TORONTO — Medical marijuana is currently legal in 23 states and the District of Columbia. On a regular basis, studies are released supporting the use of cannabis for the use in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Despite the growing calls to expand the use of marijuana for a host of medical conditions, psychiatrists should be hesitant as much of the data out there is inconclusive and marijuana use, even for supposed medicinal purposes, can lead to addiction in some cases, according to Kevin P. Hill, MD, a psychiatrist at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass. and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.

Health officials in Massachusetts on Friday overhauled the process of granting licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries.

Regulators from the administration of Governor Charlie Baker revamped licensing strikes away the subjectivity and secrecy that had ruined the system under former governor Deval Patrick’s tenure.

It has been found that the controversy surrounding the previous system sparked more than two dozen lawsuits, and left patients without any dispensaries 2½ years after voters approved marijuana for medical use.

For police, pot edibles are the latest frontier when it comes to confiscating marijuana. From brownies and cookies to lollipops and gummy bears, police are increasingly dealing with sweets made with marijuana, not just buds from the plant itself, the New York Times reported Saturday.

The Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana a.k.a WAMM has been operating out of Santa Cruz, California for over two decades, but the collective is in danger of closing shop for patients if they don't receive the necessary funding.

Founded in 1993, WAMM is America's oldest continuously operating medical cannabis collective, according the the organization's website. They provide low-cost and free medicalmarijuana to California patients with a doctor's recommendation for chronic and terminal illnesses.

 

If I had to get my daughter's medicine from a dispensary, I'd probably go broke

The state expects to register the companies selected to grow, distribute medical marijuana by July.

ALBANY – The state Department of Health has pushed back a deadline to apply for a license to grow and distribute medical marijuana.

The new deadline for businesses seeking one of five licenses statewide is now June 5, according to a notice posted Friday to the health department's website. It had previously been May 29.

The state said the delay is the result of a high number of questions about the application process and is pushing back the deadline to provide answers.

Why are we, two cops-turned-legislators, trying to legalize pot? Because it’s going to happen, and we want to make sure the approach Maine takes is safe, successful, regulated and taxed. The time to legalize is now so our representatives don’t fall behind the voters. We must be proactive, not reactive.

Nationally, momentum is building in favor of a better approach to marijuana than our current, outdated laws allow. Locally, a recent poll found that 65 percent of Maine voters agree; they believe adult-use marijuana should be legal if it is strictly controlled and regulated in a manner similar to alcohol.

GW Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: GWPH  ) has the richest pipeline of marijuana-derived medicines in development, and that has investors flocking to pick up shares in hopes of benefiting from the rising adoption of such drugs. But a flurry of research trials is also costing the company big bucks, so investors should pay close attention to how quickly it burns through its cash stockpile.

BANGOR, Maine — A health care company that operates walk-in clinics in five states that specialize in qualifying people to use medical marijuana recently expanded into Maine, with locations in Bangor, Augusta, Biddeford, and a fourth planned for Auburn.

Gresham's debate this month over whether to allow medical marijuana businesses exposed a deep divide of opinion about the drug in the state.

Supporters, like Councilor Karylinn Echols, argued city government shouldn't stand in the way of a patient's need for medication while Council President Jerry Hinton, who opposes the businesses, said he doesn't want to provide access to another intoxicating drug to residents.

The use of marijuana for medical purposes is now legal in 23 states and, as of this writing, 9 states have pending legislation or ballot measures to legalize medical marijuana.1 Estimates are that between 85 and 95 percent of Americans are in favor of medical cannabis, and nearly 60 percent support complete legalization of marijuana.