WeedLife News Network

Ohio voters soundly rejected a marijuana initiative Tuesday that would have legalized recreational and medicinal use of the drug, and would have limited commercial growing to a small group of investors who drafted and promoted the measure.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Those for and against marijuana initiatives are gearing up to get their proposals on the ballot and voters could end up with many options in 2016.

Colorado voters Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a statewide ballot measure that gives state lawmakers permission, once again, to spend $66.1 million in taxes collected from the sale of recreational marijuana.

Ohio voters will decide on Tuesday whether to become the first U.S. Midwestern state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, although a rival ballot measure could kill the law before it takes effect.

James Dornbrook ~ Denver Business Journal ~   The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has asked a federal judge in Colorado to dismiss a lawsuit filed against it by a Denver-based credit union that wants to provide financial services to the marijuana industry.

Aleta Labak  ~ The Cannabist ~   Republican presidential candidates don't get pressed about marijuana at CNBC-hosted debate in Boulder.

Tessa Stuart ~ Rolling Stone ~   Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders announced Wednesday he supports removing marijuana from the federal government's list of outlawed drugs.

Lisa Chedekel ~ BU Today ~   The less restrictive cannabis landscape has not led to an increase in marijuana use by adolescents, according to a new study coauthored by BU School of Public Health researchers.

Alexandra Posadzki ~ The Canadian Press via GlobalNews.ca ~   Friendlier laws on medical marijuana use in Canada are already drawing American investment north of the border, and the trend is likely to further ignite if the federal Liberals make good on their promise to allow recreational use of the drug.

Joshua Green ~ Bloomberg ~   Most of the candidates descending on Boulder for Wednesday’s debate have signaled a desire to end the Republicans’ long-running war on pot.

Scott Malone and Sharon Bernstein ~ Reuters ~   Two groups that had backed competing ballot initiatives to make recreational use of marijuana legal in Maine agreed on Monday to join forces on one measure to put before voters in 2016.

Kevin Schultz ~ SFGate.com ~   Suzanne Kisting’s burly 10-year-old, 120-pound St. Bernard, Moose, hobbled down the 40 stairs of her former Inner Sunset District apartment every morning, crippled by pain from severe arthritis.

Kate Smith ~ Bloomberg ~   Washington State expects marijuana sales taxes to bring in more than $1 billion over the next four years, according to a budget forecast published by the Office of Financial Management.

Kristen Gwynne ~ Rolling Stone ~   Unless you live in the South, recreational weed is coming to a state near you.

Kristen Wyatt ~ Associated Press ~    DENVER (AP) -- Colorado's attempt to create a bank to service its marijuana industry has received a setback from the Federal Reserve.

Tami Tremblay ~ KTVB.com ~   Only those with the most severe cases of epilepsy will be selected to take part in an Idaho cannabis oil program.

Eric Hartley ~ Las Vegas Review-Journal ~   Among the more than 11,000 people with state-issued patient cards are the very young and very old. They include people living with cancer, HIV, seizures, glaucoma or other conditions.

Thad Moore ~ Washington Post ~   Tobacco isn’t the reliable cash crop it once was. And that has hundreds of other farmers across the South revisiting a plant from deep in the region’s past: industrial hemp.