The impending legalization of cannabis has sparked a formal effort in Manitoba to determine how marijuana ought to be regulated and sold.

In Monday’s throne speech, the Selinger government said Manitoba’s Liquor & Gaming Authority and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries "will be well positioned to regulate the sale and distribution of marijuana in a safe and socially responsible manner" once Justin Trudeau’s Liberals make it legal to light up.

On Dec. 3, when the Trudeau government issues its own throne speech, Canada’s provinces and territories expect to receive direction to help them plan for the not-so-distant future when consumers can buy a bag of weed on the up and up.

The board tasked with writing rules for Alaska's recreational marijuana industry voted Friday to allow for people to use pot at certain stores that will sell it, a first among the four states that have legalized the drug.

The 3-2 vote by the Marijuana Control Board also changed the definition of the term "in public" to allow for consumption at some pot shops, none of which are open yet. Colorado, Washington and Oregon have legalized recreational marijuana but ban its public use, including in pot stores.

Is Colorado starting a new trend?

In South Dakota, cannabis users can now experience a new trend of relaxation and respite: marijuana resorts. While marijuana is not yet legal in the state, the government legalized cannabis specifically on Santee Sioux land in June, 2015. The policy allows Indian tribes on reserves to grow and sell cannabis under similar regulations to those of states with legalized marijuana, granting these tribes an exclusive revenue stream. While some groups may be hesitant, the revenue potential has others cashing in.

Retail pot sales in Southwest Washington are down after Oregon’s recreational launch in October

Marijuana dispensaries in Southwest Washington lost about 37 percent in sales and tax revenue in the month October, according to data from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.

“Opening up 100 stores [in Portland] within driving distance is tough on everyone,” said Gareth Kautz, who owns High End Market Place, a marijuana retailer in Vancouver.

Vancouver retailers took a hit when medical marijuana dispensaries in Portland began selling recreational cannabis buds on Oct. 1.

"Zero percent marijuana, 100 percent dangerous."

New York has launched a public awareness campaign in its war against synthetic cannabis, a potentially deadly drug which experts say preys on the poorest and the mentally ill.

The drug widely known as K2 has killed at least two people in recent months and sent more than 6,000 people to the emergency room in the city since January. Most were men.

It first came to the attention of authorities last year and is sold under a string of other names: Spice, AK-47, Bizarro, Green Giant and Smacked -- to name the most common.

Sometimes packaged as "aromatherapy" or "pot pourri," some bags are decorated with cartoon characters. It can be bought on the Internet but also from cigarette sellers and bodegas.

While some long for the days of schwag, with its feel-good, mild highs, the weed of the today and presumably the future is going to make you higher than ever, according to the latest study on the matter by researchers in Denmark.

On a warm September evening, about 70 women gather at The Peg House, a famed roadside burger joint on Northern California’s Highway 101. They arrive in a stream of 4x4 trucks and carpools of Subarus; some have driven hours from remote hillside homesteads. At the state park across the road, there’s plenty of room to pitch tents under the redwoods.

Entrepreneur and drug policy reform activist leaked a United Nations paper calling for decriminalizing drug use. The paper argued that treating personal drug use as a crime “contributed to public health problems and induced negative consequences for safety, security, and human rights.”

The 420 Games - the brainchild of entrepreneur Jim McAlpine - is a series of events in legalized states that includes some form of athletic challenge or race. By linking cannabis use with athleticism, McAlpine is challenging cultural stereotypes about stoners as unmotivated individuals.

"The 420 Games does not advocate that everyone should use cannabis," says McAlpine. "We are focused on teaching those who choose to do so how to do so in a healthy and responsible manner [...] The 420 Games participants are not 'stoners'. While some of us use cannabis, some of us do not use it at all." 

In 2016 an amazing new tourist attraction fully dedicated to cannabis will open its doors in the US state of Colorado. Caution! After reading this article, you might want to book a trip to the Colorado Cannabis Ranch & Amphitheater.

The famous cannabis entrepreneur Christian Hageseth, founder of the Colorado Cannabis Ranch & Amphitheater, compares this attraction to a brewery or winery, but dedicated to legal cannabis. The Ranch will give a unique opportunity to explore an operational professional cannabis grow facility to learn more about the plant, how it can be cultivated indoors, and the medicines it provides.