vast majority of Republicans in the House of Representatives on Friday voted against a bill ending the federal ban on marijuana, underscoring the GOP’s deep reservations about its use and allowing it to become more . Republicans in the House Justice Committee have warned that passing the bill would lead to widespread drug use. He was also said to be unaware of the established science about the harmful effects of marijuana. GOP lawmakers are also annoyed that the Republican amendments were not considered for further restrictions. “Our country is already suffering from many crises caused by Biden. Democrats are now prioritizing extending access to addictive, behavior-altering drugs, “said MP Bob Good (R-Va.), Adding that the bill would” have a negative impact on our children and communities. ” . ” As public opinion has warmed to the legalization of cannabis, so have Republican politicians. Former GOP House Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) has joined the board of a cannabis investment company following his departure from Parliament. When the MORE bill was previously passed by House in 2020, five Republicans joined Democrats in backing it. One of the five, MP Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Said he would “probably” vote in favor of the bill again. Spokesman Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) said he had a personal development to support the legalization of medical cannabis, but not for recreational use. Some Republicans found regulatory issues with the bill, but in general, the MORE Act vote showed that many Republicans are resisting the legalization of entertainment.
Spokesman Andy Harris (R-Md.), A doctor, called the legalization of entertainment a “bad idea”, saying that the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse had stated that “in terms of health, you should not legitimize marijuana for entertainment. ” Read more here. Pregnancy doubles risk of COVID revolution: study A study published Thursday found that pregnancy almost doubles the risk of unprecedented COVID-19 cases, closely followed by the risk of solid organ transplantation. The analysis, based on medical records of nearly 14 million people, found that vaccinated pregnant women were at greater risk of developing COVID-19 – more likely than those who had a solid organ transplant or an immune deficiency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages people to get coronavirus vaccines before or during pregnancy, trying to combat fears among some communities that the vaccines may be harmful. The authors say the findings support the CDC’s recommendation that patients at high-risk comorbidity may need to use enhanced infection prevention testing beyond vaccination to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection. Unknown: But the study found no reason for the increased risk. It also did not show how sick the patients became when they became infected with the virus after vaccination. Read more here. CDC: MORE THAN 40 PERCENT More than 40 percent of teens said they felt persistently sad or desperate during the pandemic, underscoring the impact COVID-19 has had on teens’ mental health, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ). The CDC survey, released Thursday, found that of the 7,705 U.S. high school students surveyed, 44 percent said they felt sad or desperate almost every day for at least two consecutive weeks. 37% said their mental health was most of the time or not always good during the pandemic. “This is a cry for help,” said Debra Houry, the CDC’s deputy chief executive. “The COVID-19 pandemic has created traumatic stressors that have the potential to further erode students’ mental well-being.” Read more here. POLLS: MOST AMERICAN SUPPORTS BETWEEN 15 WEEKS ABORTIONS As the battle for abortion reaches its climax in the Supreme Court this summer, a new poll by the Wall Street Journal found that more Americans support a ban on abortion 15 weeks after pregnancy than oppose it. In the poll, 48% said they were strongly or somewhat in favor of banning abortions for 15 weeks, with the exception of protecting the mother’s health, while 43% were against such a ban.
The poll showed that 31 percent strongly supported the ban and 17 percent supported it somewhat. On the other hand, about 34 percent strongly opposed the measure, while about 10 percent were somewhat opposed.
The results come as many Republican-led states have passed bills banning abortions after a woman completes 15 weeks of pregnancy. Read more here. . Breaking the mold of the morning show. Beltway bubble burst. TUNE-IN TO RISING, now available as a podcast. WHAT WE READ

Califf admits controversy over FDA decision on Alzheimer’s drug has affected experts’ confidence in the body (Stat) Black students who experience racism on campus have no mental health support (Kaiser Health News) It used to be difficult to find a coronavirus test. Too many now (Washington Post)

STATE WITH STATE

As US Approaches 1 Million Deaths From Covid, A Severely Affected County Is Facing Unimaginable Loss (Kaiser Health News) Mississippi lawmakers want to save money on inmate health care. Reluctance to extend parole makes it difficult (Mississippi Today)

	Defense and Homeland Security – Biden government finishes title 42 On The Money – US adds 431,000 jobs in March	

OP-EDS ON THE HILL This is for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s healthcare page for the latest news and coverage. I’ll see you on monday. The Hill has removed its comment section, as there are many other forums for readers to participate in the discussion. We invite you to join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter.