Connecticut's continuing fiscal woes, coupled with a new law that fully takes effect next year in neighboring Massachusetts, have prompted state lawmakers to take their most serious look yet at possibly legalizing the recreational use of marijuana for adults.

The business empire built by Canada’s “Prince and Princess of Pot” is on the verge of collapse.

Marc and Jodie Emery have been ordered to cease operating their Cannabis Culture dispensary business after they were arrested Wednesday at Pearson Airport while on their way catch a flight to Barcelona, Jodie said Saturday in a phone call from Toronto.

Emery said they were taken into custody by plainclothes officers as they exited an Uber vehicle and were later strip-searched and detained. She described their treatment by police as “disturbing and shocking” and said they were only permitted to speak with lawyers hours after the arrest.

A town hall meeting was held Sunday at the Buffalo and Erie Public Library's Hamburg Branch to discuss medical marijuana, and what's currently legal under New York State's health laws. 

The organization WNY NORML, a local chapter of a national marijuana reform organization,  hosted the event. A panel of speakers were at the meeting, including medical professionals, a lawyer, and patients and caregivers experienced with New York's Medical Marijuana Program.

Attendees had a chance to get information and input on the Compassionate Care Act.  

Advocates for Medical Marijuana want it to be more accessible as a treatment option in New York. 

The City of Edmonton is gearing up for the eventual legalization and regulation of marijuana.

City staff prepared draft amendments to several bylaws in anticipation of the federal Liberals introducing legislation later this year.

In a report headed to Executive Committee, city staff say bylaws will need to be altered to address nuisance factors such as odour, safety and security as it relates to minors and land use issues such as increased traffic.

The federal prohibition of marijuana is blocking medical experts from studying weed’s uses in treating Alzheimer’s Disease, a problem facing a growing body of medical research.

Marijuana legislation

A recap of the medical marijuana-related bills filed by the state Legislature during the 91st General Assembly. All bills must be approved on the floor of both the House of Representatives and the Senate before being sent to Gov. Asa Hutchinson to sign into law. Any bill changing the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment must be approved by a two-thirds majority in both chambers. All statuses are as of Monday morning:

HB1026 Pushes deadline for state agencies to publish marijuana regulations to May 8. Status: Signed into law as Act 4.

The synthetic cannabinoids often called "fake weed" are a mix of chemicals sprinkled on what looks like incense and sold in shiny packages, often to teens and young adults.

It produces sensations similar to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in the cannabis plant, yet many users report more powerful, often dangerous effects.

New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says young people who use fake weed are also more likely to use other drugs or alcohol, to behave violently and to have high-risk sex, according to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Students whose disabilities qualify them to use medical marijuana will soon be allowed to do so in Brick Township school, buses and school-sponsored events.

The Board of Education last week introduced a medical marijuana policy that will govern how students qualify and are administered medical marijuana. The policy is in response to a state law passed in 2015 that requires districts to enact policies that allow the administration of medical marijuana to students.

Police struck at the heart of a large Canadian chain of illegal marijuana shops Thursday, raiding Cannabis Culture locations in Ottawa and three other cities.

And it wasn’t just store clerks who were caught up in the sweep. Marc and Jodie Emery, known as Canada’s Prince and Princess of Pot, were arrested at the Toronto airport Wednesday night on the eve of the raids.

The Emerys created Cannabis Culture and have been opening franchises across the country. Now they are in a Toronto jail, facing charges of conspiracy, trafficking and possessing the proceeds of crime. They were to appear for a bail hearing Friday.

Texas Pot smokers may be one step closer to celebrating in the streets.

A bill seeking to decriminalize the use and possession of small quantities of marijuana has been scheduled for a hearing at the Texas State Capitol. 

House Bill 81, which aims to categorize low-level marijuana possession as a misdemeanor, will be will be argued in front of the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on March 13th.