California opened the world’s biggest legal pot market, and Vermont’s state legislature became the first to legalize marijuana. By German Lopez@germanrlopezgerman.lopez@vox.com January 2018 was the most important month yet for marijuana legalization. Things looked rocky a few days into the month, when President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, rescinded an Obama-era memo that protected states that had legalized marijuana from federal interference. Because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, the federal government can still crack down on ..read more

this is 2018 and MARIJUANA remains illegal in the United States. But continued federal prohibition hasn’t stopped the marijuana industry from growing like a very profitable weed. Despite what could be considered an unfriendly administration in Washington D.C., nine states and the District of Columbia now allow for recreational marijuana use and 30 allow for medical use. And more states are lining up to join the legalization wave. Pot has become big business in the U.S. The emerging industry took in nearly $9 billion in sales in 2017, according to Tom Adams, managing director of BDS Analytics ..read more

Less than two weeks after sales of recreational marijuana kicked off in Nevada, stores are running out of pot to sell, according to the state’s Department of Taxation. On Friday, Gov. Brian Sandoval endorsed the department’s call for a “statement of emergency,” which would allow for more licensed distributors, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported. Nearly 50 dispensaries in the state have licenses to sell marijuana for recreational use. Those sales got underway on July 1. But those same retailers do not legally have the authority to restock their inventories. Alcohol wholesalers have the exclusiv ..read more

A locally-grown supply won’t be ready in time. Last month, VICE reported Victoria had harvested Australia’s first ever state-grown medicinal cannabis crop, which would be distributed to young epilepsy patients sometime this year. Today, the Victorian Government announced that while this local cannabis is being tested and prepared, it will distribute cannabidiol medication fast tracked from Canada to 29 critically ill children as a stopgap measure. Through the import scheme, the Andrews Government hopes to keep its promise of delivering medicinal cannabis to the young patients in a timely fashi ..read more

Cannabis versus Cancer.As the legalization of medical marijuana becomes more common worldwide, medical cannabis is being prescribed by doctors and caretakers to help treat cancer-related side effects—either from the cancer itself or from treatments like chemotherapy. Countless scientific studies have shown that medical cannabis offers palliative care benefits, including appetite stimulation, pain relief and more. But early research indicates that cannabinoids can do so much more. Data is showing that medical marijuana has antitumor effects and may one day be used as a cancer treatment, not jus ..read more

Even three queasy pregnancies didn’t prepare Kate Murphy for the nonstop nausea that often comes with chemotherapy. In the early months of 2016, the Lexington, Mass., mother tried everything the doctors and nurses suggested. “But for the most part I felt nauseous 24/7,” she said. Murphy, then 49 and fighting breast cancer, dropped 15 pounds from her already slim frame in just two months. Then, she remembered what a fellow cancer patient had advised while she was waiting for her first dose of chemo: “Make sure you get some medical marijuana.” Scientific research, mostly in animals, supports the ..read more

marijuana and substance abuse.Contrary to research that suggests marijuana may act as a gateway drug, encouraging the use of other harmful substances, a new study indicates it may have the opposite effect. [Medical marijuana spilling out of a bottle] The new review suggests marijuana may help treat substance use disorders and some mental health conditions. In the journal Clinical Psychology Review, researchers suggest marijuana use has the potential to help treat some individuals with substance use disorders, such as opioid addiction. What is more, the review – led by Zach Walsh, an associa ..read more

What are the medical benefits of marijuana?.Over the years, research has yielded results to suggest that marijuana may be of benefit in the treatment of some conditions. These are listed below. Chronic pain Last year, a large review from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine assessed more than 10,000 scientific studies on the medical benefits and adverse effects of marijuana. One area that the report looked closely at was the use of medical marijuana to treat chronic pain. Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability, affecting more than 25 million adults in the U.S ..read more

     Cannabis Makes Its Way Into the G-20 Summit Cannabis Makes Its Way Into the G-20 Summit,The G-20 summit is currently taking place in Hamburg, Germany and marijuana has made its presence known. Although some of the expected discussion topics include climate change, security and trade, we think medical marijuana will be a topic that takes center stage. 20% of the countries at the G-20 summit have legalized medical marijuana and it will be a topic that is nearly impossible to ignore. Every country is looking for ways to lower its debt level and marijuana is the answer. Marijuana will not onl ..read more

The legal marijuana industry brought in upwards of $4 billion in sales in 2016, according to a new report from the Marijuana Business Daily. And small-town America is riding the high. In the eight US states where recreational marijuana is legal, the marijuana “green rush” has breathed new life into the rural communities that welcome it. Cultivation facilities, dispensaries, and infused products companies create jobs and tax revenue for the cities and states, which then supports public infrastructure and community efforts. Here are five towns that came back from the brink thanks to legal weed ..read more