The state-of-the-art marijuana growing operation with its 65 strains of plants is in its infancy as finishing touches are being put on the building where it will take about 14 weeks to grow about 80 pounds of pot. That's how much the tribe hopes to sell weekly at its smoking lounge and entertainment resort just south of their casino that is noting its 25th year of operation this month.

The resort has been about a year in the making, as the tribal council which leads the tribe of 280 adults and 110 children on the reservation voted 5-1 late last year to pursue the resort idea.

The first week of recreational marijuana sales in Oregon resulted in over $11 million dollars worth of marijuana being sold according to several media outlets. I’m not sure where that number is being pulled from, but regardless of how close to the exact dollar amount the figure is, I think that we can all agree that Oregon medical marijuana dispensaries sold A LOT of recreational flower since sales started on October 1st. I read an article on the Oregon Cannabis Connection website that did a great job of highlighting calls from activists for using this new found source of revenue to help low income Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) patients.

Colorado’s first week of sales reached $5 million while Washington didn’t hit $2 million until after the first month. Those dispensaries can sell recreational products until December. 31, 2016, at which point all recreational sales will fall under the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s regulations and will take place at OLCC-licensed retail stores.

Maybe it used to, but these days marijuana retailers face more competition than ever.

During the Measure 91 campaign, economic firm EcoNorthwest projected that the state would bring in .5 million in new revenue the first year while the state of Oregon projected a more modest $9 of net revenue. Washington had just four, and a year later, still has fewer than Oregon.

If a public referendum on does pass 13 months from now legalizing recreational pot in California, the bills enacted this week could help smooth the state's transition to legalization, and being prepared to roll out retail sales in an orderly manner could pay very real dividends.

The owner of Main Street Marijuana in Vancouver says he's not anxious about competition from Oregon's new law, despite taking a 10 percent hit in sales last week. Those dispensaries can sell recreational products until December. 31, 2016, at which point all recreational sales will fall under the Oregon Liquor Control Commission's regulations and will take place at OLCC-licensed retail stores.

People in east Newcastle have come out the most strongly in the North East in favour of legalising cannabis.

More than 220,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to legalise the drug, saying it could bring in £900m in tax revenue and create 10,000 jobs.

Parliament is due to debate whether to legalise marijuana on Monday.

Exclusive analysis by the Chronicle shows that 556 people from Newcastle upon TyneEast have signed the petition.

This means about one person in every 178 has signed the petition from the constituency.

This is the highest proportion of people putting their names to the bid anywhere in the North East.

DENVER - People spent more than $100 million dollars on marijuana in one month in Colorado.

That's a new record high. And if the trend continues, sales will set another new record next month, and the month after that, and on and on.

In August, recreational marijuana sales totaled $59.2 million and medical marijuana sales came in at $41.4 million, according to sales data from the Colorado Department of Revenue.

Colorado collected more than $13 million total in taxes, licenses and fees on marijuana in August 2015. That's up 70 percent from August 2014.

Parents are outraged about a product called Cannabis Energy Drink that went on sale at some supermarkets last week, claiming it irresponsibly promotes marijuana as a harmless drug.

Mother-of-two Simone Calnon said local supermarkets selling the Austrian drink were normalising cannabis by making it appear as if it was a regular item that belonged on a shop shelf.

She said the energy drink gave young children the impression marijuana was safe, despite it having been linked to health problems including anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.

The energy drink contains hemp-seed extract but is deemed legal because it does not include THC, the main mind-altering ingredient of marijuana.

Politicians know how to harvest the low hanging fruit at election time.

Now, Justin Trudeau has sniffed out the low hanging cannabis on the campaign trail — and promised to legalize it.

It’s time, long past time. The Liberal leader can make up for the sins — or omissions — of his father in failing to decriminalize marijuana possession generations ago, when Pierre Trudeau ignored the recommendations of the 1973 Le Dain Royal Commission he created as prime minister.

FOR most of his 67 years, Verald Vassell has preached ganja's medicinal and religious virtues. Until last year, those who listened were largely from his Rastafarian faith.

With use of small portions of the weed decriminalised in Jamaica this year, Vassell, popularly known as Ras Iyah, is preparing to host the Cannabis Cup in Westmoreland, his home parish.

The 'Cup' was first held in 1988 and has been staged mainly in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, hailed by many ganja lovers as the weed capital of the world.

Promoted by High Times Magazine, the Cannabis Cup will be held for the first time in Jamaica, from November 12-15 in Negril.

PORTLAND, Ore. — What if we legalized marijuana and no one really cared?

That's the overwhelming feeling I get standing inside Zion Cannabis in downtown Portland as customers buy marijuana from the friendly staff  five days after legalized marijuana legislation went into effect Oct. 1.

No muss, no fuss.