US officials approved the first-ever marijuana patent on August 4, 2015 for a plant containing large amounts of THC – the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Patent No. 9095554, “relates to specialty cannabis plants, compositions and methods for making and using said cannabis plants and compositions derived thereof,” according to the document. Vice News reports: “There is a real need for cannabis varieties for potential medical use that produce modulated THC concentrations and varying concentrations of other pharmacologically active substances,” the patent says. “There is also a need for healthier cannabis for recreational use with reduced negative side effects from THC. The inventions described herein meet that long-felt need.” But while the patent may inaugurate a new era of acceptance for marijuana in the US, it also opens up a new source of turmoil for the fast-growing industry: disputes over the intellectual property rights to America’s most potent and innovative marijuana strains. “It’s going to be a mess,” said Tim Blake, a longtime grower and activist who founded California’s annual Emerald Cup cannabis competition. Marijuana growers developing new varieties, he added, “are going to have to spend a lot of money on attorneys.” When big corporations eventually decide to enter the [...]