‘Changing the face of cannabis’

With the sound off, images from a new advocacy video touting the merits of medical marijuana could blend seamlessly into a commercial for the latest model of pickup - a burly Texan, clad in a cowboy hat, strides past bales of freshly cut hay, tinkers with a tractor and even feeds a horse. Proponents of loosening marijuana prohibitions in the state are mounting a concerted effort to take their message to West Texas and other predominantly rural regions of the state.

Bill Maher Suggests ‘Grateful Black Folks’ Like Alice Johnson Could Cause Trump To Rise In Polls

Comedian Bill Maher called President Trump a "master manipulator" in the wake of his commutation of first-time drug offender Alice Johnson, suggesting that "grateful black folks" like Johnson could cause Trump to rise in the polls. Maher asked Georgetown University professor Michael Eric Dyson if "policy even matters" to Americans of all colors, then listed issues like Johnson's commutation and the potential legalization of marijuana as issues upon which the president could gain traction.

Trump Signals Support for Legislation Ending Federal Ban on Marijuana

President Donald Trump said Friday that he's inclined to support a bipartisan effort in Congress to ease the U.S. ban on marijuana, a proposal that would dramatically reshape the nation's legal landscape for pot users and businesses. The federal ban that puts marijuana on the same level as LSD and heroin has created a conflict with more than two dozen states that have legalized pot in some form.

Trump signals support for states deciding if pot is legal

President Donald Trump said Friday that he was inclined to support a bipartisan effort in Congress to ease the U.S. ban on marijuana, a proposal that would dramatically reshape the nation's legal landscape for pot users and businesses. The federal ban that puts marijuana on the same level as LSD and heroin has created a conflict with about 30 states that have legalized pot in some form, creating a two-tiered enforcement system at the state and federal levels.

Is North Carolina Ready to Take Marijuana Reform Seriously?

Since taking his oath of office in 2009, N.C. Rep. Kelly Alexander, Jr. has filed a marijuana-related bill in the North Carolina General Assembly six times - and six times those bills have languished in committee, failing to make it to the House floor for a debate, much less a vote. That count includes Alexander's most recent bill, House Bill 994, bluntly titled "Reform Marijuana Laws," filed on May 23 during the General Assembly's short session.

Lou Lang coverage roundup

In case you are not plugged into this world, here are the basics: on Tuesday it was reported that a woman would come forward on Thursday to accuse a "leading lawmaker" of harassment. This morning the woman went on Dan Proft's radio show only identifying herself as "M," and then at a 1 p.m. press conference in the Capitol, she identified herself as a medical marijuana advocate named Maryann Loncar.

Glut of marijuana in Oregon is cautionary tale, experts say

In this Tuesday, May 29, 2018 photo, Adam Smith, left, founder and executive director, Oregon Craft Cannabis Alliance, is shown a marijuana variety called Cherry Skunk by Tree PDX marijuana shop owner Brooke Smith at her shop in Po... . In this Tuesday, May 29, 2018 photo, Tree PDX marijuana shop owner Brooke Smith poses for a photo outside her small shop in Portland, Ore.

California, US team up on an issue that divides them: pot

An alarming increase in the use of a highly toxic and banned pesticide at illegal marijuana farms hidden on public land in California is leading U.S. and state officials to team up on an issue that recently divided them: pot. They announced Tuesday that they will use $2.5 million in federal money to target illegal grows even as they remain at odds over the drug and other issues.

The Latest: US prosecutor prioritizes illegal California pot

McGregor Scott, right, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California, flanked by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, center, discusses an increase in the use of a banned pesticide at illegal marijuana farms hidden on public lands Tuesday, May 29, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Research by Mourad Gabriel, left, the executive director and senior ecologist at Integral Ecology Research Center, and his colleagues found the highly toxic pesticide Carbofuran, which can't legally be used in the Unites States, at 72 percent of grow sites last year, up 15 percent from 2012.

PTSD & Pot: Veterans making Memorial Day push for legal marijuana

Veterans from across the country will be gathering in our nation's capital on Memorial Day this year to not only honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, but to advocate for a cause that isn't typically associated with our nation's heroes -- the legalization of marijuana. Derek Cloutier , president and founder of the New England Veterans Alliance, meets with other veterans at the NECANN cannabis & hemp convention in Burlington, Vermont.

If marijuana boom is real, and it lasts, how long will Louisiana, other states resist?

Council member Tara Wicker, left, listens as colleague Matt Watson addresses his concerns regarding confusion behind the proposed marijuana ordinance during a meeting of the metro council, Wednesday, February 28, 2018, at City Hall in Baton Rouge, La. Council member Tara Wicker, left, listens as colleague Matt Watson addresses his concerns regarding confusion behind the proposed marijuana ordinance during a meeting of the metro council, Wednesday, February 28, 2018, at City Hall in Baton Rouge, La.

Analysis: Weed? No. Ita s the smell of money at pot expo

It was like any other big meeting you might see at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans: the attire was "business casual" and the conversations involved packaging, marketing, entrepreneurship, investment and growth in what is, literally, a budding industry. But there were no free samples at the product booths and there were explicit warnings in the convention program that possession and use of the featured product was strictly prohibited; a sensible stricture given that - even when the Marijuana Business Conference & Expo NEXT is in town - recreational use of marijuana remains illegal in Louisiana.

Report: Legal marijuana linked to opioid-use declines amid drug crisis

Some states allowing medical marijuana and recreational pot saw declines in opioid prescribing as authorities pushed urgent efforts to combat the historic American drug crisis. Medicaid patients, for example, are getting about 5.9 percent fewer prescription painkillers in medical marijuana states.

The Latest: Blankenship concedes West Virginia Senate race

Cheryl Dolan of Alum Creek, W.Va, discusses her vote in the West Virginia Republican primary Tuesday, May 8, 2018, outside a polling place in Alum Creek. She said she appreciates the work that state Sen. Richard Ojeda of Logan County did to advance a bill through the West Virginia Legislature last year to make medical marijuana legal.

New Pot Super PAC Aims to Unseat Anti-Pot Rep. Sessions

Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, speaks with reporters as he leaves the House Republican Conference meeting in the Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018. One of the most seasoned pro-marijuana activists in the political world has created a super PAC with one goal this November: to unseat notoriously anti-pot Rep. Pete Sessions .