Kastalia Medrano

New York

Freelance Journalist at Freelance

Deputy Editor at Filter

deputy editor @Filtermag_org | cohost @StimUsersCall with @SF_USU | @WGAEast | she/her, good listener horrible emailer

Articles

"Fentanyl Containment Devices" Are Not Quite What They Sound Like

3 weeks ago | filtermag.org | Kastalia Medrano

The Senate is considering a fentanyl exposure bill that would fund “containment devices.” Rarely do sponsors elaborate on what these actually are, other than that they’re very important, but they’re usually described as devices that contain and safely store suspected drug samples so that they can be preserved as evidence for later testing. If you’re picturing some sort of airtight container, that is wrong.
DEA Annual Report: Fentanyl Purity Down, Prohibition Not Yet Working

1 month ago | filtermag.org | Kastalia Medrano

The Drug Enforcement Administration is back with a new National Drug Threat Assessment, the annual report that returned in 2024 after a three-year hiatus. The 2025 NDTA, published May 15, is more bloated than 2024’s, despite the palpable sense that the DEA is running out of things to say. Probably the most useful piece of information in the 2025 NDTA is confirmation that fentanyl purity has been decreasing—at least in samples seized by the DEA.
CO Passes Historic, Somewhat Unclear Bill Making Prison Visits a Right

1 month ago | filtermag.org | Kastalia Medrano

Colorado is poised to become the first state to recognize prison visitation as a right, rather than a privilege. Though HB25-1023 is somewhat ambiguous as to which forms of visitation would be protected for people in higher-security housing, the bill’s approval could represent a watershed moment for prisoner rights if used as a precedent by lawmakers in other states. The Colorado legislature sent the finalized bill to Governor Jared Polis (D) on May 16.
Overdose Prevention Center Bills in Multiple States Inch Forward

1 month ago | filtermag.org | Kastalia Medrano

The 2025 legislative session has seen multiple states attempt to authorize overdose prevention centers (OPC). Some proposals didn’t have the support to make it out of the chamber where they were introduced, but at least four have continued to move forward and are currently in committee. In at least two states, anti-OPC bills have advanced as well.
Hawaii Legislature Overturns "One-to-One" Restriction on Syringe Exchange

1 month ago | filtermag.org | Kastalia Medrano

Hawaii has passed legislation authorizing syringe service programs (SSP) to begin distribution as needed, in place of the current model that places strict limits on the number of sterile syringes participants can receive. SB1433 advanced from its final reading in Hawaii’s legislature and was enrolled to Governor Josh Green (D) on May 2.
Walgreens Settles DOJ Prescription Opioid Lawsuit, Likely at $350 Million

2 months ago | filtermag.org | Kastalia Medrano

Walgreens, the nation’s second-largest pharmacy chain, will pay $300 million plus 4 percent interest to settle Department of Justice allegations of improper dispensing practices as well as fraud.
Vermont Prison Equity Bill: Free Calls, Paid Labor, Affordable Commissary

2 months ago | filtermag.org | Kastalia Medrano

Vermont legislators are reviewing a wide-ranging prison equity bill that, if enacted, would make the Vermont Department of Corrections (VDOC) the first to pay incarcerated workers minimum wage. H.294 would also make all available forms of communication—not just phone calls—free to incarcerated people and their loved ones, and cap the prices of commissary items. The bill is currently with the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions, where it was discussed in a hearing on April 17.
Some Common Themes in the State Fentanyl Bills Still in Play

2 months ago | filtermag.org | Kastalia Medrano |Jon Kirkpatrick

The current legislative session has seen dozens of proposals to create or enhance criminal penalties for fentanyl-related charges, many of which are still in play or have already been passed. Lower thresholds for mandatory minimum sentences are gaining ground almost everywhere. For example, an Indiana bill currently under review in the House would lower the threshold weights that trigger existing penalties for fentanyl- and methamphetamine-related convictions.
When Harm Reduction Is Easy and Enjoyable, It’s More Effective

Mar 27, 2025 | filtermag.org | Jonathan Kirkpatrick |Kastalia Medrano

When I was young, I was living on the streets of Los Angeles at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and early ‘90s. I injected meth a lot. Needles were expensive and hard to come by, so people often reused and shared them. The recommendation to avoid AIDS, as we called it then, was to bleach your rig before using with other people. A great recommendation, but it was hard. It took a long time, sometimes ruined your plunger and required me to carry a bunch of other stuff to do it.
Utah Quietly Bans State Funds for SSP, in Bill Restricting Pre-Trial Release

Mar 26, 2025 | filtermag.org | Kastalia Medrano |Jon Kirkpatrick

On March 25, Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R) signed a wide-ranging bill purportedly focused on the state’s criminal-legal statutes, but that also includes a line item prohibiting use of state funding to operate syringe service programs (SSP). Utah authorized SSP in 2016, but has never directly funded them.