The Denver Post recently did a story on how cannabis businesses are having to pay sky-high rents nationwide. In Portland, for instance, commercial real estate that typically rents for five dollars per square foot goes for three times that amount for cannabis businesses. Though rents for cannabis businesses in Washington and Colorado are stable, they are considerably higher than the lease rates for any other business, and real estate investors looking to lease to cannabis businesses are mostly betting this trend will continue.

Thanks to voters who checked “yes” for recreational marijuana legalization on this year’s election ballot, gift-giving during the holidays is about to get a lot more dank. But just because recreational marijuana is legal in a state doesn’t necessarily mean you can just give it away willy nilly. Make sure your holiday good cheer doesn’t come with a side of incarceration by using this handy guide to cannabis gift giving, organized by state.

As the year comes to a close, the Cannabis Business Alliance (CBA)  reviews the highlights of 2016 and provides an outlook for 2017.

Enormous growth

Marijuana legalization brought unexpected challenges to Colorado, and it was rarely clear what part of state government was supposed to solve them, or how.

Businesses were selling marijuana-infused, animal-shaped candy attractive to children. Residents growing pot at home were selling it illegally in other states. Growers were applying pesticides to cannabis plants even though none was specifically approved by the federal government for such use.

Enter Andrew Freedman, Colorado’s pot czar, who is bringing together the state’s bureaucracy, marijuana industry, law enforcement community, and public health advocates to fix problems no other state had faced.

Puff, Pass & Paint, the nation's first cannabis-friendly art class, adds locations in Las Vegas and California as additional states legalize recreationally.

"Puff, Pass & Paint", the nation's first cannabis-friendly art class, continues to expand nationally with recreational legalization in California, Nevada, Massachusetts, and Maine. Based in Denver, the smokey art session has also expanded to Portland, Seattle, and Washington DC, with dates available in San Francisco and Las Vegas starting January of 2017. The company will add additional events and locations as legalization allows, with Boston, Portland, ME, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County, CA scheduled for immediate expansion as well. 

Colorado’s Health Department announced Tuesday the state will provide $2.35 million for research on the effects of marijuana, with most of the money aiding in two studies analyzing the impact marijuana has on driving, Denver Post reported.

For those suffering depression or anxiety, using cannabis for relief may not be the long-term answer.

That's according to new research from a team at Colorado State University seeking scientific clarity on how cannabis - particularly chronic, heavy use - affects neurological activity, including the processing of emotions.

Researchers led by Lucy Troup, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, have published a study in PeerJ describing their findings from an in-depth, questionnaire-based analysis of 178 college-aged, legal users of cannabis. Recreational cannabis became legal in Colorado in 2014. Since then, seven other states have enacted legalization for recreational use, while many others allow medical use.

JUDY WOODRUFF:  With recreational marijuana now legal in eight states, a serious health and safety question about the potency of the psychoactive drug in cannabis, known as THC, are emerging.  In Colorado, some marijuana products contain 90 percent pure THC, with little research documenting the physical and mental effects on consumers.

This week, the state’s health department announced more than $2 million in grants to study the impacts on driving and cognitive functioning.

As John Ferrugia of Rocky Mountain PBS in Denver reports, there are concerns that the effects on some users could be deadly.

MARC BULLARD:  2016 is a year of something new.

Cannabis dispensaries in Colorado have come a long way from dingy decor and green crosses. Some, in fact, have emerged into award-winning centers, in part thanks to trendy design. We’ve seen modern design takeover many industries over the years, so it’s no surprise to see the new demand in chic dispensaries across America. One cannabis company in particular has paved the way for the new generation of designed dispensaries.

What if using cannabis for the first time was as easy as making a cup of coffee?

This is the philosophy behind CannaCloud, the industry’s first pod-based cannabis vaporizing system by CannaKorp that works just like a Keurig coffee machine.

Users simply load the CannaCloud with small aluminum “CannaCloud Pods” filled with pre-ground, lab-tested strains. The machine then heats up the herb to vaporizing temperature with the press of a button, and users wait about 60 seconds until the display screen indicates they can take a hit. After use, the Pods can be tossed into the recycle bin.