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March 12, 2026 | Fact Sheets, Psychedelics, Substance Misuse

Amanita muscaria is a psychoactive mushroom with a bright red cap covered in white spots or warts that is native to the temperate and boreal forests of the northern hemisphere. A. muscaria mushrooms are also called “fly agaric” mushrooms due to their traditional use as an insecticide. Though A. muscaria is a psychoactive mushroom, it is not a classic psychedelic like the mushrooms of the Psilocybe genus, which are commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms.” The renewed interest in psilocybin-containing mushrooms in the 21st century due to their potential use in treating various mental and physical health conditions has sparked consumers’ interest in other types of mushrooms, including A. muscaria, that are more legally accessible. As A. muscaria use increases, there have been public health concerns regarding unregulated sales of A. muscaria products and the lack of consumer knowledge about how A. muscaria differs from psilocybin containing mushrooms. This fact sheet addresses those issues....

March 11, 2026 | News Bites

Each issue of News Bites will highlight unique news articles from around the United States in the areas of public health and safety, substance use disorders, and the criminal justice system. This newsletter will feature stories that you may have missed but are important to the field....

February 27, 2026 | Controlled Substances, Harm Reduction, Model Laws, Recovery, Substance Misuse, Substance Use Disorder

The Model Addressing Drug Diversion in Healthcare Settings Act (1) requires healthcare entities to establish policies and procedures for the prevention and detection of drug diversion by healthcare professionals and to ensure that treatment and recovery support services are offered to eligible healthcare professionals; (2) requires certain individuals and entities to report healthcare professionals suspected of misusing drugs and/or alcohol, diverting drugs for personal use, having an untreated substance use disorder, or practicing while impaired and to establish penalties for failure to make such reports; (3) requires boards, as defined in this Act, to establish or participate in an alternative to discipline program for eligible healthcare professionals; (4) establishes legal protections for individuals who make reports as required by this Act; (5) provides immunity from civil and criminal liability for specified individuals and entities for actions taken pursuant to this Act; (6) establishes penalties for healthcare entities that fail to take corrective action after discovering diversion by a healthcare professional; (7) establishes program reporting and audit requirements; (8) establishes technology grants for healthcare entities to be used for the prevention and detection of drug diversion; and (9) establishes funding provisions for alternative to discipline programs....

February 26, 2026 | Criminal Justice, Data Collection, Law Enforcement, Model Laws, Public Safety, Trafficking

The Model Automatic License Plate Recognition System Act (1) establishes the governmental entities authorized to use automatic license plate recognition systems; (2) establishes how data captured by or derived from automatic license plate recognition systems can be used by governmental entities (3) requires governmental entities to establish policies for access to and use of automatic license plate recognition systems and data captured by or derived from such systems; (4) establishes data retention, data collection, and data reporting requirements for governmental entities that use automatic license plate recognition systems; (5) requires governmental entities that use automatic license plate recognition system data to establish policies setting forth, among other things, how such data can be used; and (6) establishes penalties for governmental entities who violate this Act....

February 26, 2026 | Federal Government, Law Enforcement, Model Laws, Public Health

The Model State Office of Drug Control Policy Act establishes a state agency to direct, coordinate, and oversee enforcement, prevention, education, treatment, and recovery policies and programs in a specific state. This Act also identifies the powers and duties of an established agency as well as the agency’s director and provides agency funding. This Model builds on the mission and purpose of the federal Office of National Drug Control Policy and on the laws in states from across the country that have created successful and robust state agencies....

February 9, 2026 | Case Law Monitor

Case Law Monitor is the bimonthly case law newsletter of the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA). Each issue will highlight unique cases from around the United States in the areas of public health and safety, substance use disorders, and the criminal justice system. ...

February 5, 2026 | 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 January 2026, 30 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....

January 23, 2026 | Controlled Substances, Innovative Initiatives, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), Opioids, Peer Support and Recoery Services, Prescription Drugs, Recovery, Reentry, Substance Misuse, Substance Use Disorder

Ryther, a nonprofit mental health service provider for children, teens, and young adults in Seattle, Washington, provides therapeutic services to youth struggling with mental and behavioral health issues, including substance use disorder (SUD). As part of its menu of services for SUD treatment, Ryther offers medication for addiction treatment (MAT) for those aged 12 to 25 who have opioid use disorder (OUD), making the program unique in focusing on young people. Ryther’s MAT program provides holistic treatment that addresses the physical, mental, emotional, and social challenges faced by children and young adults with SUD. Many of the participants in Ryther’s MAT program are homeless or experiencing housing instability, and the program is designed to provide these individuals with low barrier resources and support....

January 16, 2026 | News Bites

Each issue of News Bites will highlight unique news articles from around the United States in the areas of public health and safety, substance use disorders, and the criminal justice system. This newsletter will feature stories that you may have missed but are important to the field....

December 23, 2025 | Fact Sheets, Novel Psychoactive Substances, Substance Misuse, Synthetic Drugs

The Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) is monitoring the emergence of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) appearing on the illicit drug market in the United States. The term “novel” does not denote a new, never-before-seen substance but rather a substance that is newly available in the drug market. This fact sheet, an UPDATE to the third in a series highlighting these potentially dangerous drugs, examines tianeptine, an unapproved drug commonly sold in gas stations and on the internet as a dietary supplement and causes opioid-like withdrawals....