Medical marijuana dispensaries are a type of business that exist in a legal grey area. It is for this reason that it has been so easy for the federal government to bully them into shutting down, despite public support for the medicine and it's legal use.

Colorado dispensaries, however, have made a move to increase their political sway by joining the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. As the first medical marijuana entity to make such a bold step they are raising eyebrows across the nation.

Members of the medical marijuana community are often focused on those laws and regulations that directly affect the drug, or it's medicinal uses. Many patients, however, are currently being distracted from legitimate medicine because of the introduction of synthetic marijuana substitutes.

Synthetic marijuana looks a lot like the real thing, and it will even get you high. The high is nothing like that caused by actual marijuana, though, and the real effects are currently under examination.

Recently, California made the medical marijuana community proud by holding a Pot Expo, despite pressures from the federal government. The expo was considered a large success, partly due to the harsh atmosphere at the time.

Washington residents in Yakima Valley recently tried to hold a marijuana expo of their own, but were very disappointed by the results, which differed greatly from those in California. Despite event organizers’ attempts to do everything by the book, the state still found a way to prevent them from exercising their rights.

We've all seen marijuana edibles in the shape of candy—be it fudge, chocolates, or a lollipop—but have we ever seen candy in the shape of marijuana? Well, we can now.

Grocery stores around the country have recently begun selling a product called Pot Pops. These lollipops are in the shape of a marijuana leaf, but they have not been dosed with any marijuana extracts, and they will not get you high. In fact, they come in sour apple flavor.

First, we heard of a memo being issued in regards to the gun rights of prescription holders. All medical marijuana users, the memo stated, would no longer be allowed to purchase guns and ammunition; a right offered by the second amendment.

Next, we heard of banks in Colorado, which were being bullied into ceasing any future business with medical marijuana dispensaries. With the accusation of “conspiracy” and “distribution of illegal drugs” hanging over their heads, there are now no banks that will work with local collectives.

The West Coast Cannabis Expo and Music Festival is set to be held in San Francisco this weekend, October 7th to 9th, 2011. In addition to celebrating various marijuana strains, products, and supported music, the Expo will feature a number of cannabis-friendly job opportunities.

Within the Expo will be a medical cannabis job fair, presented by the staff of Cannajobs. This event comes in response to the current economy, which has been rough on both marijuana patients and distributors, alike.

Congressional delegates of the state of Montana are fighting back against the federal government, which recently released a memo that makes it illegal for a medical marijuana prescription holder to buy a gun or ammunition.

Among those that spoke out in defense of marijuana patients is Senator Jon Tester, who claimed the memo is a “misguided effort.” We must ask, an effort to do what?

In 2004, Montana shocked many other regions by becoming one of the first ten states to allow the use of medicinal marijuana. Since then there has been some debate as to how to distribute and regulate it, but for the most part local communities have not seen any negative effects.

Despite this, Montana prescription holders are now being told that they are not allowed to purchase guns or ammunition. The ATF, or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, is getting strict with gun control when it comes to marijuana users.

Ray Kelly, the Police Commissioner of New York, recently issued a memo to the NYPD about new regulations concerning marijuana possession. Instead of considering this crime a high priority, officers are now advised to give little energy toward pursuing those with small amounts of marijuana.

The memo refers to misdemeanor amounts of marijuana and is specific to those that have been revealed due to an official search. If a person is asked to empty their pockets, therefore revealing a small amount of pot, NYPD should not charge the crime or even report it.

Many people are aware of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. It has been common among soldiers returning from war and anyone else who has been through a traumatic experience. However, until recently, there wasn't medication available to treat or prevent the condition, but new studies suggest that pot may actually do the trick.

Recently, laws have been passed to restrict the use and availability of medicinal marijuana in the state of Montana. Despite its legalization due to voter support, there are still many efforts to limit the options of patients, which has led to large decreases in various areas.

For starters, there has been a large decrease in the amount of prescribed patients. According to Roy Kemp, one of the deputy administrators, cardholders have dropped by about 15 percent through the end of last month.

Like many states, Nevada is currently experiencing a lot of confusion in relation to its medical marijuana laws. It seems to be a common occurrence these days as lawmakers seek to heavily restrict laws that were recently passed by majority voters.

The main focus of these restrictions seems to be the medical marijuana dispensaries, which provide patients with the drug. This is the case with Nevada, which allows patients to possess medical marijuana but still makes the buying and selling of marijuana illegal.

