In a new petition from Americans for Safe Access and Change.org, over 70,000 people and counting, are calling on the Drug Enforcement Administration to stop disseminating false information about medical cannabis immediately and ensure that any future information about medical cannabis treatment reflects medically-accurate and up-to-date facts.

At the heart of California’s Emerald Triangle is Humboldt County, a legendary locale in the world of weed, as prized by marijuana aficionados for its cannabis as Napa Valley is for its wine.

“Humboldt is the absolute, undisputed leader in cannabis,” said Luke Bruner, a local resident who has advised state and local officials on marijuana issues.

A lot is at stake. The statewide market in medicinal and recreational marijuana is worth about $6.6 billion

On Oct 25, former actress Maya Takagi was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana. The self-described “naturalist” took up residence on Ishigaki island five years ago. Also arrested was Takagi’s male companion, Shigenari Moriyama, who had been actively promoting the use of the weed, praising its effectiveness for anti-aging.

Last July, Takagi went so far as to declare her candidacy as a member of the Japan Renaissance Party, running for a seat in the upper house of the Diet. Her platform included legalization of marijuana for medical use. She was defeated, but voiced her satisfaction that the election helped him “get the word out to lots of people.”

This spring the Trudeau government will be introducing its legislation to legalize marijuana, but many are wondering when they will actually be allowed to buy the drug. It’s not clear if that will even happen before the next election.

When the legalization bill is passed in the House of Commons and the Senate, which could be late this year or early 2018, it doesn’t mean legal marijuana will be available right away.

Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott says it will take some time to set up systems with all the provinces. “We need to make sure that there is a strict regulatory process in place and that there are restrictions in terms of access. We also have work to do on the public education front.”

Massachusetts continues the 115-year-old tradition of restricting marijuana sales, despite the passing of a ballot initiative in November. The Massachusetts House and Senate passed a bill Dec. 28 in less than half an hour that will push back the timetable for the opening of retail marijuana stores by six months to July 1, 2018.

On Monday, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and its supporters will participate in a “Day of Action” to mobilize opposition to the appointment of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions as US Attorney General.

“Senator Sessions’ views are out of step with mainstream America and they are in conflict with the laws of over half of the states,” stated NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri, “We must demand that Senators ask this nominee whether he intends to respect the will of the voters in these states, and whether he truly believes no that ‘good people’ have ever smoked pot and, if he truly believes such an outrageous claim, he should not be the next Attorney General.”

Marijuana had an incredible 2016, and the fast-growing pot industry is looking to continue building on that momentum in 2017.

After beginning 2016 with cannabis legal in 23 states for medical purposes, and four states for adult use, the year closed with 28 states having legalized medical marijuana and residents in eight states having legalized recreational weed. Most notably, legislatures in Pennsylvania and Ohio passed medical marijuana laws without bringing votes to the people, while residents in California overwhelmingly passed Prop 64 (recreational legalization), which could add $1 billion, or more, in annual tax and licensing revenue to the state.

The legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado has led to some interesting developments in the war on drugs. According to a video segment on Fox News, seizures of marijuana flowing out of Colorado into neighboring states has risen from 58 in 2008, to 394 in 2015. This indicates Colorado has unwittingly become an exporter of legal weed, found to be illegal in many adjoining states.

Marijuana advocates are trying to block an anti-legalization lawmaker from becoming the state Senate’s point person on pot, contending that his outspoken criticism of recreational marijuana makes him unfit for the position.

The advocates are lobbying Senate leaders not to appoint Senator Jason M. Lewis as the co-chairman of the new Committee on Marijuana because Lewis was a key opponent of Question 4, which legalized pot purchase, possession, and use.

Jim Borghesani, who helped run the ballot campaign and now works for the national Marijuana Policy Project, said advocates don’t think the Legislature should tinker with the law at all before the marijuana oversight body it creates has time to make regulations.

Even though South Carolina is one of those toe-in-the-water states that only allows certain patients access to non-intoxicating forms of cannabis oil, one state lawmaker plans to change that in the 2017 session by introducing a proposal aimed at establishing a more comprehensive medical marijuana program.

Senator Tom Davis, who is considered one of the state’s leading forces in the push for pot reform, has introduced a bill called the Compassionate Care Act, which would allow patients with a variety of health conditions to purchase cannabis from state licensed dispensaries as long as they have a doctor’s approval.