A former Colorado marijuana enforcement officer and a marijuana entrepreneur are among those accused of being involved with a large trafficking ring that shipped pot out of state.

Former pot officer Renee Rayton, Scott Pack and two growers were indicted June 7 by a grand jury, joining 16 others indicted in connection with the ring in March. According to the indictment, first reported on by The Cannabist on Tuesday, Pack’s businesses had marijuana licenses but allegedly never made a legal sale, serving instead as a front for the trafficking operation.

Cannabis campaigners say the medicinal benefits of the drug are many - and that's why they came to a conference for GPs in Rotorua.

Tadhg Stopford, a legalise cannabis campaigner, spoke at length with doctors from across the North Island on the subject.

"People who suffer from chronic conditions, rely on hippies and other sick people to risk their freedom, growing cannabis, to make compounds for people to heal themselves - I don't think this is acceptable."

Other prominent researchers, Dr Ben Jansen and Dr Graham Gulbransen, gave talks on the subject to doctors and specialists.

Mr Stopford says it's time for the truth around the medical benefits of raw dietary cannabis to come out.

Rolling back protections from federal interference in state legalization laws could worsen the opioid overdose crisis.

Lawmakers reviewing the Massachusetts' new recreational marijuana law plan to recommend sharply higher taxes and more control for city and town officials over retail pot shops in their communities, according to a copy of a House proposal obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

The draft legislation also would make dramatic changes to the Cannabis Control Commission, which will oversee recreational marijuana under the law approved by voters in November, effectively taking control of the commission away from the state treasurer.

Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislative leaders said Tuesday they have agreed to a $125 billion budget that would expand a tax credit for the working poor, increase spending on safety net programs and boost payments for doctors and dentists.

The budget agreement sets up votes in the state Senate and Assembly on Thursday, the last day for lawmakers to approve a budget without losing pay under a voter-approved ballot measure that withholds lawmakers' paychecks if they don't meet budget deadlines.

The spending plan, which Brown called "balanced and progressive," also includes a one-time payment to the state's largest public-employee pension fund and more money for higher education. It does not reverse spending agreed to last year, as Brown had proposed.

Orlando attorney John Morgan is getting ready to sue the state after legislators failed to come up with regulations to allow patients to smoke medical marijuana.

Even though medical marijuana is legal, smoking it is not an option, at least for now.  Legislators passed a bill regulating medical marijuana last week, but it excludes smoking.

"I'm gonna sue the state, because in my amendment, it was mentioned four separate times that smoke would be allowed," Morgan said.

Not everyone agrees. 

"All the scientific literature out there indicates smoking does as much harm as it does benefits. We believe all the benefits of marijuana can be done with vaping without any of the physical harm," said Florida Rep. Ray Rodrigues, R-Fort Myers.

Toronto’s Board of Health has unanimously endorses Medical Officer of Health’s recommendations on the looming legalization of pot.

Toronto’s Board of Health is calling on the federal government to decriminalize pot possession immediately as part has of a package of recommendations it adopted unanimously on the looming legalization of marijuana.

The “fact it is still criminal is criminal,” board member and Councillor Paula Fletcher said during Monday’s Board of Health meeting.

Fletcher noted illegal pot dispensaries continue to operate in the city, while “some of my residents are being charged with possession and trafficking for hand-to-hand sales of marijuana. It does not seem fair at all.”

Office of Medical Cannabis declares animals not protected by ACMPR regulations.

While membership applications surge for licensed producers across Canada, another trend is emerging simultaneously in the world of medical cannabis—owners and guardians of pets with severe medical conditions have been finding success in treating their furry family members’ symptoms through the use of CDB oil. But recent dialogue between the College of Veterinarians of Ontario and the Office of Medical Cannabis at Health Canada has concluded that for the time being, pets will have to suffer without the benefits of cannabis treatments.

Alimentation Couche-Tard is expressing interest in selling cannabis in its Quebec convenience stores.

The company has hired a lobbyist to work on ensuring it has a place in the cannabis-distribution system Quebec will eventually set up.

The province's official registry of lobbyists shows Marie-Eve Bedard began working on behalf of Couche-Tard (TSX:ATD.B) last month and will continue doing so until next May.

She will earn less than $10,000 for her work.

Bedard is a former chief of staff to ex-Quebec health minister Yves Bolduc.

Couche-Tard operates more than 2,000 stores in Canada but it is not clear whether the chain wants to sell cannabis outside of Quebec.

When President Donald Trump signed a $1.1 trillion spending bill last month, he seemed to scoff at a provision that prevents the Justice Department from prosecuting state-legal medical cannabis. Now his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, wants to do away with the protection completely.