One of North Carolina's two U.S. senators has joined the call for expansion of research into the medical benefits of marijuana.

Sen. Thom Tllis (R-N.C.) is co-sponsoring a bill that would reclassify a derivative of the plant -- CBD. Tillis said that would remove unnecessary barriers to studying the potential benefits and risks.

"Cannabidiol is currently a controlled substance," Tillis said in a statement. "This bill would reassess that categorization and expand research into the potential medical benefits of marijuana components."

But not everyone is pleased with the bill.

Several local farmers have joined North Carolina's industrial hemp pilot program. They believe the Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act is nothing more than bad medicine.

Let’s start with some good news.

Medical Marijuana is safe for the time being. Section 537 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 prohibits the DOJ and the DEA from using any funds in the bill to prevent states from “implementing their own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.”

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/244/text

The mayors of Canada's biggest cities say they need a slice of the tax windfall from legal marijuana to cover what they describe as significant costs associated with enforcing a signature initiative from the federal Liberals.

They raised their concerns with cabinet ministers this week, pressing the case that some tax revenues from sale of the drug must filter down to cover costs associated with land-use issues, business licensing applications and enforcement once the purchase, sale and recreational use of the drug is no longer illegal.

Nicky Haynes has almost forgotten the pain she used to be in. She has been taking Sativex, a drug derived from cannabis, for about five years and says it has hugely improved her life. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1994, and her condition progressively worsened to the point where she couldn’t sleep, where reaching for a glass of water would trigger a spasm and she was in constant pain. The first time she took Sativex was during a long car journey, fearful that she wouldn’t be able to walk when she got out. But she was able to walk better than she had for a long time.

California is the sixth largest economy in the world, based on gross domestic product. And in November, voters legalized recreational marijuana, something that will further diversify the state’s portfolio.

Reno Public Radio’s Noah Glick sat down with Amanda Rhoades of the Sierra Sun to talk about this new law and how communities around Lake Tahoe are approaching this growing industry.

In West Virginia, a new law includes a provision that requires regulators to encourage minority-owned business owners to apply for growing licenses. (Photo by Heath Korvola/ Digital Vision/Getty Images)

In some states that have legalized marijuana, officials are trying to entice nonwhite citizens to join the cannabis industry with breaks aimed at making up for the toll unequal drug enforcement has taken on Black and brown communities.

So far, the booming industry has overwhelmingly line the pockets of white cannabis sellers.

Gov. Brian Sandoval has vetoed bills to create apprenticeships in the legal marijuana business and to add opioid addiction to the list of qualifying medical conditions for obtaining a medical marijuana card.

Late Wednesday, Sandoval vetoed Senate Bill 416, which would have allowed licensed medical marijuana businesses to partner with labor unions for medical marijuana apprenticeships. The bill is not “consistent with federal regulations governing approval of apprentice programs,” according to a statement released by Sandoval’s office.

The Legislature passed the bill on near party-line votes, clearing the Senate 12-9 and the Assembly 26-13.

New Hampshire is slated to decriminalize marijuana possession within a matter of months after the state House of Representatives approved legislation Thursday reducing penalties for individuals caught with small amounts of pot.

The state House passed the decriminalization measure by a voice vote Thursday sans debate, sending the bill to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk to be signed into law.

Mr. Sununu, a Republican, said earlier this month that he plans to approve the measure, House Bill 640, and applauded the state legislature for passing what he called “common sense marijuana reform.”

A recent article published by the Associated Press highlights the Justice Department's intention to roll back Eric Holder’s Justice Department era policies of reduced sentences for first time offenders, non-violent offenders, and people detained with smaller amounts of narcotics.

This could spell big trouble for marijuana enthusiasts should the DOJ decide to start pursuing recreational marijuana states and those who consume in them.

The absurdity of bud tenders, dispensary owners, and the customers who frequent them being arrested and possibly facing maximum sentencing is almost unbelievable – until you take a closer look at the cohort of old-fashion and obtuse gang in the DOJ.