The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday is expected to issue a ruling on whether businesses can fire workers who use medical marijuana when off the clock.

The decision comes nine months after the state's highest court heard oral arguments in Brandon Coats' case against Dish Network.

Coats, a quadriplegic man who used marijuana off-duty to control muscle spasms, was fired in 2010 by Dish after failing a random drug test.

The marijuana industry appears to be blooming, and the American public tends to have a more favorable view of the currently illicit drug with each passing year.

In the most recent Gallup poll, slightly more than half of all respondents (51%) offered their opinion that they'd prefer to see marijuana legalized across the board. If we're speaking strictly about medical marijuana and the possible benefits it could offer to the terminally ill, or those with chronic medical conditions such as glaucoma, the approval rating soars even higher. A Quinnipiac University poll of swing states Pennsylvania, Florida, and Ohio showed medical marijuana approval ratings ranging between 84% and 88%.

DENVER (AP) -

Researchers are gathering in Denver to discuss their research about marijuana as a medical therapy.          

The symposium at National Jewish Health will include presentations on Saturday by researchers funded by the state of Colorado to study the safety and effectiveness of marijuana as a treatment for medical conditions. Those conditions range from pain to epilepsy, post-traumatic stress syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome and insomnia.           

The symposium will include details on research challenges, and presentations from patients on their perspectives.           

I know what you are thinking without you saying a word: “Why would I waste my cannabutter on a cream of celery soup, Laurie?”

But this soup will change your mind about cream of celery soup — it’s a valid use of your valuable cannabutter, I promise.

Personally I don’t mind a crunchy celery stick, particularly when it’s sticking out of a Bloody Mary, but this recipe is going to change the way we all think about this least-loved member of the apiaceae family, which also includes carrots and parsley. (Speaking of: This is a family of plants with hollow stems. Weird.)

Colorado schools will begin compiling data on students who get busted for using or distributing marijuana, an effort aimed at gauging the effects of the drug's legalization in the state.

The new requirement is an addition to a 2012 law directing law enforcement and district attorneys to collect information on how students are punished and whether they're being arrested or ticketed when they should be disciplined by educators for minor offenses.

Schools have been tracking all drug offenses involving students, but marijuana has not been separated on its own. Anecdotally, some schools say they've noticed an increase in marijuana use while others have not, according to Jane Urschel, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Boards.

DENVER (CBS4) – Colorado is spending $9 million to study the role of marijuana as a medication. The state Board of Health approved the grants, and on Saturday researchers will come together to talk about their studies.

There are many topics. People want to know if pot can help with things like Parkinson’s, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even sleep.

We rush around by day, but at night we can’t sleep. Thirty percent of Americans suffer from insomnia. Some turn to pills, while others turn to pot.

“There are studies that suggest that many marijuana users use marijuana for sleep,” Dr. Russell Bowler of National Jewish Health said.

Bowler said it makes sense.

Scenic views, campfires and – could someone pass the blunt? Summer camp just got a whole lot more sophisticated with the opening of a new ranch-style, all-inclusive resort in Colorado that takes marijuana-friendly vacationing to new heights. Called CannaCamp, it is America’s first mountain getaway for adults that encourages guests to consume pot (legally, that is.)

COMMERCE CITY — Those who want to run a recreational marijuana store can now apply to open a business in Commerce City after council lifted a ban that had been in place since 2013.

And recreational as well as medical marijuana businesses (or testing, cultivation or manufacturing facilities) now have more site options and a streamlined application process after City Council last week also approved updated zoning and licensing rules.

Medical marijuana businesses have been allowed in Commerce City since 2012. Back then, basic marijuana regulations for things like distance from schools and parks were adopted into the city code. But in the three years since then, no one applied to open a store in Commerce City.

Colorado is leading again, this time with a permanent tax break on recreational marijuana. The state is lowering the tax from 10% to 8% effective in July 2017, a move that could cut into Colorado’s black market. Colorado was the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use, and now it’s passed a marijuana tax relief. There is even a one-time tax holiday on September 16, 2015, from the 10% state sales tax.