CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire is one step closer to giving qualifying patients access to medical marijuana.

The state's Department of Health and Human Services says it has selected three vendors to operate four dispensaries across the state, although specific locations have not been chosen. New Hampshire passed a medical marijuana law in 2013, and the state is running behind schedule in making the treatment available.

The dispensaries will be located in four specific geographic areas: Belknap, Strafford and Rockingham counties; Merrimack and Hillsborough Counties; Sullivan and Cheshire counties; and Grafton, Carroll and Coos counties.

When it comes to starting a marijuana business, not all states are created equal. In many medical marijuana states with older programs, the barrier to entry into the market is not that large. In Oregon it’s literally as easy as applying for a dispensary license for a fee, and finding a place that is a proper distance away from a school or another dispensary. I know people that have opened dispensaries in Oregon for $10,000, and that includes all the startup costs to start making sales. Most dispensaries in Oregon cost more than that, but for a basic dispensary, that amount is doable.

A group called the Coalition for Dispensary Free Communities is protesting Vancouver’s proposed regulations for marijuana dispensaries ahead of its June 10 public hearing.

Currently, there are over 90 medical marijuana dispensaries around the city — but there are only 16 licensed producers in Canada. The new regulations put forward in a report by the Vancouver’s chief license inspector proposes marijuana businesses to be at least 300 metres away from schools and community centres. Under the new regulations, the businesses will also require to pay an operating fee of $30,000 per year, as well as acquiring a “Good Neighbour Agreement.”

Connecticut now has more than 4,000 registered medical marijuana patients, new figures from the state Department of Consumer Protection show.

The Medical Marijuana Program, which began last fall, had 4,097 registered patients as of June 5, up from 3,600 in April and 2,300 in September.

The number of registered patients, while steadily increasing, is still far below the 20,000, by one manufacturer's estimate, who could be served by the four medical marijuana manufacturers and six dispensaries.

When pot is this good, people don't give up. And Florida is not giving up on medical-grade marijuana anytime soon.

In fact, in coming weeks the second political push to legalize medical marijuana in the Sunshine State via a constitutional amendment will be underway.

Last year, 58 percent of state voters approved such an amendment. However, the legislation needed 60 percent voter-approval to pass. So close, yet so far.

Now leaders of United for Care, the grassroots organization backed by a powerful Orlando attorney, John Morgan, expect to hit the ground sometime in June to build support.

One week in, more than 100 health providers have signed up to certify patients for medical cannabis.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, 54 out of 104 health professionals who applied, including doctors, got the green light from the state to certify patients to receive medical marijuana for treatment of a qualifying condition, such as epilepsy or cancer.

It is unclear why 50 percent of the applicants haven't been certified.

Manny Munson-Regala, assistant commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Health, said it may take time to verify practitioners' credentials.

"It's probably a mix of different things," he said. "We want to ensure that they in fact have one of the appropriate licenses."

Patients and medical practitioners need to understand what exactly is in their product. As our industry moves forward, a critical change will be the role of testing. In order to give Lift readers a better understanding of the Quality Assurance andcannabis testing practices that are required under Canada’s MMPR legislation, we’ve enlisted the help of Emily Kirkham, VP of Laboratory Operations at Signoto.

Dr. Donald Tashkin's studies "failed to find any positive association" between lung cancer and smoking weed

“You've got to hold it in your lungs longer, George.” A lot of people remember the famous comment by actor Peter Fonda in Easy Rider.

Thanks to the knowledge contained within the mind of Dr. Donald Tashkin, professor emeritus of medicine at UCLA, the statement makes more sense than ever. He has been studying weed and its effects on lungs for more than 30 years, and provided early evidence that average weed smoking does not cause lung cancer or impair lung function.

Although Tashkin does not condone taking a toke, his insightful research into the effects on the lungs of smoking of marijuana has been published in numerous publications.

Thanks to last year’s pro-CBD legislation, South Carolina is one of 10+ state in America that allows cannabis oil intake for those with severe ailments (like epilepsy and cancer).

But unlike most of these other states where kids can’t access CBD oils and are dying (see: Wisconsin, New York), South Carolina now has the cure moderately available. The oil aiding South Carolina’s patients in need is called Palmetto Harmony, a locally produced CBD-centric product (that means it doesn’t get anyone high).