OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Nearly two decades after voters passed a medical marijuana law that often left police, prosecutors and even patients confused about what was allowed, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill Friday attempting to clean up that largely unregulated system and harmonize it with Washington's new market for recreational pot.

Among the law's many provisions, it creates a voluntary registry of patients and, beginning next year, eliminates what have become in some cases large, legally dubious "collective gardens" providing cannabis to thousands of people.

Ecuador’s National Assembly is currently debating the Organic Law on Comprehensive Drug Prevention, which could decriminalize drugs like marijuana.

Ecuador may be on the verge of a landmark shift in drug policy, as legislators debate the newly proposed Organic Law on Comprehensive Drug Prevention. The initiative, promoted by the ruling party PAIS Alliance, opens the door for legalization, and could spell the beginning of the end for the War on Drugs in Ecuador.

The support for legalizing marijuana has grown rapidly over the last decade but the oldest Americans aren't ready to sign off on it yet. Four states and Washington, D.C. have passed measures legalizing marijuana, and today 53 percent of Americans favor legalization and 44 are opposed. In 2006, those numbers stood at 32 percent in favor of legalization and 60 percent opposed, according to a survey from Pew Research Center.

The numbers have grown because of support among Baby Boomers, the group that came after them, Generation Xers, and the most recent generation, Millennials (those 18 to 34).

When Washington state legalized recreational marijuana use last July, Seattle’s tourism industry saw a new opportunity. Could Seattle become a hub for pot tourism, with eager visitors piling into local hotels and Airbnbs for an opportunity to try some of that famous Pacific Northwest weed? The answer, in a word: yes. But not without a struggle.

Before Seattle could become another Amsterdam, local businesspeople and tourism agencies had to (and still do) deal with some unexpected issues. Building a marijuana tourism mecca, it turns out, isn’t as simple as sparking up a spliff.

So How Does This Legal Recreational Marijuana Thing Work, Anyway?

As the state works out rules regulating recreational marijuana in Oregon, the electric power needs of indoor pot operations are raising issues for energy officials.

SALEM — As Oregon prepares for legal marijuana July 1, the state’s energy agency is looking for ways to curb electricity use by indoor pot growers.

Indoor marijuana gardens are well-known power hogs, but Oregon faces a dilemma as it researches how to extend its energy efficiency programs to the cannabis industry: federal money that typically helps pay for efficiency projects cannot be used for any activities that involve pot.

Six months into Aurora's venture of recreational marijuana sales, city officials say after a slow start everything is going about as well as could be expected.

In January, the city collected about $103,000 in tax revenue and another $109,000 in February. In the last three months of 2014, as a few stores opened, Aurora earned a little over $100,000 total.

By the end of 2015, the city expects to have between $1.5 million to $2 million in revenue from legal pot sales.

And those who waded through the process and claimed one of the city's 24 licenses are starting to see big dividends.

Willie Nelson is well-known these days as an avid marijuana supporter who recently created up his own weed brand, Willie’s Reserve. Yet, the country-singing superstar wasn’t always so bold about his love for weed. In fact, a 1936 film about it even scared him, according to his new memoir, It’s a Long Story: My Life, written by Nelson and contributor, David Ritz.

Nelson’s first legal troubles with marijuana began in 1977 when he was arrested in the Bahamas for possession. Although he was released with the condition that he never return to the island, Nelson had no intentions of quitting his love of smoking, which started when was just a child.

When it comes to cannabis consumption, the second-most important consideration, after the flower itself, is the delivery method. This point is often overlooked, as evidenced by the prevalence of consumers who have limited their experimentation to only one or two methods. If you find yourself within this category but aspire to become a comprehensive cannabis aficionado, let this be your checklist. Gaining the mental and physical benefits of cannabis is largely dependent upon how it's consumed, with each method providing a unique experience and host of effects. Who knows -- you could find a new favorite. Let the exploration begin!

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- Some observers say a North Dakota bill passed this legislative session that sets guidelines for industrial hemp production should make it easier to grow and may help create an industry for Indian tribes, although it could take a while to sort out federal policies.

Hemp can be used to make clothing, lotion and many other products, but growing it has been illegal under federal law because it is type of cannabis plant and looks like marijuana. Unlike marijuana, people can't get high on hemp.

The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. David Monson is meant to put the state in line with the new federal farm bill that allows hemp to be grown through state agriculture departments and college research stations.

When discussing medical marijuana, the conversation inevitably turns to whether the federal government or a state will legalize recreational use of the drug. 

That's not the case when you're talking to Josh Stanley, who has been called the "pioneer" of Colorado's medical marijuana industry. 

Stanley and his business, Citiva Medical, are focused squarely on the medicinal uses of the cannabis plant. With New York legalizing the use of medical marijuana, the company is looking to be one of five licensed growers of the drug in the state. 

For Stanley, the question is why move to New York? Why not stay in Colorado where he became a leading voice for the medical marijuana movement? 

In short, it's about science.