Each year, the world devours its way through 300 million tons of paper. Not a big deal — until you consider the fact that paper comes from deforested bio-diverse woodlands. It disturbs fragile ecosystems and contributes to atmospheric carbon dioxide and global warming. Recycled paper accounts for 38 percent of the world’s total fiber supply, yet plants like hemp, one of the most sustainable fibers on the planet, account for only seven percent.

One California-based company, Restalk, intends to change that.

The uncertain fate of cannabis clubs in "the Amsterdam of southern Europe"

It was 7 p.m. on July 10, 2014. Albert Centellas was smoking a joint in the spacious lounge of Club Kali, a quasi-legal cannabis club an hour's drive south of Barcelona. He heard a loud bang, like a thunderclap, and then another. The police were breaking down the door.

One year since legalizing marijuana in Washington, D.C., during a warm break in the weather this past Saturday, the prestigious Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. added another historic milestone to its reputation as host of the Capitol CannaShow, the largest local business and advocacy-focused cannabis conference in the nation’s capital.

With over 2,000 attendees, vendors, and volunteers over the course of the day, it was the largest locally sourced cannabis conference and expo on the District has ever seen to date.

The Independent has covered last week’s news of the potential launch of cannabis clubs in four Swiss cities, including Zurich, Basel, Bern and Geneva.

Representatives from the cities met in Bern on Thursday to discuss how to regulate the sale of cannabis, which is illegal to possess in Switzerland.

The 500,000 estimated people who smoke marijuana in Switzerland face serious fines and up to three years in prison.

This system prevents the state from taxing the cannabis sold on the ‘black market’, and creates difficulty for the implementation of proper prevention programs.

Nearly a fourth of Oregon's medical marijuana dispensaries selling the drug recreationally are not registered to pay taxes on those sales.

The Register-Guard reports dispensaries have until Feb. 29 to pay a 25 percent sales tax on January recreational marijuana sales.

As of Thursday, 245 out of 320 dispensaries selling recreational pot had set up accounts with the state Department of Revenue.

Oregon Department of Revenue spokeswoman Joy Krawczyk says the department expects an upswing in registrations as the deadline nears.

Many medical marijuana dispensaries are temporarily selling the drug for recreational use. Licenses for those looking to sell recreational marijuana alone will not be issued until the fall.

In a bid to reassess outdated drug policy, Switzerland is moving to trial cannabis clubs, providing a safe environment for the growth and distribution of marijuana.

There are certain countries here in Europe that are known to be a little more liberal when it comes to cannabis use; one such country is Switzerland. Although illegal in Switzerland, many police forces will turn a blind eye to cannabis, as long as it for personal use and not being used in a blatant manner. Well, things are going one step further, as four cities agree to take part in a project that will see cannabis clubs set up within their borders.

You already know that marijuana is a vegetable, right?

Both leaves and buds of marijuana possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer compounds. They are known as cannabidiols, (CBD) and they are the ones that make marijuana/ cannabis a superfood.

Heating the plant results in complete loss of its beneficial compounds. On the other hand, juicing the marijuana allows you to keep its goodness.

When you heat the plant, a psychoactive compound known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is released. Most people don’t want the medicine to get “high” though. Our bodies are designed to get cannabidiols, which means that you don’t need to heat the plant in order to get its healing properties.

Social media giants Facebook and Instagram have gone into overhaul by eliminating accounts that share information or products related to cannabis usage, The Guardian reports.

The business crackdown comes after retailers and marketing companies have existed on the sites for a number of years without breaking any laws. More than likely, the aggressive campaign is another method to eliminate the war on drugs. Suppliers are have been able to take a new route (social media) to sell and distribute drugs within the past five years, taking the industry to a new level.

Vouchers for free marijuana are being handed out Friday evening in San Jose.

The so-called Weed for Votes program is part of the push to legalize marijuana in California.

The free pot is being handed out at the corner of Fourth and East Santa Clara streets, right across the street from City Hall. It is the brain child of long-time medical marijuana advocate Dave Hodges.

By 8 o’clock Friday evening, Hodges expects to have given away some 2,000 vouchers. The goal is to legalize marijuana, says Hodges, the right way.

“I’d like to see (marijuana) legalized across the state and done in a way that promotes business and allows the current industry to move into a regulated market,” Hodges said.