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ByLindseyTanner The Associated Press CHICAGO Medical mari- juana has not been proven to work for many illnesses that state laws have ap- proved it for, according to the first comprehensive analysis of research on its potential benefits. The strongest evidence is for chronic pain and for muscle stiffness in multiple sclerosis, according to the review, which evaluated 79 studies involving more than 6,000 patients. Evidence was weak for many other conditions, including anxi- ety, sleep disorders, and To- urette's syndrome and the authors recommend more research. The analysis is among several medical marijuana articles published Tues- day in the Journal of the American Medical Associ- ation. They include a small study suggesting that many brand labels for edible mar- ijuana products list inaccu- rate amounts of active in- gredients. More than half of brands tested had much lower amounts than la- beled, meaning users might get no effect. Highlights from the jour- nal: Analysis The researchers pooled results from studies that tested marijuana against placebos, usual care or no treatment. That's the most rigorous kind of research but many studies found no conclusive evidence of any benefit. Side effects were common and included dizziness, dry mouth and sleepiness. A less extensive research review in the jour- nal found similar results. It's possible medical mar- ijuana could have wide- spread benefits, but strong evidence from high-quality studies is lacking, authors of both articles say. "It's nota wonder drug but it certainly has some poten- tial," said Dr. Robert Wolff, a co-author and researcher with Kleijnen Systematic Re- views Ltd., a research com- pany in York, England. Researchers evaluated 47 brands of medical mar- ijuana products, including candy, baked goods and drinks, bought at dispen- saries in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Independent laboratory testing for THC, marijua- na's leading active ingredi- ent, found accurate amounts listed on labels for just 13 of 75 products. Almost 1 in 4 had higher amounts than la- beled, which could cause ill effects.Mosthadlower-than- listed amounts. There were similar findings for another active ingredient. Products were not identified by name. Johns Hopkins Univer- sity researcher Ryan Van- drey, the lead author, said he was surprised so many labels were inaccurate. The researchers note, however, that the results may not be the same in other locations. Twenty-three states and Washington, D.C. have laws permitting medical mari- juana use. Approved condi- tions vary but include Al- zheimer's disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, kidney disease, lupus and Parkinson's dis- ease. An editorial in the jour- nal says approval in many states has been based on poor quality studies, pa- tients' testimonials or other nonscientific evidence. Federal law Marijuana is illegal under federal law and some scien- tists say research has been stymied by government hur- dles including a declaration that marijuana is a con- trolled substance with no accepted medical use. But in a notice published Tuesday in the Federal Reg- ister, the Department of Health and Human Ser- vices made it a little easier for privately funded medi- cal marijuana research to get approved. The depart- ment said that a federal Public Health Service re- view of research propos- als is no longer necessary because it duplicates a re- quired review by the Food and Drug Administration. Colorado, one of a few states where recreational marijuana use is legal, has pledged more than $8 mil- lion in state funds for sev- eral studies on the drug's potential medical benefits, including whether it can re- duce veterans' symptoms of post-traumatic stress disor- der. That study may begin recruiting participants later this year, said Vandrey, one of that study's leaders. Vandrey said there's a feeling of optimism in the research community that "we'll start to get a good sci- ence base" for the potential medical uses of marijuana. The editorial by two Yale University psychia- trists suggests enthusiasm for medical marijuana has outpaced rigorous research and says widespread use should wait for better ev- idence. Federal and state governments should sup- port and encourage such research, the editorial says. "Perhaps it is time to place the horse back in front of the cart," Drs. Deepak Cyril D'Souza and Mohini Ranganathan wrote in the editorial. They note that repeated recreational marijuana use can be addictive and say unanswered questions in- clude what are the long- term health effects of med- ical marijuana use and whether its use is justified in children whose develop- ing brains may be more vul- nerable to its effects. RESEARCH Studyfindsthereisscantevidence medical pot helps many illnesses JEFFCHIU—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE Medical marijuana clone plants grow at a dispensary in Oakland. MIKE GROLL — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS An officer works at a roadblock as the search continues for two prison escapees from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, on Tuesday in Owls Head, New York. By John Kekis The Associated Press BELLMONT,N.Y. Hundreds of searchers spurred on by fresh evidence method- ically combed through heavy woods in far north- ern New York on Tuesday hoping to finally close in on two elusive murderers who escaped from a maxi- mum-security prison more than two weeks ago. Authorities began com- mitting heavy resources to the remote woods days ago after leads from a hunting camp that was apparently broken into led to "good evidence, DNA data" re- garding inmates David Sweat and Richard Matt, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Roadblocks were in place Tuesday around the remote hamlets of Owls Head and Mountain View in an area of rugged ter- rain about 20 miles west of Clinton County Correc- tional Facility. Searchers