In all states that have legalized medical marijuana, there has been a 25% reduction in deaths related to the overdose of legally prescribed painkillers.

A woman observes inspects a cannabis plant with a magnifying glass.

There is still heated controversy in the United States about whether or not marijuana should be legalized for recreational use, let alone medicinal purposes. After reviewing a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2014, you’ll likely agree that it’s much safer for cannabis to be doled out than most prescription opioids.

Like the cannabis holiday on April 20th (4-20) and the Fourth of July, Labor Day marks one of the highest grossing sales days in the cannabis industry. Once again, MJ Freeway takes a look at holiday trends in the cannabis market and gives some advice for what retailers can do to prepare for higher foot traffic in the coming weekend.

The Big Idea

This is a big year for cannabis legalization in the United States. Later this fall, voters inCalifornia, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada will decide whether or not to legalize recreational marijuana.

And while the legalization bills in these states are facing opposition from the usual anti-pot crowds, they’re also getting pushback from cannabis activists. These activists think the new laws could do more harm than good.

Gun restrictions applying to medical marijuana patients don’t violate any constitutional rights, a US appeals court has ruled. The decision comes in response to a Nevada woman, who accused the government of breaching her Second Amendment rights.

The Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously voted 3-0 in support of the government’s power to ban medical marijuana card holders and users from buying arms.

Senior District Judge Jed Rakoff said that the ban was justified because using marijuana "raises the risk of irrational or unpredictable behavior with which gun use should not be associated,” according to the Associated Press.

The push to legalize marijuana is in full force and a look at just how swiftly attitudes are changing nationwide is nearly enough to make anyone start buying pot penny stocks left and right. Though there has been both disappointing and encouraging signs from the federal government in regard to eventual reclassification or legalization of cannabis, we’re still seeing a state-by-state domino effect take place.

Marijuana use is becoming more accepted among U.S. adults as states loosen pot laws, new national survey data shows.

More are using marijuana, using it more often and far fewer think it's risky, the government survey found.

That's understandable, experts say, as dozens of states now allow medical marijuana and four states have recently legalized pot for recreational use.

More than a half million U.S. adults participated in the survey over a dozen years, and the responses show a shift in attitude. Only a third of adults in 2014 said they thought weekly marijuana use was dangerous, down from half of adults in 2002.

Wanted: Someone to grow marijuana for the federal government. Benefits: A contract likely worth millions and the chance to enable medical research. Requirements: Ability to deal with the costs and regulations that come with growing an illegal drug for the federal government.

As in the alcohol industry, tech platforms connect buyers with sellers but don't deliver themselves.

There can be no doubt that the promise of "on-demand" has fueled enormous growth in the technology industry over the past half decade. Whether it's lunch or dinner coming from DoorDash or Munchery, groceries coming from Instacart or Shipt, toiletries coming from Postmates or Google Express, or super-fast deliveries from Amazon Prime or Deliv, one thing is clear: if you want an item or service instantly, you can bet there's a business to answer the call.

The quintessential on-demand service is Uber, which has raised over $12 billion in outside capital for an app that sends a ride your way at the tap of a button. It's that simple.

Whether you're in Maine or Michigan, state fairs have their own smell — a mix of hot oil from the curly fries, and that unmistakable livestock tent.

One exhibit at this summer's Oregon State Fair, though, has a particularly distinctive funk. It's the one introducing a new crop: marijuana.

"It was this year that the state Legislature designated cannabis as a farm crop. And the general public should know what it's all about," says Don Morse, the head of the Oregon Cannabis Business Council.

And the tent — which has a strong piney, somewhat skunky smell — features nine prize-winning marijuana plants. They're the first live pot plants that have ever been shown at a state fair.

The campaign to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Arizona is suing state officials over the description of the ballot measure, saying it is "inaccurate and misleading."

The lawsuit, brought by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, asks the Maricopa County Superior Court to order the removal of state officials' description of Proposition 205 from the voter publicity pamphlet. The secretary of state prepared the description of the ballot language for the pamphlet, and the attorney general approved it, according to the lawsuit.