The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to take up a lawsuit filed by two of Colorado's neighboring states over its legalization of marijuana.

Nebraska and Oklahoma said Colorado's decriminalization has "increased the flow of marijuana over their borders," forcing them to expend greater "law enforcement, judicial system, and penal system resources," thereby harming the welfare of their residents.

For the week ended Friday, March 18, the spot price index for a pound of cannabis fell about 1% from $1,918 in the prior week to $1,901. The simple average price for a gram also rose about 1% from $4.56 to $4.60.

The futures price for the front month (April) fell 3.2% from $2,030 to $1,965. For the month of May, the forward price fell 5.5% to $2,000 a pound. The six-month forward price for September remained unchanged at $2,200.

About two-thirds of the past week’s transactions occurred in a range of $1,610 to $2,550 per pound, according to the analysts at Cannabis Benchmarks. The analysts also commented on the forward price curve:

Even before getting to the issue of marijuana policy, let me say the current presidential campaign is unprecedented in many ways, few of which are positive.

The Trump Factor

The current campaign on the Republican side, which has been dominated by Donald Trump, has been the most incredible spectacle of the several presidential campaigns of my lifetime. I am an old guy, so I’ve seen quite a few. The hate-filled, racist campaigns of George Wallace (1964, 68 and 72), based on a platform of racial segregation and appealing to the anger of white southerners, are the most similar to the current Trump campaign. Most of us had believed those hateful and divisive times were far behind us. Then came The Donald.

America is in the middle of a "green rush," as states across the US legalize marijuana, letting people finally grow and sell the drug legally for recreational and medical uses.

But there's a big problem: This green rush is, by and large, disproportionately shutting out black Americans as a result of racial disparities in the war on drugs, leaving many unable to participate in the legal pot market, from growing to selling.

A marijuana advocate and talk show host on the Valley-based Cannabis Radio Network has a target on his back. Literally.

"Radical" Russ Belville, host of the Russ Belville Show, has a map of the United States tattooed from shoulder to shoulder. States that have legalized recreational use of marijuana  Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska  are shaded in green ink.

"I'm not stopping until all 50 states are legal. I'm not stopping until nobody has to fear a drug test for their job. I'm not stopping until every patient who needs medical cannabis can get it."

Belville dove into marijuana advocacy full-time in 2006 after a failed drug test disqualified him from a job in information technology.

Moving the black market in marijuana into the light has been a boon for state tax coffers, entrepreneurs and cannabis users, but an inconvenient fact went unaddressed in the process: Potentially dangerous chemicals are used to grow it. 

That changed last fall, when a Colorado newspaper’s investigation found shelves stocked with products grown using pesticides that hadn’t been approved for cannabis farming, spurring a rush of legal, regulatory and business activity. 

Since then, states have quickly drawn up regulations, companies have seen their products and methods put under the microscope — sometimes taking big hits to their businesses — and cannabis product and pesticide buyers have filed lawsuits against their manufacturers. 

The largest annual event of the marijuana industry drew local backlash from elected officials in Colorado and is moving to California.

Marijuana might be legal in Colorado, but the industry still has battles to fight.

After trouble obtaining a permit in Denver, High Times magazine is moving its annual U.S. Cannabis Cup over the 4/20 holiday to San Bernardino, California.

The success of one weed-based drug trial sent investors scrambling to buy into the future of marijuana pharmaceuticals.

Stock brokers were left scratching their heads on Monday as the value of shares in a little-known company called Cannabis Science Inc. dramatically increased. By the end of day, they were up 120 percent.

Buying snack foods and beverages is a common occurrence. We routinely review the package label of all the ingredients, as well as the serving size and calorie content. We trust that the products we buy are made in a safe, clean environment.

Yet, for marijuana infused food products, no set standards exist. Currently, the food and beverage products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive ingredient in pot, have absolutely no oversight, and there is no way a consumer can know how potent the snack item is or if it contains an allergen. Users of these products really have no idea what they are smoking or eating and this unknown can be deadly.

HONOLULU (AP) - Industry experts say there are a lot of chemicals that could contaminate Hawaii’s medical marijuana.

Dispensaries are set to open in Hawaii in July, and state lawmakers are pushing a broad bill to address many of the obstacles the industry is facing. One is how to regulate marijuana testing.

The proposed Hawaii law would set requirements for testing medical marijuana’s potency and would also test for contaminants such as heavy metals, bacteria and pesticides, which industry experts say is necessary to ensure patient safety. Under state rules, dispensaries must send all marijuana products to a certified laboratory for testing.