Opioid overdoses are not slowing down in Texas. But locating Narcan, which can reverse the effects of an overdose quickly, has been tough for Texans since it was made available without a prescription last year.
Also among this week's most-read news was Ron Nirenberg's announcement that San Antonio might experience rolling blackouts on Thursday — a warning that fortunately was not borne out.
Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans have expressed support for legalizing fentanyl test strips, which help users identify whether the drugs they are planning on taking contain the deadly synthetic opioid.
The Republican governor's focus on fentanyl as he faces a tough reelection fight is understandable, but under his watch, the state has shown little appetite for fostering efforts to prevent overdose deaths.
Hemp advocates promised the Texas Legislature the crop was drought resistant. The 2022 drought has proven otherwise. And farmers are abandoning the nascent market.
Since the passage of the Farm Bill, local law enforcement agencies have struggled to differentiate between weed and hemp-based products — and so, apparently, has the Border Patrol.