"Come and smoke cannabis in Parliament - Break the law!" invites MP Paul...

Greece May Soon Legalize Medicinal Cannabis

By

 Kerry Kolasa-Sikiaridi

 -

 Apr 23, 2017

The production of cannabis in Greece for the legal consumption of medicinal purposes may soon be passed in Parliament.

Health Minister Andreas Xanthos has stated that measures are underway to approve such a bill and that once approved, doctors will be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis, which would be packaged and produced in Greece.

Greece would be one of several countries in Europe to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes as Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain have already done so.

- See more at: http://greece.greekreporter.com/2017/04/23/greece-may-soon-legalize-medicinal-cannabis/#sthash.hELJuhRd.dpuf

Colorado Set to Prohibit Cannabis Co-op Growing Operations

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
April 10, 2017

DENVER (AP) — Colorado was set Monday to outlaw marijuana growing co-ops soon after the state Senate unanimously approved a bill making it a crime for people to cultivate recreational cannabis for other people. The bill supported by the office of Gov. John Hickenlooper passed 35-0 but it was unclear when he would sign it.

There are no state estimates on how many collective recreational marijuana growing operations exist in Colorado, though they are popular among users who share the cost of electricity, water and fertilizer to grow their cannabis.

RELATED STORY
Colorado Will Allow Medical Cannabis Use While Awaiting Trial

Colorado legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, but it has a nagging black-market problem. Law enforcement and state lawmakers attribute the black-market problem in part to weak restrictions on who can grow cannabis.

The Colorado state constitution authorizes people over 21 to grow their own cannabis, or to assist someone else in growing. That language allows groups to designate a single “farmer” to care for their marijuana plants, allowing them to avoid cannabis taxes that approach 30 percent, depending on the jurisdiction.

But police groups and Hickenlooper, a Democrat, have called on lawmakers to curb the practice of assisting other recreational cannabis users.

The bill had already passed the House.

RELATED STORY
Colorado Weighs Strategy to Guard Against Federal Cannabis Crackdown

The governor plans to sign another bill this week in the state’s crackdown. It limits the number of marijuana plants that can be grown in a home to 12 plants, which would force medical marijuana users authorized to grow more than 12 plants to grow it in agricultural or commercial locations or to buy it from dispensaries that tax marijuana.

Hickenlooper plans to sign that bill this week, his office said.

The bill passed Monday also provides $6 million a year in marijuana tax revenues to give law enforcement agencies more money to investigate illegal cannabis growing operations.

Colorado Set to Prohibit Cannabis Co-op Growing Operations

Pot Industry Exhales (a Little) After Trump’s Attorney General Pick Testifies

One cannabis investor called Jeff Sessions’ confirmation hearing a “huge victory.” Others were more measured.

by 

Polly Mosendz
12 gennaio 2017, 12:00 CET

When Donald Trump appointed Jeff Sessions as attorney general, the cannabis industry let out a collective groan. This week the industry, which is expected to balloon to $50 billion by 2026, got a hint of reprieve after Sessions was questioned about marijuana policy during his confirmation hearing.

One cannabis investor went so far as to call the hearing a "huge victory." Others in the industry expressed cautious optimism.

Sessions has called pot "a danger" and has long opposed legalization. "Good people don't smoke marijuana," he said last year at a Senate hearing. In an infamous quoteattributed to Sessions in the 1980s, while he was being considered for a federal district judge position, he said he thought the Ku Klux Klan "were OK until I found out they smoked pot." He later apologized and said he was joking.

But the conservative Republican senator from Alabama is also a proponent of states' rights, and more than half of the states in the U.S. have legalized some form of cannabis, despite federal laws prohibiting its sale and consumption.

In his hearing, Sessions said he wouldn't "commit to never enforcing federal law" but added that "absolutely it's a problem of resources for the federal government." Recently, a spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration told Bloomberg that, given the growing opioid crisis, agents can't dedicate resources to monitor or curtail the distribution and use of cannabidiol products, which are technically controlled substances.

"It is notable that Sen. Sessions chose not to commit to vigorously enforcing federal prohibition laws in states that have reformed their marijuana laws," Robert Capecchi, director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, a cannabis legalization lobbying organization, said in an emailed statement. "He also recognized that enforcing federal marijuana laws would be dependent upon the availability of resources, the scarcity of which poses a problem. He was given the opportunity to take an extreme prohibitionist approach, and he passed on it."

