“It smells like Amsterdam” is a well-turned phrase. Each year, about 1.5 million tourists visit the city to legally consume cannabis in specially licensed coffee shops, and every time their doors open to welcome a new customer, a potent waft escapes with the force of a jet missile into the street.

Whatever your views on the subject, the scent of marijuana and hashish is strong. The distinctive and easily identifiable smell curls along the narrow streets of De Wallen, lingers among the pubs, clubs, bars and coffee shops of the red light district and wafts across the open expanse of Stationsplein as newcomers in transit cram in a full, enhanced, poly-sensory experience of the city.

The state of Ohio sued the city of Toledo on Tuesday to overturn parts of its new marijuana decriminalization law, alleging it will encourage drug cartels to set up distribution operations in the city.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and the Lucas County prosecutor and sheriff filed the lawsuit in Lucas County Common Pleas court against the "Sensible Marijuana Ordinance" passed in last month's Toledo municipal election.

The ordinance eliminated fine and jail penalties for marijuana-related offenses in Ohio's fourth-largest city, according to DeWine. The northeastern Ohio city was the first in the state to enact a local ordinance decriminalizing marijuana.

A nonprofit organization dedicated to scientific research on cannabis plans to build a $24 million medical-marijuana-research facility at a proposed Licking County grow site if voters approve ResponsibleOhio’s marijuana-legalization amendment this fall.

Work at International Cannabinoid Institute Research Foundation will focus on marijuana-centered therapies for certain medical conditions, such as childhood epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.

The nonprofit group would lease 15 acres from the property owner of the Licking County site, located in Pataskala, for the 40,000-square foot facility, the group announced on Tuesday at a news conference outside the Statehouse.

Recreational marijuana has been legal throughout Oregon for a few months now. While residents could use it, purchasing from a store hasn’t been possible.

That’s because retail sales of recreational cannabis have remained illegal. That ends Thursday, when the state will begin allowing recreational sales at medical marijuana dispensaries.

According to the OLCC, the state currently projects $10.7 million in revenue for the 2015-2017 biennium.

Here’s everything you need to know about purchasing pot for recreational use in Oregon.

The state of Colorado has proposed rules that would reduce the number of allowable pesticides used on marijuana from 200 to about 75. Those to be permitted are the least harmful and already allowed by federal regulators for use on food and tobacco crops.

The proposal was issued last week, according to the Denver Post, and limits pesticide use on pot to chemicals considered nontoxic or safe enough that they do not need to be tested or registered with the federal government -- which still considers pot an illegal drug.

On Monday, the German pharmaceutical authority in Berlin put an end to plans that would have allowed for the creation of coffee shops similar to those in Amsterdam where customers can buy recreational marijuana. Although this is a setback for Germany’s cannabis industry, advocates expect to see federal reform in the near future.

The cannabis industry in Germany has made significant strides in 2015 and this trend should continue during 2016. Legal marijuana is gaining steam according to recent polls. In June, a poll found that 37% of respondents said they supported the legalization of cannabis. This represents an increase from last year (30% were in favor of legal cannabis).

Prohibition is not working

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Oct. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Santa Cruz Bakeware™ announces launch of the Greenskeeper project on Indiegogo, ending the home storage nightmare for medical and recreational cannabis consumers.

"Effective storage options remain surprisingly limited given the growth in medical and recreational use," says Michael Jessup, co-founder of Santa Cruz Bakeware.

"To extend the freshness and potency of marijuana, smart storage is crucial. What you see on the market, though, are a lot of repurposed products originally developed for storing food or tobacco," he continues.

Worried about marijuana use among teens? It’s an easy thing to be afraid of with so many misconceptions and misinformation on cannabis continuing to circulate.

Outdated modes of thinking and even a lot of old studies would have us believe that habitual cannabis use, especially among young people, would lead to all sorts of disastrous consequences.

The latest science, however, is telling us otherwise.

Details of this amazing study.

Researchers from the Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Rutgers University published an American Psychological Association report this past August, revealing that early onset cannabis users (from early adolescence to mid-20s) are no more likely to develop physical or mental issues than non-users by their mid-30s.

The German Hemp Association (DHV) advertised for the biggest alcohol party in the world for a relaxed handling of cannabis. The full-surface glued bike taxi carries the slogan "Stop Crime - Cannabis normal" and transports the mostly drunken passengers around the "Wiesn".

The association it is about mutual tolerance. Let "life and living that is our message. Just as peaceful beer lovers can celebrate drinking, so peaceful hemp friends should not be pursued by the police," said Georg Wurth, spokesman for the Hemp Association. "Bavaria is proud of its beer culture, but an extremely repressive state, when it comes to cannabis. This schizophrenia is particularly evident at the time of Oktoberfest."

Victoria is set to become the first state in Australia to legalise marijuana cultivation to treat serious medical conditions including cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy and chronic pain.

But the push - underpinned by a landmark report by the Victorian Law Reform Commission - hinges on the agreement of the Turnbull government, which is a signatory to international rules covering the cultivation and manufacture of cannabis.

As revealed in The Age last month, a landmark study by the commission recommends a strictly controlled licensing scheme to produce medicinal cannabis, similar to the system for growing poppies.