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.

DENVER — A victory for The Denver Department of Environmental Health after a judge maintained the department’s hold on thousands of marijuana plants.

In March, the city quarantined thousands of plants from several cultivation sites because a pesticide may have been improperly used.

On March 25, the Denver Department of Environmental Health found evidence that plants at six locations had been contaminated by pesticides which are not approved by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. The businesses involved cannot sell the marijuana which has been placed on hold.

Global warming may give a minor twist to that classic hippie bumper sticker that quips "Acid rain: Too bad it's not as much fun as it sounds." Turns out a warming climate could boost the medicinal and psychoactive properties of plants including cannabis. 

But that’s not all: Climate change will also open up higher elevations to growing weed clandestinely on public lands, a practice that’s putting increased strain on fragile ecosystems.

Some say relaxed marijuana laws exacerbate the problem by bringing in more growers; others argue increased regulation and oversight will eventually lead to more responsible growing practices.

Outdoor pot will become hardier

The sweeping changes instituted by the Nevada Athletic Commission during a Friday meeting will forever change the way users of performance-enhancing drugs are punished when caught.

It has been a long time coming. For years, the Nevada commission (and many others around the world) turned a deaf ear to the PED problem in combat sports. The punishments were barely a deterrent. Cheaters knew that they could cheat and, if caught, receive what amounted to less than a year on the sidelines.

That's no longer the case. On Friday (and in a very short period of time), the commission discussed and voted on new rules that will drop the proverbial hammer on offenders who use steroids, sedatives, marijuana and more.

The convention floor at Denver Airport’s Crowne Plaza on a recent afternoon could have been the trade show for any well-established industry — gray-haired execs in conservative suits mingling with office park dads in polos and fresh-out-of-college types in brand-emblazoned T-shirts. Only this is a new kind of business conference with a special Colorado theme: legal weed.

After Colorado voters legalized marijuana in 2012, more states and cities are considering a similar path for themselves. At the same time, the cannabis market is looking less like a music festival and more like a Silicon Valley confab — upscale, data-driven and focused on investors.

In parenting, the “terrible twos” are when babies are just starting to learn what they are capable of doing.

“Hey, look at this—I can move around! Hmmm, I can communicate, and people will be riveted by it. Hey, I think I’m the most interesting thing in the room. Yep, sure am!”

This transition in itself creates a whole host of conflicts—temper tantrums, learning to say no, and a fair amount of general bumbling. As the Mayo Clinic describes it, “The terrible twos typically occur when toddlers begin to struggle between their reliance on adults and their desire for independence.”

A Florida advocate of legalizing marijuana says a threat prompted him to withdraw his offer to pay supporters of Mississippi's petition drive to gather signatures on petitions for a statewide election.

Jeremy Bufford of Medical Marijuana United in Tampa, Florida, offered in April to pay $1 to $2 for each certified signature.

The Commercial Appeal reports that Bufford says in an email to Mississippi supporters that he decided to withdraw after consulting with law enforcement and attorneys. He did not describe the threat.

He did not immediately respond to an email Sunday from The Associated Press; the newspaper said he did not return its phone call.

When recreational marijuana became legal in Washington state, people wondered what would happen to medical marijuana dispensaries.

Gov. Jay Inslee answered that question in April, when he signed a law requiring they obtain licenses and join the state regulatory system.

But medical marijuana dispensary owners have more questions about emerging from the shadows, and they’re turning Robert McVay, an attorney with Seattle’s Canna Law Group.

“Some of them are saying, 'Hey, we’ve been spotty on our tax payments, and we want to clean our act up so we have a history of good behavior prior to this licensing process,’” McVay said.

As the once-vilified drug becomes more accepted, researchers around the world are trying to understand how it works and how it might fight disease.

There’s nothing new about cannabis, of course. It’s been around humankind pretty much forever.

In Siberia charred seeds have been found inside burial mounds dating back to 3000 B.C. The Chinese were using cannabis as a medicine thousands of years ago. Marijuana is deeply American too—as American as George Washington, who grew hemp at Mount Vernon. For most of the country’s history, cannabis was legal, commonly found in tinctures and extracts.