Controlled Substances

August 11, 2025 | Controlled Substances, Harm Reduction, Legal & Legislative Research, Opioids, Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs, Public Health, Public Safety, Substance Misuse

In this document, the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association examines state-level legislative and administrative responses to the public health risk posed by expired and unused prescription medications. In the last several years, states, in coordination with the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have enacted legislation or promulgated administrative regulations to authorize drug take-back programs where expired or unused pharmaceuticals can be collected from the public by authorized persons and disposed of in a safe manner. Findings are presented by state for ease of comparison....

August 8, 2025 | Controlled Substances, Legal & Legislative Research, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Substance Misuse, Synthetic Drugs

In this survey, the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) examines the policy response at the state level to the spread of pill presses used to create counterfeit drugs. There is relatively little policy in this area compared to federal law, and most innovation is relatively recent.  Findings are presented jurisdiction by jurisdiction for easy comparison among states and between current state- and federal law....

July 30, 2025 | Cannabidiol (CBD), Controlled Substances, Fact Sheets, Marijuana, Prescription Drugs, Substance Misuse, Synthetic Drugs

In this fact sheet, LAPPA examines the features of the Snapchat app that can facilitate online drug transactions, the theory and progression of a major lawsuit against Snap brought by parents of overdose victims, and other recent legal and legislative actions taken against Snap for its alleged role in online drug sales....

July 23, 2025 | Controlled Substances, First Responders, Legal & Legislative Research, Opioids, Substance Misuse

Research indicates that there is often a reluctance among those witnessing an overdose to summon emergency assistance from law enforcement or other first responders out of fear of arrest for drug possession or other charges. In an effort to reduce this fear and to encourage overdose witnesses to seek help, state policymakers developed Good Samaritan laws specific to drug overdoses. The purpose of these laws is to prioritize the overdose victim’s safety over arresting drug users by granting limited protection from criminal liability to persons seeking medical assistance and, in most cases, to the overdose victim. This document (1) provides a singular resource for each jurisdiction's laws; (2) allows for a comparison of these laws between jurisdictions; and (3) identifies and highlights interesting provisions. ...

June 4, 2025 | Data Collection, Health Data, Law Enforcement, Opioids, Public Health, Public Safety, Reports & Studies, Substance Use Disorder

Beginning in 2020, the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) undertook an ongoing research project to identify both currently-in-force statutes and recently proposed legislation related to overdose fatality review (OFR), throughout all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, titled “Overdose Fatality Review Boards: State Laws” (previously updated February 2021). This document represents the latest iteration of that project, with information updated through December 2023. As of that date, 18 states have laws authorizing the establishment of state-level and/or locality-level OFRs....

May 7, 2025 | Controlled Substances, Criminal Justice, Data Collection, Law Enforcement, Legal & Legislative Research, Opioids, Public Health, Public Safety, Substance Misuse, Substance Use Disorder, Trafficking

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is an agency of the Executive Office of the President and is charged with leading and coordinating “the nation’s drug policy so that it improves the health and lives of the American people." This document provides statutory, regulatory. and legislative information about the nineteen states that have followed ONDCP’s example and created either a state-level office of drug control policy or an advisory commission separate from the state agency charged with oversight of controlled substances that is dedicated to addressing alcohol and drug abuse issues in the state....

April 16, 2025 | Controlled Substances, Fact Sheets, Prescription Drugs, Public Safety, Substance Misuse

This fact sheet provides updated information (as of April 2025) on the issue of drug diversion in health care settings. Drug diversion is defined as any criminal act or deviation that removes a prescription drug from its intended path from the manufacturer to the patient, and while the act of diversion can occur in a variety of settings and be committed by anyone, it is particularly likely to occur in healthcare settings by healthcare workers due to the ease in which they can access prescription drugs. Drug diversion in health care is a serious issue that can result in patient harm, financial loss to the healthcare entity, and civil and criminal litigation based on the perpetrator’s actions....

April 10, 2025 | Controlled Substances, Kratom, Legal & Legislative Research, Opioids, Substance Misuse

Kratom is an herb derived from a leafy Southeast Asian tree and contains two psychoactive compounds that can bind to opioid receptors in the brain and produce a pharmacological response similar to effects produced by other opioid agonists, such as morphine. As of April 2025, 24 states and the District of Columbia regulate kratom. This document: (1) provides a singular resource for each jurisdiction’s laws; (2) allows for a comparison of these laws between jurisdictions; and (3) identifies and highlights interesting provisions. ...