A Kansas bill would legalize medical marijuana for qualifying patients in the state.

The bill introduced by Sen. David Haley (D-Kansas City), Senate Bill 155 (SB155) would legalize medical marijuana in pursuance of “the police power of the state to protect the health of its citizens that is reserved to the state of Kansas and its people under the 10th amendment to the United States constitution.”

Patients would be able to qualify for medical marijuana if they suffered from a number of ailments including…

An Indiana measure that would allow some epileptic people to be treated with oil derived from cannabis plants has cleared the state Senate.

Indiana is among the last states to forbid even the issue of marijuana extracts that are low in THC and high in cannabidiol, or CBD, the compound that studies suggest may help reduce epileptic seizures.

The measure creates a registry for some physicians, nurses, individuals and caregivers to treat intractable epilepsy with cannabidiol and permits pharmacies to dispense it. The Senate has sent it to the House for consideration.

Tennessee lawmakers picked back up the debate over medical marijuana Tuesday by hearing testimony about one claimed benefit of cannabis — lowering anxiety from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The claim is that marijuana cut PTSD with fewer side effects than prescription drugs.

Dr. Suzanne Sisley says she was initially skeptical. But then she talked to veterans about it.

"It's clear that in states that have medical cannabis law, patients are choosing cannabis as a safer alternative," she told lawmakers.

Sisley practices medicine in Arizona, which has allowed medical marijuana for five years. She also oversees doctors in 13 other states that are prescribing cannabis.

 A new bill seeks to limit the way medical marijuana patients could consume the drug in Arkansas.

If passed, Senate Bill 333 would outlaw what are known as marijuana "edibles." Edibles provide a way to ingest the drug and feel the effects without having to smoke it.

Senator Gary Stubblefield's legislation bans "combining medical cannabis with food or drink," which is how the edibles are formed and used. It does provide for exceptions in cases where patients qualify.

This bill is one of two dozen filed this session, aiming to tweak or regulate the medical marijuana amendment passed by voters last November.

This bill follows another bill seeking to ban the smoking of medical marijuana.

Most state legislatures reconvene in early January, and by February they’re in full swing, moving some bills forward and killing others in committee. This year 27 state legislatures are considering bills pertaining to cannabis in some form. (Well, okay: 26. Mississippi had two medical marijuana bills, but they’re already dead.) Some states are pushing full adult-use legalization. Others are pulling back on medical legalization measures adopted by voters last November. We’ll keep tracking them as they live and die. Most state legislatures adjourn by early June. Stay tuned.

Some Montreal landlords are banning the use of cannabis in their rental units.

As the likely legalization of marijuana looms, many are currently renewing leases with a new clause that forbids tenants from smoking up.

Rental property owners are asking tenants to sign new leases which would include a ban on smoking cannabis anywhere on the property.

Landlords say they’re concerned the legalization of marijuana will cause a problem akin to complaints from neighbours about noise or cigarette smoking.

If the smell is too strong, just like if noise is too loud, it can be considered a nuisance that affects the quality of life of the other tenants.

Landlord Christian Perron said tenants who are annoyed by marijuana smoke could see their rent reduced.

Every week, NFL players experience a wide array of injuries that cause them to suffer severe pain. Players equate the impact of play on the field to getting into multiple car accidents in one afternoon. Currently, the most commonly prescribed painkillers are opiate based. Clearly, opiates are addictive and have led to a nationwide epidemic. Over the years, I’ve had players become addicted to opiate based painkillers. Seeking to avoid that tragedy makes it necessary to look for non-addictive alternatives.

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice called on Friday for the legalization of marijuana and even cocaine to undo the growing power of drug gangs behind a wave of violence that has shaken Latin America's largest country. 

Justice Roberto Barroso, a Yale graduate and constitutional law professor, said 50 years of war against drugs had failed miserably, clogging jails with small-time dealers and fueling a violent gang battle for control of the lucrative trade. 

Since New Mexico passed their medical marijuana law 10 years ago there hasn’t been much change to them. That is, until now.  A bill just passed the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee that would not only increase the legal limit for marijuana possession and grow operations, but also make it easier for military veterans to access medicinal cannabis.

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, Senate Bill 8 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee 7-3, falling right across party lines. But even some democrats who helped the bill reach the full senate still aren’t convinced of all the provisions.

Zoning Boards across Pennsylvania are passing a flurry of local regulations in an effort to roll out the green carpet for medical cannabis companies.

But these hometown exercises are less about getting warehouses water connections and more about public relations campaigns by businesses to win coveted permits.

During this phase we see how the focus on medical cannabis is really about profit and not necessarily the health of patients.

We've seen it before in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Maryland. It isn't pretty.