Rival bands of drug traffickers clashed in the streets of downtown Tijuana early this morning in a wild and bloody shootout that has left at least 15 people dead and several injured. via Los Angeles Times

An Israeli medical team has started tests using the drug Ecstasy as a treatment for conflict-linked post-traumatic disorders, the Maariv daily reported on Friday. via ABS-CBN News

"Marijuana, unlike alcohol, has no direct effect on the liver. It is however a concern ... in that it's a potential indicator of an addictive personality"

Timothy Garon's face and arms are hauntingly skeletal, but the fluid building up in his abdomen makes the 56-year-old musician look eight months pregnant. His liver, ravaged by hepatitis C, is failing. Without a new one, his doctors tell him, he will be dead in days. But Garon's been refused a spot on the transplant list, largely because he has used marijuana, even though it was legally approved for medical reasons.

'I'm not angry, I'm not mad, I'm just confused,' said Garon, lying in his hospital bed a few minutes after a doctor told him the hospital transplant committee's decision Thursday. Read more

A man who confessed to leading a band of high school students in a drug smuggling ring was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced. via El Paso Times

"Research shows that regular use ... may also lead to mental health problems. Youth who use marijuana weekly have double the risk of depression later in life, and are three times more likely than non-users to have suicidal thoughts."

DEAR ABBY: Our 16-year-old son uses instant messaging, and we often "check in" on what he is saying and who he's speaking with. via Massillon Independent

The motorist accused of causing a deadly tanker crash on Interstate 91 in Chicopee has pleaded not guilty. via CBS 3