Drugs
- William & Mary launches new bioengineering degree
William & Mary is launching new Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in bioengineering in fall 2027 through the School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics.
- Juvenile criteria, age and health: how September's parole cases were decided
The board weighed a new juvenile-offender procedure and geriatric eligibility in September, granting one juvenile case and denying another, and granting seven of 85 cases overall.
- Luria and Kiggans rematch in Va.’s 2nd Congressional District among most-watched races in nation
From left to right: U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, Democrat Elaine Luria, and independents Bishop Staten and Matt Baker.
- Lynchburg Expands Child Protective Services with Kinship Care and Substance Use Experts
Five new positions in Lynchburg’s human services department aim to keep children out of the foster care system and provide more support to families already in it.
- Old Dominion University Shooter, Convicted of Islamic State Links, Released From Prison Only 2 Years Before Attack
Documents from the court show that less than two years after Mohamed Bailor Jalloh had been released from prison on charges of attempting to help the Islamic State, he opened fire in a class before ROTC students were able to subdue and kill him.
- Spotsylvania County School Board Maintains Stance Against Drug Testing Requirement
The Spotsylvania County School Board held a vote on a proposal to mandate drug testing for teachers and school staff who work directly with children. The board ultimately decided against adopting the requirement during this session. This marks the second occasion in which the measure failed to gain approval. Lorita Daniels changed her vote from […]
- Governor seeks participants for new corrections council to help shape Virginia prison reforms
Angel DeJesus spent much of his adolescence involved with Virginia’s Department of Juvenile Justice and a chunk of his adulthood in Virginia Department of Corrections facilities. He’s now a public speaker and youth mentor, after being pardoned by former Gov. Ralph Northam in January 2022. When he learned that Gov. Abigail Spanberger is assembling a […]
- Virginia Beach doctor pushes hospitals to establish protocols for dealing with Parkinson’s patients
By Yiqing Wang/WHRO Howard Weinberg keeps his Parkinson’s medication in a small container attached to his keychain, so he always has it wherever he goes. The retired doctor from Virginia Beach has to take the medication every six hours, at 1 o’clock and 7 o’clock, day and night. For him, that schedule is not optional. […]
- Virginia Senator Mark Peake Discusses Drug Sales at Gas Stations in Senate Exchange
During a Virginia State Senate proceeding Senator Mark Peake spoke about the sale of certain drugs at gas stations. He stated that these sales are already classified as felonies under current statutes. Peake questioned the level of enforcement by sheriffs in response to these activities. The comments formed part of a discussion on market conditions […]
- Spotsylvania County Teachers Oppose Drug Testing at School Board Meeting
Teachers gathered in significant numbers at a Spotsylvania County School Board meeting to express opposition to plans for drug testing of educators and other school personnel. The session allowed public input on the policy considerations affecting hiring and employment practices within the district. Discussions centered on the implications for staff members working in various school […]
- Virginia Delegates Hear Explanation of Marijuana Classification Criteria
A presentation in the Virginia House of Delegates addressed the classification of Marijuana under federal drug schedules. The testimony explained the criteria that separate substances with accepted medical uses from those without such recognition. This analysis centered on the distinction between cannabis and drugs such as LSD. The core point involved the requirement that Schedule […]
- Federal judge in Virginia says certain abortion drug restrictions are unlawful
A lawsuit filed in 2023 by abortion providers in Kansas, Montana and Virginia challenges the FDA’s restrictions on mifepristone as excessive, unwarranted and inconsistent with other legal requirements. A federal judge ruled Thursday that the federal agency didn’t sufficiently justify the Biden-era rules. (Photo by Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent) A federal judge in Virginia ruled Thursday […]
- Virginia Lawmakers Push Costly Bureaucratic Expansion with New Marijuana Marketplace Budget
Virginia taxpayers are facing a massive bureaucratic expansion as state lawmakers push forward with a costly framework for a legal recreational marijuana marketplace. The newly amended budget reveals a staggering funding increase to establish retail sales by July 2027, raising serious concerns about government waste, fraud, and overspending. Fiscal conservatives are warning that the ballooning […]
