A study in the August edition of The Journal of School Health finds that the generations old theory of a “gateway drug” effect is in fact accurate for some drug users, but shifts the blame for those addicts’ escalating substance abuse away from marijuana and onto the most pervasive and socially accepted drug in American life: alcohol.

While some of us get ready for tonight’s dab bus by Franco’s Finest, here are thoughts from this week’s Cannabis Creative Conference:

It’s easy to stereotype the appearance of a typical canna business owner. Long,unkempt hair, tie-dyed clothes, half-open eyelids and/or mismatched socks are are just a few of the looks that come to mind. Add the faint smell of marijuana smoke and some Bob Marley tunes, along with plenty of goofy smiles, and you have the stoner look far too many of us assume is the norm.

Maria Green was legally growing cannabis for her multiple sclerosis and her husband's epilepsy. So why did Child Protective Services take their baby away?

Steve Green has epilepsy. His wife, Maria, has multiple sclerosis. Since 2011, they’ve been growing cannabis for medical use. 

Everything they do is perfectly legal under state law in Michigan, where the couple resides. Maria is a registered caregiver—meaning that she’s allowed to grow 12 plants per patient—and both are qualifying patients. 

Two Medical Marijuana Licenses Granted In Hudson Valley  August 2, 2015    Health    No comments    

New York State has announced the five companies who will be licenses to grow and manufacture medical marijuana, and none are in Western New York.

The state health department in April posted an online application for medical marijuana growing licenses, and forty-three companies applied.

New York’s medical marijuana law is stricter than those in surrounding states.

While local city and county officials continue to debate the particulars of Oregon’s new liberal marijuana laws, methamphetamine, heroin and prescription pain pills continue to ravage our communities.

The Douglas County commissioners and the Roseburg city councilors recently spent considerable time discussing whether to go along with the state’s new marijuana laws — which may soon allow medical and recreational marijuana to be sold from the same locations — or to ban most everything having to do with marijuana within their respective jurisdictions.

It sounds more and more as if our local elected officials will allow Douglas County voters to once again weigh in on an issue that has already been decided by a majority of Oregon voters.

The building in Hunts Point in the South Bronx is set to be the site of one of New York City’s first medical marijuana dispensaries. By JOSHUA JAMERSON August 1, 2015

The Hunts Point neighborhood in the South Bronx has struggled to clean up its act for years. Prostitution is still a problem, but it is far less prevalent, residents say, than it once was.

A couple of years ago, community leaders and residents helped derail the opening of a strip club. The neighborhood was once home to several strip clubs and now it has none.

Dear Johnny:

The Marijuana Control Board has issued its second round of proposed rules, and the public is invited to comment by 4:30 p.m., Saturday, August 8. Please take a look at the proposal, available here, which provides extensive rules for licensed businesses. While most of the proposed rules offer reasonable regulations, several would clearly violate important protections established under Measure 2.

Could equity crowdfunding for cannabis take off in Colorado? On July 16, 2015, Colorado’s Division of Securities sent a cease and desist letter to a man who posted ads on Craigslist looking for “high net worth investors to strategically partner with one of the largest MMJ chains in Colorado.” So, no, not for that guy.

A blog post denouncing "marijuana hysteria" and claiming "legalizing and regulating marijuana will actually make everyone safer" accidentally ended up on Drug Abuse Resistance Education's (D.A.R.E.) website on Friday.

Instead of articles with headlines like "Number Of Toddlers Being Exposed to Marijuana Skyrockets" or "Marijuana cookies blamed for suspected suicide in Colorado," visitors to the most visible and widespread international anti-substance abuse program briefly read an op-ed column proclaiming "we already tried alcohol prohibition and it was a violent catastrophe, too."

The Fourth Corner Credit Union, a financial house created for the pot industry, has filed two lawsuits this week challenging their denied applications by the National Credit Union Administration and the U.S. Federal Reserve.

In 23 states, medical marijuana is now legal and in Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and the District of Columbia recreational marijuana is legal. However, it is still illegal on the federal level.

The Fourth Corner Credit Union is not allowed to accept any marijuana business until they get federally insured.