Wash U Expert: States should have some power over criminal laws of marijuana
A bill introduced July 28 in the U.S. House of
Representatives would amend the controlled substances act – the federal
law that criminalizes marijuana – to exempt plants with an extremely low
level of THC, the part of marijuana that makes users high. Following closely on the heels of a call by the New York Times editorial board for the federal government to legalize marijuana, this could mark a turning point of sorts in the campaign for legalization. Gregory
P. Magarian, professor of law, sees two reasons for leaving states with some power over the criminal law of marijuana.
Many depressed preschoolers still suffer in later school years
Children diagnosed with depression as preschoolers are likely to suffer from depression as school-age children and young adolescents, research shows. Depressed preschoolers were 2.5 times more likely to suffer from depression in later school years than children who were not depressed at very young ages, according to School of Medicine researchers.
One route to malaria drug resistance found
Researchers led by Audrey Odom, MD, PhD, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered a way the malaria parasite becomes resistant to an investigational drug. The discovery also is relevant for other infectious diseases including bacterial infections and tuberculosis.
Brunt named chief of minimally invasive surgery
L. Michael Brunt, newly named to lead the Section of Minimally Invasive Surgery at the School of Medicine, is a nationally recognized laparoscopic surgeon with expertise in abdominal, solid organ and biliary surgery.
Corcoran named assistant dean for finance
Mary Corcoran has been named assistant dean for finance at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Her appointment, which marks her return to the university after six years at Stanford University, is effective Aug. 21.
Strategy proposed for preventing diseases of aging
More efforts should be directed at promoting interventions that have the potential to prevent multiple chronic diseases and extend healthy lifespans. School of Medicine and other researchers write in Nature that economic incentives in biomedical research and health care reward treating disease more than promoting good health.
O’Keefe named new head of orthopaedic surgery
Regis James O’Keefe, MD, PhD, is a highly regarded orthopaedic oncologist. He comes to the School of Medicine from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, where he is the chair of orthopaedics and rehabilitation.
Scientists find new clues to brain’s wiring
New research provides an intriguing glimpse into the processes that establish connections between nerve cells in the brain. These connections, or synapses, allow nerve cells to transmit and process information involved in thinking and moving the body. Pictured is the study’s senior author, Azad Bonni, MD, PhD.
Scientists find way to trap, kill malaria parasite
Scientists may be able to entomb the malaria parasite in a prison of its own making, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report July 16 in Nature.
Study: Smoking may contribute to suicide risk
Cigarette smokers are more likely to commit suicide than people who don’t smoke, a relationship that has been attributed to the fact that numerous people with psychiatric disorders, who have higher suicide rates, also tend to smoke. But a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis finds that smoking itself may increase suicide risk and that policies to limit smoking reduce suicide rates.
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