Legislative proposals to legalize marijuana and hemp production will not alter the plans of the best-funded group pursuing an initiative petition for medical marijuana.

New Approach Missouri, which has raised more than $125,000 for its campaign, would be happy to support a proposal that mirrors its initiative but can’t rely on lawmakers passing an acceptable plan, spokesman Jack Cardetti said.

Comments and discussion stretched late into the night at the borough’s first Marijuana Task Force meeting after the statewide marijuana regulations came out.

The task force received comments for hours from members of the public, all urging them to stay as close to the state regulations as possible to foster a growing industry. After deliberation, the task force postponed a decision about any local regulations until its meeting after the new year.

Task force member Dollynda Phelps proposed to postpone the discussion of permits and limitations proposed by Amy Fenske, who recently resigned from the task force. Phelps introduced a motion to do nothing additional in the borough and simply stick to the state regulations.

"We will legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana."

This was one of Justin Trudeau's campaign promises and a stance, as poll after poll confirms, that is widely supported by Canadians.

This promise was once again repeated in last week's Speech from the Throne, entitled, interestingly enough, "Making real change happen."

The government, however, appears to be moving slowly on this particular pledge.

During the campaign, Trudeau promised to create a federal/provincial/territorial task force and to consult widely with public health officials and law enforcement in designing a regime for regulating the production and sale of marijuana.

Benicia >> Benicia’s planning commission is recommending the city to allow the delivery of medical marijuana within city limits.

All commissioners, except for George Oakes who was absent, voiced their support on the issue during Thursday night planning commission meeting.

“I wouldn’t want to see access to a legal product be prohibited by the fact that people can’t deliver,” Commissioner Steve Young said. “I don’t think that’s compassionate.”

Currently, Benicia doesn’t allow dispensaries, deliveries and the public use of marijuana. Cultivation is also limited to indoors only if there is no “visual or olfactory evidence of cultivation detectable from the public right of way or from adjoining properties.”

Marijuana. It’s a word we’re all are familiar with, especially if you’ve been living in Colorado for the last five years.

It’s a word that can stir up emotions immediately, regardless of where your convictions lay. It is a word that is rampant in headlines across the U.S., increasingly so every day. It is a word that was introduced into our lexicon innocently enough, only to be kidnapped by the social media of the time and used to vilify and condemn a plant that never meant any harm.

It would be contradictory for the Government to make attempts at the legislative level to decriminalize the use of Marijuana, while active strides are being made by Public Health Minister, Dr. George Norton, to bring tobacco control legislation before the House, says President David Granger.

The President’s announcement was made on his weekly television show “Public Interest” which was aired on the National Communications Network (NCN) last evening.

Following the arrest and conviction of popular football coach, Vibert Butts, who was sentenced to three years imprisonment for being in possession of marijuana, calls for decriminalization of the drug were renewed.

More than 3300 cannabis plants worth more than $6.5 million have been seized in police raids on illegal crop sites in northern NSW, police say.

The plants were seized during a week-long operation in the Mid-North and Manning Lakes regions.

Police from the State Crime Command's Drug Squad joined the Police Air Wing, PolAir, and local officers in raiding illegal crop sites as part of the state Cannabis Eradication Program.

No arrests were reported.

BELFAST, Maine — The Waldo County courthouse appeared to be bursting at the seams Friday morning with medical marijuana growers and activists who came out to support two of their own — Randy and Margot Hayes, a Montville couple facing charges of felony drug trafficking and misdemeanor marijuana cultivation.

The Hayeses, whose 57 medical marijuana plants were seized by agents of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency in August, pleaded not guilty in their initial appearance before Judge Patricia Worth at Waldo County Unified Court.

The judge expressed displeasure with some supporters who crowded into the courtroom during the brief hearing — one man’s phone rang, and others were talking during proceedings.

"Parliament shall be no exception".

But the speech did not outline to what extent the government is willing to get involved - Trudeau has said in the past that he intends to pull fighter jets from the ISIS mission, focusing instead on training soldiers on the ground. Instead, the government pledged to carry out its agenda "while pursuing a fiscal plan that is responsible, transparent and suited to challenging economic times".

Gov. Gen. David Johnston will read the throne speech in the Senate chamber, according to tradition.

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) - Grand Rapid's marijuana law approved by voters in 2012 will stand, after the Michigan Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from the Kent County Prosecutor. The amendment to the city charter makes possession of small amounts of marijuana a civil offense similar to a traffic ticket.

Grand Rapids officers don't have to report marijuana cases to the prosecutor unless they involve someone with more than 2.5 ounces, the person is committing another crime, or it involves a grow operation.

The appeals court upheld the law, saying Grand Rapids voters amended the City Charter - not through an ordinance. It's a critical distinction under Michigan law.