The Cannabist
China says marijuana legalization to blame for US opioid crisis
12/28/17--According to Yu Haibin of the China National Narcotics Control Commission, the United States should look within to cut down demand for opioids which are fueling its deadly drug crisis rather than stressing unsubstantiated claims that China is the major source of these chemicals. Read The top 10 cannabis lifestyle trends of 2017
12/28/17--This article presents the monumental strides and 10 key cannabis lifestyle trends that defined the past year. Read Hawaii medical school cannabis seminar includes doctor’s advice about who shouldn’t use MMJ
11/24/17--The medical school at the University of Hawaii held its first seminar on medical marijuana with a panel of doctors and lawyers discussing the drug and the regulations governing its use. At the recent event, the panel shared highlights of research on the topic to an audience of about 150 people consisting mostly of health professionals. Read There’s something fishy with Alaska’s marijuana potency testing results
11/24/17--A committee will look at issues regarding the testing of cannabis products amid inconsistency in potency results from different labs. Erika McConnell, director of the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, recommended a review of testing regulations, citing, among other reasons, evidence of “significant deviation” in potency-testing results of the same product by different labs. Read Oregon marijuana growers face lawsuit from vineyard owner over crop’s smell
11/24/17--Yamhill County Judge John Collins has denied a motion to dismiss a complaint filed by a vineyard owner against aspiring marijuana growers. The vineyard owner, Momtazi Family LLC, claims marijuana odors would damage wine grapes with “foul-smelling particles.” Judge Collins said the right-to-farm law doesn’t provide the growers with blanket immunity, but can be used as a defense later in the case. Read Trend-setting hotelier The Standard will soon have marijuana shop in lobby
11/24/17--Boutique hotel group Standard International and cannabis-infused confection maker Lord Jones have announced a partnership that includes opening a retail shop in the lobby of the Standard Hollywood. There are also plans to create co-branded THC-derived products and expand to the hotel’s downtown Los Angeles location — and beyond — as regulations permit. Read Why some California communities are pushing back hard against cannabis farms
11/24/17--California is set to issue licenses in January to grow, transport, and sell weed for recreational purposes. Farmers can legally grow marijuana for recreational consumption next year but are required to get a local permit before applying for a state license, which has sparked a boom in pot-friendly counties. Yet, authorities this year have cut down close to 30,000 plants grown without permits in a county that is reconsidering its embrace of marijuana cultivation ahead of statewide legalization. Read San Francisco will remove cannabis advertising from public transit
11/22/17--San Francisco’s public transit board has voted to ban marijuana advertising on its buses, trains and shelters, reversing its current policy. Mayor Ed Lee was among those urging a ban on weed advertising, saying such a rule would limit children’s exposure to products meant for adults. Read DEA finalizing Schedule II status for synthetic THC drug Syndros
11/21/17--The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is expected to finalize the previously suggested Schedule II status for Syndros, the FDA-approved liquid dronabinol drug developed by Insys Therapeutics, the Chandler, Ariz.-based pharmaceutical company that last year donated to a campaign opposing marijuana legalization and last month saw its founder arrested on fraud and racketeering charges. Read New Hampshire marijuana legalization bill shot down
11/15/17--A bill that would legalize marijuana in New Hampshire has been rejected by a House committee. The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted not to recommend the bill to the House. Under the measure, people 21 and older would have been able to buy recreational cannabis from licensed businesses that were taxed by the state. Read Budweiser’s ex-marketing chief sees cannabis as the new craft beer
11/13/17--Chris Burggraeve, former chief marketing officer for Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, the brewer of Budweiser beer, is moving from barley and hops to cannabis as the alcohol industry casts its sights on the burgeoning market for state-sanctioned marijuana. The former beer executive is one of many entrepreneurs and investors increasingly flocking to the cannabis industry from the traditional business world. Read Massachusetts moratoriums may mean long drives for legal marijuana
11/13/17--Although retail sales of recreational marijuana can begin in July, many customers across northern Massachusetts may have to travel significant distances or wait several months to acquire the substance. Moratoriums are becoming widespread, and only a handful of towns in northern Massachusetts will be able to join the initial wave of recreational sales, a trend that legal marijuana advocates say could have lasting economic repercussions. Read Five out of five cities in Florida county ban medical marijuana
