Republican, Dem write marijuana bill

HARRISBURG — Two state senators, one a Republican and the other a Democrat, are planning to introduce a bill to legalize a certain form of marijuana for medicinal use in Pennsylvania.

Sens. Daylin Leach and Mike Folmer said Monday their bill would help ensure Pennsylvanians can get medical benefits from cannabidiol, a compound found in marijuana that's credited with various medical applications without providing a high.

Folmer, a Republican, didn't attend a Capitol news conference with Leach due to the death of his mother. But he says medical marijuana can help to children who suffer from seizures and cancer patients suffering through chemotherapy.

Two Pennsylvania mothers of children with epilepsy, including a rare and sometimes deadly form called Dravet syndrome, appeared with Leach and said they believe it can help their children.

STATE COLLEGE — Penn State's costs related to the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal are nearing $52 million.A university website shows the school has racked up just under $51.8 million in expenses as of Aug. 31. That's up $1.3 million from the figure reported at the end of July.The amount covers legal fees, consulting work and other costs. The university has said it won't use tuition dollars, state appropriations or donations to pay the tab. Insurance might cover some claims.The costs are separate from the $59.7 million settlement that Penn State agreed last month to pay to 26 victims of the former assistant football coach.Sandusky was sentenced to 30-to-60 years in prison last year after being convicted on dozens of criminal counts of sexual abuse.

STATE COLLEGE — Authorities say the accidental death of a Penn State student may be linked to a drug being sold as “acid.”State College police say the exact compound of the narcotic has not been determined. But an initial investigation shows it played a role in a student's nine-story fall on Saturday.Police say 20-year-old Conor Macmannis of Stafford, Va., died after tumbling from a balcony at the Penn Tower apartments.Police are now warning students about synthetic drugs being called LSD or “acid” that are sold as small tabs of paper. They say the narcotics have resulted in several suspected overdoses.The coroner ruled Macmannis' death accidental. Results of toxicology results won't be available for a few weeks.