With California poised to legalize recreational marijuana through Proposition 64 in November, California’s existing marijuana cultivators in Mendocino County are looking to protect their highest quality buds by applying for wine-style appellations.

The  Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that Justin Calvino, a “onetime Haight-Ashbury dope dealer,” is attempting to organize a formal designation, “Cannabis County,” for a specific geographically-defined region known to produce the state’s best crop.

The hope is to protect Mendocino farmers through “a legally defined and protected geographical identification system similar to what’s used in the wine industry.”

Following various theories presented as to the true reason behind Jamaica's dominance in the sprint races, some little-known Kenyan researchers claim to have discovered what has long baffled many in both the academic and sports world.

After little research and a lot of speculation Prof. Wak Manyang' and Dr. Emalek Kiso have attributed marijuana as the reason why Jamaicans are so fast.

In a research paper titled 'Weed for Speed; The case for legalising Cannabis Sativa' the researchers claim that copying Jamaican habits such as their dance styles or even wearing Jamaican flag themed bracelets or bandanas will not help Kenya produce sprinters. Rather, the researchers argue, Kenyans must be allowed to grow, sell and liberally consume marijuana for sports reasons.

The Malawi Government (GoM) uses what is called the drug scheduling system to declassify and classify drugs in the country.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Act of the Laws of Malawi, there are three schedules of controlled substances known as Parts which weigh a drug’s medical value and its abuse potential.

The GoM considers cannabis, raw and prepared, to have a potential for abuse and no medical value. The growing, possession and usage of cannabis is illegal in the country.

In this feature the author was examining the use of Cannabis amongst young people in Malawi.

Cannabis is famously known as “chamba” in the native language, Chewa.

Legalizing recreational marijuana in California could create a $6.46-billion market for legal use of the drug by 2020, according to a new report.

The projection, from the Arcview Market Research, comes in advance of a November vote on legalization in the state. Legal marijuana sales would be expected to hit $1.6 in the first year of legalization.

When various forms of cannabis decriminalization and legalization take hold in major nations like Canada and the United States, smaller countries become less fearful about stepping out from behind the cannabis reform shadows.

Now, reports out of Thailand show various government organizations looking into decriminalizing cannabis.

Marijuana is packed with medicinal uses we can’t legally exploit here in the United States, but why? Are we still stuck in the Reefer Madness of the 30s? Or is the idea of a pain-curing plant you can grow in your backyard too great a threat to the powerful pharmaceutical industry?

The whole weed-still-being-illegal-in-2016-thing: it's all a bit silly, isn't it? While other parts of the world take a sensible approach to cannabis – decriminalising and even legalising it – the UK's government continues to plod along, refusing to engage in any kind of sensible debate on the topic.

It appears recreational marijuana will be on the ballot in Arizona come November.

When it comes to declassifying the illegal status of a drug, there's a lot to consider. Proposition 205 reflects that, answering some questions but leaving others to be determined.

If you don't want to read the entire initiative (or our story from earlier this week breaking it down), here are five key points from Prop 205:

1. Only in private

Language from supporters of the initiative often includes "like alcohol." You can't drink a beer on the street and you would not be able to smoke marijuana on the street, either. It would result in a $300 fine.

Attorney General Adam Laxalt is urging Nevadans to "vote no" on Ballot Question 2, which proposes the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Laxalt and other law enforcement officials held a press conference Thursday afternoon in Carson City to detail their concerns over Question 2.

First, Laxalt and other officials, say the measure wasn't written with the people of Nevada in mind.

"This ballot initiative was written by major marijuana interests, who's biggest concern is making money," said Laxalt.

Another big concern was public safety. They said the legalization of recreational marijuana could increase crime and make Nevada roadways less safe.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s refusal to decontrol marijuana has raised the hackles of doctors, patient advocacy groups, cannabis entrepreneurs, and potheads almost everywhere. Under the agency’s recent directive, marijuana remains an illegal, controlled substance like heroin and LSD that has no medical value. But unlike most federal regulations, the DEA move will have little to no effect on state-level marijuana politics.