Troy Dayton, co-founder of the Arcview Group, an Oakland, Calif.-based cannabis industry investment firm, went further, saying by email that the senator "left the door open but indicated it would be a low priority. That's a huge victory considering [Sessions'] previous inflammatory statements about this topic."

Dayton said Sessions "may be against marijuana policy reform, but he is not stupid. He knows that these cannabis laws are hugely popular, not just among Americans in red and blue states, but with his boss who campaigned in favor of these laws."

While his responses, on their face, were hardly a coup for the cannabis industry, Sessions didn't morally condemn pot smokers either.

"The United States Congress has made the possession of marijuana in every state, and distribution of it, an illegal act," he testified. "If that ... is not desired any longer, Congress should pass a law to change the rule."

The Drug Policy Alliance, an organization opposed to the war on drugs, called the testimony "wishy-washy at best." The group's senior director of national affairs, Bill Piper, added: "It is clear that he was too afraid to say the ‘reefer madness’ things he said just a year ago, and that’s progress. But he made it clear throughout the hearing that he will enforce federal law."

The National Cannabis Industry Association supported Sessions' deferral to Congress. "It's time for federal lawmakers to represent the clear choices of their constituents," Executive Director Aaron Smith said in an emailed statement. "The responsible cannabis industry has helped countless critically ill patients, contributed billions of dollars to the economy and to tax coffers, taken marijuana out of the criminal market and put it behind a regulated counter, and dealt a significant blow to international cartels and traffickers."

Sessions' remarks on pot aren't far off from what Attorney General Loretta Lynch—who hasn't pursued litigation against states that legalized cannabis consumption—said during her confirmation hearing in 2015.

"It certainly would be my policy, if confirmed as attorney general, to continue enforcing the marijuana laws, particularly with respect to the money laundering aspect of it," she said when questioned by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. "Where we see the evidence that marijuana, as I've noticed in cases in my own district, brings with it not only organized crime activity but great levels of violence."

Pot Industry Exhales (a Little) After Trump’s Attorney General Pick Testifies

What’s Next for Cannnabis Legalization in the US?

Full Press Conference on Canadian Task Force findings on Cannabis - Dece...

Marijuana Sector Remains One of Markets Hottest Industry Behind Newest Products and Services

PALM BEACH, Florida, November 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The exploding cannabis and legal marijuana industry, globally and within the United States, is calling for a significant expansion and improvement of both services and operations as marijuana stocks within the industry aim to capitalize on the unprecedented momentum. Active companies in the sector this week include: Vemanti Group, Inc. (OTC: VMNT), Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA), Agritek Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AGTK), Cannabix Technologies Inc. (OTC: BLOZF) and Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG).

Vemanti Group, Inc. (OTC PINK: VMNT) a diversified holding corporation, announced today that its preparing to launch a new wholly-owned subsidiary, which will look to provide a comprehensive mobile commerce and payments service for the emerging cannabis industry. Through their smartphones, the service will enable retail customers to pay for goods at any participating dispensary without using physical cash. It will also present dispensaries, growers, and other legitimate participants of the industry with the opportunity of carrying out non-retail transactions among themselves in digital payments. 

Read the full Vemanti (VMNT) Press Release at: http://marketnewsupdates.com/news/vmnt.html

The Company believes that the emerging legal cannabis industry where retail and non-retail transactions, including vendor payments and payroll, are almost exclusively paid for with cash presents a real challenge for financial institutions. Concerned about the evolving conflict between federal and state laws, they are eager to avoid the inherent risks associated with this cash-intensive sector. It is widely acknowledged that many are unwilling to go to the expense of establishing and maintaining the type of thorough due diligence program for this emerging market at the present time in order to comply with growing demands of Know-Your-Customer (KYC) guidelines, anti-money laundering regulations, and the US Patriot Act. As the result, traditional banking and payment solutions have been out of reach for the vast majority of cannabis businesses.

