Rush of growers expected, but only 5 will be approved

Gary Smith grows millions of pounds of tomatoes in a greenhouse in Niagara County, but he is fighting the clock to rotate in a different crop soon so that he can harvest in time for sale next January. His new crop: marijuana.

Or, at least, he hopes it will be.

Smith is among hundreds of people poring over regulations the state Department of Health released last week that paves the way for medical marijuana to be sold in New York State by early next year.

The complex set of rules sets in motion an application period that is expected to see a rush of businesses trying to get a foothold in the state’s medical marijuana industry.

COMPTON, Calif. (KABC) --

The City of Compton passed an ordinance banning medical marijuana dispensaries eight years ago, but illegal shops are still a problem. Now, the Compton Unified School District has filed a lawsuit against the city over the dispensaries.

District officials said that at least a dozen dispensaries are currently operating in the city, and some of them are very close to schools.

"We're standing in the front of an illegal marijuana dispensary, which is less than 500 feet away from Davis Middle School. That is clearly unacceptable," said Micah Ali, president of the board of trustees of Compton Unified School District.

California’s multi-billion medical cannabis industry will remain in the crosshairs of federal prosecutors, despite direction from Congress to cease interfering with state medical pot systems.

In December, the US Congress passed and the president signed a historic amendment that de-funded the Department of Justice’s war on medical pot. Medical marijuana is legal in 23 states, yet the Obama Administration had spent an estimated $300 million enforcing the marijuana provisions of federal Controlled Substances Act.

After three months reviewing the amendment, the DOJ told the Los Angeles Times this week that “it did not believe the amendment applies to cases against individuals or organizations.”

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (sentinel.ht) - A councilman of the border province of Independencia in the Dominican Republic has been arrested for running a drug trafficking ring they say imported marijuana through Haiti.

Councilman Luis Domingo Medina Trinidad was arrested with four other men after police seized some 170 kilograms (375 pounds) of marijuana. Medina serves as Councilman of the Independencia province where Jimani is a major port of international trade between the nations.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom released a policy primer that outlines how recreational marijuana could be regulated after it is legalized. Newsom, a blunt advocate for legal pot, opened an exploratory committee last month for a 2018 gubernatorial run.

Here are five highlights from the report by the Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy, a group co-chaired by Newsom and sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Recent legislation in the state Senate that would legalize medical marijuana has sparked conversation across Pennsylvania.

The Senate Bill 3, a medical marijuana bill, has been introduced after its equivalent counterpart, State Bill 1182 — which was overwhelmingly supported in the Senate — died in the state House of Representatives at the end of last term.

And, former Gov. Tom Corbett had said he did not support State Bill 1182. But Gov. Tom Wolf has already pledged to sign the reintroduced bill after meeting with mothers whose children suffer from severe seizures, according to an Associated Press report.

Sporting a pale pink helmet and flanked by her faithful German shepherd, 5-year-old Cora Vowell looks ready to hop on a tricycle, or maybe go barreling headfirst into a backyard football game.

But Cora cannot ride her bike or play sports.The helmet is part of her everyday outfit, protecting her head against the nine to 12 seizures that batter her body each day. Her German shepherd, Hulk, is a therapy dog, trained to alert Cora's parents when the seizures start.

Brought on by an accident more than a year ago, those seizures are a constant in the family's life — so frequent that her mother, Melissa Vowell, doesn't even break conversation as she swiftly reacts to one of her daughter's brief episodes, holding her close until it passes.

SEATTLE, April 4, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Many U.S. states are changing laws on cannabis products like cannabidiol oil extract, used to treat epilepsy patients, while Canada still only allows licensed marijuana growers to sell dried crop, and be that as it may, prohibit tinctures, edibles, and oils.

Self-described "conservative warlord" and Coalition Senator Barry O'Sullivan has thrown his support behind a push to legalise medical cannabis, and expressed confidence Federal Parliament would support the reform.

Mr O'Sullivan, a former drug squad detective, said his "mind had opened up considerably" over the course of a Senate inquiry on proposals drafted by Greens Senator Richard Di Natale.

Senator Di Natale's bill would create an independent body of experts, the Office of Medicinal Cannabis, which would license commercial growers and determine how cannabis could be prescribed and dispensed.

Mr O'Sullivan said he had been moved by testimony from people who had sourced cannabis illegally in a bid to ease the suffering of loved ones.

St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson speaks at a news conference March 25 about the dangers of a concentrated marijuana extract known as butane hash oil.(Photo: Courtesy of Minnesota Department of Public Safety)

Story Highlights

• Two teens overdosed in Duluth after using the drug
• Marijuana wax doesn't produce an odor, making it harder to detect
• Be aware of the signs of manufacturing or using Butane hash oil

Marijuana wax has been identified as a new threat to public safety in what seems to be a never-ending movement to find new ways to get high (or higher) on weed.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety issued a warning recently about the dangers of marijuana wax.