TRENTON — The co-founder of the medical marijuana dispensary in Egg Harbor Township will appear in court Wednesday to dispute claims he blocked his employees' attempts to join a union in a case that is being watched across the nation.

And this isn't even David Knowlton's biggest problem.

Denver, the Mile High City, has seen a spike in tourists booking flights and hotels as it prepares for the annual "420" celebration. In part April 20 celebrates marijuana becoming legal in Colorado in 2014.

April 20 has become a red later day for marijuana smokers primarily in North America. Some events on that day promote the legalization of cannabis.  

Last year was Denver's first 420 celebration. Even though it occurred on Easter Sunday, tens of thousands of tourists helped to create a cloud of marijuana smoke above the city.

Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene) & Sen. Ginny Burdick (D-Portland) are pushing a bill that will close a loophole for Oregon marijuana users looking to buy firearms.

The bill, SB 941, will expand background checks required for most personal sales of firearms. The bill requires people selling a gun to go to a gun dealer and request a background check on the person they want to sell the gun to. As part of that background check, the person wanting to buy the gun will fill out ATF Form 4473.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — It would no longer be a crime to possess marijuana-related paraphernalia in Maryland, under a bill approved by the Maryland General Assembly.

The House of Delegates voted 84-52 on Saturday for the Senate bill, sending it to Gov. Larry Hogan.

Maryland decriminalized possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana last year. That made it a civil offense rather than a criminal one.

However, lawmakers didn’t do the same thing for paraphernalia like pipes, so the bill was introduced this session.

The measure also makes smoking marijuana in public a civil offense, punishable by a fine of up to $500.

The UpTake: Legalizing marijuana could result in a $4.1 billion Ohio industry by 2020. Those are serious numbers for those advocating for the state to join the ranks of those that already permit pot.

I an James, architect of a proposal to legalize pot in Ohio, said it stemmed from a simple notion: "Let's take this from the tie-dye to the suit-and-tie approach to marijuana."

James, CEO of the Strategy Network, a Columbus political consulting firm, turned to Cincinnati lawyer Chris Stock for help. Would Stock draft a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that would outline how pot would be regulated for personal and medical use? "I've never used marijuana in my life," Stock told James. "I'm not sure I want to be involved." But he relented.

A recent report by The Arcview Group showed that legalized marijuana is now the fastest growing industry in the U.S., posting a whopping 74% growth rate in 2014. Despite a widespread movement to legalize marijuana for both medicinal and recreational purposes across the country, though, the industry still faces some serious challenges on the legal front that investors need to understand. 

So, to give investors a deeper look at some of the more pressing legal issues, I spoke with a leading expert on medical marijuana, Aaron Lachant -- an attorney with the healthcare specialist law firm Nelson Hardiman LLP.

As legalization spreads, in a variety of forms, managers and workers are facing some tough questions about how the new laws impact policies and practices. Let's take a look at how marijuana legalization is being handled in the workplace. First, here are a couple of things you should know.

Be sure you know your state's laws.

Regardless of your own personal feelings about marijuana, It's important to stay current on the state of the drug laws in your area, as well as your company's individual policies on drug use — especially if you're a manager. Keeping up to date with policies, whether you agree with them or not, is a crucial first step to understanding the way the changes impact your company and your team.

DENVER — While federal law makes their entire industry illegal, many marijuana store owners, growers and retailers fear something completely different: Big Tobacco.

Today, most legal recreational marijuana operations are small, limited to a single state and barred from ever getting large by regulators who want to keep a close eye on the fast-growing industry. But those small operators struggle to get bank loans for expansion, often produce an inconsistent product and sometimes have no idea how to balance supply and demand for their crops.

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The Washington state House moved forward Friday on an effort to reconcile the state's medical and recreational marijuana markets.

The chamber first passed a Senate measure addressing the medical side before moving on to a House bill dealing with the recreational law. Because the Senate bill was amended in the House, it will head back to the full Senate for a final concurrence vote, while the House bill will go next to a Senate committee for consideration.

Senate Bill 5052 passed on a bipartisan 60-36 vote after a long debate over several amendments, including over whether patients should have to sign up on a registry.

Michigan would legalize the use of marijuana for recreational use under the wording of a proposed ballot initiative submitted Thursday, the first of what could be competing legalization efforts.

If authorized by the Board of State Canvassers, the Michigan Cannabis Coalition's initiated law would require roughly 252,000 valid voter signatures before going to the Republican-led Legislature. If lawmakers rejected the bill or took no action, it would receive a statewide vote in November 2016.

The initiative is being backed financially by six to eight anonymous people from the agricultural, real estate, insurance and education sectors, said the ballot committee's spokesman, Matt Marsden. Donors will have to be identified later in campaign finance reports.