state

Former California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer is going from enforcing laws against marijuana to legally distributing the drug under the state's new rules that allow the sale and possession of pot for recreational use. With state-licensed sales of marijuana starting Jan. 1, Lockyer has co-founded...

The West Coast is looking mighty green these days. As of Jan. 1, 2018, when California joins the growing list of states with legalized recreational cannabis markets, adults 21 years and older will be able to legally purchase, possess and consume marijuana from the Arctic Circle all the way down...

More than 100 applications for medical marijuana processing licenses were turned in to the Ohio Department of Commerce by the Dec. 15 deadline. The department will authorize up to 40 licenses, and some will likely be in northwest Ohio. While the list of 104 applicants released by the state...

In 2016, the Ohio legislature passed House Bill 523, legalizing medical cannabis. As of this writing, 29 states and the District of Columbia now have legalized cannabis– in one form or another. Here in Ohio, lingering questions remain, and it's up to a handful of state government agencies to...

I'm intrigued by the possibility that by the next time south suburban voters head to polls to choose a president in 2020, recreational use of marijuana could be legal in Illinois. State lawmakers are deliberately studying the issue and weighing many pros and cons. Discussion points include...

Got a lawyer in your back pocket? Got your millionaire lined up yet? After nine years of the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act, the state has finally rolled out a distribution system for the substance. And while it's about damn time, it's not a terrain you want to wander into without a lawyer...

We often work with cannabis businesses that want to license their brands to third parties. Licensing is a great way to expand the reach of a brand and make some revenue without the capital expense of funding and owning a new location outright. For states that restrict ownership of marijuana...

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, is cosponsoring a bill to decriminalize marijuana across the nation and penalize states with high arrest and incarceration rates for pot-related crimes. The Marijuana Justice Act of 2017, first introduced in August by Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, would remove...

The only medical marijuana safety compliance facility in Southwest Michigan will be allowed to stay open while it seeks a state license. Kalamazoo's City Commission has yet to consider an ordinance allowing five types medical marijuana facilities legalized by the state. Monday, it passed an...

California's new rules allowing marijuana cultivation favor large corporate farms despite a promise in Proposition 64 that small growers would be protected, according to a group of state lawmakers and marijuana industry leaders who called Monday for the policy to be changed. The California...

Some lawmakers are backing a bill to legalize cannabis oil for medicinal purposes in the state of Tennessee. A medical marijuana task force was formed earlier this year to study the topic of medical marijuana and then make a recommendation to be presented to the general assembly. The co-chair...

California has a possible solution to the problem of banks being unwilling to handle money from the state's multibillion-dollar legal marijuana industry, one that officials say would be the first system of its kind in the nation. Talks are underway between the state, banks and federal...

State regulators issued temporary licenses to 20 marijuana businesses, which will be able to operate legally beginning Jan. 1. At the top of the list is Jordan Lams, CEO of Moxie, which will refine marijuana plants into high grade cannabis extract in Lynwood. "We focus on trying to bring...

Some surprising new numbers are out about the Silver State's marijuana industry. The Nevada Dispensary Association surveyed it's members and now we're getting a better picture of how big the industry is beyond just looking at sales and tax revenues. State lawmakers from across the U.S. are in...

On a frigid, snowy December morning nearly 10 years after medical marijuana became legal in Michigan, the fully regulated business officially started. The day started with a whimper, rather than the bang state regulators had prepared for. Two hours after the doors opened at the Department of...

Cook County voters will get their say on whether recreational marijuana use should be made legal for adults in Illinois, after commissioners on Wednesday voted to put that question on the March primary ballot. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the advisory referendum. Board President...

Vermont appears poised to become the next state to legalize marijuana. And, according to top elected officials, it is likely to do so within a matter of weeks. Last week, House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, a Democrat, said she expects "it likely will pass in early January." Days earlier, Gov...

The doors at the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs will open at 8 a.m. Friday to begin accepting applications and fees from people who want to get a license for the lucrative medical marijuana business. The Department also will accept license applications online, beginning...

Liberal voters and cannabis advocates can be loud and proud in Hawaii. Even conservatives in the Aloha State don't match the profile of mainland conservatives. Many are pro-gay rights, believe in climate change and even support cannabis legalization. Perhaps that's in-part what made the...

The Bay State might soon become the Baked State. Just months after Massachusetts voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, a state agency approved a policy Monday that would allow "marijuana clubs" to operate in the state, according to WBUR, Boston's NPR affiliate. Retail...