In less than three weeks, anyone 21 or older can legally possess and consume marijuana in the Bay State. Acquiring the drug is another story.

In less than three weeks, New England will enter uncharted waters — more specifically, uncharted waters for the East Coast of the United States.

Amid President-elect Donald Trump's pick of marijuana legalization opponent Jeff Sessions for attorney general, Massachusetts will become the first state on the East Coast to allow recreational marijuana use as the new law goes into effect Dec. 15.

That means anyone 21 or older — including Massachusetts residents and Rhode Islanders who cross the border — can legally possess and consume marijuana in the Bay State.

Acquiring the drug is another story.

Some devotees of the Our Lady of Guadalupe portrait report seeing tears miraculously appear on the 500-year-old image of the Virgin Mary.

Anne Armstrong, of West Greenwich, viewed a replica of the venerated illustration and saw marijuana blossoms adorning Mary's dress.

Her interpretation ultimately landed her behind bars.

For of all things: too much pot in her possession.

The story of the icon and how it played a role in Armstrong's arrest is now part of a federal suit she has filed claiming religious infringement by law enforcement officials and defamation by a Vermont man who has the 6-foot replica in question back in his custody.

Rhode Island leaders are looking at following Massachusetts on the path to legalizing recreational marijuana.

Gov. Gina Raimondo said Tuesday she’ll take a more serious look after Massachusetts voters approved a pot legalization ballot measure last week.

The Democrat says it’s not a race to get ahead of the neighboring state. She wants to get the regulations right and remains concerned about safety.

Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello says he’s ready to take up legislation next year because marijuana will become readily available to Rhode Islanders traveling across the Massachusetts border, causing concerns without the tax revenues to address them.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio says he’s also preparing to act.

Question 4, which would approve the taxing and sale of marijuana — instead of keeping it on the list of illegal drugs — is going before Massachusetts voters next Tuesday. But the results are expected to have an impact in Rhode Island as well.

“I’m taking a slower approach to make sure [that] if we do it, we get it right,” Gov. Gina Raimondo told Eyewitness News on Wednesday. If Massachusetts okays it, she told the Providence Journal this week, “we have to look at it harder and faster.”

Stefana Pecher, MD, the premier Connecticut and Rhode Island-licensed physician specializing in the treatment of patients in need of medical marijuana, today announced the official launch of her websites http://www.medicalmarijuanadocconnecticut.com and http://www.stefanapechermd.comto cater to the growing need of patients in need of treatment with medical cannabis.

The marijuana business in the U.S. is growing like a weed.

Nationwide, legal sales of marijuana reached $5.7 billion in 2015, up from $4.6 billion the previous year, according to a report from ArcView Market Research. For 2016, the market is projected to grow to $7.1 billion. And by 2020, ArcView says, sales of legal marijuana in the U.S. could top $22 billion.

As it stands now, about two-thirds of America’s marijuana crop — the legal and illegal kinds — is grown outdoors, according to Mother Jones magazine.

Amid continuing controversy over the full legalization of marijuana, Governor Raimondo has signed a law allowing the use of medical marijuana to treat symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

The signing of the bills championed by Sen. Stephen Archambault, D-Smithfield, and Rep. Scott Slater, D-Providence, marked a victory for veterans groups who lobbied hard this year, and last, for the inclusion of PTSD as one of the “debilitating medical conditions” eligible for medical-marijuana use. 

Acceptance of marijuana seems to have reached a tipping point in the United States. Four states and the District of Columbia have already legalized it, half the states have medical marijuana laws now (two-thirds if you count the CBD-only states), and as many as a half dozen states, including California, could vote on legalization in November.

Public opinion polls now consistently report majority support for legalization nationwide, and pot is increasingly moving from newspapers' crime pages to the finance and culture sections.

Science is starting to understand what marijuana smokers have known for years: how marijuana helps sleep. Because of this understanding, doctors are now able to legally prescribe marijuana for sleep disorders in seven states.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most active marijuana ingredient that affects sleeping patterns. We’ll look into exactly how marijuana aids sleep, delve into how our brains work, and offer insights on this fascinating subject.

Sleep Disorders and Marijuana

Sleep disorders include:

Out of Rhode Island:

The Rhode Island legislative session came to close early on Saturday morning.  Unfortunately, despite overwhelming public support for reform, leaders of the House and Senate did not allow legislators to vote on the Marijuana Regulation, Control, and Taxation Act this year.

Other notable outcomes of the 2016 legislative session include:

— Passage of Article 14 in the state budget, which makes significant changes to the medical marijuana program. You can find a summary of the new regulations here.