Interest in Maryland's medical marijuana program is higher than anyone expected. The state has received more than 1,000 applications for licenses.

The first stage in approving a license is set for January, but there are so many applications the process may be delayed.

"The thing that works most completely for me is a few puffs of cannabis," said Barry Considine, of Halethorpe.

Polio left Considine's muscles so weak, he's dealing with osteoarthritis. He's in near constant pain throughout his spine, hands and knees.

Maryland's medical marijuana program can't get up and running fast enough as far as Considine is concerned.

POULTNEY, Vt. -

Vermont's medical marijuana patients could soon have their medicine delivered right to their door.

Ruth Reich lives and works on a small horse farm in Poultney.

"It's a very physical job," she said. "I run this farm on my own."

That challenge is made more difficult by health problems; she's a cancer survivor and has spinal issues, leaving her living with a lot of pain. A couple of years ago she secured a medical marijuana card, finding her body better tolerated cannabis than powerful prescription drugs she says wreaked havoc on her body. But she has not stopped by the dispensary in two months, because unlike prescription painkillers insurance doesn't cover pot.

• CNN tested six pot products and one of them tested positive for high levels of  a neurotoxin called imidacloprid, which shouldn't be used on marijuana
• This led to more testing by state agencies and a voluntary recall of 2,362 pot products, all made and distributed by Tru Cannibis
• The state is looking for better ways to regulate 'buyer beware' pot market  

High levels of pesticides in marijuana products have resulted in voluntary recalls of thousands of pot products legally sold in Colorado, according to CNN.

A new study finds that high-potency cannabis may damage nerve fibers in the brain.

An eye-opening new studying indicates that toking up might not always be a good idea.

The study, published by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, found that high-strength cannabis can damage nerve fibers that handle the flow of messages in the brain, based on scans of people who regularly smoked strong marijuana, according to a Guardian report.

It’s the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College London, yet again, with another terrifying story about cannabis that is immediately distorted, exaggerated and misrepresented by the scientifically illiterate hacks of Fleet Street.

This time though King’s College itself has reported the results of its own research inaccurately and published false and misleading claims.

TRURO - Production of Nova Scotia’s first, legalized medicinal marijuana grow operation is expected to begin next summer if all goes according to plan.

The Truro Herbal Co. (The THC) has received Stage 3 approval from Health Canada under the federal medical marijuana production regulations.

Company president Evan Price said he is hoping production will be underway by next July or August.

“It’s not just something that you do overnight,” he said, of the heavily scrutinized approval process required to set up a legalized marijuana grow op.

The THC is now reviewing security system protocols and developing a construction plan for the new facility to be built in the Truro Business Park.

LONDON, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- In scanning the brains of drug users, researchers at Kings College London found smokers of high-potency pot had smaller amounts of white brain matter inside their corpus callosum, a neural pathway connecting the left and right halves of the brain.

While pot smokers generally showed more damage to the corpus callosum than non-smokers, those who smoked super strong weed known as 'skunk' showed more significant white matter loss.

Scientists performed MRI scans on the brains of 56 patients who had visited a London hospital reporting a first episode of psychosis. The brains of 43 healthy participants were also scanned. All the participants were surveyed about their drug habits.

One-hundred percent (100%) of people with migraine headache, fibromyalgia or irritable bowel syndrome who use medical marijuana for a minimum of 30 days report a reduction in pain and discomfort, a survey of 621 by the Care By Design found.

People included in the survey suffer from a range of different conditions, and some suffer from multiple conditions, including:

In experimental studies, THC has been shown to induce psychotic symptoms and “skunk-like” products high in THC are now thought to be the most commonly used forms of cannabis in the UK.

Scientists have suggested that super strength cannabis may prevent messages travelling between the two halves of the brain by damaging the nerve fibers in white matter.

“It is possible that these people already have a different brain and they are more likely to use cannabis”.

Studies have increasingly associated the use of skunk cannabis with increased risk of psychosis – a term used to describe hallucinations and delusions that arise from some mental disorders, such as schizophrenia.

The Moorpark Planning Commission this week recommended approval of a zoning ordinance banning both medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation in the city.

The planning commission voted 3-0, with Commissioners Daniel Groff and Kipp Landis absent, to make the recommendation to the Moorpark City Council, which will make a final decision on the matter at a future meeting.

Cities throughout the state, including Moorpark, are looking at their own local laws and regulations on the heels of a new state law — the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act — which established statewide regulations for the growing, distribution and sale of medical marijuana in California.