Marijuana

“Hempfest,” Washington state’s annual marijuana festival, will be making some changes this year, now that recreational use of the drug is legal there, according to the Associated Press.

After hearing comments from hundreds of people about proposed new rules for marijuana sales, officials in Washington state said they want to delay implementing the regulations for a few months.

Many marijuana growers are trying to increase the content of the drug’s active ingredient, THC, as high as it will go, CNN reports. High-potency marijuana can lead to dangerous behavior, such as intoxicated driving, several experts say.

Attorney General Eric Holder will announce today a Justice Department plan to change how some non-violent drug offenders are prosecuted, according to The Washington Post. Low-level, nonviolent drug offenders who are not tied to large-scale drug organizations or gangs will not face mandatory minimum sentences.

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta’s announcement last week that he now supports medical marijuana has sparked a debate among drug policy experts. He wrote an online piece, “Why I Changed My Mind on Weed,” which promoted his documentary, “Weed,” that ran on CNN Sunday night.

A device used for medical marijuana, called the “G-Pen,” is becoming popular with teens, MyFoxNY reports.

Legislators in the lower house of Uruguay voted to approve a bill to legalize marijuana, The New York Times reports. The country’s Senate is expected to approve the bill as well. President José Mujica supports the measure.

People seeking a doctor who will write a recommendation for medical marijuana often have a long wait. MarketWatch reports in Massachusetts, many patients have been waiting since the state’s medical marijuana law took effect in January.

Young adults who grew up in poverty are more likely to smoke than their peers who grew up in more economically secure homes, but they are less likely to binge drink, a new study suggests.

Capital City Care, the first medical marijuana dispensary in Washington, D.C., opened this week. It is located about one mile north of the U.S. Capitol, according to The Huffington Post.

A video ad promoting the legalization of marijuana was pulled from a screen outside a NASCAR event at the Indiana Motor Speedway Friday, several hours after it began running, USA Today reports.

Medical marijuana trade associations, dispensary owners and advocacy groups are concerned that full legalization of the drug will negatively impact their industry, according to Politico.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association will implement a new policy on August 1 that lowers the threshold for what determines a positive marijuana test, The Baltimore Sun reports.

A case to be argued in Hawaii federal court mixes religion and marijuana, according to The New York Times. The founder of the Hawai’i Cannabis THC Ministry was among several people to be indicted on charges that include conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana.

Addiction should be treated as a public health issue, National Drug Control Policy Director R. Gil Kerlikowske told participants of a conference on prescription drug abuse Thursday.

A new survey finds many parents favor either legalizing marijuana for recreational use, or decriminalizing the drug, while 70 percent support legalizing medical marijuana. Most parents say the legal age for marijuana use should be 21, USA Today reports.

Majorities of voters in both Colorado and Washington State passed ballot initiatives approving marijuana for recreational use this past November, and in each state, lawmakers have struggled to implement a post-legalization regulatory framework that makes sense, and that protects children and teens.

Substance abuse experts are concerned that the new recreational marijuana law in Washington state will allow the sale of hash, a strong and potentially dangerous marijuana extract, the Associated Press reports.

Drug abuse prevention advocates are calling on Washington state officials to tighten regulations to make marijuana-laced treats less attractive to children, according to Reuters. Cookies, candy and beverages containing the drug will be sold in the state starting next year.

Experts are debating the safety of medical marijuana for children, NBC News reports. A number of states allow doctors to recommend a type of cannabis that doesn’t produce a high for children with conditions including cancer, seizures and autism.

The risk of concussion is three to five times higher for teenagers who use marijuana or alcohol, compared with their peers who do not smoke marijuana or drink, according to a new study.

The United States Conference of Mayors on Monday urged the federal government to allow states to decide their own marijuana policies.

Marijuana growers are impacting the environment in Northern California, endangering wildlife and threatening forests, The New York Times reports.

Doctors should not prescribe medical marijuana to teens with chronic pain, say researchers at the Mayo Clinic. Marijuana can lead to some negative short-term side effects, including impaired concentration, fatigue and slower reaction times, they write in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

A group of entrepreneurs is looking to invest in legal marijuana companies, according to The New York Times. ArcView Investor Network recently organized a conference with 18 start-up companies that provide services to the marijuana industry.