QUINCY, Ill. (WGEM) - The Medical Marijuana program in Illinois, which started in January of 2014, is off to a slow start, but public health officials say now is the time for patients to apply.

First, patients need to fill out an application to get a medical marijuana card. They'll need their doctor to sign a form showing they have an eligible condition. 

Illinois health officials say they were able to iron out the approval process after looking at the dozens of other states with similar programs.

New Rochelle, NY, April 24, 2015 -- Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, a new peer-reviewed, open access journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com/), is the only journal dedicated to the scientific, medical, and psychosocial exploration of clinical cannabis, cannabinoids, and the biochemical mechanisms of endocannabinoids. Launching in fall 2015, the Journal will be the premier open source for authoritative cannabis and cannabinoid research, discussion, and debate. The Journal will publish under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY) license to ensure broad dissemination and participation.

The MassRoots team is thrilled to announce that we are partnering and taking an equity position in a full seed-to-sale system, currently operating in stealth under the name Flowhub. Over the coming weeks, the MassRoots and Flowhub development teams will be integrating their systems, expanding the services available to MassRoots' users and dispensaries.

As you might be aware, in 2000, Hawaii enacted a medical use of marijuana law (Act 228, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000). The problem, of course, has been how to get this medical marijuana to those who need it without violating other laws. So this year our Legislature is working on House Bill 321, which would establish standards for and regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries.

Medical marijuana use continues to grow in Canada which has led to questions about whether it's appropriate to take it at work.

"There's still a lot of stigmatization out there," said employment lawyer David Whitten.  

"A lot of people are basing their thoughts and ideas on movies that came out in the '80s. We've come a long way since then and it's recognized just like any other medication," Whitten told CBC Radio.

Although Whitten said employers need to be more flexible when it comes to allowing workers to use weed at work, he does acknowledge there are occasions when an employer can ask a worker not to take their medicine.

HARRISBURG (CBS) — Medical marijuana legislation is advancing through the Pennsylvania legislature and the profile of the man leading the charge is not what most people would expect.

State Senator Mike Folmer, a Lebanon County Republican, is not just the sponsor of legislation to legalize medical marijuana, he is passionate about it. That passion, he says, comes from what he has learned about it.

When discussing medical marijuana, the conversation inevitably turns to whether the federal government or a state will legalize recreational use of the drug. 

That's not the case when you're talking to Josh Stanley, who has been called the "pioneer" of Colorado's medical marijuana industry. 

Stanley and his business, Citiva Medical, are focused squarely on the medicinal uses of the cannabis plant. With New York legalizing the use of medical marijuana, the company is looking to be one of five licensed growers of the drug in the state. 

For Stanley, the question is why move to New York? Why not stay in Colorado where he became a leading voice for the medical marijuana movement? 

In short, it's about science. 

Two young entrepreneurs are confident their business plan for a medical marijuana facility, set to launch within weeks in Masson, Que. will bring them success, and more importantly, relief to sufferers across the country.

Sebastien St-Louis and Adam Miron, both 31, are brothers-in-law and co-founders of the Hydropothecary -- a facility that will soon distribute medical marijuana throughout Canada.

"Like all good Canadian companies, this was an idea that was born around a campfire at a cottage," Miron told the Sun.

The concept has come a long way since it was first envisioned in July 2013, between the pair and childhood friend, Max Cyr who now serves as customer service manager for the company.

DENVER (AP) -- A Colorado proposal to require marijuana shops to post warnings for pregnant and nursing women failed Wednesday when Senate Republicans said the first-in-the-nation requirement would be unfair.

The bill to require maternal pot warning signs had the support of some Republicans and the state Health Department.

Supporters conceded that there's limited research that maternal marijuana use harms fetuses and nursing children. But they said Colorado should err on the side of warning consumers about the newly legal drug.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 22, 2015 -- BioTrackTHC the leading provider of seed-to-sale software solutions for medical and retail marijuana businesses and state governments, today announced that it has retained Cannabis Global Initiative (CGI) to expand the reach of BioTrackTHC's cannabis tracking technology to new domestic and international regions.

"CGI and its president, Wanda James, are primary movers in this sector and we know that this agreement will bolster BioTrackTHC's already rapidly growing business," said Steven Siegel, CEO, BioTrackTHC. "In fact, just this week Wanda James was named as one of the 20 most influential people in the cannabis industry by International Business Times, a tremendous and well-deserved honor."