Small quantities of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the main chemical responsible for marijuana’s psychological effects, could be engineered from yeast, according to a paper published in August  by  scientists at the Technical University of Dortmund in Germany.

With New York recently permitting five select medical marijuana companies to open dispensaries across the state, these companies, along with medical marijuana companies all over the nation, now have the question of whether this development could be used to supplement their supplies of conventional marijuana.

The fate of a medical marijuana tax in La Pine is up in the air, as attorneys representing the Oregon Legislature have determined such taxes are illegal.At the request of Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, the Legislative Counsel’s office, an arm of the Legislature, looked into the issue.A three-page letter issued Nov. 13 by Dexter Johnson and Mark Mayer with the office concluded that a law passed by the Legislature earlier this year prohibits local governments from taxing medical marijuana. That’s also the view taken by Randy Huff, owner of Green Knotz, one of two medical dispensaries operating in La Pine.

ASHLAND, Ore --

More than 700 people attended the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference Saturday in Ashland. 

Organizers say this event is much more than learning the guide lines in potentially murky waters, it's also a chance to group together as a political force. 

Conference rooms were filled with guest speakers, answering question form eager listeners, hoping to better understand the businesses. 

This is the second year for the conference, which hopes they will be able to ease the state of Oregon into the limelight for pot grows around the nation.  

As the state eased restrictions on marijuana licensing and opened a new round of applications for medical marijuana facilities applying for a state license to open as a retail store, the City of Renton last month passed an emergency ordinance limiting to five the total number of stores within the city.

According to City Attorney Larry Warren, the city received a letter from the state Liquor and Cannabis Board announcing their plans to lift the limit on the number of stores within a municipality, prompting action from the city.

"We were all a little surprised the Liquor Control Board took all of the restrictions off," Council President Ed Prince said this week.

"So we rushed our number through, five," Warren said.

Alaska is on track to be the first state in the nation to allow recreational use of cannabis at venues similar to a bar or a cafe.  In its Friday meeting, the state’s Marijuana Control Board adopted an amendment creating a permit option that will allow for on-site consumption. The measure opens the door for commercial marijuana retailers to set up areas where patrons can use marijuana products. Theresa Collins owns Anchorage business Pot Luck Events, which won a victory with the board’s ruling on the measure, as well as another amendment lifting a ban on marijuana clubs.

FinTech startups in London are booming. Just recently BlockChain, the world’s most popular Bitcoin wallet, raised $30.5 million, making it the highest investment achieved by a UK startup. 

Blockchain is an open-source software code that uses high-tech encryption to monitor and record bitcoin transactions. On November 18, BlockChain was joined by Credits.Vision and Nutmeg at the Google campus in London for an angel investor event organised by HoxTechangels.

America's Hemp, Inc. has entered into a definitive 5-year term agreement to sell its industrial hemp fiber from its decortication plant in North Carolina to a premium hemp denim apparel company, Hemp Blue, it said in a press release.

Previously this month, the Oregon Department of Human Solutions turned down a charitable contribution from a cannabis industry group. Founded by Lindsey Jacobsen, the group Women Leaders in Cannabis had actually planned to contribute 20 Thanksgiving Day dishes to needy households in Eugene and had actually asked the department for help distributing the donations.

According to Oregon Live, the contribution was initially invited by the department but was later rejected.

Is Colorado starting a new trend?

In South Dakota, cannabis users can now experience a new trend of relaxation and respite: marijuana resorts. While marijuana is not yet legal in the state, the government legalized cannabis specifically on Santee Sioux land in June, 2015. The policy allows Indian tribes on reserves to grow and sell cannabis under similar regulations to those of states with legalized marijuana, granting these tribes an exclusive revenue stream. While some groups may be hesitant, the revenue potential has others cashing in.