There is a good video on the hyperlink below. The questions has to be asked, if ~40 states can make Marijuana legal – when it is illegal at the federal level designated as a Category C-1 and the DOJ/DEA have pretty much left those states alone.
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First state to legalize medical marijuana: California, 1996
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First states to legalize recreational marijuana: Colorado and Washington, 2012
Sec Kennedy’s agenda is MAHA ( Make America Health Again) how can 20% to 30% of our society is dealing with chronic pain have a DOH/DEA from interfering with the practice of medicine and the adequate treatment of pain.
- Is the agenda of the DOJ/DEA in direct conflict with Sec Kennedy’s MAHA ? Should Sec Kennedy and AG Bondi come to some sort of compromise that more people can get in line with the MAHA agenda. Have all the vast majority of people who are dying/OD/poisoning from illegal fentanyl from the Mexican cartels and not or commercial pharma companies.
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As of August 2025, seven states have made kratom illegal. These states are:
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Alabama
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Arkansas
- Florida: illegal only in Sarasota County since 2014.
- Indiana
- Louisiana
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Rhode Island
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Vermont
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Wisconsin
- Indiana allows the Pharmacy board the authority to make ANY SUBSTANCE ILLEGAL they deemed appropriate. So that the state would not have to wait for the annual legislature convened to take actions. So the 150 members of the state senate passed their authority to the Indiana Board of pharmacy which has
The Indiana Board of Pharmacy has a total of eight. These members are appointed by the Governor and serve four-year terms. The composition is as follows:
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Six licensed pharmacists (from a variety of pharmacy practice settings, with at least one working as a hospital pharmacist)
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One member representing the general public, who has never been associated with pharmacy except as a consumer
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Additionally, recent statutes clarify that one board member is a pharmacy technician in good standing, actively practicing and certified in Indiana
This structure ensures diverse representation from across the pharmacy profession and includes the public’s perspective on pharmacy regulation.
Indiana was the last the last state to mandate generic substitution and some suspect that a large building in down town Indianapolis – with the LILLY name on top of it that can be seen from the Indiana state capital had some influence in mandatory generic substitution being stalled until they were the last standout and the legislature had little justification to not enact mandatory generic substitution.
Colorado lawmaker introduces bill to provide easier access to opioids for chronic pain sufferers
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/lawmaker-introduces-bill-provide-easier-access-opioids-chronic-pain-sufferers/
Seven years after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines aimed at stopping the over-prescription of opioid painkillers, patients who need those medications to ease chronic pain have been left suffering, some to the point of suicide.
Now, state Sen. Joanne Ginal is stepping in with a bill to help.
“We’ve done a great job at reducing opioid addiction but we need to pay attention to those people who need opioids in order to just live a normal life,” she said.
According to the CDC, chronic pain impacts 20% to 30% of the population and 60% to 70% of people over age 65.
The new guidelines were catastrophic for many of them as some insurers denied reimbursement, pharmacies set strict limits on prescriptions, and many doctors began turning those with chronic pain away or rapidly tapering them off the only drug that gave them relief.
Christina Johnson with the Colorado Center for Aging is among those who were impacted.
“Responsible use allows me to continue to be here and participate in life,” she said.
Diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, and scoliosis, she has lived with chronic pain for nearly 50 years.
“It feels as if somebody puts a knife into my lower back,” she said.
Morphine, she says, is the only drug that eased the unrelenting pain, but when the new CDC guidelines came out, her doctor abruptly tapered her medication.
“I was much more functional than I can do right now,” she said.
Julie Reiskin, with the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition, says many doctors are refusing to treat patients on opioids altogether leading some to turn to the black market.
“We’ve seen a lot of our members who were stable, who were working, who were contributing, who were part of society — they’re now lying in bed. We’ve lost people to suicide because they couldn’t get their pain treated, including a 17-year-old volunteer with us,” Reiskin said.
For more than a year, Ginal has worked with doctors, pharmacists, and patient advocates to draft a bill that protects providers who prescribe high-dose opioids from disciplinary action, prevents them from denying treatment based on a prescription, and prohibits them from forcibly tapering a prescription.
But it does not mandate providers prescribe high-dose opioids. Reiskin says it will be life-saving.
“We have people that have been at home for years and years on end because they can’t get treated and it just has to stop,” Reiskin said.
The CDC recently issued new guidelines that still recommend non-opioid pain management when possible, but also acknowledge that physicians should decide what’s best for their patients.
Ginal’s bill passed the Health and Human Services Committee unanimously.
UPDATE:
Senator Joann Ginal’s bill in question is Colorado Senate Bill 23-144, titled “Prescription Drugs for Chronic Pain.” This bill was introduced in early 2023 to address concerns about the ability of health-care providers to prescribe opioids to chronic pain patients without facing disciplinary action if they followed medical need rather than arbitrary dosing thresholds.
Bill Details:
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Key provisions: The law allows health-care providers to prescribe, dispense, or administer Schedule II-V controlled substances for chronic pain. Providers are protected from disciplinary action solely for exceeding certain morphine milligram equivalent (MME) dosage guidelines, as long as the patient is stable, compliant, and not experiencing harm.
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Other protections: The act prohibits forced medication tapering or denial of treatment based solely on dosage, and prevents insurers, pharmacies, and related entities from refusing to fill or approve coverage for prescriptions based mainly on opioid dosage levels.leg.colorado+3
Current Status:
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Signed into law: Senate Bill 23-144 was passed by the Colorado legislature and signed by the Governor on May 4, 2023—it is currently in effect as Colorado state law.corxconsortium+3
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Impact: Providers prescribing opioids to chronic pain patients are protected from disciplinary action as specified in the bill. The law remains active and part of Colorado’s efforts to balance safety with adequate pain treatment.nocomedsoc+3
In summary: The bill you referenced was successfully enacted and remains Colorado law as of August 2025, supporting practitioners like physicians and pharmacists in responsibly managing chronic pain patients with opioid therapy.
