Category: Marijuana

Pot Boom Wakes Sleepy Dinosaur, Colorado

A small town close to the Colorado-Utah state line strikes it rich with marijuana sales.

‘Conscience’ Bills Let Medical Providers Opt Out of Providing a Wide Range of Care

Opponents of the wave of state legislation say the measures place health providers’ preferences over patients’ rights.

Legal Pot Is More Potent Than Ever — And Still Largely Unregulated

As marijuana has become far more mainstream, potent, and sometimes dangerous, uneven regulation at the state and federal levels leaves consumers at risk.

More Young Colorado Children Are Consuming Marijuana Despite Efforts to Stop Them

Lawmakers say they don’t plan to revise state regulations on the sale of edibles despite more kids 5 and under ingesting them.

What Looks Like Pot, Acts Like Pot, but Is Legal Nearly Everywhere? Meet Hemp-Derived Delta-9 THC

The 2018 farm bill that legalized hemp created a loophole for an unregulated copycat of marijuana. A form of delta-9 THC — the psychoactive substance in pot — doesn’t face the same laws and regulations as marijuana because it comes from hemp. The drug is poised to upend the cannabis industry.

Hemp-Derived Delta-8 Skirts Marijuana Laws and Raises Health Concerns

A cannabis product called delta-8 was made legal when the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp. But unlike its cousin CBD, delta-8 has psychoactive properties. And the FDA warns it has “serious health risks.” The agency has received more than 100 reports of bad reactions among people who consumed it.

Tribe Embraces Recreational Marijuana Sales on Reservation Where Alcohol Is Banned

The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota allows people to buy and use recreational marijuana but not alcohol. Some tribal citizens say cannabis is safer than alcohol, meth, and opioids — which have wreaked havoc on the state’s Indigenous communities.

California May Require Labels on Pot Products to Warn of Mental Health Risks

Doctors and lawmakers in California want cannabis products labeled to warn consumers of the increased risk of schizophrenia and other disorders associated with heavy use.

Medical Marijuana Users Brace for Shortages as Montana’s Recreational Market Opens

Sales of recreational marijuana are underway, and dispensary owners say they’re not ready to meet the demand. That may mean problems for the 55,000 Montanans who hold medical marijuana cards.

Are Public Health Ads Worth the Price? Not if They’re All About Fear

Public service announcements about drug use or other public health problems often fall short, public health marketing experts say, because they incite people’s worst fears rather than giving people solutions.