"The cannabis industry needs access to digital payments in order to grow, and consumers want a safe and secure way to purchase marijuana products without always relying on cash. Our goal for the new subsidiary is to launch a service that alleviates the risk of cash transactions and helps dispensaries monitor and record data needed to address concerns about violating anti-money laundering laws, with the long-term goal of moving transactions away from cash altogether. It will comply with every relevant regulatory requirement and provide a sustainable solution for the cannabis industry", commented Tan Tran, CEO of Vemanti Group.

In other cannabis developments and happenings to watch this week in the markets:

StoneBridge Partners, LLC -- a global finance communication and consulting firm -- announces the release of an in-depth business analysis of Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC PINK: MJNA) presented in a comprehensive report. The report, which outlines the company's formation and current operations, also offers insight into the perceived opportunities in the explosive-growth market of cannabis. It explores the Company's diversified portfolio of cannabis organizations and brands that continue to flourish as new markets open and existing markets continue to develop

Agritek Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AGTK) closed down slightly on Tuesday on just over 6.88 Million shares traded by the market close. Agritek Holdings, Inc. offers various products and services to the medicinal marijuana sector in the United States. It distributes hemp-based nutritional products; and provides solutions for electronically processing merchant transactions.

Cannabix Technologies Inc. (OTC Pink: BLOZF) closed up over 24% on Tuesday at $0.59 on just under 1 Million shares traded by the market close. Cannabix Technologies, developer of the Cannabix Marijuana Breathalyzer for law enforcement and the workplace, recently released images of its Beta 2.0 Cannabix Marijuana Breathalyzer. New images of the device can be viewed at http://www.cannabixtechnologies.com.

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: Pink: REFG) works to solve the fragmentation problem by identifying tools that are important to dispensaries, and customizing those tools specifically catered to the industry. We strive to create awareness within the medicinal marijuana industry and to develop an environmentally friendly, economically sustainable business while increasing shareholder value.

DISCLAIMER: MarketNewsUpdates.com (MNU) is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. MNU is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. MNU and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. MNU's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. MNU is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed MNU has been compensated three thousand nine hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release issued by Vemanti Group, Inc.. by the company. MNU HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and MNU undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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SOURCE MarketNewsUpdates.com
Marijuana Sector Remains One of Markets Hottest Industry Behind Newest Products and Services

Richard Branson to cannabis advocates: Fight to legalize it.

Billionaire and tech entrepreneur tells New West summit attendees marijuana should be decriminalized worldwide.

Renowned billionaire and tech entrepreneur Richard Branson told a room full of cannabis advocates he was simply in the mood to "take a spliff or two," and much of the world is ready to legally take some tokes, too.

"Why not?" the Virgin Group founder asked a crowd of about 1,000 people Saturday during the second annual New West Summit conference, "The Future of Cannabis, Now," in downtown San Francisco.

Speaking via Skype, Branson, an unapologetic cannabis supporter, said he's spent the past five years serving on the Global Commission on Drug Policy along with former United Nations General Secretary Kofi Annan and 15 former world leaders calling not only for the controversial decriminalization of drugs, but also for its legalization worldwide.

"That's the only way of sorting out the problems that come with drugs by not regulating and leaving it up to the underworld to supply drugs," he said. "Our commission has worked really quite hard on that. We've had some successes and some massive failures, we're going to keep going until we get governments to see otherwise."

Read more at: www.cnet.com Richard Branson to cannabis advocates: Fight to legalize it.

Southern California Cannabis Conference + Expo

Marijuana Moguls: 10 Entrepreneurs Own 20 Percent of Denver's Pot Shops

According to an analysis of marijuana licenses held in Denver, 10 individuals own 20 percent of the market while the remaining 80 percent is controlled by 641 smaller-business owners.

BY WILL YAKOWICZ

Staff writer, Inc.@WillYakowicz

In only two years since full-on legalization, Denver's marijuana industry
has surpassed $1 billion in sales. But who are the entrepreneurs at the
top of the Mile High City's market?According to an analysis of Denver's
1,046 marijuana business licenses by The Denver Post, a handful of businessmen have successfully cornered almost a quarter of the market. The Post finds
that 10 people, including a bankrupted Subway franchisee, a car-detail
shop owner, and a New Zealand-born child car seat entrepreneur, control
20 percent of all marijuana businesses in Denver. The rest of the market, 
just over 80 percent, is controlled by 641 business owners.

