Medical marijuana is now a legal treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Colorado. Governor John Hickenlooper signed SB17-017 on June 5, 2017, officially giving doctors the green light to prescribe cannabis to patients suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Colorado joins at least 20 other states in allowing cannabis-based treatments for the disorder. [1]
On June 8, 2017, the FDA requested that the drug-maker Endo Pharmaceuticals stop selling Opana ER – the extended-release version of Opana – because of “public health consequences of abuse.” It is the first time the agency has made efforts to pull an opioid from the market due to its highly addictive nature. [1]
According to the FBI, Opana ER is becoming a popular drug to crush, dissolve, and inject. An outbreak of HIV, Hepatitis C, and a serious blood disorder have been fueled by drug users sharing needles.
President Donald Trump announced June 1, 2017, that he was withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate accord, keeping a campaign promise many had hoped he would abandon.
During a White House press conference, Trump said he was open to renegotiating aspects of the agreement. But France, Germany, and Italy said they considered the accord “a cornerstone in the cooperation between our countries, for effectively and timely tackling climate change” that could not be renegotiated. [1]
President Donald Trump’s stance on legalizing medical cannabis is a big question mark, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions hates marijuana and has expressed his intent to stiffen drug penalties. But there is at least one person in the government who sees the potential of marijuana as a medicine, and that person is Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin.
CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing has been hailed as one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of our lifetime. The technology is often called “molecular scissors” for its ability to “cut and paste” pieces of DNA, thereby removing unwanted traits and replacing them with more desirable ones. CRISPR is being celebrated for its accuracy, but a recent study sheds light on some imperfections surrounding the technology that we should be aware of.
On May 24, 2017, the House passed a measure reversing an EPA requirement that those spraying pesticides on or near rivers and lakes file for a permit. Opponents are referring to the legislation as the “Poison Our Waters Act.” The bill’s real name is the “Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2017.” [1]
A woman from San Bernardino, California has sued jelly bean maker Jelly Belly, claiming she didn’t know sugar was one of the ingredients in their “Sports Beans.” Jessica Gomez alleges that Jelly Belly was trying to “trick” her into believing Jelly Belly Sports Beans didn’t contain sugar through its use of “fancy phrasing.” [1]
More than a handful of doctor have been caught in the act of needlessly giving out or overcharging for cancer drugs to make a quick buck. It seems that some doctors are either intentionally or wrongfully diagnosing sickness, or are immorally pocketing cash from treatment costs.
As the New York Times has pointed out:
On May 18, the California Senate passed a bill that would ban pharmaceutical companies from giving gifts to doctors. The Senate voted 23-13 in favor of sending the bill to the Assembly. [1]
For the bill, SB 790, California lawmakers used a similar 2009 Vermont law enacted in 2009 as a template.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has delayed a safety rule aimed at ensuring that pesticides (which are linked to human health problems) are safely applied by adult agricultural workers. This, just days after 50 farm workers in California were sickened by pesticide poisoning. [1]
