Marijuana, cannabis, hemp: Why Minnesota is choosing its words carefully
When the state of Minnesota legalized adult-use cannabis last year, legislators made a subtle change to the books: they struck most mentions of “marijuana” and swapped it out for “cannabis.” Amid the slew of changes coming with legalization — expunging criminal records, setting up a licensing, staffing up the Office of Cannabis Management after a […]
State Medicaid offices target dead people’s homes to recoup their health care costs
As Salvatore LoGrande fought cancer and all the pain that came with it, his daughters promised to keep him in the white, pitched roof house he worked so hard to buy all those decades ago. So, Sandy LoGrande thought it was a mistake when, a year after her father’s death, Massachusetts billed her $177,000 for […]
Delta-8, an unregulated form of THC, is popular among high school students
Edible products advertised as containing delta-8 THC offered for sale at a smoke shop in Seattle in 2022. Teens can overdo it with products like these, health officials warn. Gene Johnson | AP A national survey of more than 2,000 high school seniors across the country found that more than 11 percent used a drug […]
A simple blood test can detect colorectal cancer early, study finds
If the FDA approves it, a new blood test could become another screening option for colorectal cancer. Srinophan69/Getty Images At a time when colorectal cancer is on the rise, a new study finds the disease can be detected through a blood test. The results of a clinical trial, published Wednesday, in The New England Journal […]
Class of COVID: For Minnesota high school seniors, pandemic taught lessons in struggle, perseverance
Raeline McVicker remembers the excitement four years ago when Gov. Tim Walz said Minnesota schools would close “temporarily” to slow the spread of COVID-19. It was March 15, 2020 and the state had 35 confirmed cases. The shutdown seemed like a fun one-off, a few bonus days home to start the spring. School buildings were […]
Children’s Minnesota debuts new modest hospital gown for kids
Children’s Minnesota on Tuesday debuted one of the country’s first modest hospital gowns for kids. The hospital system partnered with local design business Henna and Hijabs to create a medical grade modesty gown with a detachable hijab, three-quarter length sleeves and closures that can be worn in the front or back that allow medical providers […]
Paul Alexander, forced into an iron lung by polio in 1952, dies at 78
Polio struck Paul Alexander in 1952, when he was just 6 years old. Within days, the disease robbed him of the use of his body. But he fought through the illness, using an iron lung for more than 70 years — and inspiring people with his determination to live a full life. He painted, wrote […]
Olivia Rodrigo concertgoers got a show — and free emergency contraceptives
Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton, on June 25, 2022, in Glastonbury, England. Kate Green/Getty Images Olivia Rodrigo’s voice is loud and clear on where she stands. The singer’s team worked in partnership with local advocacy groups to hand out free emergency contraceptive pills and condoms at Tuesday’s show in […]
Doctor responds to Allina’s planned shuttering of pediatric services at Mercy Hospital Fridley
This month, there will be a public hearing on Allina Health’s plans to shutter inpatient pediatric services at Mercy Hospital — Unity Campus and move ICU and surgery services from Fridley to Coon Rapids in June. The decision could mean job loss for providers and disrupted patient care. Allina cites declining pediatric patient volume and […]
Minnesota lawmakers look to put packaging companies on the hook for materials waste
Mountains of recyclable materials start filling up a drop-off bay at Eureka Recycling in Minneapolis every morning. The nonprofit recycling center takes in 400 tons of recyclable material from the Twin Cities metro every day — and a lot of that waste is from all those packaged materials. Minnesota is among a small but growing […]