What We're Reading: e-Cig Sales Limits Near; Marijuana Victories; HHS Wants Kratom Ban

FDA Planning to Limit Sales of Flavored e-Cigarettes

The FDA is planning on imposing severe restrictions on the sale of e-cigarette products as soon as next week, The Washington Post reported. The ban would come as public health experts are alarmed by a huge increase in vaping among minors. The agency will also impose such rules as age-verification requirements for online sales, and it is expected to propose banning menthol in regular cigarettes.

Marijuana Wins Over Voters in Multiple States

Marijuana was a hit with voters in the midterm elections, The Hill reported. In Missouri and Utah, voters approved medical cannabis, and in Michigan, voters legalized the adult use, cultivation, and retail marketing of marijuana. In 4 states—Connecticut, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois—voters elected governors who openly campaigned on a platform that included legalizing adult marijuana use. In California and Colorado, voters elected governors who have spearheaded legalization reform efforts. In Maine and in New Mexico, 2 antimarijuana governors were replaced by candidates seeking cannabis reforms.

HHS Looks to Ban Kratom

HHS is recommending a ban on the chemicals in kratom that would make the popular herbal supplement as illegal as heroin or LSD by classifying them as Schedule I substances, according to STAT News. Some scientists are worried that a ban would stifle research on chemicals that could be developed into opioid alternatives and said that banning kratom would harm people who are currently using the substance.