TRENTON — The bill legalizing medical marijuana, which was passed by the New Jersey Legislature today, will go into effect six months after Gov. Jon Corzine signs it, as he promised to do before he leaves office Tuesday. New Jersey will become the 14th state to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes, and each state’s laws have their own idiosyncrasies.

Until medical marijuana becomes legal here, the state Department of Health and Senior Services will face intense lobbying from advocacy groups as it outlines a wide range of rules, such as where marijuana can be grown in the state, how much it will cost and who gets to distribute the drug. Read the full story

Painkillers are causing twice the number of overdose deaths in Ontario than they were two decades ago, a precedent-setting study has found. Most of the people these opioid-related drugs are killing got them through a prescription and had seen a doctor in the month before they died.

The increase mirrors a dramatic rise in prescriptions for oxycodone, a potent opiate found in OxyContin and Percocet that has proliferated in an epidemic of chronic pain that has turned Canadians into a nation of pill-poppers – using more prescription opioids per capita than any country but the United States and Belgium. Read the full story

Learn how you can help fight AIDS and HIV in Africa by purchasing your favorite Starbucks items today (December 1, 2009)!

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You know things are shifting in America when Fortune magazine, the bible for business journalism, runs a cover story titled “Is pot already legal?”. You also know it when Barack Obama’s Department of Justice publishes a long-expected memo signalling that the federal government will no longer raid medical marijuana dispensaries if they are legal under state law. That happened formally this month. Read the full story

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A recent story appeared on CNNSI.com, as Isaiah Thomas blasts Magic Johnson for what he believes to be false accusations from their playing days.

In the article, by NBA writer Ian Thomson, Johnson talks of Thomas being blackballed from the ‘92 Olympic team, and also suggests Thomas was the ringleader of the alleged “freezing out” of Michael Jordan in the 1985 all-star game.

But Thomas heatedly responds to allegations that he created doubts of Magic’s sexual orientation once the Aids/HIV issue came up in the early 90s. Read the full story

Flu season is fast approaching, and many people are concerned about whether H1N1 – more commonly known as the “swine flu” – will devastate entire communities. When cooler heads prevail, however, it’s easy to see that H1N1 isn’t all that different from any other flu in any other year. If you aren’t an infant, elderly or suffering from a serious health ailment that would make contracting the flu a danger (this is the biggest thing, truly), there isn’t much to worry about. Wash your hands regularly, use a surgical mask if you’re sick and have to go out in public and deal with H1N1 the way you would any normal flu. Take in nutrients, get rest and try not to expose others. It’s common sense, the same way same day loans can float a budget in the short term during an emergency.

There Are H1N1 Vaccine Risks, Anyway

Some people will opt for the H1N1 vaccine, whether it is because they are at risk or that they think flu shots are essential. However, there are medical experts that have stated their concerns over H1N1 vaccine risks. This leaves people in the position of having to decide whether the vaccine is worth the risk or worse than simply contracting the flu and letting normal immune systems deal with the invader.

According to the Center For Disease Control, high risk individuals are children under 2; those over 65; pregnant ladies; people with chronic asthma, diabetes or HIV; and children younger than 19 who are involved in aspirin therapy. For these groups, the shot may be worth it. There are even locations that will deliver it for free or at a discounted rate, depending upon a patient’s financial situation.

But What About GBC Risk?

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Also known as Guillain-Barré syndrome, it is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to death. However, Dr. Jennifer Ashton estimates that this risk is “only 1 in a million vaccines.” However, since I’m not in an “at risk” group, I’ll take the flu instead. Since I have young children, I have more to consider. Yet it is my belief – based upon my understanding of the evidence – that H1N1 vaccine risks are just another sign that the more you look for loopholes, the more you’ll find. I am not concerned about my children dying due to swine flu. Common sense treatment and doctors (if necessary) are all they’ll likely need if the swine flu comes to call. If I need financial backup, I’ll consider same day loans.

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European scientists have discovered a new strain of the virus that causes AIDS and linked it to gorillas, creating a mystery about when and how the first patient found to have the strain became infected. Read the full story

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) — U.S. scientists have decoded the structure of an entire HIV genome, a breakthrough which could improve understanding of how the virus infects humans and could lead to the development of new antiviral drugs.

Like viruses that cause influenza, hepatitis C and polio, HIV carries its genetic information as single-stranded RNA rather than double-stranded DNA. Information encoded in RNA is more complex. Read the full story