11/7/17--Palmetto solidified a unanimous medical marijuana ban in all cities within Manatee County, becoming the fifth, and last, city to initiate a ban on dispensaries. Bradenton, Holmes Beach, Anna Maria, and Bradenton Beach had already passed similar bans. Read Florida congressman slams Gov. Chris Christie for “outrageous” medical marijuana position
11/2/17--Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) condemned New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for “outrageous” statements he made comparing medical cannabis legalization efforts to the origins of the current opioid epidemic. “It is shortsighted, it is inaccurate, and it is indefensible to suggest that the proliferation of medical cannabis — that is saving lives and improving quality of life for people — somehow is analogous to the plague of the opioid crisis,” expressed Gaetz. Read Arkansas marijuana regulators face lawsuits over biz license rejections
10/31/17--Applicants seeking to open medical marijuana businesses in Arkansas are suing the commission overseeing the proposals. The lawsuits were filed last week and placed under seal in Pulaski County. They allege the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission wrongly assessed hundreds of applications last month when it rejected bids for failing to meet minimum requirements. Read Denver approves smoking and vaping ban for its downtown street mall
10/31/17--Starting Dec. 1, smokers and vapers on Denver’s 16th Street Mall will need to walk at least 50 feet down a side street before lighting up or puffing. The Denver City Council approved the public smoking ban 9-0, ending a weeks-long debate about how best to ensure that police don’t use the new restrictions to single out the homeless or service workers on their smoke breaks. Read Here’s how much Virginia taxpayers are spending to jail marijuana users
10/31/17--According to the findings of a report on marijuana decriminalization prepared by the Virginia State Crime Commission, Virginia authorities have arrested more than 133,000 people suspected of marijuana possession over the past 10 years. Each year, about 10,000 individuals are convicted of a first-time marijuana possession offense. And on one day in July 2017, there were 127 individuals in jail on a marijuana charge alone, costing Virginia taxpayers more than $10,000 a day. Read Colorado budget proposal calls for new task force to target illegal marijuana ops
11/1/17--Colorado aims to establish a state law enforcement unit dedicated to investigating and eradicating illegal marijuana grow operations that have cropped up throughout the state. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s $30.5 billion budget proposal for the 2018-19 fiscal year included the allocation of $1.2 million of marijuana tax revenue toward the assembly of a task force within the Colorado Bureau of Investigation that would “investigate black market marijuana operations across Colorado.” Read “You idiot!”: Cursing councilman goes on tirade against marijuana advocates
10/31/17--Mayor pro tem Tony Hesch cursed out a resident last week during a City Council meeting for interrupting him during a debate on keeping some marijuana policies under local control in Colfax, California. He referred to pro-marijuana advocates as “people who have wasted our freaking time” over the last three years. Hesch voted in favor of the ordinance regulating cannabis growth, cultivation, delivery, and sales at the local level in anticipation of statewide legalization early next year. Read Fears mount for California MMJ patients over “cannabis deserts”
10/31/17--With California on the verge of creating a cannabis market worth an estimated $7 billion by 2025, medical marijuana advocates are sounding the alarm that legalization is having the unintended consequence of cutting off scores of patients from their medicine. The local-rights language of California’s Proposition 64, which legalized adult use and sales of recreational cannabis starting Jan. 1, has prompted more cities and counties to temporarily or permanently ban commercial cannabis operations — including those for medical marijuana — effectively creating large “cannabis deserts” across the state. Read FDA sends warning letters to CBD companies, including Colorado’s CW Hemp
11/1/17--The Colorado company known for the “Charlotte’s Web” cannabidiol extract and three other businesses that make CBD products were put on notice by the FDA for illegally making unsubstantiated health claims. In a statement, FDA officials said they’ve becoming increasingly concerned about the “proliferation” of products that claim to treat or cure diseases such as cancer. Read Talk show host Hugh Hewitt lobbies Jeff Sessions to pursue federal marijuana crackdown
