Hemp

Colorado has taken another giant step toward establishing a legal, regulated marijuana market for adults as Gov. John Hickenlooper signed into law a package of bills designed to implement the will of the voters.

The California Senate has approved an industrial hemp bill. Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the last one in 2011, but this one is written to address the concerns he raised last time around.

An amendment to allow industrial hemp planting has been added to the omnibus farm bill. Both Oregon senators and both Kentucky senators support it, and so does Vermont Sen. Pat Leahy.

Hemp has made it through the legislature in Kentucky. Now, will the Democratic governor sign the Republican-supported bill?

Vermont is now the latest state to see a marijuana legalization bill introduced.

Three bills dealing with marijuana law reform have been filed in Missouri.

With the introduction of medical marijuana and hemp bills this week, along with marijuana legalization legislation introduced earlier this month, Congress has a full-blown marijuana agenda before it this session. And now, it has an emerging cannabis caucus.

Now, here's some news we didn't expect: US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has endorsed a pending hemp bill in his home state of Kentucky.

Oregon's Measure 80 is the most far reaching of this year's legalization initiatives. It is also the longest shot.