o this point in the U.S. presidential race, the kingmakers of the marijuana movement haven’t been feeling the Bern, as in Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

BOSTON – Massachusetts voters are expected to head to the polls in November and likely vote on a ballot measure fully legalizing marijuana, four years after they signed off on medical marijuana and eight years after approving decriminalization of small amounts of the substance.

A special state Senate committee, whose members recently traveled to Colorado to see the legal cannabis industry up close, issued its official report on Tuesday, sounding a skeptical note on legalization and hoping to promote a cautious approach.

Here are some takeaways from the report:

Although the Koran does not specifically outlaw cannabis, and it was apparently never mentioned by Mohammed himself, the plant and products made from it are still considered haraam (forbidden). However, cannabis grows and is processed into hashish in many Muslim-majority countries around the world, and it has been an undeniable part of the culture for centuries in many of these countries.  

Our own Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations has made a suggestion on cannabis that has stunned many people in Ghana and elsewhere in the world. The soft spoken 2nd African after late Butros Butros Gali of Egypt to occupy the highest civil service position at the UN is noted for speaking more on democracy, security and good governance. However quite recently he veered surprisingly into pushing for the legalization of cannabis and other personal drugs with the advice that regulations must be put in place by governments to curtail their abuse.

The head of Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries says if recreational marijuana is legalized, it should at least initially be sold in retail stores separate from liquor stores. 

CEO John Stinson recently took a trip to Denver, Colo., in search of a pot-selling model that works. He toured recreational marijuana production and retail facilities and met with state officials.

"I saw a retail model that really impressed me," he said.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries CEO John Stinson says a retail space in Colorado is an encouraging model for selling recreational marijuana in Manitoba. (Matt Kwong/CBC)

One summer day in 2007, Utah State Senator Mark Madsen (R-Saratoga Springs) was grilling chicken and corn on the cob in his yard with his family, when he was hit by what felt like the flu. As a chronic pain patient, Madsen, who sustained back and spine injuries from two car accidents and playing football in his youth, was wearing a Fentanyl patch to alleviate his discomfort. Not realizing the Fentanyl patch had burst, Madsen went to go lie down.

Legalising cannabis could raise £1bn annually in tax, a new study by the Liberal Democrats has claimed. 

According to the report, "credible estimates" have shown £1bn in government revenue could be raised, and the panel conducting the study recommended taxing cannabis in line with its potency. 

As has been the case in US states such as Colorado and Washington, the expert panel behind the report called for the sale of cannabis to be legalised to over-18s from specialist, licensed retail stores. 

Other proposals included setting up a new regulator to oversee the market, allowing home-cultivation for personal use and setting up small-scale licensed cannabis social clubs. 

MP: The legalisation of cannabis for medicinal use could be an agricultural opportunity for struggling communities

Denmark’s small islands are struggling for survival but could find a new lease of life as cannabis-farming communities should Parliament adopt a proposal to legalise cannabis for medicinal use, Alternativet MP Nicolaj Amstrup has told DR.

There is currently a slim parliamentary majority in favour of legalising medical cannabis.

“If we pass a law about medicinal cannabis, then it would be smart if it supported a new agricultural opportunity, and the islands would be perfect for that,” Amstrup told DR Fyn.

The Supreme Court of the United States has again delayed any decision regarding the future of legal marijuana in the United States.

According to the Denver Post’s John Ingold this morning, the SCOTUS has yet to decide whether to hear or reject a lawsuit brought by two of Colorado’s neighboring states, Nebraska and Oklahoma. 

The SCOTUS first delayed deliberations on the lawsuit for a memorial for Justice Scalia. The lawsuit again appeared on the SCOTUS calendar for Friday, but as of today, no decision had been made.

Camapaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in an op-ed piece published yesterday, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healy, and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh urged voters to reject a marijuana legalization measure that is expected to appear on the state ballot in November. Meanwhile, state legislators released a 118-page report that assumes marijuana will be legalized and makes recommendations about how it should be regulated.