ADDY, Wash. – Chris Van Hook bent over a shrub-sized marijuana plant at Mountain High Farm with a magnifying glass last month, looking for imperfections in the fan-shaped leaves.

A few of the fronds were “chewed on,” which is what Van Hook expects in a pesticide-free crop.

Pot grown at the state-licensed operation can’t be certified as organic because the U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn’t recognize marijuana as a legal crop. Advertising it as organic would be a federal labeling violation, inviting hefty fines.

But if Mountain High passes Van Hook’s inspection, the Stevens County farm can advertise its product under the “Clean Green” label, an alternate certification Van Hook developed for pot growers touting the naturalness of their product.

Is the push for legalization of marijuana due to a conspiracy between GMO giant Monsanto and the U.S. government? Some people in the organic food community seem to think so.

Currently, soldiers caught using or possessing drugs, even on leave and only once, are prosecuted and, if convicted, given a criminal record - a much harsher policy than that of police toward civilians.

Army policies regarding consumption of light drugs are being re-evaluated, with an eye toward softening them, by military prosecutors. Particular attention is being given to light drugs consumed off base. Haaretz has learned that the possibility of softening army attitudes towards soldiers who are caught using light drugs on a one-time basis in civilian settings is being considered. Prevailing opinion is that such cases should no longer be automatically and indiscriminately transferred to military courts for prosecution.

A recent Forbes study showed that if the government were to legalise weed, the price of the drug would fall for recreational users and the government would also rake in a load of money from taxes. Following the study, we asked the public a simple question: Should recreational marijuana use be legalised in the UK?

Over 150,000 people had their say and the results had us surprised, with 80% of people thinking that the UK should strongly consider legalising the Class B drug. Just 12% felt the drug should remain illegal, and 8% couldn't make their mind up. 

What do you think? Should weed be legalised in the UK?

James Hull recently went back to his roots as a 3rd generation horticulturist after a career in high-tech engineering.  The result? Catapult, a Marijuana-infused coffee which according to Hull makes you feel blissful and energetic at the same time.

It seems only natural that Hull runs his company, Fairwinds Mfg., just a few hours south of America’s coffee capital, Seattle.

(Catapult coffee from Fairwinds Mfg should not be confused with Fairwinds coffee from The Rogers Family Company which makes traditional coffee in California)

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said he would “absolutely” be willing to take the lead opposing the anticipated referendum in 17 months.

With a major battle in the making over marijuana legalization next year, Mayor Martin J. Walsh, a recovering alcoholic and a passionate advocate for those struggling with drug addiction, is emerging as the most likely face of the opposition.

Walsh said he would “absolutely” be willing to take the lead opposing the anticipated referendum in 17 months, presuming no other high profile leader steps forward.

“I just think it would be a mistake to legalize marijuana in Massachusetts,” said Walsh. “I’ve seen too many lives ruined by starting to smoke weed and then, eventually, going to other types of drugs.”

A funny, but realistic, look at the mental effects of 3 of the world’s most talked about substances.

Players in the NBA want the league to remove marijuana from its list of banned substances if the player has a prescription.

Marijuana is probably more controversial than ever with more states legalizing it for medical purposes and some states outright legalizing it for recreational purposes as well.

The subject of marijuana comes up frequently in sports leagues, especially in the NBA and NFL. The NFL has strict rules against using it and getting caught with it puts players in a program that could eventually end up in total suspension.

Indiana passed a Religious Freedom Act, which critics say allows discrimination of gay people. However, there is another unintended side effect, where The First Church of Cannabis is now allowed to smoke marijuana and have tax exempt status, even though weed is not legal in the state. Ben Mankiewicz (What The Flick?), Jimmy Dore (The Jimmy Dore Show), and Ana Kasparian (The Point) hosts of The Young Turks discuss.

“Indiana’s marijuana-smoking church has been incorporated as a tax-exempt religious organization by the Internal Revenue Service according to the church’s founder.

Pay taxes and/or die

California authorities are notoriously creative when it comes to wringing as much tax revenue as possible out of the state's businesses, yet are leaving real money on the table because of their failure to come up with a simple way for medical marijuana dispensaries to pay their tab.

Voters legalized this business 19 years ago with the passage of Proposition 215. But an uncertain federal legal status has complicated the matter since then. The state only collects a small percentage of the sales-and-use taxes these businesses owe, although a new program is attempting to address the imbalance.