That's significant stake when you consider that in 2015, more than $996
million worth of weed was sold in Colorado. The Post estimates that the
top five license holders rake in about $100 million in revenue each year.

When it comes to employment, the five biggest cannabis entrepreneurs,
Peter Knobel, Joshua Ginsberg, Rhett Jordan, John Lord, and John
Fritzel, employ about 2,000 people, which welcomes them into the top
12 private employers in Denver, the Postreports.

Peter Knobel, Joshua Ginsberg, and Rhett Jordan, who are all partners in
the Native Roots brand of marijuana grow facilities and dispensaries,
share the number one, two, and three spots on the list, with 59 licenses
among the three of them. Knobel, a telecom executive and Vail-based
real estate developer, owns half the partnership. (Licenses are granted to 
companies, but the ownership structure is included. Depending on how companies are set up, different partners can own a bigger share of a
company's total licenses. Also, licenses can be bought and sold between businesses, but the new owner will have to apply for change of ownership. 
All of this is why each partner is ranked individually.) Ginsberg, who ran
his own car-detail shop and a few other businesses before getting into
weed,and Jordan both own a quarter of the licenses.

John Lord is the fourth largest, with 43 licenses, and is the sole owner of
LivWell Enlightened Health, which has 14 locations across the state.
Lord owns the greatest number of licenses as an individual, but didn't
make the top slot because Native Roots is a bigger company. Lord also
boasts a string of other pot companies, including Flavored Essentials,
Infusiasm, and hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg's pot brand Leafs by Snoop.

John Fritzel went bankrupt in 2009 while in real estate, but started over
with one pot shop later that year. Today, he owns 32 marijuana licenses
across four companies, Buddy Boy, PotCo, Lightshade Labs, and
MJardin, a marijuana consultancy he runs that has clients in almost
10 states.

Anthony Sauro, Christian Johnson, and Matthew Aiken are in sixth,
seventh and eighth places, with 27 licenses under the brand name Sweet
Leaf. Each of the partners owns an equal share of the business.

Shawn Phillips, who owns nine dispensaries under the Strainwise brand,
which is owned by his wife, Erin Phillips, comes in ninth place with 22
licenses.

Joseph Max Cohen comes in 10th place, with 21 licenses for sixth
dispensaries under the brand the Clinic and a concentrates
manufacturing company under the brand the Lab. Cohen, who used
to develop commercial land, has licensed his business in Nevada
and Illinois.

Recently, the Denver City Council voted to constrain the industry's
growth
by freezing the licensing of new businesses. For the time being, no new
licenses will be issued (except 45 that are currently pending). The city
has capped the number of grow facilities and retail shops to 421.

According to the Post, most of the 10 largest pot businesses in Denver
grew through acquisitions of smaller businesses. State records show
that 450 change-of-ownership applications were filed in Denver as
smaller companies threw in the towel, the Postreports.

Entrepreneur Toni Savage Fox, who started in medical marijuana but
then pivoted to recreational sales after 2014, says that the combination
of strict regulations, heavy tax burdens under 280E, which is a tax code
the IRS made in the 1970s for drug dealers that doesn't allow regular
business deductions, and a lack of support from banks means smaller
mom-and-pop pot shops will be selling out to bigger companies.

"I don't believe there is any room in the future of retail cannabis for
small, independent shops such as mine," Savage Fox tells the Post.
"Not for much longer, anyway."

PUBLISHED ON: MAY 11, 2016

Former NBA Great Cliff Robinson Becomes Cannabis Entrpreneur as 'Uncle S...

Vermont Marijuana Legalization Bill Clears First Hurdle

By Matt Simon | Marijuana Policy Project
January 29, 2016 6:12 PM

MONTPELIER, VT — The Vermont Senate Committee on Judiciary approved a bill (4-1) on Friday that would end marijuana prohibition in the state and regulate marijuana for adult use.

Senate Bill 241 would make it legal for adults 21 years of age and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and establish a tightly controlled system of licensed marijuana cultivation sites, testing facilities, and retail stores.

It would also create a study commission to examine issues such as edible marijuana products and home cultivation, which would not be allowed under the bill. It would remain illegal to consume marijuana in public or drive under the influence of marijuana.

