federal

A Montreal think tank is suggesting the SAQ be put in charge of selling marijuana once it is legalized by the federal government. The Institute for socioeconomic data and research (IRIS) believes the SAQ is best placed to import, distribute and manage marijuana -- and to make a profit. The...

Frankfort, Ky. — A Kentucky Senate bill slated for introduction in 2017 would legalize medical marijuana for qualifying patients in the state, effectively nullifying the unconstitutional federal prohibition on the same. Pre-filed by Sen. Perry B. Clark (D-Louisville), BR409 would "protect...

Last spring, medical marijuana advocates celebrated a hard-fought victory as Pennsylvania legalized the medicine they hope will help them or their sick loved ones. Now - as new leaders prepare take power in Washington - they're watching nervously and hoping the rug isn't pulled out from under...

Jefferson City, Mo. — A Missouri bill prefiled for the 2017 legislative session would authorize the commercial farming, production and sale of industrial hemp in the state, effectively nullifying federal prohibition of the same. Sen. Rob Schaaf (R-St. Joseph) filed Senate Bill 120 (SB120) on...

San Francisco - Free after eight years of federal imprisonment, one of the nation's most celebrated cannabis convicts came home to California on Wednesday, walking off a United Airlines flight into the warm embrace of supporters - and a profoundly changed world. Charles "Eddy" Lepp, a defiant...

North Dakota & Minnesota - There are more questions after Minnesota's Commissioner of Health Dr. Ed Ehlinger announced on December 1st that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is now a new qualifying condition for the state's medical cannabis program. Some of those questions are coming from...

The Elko Daily Free Press is counting down the days until marijuana is legal in Nevada by answering questions concerning the law. Q: Can legal dealers of marijuana use banks for their transactions? A: Most banks won't take cannabis cash, according to Business Insider, because marijuana is...

State Treasurer John Chiang has formed a working group focused on finding ways to provide banking services for the cannabis industry, which is now forced by federal law to operate largely in cash. California has about a year to come up with a plan. That's when the state's first recreational...

Although Nevada has passed marijuana legalization, there is still a huge issue: it's still illegal under federal law, making any grower of the supply a possible felon who could spend most of their life in prison. Yet, some people are ignoring the law and taking a chance that the DEA or...

As of last week, voters in California and seven other states have passed ballot initiatives to allow for-profit companies to produce, distribute and sell non-medical marijuana. With more than 65 million people living in states that have passed marijuana legalization, and a Gallup poll showing...

Ever since the nomination of hardcore pot prohibitionist Senator Jeff Sessions for the position of United States Attorney General, numerous members of the cannabis community have expressed increasing concern that the incoming Donald Trump administration might crack down on state-legal marijuana...

When Americans buy guns, they're asked whether they use marijuana. If they say yes, they can't buy the gun. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski wants to change that, and some Alaskan gun sellers, marijuana industry advocates and local officials applaud the move. Juneau Assembly member Jesse Kiehl owns...

Since voters there legalized recreational marijuana in 2014, officials in Alaska have been hashing out logistical issues, including how to transport marijuana to communities across the state without violating federal law, since there are few roads and it's against federal law to move marijuana...

Denver - Weed is winning in the polls, with a solid majority of Americans saying marijuana should be legal. But does that mean the federal government will let dozens of state pot experiments play out? Not by a long shot. The government still has many means to slow or stop the marijuana train...

With the reality of Donald Trump as president, we can probably all agree that there are much more important things at stake than marijuana. Still, Trump's decision to appoint U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions as Attorney General has some in the industry freaking out at the possibility of a federal...

What does the nomination of US Sen. Jeff Sessions, now likely to be the next US attorney general pending Senate approval, mean for the fast-growing cannabis industry? Although his past comments about marijuana are, to be kind, "odd," and give great reason to question his suitability as...

On Dec. 15, 2016, marijuana will be legal in Massachusetts. If you're over the age of 21, there will be no criminal penalties for possessing up to one ounce of marijuana outside your residence. People can possess up to 10 ounces inside residences, and the growing of up to six marijuana plants...

Big Marijuana might have a big problem. It's called Sen. Jeff Sessions, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to head the Department of Justice as the next attorney general. It is probably unwise to invest in marijuana production and trade before the Washington transition concludes. Consider the...

The news that Senator Jeff Sessions will be the new Attorney General made pot proponents very unhappy. Is it time to panic? Here's an opinion from attorney Tom Downey, former head of the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses, who's watching developments in D.C. closely: What will happen to...

While more than a half the U.S. population now lives in states that have legalized marijuana for either medical or recreational use, the drug remains banned at the federal level. "Responsible cannabis businesses are contributing to the economy and to their communities, and they're here to...