Conference puts spotlight on biotech, science in industry.

An 8-year-old girl and a panel of former professional athletes were among those speaking on the final day of the first medical marijuana conference ever held at the San Diego Convention Center. 

Unlike other marijuana-related events, such as the Hempcon and the Cannabis Cup, there was no weed or products containing its psychoactive component, THC, at the two-day Southern California Cannabis Conference and Expo. With 210 booths, panels of speakers and up to 3,000 attendees per day, the expo’s focus was more biotech than bongs, more science than stoners, organizers and participants said.

Amy Margolis is setting up her own weed-focused law practice after leaving Emerge Law Group.

A prominent cannabis lawyer has left one of Oregon's biggest marijuana law firms.

Amy Margolis has left Emerge Law Group, a Portland firm that has played a key role in shaping the state's recreational cannabis policy.

Margolis tells WW she has set up her own weed-focused law firm, Margolis Legal, in Portland after leaving  Emerge.

"There's no bad reason," says Margolis. "I've been practicing on my own for a long time. I was ready to engage with clients in a new way."

Le Herbe – the premium brand behind lines of cannabis green tea, iced coffee and water – has expanded its ready-to-drink range with the launch of new cannabis cocktail mixers.

The new range of beverages will feature local organic ingredients combined with sun-grown cannabis, distributed in in legalised states across the US. Le Herbe cannabis cocktail mixers can be simply poured on the rocks, served as shooters and shots, or mixed with spirits for the perfect cocktail, the brand said.

Ohio is looking to hire an expert who knows the ins and outs of growing marijuana and the medical marijuana business.

The drug will be legal as of next month in Ohio, although it will take up to two years for full implementation.

In preparation, the Ohio Department of Commerce, one of three agencies tasked with its regulation, wants to hire a contractor for a Medical Marijuana Industry Analysis and Regulatory Framework to suss out the best marijuana cultivation techniques, which includes analyzing supply and demand and setting standards for businesses that will operate in Ohio.

Davis Clayton Kiyo hoped to go down in history as the disruptor of pot culture. Things were going well. Until the cops showed up.

Davis Clayton Kiyo—high-school dropout, serial business owner, former weed dealer, current cannabis entrepreneur—is showing off his latest venture: a head shop that looks nothing like a head shop.

It’s minimalist and monochrome, lined with bright glass cabinets beneath a flat-screen TV that loops a slickly produced ad for his pot-paraphernalia product line.

Marijuana is turning into big business, so it's no surprise stoner icon Tommy Chong is getting involved. The Cheech and Chong alum talks to CNET about the industry's growth, the poetry of Twitter and telepathic note-taking apps.

Tommy Chong's business has always been weed. Now he's hoping it'll grow like one too.

You might remember the 78-year-old counterculture icon as the bearded half of the stoner comedy duo Cheech and Chong. In his decades-long career, he's become synonymous with cannabis. In the best of times, he was accepting a Best Comedy Album Grammy for the pair's 1973 album "Los Cochinos." In the worst of times, he was jailed for sending bongs across state lines.

Tweed is taking its grass party to new heights with a summer bash on the lawn of its marijuana factory in Smiths Falls.

On Saturday, Aug. 13, the licensed marijuana producer is inviting 5,000 guests to its Front Yard Shindig right on the sprawling yard of Tweed’s headquarters. The “family friendly” concert is free and will include local bands BlakDenim, a hip-hop, funk and soul act, and The Balconies, an alternative ensemble, as well as East Coast indie rockers The Joel Plaskett Emergency.

Food trucks and water stations will be onsite, and there will be ample free parking.

It’s no secret to investors that the cannabis sector is the fastest growing and arguably, the most lucrative. More and more cannabis businesses are also going public. In a response to the cold shoulder that many financial institutions give industry entrepreneurs, dozens of cannabis-finance companies have formed in order to capitalize on the green rush. 

South American Gold Corp. (OTC PINK: SAGD) announced yesterday that the continued growth and development of the domestic cannabis markets have the company more committed than ever to their business model and revenue goals.  On July 5, 2016, Jane, the express ordering kiosk that helps cannabis retailers sell their products, joined the American Trade Association of Cannabis and Hemp. "We're proud to join ATACH and hopefully help shape the industry's dialogue around proper compliance and responsible banking behavior," commented David Ellerstein, CEO of Jane.

Andy Williams projects 2016 will be another good year for his marijuana business.

The Medicine Man CEO estimates the company is valued at about $30 million, with some $18 million in revenue projected for 2016.

So goes business for a successful marijuana company in Colorado, where recreational and medicinal uses of the drug are legal.