The United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW), the nation’s largest retail union, currently has about 3,000 members that work in the marijuana industry. Most of these workers work in California’s medical marijuana industry, where many other dispensaries are negotiating with the UFCW for union workers.

New Jersey’s single operating dispensary can not keep up with medical marijuana patient’s needs. Patients say that the wait for medication is anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. 5 other non-profit groups have been chosen to run dispensaries, but are not even close to opening.

A political cartoon released by Harborside Health Center describes the struggles of California’s medical marijuana community with US Attorney Melinda Haag. Haag has been targeting California dispensaries...

Senator Daylin Leach has introduced a recreational marijuana legalization bill in Pennsylvania. Republican Governor and former prosecutor, Tom Corbett, says he’ll simply veto the bill if he gets the chance. Hopefully support for the bill can change his mind.

Missouri Representative Rory Ellinger sponsored legislation to make first-time marijuana possession (of 1 ounce or less) punishable by a $250 fine. Ellinger also plans to introduce a bill that would allow non-sexual, non-violent misdemeanors to be expunged from record after 5 years.

A Seattle Kmart was surprised to receive a package containing 10 pounds of marijuana. The package was originally sent from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. For some reason, the marijuana was not delivered to the intended address, and was sent to the return address, the Seattle Kmart.

A California couple has had their children taken away twice, and had their car seized while in court. All this trouble after a ‘compliance check’, which the couple passed, on their medical marijuana garden in 2011.

A Canadian Court of Appeals overturned a 2011 court ruling that stated sick people cannot get access to medical marijuana by appropriate means, and were forced to resort to criminal acts. The new judge decided that being seriously ill does not give anyone the right to use marijuana.

In a recent poll conducted by the libertarian Reason Foundation, national support for recreational legalization of marijuana fell short, with 47%. Almost 75% of people polled think that marijuana users in states that have legalized marijuana should not be arrested.

A Colorado Springs company, Billygoatgreen Marijuana Delivery Service, offers free marijuana. The associated delivery charge, however, has many questioning the legality of the business. According to the company, the money acquired is used to pay for delivery, of course, and to further ‘marijuana research and development.’

The marijuana reform group, Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform, & Education (Georgia CARE) has asked governor Nathan Deal (and the state of Georgia) to stop the arrest and prosecution of marijuana possession cases. The request was made after Georgia prosecutors said they lack resources to prosecute a backlog of child exploitation cases.

Sponsored by Democratic Rep. Patricia Todd, Alabama’s medical marijuana bill will be considered next week by the House Health Committee. The Libertarian Party of Alabama also supports the bill.

Colorado’s Amendment 64 Task Force has already submitted some recommendations, including requesting that federal agencies change federal banking policy to allow for state-legalized marijuana transactions. The task force will make their final recommendations by February 19.

The San Diego City Council has sided with Attorney Jan Goldsmith against Mayor Bob Filner’s request to stop prosecuting dispensaries. The council instructed Goldsmith to continue to prosecute 11 medical marijuana dispensaries to maintain the status quo while zoning issues are resolved.

Cannabis Culture magazine released a list of 8 ways to help decriminalize marijuana in British Columbia, Canada. While foreigners like myself are limited to donating money or spreading the word, residents can volunteer, talk to their politicians or simply register with Sensible BC.

Former House Minority Leader, Robert Watson, will not be charged with a marijuana DUI and possession. The DUI was dismissed because a urine test can not prove impairment. The possession was dismissed once Watson completed a drug education program, a common punishment that is then used as ‘proof’ that cannabis is addictive.

A coalition of California medical marijuana groups has abandoned support of their own measure in favor of a very similar one backed by the L.A. City Council. The primary difference between the measures is the new rate of sales tax in the city-backed medical marijuana measure.

The University of Nebraska – Lincoln is scheduled to host a marijuana legalization debate February 7th, at 7:30 pm. Steve Hager, long-time editor of High Times, will face off against Bob Stutman, a former DEA special agent. Entry to the debate is free for UNL students and $5 for anyone else that would like to watch it.

As Washington gears up to implement I-502, opposition voices concerns about the legal marijuana making its way to other states. In response to such concerns, Governor Jay Inslee said, “I am going to be personally committed to have a well regulated, well disciplined, well tracked, well inventory-controlled, well law-enforcement-coordinated approach.”

A paper released by Canada’s Liberal Party states that prohibition has failed to keep marijuana away from youth. They also state that legalization would create jobs and, as long as prices are low and quality is high, destroy the black market for marijuana in Canada.