A health worker on Rikers Island was caught bringing contraband tobacco and marijuana into the prison complex, and when he was stopped he acknowledged he'd done it before, according to a criminal complaint.

The complaint, made public Saturday by the Bronx district attorney's office, charged Richard Bustamante Quon, 42, with promoting prison contraband and official misconduct.

His arrest is part of an ongoing probe by the city's Department of Investigation into jails. Correction officials are trying to cut down on contraband, especially weapons, in part by tightening restrictions on the 300,000 people who visit Rikers inmates each year.

U.S. Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) have long been two of Congress’s most dedicated proponents of the war on drugs. They have opposed marijuana reform at nearly every opportunity and have harshly criticized the Obama administration for giving states room to implement legalization laws without federal interference.

But now the two anti-marijuana lawmakers are teaming up to press the federal government to make it easier for scientists to conduct research studies on the medical benefits of cannabis.

In the fight for safe access to medical cannabis local and state-level action is always an essential step for progress. With so much of our success as a movement coming from state laws, an amazing 37 total state laws now allow for some type of legal medical cannabis use, it’s easy to forget about our nation’s capital.

This week offered some important reminders that victories are happening at the national level too. In fact as much progress as happens in the states, it’s absolutely essential that we work to ensure that the federal government doesn’t undermine state medical cannabis programs.

A Chance For A New Direction at DEA

K-cup coffee pods are going green, just not in the way most would expect. The containers, which are notoriously bad for the environment, are still notoriously bad for the environment, but now there is an option to purchase a version filled with cannabis-laced coffee. According to Yahoo, Uncle Ike's Pot Shop, located in Seattle, is now selling pods of "premium infused coffee" for $10 a pop.

CBD oil to treat severe epilepsy legalized in Tennessee, but state and federal laws conflict

For two Clarksville moms, Felicia Harris (left, with daughter, Lexy) and Melissa Macomber (right, with daughter Madison), a bill allowing the use of a marijuana extract, CBD, for use in treating severe childhood epilepsy, is a lifesaver, but conflicting laws mean getting CBD still fraught with risk.(Photo: THE LEAF-CHRONICLE/PHILIP GREY)

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The cause of medicinal marijuana seemingly took a step forward in Tennessee this month when Gov. Bill Haslam signed a measure making an extract of marijuana legal for use in treating intractable epileptic seizures.

LAS VEGAS -- Marijuana testing labs are waiting to begin testing medical marijuana as soon as businesses get clearance from the state to grow it.

The state will require businesses to chemically test their products before hitting store shelves.

DB Labs is the first lab to open in Southern Nevada. They are waiting on a decision from the state before they begin receiving medical marijuana to test.

"They want to find out what the pesticide list is, so that they can therefore plant appropriately and we'll have to wait for those plants to be grown," said Susan Bunce, CEO of DB Labs.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on ordinances intended to curtail for-profit marijuana crops in unincorporated communities.

When: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 19

Where: First floor, County Administrative Center, 4080 Lemon St. in Riverside.

After months of work, new rules intended to stop marijuana grows from taking root in rural parts of Riverside County get a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 19.

Growing marijuana, indoors or outdoors, for any reason is already illegal.

LAS VEGAS (KSNV News3LV) – Southern Nevada has taken a big step to get medical marijuana to patients.

The first lab in Clark County is ready to start testing the quality of marijuana before it’s distributed to dispensaries where residents with medical marijuana cards can by the product.

But a major obstacle remains. There’s very little marijuana to test.

For patients like Raquel Wilson, the availability of medical marijuana cannot come too soon.

Wilson loves to dance and sing. She was as full of life as any teen.

A year ago, Wilson started feeling sick. A visit to a doctor led to a diagnosis: a Stage 4 cancerous brain tumor

“My mind tells me to be careful, because not everything is miraculous.” Wilson says.

The Clearlake City Council has rescinded its ban on all marijuana cultivation in the face of a lawsuit and a successful signature-gathering campaign that required the city to either drop the ordinance or place it on the ballot.

Instead, it will amend the previous ordinance — which allowed between six and 12 pot plants, depending on parcel size — to make it easier for police to enforce. The revision will include limiting the number of plants that can be grown to six plants per household under the premise that it’s better to “keep it simple, stupid,” City Councilwoman Joyce Overton said.

Medical marijuana advocates Friday were celebrating the Thursday night vote overturning the ordinance, adopted in late February.

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory runs a drill during a minicamp for rookie players Saturday, May 9, 2015 at the team's Valley Ranch practice facility in Irving, Texas. (G.J. McCarthy/The Dallas Morning News) 05102015xSPORTS

The agonizing wait until he hears his name, the way he handles the public flogging brought about by his actions, tells a lot about Randy Gregory.

Randy and his parents return to their Chicago hotel after the first night of the NFL draft. Kenneth and Mary ache for their son. They think back to the moment nearly 16 years earlier when both caught a glimpse of Randy’s love for the sport. The idea of one team after another passing on their son the next night as the cameras capture his reaction to each painful slight is almost too much to take.