DENVER-- Seven marijuana stores in Denver made sales to people who were under the legal purchasing age of 21, Denver Police said Wednesday.

With 30 stores investigated in the operation, the number amounts to nearly one in four selling to underage people.

Since legal sales of recreational pot began in 2014, sting operations rarely resulted in underage sales. The first round of stings last year resulted in zero violations.

"We are disappointed," said Lewis Koski of the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division in a statement. "Up until now these compliance checks have been a bright spot for the industry."

A new study by researchers at the University of Victoria and UBC suggests pot is getting a bad rap as a gateway drug.

The study indicates cannabis can actually be a safer substitute for potentially more dangerous drugs like prescription opiates, alcohol and illicit substances.

"While cannabis is not benign, most research suggests that it's safer and less addictive than many substances, particularly prescription opiates," said lead author Philippe Lucas in a written statement.

"So research suggesting that cannabis substitution could reduce harms and lessen the public health and safety impact of alcohol and other drugs has significant policy implications."

Lucas says for some people, it might even be an "exit drug" to addiction.

If you follow marijuana politics, then you know that Ohio has a marijuana legalization initiative that will be on the ballot in 2015. The initiative has drawn a lot of controversy because it only allows ten entities to grow recreational marijuana for profit in Ohio. The ten entities that get to grow marijuana for profit are the only ones funding the initiative as far as I know. So who are these ten entities? Below is a list of who will be able to grow marijuana for profit if the initiative passes, via Marijuana Business Daily:

• Licking County site – Dr. Suresh Gupta and Alan Mooney, principal of Mooney Wealth Advisory.

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.

What is changing Oct. 1?

Police deal with a marijuana possession incident every nine minutes in Canada, according to 2014 figures, but a CBC News analysis found that where you live plays a big role in determining whether you would have faced criminal charges.

Kelowna, B.C., tops the list of 34 Canadian cities for the highest per capita rate of marijuana charges. There were 251 charges per 100,000 population in 2014, far above the Canadian average of 79. The city of St. John's, by contrast, had 11 charges per 100,000.

More often than not you’ll hear people from who grew up in the 1960s and 70s, who smoked “hippie weed”, say that weed today is not like it used to be.

What do they mean by this? How much could cannabis have changed over the past few decades?

Photo credit Flickr

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon marijuana shops began selling marijuana Thursday for the first time to recreational users, marking a big day for the budding pot industry.

Some of the more than 250 dispensaries that already offer medical marijuana in Oregon opened their doors soon after midnight — just moments after it became legal to sell to anyone who is at least 21.

At Portland's Shango Premium Cannabis, co-founder Shane McKee said the first sale to an excited customer came about a minute after midnight, with many others waiting.

"It looks like there is about 60-70 in line out front," he said in a telephone interview shortly after midnight. "They all seem extremely eager."

That first buyer, Davia Fleming of Portland, said the sales launch was important.

A “HABITUAL” drug user has been banned from the roads after being caught driving with more than five times the legal amount of cannabis in his system.

Dean Holcroft of Petticoat Lane, Ince, pleaded guilty to two charges, including possession of the class B drug, at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard that on August 5, police stopped Holcroft on Manchester Road after they saw his car had blue side lights.

But upon inspecting the vehicle, the officers noticed a strong smell of cannabis.

And after testing the defendant at the roadside, it was found he had 11 micrograms of the drug in his system, the legal limit is two.

This is a first in an occasional college debate series hosted by Today’s Question where we invite debate clubs to frame and guide the day’s discussion. Positions taken by the debaters don’t necessarily reflect their views. As always, personal attacks aren’t allowed in this space. The comment thread continues to be open to all. Join in!

For this series, we welcome members of the University of Minnesota debate team to defend or challenge the argument for the legalization of marijuana for recreational use.

Defending the argument is Rohit Asirvatham, a junior majoring in political science.