WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday at midnight, for the first time in his life, Allen St. Pierre got legally stoned.

While St. Pierre, executive director of NORML, a national advocacy group for the legalization of marijuana, said he possessed illegal marijuana for his entire adult life, he celebrated when Initiative 71, Washington, D.C.’s ballot measure to legalize marijuana went into effect by not only lighting up, but also by planting his own cannabis seeds.

“In D.C., it was clear this initiative was going to pass,” St. Pierre said, referring to last November’s referendum when marijuana legalization was approved with 70 percent of the vote. “We did volunteer call outs in the two weeks leading up to the vote, but there was no cajoling necessary to get it to pass.”

Rabbi Jeffrey Kahn lives in Washington, D.C., where he and his family own and operate Takoma Wellness Center.

Congress needs to back off and respect the wishes of D.C. residents to legalize marijuana.

Pot patent(Photo: Bloomberg)

DENVER - It may very well be largest collection of data about marijuana use ever released in human history.

Colorado's Marijuana Enforcement Division unveiled an official report documenting a trove of information about marijuana and edible pot sales, the size of the industry, and testing results.

The Raw Tonnage

74 tons of marijuana flower were sold in the state, of which only 19 tons were sold as "recreational," telling us medical patients used more than twice as much marijuana flower (buds) as did recreational customers.

Oak Creek — Before moving to Colorado, Nick Neidlein didn't smoke marijuana, knew next to nothing about the retail business and had never even seen many plants.

With the legalization of recreational marijuana, Neidlein's life has changed dramatically.

Reefer Review: A year of marijuana

Click here to read the Reefer Review, a five-part series on the first year of legal marijuana.

He moved to Breckenridge about four years ago, and through some former roommates, he met Brian Rogers.

To put it mildly, the marijuana industry is rapidly evolving before our eyes. What seemed like a long shot to succeed a decade ago is quickly becoming a flourishing industry.

Over the last decade, we've witnessed the pendulum swing from 75% of those surveyed by Gallup being against the legalization of marijuana to 58% of respondents being in favor of its legalization as of 2013. The implications, as we've previously discussed, are twofold.

When it comes to marijuana laws, the Justice Department is now treating American Indian tribes the way it treats states that have legalized pot: by backing off on enforcement.

The move, announced in December, has inadvertently sparked interest in the marijuana business. While many see dollar signs, others worry about contributing to the impact substance abuse has already had on Indian Country.

Medical cannabis worker may be a new job in Minnesota, but the industry already has a union.

Minnesota's United Food and Commercial Workers chapter says it has organized workers at one of the state's two medical cannabis production facilities.

It's small at the moment. There are only a handful of employees at Minnesota Medical Solutions, the first facility expected to be up and running, said Bernie Hesse, organizer at the South St. Paul-based UFCW Local 1189.

"The UFCW has been working on this in multiple states," Hesse said. "We see a real potential for development, and I'll be using the word growth a lot, which people giggle about, but a lot of growth in this industry."

California’s Pinoleville Pomo Nation is poised to become the first American Indian tribe to grow medical marijuana, though investors claim at least 100 additional tribes are exploring their options.

Pinoleville is expected to break ground on a copy0 million, 100,000-square-foot greenhouse within 60 days, said Barry Brautman, president of FoxBarry Companies, a group of Kansas-based operations that specialize in developing Native business enterprises.

Late last year Delbert Hosemann, the Secretary of State of Mississippi, convened acrowdfunding study group to review the potential of allowing investment crowdfunding in their state.  According to an announcement lastFriday, Mississippi will be next on the list to legalize the new approach to capital formation.  Secretary Hosemann noted the extended delay by the SEC in finalizing rules has become a catalyst for Mississippi to push forward on its own.

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