A shortage of doctors willing to sign medical marijuana cards has put the program in trouble in Illinois, barely before it gets off the ground.

Only 3,600 patients statewide have obtained them, according to David Friedman, who heads a firm that invests in and reports on the medical cannabis industry. Friedman had predicted that Illinois would have 30,000 patients with medical marijuana cards by now, and that 70,000 would have them by the end of 2017.

"By any stretch of the imagination we are well under those estimates," said Friedman, who heads up MJIC Inc. in Chicago. "Even with 30,000 or 70,000 patients, we're going to struggle to break even" before the pilot program ends.

It might appear odd that California’s very first marijuana company incubator just launched, however better late than never ever.

Based in Oakland and started by two technology veterans, Entrance Inc. seeks to nurture both supplementary companies and business that manage the plant, such as growers, dispensaries, and extractors.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is announcing a new national policy banning the mailing of publications that contain advertisements for marijuana.

“It is unlawful to enter as mail…advertisements that seek or offer to buy or sell Schedule I controlled substances, including marijuana,” the policy reads. If USPS personnel identify mail containing such content, they must “send a report to the local inspection service serving their facility, and the matter would then be turned over to the responsible law enforcement agencies for investigation if appropriate.”

CHEYENNE - Members of a state panel said Wyoming is not prepared to regulate or handle the potential consequences of legalizing marijuana.

The Governor's Marijuana Impact Council met Friday as the group prepares to submit a report by early next year on how legalizing marijuana would affect the state.

Gov. Matt Mead, who opposes medical and recreational marijuana, formed the group this fall and directed its members to study the health, economic and social impacts of legalizing the drug.

His move comes as the Wyoming chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is trying to collect enough signatures to allow voters to decide next year if medical marijuana should be allowed.

As more and more states across the U.S. move toward the full legalization of cannabis — and even as the federal government loosens its grip on the illegality of the drug — a growing number of employers are enacting stricter substance abuse policies.

According to The Denver Post, the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) recently performed a first-of-its-kind survey about drug policies in states where cannabis is legal. The survey interviewed 623 HR representatives about their companies’ drug policies.

The Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office today certified 70,739 signatures submitted by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, clearing the way for the petition to move forward toward the 2016 state ballot.

“Today’s announcement confirms that the people of Massachusetts want to vote on an initiative to regulate marijuana and end the practice of punishing adults for using a substance less harmful than alcohol,” said Campaign Manager Will Luzier. “We are excited to have reached this milestone and look forward to the legislative debate over the benefits of ending prohibition and regulating and taxing marijuana.”

A search of a home on Oleander Street on Wednesday resulted in about 54 marijuana plants being seized. A day later, information from that search led to two other searches in Fremont County that turned up hundreds more plants.

Scales, packaging material and about 375 grams of bulk marijuana was also found at 372 Oleander St. by officers with the Casper Police Department and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Central Enforcement Team, according to a news release from the WDCI.

Neil Arcuri, 35, was arrested and charged with felony possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and cultivation of marijuana, according to the release.

Earlier today, Congress passed a $1.1 trillion dollar spending bill, and in the process it approved a provision promising to keep federal law enforcement’s hands off of state-legal medical marijuana operations.

How big of a deal is this? Media interpretations are mixed.

In the L.A. Times, reporter Evan Halper says the provision “effectively ends the federal government’s prohibition on medical marijuana and signals a major shift in drug policy.” Halper quotes Bill Piper, a lobbyist with the Drug Policy Alliance, who boldly declares, “The war on medical marijuana is over.”

Closing time can be 10 p.m. instead of 7 p.m.

The five licensed marijuana sales shops in unincorporated Boulder County can stay open longer at night, starting on New Year's Day.

Boulder County commissioners on Thursday formally adopted a resolution making multiple changes to the county's marijuana licensing regulations, including one that will allow medical and retail marijuana stores to operate from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily.

Under the county's current rules, licensed pot shops must close their doors to customers at 7 p.m.

A proposal to make marijuana legal and tax it like liquor has cleared another hurdle on its way to the 2016 ballot.

Secretary of State William F. Galvin said the proposed law had exceeded a minimum petition signature requirement of 64,750, along with five other proposals.

Other measures include proposals to do away with the Common Core education standards in Massachusetts, open more charter schools, and ban the sale of eggs that aren’t “cage-free.”

Galvin sent the initiative petitions to the Legislature. It has until May to act on them. If the proposals are not adopted, petitioners only need to gather an additional 10,792 signatures to place their question on the ballot.