Global Ganja Report

The arrest of a Rudolph Giuliani associate on suspicion of influence-peddling related to the cannabis industry has opened a window into the sleazy underside of the business. Sacramento's mayor has called for an investigation, and the FBI is said to be conducting its own probe. Legalization was supposed to take cannabis out of the hands of criminal networks, but the new model often looks like crony capitalism.

Hardcore Tuna-heads aren't going to be able to resist this one. They already know the basic outline of Jorma Kaukonen's life: an authenticity-obsessed student of traditional finger-picking country blues in the folk revival of the early '60s (Harlem legend Blind Gary Davis was his special inspiration), he was catapulted to stardom when he went electric as the lead guitarist for the Jefferson Airplane, flagship band of the San Francisco sound.

In a sign of progress, the courts are increasingly siding with employees fired for use of cannabis under state medical marijuana programs. The latest such victory comes from Arizona, where precedent has been set. Other states, however, are still awaiting legal clarity on the question.

A former Arizona Walmart employee and card-holding medical marijuana patient who was fired after testing positive for cannabis has won a wrongful termination suit in federal court.

Following the crackdown on CBD-infused foods and beverages by authorities in New York City and elsewhere, Capitol Hill lawmakers are formally calling upon the FDA to provide immediate clarity on the question. Meanwhile, New York, at least is starting to lift the pressure.

CBD-infused foods and beverages are the target of a crackdown in New York City, as well as Maine and Ohio. A budding business of cannabinoid-enhanced concoctions and libations is feeling a sudden pinch. But some media coverage is failing to make clear that what is at issue here is the FDA's failure to keep pace with federal law—not any inherent risks of cannabidiol.

Voters in several states will cast ballots on cannabis-related measures in the Nov. 6 midterm election. Michigan and North Dakota are facing general legalization measures, while Utah and Missouri voters will get to weigh in on medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana users who demand their right to smoke herbaceous cannabis were dealt a double whammy as Oklahoma health authorities and a Florida court each issued edicts upholding strictures on smokable forms. But is it really medical marijuana if it doesn't include the right to smoke the herbaceous form of the plant?

In the latest testament to fast-growing mainstream embrace of cannabis, Netflix this month debuts a competitive cooking show exclusively featuring dishes prepared with the herb. And not just for flavoring—under the show's rules, all recipes must actually get you high.