HARTFORD - A state supreme court ruling is opening the door for those with marijuana possession convictions to have their records cleared.

Now a Hartford lawyer will help those with convictions free of charge.

Attorney Corey Brinson said there are likely thousands of people in Connecticut with convictions for possession of a small amount of pot, and many probably have no clue they’re eligible to have it expunged.

“We all make mistakes and unfortunately for some people who make mistakes, they are forever tarred and feathered and branded with a criminal conviction,” said Brinson on Thursday.

On Monday the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled unanimously that convictions prior to the 2011 decriminalization of marijuana could be overturned.

by Kira Lerner Posted on March 19, 2015 at 8:00 am Updated: March 19, 2015 at 9:28 am

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… Peter Sinkamba has a point. Trouble is, he is from the future. In his enlightenment, he is many years ahead of the average citizen. Indeed he will be misunderstood reviled and even fought because his audience is way behind him. His attitude should be like that of Jesus, 'forgive them Father for they know not what they do'.

In an interview with Vice News this week, President Obama suggested that removing marijuana from the list of federally prohibited substances would represent “progress.” At the same time, he made it clear he’s in no hurry to see that happen. “Young people,” he said, “I understand this is important to you. But, you know, you should be thinking about climate change, the economy, jobs, war and peace. Maybe, way at the bottom, you should be thinking about marijuana.”

The first government-run recreational marijuana store in the country opened this month in Washington State. Revenues from the pot shop will benefit the small town of North Bonneville, in the Columbia River Gorge.

Community leaders there say their town could really use the cash. The economy in that part of the state has been slow to recover since the timber industry collapsed more than two decades ago.

“There is one gas station. There is one restaurant. There is a golf course. And there is the Bonneville Hot Springs Hotel,” said John Spencer, the former city administrator turned consultant.

With a few exceptions he’s just described most of the town’s economy.

As a result of policy changes introduced by the Conservative government, corporations are taking over medicinal cannabis, concentrating business in the hands of people with ties to Big Pharma.

One morning in February, Nanaimo councillors and business leaders met in an industrial area about 20 minutes from the city’s downtown.

The building they stood before is nondescript. But, recounted Sasha Angus, CEO of the Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation, “It’s like a vault wrapped by Fort Knox wrapped in a castle.

“Cameras, vibration sensors, and a lot of time and effort,” he continued, describing the facility’s security measures. “There’s a vault that’s two feet thick with more vibration sensors. It’s about one level below a nuclear-missile silo.”

NEW YORK (MarketWatch)—Paying and accepting cash for “legal” marijuana transactions isn’t easy, or safe for that matter. But prepaid debit card processor Global Payout Inc. GOHE, +8.70%  is aiming to change that with a payment system unveiled Wednesday that’s exclusively for Mary Jane.

In the marijuana industry, even in the more than 20 states where recreational and/or medical marijuana is legal or decriminalized, cash is the sole method of payment between buyers and sellers. That creates both danger and inconvenience for producers and retailers, according to Global Payout Chief Executive Jim Hancock, as they are forced to handle large amounts of cash.

How do you save millions on taxes while bringing millions more to the state economy?

The answer could be blowing in the wind Saturday in Trenton where a group of activists plan to march to the State House, speak out and smoke out.

Launching what organizers call "the strongest cannabis campaign the state has ever seen," "NJ Spring Smoke Out" is just the beginning in a blaze of pro-marijuana demonstrations set throughout the state this spring, including a return to Trenton on April 20 and to Camden on May 2.

Medical marijuana has new competition, and it's fierce: Sales of recreational pot in Colorado are growing faster than sales of medical pot, even though medical marijuana is cheaper because of a lower tax rate.

That trend will continue, according to the most thorough analysis yet of the two, side-by-side legal markets.

GreenWave Advisors, which provides analysis for the cannabis industry, reports that medical marijuana sales growth in Colorado dipped in 2014, as did the number of new medical cardholders.