For residents in states that have legalized marijuana, the grass is indeed greener on their side.

That’s the takeaway from new polling data released earlier this month. The survey, from pollster YouGov, found that in “many states where recreational cannabis is legal, a plurality of citizens believes these laws have been more of a success than a failure overall.” 

Most adults living in states where marijuana use is legal view the policy change as successful, according to state-specific polling data compiled by YouGov.com.

Respondents in California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, and Washington were asked their opinion regarding whether their state’s adult-use legalization policy “has been a success or a failure.”

Even though Nevada cannabis companies have been deemed essential businesses and continue limited operations, due to the federal prohibition on marijuana, none of the companies are eligible for federal small business relief. Our contributor Brian Bahouth with the Sierra Nevada Ally reports that some companies may not make it without a lifeline, even with the recent allowance of curbside pickup.

Investing in cannabis has never been more challenging than it is today. There are many pot stocks to choose from and not all of them carry the same risks. In addition to cash flow and profitability, investors need to consider how much growth to expect from the company as well as the stock's current valuation.

However, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, there's another item that needs to enter the equation: Where its operations are. Being in the wrong state could prove to be catastrophic.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought mixed results to the marijuana industry. While some markets have seen a surge in deliveries, many dispensaries have seen a sharp dip in sales over the last month with would-be customers confined to their homes due to stay-at-home orders.

Quarantine caused by the global outbreak of COVID-19 is forcing people across the world to find ways to entertain themselves.

In Michigan, people are lighting up.

According to a Twitter survey conducted by the health blog bodynutrition.org, Michigan residents are smoking marijuana more than any other state during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Analysts used trends software with direct access to geotagged twitter data to arrive at the conclusion.

Cannabis regulators across the country continue to react to the spreading coronavirus pandemic, with Oregon and Pennsylvania relaxing rules while storefront dispensaries were ordered closed in Nevada. The changes come as more states issue stay-at-home orders in an effort to curtail the spread of the virus.

Illinois dispensaries sold nearly $40 million dollars with of cannabis in the first 31 days of recreational cannabis sales, according to new numbers released last week.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced the number on Feb. 3. Officials said the final total of $39,247,840.83 came from the sale of 972,045 cannabis products at licensed retailers across the state.

Cannabis vape sales tumbled 26 per cent in the two months following the health crisis that has killed dozens and sickened thousands, according to new industry research.

Legal sales peaked at a combined US$160 million in August in the states of California, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona, according to a report from BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research.

As reports of vaping illnesses grew and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention disclosed the first deaths related to the practice, sales slumped to US$126 million in September and US$119 million in October. This was significant for the legal cannabis market as a whole, where vapes accounted for approximately 25 per cent of total sales in the first three quarters of 2019.

Nevada state officials have closed a marijuana testing laboratory and issued a public health warning about tainted strains of cannabis products sold at retail and medical dispensaries in the Las Vegas area, Mesquite and Carson City.

The state Department of Taxation said in a Friday notice there were no reports of illness, but that high levels of mold, yeast, bacteria and fungus were found in some products tested at the Cannex Nevada lab in Las Vegas.

The department said people with suppressed immune systems were most at-risk of illness.