More than 100 acres of industrial hemp will emerge during the next week after being planted Friday and Tuesday near Pembroke and Crofton. Kendall Clark and farm employee Landon Hopper used a Kubota tractor and a modified Kinze planter Tuesday to plant 95 acres of industrial hemp at Clark's Oak Lane farm. Clark says he decided to start out a little bigger than some farmers.

   
Clark says planting went well, but there were a few challenges he had to overcome to use a traditional planter.

Industrial hemp advocate Katie Moyer says it is exciting to see more than 100 acres of industrial planted in Christian County.

Hemp Historian Arinon Compass of Florida says Kentucky is at a critical stage in the reintroduction of industrial hemp in the United States.

Earlier this week, the Colorado Supreme Court unanimously confirmed that although medical marijuana is legal, employers have the power to fire workers if they fail company-sponsored drug tests. Monday’s ruling is the latest in a series of decisions around the country denying job protection to state-sanctioned medical marijuana users who medicate off-duty. More than that, the decision is significant in that it sends a message to employers across other states wrangling with adopting laws to a nascent industry that is illegal under federal law.

As of June 2015, there is currently approximately 800,000 square feet of approved medical marijuana production space in Canada, spread out across 25 different facilities from Vancouver Island to New Brunswick. If one factors in the future production capacity of just these currently approved, we see well over 1 million square feet of GMP compliant and/or pharmaceutical-grade medical marijuana production facilities across Canada.

There is a lot of chatter happening at City Hall this month about medicinal-marijuana dispensaries. A public hearing that began June 10 reconvenes on Monday (June 22), when speaker number 173 will take the microphone at a meeting beginning at 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, a group called Smart Approaches to Marijuana Canada (SAM Canada) has emerged as a vocal opponent to the city’s proposed regulatory framework for the over-the-counter sale of cannabis. Pamela McColl, a Vancouver-based member of the national group’s advisory council, told the Straight her organization is more than just talk.

Small business, restaurant and retail industry groups met with Alberta's new NDP labour minister Thursday to fight against a proposed $15 minimum wage.

Premier Rachel Notley has said she plans to raise the minimum wage from $10.20 to $15 by 2018. Industry representatives warn the increase could have unintended effects on the economy.

Richard Truscott, vice-president, Alberta and British Columbia, for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said a wage increase could cut into the slim profit margins earned by small businesses.

"When you add 20 to 30 per cent in terms of overall wage costs, increase that minimum wage by almost 50 per cent for those service-based businesses, it's very hard to eat those costs," he said.

DES MOINES — Maria La France and Sally Graer say they are exhausted and frustrated, and highly critical of state lawmakers who oppose expanding Iowa’s medical cannabis program.

La France, Graer and other advocates for legalized medical cannabis oil spoke to reporters on June 3 at the Iowa Capitol as they made one final plea to state lawmakers this legislative session.

Joined by fellow advocates with the grassroots Iowans 4 Medical Cannabis Coalition, La France and Graer said they are exasperated with state lawmakers who refuse to consider expanding Iowa’s narrow medical cannabis law to allow for the treatment of patients with a variety of diseases like epilepsy, cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Today in The House of Lords the third question will be raised by Baroness Meacher in regards to the reclassification of cannabis from class 2 to class 3 to enable use for medicinal purposes 

Today's Agenda: 
Oral question 1 - Action to address the risk of climate change 

Baroness Worthington (Labour)

Oral question 2 - Moratorium on use of neonicotinoid pesticides for agricultural crops 

Countess of Mar (Crossbench)

Oral question 3 - Reclassification of cannabis from class 2 to class 3 to enable use for medicinal purposes 

Baroness Meacher (Crossbench)

Oregon is being closely watched by reform advocates and entrepreneurs alike nationally as its recreational market inches toward realization. Oregon has been largely viewed as a Legalization 2.0 model after the continued problems, lawsuits and controversies of neighboring Washington state. In fact, it is the issues that still plague the definition and redefinition of The Evergreen State’s market post I-502 that Oregon is clearly trying to side-step as it gets the recreational green rush going.

“The Oregon market is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in the nation,” said Leslie Bocskor, the founding Chair of the Nevada Cannabis Industry Association.

Marijuana Business Daily posted last week’s chart of the week, showing statistics from their Marijuana Business Factbook 2015. Cannabis cultivation in the US is still dominated by indoor marijuana growing facilities. Perhaps what is even more surprising than the domination of indoor grow ops over greenhouse marijuana growers, is that outdoor marijuana production is also six times greater than the marijuana production in greenhouses.

Here’s a look at what is happening in Ohio government and politics:

Ohio lawmakers want to block a proposed marijuana monopoly and other monopolies from being written into the Constitution.

“The plan rolled out Tuesday was backed by top legislative leaders, but critics said that it may go too far in trying to derail the fast-moving marijuana plan engineered by ResponsibleOhio,” Dispatch reporter Alan Johnson writes.