Dec. 28: Top lifestyle trends of 2016; the nation's slowest-moving MMJ program; infused pet treats are booming; Massachusetts legislative sesh, Maine moratoriums & more

Top lifestyle trends of 2016; the nation's slowest-moving MMJ program; infused pet treats are booming; Massachusetts legislative sesh, Maine moratoriums & more [The Cannabist] [thecannabist.co] | [@cannabist] | [fb/cannabist] [16 cannabis lifestyle trends that helped define 2016] You could call it the year of the cannabis consumer: Retailers finally focus on UX, celebrities cater to enthusiasts, media outlets clamor for attention and a more refined world of edibles and concentrates has emerged. Let’s take a moment to mark the monumental strides for marijuana aficionados in the past twelve months. --------------------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIBE: Did you catch this newsletter on the web or get it via a friend? [Click here to get these updates in your inbox]. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Critical decisions about Massachusetts marijuana in hands of lawmakers] Disagreements around the state’s new recreational marijuana law, nagging fiscal problems and calls for changes in the criminal justice system are among major challenges the Democratic-controlled Legislature and Republican Gov. Charlie Baker are likely to face. Some Democratic lawmakers want to increase the 3.75 percent excise tax on marijuana sales. [Number of Colorado marijuana plants caregivers can grow will drastically drop in 2017] Caregivers’ ability to grow hundreds of Colorado marijuana plants – which some claim is supplying the black market in and outside of the state – is about to be uprooted. The move has been hailed by law enforcement officials as a necessary step to combat what they say are illegal grows masquerading as legitimate caregiver operations, which they fear are helping supply the black market. Here’s what the new numbers will be. [Drug-related child welfare cases increase in Colorado – legal weed’s connection unclear] Colorado child-protection cases related to drug use have increased since the state opened recreational marijuana shops three years ago, but it’s unclear how much the uptick relates to pot. Legalized marijuana has added another layer in determining a child’s safety, but child protection workers don’t think it has single-handedly resulted in an explosion of abuse and neglect investigations. More than pot, they are seeing increased impact on children from heroin, meth and prescription drugs. [Slow-moving Maryland medical marijuana program finally becoming a reality] Medical marijuana could finally become available in Maryland next year, one of the states slowest to make the drug available for purchase after legalizing sales. Selected businesses are racing to set up facilities and pass final inspections so the first seeds can be planted and flowers can hit the shelves by the end of 2017, four years after lawmakers legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes. “There are already patients who passed away waiting for this program,” says a lobbyist for the Marijuana Policy Project. [Weed dog treats booming business across America] Several cannabidiol-for-dogs businesses have popped up in the last two years, a time period during which CBD pet product sales nationwide doubled. CBD-infused biscuits won’t get your dog high, but there is debate as to what effect the compound has on our furry friends and whether they should be consuming it at all. CBD is often purchased online, which is technically a violation of federal law, according to a DEA spokesman. [Dropped: Lawsuit filed by Kansas mom Shona Banda over medical pot use dismissed] A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a western Kansas woman against the state and several agencies after her son was removed from her home in 2015 when he told school officials she used marijuana. [This California town will charge home growers $141 for the privilege] A small Southern California town is moving to require a costly permit for residents who want to grow marijuana in their own homes. The council voted 4-1 in favor of the rule; Councilman Ty Peabody, who abstained, told a reporter that "I just don't believe in marijuana." [Protect yo-self: California dispensaries unionize as marijuana legalization moves forward] Roughly 20 employees at two marijuana dispensaries operating without permits in Pasadena have joined the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 770, as further evidence of the growing alliance between organized labor and the rapidly emerging retail marijuana industry. [‘These towns have their head in the sand’: Moratoriums coming after Maine voters legalize marijuana] Towns and cities around the state are taking a cautious approach to the new Maine marijuana law that legalizes marijuana and are considering moratoriums on the sale of the drug within their limits. The Maine Municipal Association is advising towns and cities to adopt moratoriums to prevent “unwanted developments” with new marijuana businesses until the regulations, including local guidelines, are approved. --------------------------------------------------------------- You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up at The Denver Post. Please add "members@mail.denverpost.com" and "members@direct.denverpost.com" to your trusted senders list. To unsubscribe from this mailing, [click here.] To change your e-mail preferences, [click here]. To view this newsletter on the web [click here.] The Denver Post 101 West Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80202