Georgia governor signs law adding regulations for production and sale of herbal supplement kratom

ATLANTA — Georgia’s governor on Thursday signed a bill putting new regulations on the production and sale of products containing kratom, a plant-based supplement. The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, prohibits the sale of kratom to anyone under 21 and says it must be kept behind a counter or in a display area that … Read more

France is proposing to allow terminally ill patients to take lethal medication

PARIS — France’s government presented a bill Wednesday to allow adults with terminal cancer or other incurable illness to take lethal medication, as public demands grow for legal options for aid in dying. Many French people have traveled to neighboring countries where medically assisted suicide or euthanasia are legal. French President Emmanuel Macron has long … Read more

A Republican plan to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin is dead

MADISON, Wis. — A Republican proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin is dead. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Thursday that there will still be a public hearing to build support for passage next session, but it won’t occur until after the Assembly has adjourned for this year. The measure drew opposition for being too … Read more

Kentucky governor backs longer list of conditions eligible for marijuana treatment

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Access to medical marijuana in Kentucky should expand to include a longer list of severe health conditions, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday in advocating a change that would make hundreds of thousands more people eligible for treatment when the program begins next year. The measure passed by the GOP-led legislature in 2023 … Read more

Oregon police confirm investigation into medication theft amid report hospital patients died

PORTLAND, Ore. — Authorities are investigating the theft of medication prescribed to patients at a southern Oregon hospital, police and state medical officials confirmed Wednesday, following a local news report that two people died and others were sickened after a nurse replaced fentanyl intravenous drips with tap water. Officials at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center … Read more