A clear majority of Canadians want the federal government to issue pardons to fellow citizens who have a criminal record for marijuana possession, a new poll has found.

The survey stands to buttress the call of marijuana activists, lawyers and politicians who argue that the old criminal records will be a legal anomaly once marijuana is legalized for recreational use by all adults.

The federal government tabled legislation last month that aimed to legalize marijuana by the middle of next year. Despite widespread pressure, the government has refused to call on law enforcement to stop charging marijuana users with simple possession while the legislation goes through Parliament, or to promise an amnesty for past convictions after the adoption of the new law.

If no action is taken by Vermont’s Governor Phil Scott before Wednesday, the state will become the first to legalize cannabis through the legislative process, and not a ballot initiative.

The legislation has already been approved by both chambers of the state legislature and the governor has only a few more days to decide whether to sign or to veto it.

Although Governor Scott has not been an advocate for the cannabis industry because he is still not sure it is healthy, Scott has certainly become more favorable on cannabis. Earlier this month, after both houses approved the legislation, Governor Scott’s spokeswoman Rebecca Kelley released the following statement:

A new industry is about to take root in Kelowna. Valens Agritech has just received approval from the federal government to grow commercial quantities of medical marijuana at its 17,000 square foot facility.

The company expects to soon start growing about 4,800 plants to produce about 2,000 kilograms of pot annually.

“As soon as we can assure everyone we’re 100 per cent ready to go we’ll start,” said CEO Tyler Robson. “So it’s almost imminent at this point.”

The company will first produce medical marijuana products and then move into the recreational market when marijuana is legalized, likely later this year.

The marijuana industry, and marijuana stocks for that matter, have been expanding by leaps and bounds over the past two decades. What was once a completely taboo industry has become a thriving source of legal growth, at least in some states.

According to a Gallup poll from the mid-1990s, just 25% of respondents were in favor of seeing recreational weed legalized nationally. Mind you, this was during the height of the War on Drugs campaign in America. As of 2016, an all-time high of 60% of respondents wanted to see cannabis legalized for adult use across the country, per Gallup. An even larger figure, 93%, wants medical cannabis legalized nationally, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll.

The Weber County Sheriff's Office is drawing some backlash for its thoughts on medicinal marijuana.

In a statement issued to the Utah Sheriff's Association Friday, the Department quoted the Utah Narcotics Officers Association saying:

“So called medical marijuana in other states has become a farce and a sham. The average user of smoked medical marijuana has no chronic illness and is a white male in his mid-30s with a history of drug and alcohol abuse."

The statement caught many supporters of medicinal marijuana off-guard.

As the youth grow up, they are warned about the “dangers” of marijuana and other substances. The supposed danger, as echoed by many, is that marijuana makes people become unkempt, irresponsible, lazy and ultimately, running-on-the-streets-naked (that is, madness). Some religious preachers go as far as to say that marijuana users are hell-bound. Since the 1950s, thousands have been jailed; countless properties have been confiscated by the government, and taxpayers’ money has been wasted on the war on drugs in Nigeria, through the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Pot. Reefer. Grass. Mary Jane. No matter what people call it, they can now sell it, find it, review it, and share its attributes like never before. More than a map, new social marketplace Weedable goes beyond providing an online dispensary directory to connect cannabis enthusiasts to stores, strains, products – and for the first time – each other. A social marketplace like no other, Weedable provides a dynamic and informative meeting place for those engaged in the legalized medical and recreational marijuana industries.

Athletes are always pushing themselves to go harder, faster and higher. One company wants to help them do just that — with marijuana chocolates.

No, really: 1906, a startup founded by former Wall Street banker Peter Barsoom, is in the business of creating cannabis edibles that "appeal to responsible, informed, health-conscious adults," per their mission statement. These include a line of weed chocolates for sleeping ("Midnight"), relaxation ("Pause") and even sex ("High Love"). Each contains a specific blend of all-natural ingredients meant to achieve ideal effects for a different activity.

Regulated marijuana sales are growing rapidly in participating states, but with federal legalization still a slow-turning wheel, it could take decades for the industry to fully mature on a national level.

On the back of 11 states passing marijuana-related measures last year, sales of recreational marijuana are expected to increase by roughly 30% this year — reaching $5.1 billion to $6.1 billion — and increase up to 45% in 2018, according to industry data provided by Chris Walsh, analyst and editorial director of Marijuana Business Daily. Walsh said he expects another spike in 2019, pushing sales past $11 billion.