Washington state pot law author proposes testing sewage to gauge use

Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2014


Washington state pot law author proposes testing sewage to gauge use

Hu Barney smokes a joint during 420Fest at the Luxe Nightclub in SeattleBy Eric M. Johnson SEATTLE (Reuters) - The main author of a Washington state law that legalized recreational marijuana said on Wednesday that testing sewage for the active ingredient in pot could give municipalities a broader and more reliable picture of drug use than traditional surveys. Alison Holcomb, who is also an American Civil Liberties Union attorney, said wastewater analysis for psychoactive THC could provide policymakers crucial data at a time of sweeping shifts in marijuana policy in U.S. states and cities. ...



Acorda buys Civitas to gain access to Parkinson's drug

(Reuters) - Acorda Therapeutics Inc said it bought privately held Civitas Therapeutics for $525 million to gain access to a Parkinson's disease drug in late-stage development. Acorda's shares rose as much as 22.6 percent to $35.98 on Wednesday, making them one of the top five percentage gainers on the Nasdaq. The biotechnology company obtained global rights for Civitas' experimental drug, CVT-301. The drug is used as an additional therapy where symptoms such as inability to move and muscle stiffness reappear in some Parkinson's patients during treatment. ...

Regado Biosciences says evaluating strategic alternatives

(Reuters) - Regado Biosciences Inc said it is evaluating a broad range of strategic alternatives, a month after the company terminated enrollment in a late-stage trial of its lead drug. The company also said it would cut about 60 percent of its workforce, or 20 jobs, as it looks to conserve cash. Regado Biosciences said it would take a related charge of about $2 million in the third and fourth quarters. MTS Health Partners LP and Cowen and Co LLC have been retained as strategic advisers, the company said on Wednesday. ...

Obamacare to save U.S. hospitals $5.7 billion in uncompensated care: government

A man looks over the Affordable Care Act signup page on the HealthCare.gov website in New York in this photo illustrationBy David Morgan and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Wednesday said it expects expanded health coverage under the Affordable Care Act to save U.S. hospitals $5.7 billion this year on the cost of caring for uninsured Americans. A report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said nearly three-quarters of the savings, $4.2 billion, would occur in states that have opted to expand the Medicaid healthcare program for the poor as part of the law, popularly known as Obamacare. ...



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Obama at U.N. pledges steps to more open government

U.S. President Obama makes a toast during a luncheon hosted by U.N. Secretary-General Ban at the U.N. General Assembly in New YorkBy Steve Holland UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - President Barack Obama pledged on Wednesday that the United States would provide easier access to federal spending information, part of a global effort to create more open governments. Governments that are responsive, transparent and accountable lead to prosperity and opportunity and discourage corruption, Obama said at a meeting of the Open Government Partnership, a group of 64 nations meeting at the United Nations General Assembly. The U.S. government will launch an improved USAspending. ...



Baxter to market Merrimack's cancer drug outside U.S.

(Reuters) - Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc said it would partner with Baxter International Inc to develop and market Merrimack's pancreatic cancer drug outside the United States. Merrimack's shares soared as much as 16 percent to nearly a two-year high of $8.41. Merrimack said it would receive a $100 million upfront payment from Baxter in the current quarter and could earn up to $120 million more in milestone payments specific to the first indication of the drug, code named MM-398. "Merrimack had cash to last into 2015. ...

Seattle judge dismisses every pot ticket for first seven months of year

SEATTLE (Reuters) - A Seattle judge on Wednesday dismissed every citation for public marijuana use written in the first seven months of this year after city officials said the tickets were disproportionately handed out to black men. Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes had also sought the dismissal of the 100 citations issued from January to the end of July because more than half were given out by a single officer who apparently opposed marijuana legalization. ...

Medical 'wasteland' in Iraqi warzones: MSF

Iraqi people take water from a humanitarian aid convoy in Amerli on September 1, 2014Geneva (AFP) - Medical services in Iraq's conflict zones have collapsed, leaving millions of people in a health "wasteland", as the spectre of epidemics stalks the country, aid charity MSF warned on Wednesday.



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