It’s quite possible that cannabis recently became medicinally or recreationally legal in your state, which means that cannabis will be (or already is) sold in storefronts near you. But before you jump for joy and head towards the nearest cannabis shop, make sure you know the difference between a medical dispensary and a recreational, adult-use store. Knowing these differences will help prepare you for your first visit to either type of business and equip you with a few good tips to help you get the most out of your legal cannabis purchase.

With more Canadians than ever having legal access to medical marijuana and with the legalization of recreational use promised this spring, Radical Gardens is positioning itself to take advantage of the market for THC-laced edibles.

Late next month, the local market and restaurant will be offering cooking classes to teach medical marijuana prescription holders how to cook their own edibles; from the stereotypical pot brownie to much more complicated recipes such as candies. Co-owner of Radical Gardens, Brianna Humphrey, said that locals have already been coming to her business asking for advice on how to prepare their medical marijuana.

Republican Rep. Brad Daw thinks the dozens of states that have implemented medical marijuana laws have approached the issue incorrectly.

Instead of determining what constitutes medicine through science and research, Daw said, they have done so through legislative or initiative-bound mandate.

"It became clear to me that we need to do it the right way," said Daw, from Orem. "Let's let the research be the guiding factor to decide what is medicine and what is not."

Lawmakers took a first step to that goal Monday, when a House committee unanimously approved Daw's measure allowing for expanded research into medical marijuana in the state.

The Irish College of General Practitioners says efforts to legalise cannabis for therapeutic use could begin within 12 - 24 months.

A new survey has found a substantial majority of Irish family doctors support the legalisation of cannabis for medicinal use.

However, according to the same survey, more than half of Irish GPs do not support the decriminalisation of the drug for recreational use.

Over 60% of the doctors surveyed agreed that cannabis can have a role in palliative care, pain management and the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) - with 58.6% coming out in support of the legalisation of the drug for medicinal use.

The way Charles Jones sees it, when cannabis consumers choose a strain, what they’re really choosing is a mood. 

He’s simply fine-tuning that process – and supposedly offering a lack of negative side effects to boot. 

Jones is the founder of LucidMood, a start-up in Boulder, Colorado that specializes in cannabis products featuring a range of “mood-enhancing terpenes” and, perhaps most intriguingly, zero “strong negative side effects.”

The company’s flagship products are “sippers”, which are disposable vape pens filled with 1:1 ratios of CBD and THC. Each sipper features specific terpenes and aromatherapy-based natural ingredients to promote feelings of ‘Energy’, ‘Bliss’, ‘Relax’ or ‘Focus’ in the consumer.

People who use marijuana for medical purposes are much more likely to vaporize or consume edible forms of the drug than recreational users, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

The study, which surveyed people from four western states that have legalized medical marijuana, also found that those who use marijuana for medicinal purposes are more likely to report daily or near-daily use and consume more as measured by grams per day.

In addition, those who only use marijuana for medicinal purposes do not report use of marijuana concurrently with alcohol, while those who report using recreationally consume marijuana with alcohol on nearly one in five occasions.

It all started with her parent’s dog, Toby.

The 140 pound Akita and Great Dane mix had been adopted as a puppy and quickly developed stomach issues ranging from diarrhea to vomiting.

After many tests, the conclusion was that Toby suffered from a weak stomach and it was recommend that the dog be given Pepcid every day.

“We were at our wit’s end,” said Jordan Roberts of Saugus. “You don’t want to see a dog suffer like that. It was becoming a quality of life issue.”

Medical marijuana in Arizona generated $280 million in sales, $30 million in tax revenue

Medical marijuana is a growing industry across the country, and that's especially true here in Arizona.

The latest numbers from the Arizona Department of Health Services show there are now more card holders than ever before, and they are also using more cannabis than ever before.

All of it comes on the heels of an election that saw voters narrowly reject an effort to legalize recreational use of pot in our state.

"I think a lot of people were waiting to see if it's going to pass. It's a lot easier for 'hey I'm going to try cannabis for whatever medical conditions," said Lilach Mazor Power of Giving Tree Wellness.

Canadian weed?

It's supposed to be pretty good.

But Arizona medical marijuana?

Super profitable.

Ask the people from a Toronto firm who recently announced the "acquisition" — with caveats and disclaimers — of two Mesa dispensaries.

The $27 million deal also includes one of the state's biggest cannabis-extracts brands and an option to control a cultivation and wholesale business in Nevada, where voters legalized recreational marijuana in November.

After several attempts to get cannabis oil allowed through the court system with many testimonials from those who had been helped, cannabis advocate Rick Simpson realized this important harsh reality: The cancer industry does not want a cure for cancer.

Since then, Rick removed himself from Canada and exiled himself to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Now he tours the world spreading the wonders of cannabis healing to whomever is willing to listen.

You can view his full length documentary below.