In normal circumstances, this would be handled at the state level.

But since the Florida Legislature is ruled by self-serving, ideological blowhards, it is being left up to individual municipalities to have grown-up discussions about marijuana.

And in recent months, two of the state's largest metropolitan areas have decided to all but decriminalize minor marijuana possession offenses.

The Miami-Dade County Commission was the first to approve a measure that gives police the option to issue $100 civil citations — sort of like a traffic ticket — instead of charging someone with a criminal misdemeanor for possessing up to 20 grams of pot.

An organization that ran anti-cigarette smoking ads during the Video Music Awards has complained to MTV's parent company about the program's multiple references to marijuana and said it sent the wrong message to young viewers.

Show host Miley Cyrus was responsible for most of them. She even came backstage with a lit joint after the show and passed it around to photographers.

Shawn, a chef (and expert punster), wonders whether Alaska cannabis regulators have considered his industry as they're setting the initial boundaries of the legal market.

“I would like to know how they plan to address edibles and establishments that sell them. Are they going to allow a restaurant or dinner club that is an adult atmosphere like a bar, 21 and over, to serve cannabis-infused foods? I'm a chef and I think that we should have opportunity to stake our claim in this 'budding' marijuana industry.”

STEVENS POINT — When Ben Kollock first felt a swollen lymph node in his neck in the winter of 2014, he thought he had a routine cold that would pass after a few days of suffering through a runny nose and stuffy head.

But after a visit to the doctor to check it out, Kollock in February learned it was a symptom of something much worse: the then-26-year-old had leukemia, a cancer that attacks the body’s bone marrow and lymphatic system. Doctors detected the disease early, before it had a chance to spread across his body.

Not only did the early detection likely save his life, but it also set him on a course of local activism that resulted in a change of city policy regarding marijuana possession.

Two separate advocacy groups pushing for the legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts have begun collecting voter signatures aimed at a statewide ballot measure next year, reported The Republican, a news outlet based in Springfield, Massachusetts, Thursday. The groups have significant differences in thought regarding the regulation and taxation of legal weed, and both aim to have their proposals featured on the November 2016 ballot.

LIKE JOKES? I got one for you:

Q: What's green and white all over?

A: The cannabis industry in Oregon.

As we begin to see the rollout of canna businesses around the state, it's important we recognize that we here in Oregon are not a terribly diverse pool of ganjapreneurs. Part of that is due to the state's racial makeup; according to the US Census, as of 2013, Oregon had a population of 3,928,068, and of that, 88.1 percent is white. We are a state with a complicated and cringe-inducing history when it comes to how we have treated—and in many cases still treat—people of color.

Many of us who try to stay current with legalization efforts around the country were amazed this past week when ResponsibleOhio, the group that recently qualified a full legalization initiative for the November 2015 Ohio ballot, managed to offend almost everyone, regardless of their views on marijuana legalization, with their ham-fisted attempt to be cute.

No matter who ends up at the podium giving speeches in preparation for the United States'2016 presidential election, one topic that cannot be ignored, especially during this electoral debate, is cannabis.

Why do we use the term “marijuana” sparingly? The answer lies in the roots of the phrase, and our dedication to changing the perception of cannabis to one of wellness and healing

We prefer to use the word cannabis, because it is a respectful, scientific term that encompasses all the many different uses of the plant.

The word "marijuana" or “marihuana” is an emotional, pejorative term that has played a key role in creating the negative stigma that still tragically clings to this holistic, herbal medicine. Most cannabis users recognize the "M word" as offensive, once they learn its history.

HADLEY, Mass. (WWLP) – 22News has uncovered that a new non-profit organization is interested in opening a medical marijuana dispensary in Hadley.

Hampden Care Facility is a non-profit based in Chicopee. They’ve submitted an application to the Department of Public Health to operate a medical marijuana dispensary somewhere in Hadley.

Hampden Care Facility says they would offer marijuana in multiple forms. HCF also says they would give opportunity for public comment and work cooperatively with their neighbors.

“I don’t have any objections to it,” said Pat Coombs. “As long as it isn’t in a residential area. I think it does a lot of good for a lot of people who have problems.”