Dear Mr. President:

A State of the Union speech is a unique opportunity to address Congress and the nation about priorities and accomplishments, as well as to highlight critical issues.

I remember another speech in May 2008 when you spoke to over 70,000 Portlanders. The overwhelming feeling of hope coming from the crowd was palpable.

A local cannabis lobby group says it plans to “test the law” by importing certain classifications of cannabis that are not defined by law as prohibited.

C420, a legally registered NGO that lobbies for cannabis policy reform says there is only one classification of Cannabis has been defined under current law and is subject to prohibition.

In a statement issued yesterday, the group reasoned that other classifications cannot be prohibited as they are not defined by law.

“In light of this, C420 intends to test the law by importing “non-prohibited” Cannabis seeds for the purpose of cultivation and “non-prohibited” Cannabis oil,” the group said.

DENVER — Two years into Colorado’s experiment with legalized cannabis, marijuana has become a bit passé. Marijuana stores have lost their novelty, and no one remarks anymore when there’s the tell-tale aroma in the air. People puff on portable vaporizers everywhere you look: in bars, on the sidewalk, or while stuck in traffic on the way home from work. It’s impossible to know whether they’re inhaling tobacco or cannabis — nor does it matter, legally. Decades of social stigma have evaporated; all signs indicate legal marijuana is here to stay.

Despite national news reports of controversy, marijuana growers, legislators and Pueblo residents seem largely supportive of the city's marijuana scholarship tax.

College-bound students in Pueblo, Colorado will have access to almost $2 million in additional scholarship funds, thanks to marijuana. 

Sixty percent of voters in Pueblo approved a measure in November that added an additional five percent excise tax on Colorado’s marijuana suppliers, and each year 50 percent of the tax’s proceeds will be set aside for college scholarships. Starting in 2017, the pot tax will gradually phase in until it reaches 5 percent, about $3.5 million, in 2020. 

Colorado state representative Jonathan Singer says tax revenue helps fund schools

Some American states have already legalized marijuana and it could soon be Canada's turn.

Cannabis sales for recreational purposes were made legal in Colorado in January 2014. In Canada, the new Liberal government is promising it within the next two years.

For the second part of CBC Daybreak's Montreal 420 series, we spoke to Jonathan Singer, who represents House District 11 in the Colorado state legislature.

Here are key excerpts of that interview with Singer:

While her two young daughters were shopping with their father in South Weber, Utah, last Oct. 1, Enedina Stanger stayed behind in the parking lot. She had tried everything to help ease the pain from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – the rare and potentially fatal genetic tissue disorder she suffers from – but nothing else worked. She lit up a marijuana cigarette. 

After she was finished, she rolled down the window of her van to let out the smoke. That's when somebody passing by called the police, claiming Enedina was smoking in front of her daughters, who by then had returned to the parking lot with their father, Mike Stanger. 

The 2016 Brown & Black Presidential Forum, hosted by Fusion and moderated by Jorge Ramos, Alicia Menendez, Akilah Hughes and Rembert Browne, could be a turning point in this year's election. The candidates, frontrunner Hillary Clinton, spoiler Bernie Sanders and longshot Martin O'Malley, were there to plead their cases directly to younger voters, a demographic that's highly prized yet hard to reach.

Rabat  –  Six suspects were arrested by Agadir’s judiciary police following the interception of a truck, which was carrying 6.6 tons of cannabis (marijuana).

Investigations led to the arrest of six people, including the truck driver, the vehicle owner and the main suspect, said national police (DGSN) in a statement.

Investigations are still ongoing to determine possible links between this ring and other criminal organizations and to arrest those involved in the traffic.

Two self-proclaimed nuns, Sister Kate and Sister Darcey, grow and sell marijuana for medicinal purposes in Merced, California. But the future of their business is now in jeopardy as the Merced City Council issued a temporary ban on marijuana cultivation after a 6-0 vote on Jan. 4.

The Sisters of the Valley grow and sell medical marijuana products in Merced, California. However, the city recently placed a temporary ban on marijuana cultivation, putting the sisters’ business at risk. Photo credit: Sisters of the Valley

Police say investigators have few options to deal with marijuana purchased online, delivered by mail

Enter the words "mail order marijuana" into Google and you'll find plenty of websites illegally offering marijuana for sale — and offering to ship it straight to you through Canada Post.

Typically, dealers collect payment online, process the order form, and ship the drugs to an address provided by the buyer.

Some websites selling marijuana through the mail operate in plain sight on the internet. (Mary Jane Mail)