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Oklahoma conservatives' views on medical marijuana evolving

LINDSAY, Okla. (AP) — Danny Daniels, an evangelical Christian in the rural Oklahoma town of Lindsay, is reliably conservative on just about every political issue.

The 45-year-old church pastor is anti-abortion, voted for President Donald Trump and is a member of the National Rifle Association who owns an AR-15 rifle. He also came of age during the 1980s and believed in the anti-drug mantra that labeled marijuana as a dangerous gateway drug.

But his view on marijuana changed as his pastoral work extended into hospice care and he saw patients at the end of their... Read More

Nevada pot regulators given more funds to deal with demand

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada's marijuana regulators say they are trying to keep up with demands at recreational dispensaries, where sales continue to outpace projections.

The Nevada Appeal reports the Interim Finance Committee approved an additional $1.5 million for the Department of Taxation to hire more security guards and staff to process background checks for workers at marijuana facilities.

Sales have surpassed projections every month since recreational marijuana for adult use became legal July 1.

Taxation Director Bill Anderson told the Interim... Read More

Warming drives spread of toxic algae in US, researchers say

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The words blasted to cellphones around Oregon's capital city were ominous: "Civil emergency. prepare for action."

Within half an hour, a second official alert clarified the subject wasn't impending violence but toxins from an algae bloom, detected in Salem's water supply.

Across the U.S., reservoirs that supply drinking water and lakes used for recreation are experiencing similar events with growing frequency. The trend represents another impact of global warming and raises looming questions about the effects on human health, researchers say. Read More

Another US worker confirmed hurt by mystery Cuba incidents

WASHINGTON (AP) — Medical tests have confirmed that one additional U.S. Embassy worker has been affected by mysterious health incidents in Cuba, the State Department said, bringing the total number to 25.

The new "medically confirmed" worker is one of two who were recently evacuated from Cuba after reporting symptoms. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the other worker is "still being evaluated" by doctors. Prior to the newest incident, the most recent medically confirmed case from Cuba had been in August 2017, Nauert said.

The confirmed Cuba... Read More

Pain medicine group cancels doctor training about marijuana

A national medical group Thursday abruptly canceled its plans to train doctors about marijuana for pain relief after a federal agency pulled its funding.

The episode highlights an ongoing conflict between federal and state laws on marijuana.

The American Academy of Pain Medicine scrubbed its plans for a one-hour online course next month after a request from the U.S. government agency that provided the funding, a spokeswoman for the pain medicine group said. The money came from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA.

"We... Read More