Former NM governor named to cannabis post

A Nevada-based startup that plans to sell medical and recreational marijuana products named former New Mexico governor and U.S. Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson as its CEO and president, the company announced Tuesday. Johnson said he hoped to expand Cannabis Sativa into a major marijuana business and intends to work out of New Mexico to help develop products that are legal in states like Colorado and Washington. [Russell Contreras, Santa Fe New Mexican]

In a Politico interview about the Veep rumors swirling around current NM Gov. Susana Martinez:

"This is a Sarah Palin-esque kind of choice. She’s served as governor of New Mexico for about the same amount of time,” Johnson said. “I think there were lessons learned [from 2008.]"

He tweeted: "And the Feds are cracking down on #MMJ? Sheer idiocy."

USA Today:

The increases have coincided with a wave of overdose deaths, pharmacy robberies and other problems in New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Florida and other states. Opioid pain relievers, the category that includes oxycodone and hydrocodone, caused 14,800 overdose deaths in 2008, and the death toll is rising, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Deaths from cannabis overdose? nearly zero. Deaths from the "War on Drugs?"

Pfizer is one interested party in the outcome of the SCOTUS review of ACA. From Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News:

On March 13, 2012, though, the Arthritis Advisory Committee to the FDA unanimously concluded that the potential benefits of anti-NGF drugs outweighed the risks associated with their use. They voted 21 to 0 to allow Pfizer and other developers to resume testing, despite cases of joint destruction and osteonecrosis associated with their use.

WTF?