Updated: Vermont legislature poised to legalize cannabis; Daugaard evolving

Update, 1412 MST: a bill legalizing cannabis in Vermont will go to the House after the state's Senate voted to pass it.

Final approval came on a 17-to-12 vote Thursday after one senator switched what had been a no on an earlier vote to a yes. Sen. Rebecca Balint, a Windham County Democrat, said she switched due to an amendment seen as favoring smaller growers of marijuana versus large commercial interests.

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And, from South Dakota:

Gov. Dennis Daugaard says his views on a medical marijuana measure have changed since it was amended to legalize the use of a cannabis derivative for seizure disorders. Daugaard said Thursday that he hadn't thoroughly vetted the measure, but would be likely to support Senate Bill 171 if it arrived on his desk. [Dana Ferguson]

And:

The Montana Supreme Court says medical marijuana providers should be paid for their services, but it also restricted them to selling the drug to three patients each. [Associated Press]

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Cannabis is no longer listed as a gateway drug on the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) website.

Washington, DC has seen arrests and jail times plummet after legalizing cannabis as former Attorney General Eric Holder comes out in favor of rescheduling the herb.

The Vermont Senate has voted in favor of legal cannabis. 55% of state residents favor legalization according to a poll conducted by Vermont Public Radio.

After one more vote, it will move to the House, which will need to approve it before it ends up on the governor's desk. But Gov. Peter Shumlin has said he supports the bill. An October 2015 survey by Gallup found 58 percent of Americans support legalization.

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Vermont would be the first state to legalize through the legislature. Rhode Island's statehouse is also hearing testimony on legal cannabis.

Aquarius Cannabis, a U.S.-based branding company in the medical and recreational marijuana industries, today announced that it has signed a binding agreement with Flying Eagle Advisors, a Native American-owned cannabis management consulting and financing company, to be the distribution, branding, and cultivation consulting partner in a series of cannabis cultivation facilities owned by Native American tribes in the U.S. Aquarius will earn 9.77% of the gross wholesale sales of products grown in the facilities, once sold by an Aquarius-licensed distribution partner. Aquarius will earn 5% of gross revenue earned by the vertically integrated cultivation and manufacturing operation, and will receive between $12.50 – $75 per pound cultivation consulting fees based on the level of success the clients have growing its brands. [press release]

A Canadian judge has ruled that patients can grow their own and the country's premier has pledged to legalize for adult casual use.