Toke Radio 50: Pot Decrim In DC! House Approves Marijuana Banking! Cannabis For Illinois Patients In 2015!

Find out what you need to know about the week in cannabis/marijuana news, in just 21 minutes! Don’t forget to subscribe to the Toke TV channel on YouTube.

D.C. Marijuana Decriminalization Takes Effect In Nation's Capital

(Hemp News)

A marijuana decriminalization law passed by the D.C. Council took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday in Washington, D.C. The new law, like others around the United States, eases penalties for minor cannabis possession.

U.S. House Votes To Allow Banks To Work With Marijuana Stores and Dispensaries

(Hemp News)

In a historic vote, the U.S. House on Wednesday passed a bipartisan amendment by Representatives Denny Heck (D-WA), Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) preventing the Treasury Department from spending any funding to penalize financial institutions that provide services to marijuana businesses that are legal under state law. The amendment passed 231 to 192.

Illinois: Medical Marijuana Could Be Available To Patients In Early 2015

(Hemp News)

Patients in Illinois who qualify under the state's Medical Cannabis Pilot Program could be able to start legally using marijuana early next year, according to program coordinator Bob Morgan, who is a lawyer for the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Illinois: Medical Marijuana Now Legal -- But Where Are The Authorizing Physicians?

(Hemp News)

Now that medical marijuana has come to Illinois, how can qualified patients get authorized to legally use it? That can be a problem when physicians willing to certify patients for the state's Medical Cannabis Pilot Program are problematically scarce, according to a new study.

Black Police Leaders Say Marijuana Prohibition Damages Minority Communities

(Hemp News)

The president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) on Tuesday said that America's marijuana laws are total failures. John Dixon III, police chief in Petersburg, Virginia, speaking at the NOBLE's annual conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, said law enforcement is too concerned with busting people for minor marijuana offenses.

Missouri: Governor Signs CBD-Only Medical Marijuana Law

(Hemp News)

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon on Monday signed legislation into law that allows the use of cannabidiol oil extracted from marijuana to treat epileptic seizures that can't be effectively treated by pharmaceuticals.

Los Angeles Seeks To Shut Down Marijuana Farmers Market

(Hemp News)

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said he will seek on Tuesday to shut down medical marijuana farmers market that launched in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles two weeks ago. Feuer said he will seek a restraining order blocking the operation of what he called the "so-called farmers market."

Toke Signals Must Read of the Week

The Straight Dope: Marketing Marijuana and Promotional Products
By Jenna Markowski

(Toke Signals)

As more legal marijuana businesses open their doors, there is a growing opportunity for the marketing industry to help budding “ganjapreneurs” (all of the puns in the marijuana industry are seriously the best) get the word out about their brands. These opportunities of course include the promotional product industry. However, before we get to all of that, first let’s get all of the legal jargon out of the way.