Oh that smell, can’t you smell that smell? 

The 2017 inauguration for President Trump takes place in Washington D.C. in a little over a week, and cannabis supporters are making a point – by handing out 4,200 joints to onlookers at the National Mall.

DCMJ, a D.C. cannabis advocacy group, is organizing the event. Their objective is to remind Trump and his fellow politicians that there’s a ‘marijuana majority’ in America.

“We legalized cannabis in Washington, DC and we are not going to let anyone take that away from us,” reads the invitation.

“Dispensaries have always been operating in a legal gray area, so they are comfortable taking a risk”

Recreational marijuana has been legal in California for two months, and although individuals are allowed to grow up to six plants or possess an ounce of weed, it is not yet legal for businesses to sell recreational pot. Prop. 64, which passed on November 8th, postponed the start date for legal marijuana sales until January 1st of next year, giving the state time to establish a licensing system.  Selling marijuana without a license is still illegal, although the crime has been downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor.

There are couple of charges that qualify as a driving offence, commonly called DUI (driving under the influence). These include Impaired Driving, Over 80, failure or refusal to perform physical sobriety tests or give breath or blood samples.  Not only that, but this also includes Impaired Driving charges connected to driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.This is noteworthy because as Canada moves to legalize marijuana, new changes will be implemented to existing DUI laws. Marijuana consumption trends are changing, and with it the way in which people interact with and interpret the law.

In the last few years, attitudes to marijuana in the U.S. appeared to be easing.

And in many ways, they have. Four states have fully legalized recreational cannabis, and four more voted to follow them in November.

But the same election that doubled the number of pot-tolerant states brought Donald Trump into the White House. With him come people in key cabinet positions who loathe marijuana and have at least some power to act on it. Marijuana is still illegal under U.S. federal law.

The likely consequence: an end to the easygoing attitude that the Obama administration brought to states that chose legalization.

The cannabis flower is a curious specimen. While not what most people would picture when they think of a flower, this is the common name for the part of the cannabis plant used for smoking.

Comprised of small dense nubs, the flowers are frosted with hair-like crystalline structures called trichomes. This is the “business end” of the plant and thousands of different strains of cannabis are selectively bred to display a range of different profiles: effect, potency, flavor and color. The different strains will also have flowers that are different in appearance, some shorter and fatter, some longer or skinnier, and some in different hues. Experts – like your budtender – can tell certain attributes of the cannabis based on the flower’s appearance.

The United States is gradually becoming the land of the red, white, and green.

After a historic election cycle, which saw four states pass ballot initiatives legalizing nonmedical marijuana, one in five Americansnow live in a state where it's legal to smoke weed without a doctor's letter.

The industry is on track to post $20.2 billion in sales by 2021.

Here's a summary of where Americans can light up legally so far in 2017.

California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada recently passed laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Arkansas, Florida and North Dakota enacted medical marijuana initiatives, bringing the total of states (and the District of Columbia) that allow some form of marijuana use to 33.

What does this trend mean for entrepreneurs thinking of entering the cannabis industry?

National prohibitions against interstate cannabis commerce and federal banking and drug laws are keeping big companies at bay, which opens the door for small businesses and startups to establish dispensaries, retail stores, cultivators, processing, manufacturing and testing facilities.

In a new petition from Americans for Safe Access and Change.org, over 70,000 people and counting, are calling on the Drug Enforcement Administration to stop disseminating false information about medical cannabis immediately and ensure that any future information about medical cannabis treatment reflects medically-accurate and up-to-date facts.

At the heart of California’s Emerald Triangle is Humboldt County, a legendary locale in the world of weed, as prized by marijuana aficionados for its cannabis as Napa Valley is for its wine.

“Humboldt is the absolute, undisputed leader in cannabis,” said Luke Bruner, a local resident who has advised state and local officials on marijuana issues.

A lot is at stake. The statewide market in medicinal and recreational marijuana is worth about $6.6 billion

This spring the Trudeau government will be introducing its legislation to legalize marijuana, but many are wondering when they will actually be allowed to buy the drug. It’s not clear if that will even happen before the next election.

When the legalization bill is passed in the House of Commons and the Senate, which could be late this year or early 2018, it doesn’t mean legal marijuana will be available right away.

Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott says it will take some time to set up systems with all the provinces. “We need to make sure that there is a strict regulatory process in place and that there are restrictions in terms of access. We also have work to do on the public education front.”