10/26/17--Radio personality Hugh Hewitt lobbied U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions for a federal crackdown on legal marijuana businesses during a 14-minute interview. Hewitt asked Sessions pointed questions about marijuana enforcement, and probed him about specific methods to prosecute businesses in states that have legalized the sale of recreational marijuana. Read Shopping mall seeks to bar marijuana dispensary from opening nearby
10/19/17--Simon Property Group, owner of Philadelphia Mills, is trying to bar PharmaCann LLC from opening a medical marijuana dispensary near the mall. Simon Property Group says a deed restriction bars a drugstore, but PharmaCann attorneys deny that the dispensary would be a drugstore. Simon also argued that the deed forbids illegal activity on the premises, and since federal law doesn’t make an exception for medical use of cannabis, a medical marijuana facility would be prohibited. Read Future of new Maine marijuana laws uncertain after initial votes by lawmakers
10/23/17--A legislative effort to rewrite the Maine recreational marijuana sales law so far lacks enough votes in the House to become law. The Maine House voted 85-53 on Monday evening on comprehensive regulations backed by the Legislature’s marijuana implementation committee. But the bill will likely need at least 101 votes in the House to become law. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for consideration. Read Martha Stewart’s transformation from home guru to Snoop’s weed-joke homie
10/19/17--According an article published in The Cannabist, the transformation of Martha Stewart has culminated in “Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party,” her cooking-show-meets-stoner-buddy-comedy. Her show with Snoop is a very particular cultural exchange between two people of seemingly disparate backgrounds who are genuinely friends. Even though it would seem the ultimate culmination of both personal brands, Snoop and Martha have no plans to launch a merchandising spinoff of their show: a line of gourmet cannabis edibles. Read Wyoming mother gets 4 years probation for feeding pot gummy to child
10/16/17--Vanessa Smith of Wyoming will serve four years of probation for giving a marijuana gummy to her daughter. Smith was sentenced after pleading guilty to delivery of marijuana to a minor and child endangerment with methamphetamine, both felonies. Court documents say police alleged Smith returned from Colorado with marijuana edibles from a dispensary, and Smith’s boyfriend said she had given the girl a marijuana gummy to calm (the child) down. Read Recreational marijuana is saving lives in Colorado, study finds
10/16/17--Marijuana legalization in Colorado led to a “reversal” of opiate overdose deaths in that state with opioid-related deaths decreasing more than 6% in the following 2 years, according to new research published in the American Journal of Public Health. Authors Melvin D. Livingston, Tracey E. Barnett, Chris Delcher, and Alexander C. Wagenaar stress that their results are preliminary, given that their study encompasses only two years of data after the state’s first recreational marijuana shops opened in 2014. Read Arkansas AG again rejects marijuana legalization ballot attempt
10/9/17--Arkansas’ attorney general’s office has rejected language proposed for a 2018 ballot issue, saying the attempt to legalize marijuana is too ambiguous to make sense. The attorney general’s office expressed concerns about a provision that allowed a grower to have 25 mature plants and 25 non-mature plants. Read Meet Canada’s only certified kosher cannabis producer
10/13/17--Hydropothecary Corporation, Quebec’s only licensed cannabis producer and Canada’s first licensed producer to offer kosher-certified cannabis, announced that it had been granted kosher certification by the Ottawa Vaad HaKashrut, a not-for-profit group that confirms products conform with Jewish dietary law. The certification – which covers the company’s Decarb, Elixir and H2 products – requires several steps, including an audit of cleaning protocols, a kosher compliance review and on-site inspections throughout the year. Read Proposed ban on smoking, vaping for Denver’s 16th Street Mall discriminates homeless
10/12/17--The Denver City Council’s safety, housing, education, and homelessness committee approved moving the “Breathe Easy” ordinance along for consideration by the entire council. The measure, introduced by council president Albus Brooks, would ban all forms of traditional tobacco smoking and the use of vaporizers and e-cigarettes on the high-traffic, public mall. The measure has support from medical professionals, downtown property owners, and business groups. Read Florida health clinics not signing up to approve medical cannabis
10/13/17--More than 1,000 doctors are qualified to treat patients with marijuana, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use. However, while the number of Polk County doctors qualified to treat with marijuana is slowly rising, the county’s largest medical centers seem to be opting out. According to Renee Petro, co-founder of CannaMoms, the shortage of doctors eligible to recommend marijuana statewide allows some doctors to charge unreasonable fees to patients. Read Rep. Earl Blumenauer testifies that medical marijuana could solve opioid crisis
