A Retracted Study On A Controversial Substance Raises Questions About The Reliability Of Government-Sponsored Research On Drugs Until recently, Ecstasy had been very good to George A. Ricaurte. An associate professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Ricaurte is the nation's most prominent researcher on methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, the chemical name for Ecstasy, a drug that produces feelings of intense euphoria, heightened sociability, and enhanced sensations like touch. His research in the mid-1980s was the first to suggest that the drug might be damaging to the serotonin system, which is important in regulating mood, sleep, appetite, and other functions. He has also received nearly $10-million in federal funds in the last seven years, and some of his research results have become key building blocks in the government's much-ballyhooed "war on drugs." [continues 3394 words]
Gov. George H. Ryan of Illinois announced last week that financing for higher education for the state's prisoners would be eliminated from next year's budget, a move that would cancel classes for 25,000 students and could lead to layoffs at more than a dozen colleges. The decision comes in the midst of a state budget crisis. According to a spokesman for the governor, Illinois spends $5.4-million a year for college programs in prisons, all of which will be eliminated to help make up an estimated $500-million revenue shortfall. [continues 271 words]