“I want to thank Senator Sears for his leadership and the entire Judiciary Committee for their hard work on this bill,” Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) said in a statement Friday. “This legislation meets the principles I outlined in my State of the State Address and I believe it provides the framework for our state to cautiously, step-by-step and in the Vermont way end the failed war on drugs policy of marijuana prohibition. This debate is about whether we can take a smarter approach towards marijuana, which is already widely available and used by tens of thousands of Vermonters.”

“Promoting prevention, keeping marijuana out of the hands of kids, getting rid of illegal drug dealers, and doing a better job responding to impaired drivers already on our roads, I believe this legislation is a huge improvement on the failed war on drugs,” Shumlin continued. “I look forward to working with the legislature as they continue to debate this issue.”

If approved, the new law would not take effect until January 2018.

The bill, which is still very much a work in progress, will now go to the Senate Committee on Finance for consideration.

If you are a Vermont resident, please visit the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana to find out how you can help.
Vermont Marijuana Legalization Bill Clears First Hurdle

The case for marijuana legalization just got stronger

By Christopher Ingraham December 16

America's high school students are using drugs and alcohol at or near the lowest levels on record, according to federal data released Wednesday. The 2015 Monitoring the Future Survey, conducted by the University of Michigan and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) since 1975, found that past-year use of alcohol and illicit drugs other than marijuana continued their two-decade-long decline among America's 8th- , 10th- and 12th-graders.

“We are heartened to see that most illicit drug use is not increasing, non-medical use of prescription opioids is decreasing, and there is improvement in alcohol and cigarette use rates,” NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow said in a statement. In 2015, teen use of both alcohol and cigarettes reached their lowest levels since the study began 40 years ago. And use of especially dangerous drugs, like heroin, amphetamines and so-called synthetic marijuana, also declined this year.

The Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey poses questions about substance use to more than 40,000 8th- , 10th- and 12th-graders at public and private high schools in the United States. The sheer size of the survey, and the fact that it was conducted in the spring of this year, make it an invaluable tool for understanding trends in teen drug and alcohol use. The other major federal barometer of substance use, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, hasa one- or two-year lag compared to MTF.

The immediacy of the data makes the survey particularly useful for understanding how the national conversation on marijuana legalization is affecting teen pot use, if at all. This, after all, is a primary concern of legalization opponents. Rep. Andy Harris (R.-Md.) summed up this mind-set during a speech at the Heritage Foundation last year when he said that "relaxing [marijuana] laws clearly leads to more teenage drug use. It should be intuitively obvious to everyone that if you legalize marijuana for adults, more children will use marijuana because the message that it's dangerous will be blunted."

But the data from MTF and other federal surveys contradict this claim. Though more adults are smoking pot, the MTF data suggests that teens aren't following suit. Teen marijuana use at the national level has fallen slightly since 2010, and their use of other illicit drugs has declined steadily.

There's a paradox in these numbers: The data show that the percentage of teenagers who see a great risk of harm in using pot is at record lows this year, according to the survey. With that sort of decline, you'd typically expect to see a concomitant rise in use, lead investigator Lloyd Johnston said in an interview. But that's not happening.

"It's a bit of a conundrum," Johnston said. He points to one fact that may partly explain the disparity: "Students' conception of how easy it is to get marijuana has actually been in decline the past few years." They're less worried about risks, but also less able to get weed when they want it. The net effect may be the flat use rates.

None of this is to imply that public health experts aren't worried about teen marijuana use, however. "A continued area of concern is the high rate of daily marijuana smoking seen especially among 12th graders, because of marijuana’s potential deleterious effects on the developing brains of teenagers,” NIDA's Volkow said in a statement. Six percent of high school seniors are smoking pot daily, according to the survey. Kids who use that frequently are putting themselves at the highest risk of the adverse effects of marijuana use.

The case for marijuana legalization just got stronger

How marijuana legalization could change Canada

Trudeau Gives Justice Minister Mandate To Legalize Cannabis

Justin Trudeau & Jody Wilson-Raybould

November 13, 2015

By James McClure

Canada is officially on the road to legalization. In a letter outlining her responsibilities, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has instructed Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to begin the process of legalizing and regulating cannabis in Canada.

