Smoke filled the air at the Burnside Bridge in downtown Portland last night as marijuana smokers lit their celebratory joints, marking Oregon’s legalization of recreational use.

Oregon’s marijuana supporters have been waiting for this moment since last November, when voters backed Measure 91, a law that allows for recreational use, Reuters reported.

Cutting-Edge Global Industrial Hemp-Based Biotechnology Company Brings Added Diversity in Food and Pharmaceuticals to MJNA’s Growing Investment Portfolio

Swinging the door of the storefront open with one hand, while juggling your laptop in the other, you quickly spot out the perfect nook in the corner with an outlet. The whirring sounds of the café surround you, drawing you to the counter to place your order. Would you prefer a delectable cup of coffee, an oh-so refreshing glass of cold-pressed juice, or a robust smoothie packed with all your favorite greens? At AmeriCanna Café you can’t go wrong – they’re all healthy choices and… infused with cannabis!

In 2000, The New York Times labeled the dotcom bubble as a "euphoric" time characterized by the period's extreme highs and subsequent crashing lows. The short-lived hyper success of the internet startup age did not die in vain; the phenomenon fundamentally changed technological innovation, business models, investment mentalities and the global financial markets. Now in our post-recessionary age, experts are predicting that similar to internet startups, cannabis will be the next industry to rock the business, financial and investment worlds.

The five members who will make up Alaska’s first Marijuana Control Board were named Wednesday morning by Gov. Bill Walker.

The Marijuana Control Board is tasked with crafting Alaska’s regulations surrounding legalized recreational and commercial marijuana. The board is made up of volunteers and will function under the auspices of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, sharing the staff and resources of the agency.

Walker said in a release the appointees “bring with them decades of experience in public health, business development and rural issues. With their different backgrounds and diverse skill sets, they will help shepherd in regulations for this new industry.”

The state's Department of Health will choose the five medical marijuana growers in mid-July.

One company has proposed placing a medical marijuana manufacturing facility in the Adirondacks.(Photo: WGRZ)

NEW YORK STATE – The New York State Department of Health will officially select five companies for medical marijuana licenses in mid-July, a spokesman told 2 On Your Side on Wednesday afternoon.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon began easing into an era of legal marijuana Wednesday after an early morning pot celebration at the center of Portland.

A few thousand people jammed a sidewalk and bike lane on the Burnside Bridge at midnight Tuesday and counted down the moments until July 1. That's the date voters established for adults to be able to legally possess and grow limited amounts of marijuana for personal use.

With the vote last fall, the state became the fourth with legal pot, after Colorado, Washington and Alaska. More than 40 years earlier, Oregon was the first state to decriminalize small amounts of pot.

"Oregon has long been a pioneer on sensible marijuana policies," said Anthony Johnson, chief petitioner on Measure 91, the legalization initiative.

The nonprofit organization California Cannabis Voice Humboldt unveiled a draft ordinance nearly a year in the making on Tuesday that would regulate medical cannabis cultivation in Humboldt County on parcels larger than five acres.

Standing on the Humboldt County Superior Courthouse steps before a host of supporters, community officials and passersby, CCVH Executive Director Richard Marks called upon growers and non-growers alike to help “create a new future” for the county.

“This community has come to the table, has come out of the shadows, has come into the light and said it’s time to move forward,” Marks said. “And to be honest, it hasn’t been easy and it hasn’t been without tremendous risk. But it hasn’t been in vain. People have listened.”

Massachusetts’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened last week in Salem.

More than 50 applications from companies eager to open medical marijuana dispensaries flooded the offices of state regulators this week, two years after Massachusetts launched its ill-fated licensing process.

The submission of so many applications indicated robust interest in the state’s emerging medical marijuana industry. The state had previously licensed 15 dispensaries, with the first opening last week in Salem.

For marijuana executives who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars vying for licenses during former governor Deval Patrick’s administration, the opportunity to apply again couldn’t come soon enough.

Company Streamlines Product Mix and Targets Consumer Awareness of Hemp vs. Pot

DENVER, CO–Peak Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: PKPH) (“Peak Pharma” or the “Company”), a leading innovator of non-prescription hemp based cannabinoid products, wishes to advise that plans for 2015 summer and fall marketing efforts are underway with a number of initiatives aimed at increasing revenues and growing consumer interest and confidence in its hemp based products.