The number of states where marijuana possession and recreational use may nearly triple next year. Four U.S. states and the District of Columbia have already legalized cannabis and another 11, all of which have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana, could approve ballot initiatives between now and mid-November of 2016.

We noted in our report on The Next 11 States to Legalize Marijuana that a majority of residents in most of these states support some form of legalization. Nearly two-thirds of Connecticut residents, for example, favor legalizing adult possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Here’s a rundown on other stories related to marijuana that made news this week.

The Marijuana Legalization Movement Begins in the States
Advocacy groups have poured millions of dollars into legalizing both recreational and medical marijuana in states across the country.

One of the most powerful and influential groups – Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project – was behind successful recreational measures in Alaska and Colorado, two of four states that now allow recreational use. MPP organizers hope to replicate those efforts in five other states during the 2016 elections, an undertaking they say will – if successful – prove significant for the effort to end marijuana prohibition.

One of them, Arizona, is a state that conservative icon Barry Goldwater called home. It frequently makes national headlines for controversial measures on immigration and gay rights. Voters passed the state’s medical marijuana program by the barest of margins in 2010.

In business, you have to spend money to make money. In the New York medical marijuana industry, you may just be spending money.

Read more at The Center for Public Integrity.

Want To Sell Medical Marijuana in New York? It Could Cost You $30 Million
Medical marijuana was legalized in New York in July 2014; however, the licenses to sell were just announced July 31 of this year. Applicants had to pay a refundable registration fee of $200,000 along with a non-refundable $10,000 fee. For a comparison, in Oregon, the application fee is $4,000 and in Massachusetts, there is a Stage One application fee of $1,500 and a Stage Two application fee of $30,000.

Of the 43 businesses that applied, five companies — Bloomfield Industries, Columbia Care NY, Empire State Health Solutions, Etain and PharmaCann — were awarded licenses. Of the states that have legalized marijuana, some — like Florida and Minnesota — also restrict the number of license holders, while others, such as Colorado and California, grant much greater access to licensees.

Read more at MarketWatch.

Want To Be a Weed Critic? The First One Gives Tips on How To Be Hired
They’re getting ready to weed out the candidates.

The Oregonian announced Thursday it’s hiring a freelance cannabis critic — becoming the second U.S. newspaper ever to try to clear the haze around marijuana.

The Portland-based paper said it’s seeking “an experienced cannabis consumer” with “deep knowledge” of strains and products.

The prolific pothead must be a medical marijuana patient because dispensaries can’t sell recreational marijuana until October 1.

Jake Browne, the Denver Post’s first-ever freelance pot critic, said he’s glad the Oregonian is rolling out another position like his in his growing field.

Read more at the New York Daily News.

Marijuana Games in S.F. Aim To Change Stoner Stereotypes
Students, accountants, businessmen, housewives and many others in green T-shirts and all wearing the number 420 raced Saturday to change the stereotypical images of marijuana smokers as lazy and lethargic stoners who binge on junk food.

More than 300 people came from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area to participate in the 420 Games, an effort to stop the stigmatization of cannabis use through athletic events.

“People who use marijuana have been classified as dumb, lazy, stupid people and with this race we’re showing them we’re not what they say we are,” said Jim McAlpine, a snowboard company executive who founded the events last year. “We want to show them we are motivated, athletic members of society.”

Read more at the Press of Atlantic City.

Synthetic Marijuana Now Banned in Boston
Synthetic marijuana is sold around Boston in gas stations and smoke shops, wrapped in plastic packets covered with cartoons and labeled as incense. It usually goes by “K2” or “Spice,” and taking it can cause anxiety, high blood pressure, nausea, seizures, hallucinations, and even suicidal thoughts or behavior.

As of Friday, it’s banned in the city.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh signed an ordinance that outlaws the possession, sale, manufacturing, and distribution of synthetic marijuana, according to a press release from his office. The designer drug doesn’t actually contain marijuana, but instead comes from plants sprayed with chemicals.

Read more at Boston.com.

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