Feds Seek Prison For Rural Washington Pot Growers

Under federal law, marijuana remains illegal, and what the licensed growers are doing differs little from what Harvey and his family did.

Associated Press
By Associated Press
Larry Harvey, Rhonda Firestack-Harvey, Rolland Gregg

SPOKANE, Wash. — The green-cross storefronts of medical marijuana dispensaries are common in much of Washington, and the state is plowing ahead with licensing people to grow and sell recreational pot to adults. But a federal trial scheduled to begin in the coming weeks for five people in Spokane suggests not all is OK with weed in the

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Fla. Dems Hope Medical Marijuana Brings Out Voters

Florida’s Democrats hope a measure to legalize medical marijuana in the state will draw people who are likely to vote for left-leaning candidates to the polls this fall.

Katie Rucke
By Katie Rucke
Eric Dillard, Joshua Walters

Florida Democrats hope a measure that would legalize medical marijuana under the state’s constitution will encourage younger voters and minorities, who tend to vote more for left-leaning candidates, to get to the polls this November. Under Amendment 2, as the legalization measure is known, medical marijuana would be legalized in the state for

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US Marijuana Sales Expected To Reach $8B By 2018

As more states move to legalize medical use, personal use or both, marijuana sales forecasts are higher than ever. By 2018, retails sales are expected to hit $8 billion.

Katie Rucke
By Katie Rucke
New Year Celebration

By 2018, retail sales of marijuana in the United States are expected to be between $7.4 and $8.2 billion, representing a dramatic increase from the expected retail sales this year of $2.2 to $2.6 billion, according to the Marijuana Business Factbook. Chris Walsh is the editor at CannaBusiness Media, which publishes the Marijuana Business Factbook.

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Holder Questioned On DOJ’s “Marijuana-Friendly” Policies

In a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, Attorney General Eric Holder testified on the DOJ’s “ongoing priorities,” which prompted discussion on drug policy, among other issues.

Katie Rucke
By Katie Rucke
Eric Holder

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, in a hearing regarding oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice and its “ongoing priorities.” Though Holder didn’t specifically address the topic of marijuana legalization during his testimony, he did hint at the topic a few

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Rocky Mountain High Or Reefer Madness? Legal Pot In Colorado Comes With Risks

A reporter returns to his hometown and confronts the new reality of legalized marijuana.

ProPublica
By ProPublica

I walked through clouds of marijuana smoke Friday night to get to the Denver Nuggets basketball game. The sweet smell lingering in the air reminded me less of a family event and more of the time I saw AC/DC on "The Razor's Edge" tour at the old McNichols Sports Arena. I grew up in Colorado, but it's been a while since I lived in the state. When

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High Taxes Send Marijuana Users Back To Black Market

In Colorado, high taxes on personal use marijuana sales are prompting some users to go back to their old dealers, who offer similar products at lower prices.

Katie Rucke
By Katie Rucke
Brian Vicente, Rick Ridder, Dan Pabon, Jonathan Singer

Is Colorado’s 20-plus percent tax rate on the sales of marijuana for personal use prompting some users to return to the black market? It’s a question some have started to ask, since other heavily-taxed substances such as cigarettes have made their way onto the black market in recent years as smokers look to skirt high taxes on tobacco products in

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