As Deerfield gets closer to having a medical marijuana dispensary at 151 Pfingsten Road, the biggest certainty may be a lot of uncertainty about a very new and highly regulated business.

Under regulations created by the Illinois General Assembly, all the marijuana sold must be grown and packaged by licensed Illinois growers, it cannot be used at the facility or going to and from the dispensary, and dispensary personnel may not handle the product itself, only the packages.

"This is highly, highly regulated by four different state departments," said Greenhouse Group CEO Mitch Kahn, a Deerfield resident. "Everything we do is regulated by one agency or another."

Members of the Live Life Alive nonprofit group wave to motorists at the Micronesia Mall intersection in Dededo in October 2014. The group held the wave to gather support to pass the medical marijuana measure on the November General Election ballot. Pacific Daily News file photo(Photo: PDN file photo)

This week, members of the Department of Public Health's Environmental Health Enforcement Team made their way to California to clear the smoke on cannabis testing.

DPHSS director James Gillan said the team is expected to return to Guam next week with a clearer understanding of marijuana strengths and dosages.

BETHESDA, Md., May 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cannabics Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CNBX) announced today that it has filed an exclusive patent application with the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) on a System and Method for High Throughput Screening of Cancer Cells.

"Welcome to Psychedelicatessen, a weekly column exploring the world of cannabis cuisine, including recipes from the great chefs and ganjapreneurs who fuel our appetite for adventure."

As the cannabis industry goes mainstream, many activists have bemoaned the “get rich quick” mentality of investors looking to cash in on the green rush. But while plenty of opportunists have flooded the cannabis space, there’s also been a small trickle of truly community-minded, progressive entrepreneurs quietly joining our ranks.

Having thick skin is a necessary asset when investing in the cannabis sector. Pity the over-the-counter small investor cautiously entering the cannabis sector, either the long-time advocate or someone who knows the product well from a personal standpoint.

It is bad enough that they have to endure the stigma of the stereotypical stoner, still-questionable legality or ignorance-induced bias from observers, they also have to endure the derision of the investing world, especially long-term investors, who consider penny stocks nothing more than day-trading fodder for gamblers. Not to mention the sector also attracts opportunists who exploit its less-restrictive financial reporting requirements, juggle their books or set up outright scams.

TOTALLY HEMP CRAZY (OTCMKTS:THCZ) continues to fall as it has failed to supply investors with a fresh bout of information. The only update from the company came last week when it had officially welcomed four new distributors for its popular Rocky Mountain High hemp-infused beverage distribution team.

Exploring and extending to new regions

In a press note, founder of the company, Jerry Grisaffi notified the addition of Mad Beez LLC, which will target the Minneapolis-Saint Paul region in Minnesota. Mad Beez LLC is led by Mark Miles.

The state has a year until it begins issuing licenses for businesses selling recreational marijuana. Between now and then, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Board is home to a new body developing regulations: the Marijuana Control Board.

The rules taking shape are modeled on commercial alcohol sales, with regulators hoping to learn from past mistakes in Washington and Colorado.

On Thursday, ABC Board Director Cynthia Franklin spoke to members of the Anchorage Assembly in a packed conference room. The state codes concerned with growing, selling, and managing marijuana are expected to be done by November. And similar to Title 4 dealing with alcohol, the emerging ordinances are based on lots of local control.

US law enforcement's infiltration and takedown of the Silk Road underground marketplace has turned up yet another court case, with a New Orleans man charged with selling counterfeit shopping coupons through the site, and its successors, on an epic scale.

GOLDEN — It’s unlikely that unincorporated Jefferson County will see retail marijuana shops soon, although the Board of Commissioners could be on board with allowing pot testing facilities in the near future.

At a special staff briefing Friday, commissioners gave county staff a more clear direction on areas to study regarding the marijuana industry before the commissioners make a decision on how to proceed. The county has a moratorium banning the marijuana business in unincorporated areas until Jan. 1, 2016.

Legalizing marijuana Several proposals are in the works to legalize marijuana in Ohio. Check here for an update on the status of those efforts.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- ResponsibleOhio's plan to legalize marijuana through a limited number of commercial growers is being criticized by two staunch supporters of marijuana legalization -- the Green Party of Ohio and Libertarian Party of Ohio.