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb23-144
- https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/lawmaker-introduces-bill-provide-easier-access-opioids-chronic-pain-sufferers/
- https://corxconsortium.org/legislative-update-april-2023/
- https://www.nocomedsoc.org/news-articles/sb-23-144-addressing-prescription-drugs-for-chronic-pain-patients
- https://corxconsortium.org/2023-legislative-recap/
- https://nationalpain.org/advocacy
- http://www.senatorfine.com/news/press-releases/287-senate-passes-fine-bill-to-facilitate-chronic-pain-treatment
- https://corxconsortium.org/legislative-update-march-2023/
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb23-009
- https://app.fiscalnote.com/share/bill?url=a3e0efa4a93133fd6c377a9ce3e5bd7c
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb25-164
- https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/586
- https://www.cmadocs.org/newsroom/news/view/ArticleId/50247/Medical-board-publishes-new-guidelines-on-prescribing-opioids-for-pain
- https://corxconsortium.org/march-2025-legislative-update/
- https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/rr/rr7103a1.htm
- https://oig.hhs.gov/newsroom/whats-new/index.asp
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379723003410
- https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/106th-congress/senate-report/299/1
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/budget_fy2025.pdf
- https://leg.colorado.gov/content/9527c6903c4104b7872589660071b90e-hearing-summary
Impact of Colorado SB 23-144 on Chronic Pain Patients and Practitioners
Patient Access to Pain Management
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Improved Access: Senate Bill 23-144, effective since May 2023, was designed to shield chronic pain patients from arbitrary dose limitations and forced tapering solely due to morphine milligram equivalent (MME) thresholds. Health-care providers are now protected from disciplinary action if they document and justify higher dosages for stable, compliant patients. Pharmacies and insurers cannot refuse to fill prescriptions simply due to dose levels.leg.colorado+5
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Real-world effects: Reports and commentary from practice leaders, medical societies, and policy analysts suggest the law has led to a noticeable improvement in the ability of chronic pain patients to obtain necessary opioid prescriptions. Providers can now more confidently prescribe opioids at clinically appropriate levels, reducing discontinuations and risk of inappropriate forced tapers.nocomedsoc+3
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The law is regularly cited as a model for protecting patient rights and supporting practitioners, though advocacy groups and medical societies encourage continued vigilance and education to ensure its full benefits are realized.coloradopainsociety+3
DEA Enforcement since Implementation
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DEA activity: There is no evidence that the DEA has targeted or raided Colorado practices solely for issuing high-dose opioid prescriptions to chronic pain patients since SB 23-144 took effect. Colorado’s law firmly states that providers who prescribe according to medical need and proper documentation cannot be disciplined based solely on dosage.leg.colorado+2
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DEA nationwide actions: While the DEA continues to combat opioid diversion and has taken action against pharmacies, telehealth companies, and practitioners across the U.S., these cases typically involve clear evidence of fraud, illegal distribution, or gross violation of prescribing standards—not legitimate pain management under laws like SB 144. There have been pharmacy burglaries and sweeps for illicit activity, but no Colorado-specific reports indicate intimidation or raids against compliant practitioners.dea+2
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Federal mandates: New federal requirements (as of June 2023) require practitioners to complete opioid safety and addiction training for DEA registration renewals, but these do not restrict the ability to prescribe chronic pain medications if compliant with state law.samhsa+2
In summary:
Colorado’s SB 23-144 has generally improved the situation for chronic pain patients and legitimate prescribers, allowing for better continuity in pain management and eliminating arbitrary dose caps. There are no reports of ongoing DEA intimidation or raids against Colorado practitioners acting within the law. Policy analysts and medical experts recommend vigilance and proper documentation, as well as ongoing provider education, to preserve safe access for chronic pain patients under both state and federal regulations.cato+4
- https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2023A/bills/fn/2023a_sb144_00.pdf
- https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb23-144
- https://corxconsortium.org/legislative-update-april-2023/
- https://coloradopainsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/CPS-Newsletter-3.pdf
- https://www.nocomedsoc.org/articles
- https://fastdemocracy.com/bill-search/co/2023A/bills/COB00005510/
- https://www.nocomedsoc.org/news-articles/sb-23-144-addressing-prescription-drugs-for-chronic-pain-patients
- https://www.cato.org/blog/2023-colorado-lawmakers-pushed-back-cops-practicing-pain-medicine-based-flawed-cdc-guideline
- https://coloradopainsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CPS-Newsletter-4-August-27-2023.pdf
- https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2024/08/29/sweeping-dea-operation-targets-pharmacy-burglaries-and-illegal-sale
- https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov
- https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/NDTA_2024.pdf
- https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/treatment/statutes-regulations-guidelines/mat-act
- https://www.aoa.org/news/practice-management/perfect-your-practice/deas-new-opioid-training-mandate-what-you-need-to-know
- https://edhub.ama-assn.org/course/302
- https://corxconsortium.org/legislative-update-march-2023/
- https://www.dea.gov/stories/2023/2023-12/2023-12-28/dea-and-federal-partners-support-continuity-patient-treatment
- https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2023/02/24/dea-announces-proposed-rules-permanent-telemedicine-flexibilities
- https://dpo.colorado.gov/OpioidGuidelines
- https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/rr/rr7103a1.htm
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