10/11/17--In response to Congress failing to recognize that medical marijuana may be a simple and effective solution to the opioid epidemic, Oregon Democrat Rep. Earl Blumenauer made remarks in a testimony before a U.S. House Subcommittee on Health hearing on proposals for ending the crisis. Blumenauer demanding an end to the federal government’s “stranglehold” on medical cannabis research. He called on Congress to pass the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2017, which would enable “robust” research to resolve the lingering questions surrounding the efficacy of medical marijuana. Read Are you consuming pesticides or other contaminants in your cannabis? Colorado recall list
11/22/17--The Denver Post and The Cannabist commissioned independent tests on marijuana concentrates, and the results — which showed high levels of banned pesticides in one popular brand, Mahatma — spurred a Denver Department of Environmental Health investigation that recalled Mahatma products, and now many others. Since each recall of pesticide-tainted cannabis involves long lists of items associated with often-lengthy batch numbers, The Cannabist has compiled all of the available information in one place for readers concerned about the purity of their pot. Read Delaware panel weighs issues of legalizing marijuana, told to “keep it simple, keep it restricted”
10/5/17--As Delaware lawmakers consider legalizing recreational marijuana, John Yeomans, director of the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement, believes they should take a go-slow approach and address a wide range of health and safety concerns, including the need to prevent driving under the influence and distribution of marijuana to minors. While eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational use of marijuana, each has done so through referendum, which Delaware does not allow. That leaves the possibility that Delaware could be the first state to implement legalization through the legislative process. Read 4,000-plus marijuana plants, 4 arrests in raid on elaborate grow in Colorado national forest
10/6/17--Agents and deputies from several federal and county agencies arrested four immigrants who are living in the U.S. illegally, seized 4,213 marijuana plants, and dismantled an elaborate grow operation constructed in thet San Isabel National Forest. According to an account by Fremont County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Megan Richards, the suspects set up an elaborate illegal marijuana grow operation south of Salida that was complete with irrigation piping and pesticides. Read Random drug tests after DUI arrest ruled unconstitutional by Washington Supreme Court
10/5/17--Requiring people who are arrested for driving under the influence to submit to random urinalysis tests as a condition of release is unconstitutional, the Washington Supreme Court ruled. “Urinalysis is at least as invasive as a roadblock or a pat down search,” the Supreme Court said, concluding that court-ordered testing “constitutes an acute privacy invasion by the state.” Read Legalization opponent Kevin Sabet takes on Colorado at anti-marijuana event
10/6/17--During the “Marijuana’s True Impact on Colorado” symposium at Colorado Christian University, Kevin Sabet, head of SAM, a nonprofit group opposed to marijuana legalization, stated in his keynote speech that the legal marijuana industry is a threat akin to that of “Big Tobacco,” and he connected the drug to the ongoing opioid epidemic. Sabet also expressed that there is a pushback against legal marijuana brewing in Colorado and on the national level, and he called for continuous efforts to stem the effects of legalization. Read Strip club nets San Bernardino’s first cannabis dispensary permit
9/7/17--More than nine months after residents voted to allow medical cannabis businesses in town, city officials have approved a dispensary permit for the location now occupied by Flesh Showgirls, owned by Randy Welty, who’s been involved in marijuana dispensaries and legalization initiatives throughout Southern California for years. This permit, however, has since been appealed, according to city spokeswoman Monica Lagos. Read Anti-legalization group urges feds to “systematically shut down” cannabis industry
8/30/17--Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a nonprofit group opposed to marijuana legalization, announced it had sent a report to Jeff Sessions and other lawmakers detailing how the first four states to legalize recreational marijuana have failed to live up to the responsibilities outlined. Based on its report, “The Cole Memo: 4 Years Later,” SAM recommended that Sessions “take measured action to successfully protect public health and safety. Limited federal resources should be used to target the big players in the marijuana industry who are circumventing (Department of Justice) guidance and state regulations.” Read “Made in Alaska” program welcomes marijuana businesses
