File - In this Dec. 27, 2013 file photo, marijuana and cannabis-infused products are displayed for sale at a marijuana dispensary in Denver. (Brennan Linsley, Associated Press file)

Denver voters in November may decide whether the city can keep its first-year haul from a 3.5 percent special recreational marijuana sales tax.

The city's ballot question would join a likely statewide measure asking the same question about $58 million collected by the state last year from its separate marijuana tax. In Denver's case, at stake is nearly $5.3 million.

An entrepreneurial investment opportunity in a new industry is unfolding as more and more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana. “Investing in the Emerging Cannabis Industry While Managing Risk” on June 18th in New York will explore and discuss the opportunities and risks in this growing multi billion-dollar industry. Hosted by Viridian Capital Advisors, the first investment banking and strategic advisory firm dedicated to the cannabis market, this invitation-only morning briefing is open to attendees of the Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition (CWCBExpo).

Researchers in Quebec have launched a registry of medicinal cannabis users to determine the safety of the drug and its effectiveness in treating a variety of diseases and conditions.

The Quebec Cannabis Registry will be used to compile and store clinical data collected directly from about 3,000 medical marijuana users in the province, who will be enrolled through their primary-care doctors over a 10-year period.

“The registry is now basically open for business,” said principal investigator Dr. Mark Ware, a family doctor and McGill researcher who specializes in pain management.

The CDU, a staunchly conservative party and the leading political party in Germany may have come around to the idea of legalizing and regulating the cannabis market in Germany. In a surprising union they issued a joint statement on cannabis via the news channel ARD. An unexpected move considering the two parties generally don't agree much on ideas.

The spokesman on economic policy for the Christian Democratic Union Joachim Pfeiffer, and Dieter Janecek of the Green Party in Germany issued a statement declaring that they believe criminalization no longer makes sense. Every year between 1-2 billion euros are spent on prosecuting cannabis consumers.  If legalized and taxed the government could make 2 billion euros a year from the taxes on cannabis.

A pair of German politicians - one conservative, one green - is promoting legalizing marijuana. One of the arguments is the potential for a tax windfall.

In a policy proposal for parliament which was obtained by German public broadcaster ARD on Wednesday, Christian Democrat Joachim Pfeiffer and Green party member Dieter Janecek put forward their plan for the liberalization of cannabis products, questioning whether making criminals out of people for posession and purchase of the drug for recreational purposes made sense.

"Each year we spend between one and two billion euros on prosecuting [cannabis] consumers, although it's really the criminal sector which we should be focusing our efforts on," the Bundestag members said.

FLANDREAU - The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe has been looking into legalizing marijuana on the reservation since 2014.

Tribal executive committee members moved a step closer to making that a reality.

In a meeting Friday, the tribe set up an LLC with the purpose of pursuing recreational marijuana and hemp on the tribe’s reservation.

One of the tribe’s attorneys said this does not mean marijuana is now legal on the reservation.

The Moody County Sheriff has been following the tribe’s decision.

Deputy Troy Wellman says he is afraid legalizing pot will increase trafficking on and off the reservation. He’s also worried it will increase danger on the roads.

It’s a rare education seminar that includes this shot across the bow: “Everything and anything we’re talking about today is federally illegal—there is no grey area.” Yet that’s the warning that course facilitator Doug Porter issued to the dozen students attending a one-day workshop held by the Cannabis Career Institute (CCI) at a Baltimore airport hotel on a recent rainy Saturday. “I don’t want you to be negged out by this,” he said. “If you’re crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s, chances are you’ll never spend a day in jail.”

Sen. Terrence “Positive” Nelson and his staff have started drafting a bill to legalize, license and regulate medicinal cannabis in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but it may be a while before the “Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act” bill is heard in the legislature, the senator told a news conference Tuesday.

“I can't dictate when it will be heard in Legislature,” Nelson said.

It could be as late as August, he said, because of budget hearings coming up, he said. The draft of the bill will be submitted to the Legislature's legal council by the end of May. Legal council will have 45 days to review it, then it goes to a legislative committee process.

After appeal by parents of kids suffering from epilepsy, MK Litzman calls to add cannabis remedies to universal health care package

Ultra-Orthodox MK Yaakov Litzman, who’s set to take over the Health Ministry in the new government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, may pave the way for state-subsidized medicinal marijuana to be covered by national health care.

The United Torah Judaism party leader addressed the issue after parents of dozens of children suffering from severe cases of epilepsy turned to him for assistance.

But where pharmaceutical drugs failed, the parents said cannabis oil was more effective.The parents said medications currently included in the state-subsidized health care package inadequately treats their severe seizures.

Bad news for drug prohibitionists – a new study has thrown doubt on the idea that smoking cannabis can cause psychosis in teens.

Drug war advocates have repeatedly cited previous research which showed that teenagers who smoked were at a higher risk of psychotic episodes – using it as evidence that dope is making children crazy.

The new study by University of Oxford, University of Leeds and used  4,830 16-year-old twins to rule out genetic factors – and found that both cannabis use and psychotic episodes were triggered by environmental factors, including being poor, or bullying.

In other words, cannabis doesn’t cause the episodes – children who are under stress for other reasons tend to smoke dope, and are also at higher risk of psychotic episodes.