What We're Reading: Purdue Pharma Files for Bankruptcy; Rise in Uninsured Immigrants; Spiked CBD in Maryland

Purdue Pharma Files for Bankruptcy

Immigrant Fear of Trump Administration Attributed to Rise in Uninsured

Spiked CBD Products Found to be Sold in Maryland

Oxycontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy protection Sunday night, amid growing lawsuits alleging their role in the United States’ significant opioid epidemic, according to Reuters. Purdue announced their tentative agreement to resolve lawsuits with 24 states, 5 US territories, and lead lawyers in more than 2000 cities and counties. The board of the opioid manufacturer met Sunday evening to approve their suspected bankruptcy filing, which will allow them to restructure under terms of a proposal to settle the expansive litigation. The Sackler family, who own Purdue Pharma, proposed to cede control in the settlement, as well as pay $3 billion in cash and an additional $1.5 billion or more through the sale of another company they own called Mundipharma.New statistics suggest that the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants has been to blame for rising number of people without health insurance in America, according to Axios. The Census Bureau reported that the number of insured in the United States rose by 1.9 million people in 2018, which was the first jump in almost a decade. Overall, 27.5 million people (8.5%) of the population lacked health coverage in 2018. Low-income populations, most significant in Hispanics, enrolled in Medicaid were exhibited as the contributing factor behind this rise in uninsured people. Uninsured Hispanics rose by 1.6 percentage points, with 18% lacking coverage.An investigation conducted by The Associated Press revealed that some people have been substituting cheap and dangerous street drugs for the cannabis extract cannabidiol (CBD). A reporter in Towson purchased 3 CBD vape pods and tested their efficacy in labs. Results showed that 1 contained synthetic marijuana, which has sent dozens of people nationwide to emergency rooms. Unlike CBD, which has no psychoactive properties, synthetic marijuana gives people an intense high. The Towson store’s co-owner removed the brand responsible for the synthetic marijuana spiking off their shelves, but CBD industry representatives acknowledged that spiking threats remain an issue.