D.C. legalization leader reschedules 4/20 to protest Obama.

A warning about the fragility of marijuana reform from comedian Bill Maher, right, inspired activists in Washington, D.C., to plan an April 2 smoke-out in front of the White House. The protest is being led by Adam Eidinger, shown at left presenting a peace pipe to staffers of Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah.

President Barack Obama may smell something familiar on April 2 when marijuana activists inspired by comedian Bill Maher host what they believe will be a massive act of civil disobedience in front of the White House.

$50,000 to go to top rated companies at its pitch events Companies to receive more help before pitching 

OAKLAND, Calif., March 1, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, The ArcView Group announced the launch of a Winner's Fund that will deploy $50,000 into a top-rated company at each of its upcoming pitch events and the hiring of a Chief Mentor who will spend hours helping each company prepare to pitch ArcView's 500+ high net worth investor members. 

As legal cannabis business grows larger, states are realizing standards need to be set.

In the latest step toward standardizing cannabis cultivation, the Washington State Department of Agriculture released formal recommendations called the “Worker Protection Standards (WPS): Requirements for Marijuana Growers.”

Standards in the regular world of agriculture are created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, USDA inspection or certification of cannabis is prohibited because USDA employees must abide by federal laws. Over half of U.S. states have legalized medicinal or recreational marijuana use, but since the USDA cannot get involved, there are no set standards for cannabis cultivation.

Puerto Rico is about to welcome medical marijuana to the island.  The action, by executive order, could have potential economic benefits for the debt-ridden country. But it’s also recalling memories  of colonial exploitation.

Drug policy activist Rafael Torruella, who is based in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, worries the budding industry will mirror other industries on the island, where foreign investors reap most of the economic reward.

At this point, no medical marijuana is being grown on the island and no dispensaries have been authorized.

One of the most appealing parts of cannabis is the scents and flavors associated with the various varieties of the plant. Organic compounds known as terpenes are produced by most plants as a defense against herbivores, who otherwise would consume them, and as semiochemicals that serve to communicate chemically with other living things. There are over 120 different types of terpenes that can be expressed by the cannabis plant, although some are only found in trace amounts.

Terpenes make up between five and 10 percent of the total oils that are produced in the trichrome glands. Although they are constantly being produced, they’re easily vaporized by heat and daylight throughout the day, making the morning an ideal time to harvest.

Cannabis appears to have a significant impact on the recognition and processing of human emotions like happiness, sadness and anger, according to research published in the journal PLOS One.

Scientists are only just starting to understand how cannabis affects the brain.

Cannabis consumption is known to cause immediate, residual and long-term changes in brain activity that can affect appetite and food intake, sleep patterns, executive function and emotional behavior.

Conflicting evidence has suggested that it can intensify both positive and negative mood states.

A medical marijuana amendment has a good chance of passing this year, found a new Florida poll released Tuesday.

According to the Public Policy Polling survey, 65 percent of registered voters said they support the medical marijuana constitutional amendment. The survey found 28 percent said they were opposed to it, while 7 percent of respondents said they weren’t sure.

This past weekend, a marijuana expo came to Fort Worth, Texas. Many of the 6,000 attendees of the Fort Worth expo were deeply moved by some of the speakers there, and experts agree that events like this signal that “The Green Rush,” the name being given to the impending nationwide legalization of recreational pot, is coming.

A former Orange County political activist who helped draft recent marijuana legalization initiatives was arrested in Texas last week on suspicion of transporting more than $1 million worth of cannabis.

Samuel Hershel Clauder II, 64, was driving a Chrysler minivan outside Wichita Falls on Feb. 22 when a Texas trooper stopped him for a traffic violation, according to a news release from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

A police dog signaled it smelled narcotics in the vehicle, the release said. In the back seat, authorities said, the trooper discovered duffel bags containing 174 pounds of marijuana.

In a telephone interview with the Register on Monday, Clauder said that “all of the numbers are extremely exaggerated.” 

Oregon has collected taxes on marijuana sales since the start of February but officials don't expect to have an official tally until mid-March.

The Oregon Department of Revenue began collecting taxes from January sales on Feb. 1. Medical marijuana dispensaries had until Monday to send in their first month of tax payments.

Joy Krawczyk, an agency spokeswoman, said the agency is waiting for payments that were mailed in the final days of the month before releasing the final tally. 

Medical marijuana stores have been allowed to sell to anyone 21 and older since last October. Consumers enjoyed a tax holiday for the first three months; a 25 percent tax kicked in on Jan. 1.