Marijuana-related businesses often have trouble getting access to banking services, even in states where cannabis has been legalised. US Senator Elizabeth Warren wants to change that.

Elizabeth Warren and several other US Senators have asked the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to stop punishing banks that do business with cannabis-related businesses in states where these have been legalized.

In a letter to the agency, the Senators wrote: "Most banks and credit unions have either closed accounts or simply refused to offer services to indirect and ancillary businesses that service the marijuana industry. A large number of professionals have been unable to access the financial system because they are doing business with marijuana growers and dispensaries."

The November election caused shock throughout the nation, but there was an underlying story that was not shocking at all. As expected, seven more states legalized marijuana in some form. In 2017, 60 percent of Americans will have legal access to medical marijuana, and 20 percent will also reside in areas where recreational marijuana is legal.

Given this new reality, I am renewing my call for Congress to remove its outdated and harmful federal prohibition on marijuana.

Every Congress since 2013, I have introduced legislation that removes marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and leaves the decision to legalize up to the states, where it belongs. I plan to reintroduce the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act in the next Congress.

Due to the largely unfounded and negative speculations that have lately sprung up in the media, contemplating and trying to predict the new administration and its position on cannabis legalization, we are seeing much uncertainty around the country as it pertains to our industry. The fear perpetrated in media coverage like this, in a time when we should be waiting to see what will actually happen, is astonishing and not helpful. This is not the conversation that we should be having.

If you look at the facts, legal cannabis could be a great thing for the Trump administration, but it will take us working closely together.

The world cannabis industry is dramatically growing in such a various countries like The Netherlands, Canada, Uruguay, Israel or a huge part of United States of America (22 states to be exact). In these countries it is allowed to sell marijuana legally, but in some of them there are still many unnecessary restrictions which restrict the further development of the marijuana industry. For example, in some states it’s still impossible to fully profit from health, economic and social benefits provided by cannabis business. Let’s take a good look at particular countries and draw proper conclusions.
 

The United States of America marijuana politics
 

Donald Trump may have won the US presidency, but in six of the nine states that were asked to decide on marijuana legalization on election day, more people actually voted for weed than voted for Trump himself. And with medical marijuana now available in more countries than ever before, the coming years could see a massive explosion in cannabis research across the globe.

The future for legal pot and drug reform is very much in doubt.

As 2016 comes to a tumultuous end, we look back on the year in drugs and drug policy. It’s definitely a mixed bag, with some major victories for drug reform, especially marijuana legalization, but also some major challenges, especially around heroin and prescription opioids, and the threat of things taking a turn for the worse next year.

Here are the six biggest stories from the year on drugs.

1. Marijuana legalization wins big

Massachusetts voters passed a ballot initiative to legalize the possession or home-grown marijuana in the last election. However, residents may need to wait longer to buy the legalized weed.

On Wednesday, Massachusetts lawmakers passed a legislation that will postpone the opening date for recreational marijuana for six months. Residents cannot buy legalized weed until July 2017.

According to the Boston Globe, the House and Senate held an informal meeting on Wednesday morning and ruled for the unexpected legislation.

The ballot initiative to sell recreational marijuana in stores was set for January 2017. However, legislators needed more time to finalize the sale regulations for marijuana.

Comprehensive. Compassionate. Courageous.

For the last seven years I have written an end-of-year piece about the top stories of the year in the fight to end our disastrous war on drugs.

2016 has been a strange, difficult year. We've accomplished more historic victories than ever -- but they're now overshadowed by the election of Donald Trump and the despair he is primed to wreak on our most vulnerable communities.

Here's my take on this year's most important victories and its most enormous setbacks.

Marijuana Legalization Wins Big on Election Night