ORLANDO, FL--(Marketwired - Oct 8, 2015) -  The organizers behind the International Canna Pro Expo are excited to announce the success of their inaugural Expo. Raving feedback and comments by the attendees and exhibitors was very positive. Many were amazed at the information shared and the level of professionalism of the whole event. The International Cannabis Pro Expo was a two and a half day event held from October 2-4, 2015, at the Caribe Royale All Suites Hotel and Convention Center.

The following is an excerpt from the new book  The Cannabis Manifesto: A New Paradigm for Wellness  by Steve DeAngelo (North Atlantic Books, 2015):

I’m sometimes asked why I chose to spend my life advocating for cannabis reform, instead of working on more urgent issues like climate change, species extinction, or nuclear weapons.

A new report pegs the number of marijuana dispensaries in Detroit at 148.

Prior to the report, Detroit public officials could not say how many dispensaries there are, partly because they are opening at such a rapid pace but mostly because the city does not keep track of them.

The City Council is debating proposed licensing regulations. A public hearing is set for 10 a.m. Monday.

Of the 148 dispensaries in Detroit, 100 are within 1.15 miles of the suburbs; 59, including some of those near suburbs, are within 1,000 feet of an active school, according to the report, "Weed in the D," published Monday by local mapping company Loveland Technologies.

For years, Brandan Flores has treated his chronic back pain with marijuana, a remedy he champions as a natural alternative to traditional medication.

But recently he heard rumblings that his drug of choice might be less wholesome than he had imagined.

"There was talk about Eagle 20," he said, "and it concerned me right away."

Eagle 20 is a fungicide used to kill mites, mildew and assorted pests that flock to plants like hops and grapes. It also contains a chemical called myclobutanil, which produces hydrogen cyanide gas when burned.

Stunned that he might be inhaling toxic fumes, Flores and fellow medicinal pot user Brandie Larrabee, a brain tumor patient, sued the grower this week, filing the first product liability lawsuit against the marijuana industry.

Larimer County Sheriff's Office via the Fort Collins Coloradoan

Earlier this week, we posted about two illegal marijuana grows found on federal land. Ten foreign nationals were busted in separate operations.

Now, Mario Garcia and six others are in custody on charges related to an illegal grow of their own — one they allegedly built up on private land they took over and tried to hang onto via a complicated scam backed by threats and a pit bull.

During the Measure 91 campaign, economic firm EcoNorthwest projected that the state would bring in $38.5 million in new revenue the first year while the state of Oregon projected a more modest $9 of net revenue. If the first week of sales are any indication, the higher projection by EcoNorthwest may just be the more accurate number, if not a conservative estimate itself.  Sales in Oregon were booming the first week that medical marijuana dispensaries could sell cannabis flower to adults 21 and over. Of course, Marijuana Politics was there to cover the first day of legal cannabis commerce in Oregon.

Medical marijuana is on display during the opening Euphoria Wellness, the first marijuana dispensary in the Las Vegas Valley, Monday, Aug. 24, 2015. Las Vegas and North Las Vegas officials are working to bring dispensaries to their jurisdictions.

Las Vegas and North Las Vegas inched closer Wednesday toward opening their first medical marijuana dispensaries in their city limits.

On Wednesday, the Las Vegas City Council voted for a measure that would allow a 12th dispensary to begin the permitting and licensing process, while the North Las Vegas City Council voted to approve a special-use permit for one dispensary. The votes bring both cities closer to opening their first dispensaries after months of delays.

A nonprofit foundation linked to an Ohio State University microbiologist plans to build a $24 million medical marijuana research center near Columbus if voters approve legalizing pot on Nov. 3.

Michael Ibba, chairman of the OSU Microbiology Department and co-director of the Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry Training Program, is on the board of the newly formed International Cannabinoid Institute Research Foundation. It claims to be an independent group of researchers, medical professionals, technology experts, engineers and patient advocates committed to the discovery of advanced treatments using medicinal marijuana.

REARDAN, Wash. -

Steve Walser's life on the farm has changed dramatically over the past two years.

Walser has been a farmer in Washington for decades. He built Willow Wind Organic Farms in Reardan, Wash., to be a family business. They've grown several crops over the years, including potatoes and hay. Today their premiere food is blueberries.

But beside their berry crop sits a secure facility filled with their newest crop: Marijuana.

Recreational cannabis hit stores around Washington in 2014 after voters legalized its use.

Walser joined the pot industry in its infancy. He says his business partner brought knowledge of cannabis to the table, and Walser applied his farming skills.

A nonprofit organization dedicated to scientific research on cannabis plans to build a $24 million medical-marijuana-research facility at a proposed Licking County grow site if voters approve ResponsibleOhio’s marijuana-legalization amendment this fall.

Work at International Cannabinoid Institute Research Foundation will focus on marijuana-centered therapies for certain medical conditions, such as childhood epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.

The nonprofit group would lease 15 acres from the property owner of the Licking County site, located in Pataskala, for the 40,000-square foot facility, the group announced on Tuesday at a news conference outside the Statehouse.