LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Now that Arkansas has approved the use of medical marijuana, state officials are scrambling to put a framework in place to accommodate the new law.

Arkansans approved Issue 6, one of a wave of cannabis-related initiatives across the country on Election Day. In all, eight states approved measures allowing marijuana use for either medical or recreational purposes.

Marisha DiCarlo, director of health communications with the Arkansas Department of Health, says that even though the measure passed, it's probably not a good idea to light up a joint just yet.

"I do think that people think that this means that they can just smoke marijuana now and that it's legal, and that's not the case,” DiCarlo said. "This is going to be a process that people go through if they have a qualifying medical condition."

The state health department has 120 days to develop regulations, establish a department to regulate medical marijuana, and develop a budget, DiCarlo said. Once things are up and running, the state will issue registry cards to qualified patients and designated caregivers and maintain a listing of approved dispensaries.

Marijuana advocates say Arkansas is part of a national movement to approve its use. Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws - or NORML - said states are rapidly adopting marijuana use laws.

"The voters spoke loudly and they spoke clearly,” Armentano said. "With regard to the vote in Arkansas, the voters made it clear that they do not wish to have the state come between the decisions of a doctor and patient."

The next step, according to Armentano, is for the federal government to drop its ban on marijuana, which he called a "pointless policy."

"We now live in a society where over half of all U.S. states recognize the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana by statute,” Armentano said.

State officials will post information with their progress on the health department's website and will operate a telephone hotline to answer questions.




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March is Sleep Awareness Month and health experts say Americans are not getting enough of it.

United Health Foundation data found more than 32% of those surveyed said they got fewer than seven hours of sleep, although the rate was slightly better in Oregon at about 28%.

Dr. Kimberly Hutchison, associate professor of neurology and sleep medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, said our culture devalues sleep, with the perception people who get the sleep they need are lazy or not working hard enough.

"Because we live in this accomplishment-driven culture, it results in people sacrificing sleep in order to get other things done," Hutchison explained.

Hutchison pointed out sleep is as important for our health as the food we eat or exercising. The recommended amount of sleep for adults is seven to nine hours in a 24-hour period. For teens and adolescents, it can be as much as 10 hours. For older adults, the number is closer to seven.

Dr. Ravi Johar, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare, said one of the best ways to ensure you are getting enough sleep is to have a regular schedule.

"That's something that's really important, just having a routine, whether it's brushing your teeth, changing into pajamas, doing some kind of activity before you go to sleep," Johar outlined. "Yoga, listening to music, reading, things of that sort, setting your alarm for the same time every day."

Johar added people should see a health professional for medical issues such as insomnia or sleep apnea.

"Sometimes there may be underlying medical problems that are making it difficult for you to sleep," Johar noted. "The other thing that's really important that people don't realize is how much stress and behavioral-health issues can factor into their sleep."

It's been 13 years since more than 156,000 West Virginians gained health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

As sweeping and sometimes controversial as the ACA has been, its longer-term effects are still being felt today at the state level.

Gary Zuckett, executive director of the West Virginia Citizen Action Group, pointed to a new West Virginia law capping insulin copays at $35 per month. The law goes into effect January 1.

"I think we now have the best insulin copay cap legislation in the country that we just helped get passed in a very 'red' legislature," Zuckett noted. "Which does show you that health care is not partisan."

Federal data shows since the launch of the federal health insurance exchange, enrollment in health insurance plans has doubled from 8 million to more than 16 million nationwide.

According to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, the Medicaid expansion included in the ACA allowed more than 200,000 West Virginians to gain access to health coverage.

Zuckett cautioned when the "continuous coverage" rules enacted during the pandemic expire April 1, the state will begin re-evaluating people's eligibility, which could signal a setback in progress.

"A lot of people won't qualify or won't fill out the paperwork, and they'll lose their health insurance in West Virginia," Zuckett explained. "That could be as many as 50 or 100,000 people. So, that's going to be a step backwards."

According to America's Health Rankings, around 6% of West Virginians were uninsured in 2021, far fewer than the nearly 16% of the state's population who lacked coverage prior to the Affordable Care Act.

Beginning next year, more Kentuckians will have expanded access to biomarker testing - which helps doctors customize cancer treatment. Advocates of the new law say it will save lives and improve patients' quality of life.

Signed into law by Gov. Andy Beshear, House Bill 180 requires both private insurers and Medicaid to cover biomarker testing after a cancer diagnosis.

Doug Hogan - director of government relations for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) - explained that without biomarker testing, doctors typically try several rounds of chemotherapy or other treatments, without knowing which will work best for the patient.

He said biomarkers increase the odds of matching the right treatment to a specific cancer.

"We will be the fifth state in the country to adopt an enhanced access to biomarker testing law," said Hogan. "And so, we're on the cutting edge. This is the way that we can utilize technology to improve health outcomes."

The bill passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 30,000 Kentuckians will be diagnosed with cancer this year.

Hogan added that the new law will allow care teams to use the latest technology to make the best decisions for their patients.

"It is so important for these patients to get that right treatment at the right time," said Hogan. "It really will improve their health outcomes. It will save lives in many instances, and certainly will improve the quality of life."

Research shows biomarkers can in many cases reduce the cost of therapy, especially for lung cancer and colorectal cancer patients.

Cancer-care costs are expected to top more than $245 billion by 2030, according to the American Association for Cancer Research.





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