JUNEAU — Pictures of blown-up homes, pot-infused candy and a dire warning that weed edibles will kill children weren’t enough to ignite support for a Fairbanks senator’s amendment to ban marijuana concentrates in 2017.

Republican Sen. Pete Kelly’s attempt to criminalize marijuana concentrates when the two-year constitutional protection for Ballot Measure 2 expires fell flat on the Senate floor Monday, with many fellow Republicans and urban Democrats concerned the ban was an overreaction that undermined voter intent.

Looking to shake the stoner stereotype, the marijuana industry drops famed smoker Tommy Chong as an activist.

The marijuana lobby is tired of the “Cheech & Chong” stoner jokes and wants to be taken seriously in Congress.

That’s why the National Cannabis Industry Association dropped actor and marijuana activist Tommy Chong from its Capitol Hill lobbying push slated for the end of April. According to an internal email obtained by POLITICO, the cannabis industry wants to move past the stoner stereotypes embodied by Chong as it tries to remake itself as a serious and respectable segment of the economy.

Researchers have created a smartphone app that could help determine whether someone is too high to get behind the wheel and would allow police to identify impaired drivers, an important development for law enforcement and marijuana consumers alike as more states move toward full marijuana legalization. The app, developed by researchers from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, uses high-speed cameras to detect involuntary, jerk-like eye movements associated with marijuana use, according to the State Press. The technology was unveiled earlier this month.  

With the approval of marijuana as a treatment for medical conditions in 23 states, plus Washington D.C., and the legalization of recreational marijuana use in two states (Colorado and Washington where its legal medically and recreationally), there are several factors an adjuster should consider when handling an injury claim involving legalized marijuana use.

Recently, Bernyce Peplowski MD, senior vice president National Medical Strategy and Innovation with US Health Workers Medical Group, presented on the topic of ethics of medical marijuana for casualty claims during the annual Combined Claims Conference held in Orange County, California.

SALEM -- Defiant medical marijuana supporters urged lawmakers Monday not to set new limits on their growing operations when the recreational pot market opens this summer.

Patients and growers flocked to the Capitol for a meeting of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Implementing Measure 91, arguing that proposed restrictions would do little to stem the flow of pot to the black market, as lawmakers contend.

Instead, they said, the limits would create statewide shortages and make it more difficult for legitimate patients to get their medicine.

A former police officer turned lawmaker is launching the fourth effort this year to legalize recreational marijuana for Maine adults.

Rep. Mark Dion, D-Portland, has submitted a bill that would regulate recreational marijuana sales, tax them at 15 percent and allow use by adults 21 and older. The language of the legislation is being developed and details won’t be available until the process is completed.

Dion’s bill joins three other proposals – one from a fellow lawmaker and two from political action committees formed to advocate for legalization – that would legalize pot use by adults, create a regulatory structure for retail stores and cultivators, and tax sales.

Hempearth is proud to be producing the world’s first hemp plane.

Ontario, Canada — Hempearth Group Ltd. (Hempearth) has a contract in place to build an aircraft made almost entirely out of hemp and aims to fly the hemp plane this Fall or next Spring from Kitty Hawk, N.C., site of the Wright Brothers’ historic take off. The hemp plane is a four-seater, two engine aircraft with a cruising speed a little over 210 miles per hour (340 kph), a wingspan of 36 feet (12 meters), that will be built from at least 75% hemp. And, the plan is for it to run completely on hemp biofuel. More information here: http://hempearth.net/the-hemp-plane

A 10-year-old in Texas got a pretty sweet investment for her booming lemonade business.

Investors on "Shark Tank" saw a lot of potential in Mikaila Ulmer when she came on the show to pitch her lemonade company, BeeSweet.

This isn't your everyday lemonade stand, and "Shark Tank" investor and FUBU CEODaymond John noticed.

He said: "Partnering with Mikaila made perfect sense [...] She's a great kid with a head for business and branding. She's got a great idea and I'm happy to help take BeeSweet to the next level."

The millionaire businessman invested $60,000 in this unique beverage company.

Alexis Bortell, a 9-year-old girl from Texas, has had to move to Colorado in order to seek treatment for her seizures through medical marijuana. She has since been on her new medicine for a month, and has not experienced any seizure symptoms.

Her father, Dean Bortell, says that her longest good ‘streak’ on pharmaceuticals was a couple of days. “We thought if we could get down to one ‘episode’ a week it would be a miracle. Monday marks four weeks and zero symptoms. We are completely amazed,” Dean states. “It is important to note that this ‘symptom elimination’ has been achieved using Haleigh’s Hope and THC oil with zero side effects.”

Haleigh’s Hope is a strain of concentrated cannabis which has been extremely effective at helping to manage epilepsy symptoms.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A bill to fast track some medical marijuana use in Florida is moving forward in the state legislature.

The Senate Health Policy Committee approved the legislation Tuesday in an 8-0 vote.

It would make changes to the law already passed by Florida lawmakers last spring. That measure has yet to help anyone because of legal challenges and bureaucratic delays.

"There are just some flaws that need to be corrected in the bill that we passed," sponsor Sen. Rob Bradley said to the committee as they considered the measure Tuesday.

The new bill expands the list of illnesses for which medical marijuana can be used. The new list includes HIV, epilepsy, ALS, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease.