The unspoken rules of the “puff, puff, pass” ritual — including all of the steps it takes to toke up — are obvious to those who already partake. But for those just now starting to explore the world of weed, there’s a lot to learn.

Unlike many trends and businesses and that are emerging with legal marijuana, it might come as a surprise that etiquette has always been something that has had its place in smoking culture.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon Senate special committee unanimously passed legislation on Monday imposing a variety of new restrictions on medical marijuana, a week after a joint committee overseeing the state's marijuana rules stalled on a similar measure.

The Senate Special Committee on Implementing Measure 91 passed a proposal tightening regulations on the medical marijuana industry, such as limiting the number of plants growers can have, building an inventory tracking system for growers, processors and dispensaries, inspection requirements and an Oregon residency requirement.

Lawmakers say the lengthy set of new restrictions is necessary so the recreational program can pass muster with federal authorities.

A little more than an acre on Wayne Smith’s Eastern Star area farm is plowed and fertilized, but the highly regulated hemp seeds he requested from the state Department of Agriculture months ago still haven’t arrived.

“I put my order in and I’m waiting patiently for my seeds to arrive,” Smith said Monday. “It’s going to be late in the growing season compared to what I’d like, but I’m hoping for a good first season.”

Delayed while the state awaited import permits from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency for the seeds, which have been illegal to grow without a permit since 1970’s Controlled Substances Act, some farmers in Tennessee were doubtful the approval would come in time to grow a useable crop of industrial hemp this year.

The Tories say pot must stay illegal. They're also laying groundwork for legalization.

On marijuana, Conservatives are 'traveling both sides of the fence.' Photo: Cannabis Culture, Creative Commons licensed.

The critical components of establishing a successful cannabis business may seem obvious at first:
•  Research industry-specific best-practices in cultivation.
•  Secure adequate funding.
•  Plan facility construction or adaptation.
•  Build a quality management team.
•  Seek counsel from legal and accounting experts.
•  Launch a progressive marketing campaign.

Yet what can an emerging company do to separate itself from the pack? In laying the groundwork for legitimate cannabis enterprise in Alaska, the founders of Greatland Ganja, LLC, have selected tactics aimed at appealing to evolving local attitudes toward recreational marijuana. By choosing to connect and work collaboratively, we create a more robust network of allies and assets.

A northern Indiana judge rejected an argument by a man who asked that his marijuana possession charge be reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor because he follows the Rastafarian faith.

Jerome Scott said that he was being charitable to others by cultivating marijuana to ease ailments from chronic back pain to cancer, the South Bend Tribune reports. St. Joseph Superior Court Judge Jane Woodward Miller said he still broke the law.

Multiple stories over the weekend spoke of the challenges facing states in the wake of recreational marijuana legalization in both Colorado and Washington.

The New York Times printed a story on the rise of edibles. Sure, before Colorado’s legalization for recreational use, you had the random story of pot brownies. Funny? Definitely, but it also had unintended consequences.

Today, commercialism has taken hold of the industry. Why sell just the buds when you can sell the entire plant? Extract the THC and infuse the butter in a variety of products.

DENVER – It turns out selling weed is pretty hard. Contrary to popular belief, selling it legally, at least, isn’t all THC-infused lollipops and rainbows. Just ask David Schwartz.

The six-year cannabis-industry veteran came to Colorado in the '90s from Long Island, New York, after discovering Boulder on his way to a Rainbow gathering in Wyoming. For him, selling marijuana in a locale known around the nation for its liberalized pot laws is not just about counting money; it’s about taxes, regulatory compliance, inventory management, and above all, staying on the right side of Colorado’s “pot cops” -- the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED).

DENVER — Just outside of Downtown, far from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the Williams family is cultivating what they hope will become America’s next big consumer brand.

They’re so confident in the new venture that they’ve invested millions of dollars into new processes, equipment designs and their increasingly popular product: legal marijuana.

CEO of Medicine Man, Andy Williams, inside his office at his company's headquarters. Emily Maxwell | WCPO

“We’re on the bleeding edge of a new developing industry,” said Andy Williams, president and CEO of Medicine Man. “There are very few times in the history of the world where people have been able to do what I’m doing right now.”

CASTLE ROCK, Colorado — In their new neighborhood park, Heather and Adam Benton look on as their giggling daughter races through the grass.

“Swing, swing,” chants 3-year-old Addyson, shouting her latest new word.

The surer steps, the expanding vocabulary — all milestones the Bentons feared they wouldn’t celebrate with their toddler who for most of her life has suffered from hundreds of epileptic seizures a day.

Until now.

Less than two months ago the Bentons left their Liberty Township home to make the 1,200-mile move to Castle Rock, where they can legally give Addyson medicine that’s derived from marijuana. Twice a day, the Benton’s apply tiny patches — among the latest advances in medical marijuana — to little Addyson’s ankle.