Hemp recently had its first committee hearing in the Texas legislature, and it involved about a dozen supporters testifying in favor of the two bills, along with one very confused sheriff.

Two bills submitted by Rep. Joe Farias of San Antonio would bring hemp to the Texas agriculture scene. House Bill 557 would legalize hemp for research purposes through institutions of higher education, while House Bill 1322 legalizes hemp for Texas farmers to grow alongside other crops.

Many groups were represented at the hearing, including farmers, health food stores, an insurance company, and the Texas Hemp Industries Association. Both bills were heard at the same time.

A North Carolina jury took less than an hour on Thursday to find a man who openly ran a medical marijuana operation guilty of drug trafficking.

The jury of six men and six women found Todd Stimson, 44, guilty of two counts of marijuana trafficking in an emotional conclusion to the trial in Henderson County Superior Court, reports Sabian Warren at the Citizen-Times.

Judge Mark Powell sentenced a visibly shaken Stimson to a minimum of 25 months in federal prison, and a maximum of 39 months. Stimson was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

In Spring 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission suspended trading in several publicly traded marijuana companies, including FusionPharm, Inc., Cannabusiness Group, Inc., GrowLife, Inc., Advanced Cannabis Solutions, Inc., and Petrotech Oil and Gas, Inc. In addition to those suspensions, the SEC issued a warning regarding investments in publicly traded marijuana-related stocks. Though we have no opinions about these specific marijuana companies, we do have an opinion regarding publicly traded pot stocks in general: BE CAREFUL.

Just about every day for more than 30 years, Jesse Teplicki consumed marijuana in one form or another to ease the relentless symptoms of chronic anorexia nervosa. And for the last decade, he quietly grew and harvested his own supply, even processing the plants into pats of butter.

So by the time police officers, acting on an anonymous tip, came to his Hollywood home two years ago, Teplicki was ready — and open about his pot use. He allowed the two Broward County Sheriff’s deputies into his home, escorting them to the locked garage where he had 16 potted marijuana plants growing. Then he showed them the other 30 plants taking root in his backyard also for personal use.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (PRWEB) March 30, 2015

Legal cannabis business owners and entrepreneurs constantly face uncertainties and critical situations due to the current nature of the emerging industry. Quite often, they need quick answers to legal, accounting, human resources, insurance, banking, compliance or other cannabis industry specific business questions. However, most business owners often hesitate to contact a lawyer or other business professional out of fear of the very expensive “Ticking Clock Syndrome", or simply because they don't have a trusted business advisor or reliable “go to source” readily available to them.

A thick line of people formed inside a Doubletree hotel Saturday afternoon, all of them waiting to learn if they had earned the distinction of certified budtender, one of many titles for a person who works behind the counter at a medicinal marijuana dispensary.

Hemp Staff, a Florida-based company that aims to educate, certify and assist jobseekers in the medicinal marijuana industry, hosted two sold-out budtender training and certification sessions Saturday morning and afternoon at the hotel in Rosemont.

Though marijuana is still illegal under federal law, a state pilot program that took effect last year has allowed for up to 21 cultivation centers and 60dispensaries to grow and sell medicinal marijuana in Illinois.

California's current drought has been caused by the demand for water needed to cultivate cannabis, which, under state law, is illegal for recreational use. Streams are running dry, fish are dying, and it’s just the beginning, US scientists warn.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has recently published a study, the first of its kind, in the PLOS journal. The scientists, who studied the devastating environmental effects of marijuana cultivation in the region, concluded: “Due to climate change, water scarcity and habitat degradation in northern California is likely to worsen in the future.”

People ambled through the Oregon Hemp Convention on Friday, casually inspecting colorful glass bongs and trying samples of rice crispy treats and chocolates, chatting with vendors about growing marijuana plants at home and extracting cannabis oil safely.

Our more relaxed attitude toward marijuana is nothing new, but this was all still a bit surreal.

But as Oregon eases into recreational marijuana, bigger festivals and conventions like this weekend's event should become the norm, popping up throughout the year at venues in and around Portland.

Jacqueline Lasdon is a pharmaceutical heiress and self-proclaimed “opera singer gone rogue” who received a $2.5 million trust fund disbursement from her late grandfather, a pharmaceutical magnate. After the she received the money, she purchased a home at the upscale Onyx Condominium. However, it seems her fellow tenants are not too keen on Lasdon living in the building and are filing a lawsuit that includes abuses such as “offensive” levels of marijuana smoke coming from her unit and various “transients” entering the building to visit.

There are five legalization efforts underway in the state, four by ballot measures to amend to the state’s constitution and one as a proposed legislative bill in the House of Representatives. Following is a quick look at what the measures call for.

ResponsibleOhio

Initiative: Marijuana Legalization Amendment.

Ballot goal: November 2015.

Background: This business-backed, political action committee announced its plan to get on the November ballot. The group has cleared all certification and is collecting the needed 305,591 signatures to get on the ballot.

Amendment basics:

• Legalizes medicinal and recreational use for those 21 and older.

• Limits commercial production to 10 growing locations.