A major new Australian industry could grow up around medicinal cannabis, with possibilities for global export opening up further down the track.

The Narcotics Drugs Amendment Act 2016 came into force last week giving the green light to cultivating and manufacturing cannabis for medicinal or scientific purposes in Australia and offering chronically ill patients some relief, where previously they were forced to source cannabis illegally, often of dubious quality.

Former actress Saya Takagi was arrested in Okinawa on Oct. 25 for possession of marijuana, three months after she unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the Upper House election on a platform to legalize pot for medical purposes. She insists the contraband was not hers.

Tom couldn't sleep.

After six years in the U.S. Navy, he found himself in the civilian world unable to readjust from his time on a ship, when a commanding officer would often wake up the sailors every few hours.

He tried prescription sleep aids, but nothing really worked until he smoked some weed.

"I tried it very sparingly and slept the whole night for the first time in like months," Tom said.

For members of the U.S. military, admitting to using marijuana could result in an investigation and in most cases, punishment or separation from the military. Because of this, many of the veterans who use marijuana chose not to reveal their last names to the Times-Call for this story.

The state has issued its second "health alert" for marijuana contaminated with pesticides or pesticide ingredients, in this case three strains of marijuana flowers sold from dispensaries in Salem, Eugene and North Bend. 

The Oregon Health Authority is advising anyone who bought the strains to either return them to the dispensaries or dispose of them.

It's not clear how the tainted marijuana ended up on store shelves after apparently failing lab tests. Health authority officials are investigating why that happened. Producers are supposed to destroy the strains that fail pesticide tests.

The state is withholding the names of the growers, saying it's confidential information.

Onto South Africa now…The decriminalization of marijuana could contribute to improved public health. That’s according to the country’s Central Drug Authority. The Authority argues in their medical journal that criminalization has had little impact on how people use the drug. But opponents fear crime connected to drug abuse and marijuana users graduating to harder drugs. CCTV’s Yolisa Njamela has the story

The State of Michigan did not properly audit physician certifications for Michigan medical marijuana cards and one physician certified 11,810 patients – 14% of the total, according to a new audit.

The report released Thursday by Michigan Auditor General Doug Ringler found that 22 other physicians certified a combined 46,854 medical marijuana patients, or 56% of the total for the 2015 fiscal year.

Those numbers raise concerns about "fraudulent physician certification forms," and point to a need for the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, which administers the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program, to "improve its process to verify physician certifications."

For centuries, cannabis has been coveted for its medicinal properties. More than simply a relaxant, it’s emerged as a bona fide treatment for a myriad of health concerns, from depression and anxiety to back pain and arthritis. Now, the green leafy plant has landed itself in the spotlight for yet another feat, with new research showing that cannabis could actively enhance night vision.

A Caribbean cocktail

The use of medical marijuana has been a hot topic in the NFL over the last decade or so, especially with the public's growing concern for the safety of the league's players. In ESPN The Magazine's November 14 "Pain Issue," the sports imprint polled 226 players from the AFC and NFC to see how the one's that really matter feel about the two, medical marijuana and painkillers.

Should medical marijuana be legal in all states?

Yes 71 percent
No 29 percent

Have you ever known a teammate to use marijuana before a game?

Yes 22 percent
No 78 percent

The panel charged with putting the state’s new medical marijuana law in effect has come up with some rules for sites where marijuana would be grown in Ohio.

The number of proposed growing sites has upset activists who’ve had questions about the new law.  

Limited growing sites and other rules

The Ohio Department of Commerce’s proposals would limit the number of marijuana growing sites to 18. The licenses and fees for the 12 larger sites would be $200,000 each; those for the six smaller sites would be $20,000 each.

'Apparently they want to shut out the Ma and Pa shops.'

Manufacturers of CBD products were rocked last month by the announcement that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency had taken the the decision to classify products containing CBD as Medicines. While generally regarded as a positive move long-term, the decision to give manufacturers and retailers only 28 days to voluntarily comply had been met with dismay by the industry, who were expecting to have to cease trading on Friday 4th November.