Stephen Colbert is filming The Late Show in Cleveland this week for the Republican National Convention, and he just gave Donald Trump a good reason to put him on his long list of banned journalists. Colbert, in costume as Caesar Flickerman from The Hunger Games, appears to have sneaked onto the stage without permission to mock the Republican convention and Trump himself. "Look, I'm not supposed to be here," Colbert said, as a security guard pushed him off the stage, "but let's be honest, neither is Donald Trump."

Considering that infused goodies can look identical to normal, kid-friendly snacks, it's important to explain to the little ones why they can't go around snacking on random goodies they find in the house. 

Dr. Alexander Garrard, managing director of the Washington Poison Center (WAPC), tells Western Washington news station K5 the center has received in excess of 150 calls about kids accidentally ingesting cannabis products this year.

I’m in Canada, and I’m having a conversation about weed. So far, everything’s tracking. But this isn’t just a casual convo — HelloMD is a startup focused on health, community and access to information, and they’re based in the U.S. (with people in SF and Colorado). And while the core business began as a way to use telemedicine to connect doctors with patients for medicinal marijuana prescriptions, HelloMD founder Pamela Hadfield tells me it’s since become something more.

A bill signed into law this week by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon will fundamentally change how the state handles convicted criminals seeking to expunge their records and move on with their lives. And that's great news for those carrying burdensome convictions for non-violent drug offenses. 

Last week, I wrote about how the new medical marijuana system created under the Cannabis Patient Protection Act (SB 5052) shut out many of Washington State's medical marijuana dispensaries. The law required that dispensaries obtain a recreational license to continue operation, but a loophole in the application process created a black market for dispensary employee pay stubs, allowing new actors to game the system. I also mentioned that the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) blindsided applicants by announcing a cap of 222 new licenses late in the application process.

As marijuana legalization looms on California’s horizon, employers are conflicted about their policies of drug testing.

If voters agree to legalize pot on November 8, business leaders and employment experts say employers can find themselves in trouble for asking an underling to pee into a cup. That common pre-work screening could violate an employee’s privacy regarding a medical condition. And, for potential employees, deciding whether to comply with drug testing often means a choice between refusing and not getting the job, or agreeing and being outed as a pot user.

Maryland legalized medical marijuana all the way back in April of 2014, albeit with a glaring issue in the legislation.

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry has joined forces with leaders from across the state to stop a group that is trying to get a recreational marijuana initiative on the ballot this fall.

In a complaint filed in the Superior Court of Arizona, the plaintiffs allege that the circulars used to convince Arizona voters to sign a petition to get the measure on the ballot were fraudulent and misleading. A preliminary hearing is expected tomorrow.

But J.P. Holyoak, chairman for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said his opponents are willing to do and say anything to maintain the failed policy of marijuana prohibition.

Medical marijuana dispensaries can now legally open in Hawaii, but not one is ready to do so.

The state Department of Health said none of the state's eight dispensaries was approved to open by July 15, the first day they were allowed by law.

One big hurdle is the state hasn't certified a lab to test the dispensaries' products.

"On the dispensary front, they're all doing their best to open their doors with as diverse a product line to serve all of the many needs of the patients and all the qualifying conditions that are out there," said Chris Garth, executive director of the Hawaii Dispensary Alliance. "Until those products can be tested in a clinical capacity, no dispensary will be able to open their doors, no matter how perfect their product is."

Starting Oct. 1, new products headed to marijuana dispensary shelves will have to undergo a battery of tests that assess potency and look for biological contaminants such as E. coli, residual solvents from the extraction process used to make oil, and dozens of pesticides.

The policy shift transforms Oregon's marijuana labs from an unregulated cottage industry into a central part of the state's regulated market. Yet while hundreds of prospective marijuana producers have flooded the Oregon Liquor Control Commission with applications for licenses, only eight testing labs have applied so far. None has received a license yet.