In this Baker Institute Viewpoints series, five experts on the marijuana industry examine the question, “What does the future hold for the cannabis industry, in Texas and beyond?”
In the current campaign for Harris County district attorney, both incumbent D.A. Devon Anderson and challenger Kim Ogg have not only proposed to change the way marijuana use is handled by that office, but have also made the issue a centerpiece of their campaigns. Drug policy fellow Katharine Neill examines each candidate’s proposed changes in a new Baker Institute Blog.
In a recent commentary, Baker Institute science and technology policy experts described two international court cases that aimed to define “research” — and that ultimately arrived at two different answers.
“What makes this interesting is that the courts’ definition of ‘research’ was based on politics — what the court wanted the end result to be,” said Kirstin Matthews, the institute’s fellow in science and technology policy. To reach a decision prohibiting human embryonic stem cell (hESC) patents, the EU court ruled that “research” occurs in a continuum. To reach a decision supporting federal funding of stem cell research, the U.S. court ruled that “research” involves a specific project.
The United States should assign a particularly high priority on science and technology over the next four years, especially for federal support of research.
Kirstin Matthews, fellow in science and technology, answers questions regarding the biology, practical uses and ethical dilemmas surrounding stem cells.