The letter to Wilson-Raybould (pictured above with Trudeau) reads, "I will expect you to work with your colleagues and through established legislative, regulatory, and Cabinet processes to deliver on your top priorities."

The subsequent bulleted list of objectives includes, "Working with the Ministers of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Health, create a federal-provincial-territorial process that will lead to the legalization and regulation of marijuana."

That means Minister Wilson-Raybould will team up with Ralph Goodale (Public Safety) and Jane Philpott (Health) to get the job done.

Wilson-Raybould is a former prosecutor, regional chief

The new Justice Minister's background includes working as a prosecutor, a British Columbia Treaty commissioner and a regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

During the recent campaign, she was endorsed by Sensible BC, a pro-legalization group that singled out Wilson-Raybould as a candidate who could help defeat Conservative politicians who opposed legalization.

"Our goal is to elect the most cannabis-friendly candidates who have the best chance of beating the Conservatives," said Sensible BC director Dana Larsen.

We couldn't find any record of Wilson-Raybould's views on cannabis reform, so it may have just been a general endorsement of the party's position. But there's no doubt Larsen and other activists will be expecting much of the minister tasked with overhauling Canada's cannabis laws.

Wilson-Raybould is from the B.C. riding, Vancouver-Granville, which may have influenced Trudeau's selection process because the province is the leader on cannabis reforms nationwide.

Jane Philpott

Dr. Philpott is a doctor, outspoken advocate for legalization

The new Health Minister is a family doctor in Markham, Ontario, teaches at the University of Toronto, and leads numerous community health initiatives. She also practiced medicine in Niger for a decade, and helped set up training program for village health workers.

During the recent election campaign, she became an outspoken proponent of the Liberal Party's plan to legalize cannabis. She used her Twitter account to rebut statements by former Toronto police chief and Conservative cabinet minister Julian Fantino: "Fantino completely distorts LPC approach. In fact, regulation will make marijuana less accessible to minors," she posted in mid-August.

Ralph Goodale

Ralph Goodale is a veteran Liberal cabinet minister

The new Public Safety minister was first elected to Parliament more than 40 years ago. He has served in many different cabinet roles under former Liberal prime ministers, including Natural Resources, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Public Works and Government Services, and Minister of Finance.

In response to a New York Times editorial last year, Goodale praised the paper for making a reasoned case for legalization.

"It's one more serious comment with a lot of intellectual heft behind it that makes the point that the current regime of absolute prohibition doesn't work," said Goodale. "All of the profit is ending up in the hands of gangs and society is no healthier and no safer. So surely there is room for intelligent discussion about how to do it better."

Trudeau Gives Justice Minister Mandate To Legalize Cannabis 

Stephen Grills John Kasich On Pot Legalization

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WANE) – Ohio voters could make history when they head to the polls Tuesday. Depending on the outcome of the election, Ohio could become the first state to legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use in a single vote.

The decision comes down to votes on two issues, though. Issue 3 on the ballot led to the creation of Issue 2, which could keep Issue 3 from actually happening. It’s easy to see how this can get confusing, but here’s how it all breaks down.

Voting YES to Issue 3 would legalize marijuana and create 10 facilities across the state with exclusive commercial growing rights. The locations are spread out across Ohio and have big name investors including recording artist Nick Lachey and former NBA player and Indiana hoops legend Oscar Robertson.

Here is a list of the ten Ohio counties that would have marijuana growth, cultivation, and extraction (MGCE) facilities:

Licking
Hamilton
Lorain
Clermont
Lucas
Delaware
Summit
Butler
Franklin
Stark
If Issue 3 passes, monopolies would be come legal immediately and marijuana would become legal 30 days after the election.

To read more about Issue 3, click here.

“Marijuana consumption and purchasing and growing is happening now, and we need to recognize that. Those are dollars that are leaving the state. These are dollars that aren’t taxed. This is product that is unregulated. We are certainly better off to directly address the issue of medical marijuana in this case and then also bring the benefit of jobs, regulations, and taxation to a market that is currently in the shadows,” Jennifer Redman with ResponsibleOhio said.

Because the growing sites are limited to only ten locations, some state lawmakers consider that to be a monopoly and created Issue 2 as a response. Voting YES to Issue 2 would likely kill Issue 3 because it would stop the growing sites.

