[naviga:h3]Marijuana job site attracts hundreds[/naviga:h3]

MCKEESPORT — A job fair for one of Pennsylvania’s first medical marijuana processing plants has drawn hundreds of potential applicants.

Videos posted on social media Thursday show hundreds of people in line hoping to land a job at PurePenn’s future facility in McKeesport, a city about 12 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

The company’s website says it will grow cannabis plants and produce pharmaceutical-grade capsules, ointments and oils. Patients who have a prescription and a license issued by the state health department can purchase the products at dispensaries.

Employees who will work at the 21,000-square foot facility, which the company’s website says will be fully operational by January, will earn twice the minimum wage.

Pennsylvania’s governor signed a bill legalizing medical marijuana in April 2016.

[naviga:h3]Japan slaps stiff tariffs on U.S. beef[/naviga:h3]

TOKYO — In unwelcome news for U.S. farmers, Japan is slapping emergency tariffs of 50 percent on imports of frozen beef, mainly from the U.S.

Finance Minister Taro Aso announced the move today, saying he was prepared to explain the decision to the U.S. side.

“The tariff will take effect automatically as the volume of the imported U.S. frozen beef exceeded the quota set by law,” Aso said.

The usual tariff rate for frozen beef imports is 38.5 percent. Under World Trade Organization rules, Japan can introduce safeguard tariffs when imports rise more than 17 percent year-on-year in any given quarter.

Beef imports have risen quickly while prices fell as the U.S. livestock sector recovered from drought. But the U.S. livestock sector faces stiff competition from Australia, which has a free-trade agreement with Japan.