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Virginia lawmakers approved a bill Saturday that would legalize the sale and recreational use of marijuana — but not until 2024. The move makes Virginia the first Southern state to vote to legalize recreational marijuana, joining 15 other states and the District of Columbia. The legislation now goes to Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, who supports legalization, for his signature. (Atkins, 2/28)

Proponents of legalizing recreational marijuana in New York are putting their weight behind a bill in the state legislature, saying they prefer it to the competing framework that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has included as part of his proposed $193 billion budget. Associations representing growers and medical marijuana companies that operate in the state as well as the Drug Policy Alliance, which supports legalizing the drug for social-justice reasons, issued a rare joint statement in support of the pending Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, or MRTA. (Vielkind, 2/28)

At Holistic Health Group’s farm in Middleborough, dozens of vacuum-sealed bags full of marijuana flower — worth hundreds of thousands of dollars at retail — have been sitting in a secure vault for months, stuck in limbo. The problem? The marijuana, which was grown outdoors last season, flunked the strict laboratory tests for microbes that all legal cannabis in Massachusetts must pass before sale. The standards are intended to protect consumers from moldy or bacteria-contaminated flower. But farmers across Massachusetts have complained that the state’s unusually tight rules are based on flimsy science, discourage outdoor growing and other sustainable practices, add to the high cost of pot, and defy the simple fact that cannabis is a plant, one adapted to grow in soil rich with microorganisms. (Adams, 2/26)

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that five California churches in Santa Clara County are exempt from a health directive prohibiting indoor gatherings, and are now permitted to resume services indoors. (Gonzalez, 2/27)

As Governor Charlie Baker eases more pandemic restrictions on restaurants and other businesses starting Monday, public health experts warn that the moves could backfire, upending the state’s progress against COVID-19 and risking a new surge in cases. “I’d say, ‘Charlie, you’re making a big mistake,’” said Dr. Robert Horsburgh, a Boston University professor of epidemiology. “Opening up these restaurants is going to prolong the epidemic, and increase the number of Massachusetts residents that die.” Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have both cautioned that states rolling back health measures now could face a resurgence of the virus. And local epidemiologists echoed those warnings over the weekend, saying that easing the way for people to gather indoors now could reverse the progress the state has made against the coronavirus. (Hilliard and Phillips, 2/28)

The state House adopted legislation Sunday that would require private employers in New Mexico to offer paid sick leave to their workers, sending the measure over to the Senate with 20 days left in the session. Supporters said the proposal, House Bill 20, would offer critical protection for low-income New Mexicans who might otherwise have to choose between a paycheck or caring for a sick loved one. It would also, they said, reduce the spread of illness in the workplace. (McKay, 2/28)

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire is introducing a bill to improve access to health care by lowering premiums and deductibles for low- and middle-income families. She said in a statement Friday the Improving Health Insurance Affordability Act would expand coverage to more than 4 million people who are currently uninsured and reduce health care costs for millions more who already have coverage. (3/1)

Though overdose deaths have been rising nationwide, the jump in Louisiana is particularly dramatic. Recent estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed Louisiana’s overdose rate was No. 9 among the states and growing faster than any other, having spiked by 53% over a year. While detailed data from the full year is not yet available, the rough numbers compiled so far and information from coroner’s offices paint a bleak picture. Accidental deaths, a category that consistently counts overdoses as its largest contributor, were 46% higher in Louisiana in 2020 than would be expected from prior years. (Woodruff and Adelson, 2/28)

KHN: Looking To Kentucky’s Past To Understand Montana Health Nominee’s Future

The nominee to be Montana’s next health director faced an unwieldy disease outbreak and pushed Medicaid work requirements — two issues looming in Montana — when he held a similar job in Kentucky. Montana senators will soon decide whether to confirm Adam Meier, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s pick for director of the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. He would earn $165,000 leading Montana’s largest state agency, which oversees 13 divisions and is a leader in the state’s pandemic response. (Houghton and Ungar, 3/1)