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Clinical overuse of marijuana is linked to a variety of complications after major elective surgery, including blood clots, stroke, breathing difficulties, kidney issues and even death, a new study found. “Our findings complement previous studies that have identified significant associations between cannabis use disorders and perioperative complications,” the study’s authors wrote in the report. The research team is from the department of anesthesiology, critical care and pain medicine at McGovern Medical School, part of the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. (LaMotte, 7/5)

Federal officials warned six companies to stop selling cannabis products in packaging that is “almost identical” to that of popular children’s snacks like Doritos, gummy bears and Nerds candy. The copycat packaging being used to sell Delta-8 THC, a psychoactive substance sourced from hemp, can make it easier for children to accidentally ingest the product, according to the Federal Trade Commission. (Bhattacharya, 7/5)

A proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) would end cannabis testing for members of the military — both when they’re enlisting and accepting a commission. If the amendment is included in the NDAA, H.R. 2670 (118), it would address a growing issue in the U.S. military: the increasing number of recruits who test positive for marijuana use, particularly in states where it is legal. Nearly 33 percent more recruits tested positive in 2022 than in 2020, according to the New York Times. (Fertig, 7/5)

Ohioans may decide in November whether the state should legalize recreational marijuana. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted 222,198 signatures on Wednesday for a proposed law allowing adults to buy, possess and grow cannabis. Advocates have been working for over a year to put the proposal before voters as GOP leaders refuse to entertain an adult-use program. Ohio legalized medical marijuana in 2016. (BeMiller, 7/5)