Conroe Police Department Public Information Officer Dorcy Riddle stands amongst 10 to 20,000 marijuana plants waiting to be cut down by authorities Aug. 21, 2013, in Conroe, Texas. Investigators found the plants, but no suspects, through undisclosed procedures with the help of different agencies. They plan to cut them down and incinerate them after they're dried. (AP Photo/ Houston Chronicle, Cody Duty)

Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, filed a bill Monday to legalize marijuana by removing all mention of the drug from state statutes.

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, OH – The debate on legalizing marijuana continues.

Just one day after a group pushing to legalize weed filed a new version of a proposal to get it passed, there is now a growing movement to stop them in their tracks.

The organization Responsible Ohio, has raised  more than 35 million dollars to put the controversial topic on the November ballot.

And just this week, resubmitted a new version of its proposal to Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine.

Bolander says, “We know that marijuana is in our communities now, we know that it’s accessible, but it’s not safe.”

But opponents say making it legal would be just as dangerous.

WASHINGTON — Early signs indicate that marijuana entrepreneurs may have little to worry about as the 2016 presidential campaign takes shape, with some top-rung hopefuls warming to the idea of letting states decide whether to legalize recreational pot.

On the Republican side, those potential candidates include former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, both of whom have admitted to using the drug during their younger years, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who has said he was no “choir boy” in college.

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she never experimented with marijuana but appears open to the idea of allowing states to legalize it.

It’s never been easier to smoke weed in the United States than it is today.

Marijuana is now legal to use, possess and grow in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and — as of last week — the District of Columbia.

Rica Madrid poses for a photograph as she rolls a joint in her home on the first day of legal possession of marijuana for recreational purposes, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

18 more permit the limited use of pot for medicinal purposes and, by 2020, it’s predicted that the number of states with full legal use will nearly quadruple.

LAWRENCE — With laws going into effect last week that legalized recreational marijuana in both Alaska and Washington, D.C., a researcher into the history of cannabis’ acceptance has predicted the next five U.S. states where voters could be inclined to approve marijuana use for relaxation and enjoyment.

Barney Warf, professor of geography at the University of Kansas, is the author of “High Points: An Historical History of Cannabis,” published in the peer-reviewed journal Geographical Review in September 2014.

Warf said legalization can be “hard to predict,” but he made his forecast of states expected to legalize cannabis based on their current laws and voter leanings.

On February 28 some 75 tribal leaders from across the country met to discuss forming the first “Tribal Cannabis Association” at the Tulalip Resort Casino on the Tulalip Reservation in Washington State.

This followed a packed day on February 27 of “Tribal Marijuana Conference” presentations and panels with speakers as diverse as former U.S. Attorney Troy Eid (current chair of President Barack Obama’s National Indian Law and Order Commission) to the city attorneys of both Seattle and Boulder, Colorado, who gave in-depth overviews of how implementation of state laws legalizing marijuana possession and usage is proceeding in their respective cities.

Did you know there is a group of Republicans advocating for marijuana reform? Now that marijuana is legal in DC, we searched for the associations pushing forlegalization in other parts of the country. Here's what we found:

NORML (NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR THE REFORM OF MARIJUANA LAWS)

March 3, 2015: Rhonda Firestack-Harvey, right, embraces her son, Roland Gregg outside federal court. (AP)

SPOKANE, Wash –  Three people were found guilty Tuesday of growing marijuana, but they also were exonerated of more serious charges in a widely-watched federal drug case in a state where medical and recreational marijuana is legal.

The three remaining defendants of the so-called Kettle Falls Five were all found guilty of growing marijuana. But a jury found them not guilty of distributing marijuana, conspiracy to distribute and firearms charges that carried long prison sentences.

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Rice set sentencing for June 10.

The defendants were Rhonda Firestack-Harvey, her son Rolland Gregg and his wife, Michelle Gregg.

Last November, Alaska became the first red state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Now a conservative state legislator is hoping Texas will follow suit, filing a bill to repeal Texas’ pot prohibition—in order to honor God. From the Houston Chronicle: