MARIJUANA

In 2019, Texas legalized hemp, but not marijuana. The new law led to confusion about which marijuana products are legal in Texas. Meanwhile, support for legalizing the drug remains high in polling, and other cannabis-derived products like delta-8 have emerged.

New Mexico sold $9.9 million in cannabis during the first week it was legal, and dispensaries along the Texas border banked.

South Dakota's new medical marijuana law is changing less than a year after it went on the books.

How did marijuana get so widely accepted in the U.S., and where is it headed from here?

How did marijuana get so widely accepted in the U.S., and where is it headed from here?

Gov. Greg Abbott’s openness to marijuana decriminalization shows that the state, while conservative, isn’t immune to larger trends.

“Small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday.

A tip to Laredo Crime Stoppers resulted in the seizure of hydroponic marijuana, two...

Texas health officials insist delta-8 is an illegal substance and has been for 40 years.

A Travis County judge temporarily blocked the state from listing delta-8 as a Schedule I drug, which effectively made it illegal. The cannabis extract became popular because users say it produces the “high” effect of marijuana.

A recent clarification on the legality of Delta-8 by the Texas Department of State Health Services has local business owners concerned.

The federal farm bill in 2018 made the substance legal because of its low THC content.

Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley seized more than 543 pounds of marijuana in two separate incidents, with amounts estimated to exceed $435,000 in worth, according to an agency news release.

From constitutional carry and critical race theory to alchol purchases on Sunday morning, here are 9 new laws that will go into effect Sept. 1 in Texas.

A new law going into effect Sept. 1 will also increase the cap of THC in medical marijuana to 1%.

Many marijuana-related criminal convictions will be expunged and some profits will go to communities disproportionately affected by illegal marijuana.

If signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, House Bill 1535 would allow hundreds of thousands of Texans to join roughly 2 million residents in qualifying for the state’s medical marijuana program.

The federal marijuana ban is contributing to climate change

House Bill 1535 expands eligibility for the Texas Compassionate Use Program to people with cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder. It's effective Sept. 1.

House Bill 1535 would expand the state’s medical cannabis program to include those with chronic pain, all cancer patients and Texans with post-traumatic stress disorder. But it hasn’t yet been referred to a Senate committee.

A new midterm report gives the public an overview of the work being done by District Attorney Joe Gonzales and his office.

The legalization of recreational marijuana use and gambling in Texas has faced uphill battles for years in the legislature, but a new poll shows a solid majority of likely voters in Bexar County would approve expanding both measures across the state.

Most Texas voters support expanded gambling in the state, and a clear majority would legalize marijuana in some capacity. But voters support changes to laws around a number of high-profile secondary issues, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Most Texas voters support expanded gambling in the state, and a clear majority would legalize marijuana in some capacity. They remain split when it comes to the state’s abortion laws, but the number wanting stricter abortion laws has fallen over the last year, while those wanting less strict laws has risen. At that time, 52% of Texas voters thought Confederate displays should be removed or relocated, and 43% thought they should remain, in some form, where they are now.

The Texas Legislature convened Tuesday for the first day of its 87th regular session. George Floyd ActTexas’ longest-serving woman and Black person in the history of the Texas Legislature, Rep. Senfronia Thompson, has a compilation of bills she’s introducing during the legislative session that deals with police reform called the George Floyd Act. Gutierrez previously said legalization would result in an estimated $3.2 billion in state revenue and 30,000 high-paying jobs, boosting employment in agriculture, manufacture, retail and distributing. One bill filed by a San Antonio lawmaker would change that. As Las Vegas Sands prepares to send lobbyists to sway lawmakers to expand gambling, one bill filed a Democratic Representative from Beaumont makes that possible.

Connecticut police arrested two men and seized an estimated $15 million worth of marijuana after discovering a storage facility was being used illegally as a hub for pot distribution in the Northeast, authorities said Thursday. West Haven police said local officers and agents with the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration found 1,700 pounds (770 kilograms) of marijuana on Wednesday when they stopped a U-Haul truck while investigating what they called an international marijuana trafficking operation. "The investigation revealed that individuals were utilizing a storage facility in West Haven as a hub to distribute large quantities of marijuana throughout the tri-state area," West Haven police said in a statement, referring to the area that includes Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. It wasn't clear if they have lawyers who could respond to the allegations. Fifteen states have broadly legalized marijuana, while 36 allow medical marijuana.

While campaigning for the state Senate seat, Gutierrez, a Democrat, made marijuana legalization one of his campaign platforms. In 2015, Texas lawmakers passed the Texas Compassionate Use Act, which legalized medical cannabis with less than 0.5% THC for people with specific diagnoses, like multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. Veterans unsuccessfully lobbied the legislature to include Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as one of the diagnoses that qualify for medical marijuana use. Public sentiment has grown in Texas for marijuana legalization, polls showed. Dan Patrick, have yet to embrace marijuana legalization and have not completely been supportive of expanding medical use.

While we may not know if President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election for a while longer, there was one clear “winner” on election night, and that was recreational drugs. States across the country have been legalizing recreational marijuana every election cycle, and 2020 was no different. Residents in New Jersey, Arizona, Montana and South Dakota all voted to legalize recreational cannabis, and South Dakota also legalized medical marijuana, along with Mississippi. South Dakota became the first state to legalize medical and recreational marijuana in the same election. For the first time in U.S. history, the state of Oregon decriminalized possession of hard drugs, as well as voted to legalize psychedelic mushrooms.

NEW JERSEY – Voters in New Jersey just passed legislation the authorize the legal use of recreational use of marijuana and now it seems some people are getting ready to partake in the once-illegal past time based on a unique spike of Google searches. TMZ first reported a nearly 3,000% jump in the search term “how to roll a joint” on Tuesday evening as Garden State residents saw the ballot measure to legally smoke, grow and sell marijuana pass. In fact, three of the top five Google searches in New Jersey as of Wednesday morning all relate to the legalization of marijuana vote for the state - the other two are election results for the presidential race. Marijuana for recreational use is already legal in 11 states including California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Nevada, Michigan, Colorado, Illinois, Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine. Arizona, Montana and South Dakota also voted to legalize recreational marijuana in the 2020 election along with New Jersey.

On September 18, GCSO seized several pounds of drugs that included candy made to look like Skittles, Nerds, and other popular bands. The day before, Gillespie County Sheriff deputies swiped 23 pounds of THC edibles. “Most narcotic-related homicides or robberies have to do with THC products,” he explains. “You do a drug deal with THC products and these guys come strapped,” Flores said. Parents who discover their kid in possession of these drugs should contact law enforcement so they can investigate where the drugs are coming from.

After touring a state-licensed Austin-area marijuana facility last week, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller indicated he would like to see the program expanded. “I would certainly expand medical marijuana. Critics say Texans with ailments like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or glaucoma should be allowed access to medical marijuana. While Miller expressed the need to expand medical access to marijuana in Texas, he stopped short of advocating for legalizing the drug recreationally. While Miller doesn’t have a vote in the Legislature, his agency does oversee the licensing of medical marijuana cultivators in Texas.

SAN ANTONIO – Taking a closer look at both the marijuana and hemp plants and you will discover the huge difference between the two. Hemp plants have .3 percent or less of THC, while the marijuana plants have a higher level. Their appearance from far away may look the same but when you get close the hemp plant grows taller and skinnier, while the marijuana plant has buds, or flowers, and doesn’t grow as tall. The dried flowers of a marijuana plant are what people smoke. Hemp is legal to grow and possess in Texas and marijuana isn’t.

Officers seize over $920K in marijuana within commercial shipment at World Trade BridgeLAREDO, Texas – Officers intercepted a shipment containing narcotics with an estimated street value of over $920,000 at the World Trade Bridge, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Officials said the seizure occurred Thursday when an officer referred a freightliner trailer hauling a shipment of motor vehicle parts for a secondary examination. Following a canine and non-intrusive imaging system examination, officers found 198 packages containing about 4,600 pounds of alleged marijuana concealed within the shipment, officials said. AdU.S. Customs and Border Protection seized the narcotics and trailer. The case was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations special agents for further investigation, officials said.

Marijuana suspect jailed for lighting up a joint in front of a judgePublished: January 29, 2020, 12:59 pmSpencer Boston, 20, lit a marijuana cigarette in front of a judge during his court appearance for simple marijuana possession on Monday in Wilson County, Tennessee.

SAN ANTONIO – Midway through a sold out two night stand at the Majestic Theater here, country music icon Willie Nelson said that in spite of recent breathing related health issues, he has no plans to give up touring. “I love the bus,” he told KSAT TV’s Paul Venema during a recent interview. “I don’t smoke anymore - take better care of myself,” Nelson said. His health issues have generated rumors suggesting that he is near death. “I don’t give a (expletive deleted) I’m here, I’m glad to be here,” and with a smile added “I’m lucky to be here.”

Ever wonder why the number 420 is associated with marijuana? Here's CBSN's Josh Elliot to explain.

Pot sales begin in Washington, but supplies are short Marijuana shops in Washington are preparing for even more customers, following the huge crowds that showed up for the first day of legal recreational pot sales in the state. Adriana Diaz reports from Seattle.

Cannabis Cup celebrates all things marijuana on 420 Day In Denver, more than 60,000 people gathered to listen to music and party for 420 Day -- the day to celebrate all things pot. Barry Petersen reports on the festivities and the award for the best marijuana in the U.S.