The NFL is back and I'm very excited about the upcoming season. But there is something that I have become more aware of recently that I can't help but think about while watching the game – the issue of concussions, their effects on the brain, and how medical marijuana can help play a role in treating the problem.

Court ruling cites 2008 decriminalization law

In a decision hailed by civil rights advocates and supporters of marijuana legalization, the state’s highest court ruled Tuesday that police cannot stop motorists solely because they suspect the vehicle’s occupants are in possession of the drug.

The Supreme Judicial Court based its 5-2 ruling largely on a measure that voters approved in 2008 that reduced possession of an ounce or less of marijuana from a criminal offense to a civil violation punishable by a fine.

Originally, I was trying to come up with a really whip-smart headline for this…like: “Weed Is The Gateway Drug For Gateway Point Of Sale Services,” but there was no need. The news is simple: A super-smart group of folks that sold a company (Outright.com) to GoDaddy has launched its point of sale service specifically aimed at shops selling cannabis. They’re called Green Bits.

FALMOUTH — The leader of a Colorado drug-prohibition enforcement program warned Mainers on Tuesday about the implications of recreational marijuana legalization, including increases in use among youth and problems with edible marijuana products.

Thomas Gorman, a former undercover drug agent and current director of the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, spoke at a forum in Falmouth about the impact of marijuana legalization in Colorado, marijuana commercialization, and public health and safety issues connected to legal pot use.

In a decision hailed by civil rights advocates and supporters of marijuana legalization, the state’s highest court ruled Tuesday that police cannot stop motorists solely because they suspect the vehicle’s occupants are in possession of the drug.

The Supreme Judicial Court based its 5-2 ruling largely on a measure that voters approved in 2008 that reduced possession of an ounce or less of marijuana from a criminal offense to a civil violation punishable by a fine.

“Permitting police to stop a vehicle based on reasonable suspicion that an occupant possesses marijuana does not serve [the] objectives” of the law change, Justice Margot Botsford wrote for the majority.

Maybe it was too early for the legalization crowd.

Barely anyone showed up Tuesday for a 10 a.m. event outside the State House aimed at kicking off a signature drive for a proposed 2016 ballot question that would legalize marijuana for adult recreational use.

Two of the three state legislators slated to attend the launch for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Massachusetts did not.

And, while political kickoffs in front of the golden-domed building are often packed with supporters, the crowd at this one — which included the ballot push’s campaign manager, communications director, and a few other backers — was sparse and far from fired up.

A central idea of the war on drugs has always been that loosening restrictions on drug use — by decriminalizing it, or allowing medical use, or legalizing some drugs completely, or even simply discussing legalization — will "send the wrong message" to kids and lead to increased teen drug use and all the problems associated therewith.

Nevada State Athletic Commission’s suspension of Nick Diaz is not going unnoticed as everybody from Ronda Rousey to Katt Williams have spoken out against the punishment. Diaz tested positive for marijuana in one of his three drug tests at UFC 183 and is being forced to sit on the sidelines for five years. The fans have spoken and started apetition to lift the ban and with only fifty-thousand signatures remaining, the powers that be at the White House might just have to address the situation.

Marijuana use continues to become legal in more places, but that doesn't mean the drug'spopularity among adolescents is growing, a new study finds.

Although disapproval of marijuana use has decreased dramatically among young adults — suggesting that this age group is viewing the drug less negatively — that's not the case for younger adolescents, according to the study.

The first New York City cannabis film festival, celebrating the influence of marijuana on cinema, is to take place on 26 September.

The Brooklyn-based event aims to elevate “cannabis culture by building a bridge between the film-making community and a new class of leaders and entrepreneurs”. Screenings of cannabis-related films will include shorts and a feature-length documentary.