A NSW Greens MP has told a budget estimates hearing he broke the law by eating cannabis this morning, to prove a political point about hemp-based foods.

Jeremy Buckingham made the confession before asking Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair why it was illegal to consume hemp seed in New South Wales, stifling a potentially lucrative industry.

The ABC understands Mr Buckingham had eaten some certified organic hemp seeds before attending the hearing.

According to Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, hemp is a source of protein, vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids.

Low-THC hemp can be grown in NSW under licence, but it is used for its fibres and oil, not for food.

A marijuana-impaired teenager driving an uninsured vehicle was placed on a year's probation and fined $500 in Sarnia court.

The 18-year-old pleaded guilty Thursday to the charges. They include driving while impaired, possession of marijuana, and driving an uninsured vehicle.

On May 9 police spotted the teen's vehicle nearly striking a parked car as it left a convenience store in Brooke-Alvinston. The vehicle swerved along the road until stopped by police.

The vehicle smelled of marijuana, police said. Three freshly-rolled marijuana cigarettes, including a partially-smoked one, were found inside. The marijuana weighed 3.6 grams.

An assessment by a drug recognition officer determined the teen's ability to drive was impaired by marijuana.

Arizona's medical-marijuana patients now can patronize newly opened dispensaries in Reno and Las Vegas and possess up to 2.5 ounces anywhere in Nevada.

Arizona, like some of the other 23 states with medical-marijuana laws, allows people with valid medical cards from other states to legally possess marijuana in Arizona, but they can't legally buy it at Arizona dispensaries.

Nevada apparently is the only state that allows its dispensaries to sell to patients from other states. And now its dispensaries have begun to open, greatly expanding where Arizona's 80,000 patients can legally buy cannabis.

Justin Trudeau says if elected, his Liberal government would start taking action to legalize marijuana "right away."

Trudeau reiterated the promise on Wednesday evening at a rally in Quebec City.

He says he wouldn't be comfortable seeing pot sold anywhere and would focus on strictly regulating its sale, similar to what has happened in "Colorado or elsewhere."

Trudeau says legalization would actually make it easier to keep pot out of the hands of children as well as bring in extra tax dollars.

"What is very clear right now is that Mr. Harper’s current approach is making marijuana too easy to access for our kids, and at the same time funding street crime, organized gangs and gun runners," Trudeau said.

While Arkansas voters are not for completely legalizing marijuana, they are overwhelmingly supportive of a restrictive usage of marijuana for medical purposes, according to a new Talk Business & Politics/Hendrix College/Impact Management Group survey.

In the latest poll of 400 registered voters conducted on Aug. 20-23, 2015, 84% said they agreed with legalizing marijuana for medical purposes.

Q: Do you agree or disagree that adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if a physician prescribes it?

56% Strongly Agree (84% Agree)
28% Somewhat Agree
3% Somewhat Disagree (14% Disagree)
11% Strongly Disagree
2% Don’t Know

Harpoon2015, an eclectic bunch of comedy lovers from Canada, talk to us about why legalization wont turn marijuana use into a normal everyday activity because "chugging a bottle of vodka and smoking 10 cigarettes at once" aren't an everyday normal activity and neither should it be assumed for marijuana. 

You can see more about what Harpoon2015 thinks about marijuana legalization on their site.

MP Walid Jumblatt tweeted last year, “It is time to legalize growing cannabis in Lebanon.” His tweet did not pass unnoticed, especially with all the controversy it raised, while it received broad acclaim from hundreds of cannabis backers in Baalbek, in particular those wanted by the judiciary. They support his stance from a strictly economic point of view, as most of them only plant cannabis — used to make marijuana and hashish — without using it. Instead, they promote it or use it for trade.

While a majority of U.S. states have laws on the books legalizing at least some form of medical marijuana, equal access to quality programs remains elusive.

California, for example, has one of the most established medical cannabis markets, reaching over 38 million people—or about 15 users for every 1,000 Californians. But the Golden State is a far cry from, say, Texas, whose lame-duck legal framework renders the program comparatively ineffective.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she is open to legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is set to become the first ever sitting senator to give a keynote speech for a cannabis industry conference later in September, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.

The conference, put on by the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), is scheduled for Sept. 21 in New York City and will attract hundreds of cannabis professionals from all over the United States. Discussions and workshops will address issues like marijuana policy reform, patient care and navigating business practices in a legal environment where the drug is still classified under Schedule I, making it illegal as far as the federal government is concerned.