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The year may have only just begun, but 2016 is shaping up to arguably be the most important in marijuana's history.

Don't get me wrong, we've witnessed a number of marijuana milestones over the last two decades. In 1996, California became the first state to approve the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Since then 22 additional states, along with Washington, D.C., have also legalized its use for select ailments. In 2012, residents in Washington state and Colorado voted in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational use in persons aged 21 and up. And, just last year, the federal government relaxed research standards and removed many of the hoops researchers needed to jump through to conduct studies into the benefits and/or risks of marijuana.

Read More:http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/01/23/this-latest-marijuana-study-could-blaze-a-trail-fo.aspx

When the California Legislature passed the state's first comprehensive medical marijuana regulations in September, pot advocates hoped the move heralded a new era of trust in their often-tumultuous relationship with wary local officials and police.

So far, it hasn't turned out that way.

Facing what appears to be a rapidly closing window for action, dozens of cities and counties from across California are racing to enact new bans on marijuana-growing. Some apply only to commercial cultivation, both indoor and outdoor, but many would also prohibit personal pot gardens that have been legal - or at least overlooked - for 19 years.

Read More:http://abc7news.com/health/california-marijuana-growers-face-new-crop-of-local-bans/1171487/

DENVER (AP) -- States that have legalized pot are taking a fresh look at making it easier for out-of-state investors to get in the weed business, saying the industry's ongoing difficulty in banking means they need new options to finance expansion.

The four states that allow recreational pot sales - Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington - have another big reason to take a new look at pot investment. That's California, the nation's most populous state and largest marijuana producer, though it allows the drug only for people with certain medical ailments.

California voters could approve recreational pot this fall, giving the nascent pot industries in the other states reason to want to attract investment now, before a giant enters the picture. California has no ban on out-of-state owners, pressuring other pot states to loosen the rules before California opens for business.

Read More:http://www.hightimes.com/read/pot-states-take-fresh-look-out-state-investment

Costa Rica took a step towards becoming the next Latin American country to decriminalize cannabis this week, when attorney Mario Alberto Cerdas Salazar was cleared of cultivation charges on grounds of individual liberties.

Cerdas Salazar was arrested at his home in the city of Alajuela in August, after publicly advocating for a personal right to use and cultivate cannabis for medicinal and gastronomic purposes. He was charged with "drug trafficking," and has been held since.

The Judicial Investigation Organism (OIJ—Costa Rica's answer to the FBI) said they found enough cannabis on the premises to make 5,000 cigarettes. The quantity was also ambiguously put at 170 "plants and leaves of plants." But the OIJ admitted they had no evidence the cannabis was intended for commercial purposes.

Read More:http://www.hightimes.com/read/landmark-cannabis-case-costa-rica-could-lead-decriminalization

The state legislature returned to session today with marijuana-related bills waiting for lawmakers. This year’s session happens at a critical time: The Marijuana Control Board will begin accepting applications for businesses in just over a month, local communities around the state are considering their own regulations, and businesses will begin operations later this year.

Activists, supporters, and prospective businesses should pay close attention as lawmakers and local officials continue to look at ways to regulate the emerging market.

On the legislative front, two bills introduced last year, SB 30 and HB 75, continue to be under consideration. Lawmakers have until February 22 to introduce new bills as well. While it is possible the legislature will hold off considering significant changes until the program is fully up and running, that is not yet clear, and we need to be ready to defend Measure 2.

In local communities, cities are considering their own regulations in the wake of the Marijuana Control Board’s adoption of regulations. Some have banned or limited businesses and others may do so. Fairbanks will ask the legislature to prohibit cannabis social clubs rather than implement their own ordinance. Anchorage is considering a ban on cannabis cafés and will seek to place a proposed local tax before voters.

Read More:http://www.theweedblog.com/alaska-2016-is-going-to-be-big-for-marijuana-policy-and-industry/

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