Columbia, SC —Richland County authorities recently revealed that a man died after trying to swallow bags of cannabis to avoid criminal charges for possessing them.

According to a review from the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, his death was due to “subsequent cardiac arrest which resulted in diffuse anoxic brain injury.”

According to the official narrative, Zachary McDaniels was caught stealing a car from a shopping center. The Richland County Sheriff’s Office said McDaniels and another man fled on foot after being pulled over in the stolen car.

Kristin Brinckerhoff ponders the selection of marijuana at 3D Cannabis Center in Denver. (Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post)

Colorado suspended tax collections on marijuana for one day on Wednesday, and pot cultivation operations said the tax holiday was saving them tens of thousands of dollars behind the scenes.

"My space will all be empty today," said Daniel Morgan, grow operator for the Starbuds chain, as he stood before a 30-pound mound of pot in a north Denver warehouse. "We're just sending it to all the stores."

Morgan says he hopes to move up to 100 pounds of marijuana by the end of day Wednesday, which would mean $30,000 in savings.

n accounting error in Colorado is paying off for marijuana consumers today, when a quirk in a state tax law prompts the state to suspend most taxes on recreational pot.

The one-time break comes a day after Colorado made final its accounts for the fiscal year that ended in June.

The final tax numbers covered the first full fiscal year in which adults over 21 could legally buy both marijuana and alcohol.

The word of today’s marijuana tax holiday in Colorado has spread far beyond the state’s borders. Even Snoop Dogg’s heard of the one-time pot tax holiday — and he recorded a video message for cannabis aficionados in Colorado.

“In honor of it being an incredible year for the movement, I would like to wish you a happy tax holiday,” Snoop says in the video, which the artist shared exclusively with The Cannabist. “I love seeing the positive impact of the cannabis business in your beautiful state.

As cannabis legalization continues to spread across the globe, a new type of traveling has been gaining momentum: cannabis travel destinations, where you can get in some much-needed rest and relaxation time without giving up your green. Cannabis-friendly booking places (such as Bud And Breakfast) have been popping up to provide everything you could possibly need for your cannabis-inclusive vacation, from picturesque views to rental hosts that supply you with the buds you need to supplement your stay.

Puerto Rico is relaxing prosecution against first-time offenders found with marijuana for personal use in the U.S. territory.

Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla signed an executive order on Monday stating that those found with six grams or less of marijuana could face only a fine, community service or rehabilitation. He said the island's justice secretary will make that decision on a case-by-case basis.

Garcia noted that the Department of Corrections spent nearly $2.3 million in December on those accused of marijuana possession, adding that public funds would be better spent elsewhere fighting violence and other more severe drug offenses.

The veteran welterweight tested positive for marijauna metabolites in his post-fight drug test after a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of middleweight Anderson Silva in January. In addition to the suspension, Diaz was fined $165,000 (which is 33 per cent of his $500,000 fight purse from UFC 183). It was his third suspension for marijuana.

The number of young German adults using cannabis has climbed sharply, according to a study by the country's health education agency. Some officials say it's a sign that better deterrent programs are needed.

Research published by the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) on Tuesday found that marijuana use by Germans up to the age of 25 had risen by more than one third over the past six years.

For the study, a total of 7,000 teenagers and young adults were interviewed between May and August 2014. Around 18 percent between the ages of 18 and 25 said they had used marijuana in the past 12 months. That's up from the 11.5 percent saying the same in 2008.

Oregon’s cannabis industry is going overground. From 1 October, sellers will be allowed to sell to the all-new, all-legal recreational market.

At this year’s Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference (OMMBC) in Portland, attendees were anticipating a world of opportunity for growers, processors and retailers. The national medical market is worth over $3bn, and some project this number to grow tenfold as more states make medical or recreational pot legal.

But now that growing and selling marijuana has moved out of the shadows, how do entrepreneurs claim a share of all that growth? In talking to speakers and exhibitors, I managed to boil it down to a few simple rules.

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