Ruth Fahrbacht bought a hemp guitar strap from a vendor in Kit Carson Park back in 1997 and loved its durability and strength.

“It was not like any other strap I had owned,” she said.

From that moment on, she started researching and learning as much as she could about hemp.

“I began to study hemp and marijuana relativity and irrelativity,” she says. “In the process, I found out the many uses of hemp.”

In 1998 she attended the first Hemp Expo in Santa Cruz, California.

In 1999, after returning from a hemp research trip to Thailand, Nepal, India and Tibet, Fahrbacht decided to create her own hemp company, Taos Hemp LLC.

’ve spoken to dozens upon dozens of people about whether or not some drugs should be legalised – those for, those against – and there are some undeniably valid opinions on both sides.

I want to lay bare the truth of these conversations, outlining the most salient arguments, and see where the dust settles.

Last week MM spoke to pro-cannabis campaigner Colin Davies, who believes Manchester should use the extra powers offered through ‘devo-Manc’ to become the UK’s first cannabis decriminalisation trial.

Standby also for the thoughts of former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell and the leader of the Pirate Party UK, Loz Kaye.

After a privacy breach that affected thousands of people enrolled in the medical marijuana program, including some from P.E.I., a Halifax law firm wants to launch a class-action lawsuit against the federal government.              

Canada's privacy commissioner ruled earlier this week that Health Canada violated privacy rules in 2013 when it mailed out information to more than 40,000 people enrolled in the medical marijuana program.

The mailouts, which explained changes that were coming to the program, revealed the recipients were receiving medical marijuana.              

Health Canada says it was an administrative error and it's put measures in place to make sure it doesn't happen again.              

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

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New York’s Compassionate Care Act contains a provision that appears to protect certified medical marijuana patients from enforcement of zero tolerance drug policies in the workplace. The law was widely criticized when it was enacted in July 2014 because it covered so few conditions and specified vaporization as the only legal means of ingestion.

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.”

An Edmonton woman says her decision to smoke a synthetic drug to beat her employer's drug tests created a two-year addiction that ruined her financially and nearly killed her.

The drug is one of several that are illegal to market as cannabis alternatives, but until recently were sold openly in some head shops and convenience stores as incense, and labelled “not for human consumption”.

While recent police raids may have driven sales in Canada underground, the synthetic cannabinoids are still available on the internet.

"I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy," said the woman.

While head shops may no longer be selling synthetic cannabinoids such as 'Spice' openly, the same drugs are widely available on the internet. (CBC)

It all started at a music festival at Hawaii’s Diamond Head in 1972.

For a little extra spending money, Don Maile rented a booth to sell roach clips, pipes and bongs — devices for smoking marijuana.

Maile is almost 80 years old.

“I’ve always believed marijuana was created for healing mankind,” he said.

He is amazed that he can finally bring his craft out from under the radar and advertise it to potential customers.

“We are just starting to get used to the idea that I can do this legally now,” Maile said.

He makes the smoking paraphernalia in his garage workshop in the Madrona area of Camano Island.

Maile was 17 when he joined the military in 1952.

San Diego — A group of “ganjapreneurs” looking to break into the budding business of marijuana attended the Cannabis Career Institute seminar Sunday.

Attendees shelled out about $300, which includes the cost of a state-specific text book, to attend the daylong course at a downtown hotel. The curriculum included a handful of speakers who taught different aspects of the marijuana industry — from growing the plant to starting a cannabis business, to navigating the legal and regulatory requirements for the ventures.

Many attendees came with ideas of their own.

Former U.S. Marine Ryan Begin rolls a medical marijuana joint at his home in Belfast, Maine, in late November. (Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press)

Three of Maine’s four federally recognized Indian tribes are discussing legalizing marijuana on their lands, including at least one tribe that is considering commercial-scale production of marijuana as a way to provide jobs and income for its members, reports the Portland Press-Herald.