This week, the international stock markets may be giving business people and investors palpitations, but the commodities markets worldwide have been down in the dumps for a long time. So-called “junior miners”—those who explore for metals like copper, gold, and iron ore—are largely out of work. Traders and investors in commodities are looking elsewhere to make a buck, and this problem can be seen worldwide, from Canada to Australia and everywhere in between.

So what are miners and those who deal and trade in metals to do?

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- P. Vincent Mehdizadeh, Founder and now former majority shareholder of Medbox, Inc. (OTCQB:MDBX) announced retiring 13 million shares of MDBX, including all 2 million preferred shares in his possession, carrying 5 to 1 conversion to common shares and super voting rights, along with an additional 3 million common shares. The shares have been retired, or in effect cancelled, resulting in 13 million less shares issued and outstanding on a fully diluted basis.

Here's an amusing byproduct of the legalization of marijuana use in some American states: it's putting a strain on the nation's freight network. The Wall Street Journal reportsthat Denver, a central hub for transportation of goods across the country, is experiencing a shortage of warehouse space due to increased demand from marijuana producers.

Entrenched stoner culture often treats newcomers with a raised eyebrow.

Maybe the old guard fears mainstream change and convention, and indeed progressive brands continue to modernize the culture with fresh ideas and innovations. The traditionalists represent the foundation, but what about the other 86 percent of cannabis consumers who have a more casual relationship with the plant? These individuals might not have the same High Times savvy, yet they certainly have a place in the rapidly evolving new marketplace.

If you’ve had enough of your nine-to-five’s wearying toil, perhaps a change of vocation is in order. The Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Vancouver can recommend an intriguing alternative starting this September: selling pot.

The shady-looking fellow on the corner will tell you that you hardly need a college diploma to sell weed for a living. But Kwantlen’s new 14-week online course will sculpt aspiring dealers into professionals in a robust – and newly legal – field.

The course promises to be a rigorous survey of the landscape of marijuana production and sale, educating prospective growers in everything from irrigation to marketing.

So what exactly makes for a good professional manager of marijuana for medical purposes?

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- It's been nearly six months since marijuana officially became legal in Washington D.C., but questions still remain about laws governing the drug in the District.

It's still illegal to sell it, but individuals above the age of 21 can have up to two ounces of marijuana or six plants.

Initiative 71, which passed overwhelming in November of 2014, is a significant change, but not everyone has noticed it.

"I really didn't notice any changes in the district," one woman told WUSA, "and I live in the district."

When asked, others said the same thing, that since the initiative things seem "pretty much the same."

For Alan Amsterdam, it's very different.

When I was a teenager, I bought pot whenever I wanted. As an adult, I worked to keep pot out of the hands of anyone under 21, and to make cannabis use as safe as possible for anyone 21 and over.

I've been a part of Colorado's legal cannabis industry since regulation was approved by our state's citizens in 2012. Since then, I've seen firsthand that two of the biggest public concerns -- that regulation makes it easier for children to access cannabis, and that regulation leads to a rapid increase in cannabis users -- simply haven't happened.

Marijuana industry advocates are crying foul about a residency clause in Alaska's draft marijuana regulations that would require all business owners and investors to be Alaska residents.

With the deadline for crafting Alaska marijuana regulations just three months away, the Marijuana Control Board must decide whether the requirement -- which board member Brandon Emmett said "basically crushes the American dream" -- is the best choice for a fledgling market teeming with risk.  

Local ganja growers, particularly small farmers, are being urged to enter the formal market to benefit from the decriminalising of the product rather than seeking to operate in the underground economy.

With ganja being illegal, growers had to operate in the shadows, knowing that they faced long prison sentences and stiff fines if caught.

But with the amendment of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which became law on April 15, 2015, paving the way for the legal introduction of medical marijuana, industrial hemp, and cannabis, the Government is warning that persons who have been profiting from the illicit ganja trade will soon be required to transition into the formal framework or face strong sanctions.

The six nursery businesses that have applied to be Southwest Florida's medical marijuana dispensing organization are turning to prominent professionals in the Sunshine State and cultivation experts from Colorado who have experience in the pot-growing industry.

The state has been divided into five regions and only one license will be issued per region. Overall 28 applications were submitted from 24 nurseries. The six applicants for the region that includes Southwest Florida are based in LaBelle, Arcadia, Sarasota, Ruskin (two), and Homestead.