Oh, no

Birth control pill recall terrifies womankind — see if your brand is affected byPfizer's big oops

Grab a brown paper bag before proceeding, because the news that drug giant Pfizer mispackaged 1 million birth control packets might induce a full-fledged panic attack akin to Kristen Bell's sloth reaction, but without the cute.

Pfizer recalled 1 million packets of the contraceptive drugs Lo/Ovral-28, Norgestrel (brand name Ovrette) and Ethinyl Estradiol (which is in, like, everything) this week after finding a packaging error that could "raise the risk of accidental pregnancy" by leaving some women with an inadequate dose.

Not all the packets will raise the risk of pregnancy: The oral contraceptives, which generally contain 21 hormone tablets and seven inactive, or blank pills, were improperly mixed, with some packets containing too many active hormone tablets and others containing too many blanks.

This means that those women with too few active tablets run the risk of accidental pregnancy, while those with too many hormone tablets will likely skip their periods unwittingly and go through their own pregnancy scares. (One convenience is exceedingly milder than the other, but it's a lose-lose for everybody from where we're sitting with our heads between our knees).

Luckily, the Associated Press reports that the recall is mainly of an older pill that isn't as popular today, and none of the types recalled are in the top five, although the affected pills were distributed around the country.

To check whether your birth control was affected, click here.

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no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana