In 2015 the DEA warned the State of Utah that if it legalized medical marijuana, there would be a stoned rabbit epidemic. That was one of the most blatant attempts at spreading reefer madness than I had seen. But what I read today may top even the stoned rabbit warning. A Congressman from Arizona stated this week that Trump’s wall needed to be built in order to keep out a nuclear weapon hidden in a bale of marijuana. Literally. Per Talking Points Memo:

A Senate committee on Wednesday tightened a bill that deals with penalties for possession of marijuana-infused products.

House Bill 197 originally created a tiered penalty system for possession of small amounts of marijuana or marijuana-infused products.

The penalty system applied to possession of marijuana in plant form of less than 3 ounces and marijuana-infused products less than 8 ounces.

However, the Senate Judiciary Committee last week amended the bill to only apply to marijuana-infused products. It further amended the bill Wednesday to set the misdemeanor cutoff for possession of marijuana-derived products like extracts to 3 grams of such a substance. This is consistent with existing law for liquid forms of drugs.

An illegal cannabis dispensary in Toronto has filed a suit in Federal Court to enshrine its right to sell the drug to its patients, alleging Canada’s current mail-order medical marijuana system does not provide reasonable access to pot.

Phytos Apothecary and Wellness Centre alleges that, despite a Federal Court ruling last year overturning the medical marijuana rules to allow patients to grow cannabis at home, the current system still creates “significant and undue burdens” for thousands of sick Canadians trying to get reasonable access to the drug of their choice.

Pot lounges could come to Oregon.

You've seen hookah and cigar lounges, but did you ever think you'd see marijuana lounges?

Oregon Senate Bill 307 would make it legal to smoke marijuana at temporary events. That's the language used in the bill, but it boils down to this -- the pot lounges that you hear about in places like Amsterdam would be legal here, too.

A pediatrician who spoke to NewsChannel 21 Tuesday on behalf of the Oregon Pediatric Society brought up another piece of legislation he thinks the new bill would undermine.

"It weakens the Clean Air Act," Benjamin Hoffman said. "Which is a really essential component in reducing exposure to secondhand smoke."

Senate panel heard testimony on Monday over proposed bill.

Kansas could soon become one of the next states to legalize marijuana for medical purposes.

On Monday, the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee heard testimony over a proposal (Senate Bill 155) aimed at legalizing marijuana for patients suffering from debilitating conditions. If approved, patients with severe health issues, including cancer, chronic pain, and epilepsy, would have access to cannabis medicine with a doctor’s recommendation.

People who have epilepsy could be treated with a marijuana-derived oil under a bill approved by the Indiana House.

The bill passed the chamber Tuesday on a 98-0 vote. The state Senate previously approved a similar measure.

Indiana’s legislature has long resisted efforts to allow the use of medicine derived from marijuana, but that appears to have changed this year. Supporters say the bill’s approval marks a significant shift after years of medical marijuana-related bills stalling.

The bill would allow the use of cannabidiol oil, which is commonly referred to as CBD. The measure is a far cry from legalizing a comprehensive medical marijuana program.

The Dutch lower house of parliament has narrowly voted to approve the cultivation of cannabis. 

The bill would exempt professional growers working within certain conditions from punishment.

But it is not yet law, as it must also get majority support from the Senate.

Buying small amounts of cannabis at so-called coffee shops has long been tolerated in the Netherlands, but cultivating and selling it to the coffee shops is illegal.

Coffee shops often fall back on supplies from criminal networks.

While Australia is increasingly pro-medical cannabis, it's still hard to get your hands on the stuff if you're in need (and have a prescription).

The government has indicated it's open to speeding things up, with Health Minister Greg Hunt announcing Wednesday that authorities will allow more rapid importation of the drug while a domestic supply is built. Medical cannabis is often used to alleviate pain associated with cancer as well as epilepsy. 

In the first two months of 2017, police have prevented more than a dozen smuggler attempts to transport tons of cannabis into Italy or Greece, shifting their focus from a war against cannabis cultivation to a fight against its export.

An official Albanian State Police source told BIRN on Friday that the fight against drug smuggling attempts is a top priority at this time of year.

"We have a high alert on this fight right now, starting with control of the sea line, ports, checkpoints and green border lines. We have intensified our permanent control measures, information gathering and our collaboration with our counterparts in neighboring countries," the source said.

NSW Labor will push for the decriminalisation of cannabis for medical purposes in a move Opposition Leader Luke Foley says will return dignity to the terminally ill.

The push, which would decriminalise the possession of up to 15 grams for treatment of chronic and serious medical conditions, follows the unanimous findings of a parliamentary inquiry into the medical use of cannabis.

“If someone’s pain and suffering can be relieved by medicinal cannabis then I am in favour of its use to that end,” Mr Foley said.

The legislation requires the terminally or chronically ill and their carers to be certified by NSW Health before possessing cannabis.

The current laws make it a criminal penalty to possess cannabis regardless of illness.