The public prosecutor requested 4 years in prison for the manager and initiator of several cannabis plantations at criminal court trial in Liege on Monday.

A total of 8 plantations were dismantled after bringing in a profit estimated at 524,000 euros over the course of several months. 20 other defendants are facing prison sentences of between 6 and 30 months. 8 cannabis plantations were dismantled in the Liège and Ghent areas late 2014. The plantations were managed by an organised Turkish-Vietnamese network.

Oregon House Representative Earl Blumenauer plans to introduce a bill to Congress today that would clear and expunge particular federal marijuana offenses that are no longer illegal in a number of states across the country — but some marijuana activists are skeptical of how many people it would actually help.

The Clean Slate for Marijuana Offenses Act of 2015 would clear criminals records of those who were federally charged with marijuana activity that was state-legal at the time and those who were federally charged with possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. Bluemenauer, a supporter of cannabis legalization at the federal level, attacked what he calls "failed prohibition" in a prepared statement.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Pro-pot group ResponsibleOhio fell more than 29,000 signatures short of the number required to qualify its marijuana legalization issue for the November ballot, but will have 10 days to make up the difference.

To qualify for the ballot, ResponsibleOhio must collect at least 305,591 valid signatures of registered Ohio voters and meet a certain threshold in 44 of Ohio's 88 counties.

Of the 660,190 signatures tallied by the secretary of state's office, about 42 percent -- 276,082 -- were verified as valid by county boards of election. ResponsibleOhio had reported last month it submitted 695,273 signatures.

The political action committee plans to challenge the boards' count, which they say excluded more than 40,000 signatures.

Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg says the force will not proactively target small scale cannabis producers who are growing for their own use

The Portland City Council voted 5-4 on Monday against granting a permit to a group that wanted to hold a marijuana farmers market in Deering Oaks next month.

Councilors previously granted the Belfast-based New World Organics permission to hold the New England Cannabis Farmers Market, but revisited the issue after hearing advertising for the event which they said suggested marijuana would be available for use there.

Councilor Nicholas Mavodones was concerned that the event had changed from what was originally promised when it was initially approved.

“I can’t in good conscience vote for this,” said Mavodones, who was joined Monday by Councilors Jill Duson, Jon Hinck, David Brenerman and Edward Suslovic.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Patricia Nelson has left her post as director of the state's Office of Compassionate Use, which has been at the center of a long-running fight over a non-euphoric strain of marijuana.

Nelson has served as director of the office since December, after serving for nearly four years in Gov. Rick Scott’s office as deputy director of the Office of Fiscal Accountability and Regulatory Reform.

“Patricia Nelson will be rejoining the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget,” said Mara Burger, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health, confirming the departure. “The Florida Department of Health is grateful for her service and wishes her well in her new position.”

Under Louisiana’s recently enacted medical marijuana law, LSU and Southern University AgCenters will get the first crack to grow so-called medical marijuana. But The Advocate reports there could be a small complication, Federal law.

Under a new law the Legislature approved earlier this year, the AgCenters were granted the first right of refusal to hold a state-sanctioned monopoly on production of legal medical marijuana. The monopoly would go by public bid to a single provider if the universities refuse.

WINNIPEG – Marijuana users were doing more than blowing smoke outside Winnipeg police headquarters Monday morning. They were protesting the closure of Your Medical Cannabis Headquarters, a marijuana store on Main Street.

A handful of people lit up joints outside the Public Safety Building in Winnipeg Monday to show their displeasure with police for closing the store two weeks after it opened.

Glenn Price, the store owner, said he only provides marijuana to people with appropriate medical documents. He plans to reopen the store at 11 a.m. Tuesday despite the shutdown, and supporters have promised to build a human chain barring police from the store.

Earlier this month Colorado health officials voted 6 – 2 to reject medical cannabis as a legal treatment for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Here’s what you should know about the decision:

1. It’s the third ‘no’ vote

This is the third time Colorado health officials haverefused to put marijuana on an approved list of PTSD treatments, even though the health board has okayed medical marijuana as treatment for a variety of other conditions since 2001.

American-grown hemp may get another boost from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Last Friday, the Kentucky Republican added a provision to the agriculture appropriations bill to help hemp farmers transport crops across state lines sans federal interference. "Kentucky’s industrial hemp pilot programs continue to prosper," said McConnell, "and I want to make sure our legal hemp producers can safely transport their crops between states, including to states that maintain processing facilities, so they can fully capitalize on the commercial potential for this commodity."