When discussing medical marijuana, the conversation inevitably turns to whether the federal government or a state will legalize recreational use of the drug. 

That's not the case when you're talking to Josh Stanley, who has been called the "pioneer" of Colorado's medical marijuana industry. 

Stanley and his business, Citiva Medical, are focused squarely on the medicinal uses of the cannabis plant. With New York legalizing the use of medical marijuana, the company is looking to be one of five licensed growers of the drug in the state. 

For Stanley, the question is why move to New York? Why not stay in Colorado where he became a leading voice for the medical marijuana movement? 

In short, it's about science. 

DENVER (AP) -- A Colorado proposal to require marijuana shops to post warnings for pregnant and nursing women failed Wednesday when Senate Republicans said the first-in-the-nation requirement would be unfair.

The bill to require maternal pot warning signs had the support of some Republicans and the state Health Department.

Supporters conceded that there's limited research that maternal marijuana use harms fetuses and nursing children. But they said Colorado should err on the side of warning consumers about the newly legal drug.

Marijuana Industry Worth More than the NFL & Organic Food Industries

As noted in a recent article for Seattle Weekly, "According to ArcView research, an estimated $2.7 billion of legal [cannabis] was sold in the U.S. last year (a 74 percent increase from the $1.5 billion in 2013).  Sixteen million Americans admitted to having fired up in the last month.  As the ranks increase, the industry is projected to grow to $10.8 billion by 2018, and $40 billion by 2020, making it bigger business than the NFL or the organic food industry."

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 22, 2015 -- BioTrackTHC the leading provider of seed-to-sale software solutions for medical and retail marijuana businesses and state governments, today announced that it has retained Cannabis Global Initiative (CGI) to expand the reach of BioTrackTHC's cannabis tracking technology to new domestic and international regions.

"CGI and its president, Wanda James, are primary movers in this sector and we know that this agreement will bolster BioTrackTHC's already rapidly growing business," said Steven Siegel, CEO, BioTrackTHC. "In fact, just this week Wanda James was named as one of the 20 most influential people in the cannabis industry by International Business Times, a tremendous and well-deserved honor."

With states legalizing marijuana by popular vote, some politicians, including Boston mayor Marty Walsh and New Jersey governor Chris Christie, are still calling marijuana a gateway drug.

Leaders at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce say the new Colorado Cannabis Chamber of Commerce logo looks too much like theirs and are suing for trademark infringement.

Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court late Thursday saying the Colorado Cannabis Chamber of Commerce is infringing on its trademark, and the leaders believe the similar logos will result in confusion and harm to the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce brand. It's asking the court to prohibit the Colorado Cannabis Chamber from using its current logo.

Sheriff Mike Boudreaux speaks at a Friday press conference about the raiding of a Delano-based compound that included more than 49 “nursery-style” green houses filled with marijuana plants.(Photo: Stephanie Weldy/Visalia Times-Delta)

For sheriff deputies, it was the largest pot bust of the county's current marijuana season after raiding a large-scale, "nursery-style" marijuana grow Thursday morning in Delano.

The raid led to the arrest of 30 individuals of Laotian descent and the seizure of 2,600 pounds of partially processed marijuana, worth an estimated street value of over $2.6 million, and 49 pounds of fully processed marijuana, worth a projected $50,000.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has received word from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that its registration to import hemp seed has been approved.

This follows months of discussion between the two agencies about Tennessee’s industrial hemp pilot program that have farmers unsure they’ll get the hemp seed in time to plant a crop. The good news is no additional restrictions have been set on the program regarding acreage or number of participants, said Corinne Gould, a state spokeswoman.

Tennessee’s initial applications totaled more than 2,100 acres by 53 growers, far exceeding those from nearby states like Kentucky that have launched similar programs.

More regulatory approvals are still needed.

Legalization? What legalization? Advocates may rightly be asking this question after the Oregon State Police requested a $3.9 million budget increase to go after marijuana.

The OSP wants the money for 2015-20176 to pay for 11 full-time troopers and detectives to go after pot, reports Aaron Mesh at Willamette Week.

Since that's in addition to the $1.3 million the state police already requested for a legal marijuana enforcement budget earlier this year, one can't help asking oneself, where are the savings in marijuana enforcement that supposedly come with "legalization"?

The state police have declined comment.

One of the most important components of the marijuana industry is the dispensary. Since marijuana cannot be legally shipped through the post office, and since laws in most states are at best vague about delivery services, the best way to sell legal marijuana is in a building known as a dispensary.