On Sunday, Columbia University associate professor of psychology Carl Hart delivers  a major business conference keynote in San Francisco on spotting biased marijuana science. He’s also urging the crowd of largely white, affluent attendees at the International Cannabis Business Conference to diversify their new hires, and play a part in helping to correct centuries of racial inequality in America.

(Reuters) - A federal judge hearing the case of nine men accused of illegally growing marijuana in California said Wednesday she was taking very seriously arguments by their attorneys that the federal government has improperly classified the drug as among the most dangerous, and should throw the charges out.

Judge Kimberly J. Mueller said she would rule within 30 days on the request, which comes amid looser enforcement of U.S. marijuana laws, including moves to legalize its recreational use in Washington state, Colorado, Oregon and Alaska.

"If I were persuaded by the defense's argument, if I bought their argument, what would you lose here?" she asked prosecutors during closing arguments on the motion to dismiss the cases against the men.

February 9, 2015

By Marijuana Business Daily staff

California has climbed over several other powerhouse cannabis states and now ranks as the most popular market for entrepreneurs starting marijuana companies, despite an unstable business climate fostered by a lack of statewide MMJ regulations.

Nearly 20% of entrepreneurs currently in the process of starting cannabis-related companies are located in California, according to the 3rd Annual Marijuana Business Professionals Survey.

What would happen if you failed to provide adequate label warnings for marijuana (including concentrates or oils) and marijuana-infused edible products, and someone was hurt by it? The answer may lie in what is referred to as “strict product liability for failure-to-warn.”

“Never be afraid to scrap what you got and start over, because you’re never scrapping your knowledge” – Mark Williams | The Firefly

Lt. Patrick Foy, of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, knows more than a few ways to track down a large-scale marijuana growing operation: Air surveillance, reports from neighbors and sometimes, dead fish.

“A bunch of fish may turn up dead in a creek, so we’ll go look, walk upstream, and inevitably run into a marijuana growth site,” says Foy.

Growers in remote areas, Foy explains, often end up destroying local creeks and other water sources, or using harmful pesticides to keep their plants healthy, which damages the surrounding environment.

The only thing green about that bud is its chlorophyll.

You thought your pot came from environmentally conscious hippies? Think again. The way marijuana is grown in America, it turns out, is anything but sustainable and organic. Check out these mind-blowing stats, and while you're at it, read Josh Harkinson's feature story, "The Landscape-Scarring, Energy-Sucking, Wildlife-Killing Reality of Pot Farming."