The conversation started like most others I’ve had in the last year.

“Hello. I’m Nicki Jhabvala. I’m a reporter for The Denver Post and I’m writing about cannabis and the NFL.

“Can we talk?”

I reached out to Eugene Monroe in March while researching and reporting a series on pain management in the NFL. I knew about his involvement in a local campaign for cannabidiol (CBD) research and awareness. I knew he was an active player (at the time), so his voice carried more weight.

I knew he was risking more than he was receiving in standing up for the cause.

Thursday morning, the DEA issued a double denial to two petitions that requested to take cannabis off of the Controlled Substance Act.

“We are bound by statute – by the law. We enforce the laws on the books,” Rusty Payne said to The Marijuana Times, in an interview following the announcement.

Tuatara Capital has raised a $93 million fund to invest exclusively in the legal marijuana industry, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Two of Tuatara's principals, Al Foreman and Mark Zittman, believe that it's the largest fund in the marijuana industry.

"Our understanding is that we have the largest pool of capital by fund and firm size in space," Foreman told Business Insider during a joint call with Zittman.

Founded in 2014 by Zittman and Foreman, the private-equity firm, based in New York, exclusively focuses on the legal cannabis industry.

Starting Thursday, the federal government will take a new approach to medical marijuana research: The government will allow new research institutions to grow marijuana and conduct clinical studies with the plant, after years of allowing only the University of Mississippi to conduct marijuana research. Even though the Drug Enforcement Administration is not loosening legal restrictions on marijuana, this is actually a pretty big step toward a more compassionate and science-based approach to cannabis after decades of rigid prohibition.

The drug will be (slightly) easier to study

On Thursday the U.S. government announced that marijuana would continue to be classified as a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse. However, the feds are allowing more research on marijuana’s medicinal uses by making it easier for researchers to grow it.

Many researchers, both those who view marijuana as beneficial and those who are skeptical, argue that the government’s stance still hinders research. “I understand the cautious nature of the government, whose role is basically to protect its citizens, but it is disappointing that marijuana continues to be included on the DEA’s list of the most dangerous drugs,” says Dr. Yasmin Hurd of Mount Sinai, who studies the effects of marijuana on the brain.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton plans to reschedule marijuana if she is elected in November, according to a statement issued by the campaign.

Controversy breaks out online over presidential daughter apparently hitting a joint, because of course it has

Today, I volunteered to write a story about an 18-year-old who may or may not have smoked pot – like, marijuana – at a recent concert.

This is a can’t-miss opportunity. Rare are the times in the media industry when you get a chance to cover something as groundbreaking and culturally transformative. Perhaps you’ve already heard about this sordid tale.

If not, it’s worth a recap:

The Obama administration is planning to remove a major roadblock to marijuana research, officials said Wednesday, potentially spurring broad scientific study of a drug that is being used to treat dozens of diseases in states across the nation despite little rigorous evidence of its effectiveness.

The new policy is expected to sharply increase the supply of marijuana available to researchers.

Marijuana advocates who hoped the cascade of states moving to legalize medical marijuana would soften the federal stance on the drug faced disappointment Thursday as the Drug Enforcement Administration announced it will keep marijuana illegal for any purpose.

Marijuana will remain a Schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substances Act. Substances in Schedule 1 are determined by the Food and Drug Administration to have no medical use. States that allow marijuana for medical use or legalize recreational use remain in defiance of federal law.

According to an analysis by Ackrell Capital, the $4.4 billion legal North American marijuana industry is about to explode—detonated by the liberalization of cannabis laws in Canada and the US.

With the baby boomers creaking, diabetes rates, arthritis and cancer are now skyrocketing. According to the Center for Disease control and Prevention, 50% of all adults in North America have suffered one or more chronic health conditions. The market for chronic pain medication is at the leading edge of a long term growth phase. Physicians and consumers are searching for alternatives to conventional opioids which are addictive and vulnerable to abuse.