Ever since the Santa Monica Observer published a report earlier this week claiming a loose-lipped attorney for the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration told them that the agency is planning to downgrade the cannabis plant to a Schedule II at the beginning of August, a large majority of the stoner nation has been going on a wild and rampant social media posting tangent, spreading a misguided message that marijuana will soon be legal in all 50 states.

MEMBER for Buderim Steve Dickson has challenged candidates in the upcoming Federal election to declare if they support the issue of a licence to grow medicinal cannabis on the Sunshine Coast.

Mr Dickson was one of more than 80 people who attended a medicinal cannabis round table discussion at Nambour today.

He and councillor Greg Rogerson have declared their support for the production of medical cannabis on the Sunshine Coast.

The meeting, hosted by Queensland Health and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, heard there would be eight licences issued in Australia to grow medicinal cannabis.

Those attending the meeting were updated on timelines and legislative changes.

Failing in an effort to match the success of their Senate counterparts, House members on Tuesday watched as Republicans killed a budget amendment that would have prevented federal regulators from penalizing financial institutions that worked with legitimate marijuana businesses.

Though a Senate committee last week passed a similar amendment, House Republicans in the Rules Committee blocked any vote on the amendment proposed by Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Arvada, and Rep. Denny Heck of Washington to the Fiscal Year 2017 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act.

The bill makes appropriations to the Treasury, the Office of the President and other agencies.

A political action committee backing recreational marijuana legalization has recently seen a stream of green, as in cash.

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, the pro-recreational marijuana PAC, has raised $285,500 this year, a June 11 filing with the secretary of state’s office shows. That number is nearly half of what the group raised in 2014, when the initiative to legalize recreational marijuana use first appeared on the ballot.

More than half of the 2016 fundraising total came from June 7-9, according to the filing; most of the money came from Nevada marijuana companies such as Terra Tech Corp., Greenmart Of Nevada, Medical Marijuana of Las Vegas and Paradise Wellness Center.

This November, California voters are likely to weigh in on the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, which would allow its recreational use by people 21 and older.

The California lieutenant governor outlined his case for legalizing the drug

On Tuesday, California’s highest ranking statewide official to support marijuana legalization spoke before hundreds of people anxious to see that change happen in November. “Our purpose is social justice,” Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom told the crowd gathered in Oakland for the annual Cannabis Business Summit, “to right the wrong of the abject failure which is our war on drugs in the United States of America.” The line earned him a huge cheer.

Out of Rhode Island:

The Rhode Island legislative session came to close early on Saturday morning.  Unfortunately, despite overwhelming public support for reform, leaders of the House and Senate did not allow legislators to vote on the Marijuana Regulation, Control, and Taxation Act this year.

Other notable outcomes of the 2016 legislative session include:

— Passage of Article 14 in the state budget, which makes significant changes to the medical marijuana program. You can find a summary of the new regulations here.

When NFL lineman Eugene Monroe spoke out publicly against the NFL’s ban on marijuana, it sparked a national conversation about the merits of cannabis as an alternative method of pain management for players.

“What I noticed was that former players would openly speak about their experiences being addicted to opioids that they were prescribed by their team doctors,” Monroe told Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric.

Monroe, who was recently released by the Baltimore Ravens, has found an ally for his cause in Tennessee Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan.

The L.A.-based creator of the "Trump For World President" video tells us those who get the joke are the ones he made it for, and those who don't are even more amusing.

TOKYO—Japan loves Donald Trump—so much it wants to hug and kiss him—at least that’s the impression you might get from the Japan Supports Donald Trump For World President 2016 Banzai! video that has now been seen over 14 million times on Facebook and 3 million times on YouTube. 

It’s a masterpiece that looks as if it were created by Japan’s best advertising agency Dentsu (the one embroiled in a scandal over bribery and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics), but it’s actually a parody: a hilarious riff on Trump’s campaign and Japanese advertising. 

St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Hon Dr Ralph Gonsalves believes another year of consultations is possible before a regional decision is made on the decriminalisation of medical marijuana and small quantities of the drug.

This even as the Regional Marijuana Commission is expected to deliver its report to Caricom next month on the controversial issue which has drawn widespread debate including here in Cayman.

Dr Gonsalves, speaking with The Cayman Reporter last Thursday (16 June) during a brief visit to the Legislative Assembly, said regional consultations on the issue were inaugurated in his country last Wednesday.