To read more about Issue 2, click here.

“We in the legislature did not feel that people should be able to hijack our constitution and develop monopolies,” Representative Tony Burkley said. “No matter what your opinion is on marijuana, to have a monopoly spelled out in the Ohio constitution is just crazy. It’s like saying that the only cars that can be sold in Ohio are General Motors. I mean that’s basically what they’re saying.”

Issue 3 supporters said the sites don’t form a monopoly because they could add more if the demand grows. They also have plans to take sites away if they don’t follow the rules or meet the quality requirements put in place.

“It’s not a monopoly at all. It’s just a regulated industry,” Redman said. “It will bring thousands of jobs to Ohio. It will be regulated and tested marijuana so consumers know what they’re putting into their bodies. It will bring millions of dollars in annual tax revenue for our counties, townships, and municipalities.”

“I don’t really think that’s a valid argument.  They talk about adding or subtracting and in all reality, I don’t think that will ever happen. They may expand it if there are people willing to cough up the money, but I don’t think that’s really a valid argument with the way the wording of the Issue 3 is,” Burkley said. “They always say well, you can always change that later and there’s opportunities for more people to come in, but by that time, issues are not that easy to get approved in Ohio so that theory is not an accurate one in my opinion.”

Issue 3 supporters said legalizing marijuana for anyone 21 years or older is a safe and smart move.

“We are asking Ohioans to make the adult choice and to bring this out of the shadows into light and to really benefit Ohio with the jobs, the money, and the regulation that it needs,” Redman said.

However, those for Issue 2 argue Issue 3 supporters are only focusing on the financial impact and not the potentially harmful health consequences.

“We talk about heroin epidemics in Ohio and across the nation actually and if you talk to many of them, that’s where they started out was marijuana. I’m not saying marijuana is a gateway drug, but it just gets them on the path of stimulation by chemical means, and it’s just not a good situation,” Burkley said. “Most of the people that would have to deal with the consequences of the passage of Issue 3 are definitely against it. Even the medical profession views this as not the way to go when it comes to even medical marijuana. There are far more people that have to deal with the repercussions that are opposed to Issue 3 instead of those that are promoting it.”

Regardless of Tuesday’s outcome, people on both sides said it’s likely the issues will turn into lawsuits and go to court.

“I think that’s eventually going to end up in the court, which is really not a place where the voters really want that to happen and it’s just unfortunate,” Burkley said.

NewsChannel 15’s sister station WDTN put together the following breakdown of what each vote could mean:

1.) I want marijuana legalized.

Vote No on 2 and Yes on 3.
Vote ‘No’ on Issue 2 means you do not want to prohibit a monopoly (this then does not prohibit ResponsibleOhio’s amendment, which is considered a monopoly by the state)
Vote ‘Yes’ on Issue 3 means you want to legalize marijuana
2.) I do not want marijuana legalized.

Vote Yes on 2 and No on 3.
Vote ‘Yes’ on Issue 2 means you want to prohibit a monopoly (this then prohibits ResponsibleOhio’s amendment, which is considered a monopoly by the state)
Vote ‘No’ on Issue 3 means you do not want to legalize marijuana
3.) I want marijuana legalized, and I want to prohibit economic monopolies.

Vote Yes on 2 and Yes on 3.
Vote ‘Yes’ on Issue 2 means you want to prohibit a monopoly (this then prohibits ResponsibleOhio’s amendment, which is considered a monopoly by the state)
Vote ‘Yes’ on Issue 3 means you want to legalize marijuana
Voting like this creates a roadblock to ResponsibleOhio’s plans since the outcome of Issue 2 goes into effect immediately and therefore prohibits a monopoly and the state considers ResponsibleOhio’s a monopoly.
4.) I do not want marijuana legalized, and I do not want to prohibit a monopoly.

Vote No on 2 and No on 3.
Vote ‘No’ on Issue 2 means you do not want to prohibit a monopoly (this then does not prohibit ResponsibleOhio’s amendment, which is considered a monopoly by the state)
Vote ‘No’ on Issue 3 means you do not want to legalize marijuana
Voting like this does not legalize marijuana, but it does allow for economic monopolies. The outcome of Issue 2 goes into effect immediately, and so economic monopolies would be legal in Ohio.