During almost five years on the beat, patrolling some of the roughest parts of London, Mike Abbott arrested dozens of people for drug offences. 

As a young recruit he picked up people carrying cannabis on the street in areas such as Brixton, and later participated in undercover operations against major suppliers.

‘The stench of hash was becoming more prevalent,’ he says. ‘My job was to uphold the law and cannabis, like other drugs, was illegal.’

Ex-Met Police officer Mike Abbott runs one of the most successful medical marijuana firms in the United States, Columbia Care

AN ONLINE poll seeking public opinion on whether the Thai government should legalize the use of marijuana has so far resulted in nearly 80 percent of respondents saying “yes”.

Even more interesting is that those who agreed with the proposal said the authorities should allow marijuana to be used for both medical and recreational purposes.

In the still-ongoing survey posted on Saturday by Thai Visa, respondents were asked to select one of three answers to the question: Should marijuana be legalized in Thailand?

As of 9am Monday, of the 230 who voted, only 14 respondents or 6.54 percent said they felt it was not a good idea.

Use these insider tips to get in on the Green Rush.

Faces Human Capital Management (HCM), a leader in assisting the rapidly-evolving legal cannabis industry with its unique human resources issues, marks a double milestone this month; as it celebrates its one-year anniversary and the acquisition of its 14th client. 

"We've been working with a pioneering group of cannabis companies, who are successfully applying our management solutions to issues like HR and payroll, as well as workers' compensation and benefits," says Faces HCM co-founder and managing director Caela Bintner. "It's been exciting and rewarding to know that we're helping them make the legal marijuana industry that much more of a legitimate business sector." 

Last week Ottawa announced it was going to make it easier to bring in temporary foreign workers. More and more of what we produce in Canada relies on such workers. You can add marijuana to that list; and even if you don’t use it, this story involves you.

The story begins in 1974. That’s when Terrance Parker, a severe epileptic, started to treat his condition with marijuana. For Parker it was a choice between reducing the effects of a life-threatening health condition and the risk of imprisonment. In 1997 he was charged with possession and cultivation of a controlled substance.

HempStaff is a Florida-based enterprise focused on cannabis staffing, networking, and educational opportunities.

US prodco Civilized has appointed former Cineflix Media and PPI Releasing executives to head up its studio specialising in cannabis-themed content.

Brandon Killion

Brandon Killion and Katie Labrie have both been named as exec VP of Civilized Studios and will be tasked with leading the company’s productions for its website Civilized.life.

Civilized was founded in 2015 to target recreational cannabis users. Its website features in-depth interviews with celebrities and those involved in cannabis legislature, as well as pop culture updates, trending news and entertainment.

Killion began his TV career with Thom Beers’ Original Productions in 2004, overseeing series such as History’s Ice Road Truckers and A&E’s American Hoggers.

Ohio is looking to hire an expert who knows the ins and outs of growing marijuana and the medical marijuana business.

The drug will be legal as of next month in Ohio, although it will take up to two years for full implementation.

In preparation, the Ohio Department of Commerce, one of three agencies tasked with its regulation, wants to hire a contractor for a Medical Marijuana Industry Analysis and Regulatory Framework to suss out the best marijuana cultivation techniques, which includes analyzing supply and demand and setting standards for businesses that will operate in Ohio.

State law permits a total of three medical marijuana dispensaries. The First State Compassion Center is located in New Castle County. Eleven applications for Kent and Sussex counties are under review.

A former Delaware State Trooper, Mark Lally long considered himself a skeptic when it came to legalizing medical marijuana. He’d spent much of his career hunting down meth labs and uncovering large drug networks as part of a special investigations unit. Marijuana wasn’t his top priority, he admitted, but it was still an illegal drug.

Then, after retiring from law enforcement, he became a lobbyist and began to see the issue from a policy angle. 

“I didn’t realize the medial benefits,” he said. “And as a lobbyist and Delawarean, I’m very interested in good policy.”