Israeli Cabinet approves medical marijuana exports

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has given final approval to a law permitting the export of medical marijuana, a move the government expects will catapult investment in local industry and agriculture. The Cabinet’s decision Sunday came a month after the Israeli parliament unanimously approved the decision, making Israel the third country in the world, after the Netherlands and Canada, to allow export of medical cannabis products. Israel is home to dozens of companies active in the…

"Israeli Cabinet approves medical marijuana exports"





After marijuana’s legalization elsewhere, why not Minnesota?

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Several Minnesota lawmakers launched an effort Monday to legalize recreational marijuana in the state, hoping to capitalize on recent successes the pro-cannabis movement has enjoyed elsewhere in the country. Sen. Melisa Franzen and Rep. Mike Freiberg, both Democrats, anticipate major resistance to their push to set up a regulatory framework for legal sales of the drug starting in 2022, but they see an opening. Voters last November made Michigan the…

"After marijuana’s legalization elsewhere, why not Minnesota?"





California lawmakers seek tax cuts for sluggish pot industry

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California’s much-hyped, year-old marijuana industry fell woefully short of expectations in 2018 and industry leaders blame their inability to compete with the state’s robust black market, which doesn’t pay the taxes and navigate the red tape they do. So on Monday, several cannabis-industry supporting state lawmakers proposed to slash taxes as a way to jump start California’s legal marijuana marketplace. Democrat Assemblyman Rob Bonta of Oakland on Monday proposed to temporarily…

"California lawmakers seek tax cuts for sluggish pot industry"





Their view: Trump wants to leave Syria. Easier said than done

WASHINGTON — When President Trump abruptly announced on Dec. 19 that he was pulling all U.S. troops out of Syria, he suggested they were already on the way home. “We have won against ISIS,” the president said, referring to Islamic State. “Our boys, our young women, our men — they’re all coming back, and they’re coming back now.” His “now” was premature. More than a month later, the 2,000 or so U.S. military personnel remain…

"Their view: Trump wants to leave Syria. Easier said than done"





Trump associate Stone arrested, faces obstruction charge

WASHINGTON (AP) — Roger Stone, a confidant of President Donald Trump, was arrested in the special counsel’s Russia investigation in a pre-dawn raid at his Florida home on Friday and was charged with lying to Congress and obstructing the probe. The seven-count indictment against Stone, a self-proclaimed “dirty trickster,” is the first criminal case in months from special counsel Robert Mueller. It provides the most detail to date about how Trump campaign associates were aware…

"Trump associate Stone arrested, faces obstruction charge"





Wolf takes new step on marijuana with town hall sessions

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Wolf administration wants to open a “conversation” about legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania and announced Thursday that the lieutenant governor will hold a series of town hall-style sessions on the subject. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, himself an advocate of legalizing recreational use of the drug, said he will hold a listening session in each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties in the coming months and otherwise accept comments submitted online or through other…

"Wolf takes new step on marijuana with town hall sessions"





California pot taxes lag as illegal market flourishes

LOS ANGELES — Deep in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new budget is a figure that says a lot about California’s shaky legal marijuana market: The state is expecting a lot less cash from cannabis taxes. The Democrat’s proposed spending plan, released Thursday, projects the state will bank $355 million in marijuana excise taxes by the end of June. That’s roughly half of what was once expected after broad legal sales kicked off last year. Industry experts…

"California pot taxes lag as illegal market flourishes"





Aboard the ‘canna crawl’ bus, Maryland marijuana patients find community, resources

For the first time in five years, Joppa, Md., resident Brandon Bevins feels good. There’s still some pain, but after being diagnosed with bladder cancer at 31, he feels like he’s turning a promising corner. And he owes it all to the medicinal cannabis community, he said. “When you get sick, man, it really beats you down,” the former nightclub promoter said. “We take care of each other.” Recently, Bevins boarded a bus leaving from…

"Aboard the ‘canna crawl’ bus, Maryland marijuana patients find community, resources"





West Virginia AG: Medical marijuana faces federal risks

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey says in a new opinion that financial institutions face risks when providing banking services to medical marijuana businesses because the product is illegal under federal law. Morrisey’s opinion says the state will have to consider that as it looks at how to implement its 2017 medical cannabis law. Morrisey says he’s unaware of any federal enforcement in states where medical marijuana is legal, with “safe…

"West Virginia AG: Medical marijuana faces federal risks"





Thorny questions threaten to slow legal pot in New York

ALBANY, N.Y. — Efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use in New York are gaining steam, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo predicts a bill will pass this year. But don’t expect to see pot shops opening up from Brooklyn to Buffalo anytime soon. While there’s broad agreement on the idea of legalization, there’s no consensus on a long list of details that must be figured out first. Taxes and regulations must be approved. Rules for licensing…

"Thorny questions threaten to slow legal pot in New York"