Gov. Jerry Brown has made his wishes clear: He wants the conflicts between California's medical and recreational cannabis laws resolved by the end of the year.

On Tuesday night his office published a 92-page document offering up recommendations for how to settle key differences in laws regulating both segments of the industry, with the governor choosing sides on everything from how many licenses marijuana business owners can hold to how weed should be distributed statewide.

The proposals were included in a trailer bill to Brown's 2017-18 budget. The Legislature will vote on whether those proposals become law, before they ultimately head back to Brown for final approval.

While the tension between state and federal laws has created a difficult situation for cannabis users, there’s another factor that is complicating the changing attitude towards weed: hospitals. Though it isn’t legally mandated, many hospitals won’t allow people who use weed to be placed on organ transplant waiting lists.

Oregon's pot industry sold nearly 5 million grams — or roughly 11,000 pounds — of marijuana during the first three months of 2016, according to a report from the state government.

‘It’s not quite the elixir of life, but it’s close,’ says seller of THC-free product.

The first health food store in Limerick to stock cannabis oil products says sales have “skyrocketed” in recent months following calls for psychoactive cannabis products to be legalised for medicinal purposes.

Cillin Cleere, the proprietor of Eats of Eden on Thomas Street in Limerick city, said their cannabis oil products were now among their 10 best-selling products since they began stocking a variety of products four months ago.

He said cannabis oil could be used for a “range of neurological and physical benefits” 

“The sales have been astronomical,” said Mr Cleere, who is also a biochemist and nutritional therapist.

Florida

There’s a lot going on in Tallahassee as Sunshine State legislators forge the regulatory framework for Florida’s medical marijuana program.

Senators appear poised to advance legislation (SB 406) to welcome five new cannabis dispensaries to Florida by October. At least one would be minority-owned. Friday’s measure also requires four additional dispensaries within “six months after each instance of the registration of 75,000 qualifying patients with the compassionate use registry.”

That 75,000 figure is dramatically less than the previous threshold of 250,000.

Food and drug giant's coverage for 45,000 employees has some limitations.

At first glance, the news was "actually pretty stunning."

Joan Weir, director of health and disability policy with the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, was surprised to see that Canadian retail giant Loblaw Companies had started covering medical marijuana for employees through their health benefit plans back on March 28.​

Will Kleidon, a loquacious 27-year-old, and I were sitting in a restaurant called Food Harmonics here on Ojai’s main drag the other day, sipping $5 mushroom coffee with shots of CBD elixir.

It was delicious, if slightly expensive.

If you have been paying attention to what’s going on in the cannabis “space” (a perfect word for this industry, really), you have probably heard of CBD — cannabidiol — or wondered what it is.

CBD is one of two important compounds in cannabis.

Stigma of medical marijuana gradually being overcome.

Although doctors were federally authorized by Health Canada in the spring of 2014 to write prescriptions for cannabis if they so choose - following guidelines and a protocol established by the Canadian Medical Association - not all choose to do so.

They can’t just walk into the office and ask for cannabis.

Dr. Roland Muise on prescribing medical marijuana

A strong negative stigma remains, even among some physicians.

Dr. Roland Muise is one of several exceptions in the region. He graduated medical school in 1976 and has about 4,000 patients.

Comedian Wil Anderson knows a thing or two about chronic pain.

The funnyman and television personality has battled osteoarthritis for years and is open about his daily use of medical marijuana to ease the condition’s crippling impact on his body.

And if that use was legalised in Australia, Anderson believes it would save lives.

Argentina’s Senate has given final legislative approval to a bill legalizing the use of cannabis oil and other marijuana derivatives for medicinal purposes, and setting up a regulatory framework for the state to prescribe and distribute them to patients.

The legislation approved by senators Wednesday also creates a medical marijuana research program at the Health Ministry, which must “guarantee free access” to cannabis oil and other derivatives to patients who join the program. The legislation was passed by the Chamber of Deputies earlier.