Utah is considering a bill that would allow patients with certain debilitating conditions to be treated with edible forms of marijuana. If the bill passes, the state's wildlife may "cultivate a taste" for the plant, lose their fear of humans, and basically be high all the time. That's according to testimony presented to a Utah Senate panel (time stamp 58:00) last week by an agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

"I deal in facts. I deal in science," said special agent Matt Fairbanks, who's been working in the state for a decade. He is member of the "marijuana eradication" team in Utah. Some of his colleagues in Georgia recently achieved notoriety by raiding a retiree's garden and seizing a number of okra plants.

March 2, 2015

Dispensaries in Maine sold an estimated $16.2 million worth of medical cannabis last year, while the state collected around $900,000 in taxes on those transactions, according to the latest figures.

The tax haul was about 40% more than 2013, according to the Portland Press Herald, meaning sales rose by a similar amount.

March 2, 2015

Oregon could keep medical marijuana completely separate from recreational cannabis when retail sales begin next year.

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), which is tasked with writing recommendations for policymakers, told the state Legislature that it believes medical and recreational cannabis should not be sold under one roof unless both are tracked the same way – from seed to sale.

The OLCC “does not want to be responsible for the co-location of medical and recreational operations unless the medical side is run in a manner consistent with federal guidelines,” Rob Patridge, chair of the agency, said in a press release.

March 2, 2015

Missouri has joined the growing number of states legalizing CBD-based medicines.

The state awarded cultivation and production licenses for hemp to two companies, Noah’s Arc Foundation and BeLEAF Corporation. Mitch Meyers, the head of BeLEAF, also has plans to open a medical marijuana dispensary near Chicago, according to a Missouri TV station.

earchers at Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University have identified nonwhite, low-income women aged over 50 as most likely to perceive regularly using cannabis as a risky activity, with women nearly twice as likely to perceive a risk compared with men.

Public perceptions of cannabis use appear to be changing as more and more states move to legalize the use of the drug for medical purposes.

Results from the study, published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, were obtained through analysis of data from the 2002-12 survey years of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

When Eric Holder steps down as attorney general, he'll leave behind a legacy on more than just civil rights issues. For advocates of recreational marijuana use, Holder was a progressive leader who played a key role in the early days of legalization at the state level.

"He has established a foundation that other attorney generals will build on," Dr. Malik Burnett, the policy manager at the Drug Policy Alliance told CBS News during a marijuana expo in Washington, D.C. that took place over the weekend. "He's been progressive on marijuana issues, as progressive as an AG who has to uphold the federal ban on marijuana can be."

Within a year, investors will begin making millions off medical marijuana in Illinois.

Dispensaries and growing centers are under construction now. The Illinois Department of Public Health reports 14,000 patient requests and has issued 1,000 approval letters.

Legal marijuana for medical or recreational uses is sweeping the nation. In this environment, it seems cruel to continue pursuing serious misdemeanor and felony charges against casual users.

An Iowa Senate bill would make first-time possession of five grams, about $100 worth at Colorado dispensary rates, a simple misdemeanor, a ticketable offense punishable by a fine of up to $625 and no more than 30 days in jail.

Idaho’s stringent marijuana laws do not allow for medicinal use. The family of a girl with a rare form of epilepsy began lobbying lawmakers to decriminalize the oil almost two years ago. Now, they’ve got some legislative backers and an upcoming hearing.

BOISE, Idaho — Ten-year-old Alexis Carey has a rare but intractable form of epilepsy, Dravet Syndrome. The genetic disease causes severe and multiple seizures, which often leave parents guessing if the terror of watching their child seize up will pass or turn fatal.

Her Boise, Idaho, family learned that oil extracted from marijuana had helped other children and wanted to see if it would help Alexis, too.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Ten-year-old Alexis Carey has a rare but intractable form of epilepsy, Dravet Syndrome. The genetic disease causes severe and multiple seizures, which often leave parents guessing if the terror of watching their child seize up will pass or turn fatal.

Her Boise, Idaho, family learned that oil extracted from marijuana had helped other children and wanted to see if it would help Alexis too.

“Parent to parent, when you’re in a small community and 10 people that you know are all having success, that’s no longer anecdotal,” Clare Carey, her mother, said. “That’s hope.”

Fox News Medical A-Team member Dr. David Samadi asserted over the weekend that “crack babies” were caused by women “smoking this whole marijuana business.”

On the Saturday edition of Fox & Friends, host Clayton Morris reported that a recent study published in Scientific Reports found that marijuana was less dangerous than any other common recreational drug, including alcohol and cigarettes.