- Virginia General Assembly Approves Measure Prohibiting Certain Ingredients in Cosmetics
RICHMOND, Va. — Legislation prohibiting the manufacture and sale of cosmetic products containing specific hazardous ingredients has been enacted in Virginia following approval by both chambers of the General Assembly. The new law, which takes effect on July 1, 2026, adds detailed restrictions to the Virginia Consumer Protection Act and aims to eliminate certain substances […]
- Eight school-based health clinics close in Southwest Virginia as federal funding pressures mount
Federally Qualified Health Centers in Southwest Virginia have shut down eight school-based health clinics, prompting the Virginia Community Healthcare Association to urge U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, to intervene. The association, which represents FQHCs across the state, sent Griffith a letter Thursday about the closures. The outreach program had served as an extension of health […]
- High-potency marijuana fuels state debates over psychosis and addiction risks
When her son was a teenager, Connecticut mom Amy Wadsworth said, he was the type of kid parents rarely worry about. He played sports, cared about his health and stayed away from drugs. In 2018, when he left West Hartford to start his freshman year at American University in Washington, D.C., she expected his biggest […]
- Governor Abigail Spanberger kills Prescription Drug Affordability Board proposal
A five-year effort to curb drug prices through a Prescription Drug Affordability Board just faced its third veto between two governors, as Abigail Spanberger formally rejected the measure Tuesday. The proposal had evolved over the years: first as a board to set payment limits on drug prices, and later as an advisory panel to help […]
- Kratom product sales to be regulated in Virginia
Del. Joshua Cole, D-Fredericksburg, never expected social media posts about a recreational drug would inspire a new consumer protection law, which he sponsored and was approved by Gov. Abigail Spanberger last month. Spanberger ceremonially signed Cole’s House Bill 360 on Tuesday, which creates new safeguards for the sale of kratom, a legal substance often used […]
- Governor pitches amendments to Prescription Drug Affordability Board bill that some say ‘nullify’ it
Photo illustration of prescription medicine in bottles. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) While Gov. Abigail Spanberger never signaled she would sign the proposed Prescription Drug Affordability Board, the bills’ patrons Del. Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax, and Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, had communicated with her during this year’s legislative session as they workshopped thei
- Marijuana testing challenges persist as Virginia retail market nears
Photo of Virginia Cannabis Control Authority graphic with campaign material on their website. (Photo courtesy Virginia Cannabis Control Authority) By Stef Anderson/VCU Capital News Service RICHMOND, Va. –THC breathalyzers are often discussed as a way to detect drivers under the influence, especially as Virginia closes in on a retail cannabis market, but questions remain about […]
- A Constitutional Change Too Far: Questions About Virginia’s Reproductive Freedom Amendment
The proposed Reproductive Freedom Amendment, currently being considered in Virginia, would create a constitutional right to abortion that is extreme, dangerous, and goes far beyond protecting women’s health and rights. Even voters who generally support abortion access should give it careful consideration. This amendment would elevate abortion rights to constitutional status in Virginia, shifting a
- Rein in federal health care program that raises costs for Virginians
Virginians often have to choose between paying high health care expenses and their daily living costs at the gas station and grocery store. As a clinic worker in Tysons Corner I understand how vital it is that patients with chronic illnesses receive the care they require when they need it.
- Arlington Cocaine bust results in 15-year prison sentence for man
After being caught during an sting operation in Arlington, a man from Philly will spend 15 years in prison.
- Trump signs order aiming to lower U.S. drug costs to match prices abroad
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday aimed at lowering drug prices by pressuring pharmaceutical companies to align their U.S. pricing models with those in similarly wealthy countries.
- Vienna / Oakton Doctor pleads guilty for prescribing drugs improperly, faces up to 20 years
David Allingham who owns Oakton Primary Care Center authorized the renewal of medications without physical examinations of patient between April 2019 and at least January 2024. According to The Department of Justice.
- Armed drug dealer Sentenced to 14 Years
Brian Alexander Snyder, a 27-year-old Manassas man, appeared before the Loudoun County Circuit Court for sentencing on two counts of Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Schedule I or II Substance (fentanyl and cocaine),