The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) is endorsing broad drug decriminalization, expungements for low-level possession and the promotion of statewide harm reduction programs.<\/p>\n
A resolution approved this month by the association recommends the \u201cremoval of criminal penalties for the possession of a small quantity of illicit drug for personal use and\/or the possession of drug paraphernalia.\u201d<\/p>\n
It also calls for the \u201ccreation of administrative panels which may render treatment referrals and civil penalties to offenders of simple possession.\u201d The dual approach of decriminalization with treatment referral closely models the harm reduction policy that\u2019s been in place in Portugal, for example.<\/p>\n
The association\u2019s Board of Trustees passed the measure submitted for consideration by the MMA Policy Council, which studied harm reduction models as part of a workgroup that was formed earlier this year. The result of the panel\u2019s work was a multi-part proposal that the full association has now adopted.<\/p>\n
The proposal<\/a>\u2014which was approved for consideration by MMA members through on online portal in a 219-34 vote\u2014also urges \u201cincreased investment in statewide harm reduction and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) programs,\u201d as well as the release of those currently incarcerated over low-level drug possession and expungements for such offenses.<\/p>\n At its December 12 meeting, the MMA Board of Trustees approved a policy proposal submitted through The Pulse on the \u201cDecriminalization of Simple Possession of Illicit Drugs.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/t.co\/s3h2eS5bVv<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 MnMedAssociation (@mnmed) December 20, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n A non-public draft of the full proposal that was obtained by Marijuana Moment states that the MMA \u201crecognizes that criminal penalties for simple possession, or the possession of a small quantity of illicit drug for personal use and\/or the possession of drug paraphernalia, are only justified if they yield a net benefit to population health.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCriminal penalties for simple possession yield one potential benefit to population health in its claimed ability to deter drug use. However, there is insufficient evidence to support this claim,\u201d it says. \u201cCriminal penalties for simple possession yield numerous, real harms to population health. These harms include, but are not limited to, arrests, convictions, incarcerations, criminal records, and diverted public investment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAccordingly, the MMA concludes that criminal penalties for simple possession in Minnesota are unjustified,\u201d the document says.<\/p>\n This appears to be the first time that a state medical association has formally backed this particular drug reform policy\u2014a strong reflection of the shift in public sentiment away from criminalization models for substance use issues.<\/p>\n Of course, the proposal isn\u2019t binding on the state legislature, but it could influence drug policy conversations as lawmakers prepare for the 2023 session.<\/p>\n To that end, the proposal states that MMA\u2019s work can involve educating policymakers \u201cof the inefficacy of criminal penalties for simple possession as a deterrent of drug use\u201d and \u201cthe health harms associated with imposing ineffective criminal penalties for simple possession.\u201d<\/p>\n Education could also touch on the \u201ccosts of criminalizing drug use (the cost of incarceration) versus the much lower cost of increasing access to treatment for substance use disorders,\u201d the draft says.<\/p>\n MMA also urges \u201cpolicymakers and state agencies to monitor data out of Portugal, and other jurisdictions which have decriminalized simple possession, that illustrate how decriminalization may or may not correlate with trends in drug-induced morbidity and mortality.\u201d<\/p>\n The endorsement has been months in the works, starting with the MMA Policy Council\u2019s decision to create<\/a> an \u201cIllicit Drug Harm Reduction & Decriminalization Work Group in May, after members explored related issues and were presented with a comprehensive slideshow<\/a> detailing drug use and policy trends.<\/p>\n Relatedly, Oregon voters took the historic step of decriminalizing possession of all drugs at the ballot<\/a> in 2020\u2014and a poll released in September shows that the policy continues to enjoy majority support<\/a> in the state.<\/p>\n Nationwide, a strong majority of Americans, including most Republicans, support drug decriminalization, according to a poll released in April<\/a>. There\u2019s also majority support overall for allowing the operation of overdose prevention centers where people can use illicit substances in a medically supervised setting and receive treatment resources.<\/p>\n Support for the decriminalization proposal\u00a0increased by 10 percentage points overall<\/a>\u00a0since voters were asked about it last year with a different question in a prior Data for Progress poll.<\/p>\n Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), said recently that the ongoing criminalization of people over drug use\u00a0needs to end in order to effectively address substance misuse<\/a>\u00a0and the stigmatization of addiction.<\/p>\n But public opinion isn\u2019t always aligned with medical associations. And marijuana prohibitionists in particular have put significant stock in what those organizations say, claiming for example that no major association has backed legalization\u2014despite the fact that the California Medical Association did endorse<\/a> the reform back in 2011.<\/p>\n Back in Minnesota, MMA hasn\u2019t approved a cannabis legalization proposal yet. But the policy is a priority for Gov. Tim Walz (D)<\/a>, who is already planning for a marijuana victory with Democrats newly in control of the legislature, saying recently that it will be \u201cone of the first\u201d bills to pass in 2023.<\/p>\n Marijuana Banking Bill Sponsor Makes Final Symbolic Push In Last Committee Hearing Before Retiring<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The post Minnesota Medical Association Endorses Decriminalizing Drugs<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) is endorsing broad drug decriminalization, expungements for low-level possession and the promotion of statewide harm reduction programs. A resolution approved this month by the association recommends the \u201cremoval of criminal penalties for the possession of a small quantity of illicit drug for personal use and\/orContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59863"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59863"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59863\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59864,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59863\/revisions\/59864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nRead More: Minnesota Medical Association Endorses Decriminalizing Drugs<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"