Medical marijuana patients living in Castle Rock, WA, received some great news this week as the City Council voted to approve interim zoning regulations in support of medical marijuana gardens. The gardens will allow patients to join together to grow large amounts of pot for medicinal use within the city.

On Tuesday, September 13th, the city council of San Jose, California, will hold an important meeting about the future of medical marijuana within its boundaries. Patient supporters will work to maintain the legal standards that have been previously defined, while opposers will seek to greatly limit the current law's regulations.

Recent attempts to restrict the distribution of medical marijuana in Michigan are raising cries from the population. On Wednesday, September 8th, almost 1,000 people took the streets of the state capitol in order to express their unhappiness with legislators seeking to limit a law that was passed by popular vote in 2008.

The Medical Marijuana Act was voted into Michigan legislation three years ago with a 63 percent majority. Despite voter support, the state legislature and Attorney General Bill Schuette are pushing bills to restrict the rights given by the law to qualified patients.

Medical marijuana is becoming more widely accepted, with medical marijuana dispensaries operating legally in numerous states and localities. The small city of Marshall, Michigan, however, is one of those few areas that seem to be moving backwards in terms of acceptance, rather than forward.

Despite the fact that Michigan voters passed the Medical Marijuana Act in 2008, allowing the sale of marijuana to qualifying patients, Marshall legislators are still looking for loopholes to shield against its use. Their most recent attempt relates to the sale through registered dispensaries.

Despite the fact that there are now 17 states that allow the use of medical marijuana, many patients feel as though they need to hide their prescriptions, only smoking in the privacy of the home. This is not the case in Oakland, California, however, as legal marijuana users took the streets this weekend to publicly tell the local government that the current laws do not offer enough protection.

Maine to Soon Implement Amended Medical Marijuana Laws

Maine is set to put into effect later this year a number of amendments to its medical marijuana statute. Among the most significant changes to the law is the fact that patients will no longer be required to register with the state to use marijuana for medical purposes. The amendments will go into effect in late September of this year.

The Massachusetts legislature is once again considering permitting the physician-supervised use of medical marijuana.

House Bill 625 and its companion bill in the Senate (SB 1611) amend state law to “authorize an individual to use marijuana for medical purposes as directed by a physician.” These bills would allow authorized patients to get marijuana from state-licensed non-profit dispensaries. They would also allow patients to possess twenty-four plants and four ounces of usable marijuana for personal use.

The Oregon Marijuana Policy Initiative, or OMPI, recently filed a proposed initiative that would order the Oregon Health Authority to create a regulated supply and distribution system for patients using medical marijuana in the state of Oregon. The initiative must collect at least 1,000 valid signatures in order to qualify for an official ballot title, and must obtain about 85,000 signatures of registered Oregon voters in order to qualify for the Oregon general election ballot in November of 2012.

New rules adopted by Washington D.C.’s medical marijuana program must now state in writing that they assume the risk of federal prosecution for the growing or distribution of marijuana. They must also acknowledge that they may not hold the city liable for any federal arrests that result from their participation in the program. This has been done in response to a memo from the U.S. Department of Justice stating that it still considers marijuana to be illegal for all uses except for use in federally authorized research programs.

Arizona residents recently voted to legalize the use of medical marijuana, but a new lawsuit filed by the state’s attorney general is bringing to light a very confusing aspect of the new law. Under Proposition 203, the act by which Arizona voters legalized marijuana for some uses, patients may grow and give the drug to other patients, but only if there are no dispensaries nearby and nothing of value is exchanged between the patients.

While most cities in Washington state are rushing to shut down dispensaries--largely in part to recent federal pressure--Seattle is embracing these organizations.

Seattle's city council is considering allowing dispensaries and co-ops to operate, as long as they are licensed by the city. To Washington Medical Marijuana advocates, this is finally a step in the right direction. Across the state, many dispensaries have been raided and their operators facing federal prosecution in the earlier parts of 2011.

The Arizona Department of Health Services which regulates the Arizona Medical Marijuana program recently approved 6 applications for Medical Marijuana dispensaries to be located within the city limits.

Arizona had stopped the approval process after the recent increases in federal crackdowns on Medical Marijuana facilities across the nation. Arizona filed a lawsuit in federal court to determine if Arizona's Medical Marijuana Laws conflicted with federal drug laws.