were checking ATV trails, logging roads and railroad beds and go- ing door-to-door and con- ducting grid searches in the thick, mosquito-in- fested forests, said Frank- lin County Sheriff Kevin Mulverhill. He said people were checking seasonal properties for signs of in- truders. Authorities hoped that an 18-day search punc- tuated by fruitless tips — officers spent part of the weekend scouring a rural area by the Pennsylvania line more than 300 miles away — might finally be close to the end. "If they're here, we're going to find them," Mul- verhill said. "I really be- lieve it's going to come down to old-fashioned po- lice work and the public." Cuomo said, "I believe we will get these guys." But the governor also cau- tioned that they've had a number of leads and have to follow each as though it's the one that's going to bring authorities to the es- capees. Meanwhile, the husband of the woman accused of helping the inmates escape said in an interview aired Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show that he's "absolutely 100 percent" certain the pair would have killed him and his wife if his wife had been their getaway driver, as initially planned. Searchers comb woods for inmates NORTHERN NEW YORK By Ken Dilanian The Associated Press WASHINGTON Passwords written down on desks. Outdated anti-virus soft- ware. "Perceived inepti- tude" in information tech- nology departments. The federal government, which holds secrets and sensitive information rang- ing from nuclear blueprints to the tax returns of hun- dreds of millions of Ameri- cans, has for years failed to take basic steps to protect its data from hackers and thieves, records show. In the latest example, the Office of Personnel Manage- ment is under fire for allow- ing its databases to be plun- dered by suspected Chinese cyberspies in what is be- ing called one of the worst breaches in U.S. history. OPM repeatedly neglected to implement basic cyber- security protections, its in- ternal watchdog told Con- gress. But the departments of Treasury, Transportation, State and Health and Hu- man Services have signif- icantly worse records, ac- cording to the most recent administration report to Congress under the Federal Information Security Man- agement Act. Each of those agencies has been hacked in the last few years. 'It doesn't work' "Last year, across govern- ment, we the American peo- ple spent almost $80 billion on information technology, and it stinks," said Rep. Ja- son Chaffetz, R-Utah, chair- man of the House Over- sight and Government Re- form Committee. "It doesn't work." Congress can hardly es- cape all blame. While Pres- ident Barack Obama's lat- est budget plan called for a $14 billion increase for cy- berdefenses, the House pro- posed a budget in March that didn't include spe- cific funding for cybersecu- rity. Nor has Congress im- posed much accountabil- ity on agencies that suffer breaches. The security lapses have persisted even as cyberat- tacks on government net- works have increased. The federal government dealt with 67,196 cyber incidents in the last fiscal year, up from 57,971 incidents the year before, according to the White House report card, which was published in February. It's not a new problem. The Government Account- ability Office has labeled federal information secu- rity a "high-risk area" since 1997. In 2003 it expanded the high-risk designation to include computer net- works supporting the na- tion's critical infrastructure. This year, it added "person- ally identifiable informa- tion" to the list, just in time to see hackers steal the So- cial Security numbers and other private information of nearly every federal worker. But agency managers haven't been punished for failing to secure their net- works, and little sustained attention has been paid to the many intrusions. "No one is ever held ac- countable," said James Lewis, a cybersecurity ex- pert at the Center for Stra- tegic and International Studies in Washington. Un- like in the corporate world, where the CEO of Target resigned last year after a breach of customer data, "it's been penalty free, and senior leadership doesn't re- ally care about this." Major blow The OPM debacle may change that. It has dealt the United States a major national security blow, ex- perts say, by exposing the personal information, and foreign contacts, of mil- lions of people with security clearances. OPM's director, Katherine Archuleta, told a Senate hearing on Tuesday that an "adversary" gained access to the agency's re- cords with a credential used by a federal contractor. After the OPM attack, the federal chief information of- ficer, Tony Scott, ordered agencies to speed implemen- tation of new security mea- sures and fix vulnerabilities. But many agencies seem incapable of good security practices, say industry ex- perts, who call for a new ap- proach that moves beyond perimeter defenses and into sophisticated analysis of network behavior. Scott embraces that idea. But as the government de- ploys new technology to dis- cover hacks, he said in an interview, "we're going find out some things previously unknown. It's going to feel like the problem is getting worse, but it's actually get- ting better." CYBERATTACKS Records show federal agencies wide open to hackers, cyberspies CLIFF OWEN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Katherine Archuleta, director of the Office of Personnel Management, gestures while she testifies before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday. Please help sponsor a classroom subscription Call Kathy at (530) 737-5047 to find out how. ThroughtheNewspapersinEducation program, area classrooms receive the Red Bluff Daily News every day thanks to the generosity of these local businesses & individuals. •DR.ASATO&DR.MARTIN • FIDELITY NATIONAL TITLE CO. • DOLLING INSURANCE • GUMM'S OPTICAL SHOPPE • OLIVE CITY QUICK LUBE • QRC • WALMART • TEHAMA CO. DEPT. 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