As Springfield police officers shuttered a store handing out marijuana for "free" while charging an admission fee, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker acknowledged the state is in a "no man's land" four months after voters broadly legalized the controversial substance for adults who are over the age of 21.

In a Wednesday sit-down with the editorial board of MassLive.com and the Springfield Republican, Baker called incidents like the Page Boulevard store, which operated under the name Mary Jane Makes Your Heart Sing, "troubling."

On Tuesday we reported on the newest study into the relationship between cannabis and pharmaceutical medication, after researchers from the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria found that patients suffering from chronic pain and mental health issues were ditching their traditional opioid-based medications in favour of cannabis.

Although this probably goes against everything you’ve ever thought about marijuana and the laid-back stereotype of people who use it, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions suggested earlier this week that legalizing weed would lead to an increase in violence. “I don’t think America is going to be a better place when people of all ages, and particularly young people, are smoking pot,” Sessions said to reporters on Monday, per The Huffington Post.

5th District Congressman Tom Garrett introduced legislation aimed at federally decriminalizing marijuana.

The short title for this legislation is cited as the "Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017." If passed, this bill would take marijuana off the federal controlled substances list - joining other industries such as alcohol and tobacco.

Originally introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders in 2015, this bill fulfills a responsibility to create a level playing field across the country.

Upon introduction of this legislation, Rep. Garrett released the following statement:

If all goes according to plan, Georgia could become the next state to reduce criminal penalties associated with the possession of marijuana.

On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee put their stamp of approval on a measure aimed at treating small time pot possession as a misdemeanor rather than a felony. The proposal would allow citizens to hold up to two ounces of weed without scarring their permanent record with felonious marks. Instead, police would book these people under a misdemeanor classification, which would give defendants more opportunities to stay out of jail.

Cultivation In a landmark decision, the Lower House of the Dutch parliament voted last week in favour of adding cannabis cultivation to its famous tolerance policy. A move that would decriminalize the supply aspect of the coffeeshops.

This new Dutch cannabis cultivation bill would exempt professional growers from punishment, creating a closed system from the production to the consumption of cannabis. Not legalized, not regulated but tolerated under government control.

But who is going to supply coffeeshops? Big state-controlled companies like Bedrocan?

What about growers who are being criminalized because of the illegality of the plant? Are they going to be allowed to grow and become players in the new cannabis market?

Four U.S. states have legalized recreational cannabis, and another four will follow after ballot victories last November.

President Donald Trump has had a profound impact on many areas of the government - from military spending to immigration. When it comes to the cannabis industry, Trump’s talk has been materially different than his actions. He seems to support states’ rights and medical marijuana in speeches, but the appointment of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General and Tom Price to head the FDA could pose some problems for the young industry.

In this article, we will take a look at three ways that the Trump Administration could impact the cannabis industry over the coming four years.

It's a new day for small-time pot smokers in Harris County.

A new policy that went into effect at midnight Tuesday will allow people caught with up to four ounces of marijuana  to avoid arrest or jail time by taking a four-hour drug-education class.

The policy, announced recently by District Attorney Kim Ogg, is expected to save the area more than $25 million in costs for the jail, courts, prosecutors, defense attorneys, lab testing and officers' time.