Established cannabis companies looking to expand into new markets could find a major opening in Alaska if a recent legislative proposal becomes law.

The measure – introduced in the state Legislature last week – would ban applicants seeking recreational cannabis licenses from accepting investments by third parties. That stipulation could give established companies a big edge over small startups and individual entrepreneurs, according to some observers, as licenses applicants would more or less need to be entirely self-funded.

• Medical marijuana accounted for $386million of sales and recreational pot brought in $313million in 2014, according to annual report
• 49.7 tons of medical marijuana flowers were sold, while 4.81million units of edible marijuana were purchased last year
• Voters in Colorado and Washington opted to legalize recreational marijuana use by adults in landmark twin ballots in 2012 
• First retail stores opened in Colorado on January 1, 2014

A year after retail marijuana stores opened in Colorado, sales hit nearly $700million as 17 tons of the recreational buds were bought by consumers in the state's first year of full legalization.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Investors have raised at least $36 million to fund ResponsibleOhio's plan to legalize marijuana and purchase the commercial growing sites promised to investor groups.

Investors contributed $4 million to each of nine limited liability corporations tied to ResponsibleOhio last year, according to securities offering filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. ResponsibleOhio officials have said they expect to spend more than $20 million to get their constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot and passed by a majority of voters in November.

Colorado has allowed the use of marijuana for medical purposes for almost a decade-and-a-half, but the state only legalized the sale of cannabis for recreational purposes in January 2014. With a relatively well-established industry geared up for the production of medical weed and less stringent guidelines for obtaining the bud, it was thought that Colorado could see market cannibalization as some medical users began to use drugs bought for recreational purposes — but after a full year of sales, the state's data suggests otherwise.

Maine’s medical marijuana industry climbed to new heights in 2014, accounting for an estimated $60 million to $75 million in sales and generating as much as $4 million to $5 million in tax revenue for the state.

The legal marijuana industry still represents a small piece of the state’s overall revenue, but state tax collection numbers show a rapid growth in sales as more patients turned to dispensaries or caregivers to buy their medicine during the past four years.

The numbers also highlight the success of a trade that once was limited to an untaxed and unregulated black market.

Maine’s medical marijuana industry climbed to new heights in 2014, accounting for an estimated $60 million to $75 million in sales and generating as much as $4 million to $5 million in tax revenue for the state.

The legal marijuana industry still represents a small piece of the state’s overall revenue, but state tax collection numbers show a rapid growth in sales as more patients turned to dispensaries or caregivers to buy their medicine during the past four years.

The numbers also highlight the success of a trade that once was limited to an untaxed and unregulated black market.

March 2, 2015

Dispensaries in Maine sold an estimated $16.2 million worth of medical cannabis last year, while the state collected around $900,000 in taxes on those transactions, according to the latest figures.

The tax haul was about 40% more than 2013, according to the Portland Press Herald, meaning sales rose by a similar amount.

March 2, 2015

Oregon could keep medical marijuana completely separate from recreational cannabis when retail sales begin next year.

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), which is tasked with writing recommendations for policymakers, told the state Legislature that it believes medical and recreational cannabis should not be sold under one roof unless both are tracked the same way – from seed to sale.

The OLCC “does not want to be responsible for the co-location of medical and recreational operations unless the medical side is run in a manner consistent with federal guidelines,” Rob Patridge, chair of the agency, said in a press release.

The Alaska Cannabis Growers Association disagrees with the proposed 10 mg limit for edibles. This creates many problems for the consumer. When ingesting such a small amount of THC, there are a few things that could potentially be considered a problem.  For the average consumer, the small dose of 10mg is not likely to create a noticeable “psychoactive” or pain relieving effect.  For the first time user, this is a good amount to begin with, but for anyone that medicates, this is entirely too small. A medical patient may consume, in one dose, anywhere from 100 mg – 500 mg (sometime more) to obtain pain relief.

When Eric Holder steps down as attorney general, he'll leave behind a legacy on more than just civil rights issues. For advocates of recreational marijuana use, Holder was a progressive leader who played a key role in the early days of legalization at the state level.

"He has established a foundation that other attorney generals will build on," Dr. Malik Burnett, the policy manager at the Drug Policy Alliance told CBS News during a marijuana expo in Washington, D.C. that took place over the weekend. "He's been progressive on marijuana issues, as progressive as an AG who has to uphold the federal ban on marijuana can be."