SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

With California’s Medical Marijuana revenues growing by roughly 38% from 2013 to 2014 and easily surpassing the billion dollar mark, it’s no surprise to see Medical Dispensaries adapting to changing legal and competitive dynamics.

San Francisco’s largest and most compliant Medical Marijuana Dispensary, The Green Door, signed an exclusive partnership with SF based technology start-up OnPoint Applications LLC to provide on-demand delivery services to their patients. The Green Door will now use OnPoint’s technology to automate delivery to their patients.

Survey the latest at the Detroit Auto Show and you will find fibers from water bottles in car seats, hemp in the dashboards and citrus peel in the tires.

Automakers, in a continuing quest to develop lighter and more environmentally-friendly vehicles, are making increased use of sometimes unlikely materials in their cars and trucks.

US auto giant Ford has set a requirement that the seat fabrics sold on all vehicles in North America must have at least 30 percent recycled content, said Barb Whalen, Ford's color, material and design manager.

There will be no relaxation of this rule due to low crude-oil prices, which have made petroleum-based components cheaper, she said.

After getting arrested on suspicion of driving while high, some Colorado suspects are also being asked by select Colorado State Patrol troopers, “Would you like to be a volunteer in our DUI marijuana pilot program?”

“Sometimes people are glad to participate, and sometimes they want nothing to do with us,” said Major Steve Garcia, who is with the State Patrol training branch.

The State Patrol is testing technology that could more accurately determine whether someone was driving while high.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, we live in an economy of digital disruption. Innovations happen everyday — one of these days, it might be the next big thing that puts you out of a job. But if you’re anticipating the future and trying to be pre-active to future known events, to even be the disrupter (rather than reactive and the disrupted), there’s a better chance you will not only succeed but excel.

Over the last year or so, the level of innovation within the cannabis industry has reached staggering heights, showing that the industry is ready to take itself to the world stage.

While we can’t yet review any of these things for quality assurance, we can comment on the innovation factor!

#1) CBD Chewing Gum

CBD gum could potentially be a much more efficient delivery system than regular edibles.

HONOLULU -

This year marijuana will be sold legally in Hawaii at more than a dozen locations statewide. One applicant vying for one of just eight licenses is the head of a cell phone company and is no stranger to running a business. However, medical marijuana is an uncharted territory in Hawaii, and getting started in that business won't be cheap.

President and CEO of Mobi PCS Bill Jarvis is ringing in the New Year in pursuit of another business opportunity in Hawaii: medical marijuana sales. He says it's not unlike running a wireless communications company.

EdenShield is pleased to announce positive field trial results (Hebrew) from an independent study conducted by a contract research organization using the GateKeeper system on greenhouse tomatoes in Italy. Installing GateKeeper at the entrance of greenhouses prevented nearly 100% penetration of pests and led to a reduction of over 80% in the use of pesticides. The control greenhouses, which did not utilize the system, demonstrated 500% greater pest penetration.

These encouraging results add to the Company’s previous successes noted among leading tomato growers in beta sites in Israel and Spain. Following these successful results, the Company has begun sales of its GateKeeper systems in Israel.

Cannabis-related products are banned from the show floor, but pot is becoming part of the conversation in Las Vegas.

Marijuana legalization has advanced by leaps and bounds over the past two decades, but 2016 could really be the year that it jumps into the spotlight.

This is a critical year for marijuana
Since receiving its first medical approval in the state of California in 1996, medical marijuana has been approved in 22 additional states. We've even witnessed voters in four states (along with Washington, D.C.) legalize the use of recreational marijuana for adults ages 21 and up. Over a period of two decades that's some pretty substantial progress for the industry.

As we barrel headlong into 2016, one issue that promises to take center stage, especially with elections just 10 months away, is marijuana.

Marijuana expands, but roadblocks remain
Over the previous two decades marijuana has been practically unstoppable. With the exception of a few notable defeats -- the defeat two months ago of Issue 3 in Ohio, which attempted to approve medical and recreational marijuana at the same time, and Florida's medical marijuana defeat in 2014 -- marijuana's expansion continues.