Health

The debate over the legalization of medical marijuana is still a "smoking" issue. In a recent poll by Siena College, voters weighed in and 57 % support the proposal.

According to the poll, 2/3 of New York voters say they're paying close attention to the debate.

Dr. Don Levy is the Director of the Research Institute. He says more than 700 voters were polled.

"There was no single group that stood out saying 'Hey, wait a minute.' We know the arguments against it and the concerns about it being effectively regulated. But when presented with just the issues, a simple thumbs up or a thumbs down, New Yorkers feel there's a way to do it," says Levy.

Rochester-based Intervol just returned from Haiti where the group is helping victims of the devastating earthquake in 2010.

Intervol is a nonprofit organization that sends teams of health care volunteers to countries with significant medical needs.

Click on the audio player above to listen to WXXI’s Alex Crichton interview co-founder Dr. Timothy O'Connor during Wednesday’s Morning Edition on WXXI-AM 1370.

A new program aims to train people to become early detectors of signs of the emerald ash borer infestation in ash trees in Western & Central New York.

The insect has killed millions of ash trees, and is spreading in western New York.

Cornell University's Mark Whitmore, a forest entomologist, is training people to be first detectors of the bug, so they accurately report it, and educate others.

Whitmore says communities need to be engaged in the battle against the beetle.

The training sessions will cover the biology of the insect and the signs and symptoms of ash tree infestation.

Whitmore says there were false reports last summer in the area, and people need to be able to accurately identify signs and symptoms on the trees themselves.

Research into multiple sclerosis has accelerated rapidly in the last few years - and doctors in Buffalo are at the forefront.

Information about how MS progresses in patients has long been out there, but it wasn’t being synthesized or analyzed effectively.

Now, SUNY Buffalo is using a new supercomputer from IBM that can help researchers make connections between environmental and hereditary factors and how MS affects its victims.

The Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley is now expanding services to its older members.

The Senior Center will help elders connect with healthcare information and other beneficial services more easily. Every Monday and Tuesday from 11am-3pm, the Gay Alliance on East Main street will open its doors to  anyone 50 years of age or older in the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual or Transgender community.

Spokesperson Kelly Clark says it's important LGBT elders stay connected to the community as they age because they're more likely to live alone.

University of Rochester scientists are gearing up to test a new vaccine designed to stop the norovirus, the microbe behind most cases of what people commonly call the stomach flu.

The U.S. government is keeping a close eye on the vaccine's test study as well. The symptoms include nausea, abdominal cramps and vomiting. The illness usually only lasts a day or two but affects more than 20 million Americans each year.

Dr. John Treanor is chief of the Infectious Disease Division at the University of Rochester. He says the norovirus can be temporarily disabling, which can pose a major threat to the country's defense system.