Taking what was supposed to be a big hit at the subject, the Food and Drug Administration this month declared that "no sound scientific studies" had found a medical value for marijuana. Somehow, it only made the smoke thicker. "Unfortunately," Dr. Jerry Avorn, a professor at Harvard Medical School, told the New York Times, "this is yet another example of the FDA making pronouncements that seem to be driven more by ideology than science." For the Bush administration, complain many observers, it's becoming a frequent drive. Repeatedly, from global warming to salmon protection to reproductive medicine, experts have charged that the administration tries to muscle scientific facts as if they were reluctant congressmen. [continues 478 words]
Last Thursday, taking what was supposed to be a big hit at the subject, the Food and Drug Administration declared that "no sound scientific studies" had found a medical value for marijuana. Somehow, it only made the smoke thicker. "Unfortunately," Dr. Jerry Avorn, a professor at Harvard Medical School, told The New York Times, "this is yet another example of the FDA making pronouncements that seem to be driven more by ideology than science." For the Bush administration, complain many observers, it's becoming a very frequent drive. Repeatedly, from global warming to salmon protection to reproductive medicine, experts have charged that the administration tries to muscle scientific facts as if they were reluctant congressmen. [continues 576 words]
Next to fireworks, and fireworks accidents, nothing says Fourth of July more than a high school band. Some trombones, some John Philip Sousa - maybe enough to drown out the speeches - and some kids getting some more exposure to the powerful ideals for which the nation stands. ... As long, of course, as the band members don't get the idea that the ideals apply to them. Just in time for the Fourth, the Supreme Court has ruled, 5-4, that schools can do drug testing on any and all students who want to participate in extracurricular activities - even if the individual students involved seem no more wigged-out than the average shop teacher. The court decision cheerfully calls this approach "suspicionless drug testing." [continues 578 words]
