ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —A push to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana in Albuquerque does not appear to have much of a chance of becoming law.

The City Council passed the measure Monday night 5-4 along party lines with Democrats in favor of it, but not before generating a bit of debate between both sides.

"You knew it was illegal, you smoked it, you were caught, you pay the penalty," said Republican City Council member Trudy Jones.

Democratic City Council member Rey Garduno argued an officer would have the flexibility to make sure it's a decriminalized penalty rather than an incarceration.

The Torrance County Commission has given a green light to a pot-growing greenhouse near Abo.

Commissioners voted 2-1 in favor of upholding Planning and Zoning Director Steve Guetschow’s interpretation of the current zoning ordinance in reference to a decision that allowed a legal medical marijuana greenhouse operation on the Loma Parda subdivision near Abo.

The negative vote came from Commissioner Julia DuCharme, who said it appeared the operation is a commercial use and the zoning states that commercial uses are not allowed except on a case-by-case basis.

After waiting in line for hours at a booth during a medical marijuana convention in San Francisco, Jeff Harrington needed only a two-minute consultation and a written recommendation to become a medical marijuana patient in California. He now can legally purchase and possess marijuana from any one of thousands of marijuana businesses in the state.

Across the country in Connecticut, an established physician-patient relationship is required before patients are deemed qualified for medical marijuana, and only licensed pharmacists can own and operate dispensaries.

Caught in the crossfire between state and federal law, dispensary owners in states that have legalized medical cannabis are finding their businesses raided and their products seized

ast month, emergency services were called to an explosion at New MexiCann Natural, a licensed medical marijuana dispensary in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Two employees were injured while making edible cannabis products: Aaron Smith, 28, and Nick Montoya, 29. They were airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital’s Level 1 Trauma Center with third-degree burns from a presumed butane reaction.

Last month, emergency services were called to an explosion at New MexiCann Natural, a licensed medical marijuana dispensary in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Two employees were injured while making edible cannabis products: Aaron Smith, 28, and Nick Montoya, 29. They were airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital’s Level 1 Trauma Center with third-degree burns from a presumed butane reaction.

DENVER, CO (KDVR/CNN) - Grow4Vets has been handing out cannabis to military veterans for a year in Colorado.

But the state's medical board has just ruled not to recognize marijuana as a treatment for PTSD.

High There! a cannabis-sharing social network teamed up with Grow4Vets to host an impromptu rally on their Save a Million Vets Tour.

“Now we've created a tour around the country called the Save a Million Vets Tour," Co-founder and CEO of High There! Todd Mitchem said.

Veterans lined up early in Rino's Taxi district, most wearing their colors, letting folks know where they served.

Mitchem came up with the first social sharing network for cannabis users. Now he is partnering with Grow4Vets, helping vets get medication.

Cannabis is going global fast – Italy’s Parliament just voted for a legalized, regulated cannabis market, Denmark’s youth is consuming cannabis in droves but it’s no gateway, and the United Kingdom just reached a record high number of supporters for legalization in the isles. On this side of the pond, United States lawmakers are thinking ahead and making plans that could change the game completely. We’ve got the latest in cannabis legalization efforts:

U.S. Cannabis Updates

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I feel the need to respond to my colleague, Rep. Bill McCamley, D-Las Cruces, and his views on legalizing marijuana. Representative McCamley is a good man, but his views on this issue are misguided. Marijuana is not only an unsafe drug itself, it leads to heavier drug use down the road. The additional exposure that would accompany legalization will put our children at even greater risk.

Studies have proven that marijuana is addicting and can hurt mental development. And for many people, there are similar characteristics that lead to stronger and more addictive drug use.

During my lifetime, I have seen the effects of this drug first hand. I have lost family members to drug addiction where it started with marijuana and then led to stronger drugs.

SANTA FE – The names of New Mexico medical marijuana dispensaries and their employees will soon be made public, under a directive announced Wednesday by the office of Gov. Susana Martinez.

The Republican governor’s decision will reverse a long-standing confidentiality provision in the state’s Medical Cannabis Program and comes less than a week after a lawsuit was filed in an attempt to strike down the regulation that allows for the names of medical marijuana producers to be kept secret.

It will not apply to the 15,625 certified patients in the medical pot program – just the producers and their employees.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - The names of state medical marijuana dispensaries and their employees will soon be made public, Gov. Susana Martinez announced.

The governor’s announcement came Wednesday, less than a week after a lawsuit was filed in an effort to strike down the regulation allowing the names of medical marijuana producers to be confidential.

The decision will only apply to producers and their employees, and not the nearly 16,000 patients certified in the state’s Medical Cannabis Program, the Albuquerque Journal reported (http://bit.ly/1f6NdHN ).