federal

High-level staff at outdoor recreational outfitter REI have internally discussed entering the marijuana industry, but the company as a whole is concerned about ongoing uncertainty on the federal level. "We've talked about this at REI, because it makes a lot of sense," Elizabeth Dowd, REI's...

A powerful Senate panel is urging federal agencies to make a number of surprising marijuana moves, including launching an effort to test products sold at dispensaries in states where cannabis has been legalized. Concerned about a lack of data on the potency and purity of cannabis available to...

Student Senator Tara Chattoraj introduced a resolution to Illinois Student Government last Wednesday to support allowing medical marijuana in University Housing. The resolution would urge the University to revise the Student Code as well as University Housing regulations to allow for the...

The federal government's Cannabis Act, if passed, would make it legal to produce, use and sell cannabis across Canada by July 2018. Once legalized, cannabis will be a carefully controlled substance in Ontario - subject to strict rules when it comes to retail and distribution. Ontario is...

While candidate Donald Trump promised to protect medical marijuana on the campaign trail, President Trump's Justice Department wants to be more aggressive against state-legal marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Attorney General Jeff Sessions personally asked Congress for...

Recreational marijuana may be legal in Nevada, but add McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas to the list of places including casinos where pot is still banned. Clark County commissioners have banned marijuana possession and advertising at the airport in a vote Tuesday that raised the...

The legal medical marijuana market took a major hit on Wednesday, after the U.S. House Rules Committee blocked an amendment for medical marijuana protections from the House's 2018 budget bill. In 2014 Congress passed the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment, prohibiting the U.S. Department of...

While candidate Donald Trump promised to protect medical marijuana on the campaign trail, President Trump's Justice Department wants to be more aggressive against state-legal marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Attorney General Jeff Sessions personally asked Congress for funds...

The marijuana industry is growing like a weed. Sure, the pun is eye-roll worthy, but it accurately describes the superior growth rates at the moment for legal cannabis. According to leading cannabis research firm ArcView, North American legal-weed sales are expected to grow from just $6.9...

When it comes to the fastest, most consistently growing industries in the U.S. right now, legal marijuana is near the top of the list. Investment firm Cowen & Co. has predicted that U.S. legal pot sales could grow to as much as $50 billion by 2026, with research firm ArcView estimating a...

The irony of it all is overwhelming. Gaetan Bourgoin, who had no trouble getting his worker's compensation insurance to pay for decades' worth of highly addictive painkillers of dubious value to his chronic pain, has been forced to go into his own pocket for the one treatment he has found to be...

Australian hemp growers and sellers are fighting a federal government decision to reverse a long-standing exemption allowing them to supply industrial hemp for pet food and cosmetics. In May last year, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) decided to end an exemption that the industrial...

The federal government is asking the state of Massachusetts to turn over information on the 40,000 patients who were prescribed medical marijuana. The request coming from the White House's National Marijuana initiative has Governor Charlie Baker concerned. Some of the data requested is...

Marijuana-related businesses face a funny problem: they make lots of money yet can't securely put it in banks. The US banking system is nationally regulated and weed's illegal under federal law, a Schedule I substance with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, according to the...

One of the long running controversies in America is whether marijuana should be legalized. A new bill introduced by New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker proposes to legalize marijuana on the federal level, with states being urged to follow suit with several incentives for doing so. To date...

To date, 28 states and D.C have legalized medical marijuana (MMJ). In 1996, only one state supported MMJ legalization. What changed the minds of the public to pass the use of cannabis for medical use in these states even though it is still a federal felony to do so? What changed in our society...

Despite Attorney General Jeff Sessions's well-known anti-pot prejudices, a broad federal crackdown on marijuana in states that have legalized it seems unlikely in light of the recommendations from a Justice Department subcommittee charged with studying the issue. The Associated Press...

It’s been roughly six months since U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions made national headlines when he told reporters that the Justice Department would adopt “responsible policies” to enforce the federal government’s prohibition on pot. Sessions’ statement, coupled with similar comments from...

On April 20, an unofficial holiday for marijuana users, Capitol Police arrested eight protesters for handing out marijuana joints on land near the U.S. Capitol under local jurisdiction. Only two of those arrested were charged with a crime, and on Monday, the U.S. attorney's office said it...

The Cole memorandum pops up frequently in media reports and discussions about the legal marijuana industry. This is especially true in recent days, when it appears it could be under attack by the Trump Administration. But just what is the Cole Memo? Simply put, it's all that stands between...