If you’ve been following recent news pertaining to the cannabis industry, you might have noticed a trend in states with recreational legislation in place. From Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s recent backtracking on his initial opposition to legalization, to Washington Gov.

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One of the most disturbing narratives so far in the saga of our Cheetoh-in-Chief is that after his decision to punitively bomb Assad’s Syria for use of chemical weapons he has been presented as somehow more presidential. Some even said the military action marked the moment he "became president." Because most of the missiles used in the attacks “destroyed or severely deteriorated” their targets, the mission was considered a success and The Donald’s decision-making skills suddenly appeared existent by the press.

Last week, Horizons ETF Management launched the first medical marijuana exchange-traded fund ever to be approved by stock market regulators. The Medical Marijuana Life Sciences ETF is an investment fund that tracks companies involved with medical marijuana bioengineering, while avoiding any companies that are connected to recreational use.

The fund has seen immediate popularity, with an average daily trading volume of over a million shares. In the first four sessions since its launch, the fund rose a total of 17.8% in value, and has now amassed over $28 million in assets.

Washington, one of the first states in the nation to launch a fully legal recreational cannabis market, is reportedly searching for a new seed-to-sale provider, reports Marijuana Business Daily.

It seems the state’s current seed-to-sale company, BioTrackTHC, who landed the job back in 2013, has no plans to renew its multi-million dollar contract. Reports show the company is uncomfortable with some aspects of the state’s requirement and no longer wishes to provide its services.

SAM Action Inc, the political lobbying wing of the anti-cannabis advocacy group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, is in hot water with California campaign officials after they were late or negligent in filing donor information and donation amounts. 

According to the L.A. Times, the California Fair Political Practices Commission will impose a $6,000 fine on SAM Action Inc.

Colorado legislators have been busy passing new laws to control the growing marijuana black market in their state. When Colorado legalized recreational weed in 2012, they allowed each individual to grow up to 99 cannabis plants, or to assist someone else in growing them, a freedom that some have exploited to grow extra pot for the black market.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first revealed his desire to bring down the scourge of marijuana prohibition in the northern nation nearly a year ago.

A piece of legislation responding to the Trump administration’s proposed crackdown of legal cannabis has made significant headway in Oregon, and needs only the signature of Governor Kate Brown to become law. 

The proposal would require the state’s cannabis retailers to destroy all customer information within 30 days and to halt the collection of new customer data.

While cannabis has been proven to be medically beneficial in a number of ways, the most recent advantage to emerge is in the looming fight against prescription pill abuse. There have been a handful of studies that show marijuana is a viable treatment for opioid addicts, so much so that it's even convinced the most conservative states to spearhead medical reform. 

Recent findings also show that cannabis has value by replacing other highly addictive prescription pills such as popular benzodiazepine tranquilizers. Canabo Medical Inc., the largest owner of medical marijuana referral clinics in Canada, has partnered with external medical

Although medical marijuana was on the verge of being rendered obsolete in the state of Montana, a new report shows that thousands of patients have been returning to dispensaries ever since voters approved a measure last November to resurrect the dying program.

There was speculation earlier last year that Montana could become the first state in the nation to have legalized medical marijuana and then lose it, all because of the state’s legislative and judicial brass.