9/2/17--The state-sponsored “Made in Alaska” program that allows a business to use a featured logo if its products are made in the state is accepting applications from marijuana businesses. Marijuana businesses are still barred from using the official “Alaska Grown” label put on state agricultural products because that program receives federal funding, but the “Made in Alaska” program, whose label features a polar bear and a black bear, does not receive federal funding, which is why it can be opened to marijuana businesses. Read Oregon ER doctor arrested in raid, accused of making cannabis oils illegally
9/1/17--An Oregon county narcotics enforcement unit arrested emergency room doctor, Mark Craig, and five other people while conducting raids on two houses. The doctor is accused of turning marijuana into an oil form, which makes the plant much more potent. Rose faces two counts of manufacturing marijuana items, two counts of delivery of marijuana, and two counts of possession of more than 4 ounces (113 grams) of marijuana. Marijuana is legal in Oregon, but it is not legal to turn the plant into oil without a license. Authorities say the suspects also had more marijuana than state law allows. Read Tiny Colorado town has a weed store for every 170 people
8/31/17--Parachute, a community of only about 1,200 people just off Interstate 70, has approved its seventh recreational marijuana store. This Colorado town, which turned to pot when its natural gas tax revenue took a hit, continues to establish itself as a destination for drivers for that stretch of the I-70 corridor. Read Cannabis farmers accused of offering California sheriff $1M bribe
9/1/17--Two Northern California marijuana farmers and siblings, Chi Meng Yang and Gaosheng Laitinen, have been charged with offering a sheriff $1 million to turn a blind eye to their cannabis-growing operations. The Siskiyou County Sheriff alleges one of the marijuana farmers offered to donate the money to any charity or cause the sheriff desired in exchange for shielding 10 large-scale pot farms from raids. Allegedly, Yang and Laitinen intended to sell their crop in Missouri, where efforts are underway to legalize marijuana in that state. Read Scotts Miracle-Gro sells off international operations to focus on core business and hydroponics
8/31/17--Scotts Miracle-Gro has shed its Australia and European businesses in a deal that frees up the company to direct its attention on lawn-and-garden products and an ambition to become “the world’s most successful hydroponic gardening business.” The international deal comes a year after Scotts shuttled its LawnService business into a joint venture with TruGreen. Read Congressman proposes budget amendment to protect marijuana research from DOJ
9/1/17--Republican congressman Rep. Matt Gaetz, a freshman lawmaker representing the western panhandle of Florida, has proposed an appropriations amendment to provide safe harbor for medical cannabis research in the majority of U.S. states. If included and passed, it would provide protections for researchers of Schedule I substances in states that have legalized some form of medical cannabis. Read Learn from Colorado’s mistakes, says former cannabis czar
8/31/17--If he had to do it all over again, Andrew Freedman, Colorado’s former marijuana czar, would approach cannabis legalization by gathering loads more data, taking a calculated approach to edibles, and including an even greater cohort of public health voices. His hope is that others can learn from Colorado’s successes and its stumbles as it became the first state to regulate and tax the sale of cannabis for adult-use. Read Veterinarians see spike in pets with marijuana poisoning
8/28/17--The veterinary community has long known that cannabis is toxic to pets. Dogs appear to be even more susceptible because they have more cannabinoid receptors. President of the California Veterinary Medical Association and veterinarian Kevin D. Lazarcheff says that vets are seeing an increase in the number and severity of cases coming into the emergency room, but not all of them involve pets that got into their owner’s stash. However, with all the risks associated with pets and cannabis, vets say its better to play it safe and keep it far away from your pets. Read Recall bid over mayor’s shelved plan for pot sales roils Colorado town
8/28/17--A year-and-a-half ago, Mayor Pro-Tem Herman Schranz of Mead says that he proposed the idea of bringing marijuana shops to town as a way of raising much needed revenue for infrastructure. A group in Mead is now filing petitions seeking to recall Schranz and fellow Trustee Colleen Whitlow because of what they view as the two trying to bring legal marijuana to the town against the wishes of residents and without public input. Schranz said that the issue was brought up for discussion but never advanced to the point that it required a public hearing. Read Voters in Fairbanks, Alaska asked to decide if weed sales will continue
8/28/17--Cannabis opponents and advocates in the city of Fairbanks and the Fairbanks North Star Borough are working to push voter turnout, as voters soon will decide the legality of marijuana sales in the area. Fairbanks has become one of Alaska’s more cannabis-friendly communities, with more than a dozen active growers in the area and more on the way. Read Is is safer to drive high than drunk?
