Revised recreational marijuana bill SB 1176, died in Regulated Industries Committee on May 1, 2015.

The bill was the second attempt by Miami-Dade Senator Dwight Bullard to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. His first attempt, SB 1562, was filed last February 28. That bill also died in Regulated Industries Committee (May 2, 2014)

The difference between the original bill and revised bill was the revision “strengthened the efforts to direct revenue from the excise tax on marijuana to educational and health-related issues” according to Bullard.

In simpler terms, the new bill stated that some of the profit made by the tax on recreational marijuana would go to the Department of Health and Department of Education.

BETHESDA, Md., May 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cannabics Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CNBX) announced today that it has filed an exclusive patent application with the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) on a System and Method for High Throughput Screening of Cancer Cells.

LINCOLN (AP) — The sponsor of a proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska pulled the bill from the Legislature’s agenda on Wednesday, citing a flurry of other divisive votes senators have had to defend recently — including a repeal of the death penalty.

Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue asked Wednesday to hold his bill until June 15, ensuring senators will not revisit the debate until next year.

The move came one day after the Omaha chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws filed a petition to put the medical marijuana on the ballot for voters to decide.

Having thick skin is a necessary asset when investing in the cannabis sector. Pity the over-the-counter small investor cautiously entering the cannabis sector, either the long-time advocate or someone who knows the product well from a personal standpoint.

It is bad enough that they have to endure the stigma of the stereotypical stoner, still-questionable legality or ignorance-induced bias from observers, they also have to endure the derision of the investing world, especially long-term investors, who consider penny stocks nothing more than day-trading fodder for gamblers. Not to mention the sector also attracts opportunists who exploit its less-restrictive financial reporting requirements, juggle their books or set up outright scams.

The Town of Romulus Board meeting provided a letter of support to a medical company looking to grow marijuana on 20 acres of the old Seneca Army Depot. Mike Palombo, Director of Research and Development for Civita Medical, a research and development company with property in the former Army Depot, gave the introduction. The property is located near Seneca Bio-energy; it would be all fenced in and secure with employee parking as part of Phase I.

Civita bought property in the Depot in 2014. Palombo reminded the public that the Governor Cuomo’s office has approved legislation for medical marijuana, and said the company was seeking one of five New York State licenses to grow medical marijuana.

TOTALLY HEMP CRAZY (OTCMKTS:THCZ) continues to fall as it has failed to supply investors with a fresh bout of information. The only update from the company came last week when it had officially welcomed four new distributors for its popular Rocky Mountain High hemp-infused beverage distribution team.

Exploring and extending to new regions

In a press note, founder of the company, Jerry Grisaffi notified the addition of Mad Beez LLC, which will target the Minneapolis-Saint Paul region in Minnesota. Mad Beez LLC is led by Mark Miles.

The state has a year until it begins issuing licenses for businesses selling recreational marijuana. Between now and then, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Board is home to a new body developing regulations: the Marijuana Control Board.

The rules taking shape are modeled on commercial alcohol sales, with regulators hoping to learn from past mistakes in Washington and Colorado.

On Thursday, ABC Board Director Cynthia Franklin spoke to members of the Anchorage Assembly in a packed conference room. The state codes concerned with growing, selling, and managing marijuana are expected to be done by November. And similar to Title 4 dealing with alcohol, the emerging ordinances are based on lots of local control.

Ross Ulbricht, creator of the underground website Silk Road, which let users anonymously buy and sell anything from drugs to hacking tutorials, was sentenced Friday to life in prison after he made a tearfulplea for leniency.

Ulbricht, who is 31, was convicted in February on seven counts ranging from money laundering to drug trafficking. He could have been sentenced to only 20 years.

U.S. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest was clear that she was making an example of Ulbricht in part to deter others from committing similar crimes.

"There must be no doubt that no one is above the law," Forrest said. "You, as the defendant, have to pay the price."

Cornelis Jan Slomp, the Dutchman who became the biggest seller of illegal drugs on the so-called Deep Web marketplace Silk Road, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Slomp sold MDMA, ecstasy, cocaine, benzodiazepine, amphetamine, LSD, and marijuana in vast quantities on Silk Road, working from his home in Holland and using the account name SuperTrips.

What made Slomp such a big target wasn't the range of drugs he sold (lots of sellers offer a variety of items on the Deep Web, a section of the internet hidden from most web browsers), but the sheer amount he was able to sell.

When Dana Beal was locked up in Nebraska and Wisconsin a few years back, facing hard time after being busted transporting hundreds of pounds of marijuana, friends and allies from across the world flew to the Midwest to speak on his behalf. 

These days, all the backup Beal, 68, who ended up serving about three years, says he needs is five or six people to join his bi-weekly pickets outside of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in lower Manhattan.