Health Highlights: March 18, 2014

• Tweet
• Pin It

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Way Cleared for Study on Medical Marijuana for Veterans with PTSD

A long-delayed study to examine the use of marijuana in treating U.S. veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder will finally begin after the federal government removed a major roadblock.

The University of Arizona study was approved by the Food and Drug Administration but the researchers could not get permission to buy marijuana from a National Institute on Drug Abuse research farm that is the only federally-sanctioned source of the drug, the Associated Press reported.

Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services said marijuana from the research farm could be purchased for the study.

The decision was welcomed as a signficiant step forward by researchers who have long tried to get approval to investigate medical uses for marijuana, the AP reported.

——

Simply Lite Dark Chocolate Bars Recalled

Two batches of Simply Lite dark chocolate bars are being recalled because they contain large amounts of milk proteins, which can cause a serious and potentially deadly reaction in people with milk allergy or a severe sensitivity to milk, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.

The recall is for 3-ounce bars of Simply Lite 50 percent Cacao Low Carb Sugar Free Dark Chocolate bars with the lot codes “Best By: 01 18 2015A” or “Best By: 01 19 2015A.”

FDA tests revealed that bars from these lots contained more than 3,500 parts per million of milk protein, which is equivalent to the amount found in about four teaspoons of whole milk.

The label on the recalled bars says they “may contain traces of milk,” but the amount of milk protein in them is much more than what is considered trace amounts, the FDA said.

The chocolate bars were made by Simply Natural Foods of Commack, N.Y. and distributed to retail stores and markets in California, Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Canada.

Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

• Tweet
• Pin It