8/25/17--A recent Colorado Department of Transportation survey found that 72 percent of Colorado cannabis consumers thought it was safer to drive under the influence of marijuana than under the influence of alcohol. This survey also found that more than half of the 92 cannabis-using respondents drove within two hours of consuming marijuana. An equal percentage believed they could safely drive under the influence of marijuana. Read Colorado gov responds to Sessions marijuana letter questioning state’s regulatory regime
8/24/17--In a five-page missive obtained by The Cannabist, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Attorney General Cynthia Coffman responded to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ July 24 letter that raised “serious questions” about the state’s ability to regulate legal marijuana and prevent illegal activities. Coffman and Hickenlooper express in their letter that Colorado’s marijuana regulatory system is a model for other states, and the fledgling program could become even more robust with the federal government’s support. Read Legal marijuana sales in Uruguay face challenges from banks
8/21/17--The legal sale of marijuana in Uruguayan pharmacies is facing challenges as banks refuse to deal with companies linked to the drug in order to follow international financial laws. A government official said that Uruguayan banks risk running afoul of laws that ban receiving money tied to the drug. Running a business without being able to bank is tough in Uruguay. Among other things, the law prohibits cash or check payments for employees and requires that salaries be paid by direct deposit. Read Michigan cannabis legalization advocates have raised half a million dollars to get on 2018 ballot
8/21/17--A proposal that appears likely to go before voters next year would make Michigan the ninth state to legalize the drug for recreational use. Adults 21 and older could possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and grow up to 12 plants at home. A 10 percent tax on marijuana would be assessed, in addition to the 6 percent sales tax. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol says it has collected 200,000 signatures in three months. It needs about 252,000 valid signatures in a six-month window. Read Los Angeles’ new cannabis czar for ‘new era’ is longtime legalization activist
8/18/17--Cat Packer, an active and prominent supporter of the campaign to legalize recreational-use cannabis in California, will serve as executive director for the city’s newly created Department of Cannabis Regulation. The city is weighing proposed regulations to allow dispensaries, cultivators, manufacturers, and other types of cannabis-related businesses to operate. As California prepares to move forward in January with legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, Packer will be the person steering the Los Angeles rollout of regulation for the burgeoning industry. Read Alaska and Washington govs push back on Sessions’ marijuana enforcement letters
8/16/17--The governors of Alaska and Washington are questioning the data cited by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in recent letters he sent to their states regarding the efficacy of their respective marijuana regulatory regimes. Sessions referred to regional and state data depicting serious public health and safety issues arising from marijuana legalization. Both states note that the data Sessions utilized when discussing their state’s respective regulatory regimes is out of date and incomplete. Read Murder suspect: I was too high to understand Miranda rights
8/16/17--Lee Rios, a Massachusetts murder suspect charged with murder, wants statements he made to police dismissed as evidence has told a judge that he was too high on drugs to understand his Miranda rights. The Republican reports that Rios told a judge at a hearing on his motion to suppress evidence that he had been smoking marijuana sprinkled with PCP and was also been drinking. He said the combination makes him paranoid and unable to think straight. Read Inside a wild week in weed for Colorado Springs
7/27/17--Colorado Springs, Colorado’s second-largest city, is in the national spotlight this week following a closed-door meeting between city leaders and federal officials about marijuana, a drug bust at a head shop business, a district attorney’s statements connecting marijuana and murder, and the emergence of an organization touting the revenue potential of recreational pot. Read Federal lawsuit against Sessions and DEA says marijuana’s Schedule I status unconstitutional
7/25/17--A diverse cadre of cannabis advocates filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging the constitutionality of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) as it pertains to marijuana. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Drug Enforcement Agency acting administrator Charles Rosenberg were named as defendants in the lawsuit brought by a former NFL player, two children using medical marijuana, an Iraq War vet with post-traumatic stress disorder, and a social justice nonprofit organization. Read Inside story on Uruguay, where the government is your weed dealer
7/10/17--Uruguay is the world’s first country to fully legalize the production, sale, and consumption of marijuana. However, under its strict rules, there will be no Amsterdam-style smoking cafes, and foreigners won’t have access to the national stash. Nor will there be shops selling ganja candies, psychedelic pastries, or other edible derivatives. Instead, Uruguay’s government has developed a legalization model whose apparent goal is to make marijuana use as boring as possible. Read Amid heavy demand at Nevada marijuana shops, gov gives go-ahead for emergency rule on distribution
7/10/17--Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has authorized state regulators to consider an emergency regulation that would allow officials to determine whether the state has enough marijuana distributors to keep its retail shops supplied. Sandoval’s approval came after dispensaries across the state reported higher than expected demand for marijuana since recreational sales of the drug became legal in Nevada. Read