The Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song is one of the most honorable awards in the world for musicians and songwriters. And today the Librarian of Congress (yes, that’s an actual position) James Hadley Billington (yes, that’s his actual name) announced that one of the planet’s biggest stoners will receive the top honor this year.

Willie Nelson performs at the Avalon in February 2013 in Hollywood, Calif. (Jerod Harris, Getty Images for H&M)

Legal experts question whether church can overcome hurdles in challenging Indiana's marijuana laws.

By filing its highly anticipated religious liberty claim Wednesday, the First Church of Cannabis has put the question everyone's been wondering about in the hands of the court:

Is this a real religion?

And does it have a protected right to practice legitimate beliefs?

Some legal experts remain skeptical that the cannabis church's challenge of Indiana's marijuana laws will survive for long in front of a judge. But the case focuses on — if a bit unusually — some of the weighty complexities of religious liberty claims and raises lingering questions over how Indiana's new Religious Freedom Restoration Act can and can't be used.

One year ago, Cannabis City owner James Lathrop stood outside his Seattle store, one of the first to sell legal recreational marijuana in Washington, and declared “free the weed.”

A year later, he says his pot business has had its highs and lows.

Early on, Lathrop was plagued by a lack of product. He says the shelves were so empty that he couldn't even have a presence at Hemp Fest, the annual Pro Marijuana gathering in the city.

Now, Lathrop says, that isn’t an issue. He says there’s enough supply that prices have come down from $25 a gram to around $15 a gram. Even on the weekday morning when I visit, there’s a steady stream of customers, looking not unlike people browsing the aisles in your neighborhood supermarket.

With the legalization of recreational marijuana in Oregon kicking off on July 1, 2015, there is still one major issue for residents looking to purchase the substance—the fact that they have to wait 15 months until recreational stores are licensed and open for business. This might not be the case anymore, as a bill was passed on July 2 that would allow retail sales as early as October.

It’s almost moving day for a Denver marijuana grower who is about to more than triple the size of his operation.

Premium Pete’s owner Luke Ramirez expects to sign a lease in the next two weeks to move his recreational cannabis grow from its 3,000-square-foot warehouse near Stapleton to an 11,000-square-foot location along the I-70 corridor.

“We’re going to be increasing production by 800 percent,” Ramirez said. “We’ll be producing just under 240 pounds per month once we reach full capacity. Right now, we’re a little bit over 20 pounds per month.”

The project won’t sprout up overnight. Once the lease is signed, Ramirez will begin a nine-month, $3 million construction project to maximize the warehouse’s efficiency.

HELENA (AP) — A Glendive man is proposing a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana for adults over 21.

Anthony Varriano submitted proposed language this week that would amend the state constitution to regulate pot and tax it as an industry as well as allow the purchase and possession of limited amounts. It would also require that the first $40 million in revenue raised annually by taxes go toward public schools.

He says the measure is based on Colorado's recreational marijuana law passed by voters in 2012.

By Margaret Wenet, Globe & Mail

Last year, the federal government spent $5.2-million on medical marijuana for Canada’s veterans. This year it will spend a lot more. Marijuana is a popular way to relieve the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and some veterans swear it saved their lives. Now consultation services designed to hook up vets with pot are spreading across the country. Marijuana for Trauma, founded by former Canadian Forces member Fabian Henry, has already helped hundreds of veterans in Atlantic Canada and is now expanding to Ontario. “I’m expecting thousands to be coming through the door in the coming years,” he told the CBC.

INDIANAPOLIS –  A pot-smoking church sued the city of Indianapolis and state of Indiana on Wednesday, claiming laws against possession and use of marijuana infringe on its religious beliefs.

The First Church of Cannabis, formed as a test of Indiana's new religious objections law, filed its lawsuit in Marion Circuit Court in Indianapolis, naming multiple defendants including Gov. Mike Pence and state and local law enforcement officers.

The lawsuit claims church members believe marijuana is a sacrament that "brings us closer to ourselves and others. It is our fountain of health, our love, curing us from illness and depression. We embrace it with our whole heart and spirit, individually and as a group."

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CannabisRadio.com, the premier online radio and podcasting network for cannabis content, announces the launch of “Cannabis Confidential” with Dr. Dina, medical marijuana icon and inspiration for the Nancy Botwin character in Showtime’s “Weeds.” Dr.

Alaska stands to make between $5.1 million and $19.2 million in tax revenue from commercial marijuana in 2016, according to a preliminary estimate by the Alaska Department of Revenue.

An estimate dated Jan. 2 looks at possible revenues that it calls “very uncertain.” The tax division had to estimate both how much marijuana is consumed in Alaska every year and what proportion of consumers will switch to marijuana from the legal retail market, said Ken Alper, Department of Revenue tax division director.

“To a certain extent you’re shooting in the dark here,” Alper said.