Doc uses marijuana to grow practice exponentially; Can reform die from a thousand costly cuts?;

> While laws remain in flux in several states, in Maine, where voters approved medical marijuana dispensaries in 2009, the Department of Health and Human Services last week issued 163 state identification cards--and received another 174 (and counting) applications from patients wanting to register with the state before the Jan. 1 deadline. --Read the full article on FiercePracticeManagement

> "A wholesale repeal [of the health reform law] cannot work so long as Democrats control half of Congress and the White House," writes FierceHealthFinance's Ron Shinkman. "So, the Republicans are now trying to defund it piecemeal, their confidence no doubt boosted by this week's lower court ruling invalidating the insurance purchase mandate. Add to that the jelly-legged triangulation displayed by President Obama on other issues of late, this strategy could gain some purchase fast." --Read the full commentary at FierceHealthFinance

> In its fourth major clinical setback in as many months, Eli Lilly ($LLY) has suspended all treatments in a late-stage trial of its melanoma drug tasisulam after recording a dozen deaths in the study. --Read the full FierceBiotech article

And Finally... Whatever! Article